Friday, September 26, 2008

OPPOSING GOD'S LEADERSHIP

"The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them" (Num 12:9).

Beware of trying to depose a leader that God has raised in your midst. Leaders are placed by God in business, government, churches - almost every place where leaders are required. When God places a person in position of authority, it is a grievous sin to go against that leadership. God Himself opposes those who come against His leadership.
God's leaders are not perfect. They make mistakes. That is why following a leader can require a faith that goes beyond faith in the leader. Our faith lies in the God who elevated the leader to his or her position.
Miriam and Aaron, the older brother and sister of Moses, had a family dispute about Moses' wife, who was an Ethiopian and Cushite. She most likely was a black woman. We do not know the nature of the dispute, but it was a typical family conflict.
However, the family conflict began to impact God's agenda for a nation. They were now meddling in God's business. And He did not like that in the least. God literally brought Aaron and Miriam into the switching house. He judged both Miriam and Aaron for their rebellion against His ordained leader. "Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (Num 12:8).
Miriam was stricken with leprosy and had it not been for Moses' appeal on her behalf, she would have been cast out for good. God gave her a second chance but it required being cast away from the camp for seven days. Miriam and Aaron repented for their rebellion.
If you struggle with a leader that God has over you, pray for that leader. If God wants to remove that leader, He can do it. Think twice about conspiring to remove a leader whom God has not chosen to remove yet.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

WILL YOU ENTER?

"Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff." Numbers 20:11a

Will you fulfill the destiny God has for your life? Perhaps you have never thought about it. God had a perfect plan for Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. It's been said the hardest place to score a touchdown is from the goal line. You're almost there. But there is something about crossing over that makes those last few yards the most difficult. Moses failed at the goal line, and it prevented him from finishing well a glorious life of service for God.
The people of Israel were complaining that they did not have water to drink. It was another of many tests for Israel. Moses inquired of God and God said, "...Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (Num. 20:8a). Moses, in his frustration and anger with the people, began to act on his own and made a strategic mistake. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with his staff. In spite of his disobedience, the rock poured forth water.
God was calling Moses to a different dimension. Moses was to use his words to speak the miracle. However, he not only lost his temper, but he also took credit and dishonored God. He used his staff, the symbol of his work life as a shepherd, to force the provision.
When we become callous, we can use our skills and abilities to force what we believe should happen. We take control. When we do this, we are in danger of failing to enter the Promised Land of blessing from God. Living in life's spiritual dimension requires patience and obedience. Beware of solving problems in your own strength. God wants to bring you into the Promised Land of His blessing. But it will require walking in the spiritual dimension.

Monday, September 22, 2008

HIGH POSITION

"The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position" (James 1:9).

Whenever God takes a saint to a very lowly state it is designed to accomplish something only that process can do. Job learned that "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). Job's trials allowed him to learn things about God, himself and his friends that we all needed to know as well. He assumed things about God that he had to recant: "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:3).
God reveals things in the dark places of circumstances that will be used to reveal something He wants you and others to know. He has sent you ahead to learn these things so that you and others will benefit from your unique experience. God views this place where you receive these truths as a high position. The world views it as a place to be despised.
"He called down a famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them - Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true" (Psalms 105:16-19). Joseph was also led to this high position. It was here he was prepared to be the most powerful man in the world as a thirty-year old. He learned many things about God during his captivity that was used later as a ruler over a nation.
So, if you find yourself in a lowly state, realize your lowly state is considered a high position by God that is preparation soil for revealing deep things from the dark places that God desires you to learn.

Friday, September 19, 2008

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

My wife walked out of the airport restroom. She looked as if she was going to throw up. We were about to go through the airport checkpoint when we paused.
"I feel awful. It came on suddenly. I don't know if I should go," she said.
We were going on an overnight trip to meet with a workplace ministry about a possible joint venture project. It was important for me to have her there. But she was feeling so badly and would probably be miserable traveling in her condition.
"You may be right. Perhaps you should not go."
We were both disappointed. We began to transfer my clothing into my bag. We prayed together and I proceeded to the gate. I was disappointed, perplexed, and a bit angry.
"Lord, I don't know about this. If this is not of Your hand, I pray against it in Jesus' name. I pray for Angie's healing right now and I bind this spirit of infirmity."
I got to the gate about ten minutes later. As I was waiting to check in, I looked up and there was Angie.
"I'm going. I kept asking if I should go and a voice said, 'No.' I changed my mind three times. But I finally decided that I am not dead and I should be going on this trip."
We got on the plane and within a few minutes, the symptoms of illness were completely gone. The symptoms were a counterfeit. She was fine the rest of the trip. It was critical for her to participate with me because it became a major turning point in my own spiritual pilgrimage. She needed to experience what I was going to experience. (Testimony of Os Hillman)
There is the spiritual and there is the physical. The spiritual involves two forces. One is good. One is evil. We must realize that the spiritual is more real than the physical. Satan has his agents in the world to thwart God's purposes. We need to recognize when these are at work. Pray that you might have spiritual eyes and ears to discern these forces today in your work.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

WHEN SERVICE EXCEEDS DEVOTION

"She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said" (Luke 10:39-40).

A story is told of a western missionary group that was sitting with a foreign visitor planning strategy for an upcoming evangelistic trip to his country. One man led in prayer, asking for God's help in planning their activities. The visitor was surprised how the meeting quickly moved to the planning phase after only a few minutes of focused prayer.
He turned to the leader and said, "You have taught us the scriptures well in our country. However, I've noticed when it comes to prayer you spend so little time in prayer listening and much time in planning." The western believers were convicted by his words.
Martha was Mary's older sister. Older sisters always think they know best. They tend to mother the younger siblings. So when Jesus came over to spend an evening at their home Martha wanted to prepare a special meal. She noticed Mary was spending all her time in the living room listening to Jesus. Martha finally felt compelled to appeal to Jesus about the situation.
"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:40-42).
Jesus reveals a danger in this story that each of us must be aware of. When our concern for serving Jesus exceeds our need to be with Jesus, we are in danger of focusing on the lesser thing. The hardest thing to do for most workplace believers is to sit and listen. It is easier to do.
Today, begin to spend more time listening before you begin doing.

Monday, September 15, 2008

CREATING YOUR NICHE

"Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; but my dove, my perfect one, is unique..." (Song of Solomon 6:8-9).

Every business must have a unique niche if you wish to separate yourself from others to compete in the marketplace. This is especially true if you are competing in an industry that is very crowded with competition and low price is a driving incentive for the customer.
It used to be that a cup of coffee was just a cup of coffee. Then a company came along and completely changed the rules. They violated every marketing rule. They overpriced their product. They changed the language - a small is actually a "tall." A medium is "grande." You get the idea.
Starbucks, the specialty coffee retailer, is one of the great 21st century American success stories. Considered as one of the most successful and admired companies today, Starbucks has grown from a single store begun by a Jewish man in Seattle 33 years ago to 12,000 stores, almost 4,000 of which are in 36 countries outside the U.S. In fiscal 2006, the company posted revenues of more than $8 billion.* Cup by cup, Starbucks has changed the way people drink coffee.
More remarkably, the company successfully transformed a pedestrian commodity into a high-end accessory. It has created a "Starbucks lifestyle" that more people continue to embrace in the United States and abroad. They created community around their product.
If you're thinking about starting a business, or making an existing business better, ask yourself this question: "What's unique about my business or product?"
God created each of us to be unique. Define this uniqueness in your work life and promote it with integrity, and you'll have a good chance for success.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

MOVING WITH THE CLOUDS

"Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out." Numbers 9:21b

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, and they had to pass through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. God was their guide by means of a cloud that appeared overhead. When it moved, they moved. When it stopped, they stopped - sometimes a day, a week, even a year.
Imagine living with the uncertainty of this situation. One day you work at getting your "house" in order, only to have to pick up the stakes and move. Your ability to plan is totally gone. But even greater is the temptation to move when the cloud did not move because you felt it was time to move. For the Israelites, perhaps the grass was no longer green. Perhaps the water was not easily accessible. Perhaps the bugs were a problem. Whatever the case, they were strictly prohibited from moving if the cloud did not move.
It is still the same today. We are not to move unless the Holy Spirit instructs us to do so. We are not to make that business deal on the basis of whether or not it makes sense, but on the leading of the Holy Spirit's "cloud" in our life. It is a difficult process to move only when we are directed, and to remain if we are not. The pressure is always upon us to move, to plan, to act. But if we act, we may move into a place where the presence of God may not be. Hence, the rub. The Christian workplace believer must learn to move when God says move; it is a sign of complete surrender and dependence on God's Spirit to direct our steps.
Ask God today if you are sitting under His cloud. Or, have you moved when He said stand still? He will show you.

Monday, September 8, 2008

BEWARE OF MIXTURE

"Then they said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt'" (Ex 32:4).

Moses had gone up onto Mount Sinai to meet with God and receive the Ten Commandments. He left his brother Aaron in charge. Aaron had been mentored by his brother Moses. However, we learn that Aaron still has vestiges of Egypt residing in him. He had not had a complete conversion from the ways of Egypt to the ways of God. His leadership was not strong enough to thwart a rebellion in the camp and he allowed the people, and even encouraged the people, to make an idol of gold. Later, he tried to justify his actions by saying the idol was a God of Israel.
Today we see such mixture in the body of Christ. We promote guaranteed prosperity without the cross. We call adversity a sign of a lack of faith. We promote New Age philosophies mixed with the scriptures and call it a new freedom in Christ. This is only mixture. It is an abomination to the Lord.
And because Aaron has mixture in his own life, he was unable to be truthful to Moses when confronted with his actions. "He said to Aaron, 'What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?' So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!'" (Ex 32:21-24).
Did you notice Aaron's explanation? Out came this calf! - all by itself. Aaron attempted to deceive Moses. Aaron failed to fulfill his role as a strong, Godly leader. He allowed "mixture" to have power over the people of God.
Pray that you will be faithful to the Word of God and not allow new philosophies to distort its ageless truths.

Friday, September 5, 2008

CONCEALING A MATTER

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Prov. 28:13)

None of us are immune from making poor choices in our lives. David made a number of seemingly minor choices that snowballed into an avalanche of suffering, shame and tragedy. It started when he chose to stay at home in Jerusalem instead of going out to lead his troops into battle, as was his duty. David had too much time on his hands, which ultimately led to him committing adultery with Bathsheba and trying to cover up that sin with murder.
So God sent the prophet Nathan to tell King David a story: "There were two men in a town, one rich, one poor. The rich man had many sheep and cattle. The poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he raised like one of the family. The ewe lamb shared the man's food, drank from his cup, and slept in his arms. One day, when the rich man had a guest to entertain, he didn't want to slaughter any of his own sheep or cattle, so he took the poor man's lamb, killed it, and prepared it as a feast for his guest."
David responded: "The rich man deserves death!" he said. "He must pay the man four times the value of the lamb, because he did an unjust thing and had no compassion!"
Then Nathan turned to King David and said, "You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own!'" To his credit, David confessed and repented of his sins, and God forgave him.
God's forgiveness restores the broken relationship between Himself and sinner, but forgiveness can't make everything exactly as it was. Sin has consequences that forgiveness cannot change. David had consequences he had to live with for the rest of his life.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

JUDAH'S INTERGRITY

"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job 31:1).

In Genesis 38, we read how Judah, one of Joseph's brothers, allowed his purity - and the staff that represented his stature and position in the community - to be taken from him.
Tamar was deprived by Judah of having children in memory of her husband which was the custom of the day if a husband died. Under the law, Judah did a great injustice to his daughter-in-law. Although Tamar lived in Judah's house, Judah withheld his son from her.
So Tamar devised a plan. Hearing that Judah planned to go to the town of Timnah, she disguised herself with a veil and hurried to the village of Enaim. She posed as a Canaanite prostitute and waited for Judah to pass by. Soon, Judah came up, saw a prostitute sitting at the gate, and propositioned her and promised a goat for payment.
Tamar asked for a pledge - the personal seal and the staff in his hand. The staff was the symbol of Judah's position in the community. So Judah gave her the staff and the seal with its cord. He slept with Tamar, and she became pregnant.
Time passed and Judah discovered Tamar was pregnant. He knew that there was only one way this could have happened - she had prostituted herself! Enraged, Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!"
As the people brought Tamar out to be executed, she cried out, "I am pregnant by the man who owns these!" She held in her hands the seal and staff of Judah. Seeing them, Judah knew he stood convicted. He broke down and confessed, "She is more righteous than I am!"
Sexual sin can take everything away from a man or woman; their reputation, their career, and even their family. No matter how strong we think we are, no one is immune from temptation. Pray that God's grace keeps you pure.

Monday, September 1, 2008

CONFRONTING YOUR INDUSTRY CULTURE

"Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, 'My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers'" (Matt 21:12-13).

Sometimes a corporate culture dictates the way business is conducted because it was established years before. We simply inherit whatever the accepted practice is. Some of these practices violate a biblical principle. For instance, some businesses withhold payment on invoices for sixty, ninety or one hundred twenty days as a form of cash management, which places a heavy burden on suppliers. Some government custom's employees require a bribe in order to get your product into their country. One nation thinks nothing about their practice of software piracy because it has simply become a part of their culture.
God never allows for situational ethics. There are absolutes in the Kingdom of God. The Word of God does not change because of culture or accepted practice.
It was an "industry practice" to sell doves in the temple. But Jesus never accepted the practice because he knew it was turning a holy place of prayer into a commercial enterprise. It did not matter that it was an accepted practice.
God calls each of us to operate from a plumb line of righteousness in our work life, no matter the consequence. Zerubbabel led the first band of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia (Ezra). Zerubbabel is also noted for laying the foundation of the second temple in Jerusalem the next year. He was a leader who managed with integrity and righteousness. He was a man who God and others wanted in charge. "Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel" (Zech 4:10).
Evaluate your industry practices and make sure you are not violating God's Word. Let your plumb line be measured by His precepts.