ARE YOU TOO BUSY?

"A... Samaritan... came where he was. And when he saw him, he had
compassion." - Luke 10:33 NKJV

Are you too busy to care about the needs of others? Are you so
preoccupied being good instead of doing good, that you're missing
opportunities right under your nose? Remember, nobody was busier than
Jesus, yet He always responded to those in need.
In Luke 10, Jesus tells of a Jewish traveller who was mugged by a gang
and left to die on the road. First a Levite and then a priest passed
by.They were religious leaders; surely they'd have compassion on this
wounded man. But no, they both had important appointments to keep and
didn't stop. Then a Samaritan came along. Of all people, he'd the most
reason to look the other way, because the Jews and the Samaritans were
long-standing enemies. But the Bible says, "He... came where he was.
And when he saw him, he had compassion." Compassion will rearrange your
priorities! The Good Samaritan decided that where he was going wasn't
as important as where he was at that particular moment.
What would you have done that day? Do you think you'd have acted like
this Samaritan? How about when God tries to interrupt your inflexible,
tightly organised, written-in-concrete schedule and asks you to take
time for someone who's hurting? Are you willing to shelve your personal
agenda and do what He wants? If you're too busy to reach out to those
who are hurting, you're just too busy! Today ask God to help you begin
thinking and acting like Christ, and don't miss another opportunity to
serve.

ARE YOU SALTY?

"Everyone will be salted with fire." - Mark 9:49

Jesus used parables to communicate principles of the Kingdom of God. He
said each believer's life should have the same impact on his or her
world as salt has on food. Salt gives food flavor and brings out the
best, while at the same time it serves as a preservative.
What allows a Christian to become salty? Fire. God knows that each
believer needs a degree of testing by fire in order for Christ's
fragrance to be manifested. We cannot become salty without this deeper
work of the Holy Spirit's fire in our lives. Fire purifies all that is
not of Christ. It takes away all the impurities that prevent His nature
from being revealed in us.
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that
your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by
fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor
when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Are you a salty Christian? If not, pray a prayer that the immature are
unwilling to pray. Pray that God makes you a salty Christian. It will
result in praise and glory at the throne of God.

ANGER BORN OF THE SPIRIT

"When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power,

and he burned with anger." - 1 Samuel 11:6

There are occasions in which God justifies righteous anger. It is a type

of anger that does not lead to sin, but fulfills God's purposes.

Saul had just been crowned as the new king of Israel. His first battle

was upon him, and he had to bring a new nation together to fight the

Ammonites. The Spirit of God fell on Saul and resulted in righteous

anger against God's enemies. God led him to send an unusual

"direct-mail" package to all the regions where the people lived. He cut

up pieces of oxen and sent the pieces throughout Israel with a

warning-"Join the army or your oxen will be as these!"

Sometimes God uses strong measures to accomplish His purposes. In this

case, fear and intimidation were used to motivate the army of God to be

as one. God must have felt this is what was needed to drive this army to

become a unified force.

God knows the only way to achieve success is if the army is one. A house

divided cannot stand. What will it take to unify your company, your

church, and your family to be one? Unless you are one, you cannot win

the battles you will face. Ask God to make you and those you walk with

to be one in mission and one in spirit.

ARE YOU A THREAT?

"One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about

Paul, but who are you?"- Acts 19:15

Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness? If satan and his demons

had a board meeting and your name came before the board, what would they

say? Would they say that you are one of their most feared enemies and

they needed to keep many demons harassing and opposing you? Or would

they say, "Gentlemen, this person poses no threat to our activities.

Leave him alone. He needs no help from us." There are millions of

church-going believers sitting in pews Sunday after Sunday who pose

little threat to the kingdom of darkness.

If we truly believe that we war against rulers and principalities that

cannot be seen, then we must realize that their mandate is to hinder

any believer who is seeking to walk in the fullness of God. However,

"greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 Jn.

4:4b KJV).

If you are seeking to fully follow the Lord, you can expect harassment

from the enemy. God permits temptation because it drives us deeper into

the soil of God. These times reveal God's power to keep us and walk us

through the temptations. Our message becomes fruitful when it is born

out of obedience and suffering for His name. Do not consider it strange

if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you

become to the Master. God desires each of us to become a feared enemy of hell

in order to affect satan's domain. When you begin to feel harassed,

chances are you are beginning to affect the kingdom of darkness, and

satan doesn't like this. So, how many demons do you think are assigned

to you?

ARE YOU GOD'S NEXT DELIVERER?

"But when they cried out to the Lord, He raised up for them a deliverer,

Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them." - Judges 3:9

Have you ever heard of a man named Othniel? Probably not. He was

Caleb's nephew. When the people of Israel went into the Promised Land, they

were victorious through the courageous efforts of Joshua and Caleb. As this

generation grew older, a new generation began to emerge. Israel again

fell into sin by worshiping idols. The anger of the Lord burned against

Israel, and He allowed them once more to be enslaved by their enemies.

However, the people again cried out to the Lord and God heard them.

Whenever God's people cry out to the Lord, He hears them. When they are

truly repentant, He responds. He responds by rising up those whom He

has prepared for such a time. Every soldier looks forward to the day he can

use the training he has received. God had been preparing a nephew for

such a time as this. He had the same Spirit as his uncle, Caleb.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge

and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the

hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty

years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died (Judges 3:10-11).

Has God been preparing you for a time when you will be called upon to

deliver God's people? Millions of men and women are enslaved to the god

of mammon and idolatry in the workplace. Has He placed you there to be

a deliverer? Pray that you will have the same Spirit as Joshua, Caleb,

and Othniel.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

"So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision, I had no strength

left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless." - Daniel 10:8

Daniel received a vision that troubled him greatly. He wanted

understanding of this vision. He set himself out to understand the

vision by fasting for three weeks. Three days after his three weeks of

fasting, a messenger of God appeared to Daniel. The messenger explained

that Heaven had heard his prayer from the first day, but the angel was

temporarily prevented from coming by the prince of Persia, a demon

angel, who sought to thwart God's messenger from coming to Daniel.

There are times in our lives when we must set ourselves to seeking God

with all our hearts. It is in these times that we hear from Heaven in

ways we may never have experienced before. Daniel's perseverance in

prayer was rewarded with a personal encounter with Heaven. However, in

order to receive from God, Daniel had to be left alone, have his

strength removed, and be placed in a helpless condition. When we have

no ability in our own strength to move Heaven or the events around us, we

are in position to hear from Heaven. It is the acknowledgment of our

humanity and our frailness that places us in a position to have a

personal encounter with the living God.

Do you need a personal encounter with God today? Do you need God to

intervene on your behalf? Seek Him with all your heart. Demonstrate to

Him you are serious. Get alone and acknowledge your helpless condition

before Him. He will reward you with His presence.

ALONE WITH GOD

And Daniel alone saw the vision [of the post-incarnate

Christ]: for the men that were with me saw not the

vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they

fled to hide themselves. (Daniel 10:7)

Although others were with him, "Daniel alone" saw the

vision. It is evident from many recorded incidents that

only the Holy Spirit can identify Christ for men, and

that is what he did for Daniel. The Lord Jesus said, "He

shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and

shall shew it unto you." (John 16:14)

The apostle Paul had a similar experience on the road to

Damascus: And the men which journeyed with him stood

speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul

arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he

saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought

him into Damascus. (Acts 9:7, 8)

Paul was blinded-he had seen the glorified Christ.

Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision,

and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness

was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no

strength. (Daniel 10:8)

Daniel was left alone. That is the marvelous, wonderful

experience of the man of God, and many have shared

eagerly and joyfully a like experience. Abraham left Ur,

and finally his kindred, and he was alone with God.

Moses was sent to the backside of the desert of Midian,

and at the burning bush he was alone with God.

Elijah was disciplined by the Brook Cherith, and God was

with him.

Jeremiah walked a lonely path, but God was with him.

John the Baptist was in the desert alone, but God was

there.

Paul had two years of solitary confinement on that same

desert-that was God's opportunity to train him.

The apostle John was exiled on the lonely isle of

Patmos. But God was with him. There are so many people

who want to get together to have a great prayer meeting

or other great gatherings. Friend, have you ever tried

being alone? That is where God will meet with you. Take

the Word of God and go off alone with Him. It will do

you a lot of good.

ANGELS IN THE WORKPLACE

"For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your

ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike

your foot against a stone." - Psalm 91:11-12

For years Sergis ran his small retail business from his store in a local

shopping center. Every week a visitor would drop by to collect a

percentage of his sales. The visitor wasn't his landlord; the mafia had

taken control of business in his small country.

Through the ministry of a workplace Christian, Sergis came to faith in

Christ, and God began a deep work in his life. One day Sergis decided he

could no longer give God's money to the mafia.

A few days later his "friends" paid him a visit. They kidnapped him,

blindfolded him, and placed him in a jail cell located in the middle of

a mafia-controlled house. During the night Sergis sat in the jail cell

discouraged. Two locked doors with guards separated Sergis from his

freedom. Suddenly, in the middle of the night Sergis awoke to a voice:

"Sergis, get up. Follow me." Sergis awakened to a real, in the flesh,

angel of God sent to deliver him. The angel opened the doors while the

guards remained asleep. Sergis and the angel walked quietly past the

guards to freedom. Sergis immediately went to his Christian brothers to

share the miracle that had just taken place.

This true story is living proof that we serve a God who still does

miracles on behalf of His servants. Ask God for the miracle you need

today.

AN AUDIENCE OF ONE

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is

that to you? You must follow Me." John 21:22

For several weeks I awoke with heaviness over me. It seemed it did not

matter how much I prayed or how much I read the Scriptures. Finally, one

night I was reading a book by Os Guinness that described the

conversation between Jesus and Peter. God had just commissioned Peter in

the famous "Peter, do you love Me" passage of Scripture. This was after

Jesus' resurrection. Jesus was calling Peter to feed His sheep, and He

informed Peter of the death he would encounter for following Him. But

Peter had a question. He wondered what was going to happen to John.

Would John have the same trials, the same responsibility, as Peter?

Jesus quickly retorted to Peter, "What is that to you?"

That night I realized I was guilty of envy. I had several friends who

were now "making it" in business. I began to compare where I was in

life. It brought me into a state of depression. Once I realized this, I

asked the Lord to forgive me. I knew in my head I was to have only one

audience-the audience of One. That knowledge needed to get to my heart.

I also knew I was experiencing spiritual warfare in the area of

unbelief.

The next morning I awoke, and as I normally do, I checked my e-mail to

see what the devotional was for that day that is sent to other workplace

believers. Although I write the devotional myself, I read it because I

get letters from readers regarding the devotionals. To my shock, the

devotional was on this same passage of Scripture. It talked about the

sin of envy. I was amused by God's sense of humor, as He convicted me

with my own devotional message. But that was not the end of it.

That day I went to lunch with a friend. After lunch I got into my car. I

turned on the radio and Os Guinness, the author of the same book I was

reading the night before, was being interviewed. They were talking about

the discourse between Jesus and Peter and the sin of envy! I was

floored! "Okay, God, I get the message!" The Holy Spirit has an uncanny

ability to communicate to us. The Lord wanted me to know that I am not

to worry about someone else. God has called us to a unique life that may

look totally different from anyone else's life. Once we begin to compare

ourselves to others, we begin to live for others and ourselves. There is

only one audience we should be living for-the audience of One. Ask the

Lord today if you are living solely for His pleasure.

A WORRIED CHRISTIAN?

We all have to admit that worry is a common temptation in life-for many

it is a favorite pastime. America, the most affluent society in the

world is also the most worry-filled society in the world-that is, if

spending on security, mental illnesses, and intoxicants are any

indication. Americans worry, and worry is a sin. It is neither

insignificant, nor inconsequential. And for the Christian, it is

absolutely contrary to faith Christ.

Jesus categorically prohibited worry in a familiar portion of the

Sermon on the Mount-Matthew 6:25-34. Three times in that short passage He

commanded, "Do not worry!", and the way He said it shows the

comprehensiveness of His charge. In verse 25 He acknowledges worry as a

common practice and says, "Stop worrying;" in verses 31 and 34 He uses

the same word, but in a way that means "Don't even start worrying." To

continue worrying about anything, or to start worrying in the first

place, is to violate the Lord's command.

If you worry, what kind of faith do you manifest? "Little faith,"

according to Jesus (Matt. 6:30). Now if you are a child of God, by

definition you have a Heavenly Father. To act like you don't-nervously

asking, "What shall I eat? What shall I drink? With what shall I clothe

myself?"-is to act like an unbeliever in God's eyes (vv. 31-32).

Think about it this way: Christians who worry believe God can redeem

them, break the shackles of Satan, take them from hell to heaven, put

them into His kingdom, and give them eternal life, but just don't think

He can get them through the next couple of days. That is pretty

ridiculous, isn't it? That we can believe God for the greater gift and

then stumble and not believe Him for the lesser one reveals an

embarrassing lack of faith.

The Worrier Strikes Out at God Someone might say, "Why make a big deal out of worry? It's just a trivial sin." No, it is not. I suspect a majority of mental illnesses

and some physical illnesses are directly related to worry. Many cases

of drunkenness and drug addiction are symptomatic of worry. And because of

worry, many make foolish life decisions, incurring painful

consequences.

Worry is devastating.

But more important than what worry does to you is what you are

communicating about God. When you worry you are saying in effect, "God,

I just don't think I can trust You." Worry strikes a blow at the person

and character of God.

The Worrier Disbelieves Scripture

It breaks my heart to hear some Christians claim to believe in the

inerrancy of Scripture, and then live as perpetual worriers. If you do

that, you are saying one thing out of one side of your mouth, and

another thing out of the other. It is incongruous to say how much you

believe the Bible and then worry about God fulfilling what He says in

it.

The Worrier Is Mastered by Circumstances

When you worry, you are choosing to be mastered by your circumstances

instead of by the truth of God. The vicissitudes and trials of life

pale in comparison to the greatness of salvation. Jesus wants you to realize

it doesn't make sense to believe God can save you from eternal hell,

but not help you in the practical matters of life. The Apostle Paul

reflects a similar desire in Ephesians 1:18-19: "I pray that the eyes of your

heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His

calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the

saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who

believe." When you catch yourself worrying, go back to Scripture and

let God open your eyes again.

The Worrier Distrusts God

When you worry, you are not trusting your Heavenly Father. That means

you don't know Him well enough. Take heart-there's an effective remedy:

Study the Word of God to find out who He really is and how He has

supplied the needs of His people in the past. That will build

confidence for the future. Stay fresh in the Word every day so that God is in your

mind. Otherwise Satan is apt to move into the vacuum and tempt you to

worry about something.

Let God's track record in Scripture and in your own life assure you

that worry is needless because of God's bounty, senseless because of God's

promise, useless because of its impotence to do anything productive,

and faithless because it is characteristic of unbelievers.

Worry Is Unwise Because of Our Future

Jesus said, "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow

will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt. 6:34).

He was saying, "Don't worry about the future. Even though it will have

its share of problems, they have a way of working themselves out at the

time. Just deal with them as they come, for there's no way to solve

them in advance."

Providing for tomorrow is good, but worrying about tomorrow is sin

because God is the God of tomorrow just like He is the God of today.

Lamentations 3:23 tells us His mercies "are new every morning." He

feeds us like He fed the Children of Israel-with just enough manna for the

day.

Worrying paralyzes you, making you too upset to accomplish anything

productive. It will seek to do that to you by taking you mentally into

tomorrow until you find something to worry about. Refuse to go along

for the ride. The Lord says you have enough to deal with today. Apply

today's resources to today's needs or you will lose today's joy.

God gives you the glorious gift of life today; live in the light and

full joy of that day, using the resources God supplies. Don't push

yourself into the future and forfeit the day's joy over an anticipated

tomorrow that may never happen. Today is all you really have, for God

permits none of us to live in tomorrow until it turns into today.

Understand this: God gives you strength one day at a time. He gives you

what you need when you need it and doesn't encumber you with excess

baggage. Perhaps your worst fear is how you'd handle a loved one's

death. Let me assure you as a pastor who has kept watch over many

Christians finding themselves in that situation, this is the attitude I

most often encounter: "It is so wonderful how God has sustained me! I

naturally miss my beloved, but I feel such incredible strength and

confidence and a gladness in my heart that my loved one is with the

Lord." God gives us His grace in the hour we need it.

If we worry about the future now, we double our pain without having the

grace to deal with it.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever" (Heb.

13:8). That means He will be doing the same thing tomorrow that He was

doing yesterday. If you have any question about the future, look at the

past. Did He sustain you then? Don't worry-He will sustain you in the

future as well.

A TOOL FOR MIRACLES

"With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord

touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock,

consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared."

Judges 6:21

How does God call people into His service? There is a clear pattern in

the way God calls men and women into service for Him. Almost every major

leader has been called while he or she was in the midst of performing

his or her everyday vocation. Peter was a fisherman; Matthew, a tax

collector; Luke, a physician; Paul, a tentmaker; Moses, a shepherd;

Jesus, a carpenter; and so on.

When God called Gideon to free the people of Israel from the oppression

of the Amalekites, he did so while Gideon was threshing wheat in a

winepress. Like Moses, Gideon argued with God, saying his family was

nothing special, so how could he be used of God to save Israel? Gideon

acknowledged God by preparing an offering to Him. The angel did an

interesting thing with Gideon's offering; he took the tip of his staff

and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the

rock, consuming the meat and the bread. As with Moses, God chose to do a

miracle with a staff, the instrument that symbolized Gideon's work life.

Why would God do this? It is because God wants us to know that the tools

He has given each of us are the tools He wants to use to demonstrate His

power. However, in order for that to happen, we must yield our tools to

Him for miracles to be manifested through them.

Have you yielded your tools to the Lord? God wants you to have an

overriding ministry objective to your work life. He doesn't want you to

leave your work; He wants to work through your work. Allow Him to do

that today.