PRAY FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY

"I urge, then, first of all, requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all men; for kings and those in authority." (1 Timothy 2:1).

In I Timothy 2:1 Paul exhorts his young protegé to make prayer and intercession for those in authority the first work of the church.
Whereas we once thought of those in politics, military, religion, and economics as controlling the earth, today we recognize the enormous influence wielded by those in the workplace. Our mindsets are changing; those in the workplace, including business leaders, we now include as those in authority. They, too, are among those Paul exhorted Timothy to cover in prayer.
God is transferring his anointing to be placed upon all saints to get the job done. This is requiring the local church to give more focus on equipping men and women to live out their faith in the workplace. The modern day Church is in a major shift! It is not surprising that the Lord would begin to move in this way. If we are going to see a major harvest in the last days, it will have to come through the largest segment of the body of Christ - those who are Christ's representatives in government, business, and education.
The book of Acts records Lydia, a businesswoman, as God's instrument to introduce the gospel to Europe. The Ethiopian eunuch who was in charge of the treasury of Candace, "Queen of the Ethiopians", introduced the gospel to Africa. Peter launched the gospel into the gentile world through Cornelius, a Roman centurion. And three "workplace ministers" reached Europe, Africa, and the gentiles. These examples indicate the importance of the workplace influence and why intercession is so important for leaders in places of authority.
Today, pray for those leaders in government, business and education.

TESTED FOR ABUNDANCE

"We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." Psalm 66:12b


It is nice to hear that God desires to bring us into abundance. In fact, many a preacher has promoted the goodness of the Lord and His ability to prosper His children. Alas, my experience is that this gospel of material abundance has little to do with the gospel of the Kingdom as our Lord works in the realm of the sanctified soul. The passage above tells us that God does in fact bring us into places of abundance. However, upon further study of the entire passage, we learn the route to this abundance. For you, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance (Psalm 66:10-12). God's economy of abundance often has little to do with material blessing. In God's economy, abundance is often measured in wisdom and knowledge of Himself. It is then that we are truly blessed. Wisdom cannot be gained through intellectual pursuits. Wisdom comes only through experience. Real wisdom comes from the kinds of experiences that come only through the deepest tests. Lessons of refinement, including prison accompanied by burdens, lead us through the fire and water. This is the territory that must be traveled to reach that place of abundance. It would seem strange that a loving God would use such means with His children. What we often fail to realize is that God's measuring stick is the character and likeness of Jesus Christ Himself in each of us. This cannot be gained through a life of ease and pleasure. Ease and pleasure fail to refine. Is God using your workplace to refine you today? Has He placed you in a prison or laid burdens on your back? Take heart if this is the place you find yourself, and realize that if you are faithful through the tests, you will enter a place of abundance that few will ever attain. The darkest hour is just before daybreak.

GO TO CHRIST CHURCH

"The Lord told him, 'Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying'" (Acts 9:11).
 Os Hillman shared this,"I stepped into the cab to take my first drive to downtown Jerusalem. It was an exciting time for me! My cab driver's name was Moses. "When in doubt, just call out 'Moses!' and there is a good chance someone will answer," he said. Moses offered to drive me throughout the city and surrounding area. I was a rookie, not sure what I was getting myself into. It was a dangerous time to roam through Jerusalem. My cab driver began to talk openly with me when he discovered I was a believer in Jesus. He was a born again Jew. His father was a rabbi and he had been excommunicated from his family for his belief that Jesus is the Savior. Because of his faith, his marriage was in trouble and holding on only by a thread. His salvation had cost him deeply. He used to work on the family farm for his rabbi father-in-law but now drove a cab. The Jewish - Palestinian conflict had cut tourism by 90% - so as a cab driver, Moses had plenty of time on his hands. He began to share his story with me. "I'd been questioning my purpose in life. I began thinking there had to be more. My Jewish laws didn't satisfy something in me. I became very depressed. Then one day a remarkable thing happened. I was in my bedroom. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my room that said, "Go to Christ Church!" I thought I was imagining things. Then, I heard it a second time! I looked in the yellow pages and discovered that Christ Church was located downtown in the 'Old City.' The people there explained to me what happened. Jesus was calling me to know Him. I have known Him ever since. Now I have meaning and purpose. Things are still very difficult but I have a peace inside that I didn't have before." Friend, Jesus is still reaching out to those who want to know Him. Do you have a faith that is willing to be rejected and ostracized by those close to you? Jesus said we are to follow Him even at the expense of the loss of our father and mother.

GOD OWNS MY BUSINESS

"So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11).
  Although he was an innovator in the reclamation of silver in the photographic process, Stanley Tam of Lima, Ohio, is best known for his commitment to Jesus Christ. A large sign adorning the home of United States Plastic Corporation proclaims "Christ Is the Answer," and Tam's widely read book, God Owns My Business, describes how he arrived at the conviction that he should legally make God the literal owner of his business. Tam, who has traveled throughout the country and world to testify about his Christian faith, is one who is willing to "put his money where his mouth is." Although his business success could have made him a millionaire many times over, he and his wife, Juanita, draw only modest salaries from U.S. Plastics. All profits are channeled through the Stanita Foundation, with those funds designated for a variety of Christian ministries, primarily overseas missions. In the fall of 1954, Tam was speaking at a revival meeting in Medellin, Colombia when God confronted him in a supernatural way. God let him know He wanted him to turn the business over to Him completely and become His employee. So, on January 15, 1955, Stanley Tam ceased being a stockholder in either of his companies, States Smelting and Refining Corporation or United States Plastic Corporation. In order to do this God had to deal with one area in his life. "I have always enjoyed making money, and God knew that. Had He left me undisturbed in this area, I could have become a proud, materialistic, self-centered spiritual misfit. In asking of me the submission of the greatest drive of my life, He removed a blighting influence and replaced it with an inner peace and satisfaction such as I could never have known otherwise. I don't think there is such a thing as a part-time Christian; we are all in full-time ministry. We each need to ask God to take our vocation and make it a ministry. And if we ask Him, He will do it."* Does God own your business or your work life? If not, why not make that decision today and let Him use your work life for His glory.

REDEEMING THE TIME

"Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." Acts 8:40
  Many times I've heard a man or woman say they cannot participate in an event, a service, or activity for God because of the time it will take away from their job. God has called each of us to be good stewards of our time and our resources. It is just as important to learn how to say yes as it is to say no, and we must be faithful to our employers if we do not have freedom to take time away. However, many times I sense that workplace believers justify a lack of obedience under the guise of stewardship. Philip was one of the first businessmen who was given a commission to preach the gospel. He was in the city of Samaria preaching when many miracles began to take place and the crowds came to see what was happening. Then in the midst of this great move of God, the angel of God spoke to Philip and told him to leave Samaria and go to a desert road that led from Jerusalem to Gaza. Imagine how Philip must have questioned the logic of this decision when he was seeing such results in Samaria. But Philip was obedient to the angel. Along the road, he met an Ethiopian eunuch who wanted to have the Scriptures explained to him. Philip explained the Scriptures to the Ethiopian, who was the treasurer of Ethiopia under Queen Candace, and led him to the Lord, then baptized him in a nearby lake. A few moments later, Philip was supernaturally transported many miles northwest of his location to Azotus, where he preached Christ along the way toward his final destination of Caesarea. So often we think that if we give our time outside our work life, our work will suffer. God redeemed the time for Philip by supernaturally transporting him to the next place he was to be. God always blesses those who serve Him. He can redeem lost time for those who willingly give of themselves for His purposes. Do not fall into the trap of believing that God cannot redeem the time you give for Him. If He calls you to give outside your normal work life, be assured He can make up that time. I have heard countless examples of workplace believers who experienced God's supernatural financial provision for time given for the sake of the gospel through unexpected business or unusual income that resulted after they made the commitment to take time away from their work for service to God. God desires that we respond as Philip did in order to be used by Him in the life of another person. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit so that you can go and speak when He says go and speak. Do not fear the consequences of what that might mean if it requires leaving your work interests for a time. God will make it up. He always takes care of those who are obedient. He is more concerned about obedience than the bottom line.

DESTROYING HIGH PLACES

"Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, 'Take your father's young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down'" (Judges 6:25-26).
 "I first met Bishop Julius Oyet in Argentina in November 2005. Bishop Oyet believes God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that he can ask or think, because of the power that works within us. For seventeen years the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) destroyed millions of innocent lives, wrecked the economy, and left thousands of homesteads burned and destroyed through a man named Joseph Kony in northern Uganda", says Os Hillman.Just as God led Gideon to tear down demonic altars, God led Julius to do the same in his nation. These altars were deemed to be the source of strongholds over the nation for the rebels. Julius proclaimed in a public meeting, "You cannot fight spiritual strongholds with bullets!" he proclaimed. A number of events transpired that led Julius to meet the president of his nation which allowed him to share what he believed God was saying about the war. On Saturday, March 1, 2003, Julius led an "Operation Gideon" team of twenty-two persons to the first of several sites to conduct onsite prayer vigils with pastors and leaders and the army to tear down sacred altars they believed had spiritual powers for the rebel army. These actions required the protection of the nation's army to go into these dangerous areas. His story is documented in a video entitled, The Unconventional War. As a result of these actions, a great turning point in the war took place with many rebel leaders surrendering and giving their lives to Jesus Christ. The impact of his actions has resulted in the Lord giving Julius great favour in his nation and God is doing a great work in central and northern Uganda. Has God called you to tear down some sacred altars?

VISIONS AND DREAMS

http://www.intheworkplace.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=6525&view=post&articleid=72642&fldKeywords=visions%20and%20dreams&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your young men will see visions; your old men will dream dreams." Acts 2:17

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your young men will see visions; your old men will dream dreams." Acts 2:17

 

 

Os Hillman shared this; "I need to meet with you," said the man from England during a break at a conference overseas. We walked outside to have a coffee break and sat down. "God wants you to know that He removed your finances in order to reserve His reward for you in Heaven. He has done you a great service."

I was shocked. I'd never met this gentleman before. How would he have known I had lost a half million dollars in the previous few years, virtually all of my financial net worth, to some unusual calamities? We shared for the next several minutes.

That week, during our lunch and dinner times, I had been enjoying wonderful, juicy oranges from this island in the Mediterranean Sea. It came time for the gentleman and I to conclude our coffee break. We bowed in prayer. As we prayed, the man began to describe a picture he was seeing in his mind.

"I see a picture of a large orange tree. The tree is full of large, ripened oranges. They are beginning to fall to the ground. You are the tree!"

Again, I looked at the man with shock and amazement, and now tears in my eyes.

"You are the third person in three years that has had a similar vision during a prayer time like this. The first two people were also strangers to me."

I went back into the meeting rejoicing that God could be so personal in my life. He used a servant who had gone through similar trials to supernaturally speak a word of encouragement in a way that I would know it was God who was speaking.

There are times when God supernaturally speaks into our lives. He does this to demonstrate His power, His love, and His intimacy with us. Do not be surprised if God sends one of His messengers to speak into your life when you need it most. Be open to how God might want to speak into your life today.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers (Psalm 1:3).