Month: December 2018

Are you “BUSY”?

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Satan called his team for a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep the Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches, let them have their conservative lifestyles.

“But steal their time, so they can’t gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day! How shall we do this shouted the angels? ‘Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,’ he answered. ‘Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 – 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.’

“Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.

Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!”

This Christmas season let’s not forget the essential: enjoying family and friends, but let’s focus on the essential meditating on what God did 2000 years ago.

1 John 3:16 (NLT)
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.

Two Options For A Follower Of Christ

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As a follower of Christ, I have two options as to how I will live my life:

1. By the “clock” — That is, manage my life by such external forces as my

Commitments

Appointments

Schedule

Goals

Activities

2. By the “compass” — That is, lead my life by such internal values as my

Calling

Vision

Values

Mission

Direction

Our struggles come when we sense a gap between the clock and the compass; when what we do doesn’t contribute to the values we hold most dear. To help determine whether you are a slave to the clock or are guided by the compass, take a few minutes to prayerfully evaluate and answer the following questions:

  • What is my calling in life?
  • What is my vision?
  • What are my core values?
  • What is my mission in life?
  • What is my direction?
  • Can I defend how I answered the above questions Biblically?

It is God’s intention that we are guided primarily by our inner “compass” when it is based on the leading of the Spirit in accordance with the truth and authority of God’s Word:

“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposely and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17 – Amplified)

QUESTION: If your life is managed primarily by the “clock,” rather than led by the “compass,” what changes do you need to make at this time?

Dwight Hill, Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals.Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals.

Four Corporate Goals Of A Christian-Based Company

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The business world can be challenging for Christians business people.

Many adherents of Christ in the world of business see little correlation between living for Christ and dealing with the harsh realities in the marketplace. Thus, they have concluded that commerce is a nasty affair, but someone has to do it. Computer Management and Development Services (CMDS), (Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA) is demonstrating a healthy merge between Christian values and the business realm. Their four corporate goals are:

TO HONOR GOD

“We believe that our Christianity is something that is a part of all we do. Therefore, we commit ourselves to operate CMDS within our understanding of Christian ethical and moral beliefs. We believe Christ should be honored by all that we do and say.”

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Col. 3:23)

TO DEVELOP PEOPLE

“We believe that people employed by CMDS are our most important asset. We commit ourselves to pay fairly, treat one another honestly, and promote development of the individual. We believe that people we work for are also important and commit ourselves to training them in the operations of the system, treating them honestly, and assisting in the development of the individual in any way we can.”

“We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus‘ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5b) (See Matthew 22:39; Luke 6:31; James 2:8-16)

TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE

“Service is our most important product. We recognize the importance of service to our customers and commit ourselves to responding promptly to requests and/or problems. We will continue to refine and improve our products. Only by providing an important service to our customers will we continue to exist as a company. We commit ourselves to excellence.”

“Then God looked over all that he had made, and it was excellent in every way… ” (Genesis 1:31 – Living)

TO MAKE A PROFIT

“We recognize the need to make a profit in order to operate a viable business. We are nonetheless committed to meet goals one, two, and three and will sacrifice a larger profit in order to meet these goals.”

“A man called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money… The man… went at once and put his money to work and gained five more… ‘Master,‘ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.‘ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things…‘” (Matthew 25:14-21 – selected)

QUESTION: Have you determined to personally incorporate Biblical values into your marketplace practices?

Dwight Hill, Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals.

Winning Over Depression

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“Fog creeps in like little cat feet.”

So does depression. Oftentimes inexplicably, without reason or rationale. It gets under your skin. Settles down into your gut.

The Psalmist asks, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” (Psalm 42:5a) Apparently, he was not sure either as to its cause. In fact, he seemed to be a bit bewildered, perhaps asking; “Why me?” “Why now?”

“Downcast” here literally means, sink, depress, bow down, collapse, despair. “Disturbed” conveys the idea of tumult, rage, moaning, clamor, troubled.

In his battle to win over depression, the Psalmist focused on five areas:

1. Hunger — “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for God, for the living God… ” (Psalm 42:1, 2a) Because nothing quells our appetite for Him more than harboring iniquity, we may want to ask ourselves the question, “Is there any sin in my life with which I need to deal?” (Hebrews 3:13; Psalm 66:18; 139:23, 24)

2. Communicate — “These things I remember as I pour out my soul… I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?‘” (Psalm 42:4a, 9) We may need to get on our face before God (literally) and have a real heart-to-heart talk over the issues that are troubling us at the core.

3. Refocus — “Put your hope in God… ” (Psalm 42:5b, 11b) That is, we may need to redirect our expectancy to Him, rather than wallow in worry, circumstances, fear, or anger.

4. Praise — “I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5b, 11b) We choose to adulate Him as an alternative to grousing or self-pity. (1 Corinthians 10:10; Philippians 2:14, 15)

5. Remember — “My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.” (Psalm 42:6) It may be time once again, to recall (and appreciate) God’s past leading and blessings. Nothing displeases God, or quenches our spirit more than a thankless heart. (See Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 63:6; 77:11; 106:7; Isaiah 46:9)

CONCLUSION: Depression is one of the Enemy’s major weapons in knocking us out of the race. So let’s resolve to win over depression by doing battle with Satan along Scripturally prescribed lines, as illustrated in Psalm 42. Have you found anything else that works? I haven’t!