Transforming a Workplace

Transforming a Workplace




"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:1-2).
A cab driver in the Philippines became radically saved. He was taught that he now had the power of God in his life to transform his community. Because he had not had any prior religious training to the contrary, he took a literal approach to believing what the Bible says about prayer and miracles.
He decided that the best mission field for him was the local bar in his neighborhood. So he began to visit this bar to find the most qualified sinner he could find in order to minister to him. He met the bartender and determined that he was a great prospect because he was also a gay drug addict and a pimp to 65 prostitutes. The cab driver visited the bar regularly and got to know the bartender while drinking his "usual" Coke. Eventually, the Lord used the cab driver to bring this man to Christ.
The power of God moved greatly in the bartender, and he was delivered from his homosexual lifestyle. He began to change his life and share Jesus with the prostitutes. All 65 of them became Christians, and they began meeting in the bar for Bible study.
Soon, the owner of the bar began to notice the change in these people, and he also was saved. The bar became a church, and the group started 10 cell group churches in the neighborhood. Now that is a miraculous transformation!
No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we should always remain aware that God wants to intervene. He desires a moment-by-moment relationship with us, and He wants to demonstrate His loving power to others through us. We can approach God about any situation, for there is nothing that is too small or too great for Him.*
Ask God to be a transformer in your workplace and city.

*Os Hillman, The 9 to 5 Window, Regal Books, Ventura, CA p. 143, 2005.

A Call to Repentance

A Call to Repentance

Hebrews 4:13-16

How many times have you gotten caught in a "guilt cycle"? This involves confessing the same old sin, telling God you're sorry, and promising not to do it again—while suspecting that you probably will. Then around you go again. You've come clean dozens of times but still have no victory. Yet there is a biblical promise that states, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, emphasis added).
Friends, God is holding up His end of that promise. It's people who fall short—we have turned confession into a rote recitation of our shortcomings. The attitude is, I'm disappointed in myself, but I am weak and God knows that. True confession means agreeing with the Lord about sin, and it is inseparably linked with repentance; they're two sides of the same coin. To repent is to turn our back upon wrong. By looking at our sin from God's perspective, we will see a vile, wicked habit with terrible consequences, and we'll want to run from that as fast as possible!

In practical terms, to confess and repent requires the intentional decision to say, "By the Holy Spirit's power, I'm turning away." Satan will still tempt you, and failure remains a possibility. But God can break the chains of your sin, and He wants to set you free.

Victory can be immediate or a process of trading wrong choices for right ones. In some cases, temptation involving habitual sin never goes away. Then it becomes necessary to face each day in God's strength. When you forsake sin, the power of heaven is there to help you.

Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.

Galatians 6

Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.

INSIGHT

John Donne once wrote: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less." What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: "Restore" one another and "bear one another's burdens" (vv. 1-2); "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same "continent"–the "continent" of Christ.

PRAYER

Offer praise to the Lord because the message of Christ the Savior has come to you:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-21)

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to stay in fellowship with Him:
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have enlarged,
Bring me out of my distresses!
Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins. . . .
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:15-18, 21)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Greater wisdom in decision making
• The needs of personal friends
• Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)

The Standard Stops the Flood

The Standard Stops the Flood

When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.Isaiah 59:19

     We all know what is an enemy. An enemy is the opposite of a friend. Whereas, a friend loveth at all times (Proverb 17:17); an enemy hates at all times. An enemy is someone who forms a weapon against you (Isaiah 54:17).  An enemy engages in antagonistic activities against you. An enemy is an adversary; an opponent who opposes all that is holy. An enemy comes only to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  His strategy is come in like a flood. He wants to inundate you and submerge you in a sea of confusion. He attempts to come against you in such a way so as to overwhelm, overtake and overcome you. He wants to take authority over you.

     Your enemy is also called, "Prince and power of the air," "God of this age," "Prince of this world," "Prince (ruler) of demons," "Accuser of the brethren," "Lucifer,” "The wicked one," "Dragon," "Serpent," "Adversary," "Beelzebub," "Devil," "Murderer," "Liar," "The tempter,"  "Roaring lion," "The Destroyer," and "The thief."

     His motives are destructive (John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8); hindering the work and the Word of God (Daniel 10:12, 13; Mark 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:18); "deceiving the nations” (Revelation 12:9; 20:3, 8); afflicting man physically, mentally and spiritually (2 Corinthians 12:7; Job 2:1-8; Matthew 9:32, 33; 12:22; Mark 1:26, 9:17, 20, 25; 2 Chronicles 18:20-22; Matthew 4:24; 17:15; John 8:44; 10:10; 13:27;2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 4:1.

     My friend, don’t be afraid and don’t be dismayed. Jesus says this to you,“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19). Today, take Him at His word. His word is the standard that stops the flood. (To be continued)

Work to Play, Work to Acquire

Work to Play, Work to Acquire




"I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:3-4).
A popular TV commercial comes on the screen raising the question of why the viewer works long hours while showing beautiful pictures of a luxurious car. The message was clear. We work in order to acquire.
Another TV commercial comes on showing beautiful aqua blue ocean waves and an attractive couple lounging on the white sandy beaches. "Come to Jamaica says the voice." The message from this commercial is that a vacation to Jamaica is the ultimate reward for your work.
There are many motivations for work. Some might say it is simply to put food on the table. George Barna, the American researcher on religious habits, found disturbing results from his study on the motivations of many Christians in American society. "We are not a society that simply enjoys its time off. We are driven by our leisure appetites. It is increasingly common to hear of people turning down job offers because the hours or other responsibilities would interfere with their hobbies, fitness regimens and other free time activities. Even our spending habits show that playing has become a major priority. The average household spends more money on entertainment than it does clothing, health care, furniture or gasoline."
His study also found that many people define success in surprisingly non-Christian terms: He found that 66% of Americans define success in life as the acquisition of sufficient money, education, material possessions or career prestige; only 7 percent related success to their faith condition and its influence upon their life. "The Christian Church has stagnated, largely due to its comfort with routines and rituals that are neither challenging nor relevant for millions of people," said Barna.*
Have you ever asked yourself the question, "Why do I work?"
Jesus had a work to do that was given to Him by His Heavenly Father. You too have a work you are called to do. Ask God to give you a renewed sense of the work you are called to do today.

*George Barna, Boiling Point, Regal Books, Ventura, CA p. 223, 2001

As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.

Galatians 5

As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.

INSIGHT

As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the "outer man" and the "inner man." What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our "members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God.

PRAYER

Because we can taste the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Faithfulness with your talents
• The ministry of Christian radio
• Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Psalm 103:21-22)

Beware of the False Lover

Beware of the False Lover




Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps 30:5).
When a measured assault enters our life we often respond in two different ways. The pain caused by the assault drives us to a place of either embracing the pain or we embrace anything that will make us feel better. That becomes the entry door to a false lover. Men and women each seek to avoid pain in different ways. Larry Crabb has summarized these two unique strategies often used to avoid deep pain:
All of us are trapped by addiction to a desire for something less than God. For many women, that something less is relational control. "I will not be hurt again and I will not let people I love be hurt. I'll see to it that what I fear never happens again." They therefore live in terror of vulnerably presenting themselves to anyone and instead become determined managers of people. Their true femininity remains safely tucked away behind the walls of relational control.
More common in men is an addiction to non-relational control. "I will experience deep and consuming satisfaction without ever having to relate meaningfully with anyone." They keep things shallow and safe with family and friends and feel driven to experience a joy they never feel, a joy that only deep relating can provide. Their commitment is twofold: to never risk revealing inadequacy by drawing close to people and, without breaking that commitment, to feel powerful and alive. Power in business and illicit sex are favorite strategies for reaching that goal.¹
Many times we seek to deal with our pain through various forms of addictions designed to resolve the inner pain we feel. All addictions represent a counterfeit desire for genuine love and intimacy. We conclude these lesser desires are legitimate needs instead of band-aids of our fleshly soul. These addiction lovers become isolation chambers created for ourselves designed to mask our pain.
Every human being has a desire to be loved. When we do not feel loved because of some event in our lives we seek to reconcile this emotional pain. So, if you are fighting any kind of addiction--over control of people, sex, drugs, alcohol, workaholism, shopping, overeating--you are seeking to fill a void only God can fill.
Pain has a useful purpose in our lives. Facing it, rather than medicating it, allows us to move to a place of discovering a capacity for a different kind of joy. That is the purpose of pain. We must let inner pain do its work by experiencing it fully. It feels like a contradiction to actually embrace the pain, but it is the only remedy for moving past it so it can yield its purpose in our lives. Otherwise we will remain unaware of our deeper desire for God and be driven toward a false lover.
¹ Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams, Waterbrook Press, Colorado Springs, CO 2001, p.95