Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

God's Lighthouses

Set a hundred-fifty feet apart in a straight line, there were three fifteen-foot-tall stone lighthouses at Nauset Beach on the north Atlantic coast, which became known as “The Three Sisters of Nauset.” Many shipwrecks occurred at this location, so the three towers were built to warn sailors of the hazard. In the storm it was difficult to see any single lighthouse. The three lighthouses set in a row gave opportunity to see one if not the others. In the same way God has gives us lighthouses to understand his will. When these three luminaries are aligned they appear to us as one distinct light for safe direction to navigate God's will for our lives.

Holy Spirit – When king Belteshazzar sought understanding of his dream, for he perceived it to be a message from God, he inquired of Daniel the prophet, for he recognized, “... that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you” (Daniel 5:14 NKJV). The Holy Spirit himself can bring messages to us by dreams, visions, prophetic words, divine leading and any other way He chooses to, for He is God. All of the Spirit’s communication with us gives us divine direction in accordance with the perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). As believers we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to give us the light of God’s will in a matter.

How does the Holy Spirit communicate with us personally? In the Spirit filled believer, the Holy Spirit has the ability to lead, guide and speak to us through our spirit's conscience, devotion and intuition. We are most familiar with His “still small” inner voice (I Kings 19:12). If you could describe it, it would sound like your spirit having an internal conversation with your soul. You are not talking to yourself. This is intercourse with the Holy Spirit. When we walk in obedience to this direction we are aligning ourselves with the will of God for our lives. If the Holy Spirit's voice was all we had and was properly discerned, it would be enough. But He gives us more light for our journey.

Word of God – “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). The revealed Word of God is found in the Holy Bible. With the Holy Spirit ministering through God’s Word to us and through us to others, we are able to obtain terrific insight. What oil is to a lamp, or a battery is to a flashlight, so the Holy Spirit is to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is the power source of the Scriptures. In the darkness of ignorance that we all have concerning God’s will, the believer can find God’s Word to be a lamp near his feet illuminating his next step, and a light shining down the path to his future as he walks in obedience to its direction. Those who do not have the light of God’s Word in their lives find themselves groping in the dark, trying to feel their own way through existance.

We take the Word of God as His law for us to follow. “For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23). The moral law of God is still valid for new covenant believers in that obedience to it is an expression of true love for God and love for each other (Luke 10:27). Again, each of God’s holy ordinances becomes a low beam to help our near sightedness with the immediate decisions we must make, and the whole of Scripture becomes a farsighted high beam to help us set our course for safely reaching God’s destiny for our lives. The Bible is not afraid to show us the results of the lives who followed God's Word by faith, and those who did not.

Godly Examples – Now, if the first lighthouse is the Holy Spirit, and the second lighthouse is the Word of God, then what is the third? I’ve heard it said that the final lighthouse is our feelings and the emotional response we give to the other two lights that help us know we are in God’s will. But the “If it feels good, do it” philosophy is nothing more than reconstituted romanticism. I’ve heard others suggest it is the circumstances and situations of life that lend us guidance. Accepting circumstances contrary to the Word of God is not God’s perfect will for His children. While it may be true that we feel good about the direction we are taking, and while life's circumstances may even be playing out toward a divine direction, these would tend to be very unstable indicators of God’s will. Our emotions may lie to us, and we may even encounter adverse circumstances while moving in obedience to God’s will. Although emotions and circumstances may confirm God’s direction, I would not put a great deal of stock in these as instruments of guidance.

Next to God’s Spirit and God’s Word, the most trustworthy light for our path are the lives of many godly men and women who have gone before us. In all of the Gospels, Jesus repeated this phrase, “Follow me” (John 1:43). Of all the examples of godly living, the primary example is the life of Christ. Jesus is God who wrapped Himself in the flesh of human life for a time to set for us the flawless example of living out God’s perfect will, “that we should follow in his steps” (I Peter 2:21). Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of what God can do with a man fully yielded to the Spirit. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Christ is the perfect example, but we also have many other godly examples in Scripture and history of men and women who sacrificed to serve for the sake of the call of God on their lives. “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Paul boldly declared to other believers, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1). So add to your devotional reading the biographies of believers who remained faithful and true to God’s divine direction to the end. Personally, I prefer reading "dead authors", because they can’t backslide. “But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). These three lighthouses will show clearly the way God has for us to go, and help us to walk in the prophetic.

We’ve all heard the legendary story of that thick foggy night when the Chief Officer of a tramp steamer was peering over the side of the bridge. Suddenly, to his intense surprise, he saw a man leaning over a rail, only a few yards ahead of him and on a collision course. “You confounded fool!” the Chief Officer roared, “Where do you think your ship is going. Don’t you know I have the right of way? Move!” Out of the gloom came a sarcastic voice, “This ain’t no blinkin’ ship. This here’s the lighthouse. You move!” When we are properly aligned with the lighthouses of God’s will, we will avoid life's shipwrecks and be able to observe Him move on our behalf.

When God moves in our favor, one preacher explained, He will work in one of three ways. God may intervene swiftly and supernaturally on our behalf to change our circumstances for His glory. This may come as a miracle act or event. Secondly, God will often choose to interact to meet our needs, by saying “If you will do this, I will do that.” This looks very much like a partnership between us and God. Although God is God and can do as He will, at times He chooses to cooperate with us to see a thing through. Finally, God’s will may be to inner-act within us. In so doing, God’s kind intention is not to change the circumstances, though we may pray in that way. When God inner-acts, He doesn’t alter your circumstances, rather He intends to change you in the circumstances. Knowing what God is up to can help us deal rightly with our times. Here God doesn’t calm the outward storm. He calms you in the storm. He’s changing your character. Apply yourself to seek to know God's will for your life today!

Hallelujah Chorus!

introdution to the Lord's gym

The Blessing - Psalm 20

May the Lord ...
- Answer you in trouble
- Set you on high
- Send you help
- Strengthen you
- Remember your offerings
- Grant your heart's desires
- Fulfill all your plans
- Fulfill all your petitions
- Give you victory
- Answer you when you call

Hitting the Mark

Sin means to miss the mark. At the cross, Jesus Christ removed the sin issue from our lives. Through faith in Christ we are no longer condemned, and yet we daily struggle with sin in our lives. As I prayed and studied this out, I thought about six stages of spiritual growth and development for hitting the mark of God’s will in the believer’s life. I do not intend to make this into a “works doctrine”. It is in Christ and Christ alone that we have victory over sin. But with all of the spiritual weapons we have at our disposal, we must develop a skill set that demonstrates our proficiency in achieving mastery over sin - in other words, spiritual discipline.

A disciple is a student who learns and increases in knowledge, by listening, practicing, developing the habits of, and becoming accustomed to the ways of his teacher. As one scholar put it, “Disciples are made, not born.” Jesus spent three years of His earthly ministry making disciples. Then He commanded His disciples to go and teach all nations in the same way (Matthew 28:19). In this analogy I like the archer's arrow to the Word of God and the bow to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Taking Up Your Bow & Arrows – What if in the very first stage of our spiritual development, we recognize that we have a bow and arrow, but we never willfully pick them up or by faith attempt to do anything with them. Have we missed the mark? The Word of God is our ammunition, and the Spirit of God is our bow. If we never implement what has been given to us, we have missed the mark purely from not even trying. How many believers never truly take the Word of God in hand and search out the deep things of God? How many believers having the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, do not seek out an intimate relationship with Him?

When we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, He gives us everything we need to live out the life He has designed for us. Peter taught, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3). Everything we need to live the Christian life is already in us through Him.

Jesus said, “If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The fact that our salvation is paid for does not mean we are without obligation. We must take what God has given us and do something with it that truly honors Him. Christ is calling us to daily utilize our intelligence, gifts, talents, resources, time and abilities to glorify Him.

Please realize, if Satan can’t steal our salvation, then his next best strategy is to keep us so overwhelmed by the worries and the cares of this world (Luke 8:14) that we wind up being completely ineffective and unproductive for the kingdom of God (II Peter 1:8).

Taking Shots – In the second stage of spiritual development we pick up the bow and arrow, but attempt to use it randomly, firing off arrows here and there in an aimless manner. We are shooting at anything that moves, and not at the mark. All of this is like taking spiritual potshots. We’ve missed the mark, because although we now have the Word of God in our hand and the Holy Spirit’s presence, we have no clearly defined purpose or direction for our lives, and in this way we are quite dangerous to ourselves and others around us, but not dangerous for the Lord or against His enemy. We might accidently hit the mark, or accidently hit each other, but most of the time we just miss the mark.

Paul recognized how a new believer without spiritual guidance could find himself in this situation. He likened this to two other athletic endeavors. “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air” (I Corinthians 9:26). The runner doesn’t run with an uncertain direction, but races for the finish line. The boxer does not waste his energy on swinging without the intention of striking his opponent decisively. The wasted effort would sap all of the athlete’s strength. Too many believers are living aimless Christian lives without a true sense of their divine purpose.

Taking Aim – We are finally finished playing around with the bow and arrow, and eye the target, take aim, draw back the bow and fire. The first arrow is over range. The next falls down range. Another arrow goes to the left, the next veers to the right. We couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. At this stage we are trying to use the Word and operate in the Spirit for the right reasons and in the right way, but we are yet unskilled and untrained. Although we are to be commended for our efforts, we are far off the mark. Please remember, missing the mark for the believer does not equal condemnation, but it is keeping us from achieving God’s highest and best for our lives. Our failed attempts are a good thing in the sense that they teach us that we don’t know what we are doing. Realize that there is more to this than meets the eye, and we need help.

Where can we find the kind of help we need to learn to be on target with our Maker Creator’s design? The Psalmist declared, “My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2). The Lord is ready to help us with whatever we need.

One of the first lessons we must learn is how to dial in our aim, by becoming intimately acquainted with our bow. Remember our bow is the Holy Spirit. Become sensitive to the Spirit of God, Who dwells within our human spirit. He is the presence and the power of God with us and in us. Just like our arm and bow must become one, so we must become one with the Spirit. In overcoming sinful behaviors, Paul gave this advice. “[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25). It is difficult to do two things at the same and get good at either one. So we must concentrate on walking in the Spirit, instead of obsessing over sinful behaviors. One will overtake the other.

At this stage we don’t know everything, but the one thing we must know is how to love others as Jesus loved (I John 3:16). Although you may not have studied the whole Bible yet, and certainly haven’t perfected your skills, if you will strive to love, you will not be far off the mark.

Training and Skill Building – At the fourth stage we submit to formal training. We take an archery class at the junior college or the YMCA. In class we learn everything from the history of archery to some basic techniques in handling the bow and arrow. We are now taking archery more seriously, and even investing in some of our own equipment. We have become an enthusiast of the sport, and actually watch it on TV. We even go out and practice once or twice a week. But those who compete in the sport professionally are so much better than us. “How did they get to that level?” we wonder. In this spiritual analogy, we are becoming followers, but haven’t reached the proficiency of those we are learning from, because there is still so much more. This where we realize the importance of good spiritual leadership.

Training is important, and the expectation is certainly there in other areas of life. Why do we think the Christian life will just happen to us? Listen to what Paul said about spiritual training. “… Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (I Timothy 4:7-8 NLT). In other areas of life there are coaches, teacher, professors, mentors, personal trainers, sponsors, accountability partners. In discipleship we will need to submit ourselves to spiritual authority.

Every believer is not a disciple, because every believer doesn’t submit themselves to fully following in the Master’s footsteps. Our salvation in Christ is God’s free gift to us, but becoming a true disciple of Christ will cost us everything! Jesus didn’t pull any punches when said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Are we ready for this?

Christ has blessed us with spiritual leadership in the church to functionally equip us for His service (Ephesians 4:11-12). These officers of the church are positioned to disciple and train the believers to multiply effective ministry.


Achieving Mastery – Have you ever watched Olympic Archery on television? Those guys are good! What do you think it would take to reach that level of expertise? It takes many hours of daily training and practice to achieve mastery of a sport like that. Even after submitting to a team coach, and also the tutelage of a personal trainer, just to qualify for an Olympic team would be an achievement in itself, let alone winning a gold medal. Why would we think it would be any less difficult to walk in the fullness of all that God has for us?

Paul again shares with us a tremendous insight about how a runner trains for his race. “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible … But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:24-25, 27). In the same way any athlete would train for their sport.

Mastery is the key to success in our spiritual walk. The fundamental principle of mastery has to do with becoming self-controlled in every area of our lives. Temperate means to be curbed, restrained in ones behavior. In a figure drawn from the Greek athletic games, the athletes in preparing themselves for their events willfully abstained from unwholesome food, wine, and sexual indulgence. It was all part of putting forth a quality performance, so as to win, and not allow anything to disqualify them from the prize.

Now at this stage of mastering archery we are hitting the mark more than we are missing. We haven’t achieved perfection, but we’ve developed award winning skill. In competition we have our sights set on the ultimate goal, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith …” (Hebrews 12:2). Remember, we have this one goal, to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

At this higher level of performance, sin is not so much a matter of overcoming a habitually addictive lifestyle that holds us back, but rather to the master archer it is very small incremental adjustments that improve quality and technique. Archery has become an art of skillful detail. A bad shot is no longer bad simply because we missed, for we may have hit the mark, but violated a rule in the process, which is known as a fault. We could hit the mark, but accidently crossed the line with our foot. As it relates to spiritual conduct, this might be like speaking the truth, but without a loving attitude (Ephesians 4:15). The rules of the game are not meant to inhibit performance, but rather to enhance our ability to more accurately and consistently hit the mark. In athletic competition not following the rules is cause for disqualification.

Considering External Forces – To this point we have spent all of our time training in an enclosed arena, under controlled circumstances, take fixed targets and we decide to take our bow and arrow to the woods to do some real sportsman like hunting. Warning – we are entering an entirely different environment. When they refer to hitting the “bull’s eye”, now they really mean a bull’s eye. We will be targeting live game in the great outdoors. When we take aim and fire we miss, because we must shoot ahead of the moving target. We have great aim, but a twenty mile an hour gust of wind crosses our trajectory and we miss again. This is really frustrating, because in the arena we are an expert, but in the field there are new and different influences on our marksmanship. If we do not learn to take all of these external forces into consideration and adapt to our environment, we will miss the mark, like a rookie.

Can we see that we are now out in the real world? We're not sheltered in the church or a live-in recovery program. We aren’t cloistered at a church retreat, monastery or even isolated in a prison. We are in the world, but not of it, daily facing temptations and distractions that can hold us back, slow us down and impede our progress in accomplishing our goals. We must become spiritually disciplined to keep our focus and attention on the prize.

We are responsible to take all of our skills and abilities, and apply them to living in the real world. External forces may include, but are not limited to others around me, Satan’s temptations, fleshly desires and worldly influences. “… Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). To be released from all of these encumbrances gives us flexibility, agility and freedom of movement to adjust and adapt to various circumstances, and useful for the Master’s service in any situation. A simple rule of thumb is this, “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Conclusion

Can we see now what makes sin a sin? God isn’t out to ruin our enjoyment in life, but He is longing for us to come into the fullness of all that he has for us. Christ freely offers us new life in Him. What do we plan to do with this? Will we try to live the new life in our old way, or will we pursue the perfect purposes of God for our lives? We were chosen for salvation. Now, how will we choose to live?

There seems to be an imbalance in an overemphasis of grace today, to the denial of holiness. Grandma said, “Grace does not get rid of works; it produces them. It doesn’t make them unnecessary; it makes them possible.” We can confess our faith all we want, but we demonstrate our faith by what we do. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). We don’t want to just call ourselves Christians. We really want to live the Christ life!

IF

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

HIMSELF

by A. B. Simpson

Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the vail.

A Man to be Remembered

by my daughter Tamara Abreu (in memory of my father)

A man to be remembered by his strong dominant presence.
A man to be remembered by his loving correction of wrongs.
A man to be remembered by his undying love for God.
A man to be remembered by his everlasting impressions.
A man to be remembered by his knowledge of God's Word.
A man to be remembered by his commitments.
A man to be remembered by the soft touch of his hand.
A man to be remembered as a disciple.
A man to be remembered as a sovereign worshipper.
A man to be remembered as a father.
A man to be remembered as a grandpa.
A man to be remembered always and forever.
A man to be remembered as Sharry Han.

Speaking Prophetically

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”
I Corinthians 14:3

This day I choose to prophesy. I have decided to stop speaking out of my own thoughts and opinions, and speak prophetically over my life and the lives of others around me. I have been created with the ability to form words that have the power to change lives and circumstances. The dynamic of the Holy Spirit dwells within me, discerning the heart of God over a matter or a person. I choose to prophesy.

I don’t know what you think of prophecy. Some relegate it strictly to foretelling the future. That is true, but that is not all it is. In a broader understanding, prophecy means to say before. Whenever I speak the word and the will of God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I am operating in the gift of prophecy. Others see the gift of prophesy only as someone who might speak out over the congregation saying “Thus saieth the Lord …” Then they say to themselves “I can do that,” or “I won’t do that, so I must not have the gift of prophesy.” But, truth be told, we have the opportunity to speak prophetically every day. Whenever we refer to a person not according to what they were, or what they are, but to see them in light of what they will be with respect to God’s plan and purpose for their lives, that is prophecy. When I talk about my personal situation out of faith, based on the blessing and favor of the Lord over my life, I am prophesying.

The Apostle Paul desired that all believers would prophesy. And he set forth criteria in his letter to the Corinthians for New Testament prophecy. You can recognize prophetic words that are flowing from the throne of God, because they will always edify, exhort and comfort. This day I choose to speak prophetically

I choose to edify. To edify is to building up. The act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness and holiness is a person who is operating out of their prophetic ability. We need to speak God’s good, acceptable and perfect will over our lives, and the lives of those around us, in a constructive manner. A builder builds by design and with purpose. We need to tap into God’s Word as the Creator’s divine blue print for our lives. He is building us to be the temple for His dwelling. Treating yourself and others as the temple of the Holy Spirit is an issue of respect for God’s work in each of us!

I choose to exhort. Exhorting is to address by admonishing or instructing for the purpose of persuading through arousing and stimulating the call of God on each of our lives. When we speak over the lives of others it is for the purpose of helping them. Building them up, not tearing them down. Whether by sermon, or lesson, or counsel, our words can be constructive or destructive. Either by the spoken or the written word, choose to constructively exhort. Over all the things that we can receive through our eyes and ears, filter out everything that does not edify. Think on these things …
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

I choose to comfort. Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit to His disciples as the Comforter. Comfort is a calming and consoling, solace. You will recognize comfort for its refreshing, encouraging, and consoling qualities. We must seek to find the words that will bring the Lord’s comfort and encouragement. When we comfort we are operating out of the Spirit of Christ, for “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). Oh, that we would choose to use our words in such a way that when we speak over ourselves and the lives of others that our words would release the purposes of God for His glory!

“Bless and curse not.”
Romans 12:14

God's Economy

We could talk about the economy in terms of saving, investing, business, interest rates, inflation, etc. But what about your personal economics in terms of your relationship with God. This world’s economy is not God's economy.

Jesus instructed His disciples in Matthew's Gospel, when things are looking down, we should look up.

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ... No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof."
(Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34)

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The Wonderful Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Oh, the wonderful cross! Oh, the wonderful cross!
Bids me come and die, and find that I may truly live.
Oh, the wonderful cross! Oh, the wonderful cross!
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an off'ring far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!

(Wonder Cross - Words by Chris Tomlin, JD Walt, Jesse Reeves)
(When I Survey The Wondrous Cross - Words Isaac Watts, Lowell Mason)

Spiritual Songs

Now, I am not a song writer, but there have been times when I am singing in the spirit, and the Holy Spirit will give me the interpretation of the song that I am singing. They have never been published, but I have used them for years in personal worship. This one I want to share with you today

I was vacuuming the church sanctuary on a Monday morning and there was no one else around. The Hoover has a nice hum to it. I would take the pitch of the vacuum's hum and sing and worship in unknown tongues. Once while vacuuming and worshipping, these words came to me in an unbroken flow.

"Fall on this Rock and be broken.
Fall on this Rock and surrender.
For without Me you can do nothing.
For without Me you can do nothing.

For I have anointed you.
I have appointed you,
For this time,
And this hour,
And this place.

That if you will be found in Me,
Humbly bow down to Me.
If you will surrender,
Then I, I will remember."

Perhaps the Lord would minister this word to your heart today.

Decisions of the Soul

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
— Unknown

Conquering the Pressures of Business

As Published in The Answer Magazine, January 2010
by Ken Walker

THE ED HAN STORY
Stockton, California USA

I hadn’t even had a chance to organize the day’s list of sales calls when my boss called me into his office. I went to see him with a smile on my face. In just two weeks, I would take over part of his operation and become a first-time business owner.

“Uh, oh,” I thought when I saw his serious look. “I wonder what’s wrong?”

“Ed, I’ve been talking to my accountant and attorney,” he said. “They’ve advised me not to sell the publication, but instead to walk away from it. I can’t sell the book to you.”

My heart sank. My wife, Lorri, and I were on the verge of buying one of his three telephone directories. We planned to take out a loan to cover the costs we couldn’t fund from cash flow. More significantly, we had mentally stepped into ownership.
Seeing the alarm on my face, he held up his hand.

“You’re the only one who knows,” he said. “After the distribution of my last book, I’m going to send out thank-you letters to our clients. All you have to do is send a follow-up letter explaining you are the new phone book in town. Just pick up where I left off.”

It took a minute for what he said to sink in. He wasn’t selling us the directory. He was giving it to us!

When I walked through the door 18 months earlier to take my first-ever sales job, I never dreamed that I would one day own a piece of the company.

My entry into business came at a point of crisis. My last job no longer paid enough for us to survive. When a friend told me about an opportunity in sales, I grabbed it.
I quickly discovered there’s a reason fewer than 25 percent of those who go into sales make it a career.

Though I started out on the phone because it was less confrontational, my boss told me, “What you need to do is take these business leads and get out face to face with people. You’re much better in person.”

Overcoming fear of rejection wasn’t any easier in person. I might encounter eight “no’s” before finding a “yes.” Still, as I persevered I learned that once I overcame my fear I had the ability to talk to people, make presentations and close the deal.

After a while, I talked to Lorri about buying one of the directories. I had some background in graphic design and was confident I could handle ad layouts. What I didn’t realize was the all-consuming nature of a small business. I used to think living on 100 percent commissions was tough. Being responsible for everything that goes on is pressure to the max.

We started out with just the two of us. Though Lorri had worked in retailing and previously owned two small businesses, publishing a directory was a new way of life.
Ironically, sales became the easiest part of the process. The four months of production called for 12-to-16-hour workdays, followed by back-breaking distribution of up to 40,000 phone books. We enlisted various community groups and all our children for the latter, paying the kids a nickel for each directory they delivered.

The key piece to our success was our relationship with Christ. There were times when our faith in God was the only thing that kept us going. Each day we prayed and asked Him for favor with whomever we met. Daily, we had to trust God to carry us through obstacles.

God responded to our prayer. Each year we saw 10 to 20 percent growth. Over a five-year period, our revenue doubled. God gave us innovative ideas. We became the first directory in our area to run full-color advertising. We were also the first to include a Spanish-language yellow pages insert. Some of the changes we pioneered showed up later in the phone company’s directory.

We also decided to do some “moral editing.” We omitted listings for adult bookstores, psychics, and other such services. On one occasion I was in the shop, laying out some headings. I sensed the Holy Spirit leading me to call a toll-free number that supposedly provided weather reports. When I did, it turned out to be for a phone sex operation. Needless to say, we didn’t publish that number thanks to that word of caution from the Lord.

After the first year, we realized this publication also gave us an opportunity to tell others about Christ. Using a guide from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we included a page that told people about the steps to peace with God.

Though we met success, at the end of five years our family was burned out by the time demands. Lorri looked for a buyer and found one. That company paid us a 150 percent premium on our annual sales, far more than our original offer for the directory.

Once the deal closed, I went into a new career in insurance and financial services. Ironically, this job includes plenty of sales calls, but I no longer fear them.

As a nine-year-old boy, I said “Yes” to Jesus. What I didn’t realize then was that receiving Jesus as my Savior and Lord would prepare and strengthen me for crisis to come, including my parents’ divorce the following year. As that young boy, I turned to the Lord Jesus in my time of need, and He sustained me.

During my pre-teen years, doubts and fears would plague me at times, but I stayed true to the Lord because I knew, by His track record in my life, He would always care for me. By the time I entered high school, I was a confident, committed Christian.

My grandparents lived lives of consistent service to God. They lived out, in a very real way, the relationship they each had with God. I could not have asked for better examples to guide me.

So yes, a young boy’s faith in Jesus can grow and sustain him into and through his manhood as he discovers God’s plan and purpose for his life.

As a man in business, I’ve learned that Jesus, the son of a carpenter, knows the pressures and pitfalls of the marketplace. Through BMF, I’ve met many other businessmen who are looking for guidance or solutions to workplace problems. My lifelong journey with Jesus has shown me that when we ask, He gives wisdom, guidance, and creative ideas that can get us around obstacles, bring solutions to problems, sustain us through economic downturns, and reset our direction when we’ve made costly mistakes.

In the economic downturn of 2008-09, many have struggled with slow or inconsistent levels of business. The bottom line is that more sales and/or improved profits won’t buy you happiness.

No matter what business you’re in, following Christ is the best call you can make.

(An insurance and financial services professional with a national company [www.allstateagencies.com/EdHan], Ed Han is also President of the Stockton BMF Chapter [www.bmfusa.com]. Also an author, his first book is titled "Identifying God" [www.edhan-idgod.vpweb.com]. He and his wife, Lorri, have eight children and two grandchildren. They attend Lakeview Assembly of God church [www.lakeviewassembly.com].)

Great Expectations

by Gerald Macy (public domain)

Oh never sit we down and say,
"There's nothing left but sore."
We walk the wilderness today,
The promise land tomorrow.

And though age wearies by the way,
And hearts break in the furrow.
We'll sow the golden grain today,
And harvest comes tomorrow.

Build up heroic lives,
And all be like the sheathen saber,
Ready to flash out at God's call,
Oh victory of labor.

Triumph and toil are twins,
And ay, joy's sun, the clouds of sorrow.
Ti's the martyrdom today,
Brings victory tomorrow.

(I shared this at the commencment of my eighth grade graduation.)