We Are Only Promised Today

I had an eye opening experience yesterday in my little protected world here in the United States. I was eating at an Arby's during the lunch hour in West Palm Beach when only three blocks away, a shooter came out of the restroom at a Wendy's and randomly shot at the people eating lunch. As I went by the Wendy's minutes prior, I decided to not eat there because the last time I was there I had poor service.

Ok, ok I know that we all have our lives at risk daily. Multitudes die on the highways daily. Our law enforcement officers (I know several) put themselves on the line daily. My best friend from college is serving our Country in the war zone of the Middle East as I write. Certainly they experience these 'eye opening' brushes with the end of life almost on a daily basis... but I don't. I didn't... until yesterday.

It reminds me though that God has only promised us today. We in this Country plan for tomorrow in so many ways. We save money, we climb the corporate ladder, we set goals, we make reservations for vacations. As I look at other countries, other societies though, this is such a luxury. They only can look to today... finding enough food for their family today. Keeping themselves safe from the elements today. Fighting the battle of disease and ill health today.

This safe zone that I live in is a GIFT. How should I use this wonderful gift today? God has made it known that He doesn't want one... even one to perish by spending eternity in hell. Yet we all will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. God has also made it known that we cannot be good enough to earn a place in heaven. The Bible states that we all fall short of the glory of God.

In His love for us though, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ who put His life at risk and died on the cross for you and for me. He took our sins upon Himself because of His love for us.

You have today... you are not promised tomorrow. How will you spend today. Will you come to the point that you alone cannot be good enough for heaven and repent (turn away) from your worldly lifestyle and start to live for God by accepting His Son as your Savior? Or will you decide to wait until tomorrow or the next day.

We are only promised today...

Are You Watching? Do You Notice?

I just spent the first 30 minutes of my day the way that I do every morning. I have set up RSS feeds to scan newspapers across the United States and around the world. I like to review the news this way as it keeps me on focus and I'm not bogged down by articles that just really don't make a difference in the long run.

One of my RSS feeds happens to be Joel Rosenberg's blog (joelrosenberg.blogspot.com). He mentioned that since the summer of 2005, 4200 rockets, missles and mortars have been fired at Israel! All while the U.S. and other countries do basically nothing! What would we be doing if it were Canada firing into Chicago or western New York? This is just amazing to me and is spoken so much of in the end-time prophecy of Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation... No one comes to the aid of the Jewish State.

I also read of Putin's progressively aggressive stance to the countries that used to be under control of the USSR. His retoric is also aimed at the European countries and the U.S. All the while, Putin has had very cozy relations with Iran.

All of this is ratcheding up in real-time. Are you watching? Do you notice? Most importantly... are you in prayer?

Time is short and there are SO many who are not Christ followers. I don't mean 'Christian' either, I mean 'Christ followers'. The term Christian means close to nothing in the United States except that the person professing that they are a Christian know that God exists and that someone walked around several thousand years ago by the name of Jesus who called Himself 'Christ'.

Time is short and we have do not have time to 'play' Christian. Spiritual warfare is running rampant and we must be diligent and solid in our stand for Christ. I am a Christ Follower. Please join me in prayer for salvation for unbelievers as well as fortitude and strengh for Christ followers as they stand solidly and firmly on the Rock of Salvation for what they believe.

Step Back and Listen to God

Today I am brought to my knees thinking of the awesomeness of our Creator. I start each morning with a quick review of what is going on in the world around us through various news feeds that I have set up. I then go into Bible study to receive guidance for the day and for my spiritual life in general. I was reading from the book of Exodus about the plagues that engulfed the Egyptians because the Paraoah would not let the enslaved Israelites leave. The Israelites were in Egypt for approximately 430 years and in that time went from 70 people to over 2 million in number.

Feeling threatened by the number of Israelites in the land, the Paraoah enslaved God's people and treated them harshly. God, hearing the plea of His people, came to their rescue although it should be noted that He never left them. He lead Moses to speak to Paraoah on behalf of the Israelites to 'let His people go'. Only after ten plagues ending with a killing of the first born of all the Egyptians and their livestock were the Israelites allowed to leave.

I am sitting here trying to place myself in the sandles of the Israelites. What was it like to be enslaved, treated bitterly... each day seemingly without hope? I wonder how many heard God the way that Moses did. Were they able to step back and listen to God ... hearing His comforting words that He is in control?

Today is upon me. The sun has just risen above the eastern horizon. God's word is within my heart from the time spent reading. What will I do with that knowledge? I pray that the awesomeness of my Creator will overwhelm me so that I can hear His direction for my life today. God, I step back right now and open my ears to you. Help me to focus on your purpose for me today. God, I'm praying for revival. May it start in my heart and then spread to those within my influence.

I step back and my heart is listening for your voice...

Questioning God's Work in Me

I have been reading through Genesis this week and have come upon one of my very favorite characters in the Bible. Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Judah (Israel) is a man of integrity and a great role model. He gets 'the shaft' often in his life as his brothers don't care for him even to the point of selling him to some travelers that were on their way to Egypt. Joseph's upright walk was just too much for them to handle.

Joseph arrives in Egypt and God places him in a place of power taking care of the household of Potiphar, Pharaoh's Captain of the Guard. While Potiphar is away, his wife continually tries to seduce Joseph (probably over some time) and after some time of remaining faithful to God, she accuses him of rape and Potiphar has him thrown in prison. He remains there many years only to be freed by Pharaoh himself and placed second in command of all of Egypt. The story is remarkable and I recommend that you read it in Genesis 38 - 45.

All this to say that I so often question God's work in me. There are days when I say "it just doesn't 'feel' like I'm in God's will. Surely I should be doing full-time ministry in the missions field." Yet, God is working through me right where I am today just as He was working through Joesph's life each day that Joseph sat in a prison cell in Egypt. I wonder how many times Joseph questioned his actions while he had PLENTY of time to think in prison. No doubt, that Joseph thought more than once that "I must have gone away from the will of God or I would not be in this situation."

In reality, he was completely within God's will for his life. Did he have the opportunity to minister to the other prisoners and the guards? Reading the account indeed informs us that he did just that. He took advantage of the opportunities set before him.

Am I doing that today? This very day will I walk with solid integrity no matter what? Will my thoughts be on eternal things and not on my earthly comforts, needs and desires? Will I trust God THAT much? I pray that I will.

The sun is peering over the clouds on the eastern horizon. I awoke today because God has something for me to do for Him. My prayers are that I will seize the day for God. I will be like Joseph and will walk with integrity with my heart, mind and soul set steadfastly on the only secure foundation... the will of God. I will not let my earthly circumstances dictate my success following God's will. So often like in the life of Joseph, His ways are not our ways. God, help me to see and follow YOUR way alone.

Leadership in the Work Place Starts at Home

I just arrived back home from a Leadership Institute that my employer has asked me to attend. It was most interesting with 20+ people from all aspects of life (varied ages, varied careers, varied goals and varied perceptions on life).

What I found interesting is that no one in the many small group breakout sessions spoke of a foundation to their leadership. When leadership examples were given, the only credit given to others was co-workers and this was rare.

I just think of leadership differently I guess. I can say that "yes, I'm a leader, follow my example" but what or where is my leadership based? What makes me a 'leader'? Just success in my career area? That is great but it is ... well, temporal.

I brought up in one of the breakout groups that my definition of leadership starts in the home as being a spiritual leader for my family (i.e. the foundation to the leadership that I'm striving for uses the text of the Bible for its foundation). To me that is the most important job that I can have. The looks that I got you would have thought that I have three eyes. Why is that? One hundred or two hundred years ago if the great leaders of that time would have said that to a group of peers would they get the same response? Why is leadership in the home not seen as important as leadership in the workplace today... and why is spiritual leadership so foreign to so many of us?

Historical leaders... Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and so many others when speaking of leadership point not to themselves but to to God and to the Bible for which they build their foundation for leadership. Over and over again we read in their speeches of the their reliance on God for the strengh of their success in leadership. (By the way, when reading their speeches; do not read 'snippets' in textbooks, read them in whole --- one book that I recommend is Great American Speeches.

On what is your leadership based? Why have you chosen that basis?

Prayers for My Bride

My precious bride of 27 years is now traveling to a Sustainable Agriculture conference. We have 20 acres and grow crops on 7 of those acres. The rest is mostly in pasture and we are looking for ways to utilize the pasture to the greatest extent.

Now this sounds like a business decision and it certainly is but it is much more than that. It is also a movement of faith. We have been learning over the past several years how important it is to seek God's direction in all that we do. I have family members that say that making decisions like that is weak as 'God gives us a mind to make our own decisions'. Yes, He does that is true but He honors those that seek to follow Him and make decisions that are in keeping with His will for our lives. It is those decisions that will be considered worthy to Him. In all that we think, say, and do; we want to bring our Lord glory.

We have been praying for direction for our farm and ask that you join us. Pray also for my life mate that she travels safely and feels God's presence all around her as she is away.

Blessings to you all.

Consistency

The word 'consistency' is on my mind this morning. You see, I've been reading from the book of Job in the Bible. Job is a great example of consistency. His walk with God was blameless yet he had trials and tribulations like few others in history. Through it all, he shows some confusion and bewilderment as to why these trials have come upon him but he continues to trust in God and look to Him for strength and answers. I look back at the minuscule trials that I have had in comparison and the number of times that I turned away from God during those times. Job does not turn away but instead worships God! Incredible.

As I move in to 2008, I want the word 'consistency' to be on my mind continually. My walk with my Savior, Jesus must be consistent. My conversation with God (prayer) must be consistent. My spiritual leadership to my wife and family must be consistent. In all that I think, say and do... I want to be a steadfast rock... consistently depending on the Word of God for my knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

If you are reading this, let us make a promise together to walk consistently with God today.