The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
God is looking for people whose hearts are fully set on Him.
II Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (KJV)
To "shew himself strong" means to support - to strongly endorse. I don't know about you but I want to be strongly supported and endorsed by the Lord!
The Amplified Bible says it like this:
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him."
If your heart is fixed and blameless [righteous], you can count on God showing Himself strong. He will show up and show off! Oh how He delights in doing that for His faithful ones.
Before I went to Africa this last time I had so many bizarre things thrown at me, all designed to get me to stay home. I even had my medical doctor tell me to stay home, and a last minute surgery thrown in before I left for the trip. I knew all along it was spiritual warfare and there was no way I was giving in or staying home. My heart was set. I was in one of the most intense fights of spiritual warfare that I've ever had to experience. The greater the victories, the more extreme the warfare.
Pressing throught the physical warfare to get there, I was hit by the surprise of being taken off of all three flights I was scheduled to go on to Africa. Once I got there and experienced the glorious things that unfolded I realized why Satan fought to keep me home so much. What a time. I got home and slept, and slept, and slept after all the warfare that was waged and the victories won. Soldiers who have come home from war are tired.
Then this past week I faced a few challenges, and while I was in prayer I told the Lord, "I'm hard core. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to give in or waver. My heart is fixed. No matter what I see with my eyes, I will trust you, I will serve you, I will follow you."
Sometimes it takes a while and different sets of circumstances to get through to the enemy that we won't give up or give in. He is such an idiot -- such a LIAR and will try anything in his bag of tricks to try to distract us, slow us down and more than anything - get us to quit. To what lengths are you willing to go? God is looking for people who are stubborn for all the right reasons. Let me tell you, I've been stubborn for enough stupid carnal things to last a lifetime. I'm embarrassed about the dumb things that I've been stubborn about but I'm trying to make up for lost time being stubborn about the right things.
If I want to be known for anything for the rest of my life, it's being stubborn in that I won't give up on trusting God, won't give up on praising Him, won't give up on loving others, won't give up on giving,won't give up on serving.
I'm hard core, and nothing is going to change my mind, turn me aside, squelch my passion or praise or cause me to quit. How about you?
Comments