August 31, 2014. WORKING IN THE KINGDOM (2)

Sunday August 31, 2014

'To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given...' Matthew 25:29 NLT

Working in the Kingdom (2)

Your value in a job is determined by the value you add to the job. When a Christian goes to work each day, God holds them accountable for adding, enhancing and improving things in their workplace. Jesus told the story of three men who were each given money. One was given five bags of it, another two, and another one. The first two '...went and traded with them, and gained...' (Matthew 25:16 NAS) They showed skill, initiative, and made 100 percent profit. So they were commended by their master. But the third man just punched the clock, called in sick, didn't train, try, dare or do. So his job review didn't go too well. And Jesus said something that ought to make us all sit up and take notice: 'To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.' That means if your attitude and work ethic are poor, you're in trouble with God. So, let's stop and think about your job. If Jesus were your supervisor, would you do your work any differently? How would you answer the phone, type documents, treat your employees, or teach your pupils if Jesus were checking your work? As a citizen of God's Kingdom you need to periodically review your attitude on the job, solicit feedback on how you can grow, demonstrate love and grace to those you work with, make your company profitable, and enjoy the work you do.

Taken from the Word for you Today Devotional

August 30, 2014. WORKING IN THE KINGDOM (1)

Saturday August 30, 2014

'...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.' Mark10:43 NIV

Working in the Kingdom (1)

Disneyland is referred to as 'the Magic Kingdom'. For those who work there, one value is emphasized above all others. It's what puts the 'magic' into that kingdom. What is it? Servant hood! Employees are told that when you walk through those gates, you serve. You treat every encounter with people as if they were your personal guest. If they need directions, you escort them. If they ask a question you've heard a hundred times, you answer it as if you'd never heard it before. There's a ride called the Jungle Cruise, and the most common question asked about it is, 'How long is this ride?' So the staff is given a prepared, standard answer: 'The Jungle Cruise is an exciting adventure ride that lasts ten minutes.' But one employee had been asked it once too often, so when a couple asked, 'How long is the Jungle Cruise?' he said, 'Three days.' The couple got out of the line, left the park, went back to Disney Hotel where they were on their honeymoon, packed up their suitcases, checked out, and came back to the line at the Jungle Cruise. The next day that Disneyland employee was gone. Someone else was standing at the line to say, 'The Jungle Cruise is an exciting adventure ride that lasts ten minutes.' When you represent God's Kingdom you're supposed to go out of your way to facilitate people, love them and meet their needs. Why? Because Jesus, the King in this Kingdom, said, '...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve...' (Matthew 20:28 NIV)

Taken from the Word for you Today Devotional

August 29, 2014. GET RID OF THE 'CLUTTER'

Friday August 29, 2014

'...let the Spirit renew your...attitudes.' Ephesians 4:23 NLT

Get Rid of the 'Clutter'

When you sell a house, it feels great to get rid of stuff you've accumulated. You wonder why you lived so long with it weighing you down. It's the same with mental and emotional clutter. Jon Gordon says, 'Why do we fill our life with so many things that weigh us down? Thoughts that hold us back. Habits that limit us. Distractions that derail us. Negative people [who] drain us. Fear that paralyses us... time zappers that sabotage...productivity. We spend so much time...on things that don't matter - we fail to focus on what does matter. We fill up with so many things that generate negative energy, there's no room for positive energy in our lives.' Paul writes, '...throw off your...former way of life...let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.' (Ephesians 4:22-23 NLT) The clutter you need to lose includes: believing you're alone, trying to please everyone, feeling insecure, putting yourself down, needing everyone to like you, jumping to negative conclusions before you know the facts, thinking you're always right, recalling all the times you messed up, wanting to know how it all turns out, needing to have all the answers, worrying you'll lose the memories if you let go of the memorabilia, agonizing you're not rich enough, good enough or clever enough, surrounding yourself with people who recall the bad times and not the good, making energy-sucking comparisons, observing life instead of participating, believing your best days are over, constantly waiting for the right moment, fearing you'll look foolish, focusing on negative type-casting...and anything else you don't want to pass on to your children. How can you get rid of the clutter? '...let the Spirit renew your...attitudes.'

Taken from the Word for you Today Devotional

August 28, 2014. WHERE'S YOUR FINANCIAL SECURITY?

Thursday August 28, 2014

'...riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.' Proverbs 27:24 NIV

Where's Your Financial Security?

One large insurance company advertises itself as 'the Rock', claiming to be the foundation of our financial security. Remember when we trusted these taglines? Not anymore; it's not the same world. Financial uncertainty characterizes today's world of failing banks, crumbling investment giants, shrinking multinational corporations, swelling queues of the under-employed and unemployed, plus an epidemic of fear plaguing the hearts of the currently-employed. For the young, the joy of graduation has become the stress of university debts and a shrinking job market. Many older people are trading in their retirement dreams for a new twenty-first century reality: 'work till you drop'. In such times, where can we turn? To politicians? To government? To the next get-rich-quick guru? The Bible says, '...riches do not endure forever, and a crown [human government] is not secure for all generations.' (Proverbs 27:24 NIV) What's the answer? Turn to the only reliable source of security: God! There's no financial crisis in His Kingdom! Israel hungered and thirsted and He sent them fresh manna, and water from the rock. He assigned ravens to feed Elijah, multiplied oil and flour to sustain a destitute widow's family, fed thousands from a boy's lunch of five loaves and two fish. And He asks us: '...is anything too difficult for Me?' (Jeremiah 32:27 NAS) No! So: (1) Trust God to provide for you. (2) Do what He tells you to do. (3) Believe that God 'will'. 'The lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. You will have plenty...to feed you and your family...' (Proverbs 27:26-27 NIV)

Taken from the Word for you Today Devotional

August 27, 2014. ARGUING; IT'S A WASTE OF TIME

Wednesday August 27, 2014

'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.' Proverbs 15:1 NAS

Arguing; It's a Waste of Time

Do you sometimes find yourself saying, 'I get so angry when they refuse to listen to my viewpoint. How can I make them listen and hear what I'm trying to say?' Unless you're involved in an official debate, arguing with someone who's unwilling to listen is useless and a waste of time. State your viewpoint with clarity and purpose, but don't become defensive and argumentative if it's not received. You'll only hurt yourself and the relationship if you become argumentative. Don't allow anyone to draw you into strife or arguing. Hold your tongue, and try to remember these words of wisdom: 'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of a fool spurts folly.' (Proverbs 15:2 NAS) What must surely be one of the most frustrating conversations in history was reported in Theatre Arts Magazine. A subscriber, wishing to report on a particular upcoming event in his community, dialed directory enquiries to get the magazine's telephone number. The operator drawled, 'Sorry, but there's nobody listed by the name of Theodore Arts.' The subscriber insisted, 'It's not a person; it's a publication. I want Theatre Arts.' The operator responded, this time a little louder. 'I told you, we have no listing for Theodore Arts in this city. Perhaps he lives in another city.' By now the subscriber was thoroughly peeved. 'Confound it, the word is theatre: T-H-E-A-T-R-E!' The operator came back with equal certainty in her voice, 'That is not the way to spell Theodore.' Arguing; it's a waste of time.

Taken from the Word for you Today Devotional

August 26, 2014. SUFFERING WITH GRACE

Tuesday August 26, 2014

'For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ...to suffer...' Philippians 1:29 NKJV

Suffering with Grace

You need the kind of faith that not only believes God for good things, but also sustains you through bad things. The Bible says, '...if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid...instead...worship Christ as Lord of your life...' (1 Peter 3:14-15 NLT) God has foresight but we have only hindsight. So whether the path you've been called to walk is rough or smooth, your attitude should be one of 'worship', acknowledging 'Christ as Lord of your life'. Joseph's slavery led to the saving of his family. The lions' den led Daniel to a cabinet position. Christ entered the world by a surprise pregnancy and redeemed it through an unjust murder. Do you believe what the Bible teaches - that no disaster is ultimately fatal? John Chrysostom did. He was the archbishop of Constantinople from AD 398 to 404. He gained a following by his eloquent denunciations of corruption in the church. Twice banished by the authorities, he asked: 'What can I fear? Will it be death? But you know that Christ is my life, and that I shall gain by death. Will it be exile? But the earth is the Lord's and its fullness is the Lord's. Will it be by loss of wealth? But we have brought nothing into the world, and we can carry nothing out. Thus all the terrors of the world are contemptible in my eyes; and I smile at all its good things. Poverty I do not fear; riches I do not sigh for. Death I do not shrink from.' That's suffering with grace!

Taken from the Word for you Today Devotional

August 25, 2014. OTHERS ARE WATCHING YOU

Monday August 25, 2014

'In everything set them an example.' Titus 2:7 NIV

Others Are Watching You

Smoke rose over a neighborhood where 18 people died and 850 had been arrested in street riots. Jon Walker said: 'My dad, a special investigator for a government agency, sat with me watching the violence on TV. In a matter-of-fact manner, he said, "That's exactly where I'm scheduled to be today..." I said, "Why go?... Tell them you can't come...reschedule..." He looked at me and said, "Why wouldn't I go? It's my job."' Walker continues, 'It was an Aha moment for me... of course he'd go. He'd made a commitment... to be where he was supposed to be, regardless of circumstances. The same way he flew Cold War reconnaissance missions... the same way he took pictures showing Cuban missile sites being assembled... the same way he stood with me day in and day out throughout his life. In that moment I grasped the example. I understood the importance of remaining committed, regardless of the difficulty or how unreasonable it might seem... My dad spoke more by what he did than by what he said... his example became the story of God at work in a human life.' Question: What would happen if people followed your example instead of your advice when it comes to your work ethic, your online computer use, your integrity in business, and how you treat your family? Be honest! Paul challenges each of us to 'be an example...in word... conduct... love... spirit... faith... purity.' (1 Timothy 4:12 NKJV) He told Titus, 'In everything set them an example by doing what is good... show integrity.' If you think that sounds like a tall order - you're right. But 'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.' (2 Peter 1:3 NIV)

Taken from the Word for you Today Devotional