Workplace Minister By Os Hillman

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col 3:17).

Over 70 percent of our time is spent in the workplace, yet our training and teaching in local churches focuses on areas where we spend much less time. The workplace is the greatest mission field of our day and represents the greatest opportunity for societal transformation, yet we do not train workplace believers how to effectively integrate their faith life into their work life. The wall between Sunday and Monday still exists and most workplace believers do not understand that all of life is spiritual, not just life on Sunday.

Our studies show an alarming 90 percent of Christians do not feel they've been adequately trained to apply biblical faith in their work life. We have focused on the fringes rather than the center where most people spend most of their time.

God is removing the wall of separation by speaking to pastors and workplace believers all over the world. A pastor recently shared how his church ordains their workplace believers for their calling to the workplace. Another pastor described their church's commitment to integrating training for their workplace believers on the theology of work. Another told how they began a workplace ministry within their church for their workplace believers, and even integrated Sunday school programs specifically geared to help workplace believers understand their calling in the workplace.

We are entering a new era in the Church when workplace believers are seen as a remnant of the Body of Christ who need to be mobilized and trained for the work of the ministry to their own mission field - the workplace. We are changing the 80/20 rule in the 9 to 5 window from 20% of the people doing ministry to 80%.

Are you one of the men and women God is raising up for this task? Pray that God will help local church leaders understand and affirm this calling, and that they will respond by training their people for their own ministry in their workplaces. 

Source:  Workplace Minister By Os Hillman

Taming the Tongue by Mary Southerland

Today's TruthProverbs 15:1 (NLT) "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare."
 
Friend To Friend

It had been one of "those" mornings and I was behind schedule in preparing to teach the women's Tuesday morning Bible study at our church. I am fairly certain I did not exude peace and joy as I rushed around - as my Mama would say - like a chicken with its head cut off. The auditorium was set up correctly. The sound man had my power point ready to go and was waiting to do a sound check. The coffee pot was plugged in and doing its thing. Smiling ladies gathered to greet the Bible study members as they arrived. I paused and breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like everything was ready - everything except my heart. 

I knew I needed to spend some time alone with God before standing to teach His Word, so I found a quiet room where I could escape for a few minutes of solitude. As I began to pray, the door flew open and crashed against the wall behind it as the husband of one of our group leaders burst into the room. I could tell by the look on his face that he was not happy and that whatever was wrong was definitely my fault. In a very loud and very angry voice, the man began to explain the problem, ending his tirade with the question, "And just what are you going to do about it?"  

Sidebar: Guess what lesson I was teaching that particular morning. Remember, God definitely has a sense of humor. The lesson title was "How to Tame Your Tongue."
I knew what I wanted to say to the man. I also knew God didn't want me to say it. In a rare moment of wisdom, I faced my accuser with a smile and whispered, "I'll tell you exactly what I am going to do. I am going to do whatever it takes to make you happy."  

I was completely unprepared for the man's reaction. His mouth fell open, his eyes widened in surprise - no, make that shock - and he stumbled backwards as if I had hit him. The silence was deafening. We stared at each other for what seemed like an hour before he finally whispered back, "Thank you!" Without another word, the man turned and literally ran out of the room. The most amazing part of this story is that from that day on, he has been one of my strongest encouragers.  

The Bible works, girlfriend! When God says that a gentle answer "deflects" anger, He really means it. The word "deflect" means "to change course" or "to force the alteration of plans." When anger is met with love, it is forced to change its destructive course. The plans of the enemy are altered when they are forced to comply with God's truth. A sweet response yanks the fuse right out of an emotional time bomb that is set and ready to explode. We need to choose our responses instead of allowing our reactions to dictate the words we speak. 

Godly responses begin in the mind. I believe that our thought life is the front line of battle for the control of our entire life. Proverbs 34:13 warns, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies." The word "keep" indicates action on our part. We decide. We choose what is allowed to take up room in our mind. It is literally the idea of a guard standing at the gate of the city, stationed there to keep watch. He is there by invitation only. If we want to live right and speak right - we must think right. 

Godly responses come from the heart. If there is something wrong with our words, then there is something wrong with our heart. The truth of Proverbs 16:23 is profound in its simplicity, "A wise man's heart guides his mouth." 

A judge utters a few words and a guilty man is taken to death row.
A friend speaks a word of encouragement and a desperate heart finds hope.
A mother lashes out with angry words and the light in her child's eyes is gone.
A wife offers a word of forgiveness and a marriage is restored.
A gossip makes a phone call and a reputation is destroyed.
A teenager says "no" and changes the course of her life.
Words are powerful. Words can destroy or build. We need to make the choice today - to respond in the right way to those angry words that are surely headed our way tomorrow. 

Let's PrayFather, I want to please You and encourage others with the words I speak. Clean my heart, God. Transform my mind and fill my mouth with words that honor and please You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen. 

Now It's Your TurnExamine the words you have spoken today in light of the following verses:
Psalm 141:3 "LORD, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say."
Psalm 20:14. "May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
How did you do? I encourage you to memorize these two verses. Ask God to let each verse take root in your heart and work its way out in the words you speak. 

Seeing Backward By Os Hillman

"O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed" (Ps 30:7). 
 
It is often difficult to recognize the hand of God when we are in the midst of adversity. We often feel God has hidden His face from us. When the Lord takes us through deep valleys, there will be fruit from the deep valley that we cannot see. You must press into Him with all you have during this time.

God uses the deep valley to frame our lives to create a change in our nature, not just a change in habits. The depth and width of our valley is often an indicator of the level of calling and influence we will have on others in the future. Our adversity is not just for us, but others who will be in our future path of influence. This is not very comforting when you are in the middle of the valley, but know this is a truth in the Kingdom.

It is often years later when we discover the wisdom of God and why He intentionally led us through the dark valley. Life is often lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back at through valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life while we were there. "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). When you begin to realize this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was.

Do you find yourself in the valley? Now is the time to fully trust Him to guide you to higher ground.

Source:  Seeing Backward

Prayer at Work By Os Hillman

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer 33:3-4). 

Julian Watts and Warren Sinclair, who operate an international company called Markets Unlocked in Guildford, England have learned how important intimacy and the presence of God is to fulfilling His purposes for their business.


In 1999, the Lord asked Julian if he would be willing to resign his partnership in a multi-national company, leave the company and walk out into the unknown. Now without a job, he spent the next few months attempting to discover what the Lord wanted him to do. Eventually, he founded an internet company that specialized in connecting businesses that wanted to buy and sell to each other. He set about building the new company, focusing on all the commercial fundamentals and occasionally praying for God's help to get the task done.

The business grew very quickly, riding on the crest of the Internet wave. But the dotcom crash that swiftly followed in the year 2000 was brutal, and the company was all but wiped out. The Christian directors started praying together - monthly at first, then, as things continued to worsen, weekly, and finally, as desperation set in, daily!

The directors' daily routines soon began to change. At first, Julian started having his own personal time with the Lord from 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. each day. Then, from 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M., all the company directors would meet to worship and pray. From 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. every weekday, one director would worship and intercede for the company; and every Tuesday from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., everyone in the company would meet, along with local pastors and intercessors, to worship and intercede.

By late 2001, the company had passed through the wilderness of the dotcom crash. In the process, all the commercial aspects of the company had been completely transformed - including its business strategy, organization structure, people, operational processes, location and everything else.

Today, the directors see that the Lord is increasingly establishing their company's corporate identity and defining characteristic as their corporate intimacy with Him. Markets Unlocked is now expanding rapidly around the world, with customers in over 80 countries.

Source:  Prayer at Work

Transforming a Workplace By Os Hillman

"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.

Source:  Transforming a Workplace

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows 

Part 2 

Mary Southerland

Today's TruthPsalm 23:1 (NIV) "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Friend To FriendStorms are a reality of life. That's the bad news. The good news is that God is bigger than any storm we will ever face. When our daughter, Danna, was a toddler, she and her daddy had a favorite game. Dan would place her in some high spot then stand back, hold up his arms and say, "Jump to Daddy!" I hated that game but Danna loved it. She would always jump into his arms, laughing and giggling. One day, however, Dan picked a spot that seemed to be just a little too high for Danna's taste. She did what I do when I get scared. She closed her eyes. When her dad said, "Jump!" she said, "I can't! I can't see you, Daddy!" Dan said, "It doesn't matter, baby. I can see you!" With a smile on her scrunched up face my daughter bailed off into the strong arms of her Father, secure in the knowledge that he would catch her just as he always had. Talk about a major stress buster! Knowing that we belong to God is the foundation for a life of peace. Today, let's look at four more ways to deal with stress.

Recognize your source.
I believe that a large part of stress is the result of misplaced expectations, requiring the people and circumstances in our lives to meet needs that only God can meet. Most people who know me well would tell you that I'm a very strong woman. It took a complete physical, emotional and spiritual breakdown for me to realize I was only as strong as my human personality and abilities would allow me to be.  I was, in short, looking in all the wrong places for the deepest needs of my heart to be met. When all was stripped away by a two-year battle with clinical depression, I was left with nothing but broken dreams and unanswered questions. There, in that dark pit, surrounded by the meager remains of a shattered life, I discovered that God is enough. "The Lord is my Shepherd.  I shall not want." Just as the shepherd meets every need of his sheep, God meets our every need. Just as the sheep totally depend upon their shepherd's care, we must depend totally upon God. He is our Source and in light of that reality, stress flees, leaving only peace.

Learn to rest.I am terrible at this "rest" thing, forever walking the thin line between being productive and my life spiraling out of control. I have repeatedly tried to defy my God-given need for rest, thinking that I'm somehow "above" both the occurrence and consequences of exhaustion. Stress shouts, "Get busy! There's so much to do!" Stress applauds and dances with delight as I keep on "doing" instead of "being." I've discovered that when I'm tired, it's much harder to handle stress. Just as ninety percent of income goes farther when we tithe ten percent of it, so does our energy when we tithe it in rest. 

Manage your fears.It's not God's plan for us to dwell in fear or for fear to rule our lives. He has already set in motion the fall of every giant we will ever face. Our responsibility is to step through our fear, confronting those giants in God's power instead of our own, while counting on the promise that God really is the same yesterday, today and forever. We have nothing to fear, not because we are clever or self-sufficient, but because we are his sheep. We can learn to manage fear and stress instead of allowing fear and stress to manage us. 

Take the long look.We must be very careful to choose the right backdrop against which we live. Our backdrop is eternity - not the daily tyranny of urgent demands. Our backdrop is an old rugged cross - not the condemnation of our own heart or the judgments of others. Our backdrop is an empty tomb - not the stress filled prison of despair. When stress threatens and it seems like you can't go on, rest in God's truth. Take the long look at life, knowing that He will provide your every need and fill your heart with peace. 

Stress is tenacious in its quest to derail and destroy us. Marriages and homes teeter on the brink of disaster because we're too busy. Personal and family needs are consigned to the bottom of our priority list. Distractions are rampant because our lives are not rightly focused - and the enemy laughs in the shadows, applauding our foolishness. Stop. Get off of the merry-go-round. Come into God's presence and rest there until stress has gone and peace has come.

Let's PrayFather, I refuse to surrender my peace to the stress of life. Help me learn how to truly rest in You, knowing that You will never leave me or forsake me. Today, I submit my will to Your plan for my life. You are my Shepherd and my God. I put my trust in You and praise You for Your perfect provision in my life.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows 

Part 1 

Mary Southerland

Today's TruthPsalm 23:1 (NIV) "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
 
Friend To FriendStress is a familiar and faithful companion. It doesn't matter where life takes us, we will encounter stress. Unless we learn to manage and deal with that stress - God's way - we will find ourselves trapped, an easy target for the enemy. 

A friend recently told me the story of a farmer who, as the owner of a large piece of land along the Atlantic seacoast, constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of terrible storms known to plague the area. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin middle-aged man applied for the job. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.  Although puzzled by this answer, the desperate farmer hired him. 

The slight man worked hard, to the delight of the farmer. Then one night, the howling wind blew in from offshore, signaling the approach of a monstrous storm. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. "Get up! A storm is coming!" he yelled.  The man rolled over in bed and firmly responded, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows." Furious, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm only to discover that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in their coops, the doors were barred and the shutters were tightly secured. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand had meant. He, too, returned to his bed to "sleep while the wind blew".
Stress management is a spiritual discipline that begins with diligent preparation in every area of life - mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. We must be ready to deal with stress before we have to deal with stress.

Know whose you are. I grew up in a Christian home, attending church every time the doors were open.  I sang all of the right songs, spoke all of the right words and did all of the right things in front of all the right people. I fervently prayed that my works would validate my faith and desperately hoped that by following the rules, I would please the Ruler. It wasn't until middle school that the authentic life of a dynamic youth pastor made me hunger and thirst for something more. I wanted to know God intimately. During an evening church service, I sat in my usual spot, clutching the back of the pew in front of me while wrestling with God over the condition of my soul and my eternal security. I argued that I knew all about God - and then the deeper truth of that argument hit me. Yes, I knew about Him but I didn't know Him. That night we met. While the course of my life was changed forever, I quickly discovered that stress was not going to disappear from my life.
I still have to face and deal with stressful circumstances every day. The difference is that I don't have to face and deal with those tough situations alone. God is with me. His power strengthens me and His love surrounds me, saturating even the most desperate circumstances with hope. Knowing that we belong to God is the very foundation for a life of peace and the first step in dealing with stress. Join me tomorrow as we examine four more ways to deal with stress.  

Let's PrayFather, I praise You for being my Peace in the midst of a stressful day. I can't always see Your hand at work or even understand Your process. But I do know that I can fully trust Your heart of love for me, Lord. When the storms of life come and I am tempted to worry, help me to trust You instead. When it seems like my life is spinning out of control, give me Your strength to stop and remember that You are God and that heaven is not in a panic! Right now, I choose against the tyranny of stress in my life and I choose to trust You instead. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me.
In Jesus' name,
Amen. 

Now It's Your TurnGo back to the time when you first met God and surrendered your life to Him.
What changes has that decision made in your life?
How did you feel when you first realized that you belong to God?
What did you do?
Who did you tell?
Now think about your relationship with God today and compare your circumstances, attitudes and habits with those first days of knowing Him.
Read and memorize Jeremiah 29:11. Celebrate God's perfect and unique plan for your life. And when stress shows up in your life today, remember whose you are.

Is there Hierarchy in Calling? By Os Hillman

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Cor 12:27)." 

All legitimate work matters to God. God Himself described himself as a worker. In fact, human occupations find their origin in His work to create the world. Work is a gift from Him to meet the needs of people and the creation. "You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas" (Ps 8:6-8).

However, there is often an unspoken hierarchy that positions clergy (missionaries and evangelists, pastors and clergy) at the top, and occupations such as of the "helping professions" (doctors and nurses, teachers and educators, social workers) next, and "secular" workers (business executives, salespeople, factory laborers, and farmers) at the bottom.

So what determines the spiritual value of a job? How does God assign significance? The hierarchy assumes sacred and secular distinctions, and assigns priority to the sacred. But does God view vocations that way? No, He does not.

God creates people to carry out specific kinds of work in order to meet human needs. God uniquely designs each of us, fitting us for certain kinds of tasks. He distributes skills, abilities, interests, and personalities among us so that we can carry out His work in the world. That work includes "spiritual" tasks, but also extends to health, education, agriculture, business, law, communication, the arts, and so on.

Paul was a tentmaker by occupation, along with his friends, Aquila and Priscilla. Other church leaders practiced a wide variety of professions and trades. There's no indication that God looks at vocations in the form of spiritual hierarchy.*

The next time you consider your vocation a second-class spiritual calling, consider what God says. Your work matters to God and is valued by God equally to other forms of work.

*Adapted from Study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible, copyright 1993,1996, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Adapted from Ministry in Daily Life study notes page for WIL bible.

Studying to Give Versus Studying to Know By Os Hillman

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (John 5:38-40).
Sometimes you would think the trinity is Father, Son and Holy Scriptures instead of the Holy Spirit. There can be a tendency in Christianity to give so much focus upon the Holy Scriptures that we fail to acknowledge the role of the Holy Spirit in our daily activity.
There is also a second danger. We must be careful in studying the scriptures for the sake of giving to others instead of desiring more of God for ourselves. This is particularly dangerous for the professional Christian worker who is under continued pressure to feed and teach His people. If we are not careful, this process becomes a religious exercise of production, instead of a time of seeking, learning and experiencing His presence.
Jesus told His disciples that when He left He would be leaving the Holy Spirit which would help them live victoriously for Him. "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:25-27).
"For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5). No longer would converts be baptized just with water, but now they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Baptism means we are immersed with water. Now we will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit that draws us into intimacy with the Father. He prompts us with a scripture verse to share with a friend or co-worker. He endues us with the power to live for Him and not in our own strength. Truly the Holy Spirit is the third person in the trinity that must be acknowledged and obeyed as we seek to live for Christ. He is also our teacher and guide.
Today, why not ask the Holy Spirit to baptize you afresh with the power to know Him, not just know about Him.

Source:  Studying to Give Versus Studying to Know By Os Hillman

Deliverance from the Black Hole By Os Hillman

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5b). 

A black hole is a place of total nothingness. It's a time in our life when God removes the resources and supports that we normally rely on to feel secure - our careers, finances, friends, family, health and so forth. It is a preparation time.

When you find yourself in a black hole experience, don't just sit and brood. Take stock of your life. Take a look at your relationship with God.

First, ask God if there are any sins, habits, or attitudes that He might be judging in your life. It's important to discern whether the trial we face is the result of God's discipline for our sin?or if it is preparing us for a future leadership role.

Second, when you enter a black hole, don't trust your feelings. Trust God. Your feelings will tell you, "God has rejected you. Abandon hope. He has left you utterly alone." Feelings change; God never changes. Feelings come and go; God is always with us.

Third, remember that your black hole experience is not only intended to refine and define you; it's also intended to influence and change the lives of hundreds or even thousands of other people. Our adversity is not just for us, but others in our sphere of influence.

Fourth, don't try to hurry the black hole process along. Remember, when Joseph was in the depths of the pit, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't climb out, jump out, levitate out, or talk his way out. All he could do was pray and wait upon the Lord.

Fifth, lean on God. Even when you don't feel like praying, pray. Even when you don't feel like reading His Word, read. Even when you don't feel like singing songs of faith, sing. When you pray, don't just talk; listen. Be silent before Him and listen for His still, quiet voice.

Sixth, be alert to new truths and new perspectives. During a black hole experience, God often leads us to amazing new discoveries. A black hole can be a storehouse of unexpected riches for the soul.

Source:   Deliverance from the Black Hole