Success in God's Eye's => From Daily Manna
September 26, 2006
SUCCESS IN GOD'S EYES
By Neil Anderson
". . . Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you . . . then you will have success"
Joshua 1:7, 8
A helpful perspective of success in the Christian life is seen in Joshua's experience of leading Israel into the Promised Land. God said to him: "Be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success" (Joshua 1:7, 8).
Was Joshua's success dependent on other people or circumstances? Absolutely not. Success hinged entirely on his obedience. If Joshua believed what God said and did what God told him to do, he would succeed. Sounds simple enough, but God immediately put Joshua to the test by giving him a rather unorthodox battle plan for conquering Jericho. Marching around the city for seven days, then blowing a horn, wasn't exactly an approved military tactic in Joshua's day!
But Joshua's success was conditional on obeying God regardless of how foolish His plan seemed. As Joshua 6 records, Joshua's success had nothing to do with the circumstances of the battle and everything to do with obedience. That should be your pattern too. Accept God's goal for your life and follow it obediently.
Don't take this truth lightly. You can be successful if you commit yourself to being what God has called you to be and follow Him obediently. You can be successful in business and remain in God's will even when your competition conducts business under the table and cheats on taxes. You can run for public office and win with a campaign that doesn't compromise God's will. Remember: You can be a failure in the eyes of the world and a success in the eyes of God--and vice versa.
Suggested Prayer:
Lord, I want to be a success in Your eyes. Help me to be strong and courageous in doing Your will.
Kings and Priests
By Os Hillman
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:10
The Bible describes two distinct roles in the Old Testament-kings and priests. Kings were the rulers; priests were the religious leaders. The New Testament reveals we all are kings and priests because of the redemptive work of Christ.
Today, kings are most often represented by business and political leaders, while pastors represent the priestly roles. God calls each of us to fulfill both roles in our lives today. However, our vocational roles often create a division that is misunderstood by both businesspeople and pastors. These misunderstandings have led to a weakened and less effective Church.
Pastors have been guilty of viewing their businesspeople as dollar signs. They sometimes see them for what they can contribute to their ministries instead of equipping them to use their gifts and talents to impact the businessperson's mission field-their workplace.
Businesspeople have tried to get pastors to operate their churches like businesses, and have used their worldly ways for spiritual purposes. They often view the pastor as the primary ministry worker instead of taking on the responsibility themselves to do the work of the ministry.
This is a grievous sin that exists in the Body of Christ, and it requires repentance from both groups. Unless we recognize this, we will never see the reality of revival that God wants to bring to the business community, and pastors will fail to gain an ally to fully complete the work of the Church in their community.
Are you a pastor who has failed to see the calling that businesspeople have received to the workplace? If so, ask God to forgive you for viewing your businesspeople as those to be used for your own purposes.
Are you a businessperson who sees your church as another business to be run based on worldly measurements? Do you see the pastor's role as one who is primarily responsible for the work of the ministry? If so, you must repent and ask God to forgive you of this unbiblical view. God has called both of you to fulfill His purposes together through your gifts and talents.
http://www.dtm.org/Poems/Wait.html
Wait Poem
========
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...
and the Master so gently said,"Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!"
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I relate
hangs in the balance and you tell me to Wait?"
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'no,' to which I'll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
as my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine...
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
when darkness and silence are all you can see.
You'd never experience the fullness of love
when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
the faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
but oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.
So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still "WAIT".
by Russell Kelfer
[醒世故事] 秤
Fri, 9 Sep 2005
從前的秤十六兩一斤，因此有半斤八兩之說。
還在十六兩一斤的年代，縣城南街開著兩家米店，一家字型大小"永昌"，另一家叫"豐裕"。
"豐裕"米店的老掌櫃眼看兵荒馬亂生意不好做，就想出個多賺錢的主意。
這一天，他把星秤師傅請到家裏，避開眾人，對星秤師傅說："麻煩師傅給星一杆十五兩半一斤的秤，我多加一串錢。"
星秤師傅為了多得一串錢，就忘掉了行德，滿口答應下來。
老掌櫃吩咐完畢，留下星秤師傅在院裏星秤，自己就踱進米店料理生意去了。米店老掌櫃有四個兒子，都幫他料理米店。最小的兒子兩個月前娶一塾師的女兒為妻。新媳婦正在屋裏做針線，爹吩咐星秤師傅的話被她聽見了。
老掌櫃離開後，新媳婦沉思了一會兒，走出新房對星秤師傅說："俺爹年紀大了，有些糊塗，剛才一定是把話講錯了。請師傅星一杆十六兩半一斤的秤，我再送您兩串錢。不過，千萬不能讓俺爹知道。"
星秤師傅為了再多得兩串錢，就答應了。一杆十六兩半一斤的秤很快製成，星秤師傅果真沒把秤的變化告訴老掌櫃。老掌櫃曾多次請他星秤，對他的手藝信得過，當天就把新秤拿到米店使用了。
一段時間後，"豐裕"米店的生意興旺起來，"永昌"米店的老主顧也趕熱鬧，紛紛轉到"豐裕"買米。
又一段時間後，縣城東街、西街的人也捨近求遠，穿街走巷來"豐裕"買米，而斜對門的"永昌"米店簡直門可羅雀。
到了年底，"豐裕"米店發了財，"永昌"米店沒法開張了，把米店讓給了"豐裕"。
年三十晚上，一家人圍在一起吃餃子。老掌櫃心裏高興，出了個題目讓大家猜，看誰猜得出自家發財的奧秘。大家七嘴八舌，有說老天爺保佑的，有說老掌櫃管理有方的，有說米店位置好的，也有說是全家人齊心合力的……
老掌櫃嘿嘿一笑說："你們說的都不對。咱靠啥發的財？是靠咱的秤！咱的秤十五兩半一斤，每賣一斤米，就少付半兩，每天賣幾百幾千斤，就多賺幾百幾千個錢，日積月累，咱就發財了。"
接著，他把年初多掏一串錢星十五兩半一斤秤的經過講說了一遍。兒孫們一聽，都驚訝得忘了吃餃子。驚訝過後，大家都說他不露山不顯水的，連自家人都沒察覺，就把錢賺了，老人家實在高明。老掌櫃高興極了，把鬍子捋了一遍又一遍。
這時，新媳婦從座位上慢慢站起來，對老掌櫃說："我有一件事要告訴爹，在沒告訴爹以前，希望您老人家答應原諒我的過失。"待老掌櫃點頭後，新媳婦不慌不忙，把年初多掏兩串錢星十六兩半一斤秤的經過講給大家聽。
她說："爹說得對，咱是靠秤發的財。咱的秤每斤多半兩，顧客就知道咱做買賣實在，就願買咱的米，咱的生意就興旺。儘管每一斤米咱都少一點利，可賣的多了獲利就大了。咱是靠誠實發的財呀。"
大家更是一陣驚訝，一個個張大了嘴巴。老掌櫃不相信這是真的，拿來每日賣米的秤一校，果然每斤十六兩半。老掌櫃呆住了，一句話也說不出，慢慢地走進自己的臥室。
第二天吃過年初一早飯，老掌櫃把全家人召集到一塊，從腰裏解下帳房鑰匙說："我老了，不中用了。我昨晚琢磨了一夜，決定從今天起，把掌櫃讓給老四媳婦，往後，咱都聽她的！"
眾人為秤，半兩之差，心明如鏡。做生意，講究"誠"，做人豈不如此？
Thankyou God
Dear GOD:
I want to thank You for what you have already done.
I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards,
I am thanking You right now
I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better,
I am thanking You right now
I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me;
I am thanking You right now.
I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears,
I am thanking You right now.
I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves,
I am going to thank You right now.
I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet;
I am going to thank You right now.
I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job;
I am going to thank You right now.
I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief,
I am going to thank You right now.
I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed.
I am thanking You right now.
I am thanking You because I am alive.
I am thanking You because I made it through the day's difficulties.
I am thanking You because I have walked around the obstacles.
I am thanking You because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.
I'm thanking You because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.
Thank You. AMEN.
God is just so good, and He's good all the time.
Big deal
John Fischer - August 25, 2006
Job argued with God. Moses bargained with him. Jacob wrestled with him. Nehemiah changed his mind. What do these amazing stories tell us about God if it isn’t that he wants a relationship with us probably more than we want one with him? What does it tell us about God if he is willing to be persuaded, cajoled, bargained with, and wrestled? It tells us he created us like him so we could participate in a relationship with him that means something in terms of integrity. It’s no small thing that God can be swayed by a puny human being, but such is the wonder of his will.
The Psalmist declared a similar wonder when he wrote, “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers – the moon and the stars you have set in place – what are mortals that you should think of us? For you made us only a little lower than the angels, and you crowned us with glory and honor. You put us in charge of everything you made, giving us authority over all things – sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.” (Psalms 8:3-8 NLT)
In other words: What’s the big deal here? We’re the big deal. Does this bring us glory? Yes, but that only brings him more. That he would create us with this much power and authority says a lot about our Creator and what he created us for. He created us with intelligence and emotions. He created us like him so he could relate to us and we could relate to him. And he gave us the right to refuse him, accept him, argue with him, badger him – even tell him to get lost if that’s what we want to do. Think about that. Even unbelief has integrity. What kind of God would create a being that might not even believe in him? A God who wants a relationship with that being when he does believe, that’s who.
That’s why the very next verse of this Psalm reads, “O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!” (Psalm 8:9) We are part and parcel of God’s glory. That he would do it this way – that he would create a world, populate it with beings like him, and then give them authority over that world, and even give the opportunity to believe him or not – says as much about him as it does about us. You and I are a big part of God’s glory.
