Frank's Bible Blog

Psalm 58—Player Turned Coach

It is quite common for professional athletes to become coaches once their playing careers are over. Having been on the receiving side of the coaching instructions for so long while actually playing the game, they bring a unique perspective to coaching.

While not every great player makes the transition into great coaching, these players turned coaches can relate to players in ways that others can’t. If they had long playing careers, they probably played under several coaches. They probably saw the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopefully they learned from those years so that they can excel now that the tables are turned and they are in charge.

The player turned coach is not unique to sports. We actually see it in everyday life. The tables get turned: The employee is now the boss; the constituent is now the politician; the follower is now the leader. The question arises: Did we learn the lessons as followers that are needed to be great leaders?

In Psalm 58 David writes about the injustice in society. He sees the corruption of those in charge (v2) and laments their wickedness (vv3-5). He then goes on to ask God to mete out His judgment on these unrighteous leaders (vv6-9) while observing that God’s blessings are on the righteous (vv10-11). What is interesting about David’s observations is that they most likely were made before he became king. They were made when he was on the receiving side of the injustice.

Why is this significant?

When the tables were later turned and David was in charge, I think these experiences made him a better leader. Remember, there was a long span of time between the time that David was anointed king and when he actually became king (more than a decade). This was a learning time for David. All that he went through during that season—including receiving the wrath of unjust leaders—was used to grow him into the leader that God wanted.

Today you may find yourself in the midst of a difficult situation. Maybe you are not being treated fairly at work or you have been the recipient of some kind of injustice. The question is this: What will you do with that situation? Will you commit it to God, learn from it, and allow it to mold you into a better person? Could this be a situation that is preparing you for a more advanced leadership role? Could God be transitioning you from a player to a coach by allowing this experience?

Our perspective is radically changed when we look at all of our current trials with an eye to the future.

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Frank Banfill is an international speaker, leadership developer, and president of MaxPoint Ministries (www.maxpoint.org) which seeks to help individuals and ministries realize their full potential in Christ. Please forward this to your family & friends. To get Frank’s devotionals delivered free to your inbox, or to request reprint rights, visit www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 45-- Carry It or Watch Others Carry It: The Choice is Yours

It has marked the beginning of every Olympic Games since 1928.

The Olympic Torch lights a large cauldron during the opening ceremonies and the cauldron stays lit until the end of the games. Since 1936, the flame that ignites the cauldron originates in Greece and then is carried by relay to the Olympic stadium. Typically hundreds, even thousands, of people participate in the carrying and passing of the torch as it makes it way around the world before finally lighting the cauldron.

There are those individuals who get to be part of history--the passing of the flame to the next runner--and then there are the rest of us who just watch.

When I think of the Olympic Torch relay, I can't help but think of the Torch relay all of us are to take part in as followers of Christ.

In Psalm 45 we are prophetically introduced to Christ. We are told about His majesty, righteousness and might. We are given a sneak peak into His everlasting kingdom. Then the chapter concludes by saying "I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever."

Just like the flame of the Olympic Torch is passed from one runner to the next, the Name of Jesus will be praised, exalted, and passed on from one generation to the next. But unlike the Olympic torch, which eventually is extinguished, the Name of Jesus will be remembered for eternity.

Think about that for a moment.

Since the resurrection of Christ different people have joined the relay to pass along Christ to the next generation. They have been part of an unbroken chain prophesied here in Psalms 45. Now, there were those in every generation who embraced Christ, but who failed to pass Him along to the next generation. They watched as others did, but they did not have that legacy for themselves.

They watched while others made history.

The question comes to us today: Will we watch or will we make history? Will we sit on the sofa while others in our generation proclaim the life-changing message of Jesus? Will we rest on the bench while our peers pass the torch to another generation? Or will we rise to the occasion and take our place in history by handing the Flame to those who will carry it the next leg?

Will we go into eternity knowing that we helped carry the Name, or will we go into eternity knowing we missed the opportunity to make a difference in our generation?

The choice is ours!

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Hope for Bukabwa. Hope for You. Jer. 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”—Jeremiah 29:11

When Jesus talked about the ends of the earth, He must have had Bukabwa, Tanzania in mind. Located in the northeastern corner of this East Africa nation, Bukabwa is home to 5,000 people spread out over a large area. To get there, you take a long dirt road, and then you turn off onto another dirt “road.” I’m not sure the later actually qualifies as a road, but that’s what the locals call it. The second “road” cuts through thick bushes that scrape the side of your vehicle as you bump along across its very rough terrain.

Bukabwa isn’t much to look at.

Now don’t get me wrong—the hills and valleys surrounding it are beautiful—but Bukabwa itself is basically a collection of scattered mud huts with thatched roofs. There are a couple block buildings, including the medical clinic with its one nurse, but that is about it. Throw in some chickens, skinny cows and a goat or two and you pretty much have the lay of the land.

There aren’t any real jobs in Bukabwa, there is one year-round water supply that is a hike for most people to reach, and few children make the nine mile walk to school. Until a couple months ago, there wasn’t any church in Bukabwa.

Honestly, Bukabwa looks pretty hopeless. Imagine if you lived there. Would you have a hard time believing God’s word in Jeremiah 29:11 that God plans to give you hope and a future? It would be hard for me to believe.

You may not physically be in Bukabwa today, but you might be at a place in your life that sure seems like it. You look around and all you see is discouragement. No hope. No future. No life.

But like the people of Bukabwa, there is much that you do not see. You do not see God’s eternal plan. You do not see how He is moving in the hearts and lives of people to intersect your path at just the right time. You do not see the blessings of God that are already on their way.

I just returned from Bukabwa, and I can see those things. I can see them because I have the privilege of being part of a church that has adopted Bukabwa. I’m privy to some of God’s plans for the community.

We’ve brought the gospel to the community, started a church, provided Bibles, and began discipling young believers. In partnership with the residents, we will see a church building constructed in the next few months and a full-time pastor living in the community. Over the next few years we will see three or four more churches started, the introduction of micro business, the building and staffing of a school, and much more.

Why? Because God has a plan for this village at the end of the earth. Because God has a future for a place and a people that everyone else has ignored. Because God from eternity past has planned to prosper the people of Bukabwa.

Most of Bukabwa’s residents have no idea of the incredible things that are to come. They know they now have a church. They know they will soon have a building. But the rest…well, that will be a pleasant surprise as God unfolds His plan to them.

Look at the Jeremiah verse again. Do you believe it? You should! No, I can’t tell you specifically what God has in store for you, but if God can show His favor on Bukabwa a place that had almost no Christians until just recently, He will show His favor on you His child.

God has a plan for you and for me. I can hardly wait to see what it is!

If you would like to learn more about Bukabwa and see the village, check out the video at http://vimeo.com/22577940. If you or your church would like to adopt an African village like Bukabwa and help transform it physically and spiritually, then please contact me through the MaxPoint Ministries website at www.maxpoint.org.

--Frank Banfill

Psalm 37--Lower Your Blood Pressure

It was my first time out of the house alone with our new baby. I had a doctor's appointment and had to take her with me. As soon as I sat down in the waiting room I realized I had forgotten something very important--food. I was a brand new dad and the thought that the child would need to eat again before I got home totally slipped my mind. Well, no sooner did I get seated when my daughter started to cry, and cry and cry. I tried everything I could think of to calm her down but nothing worked. I just knew everyone was staring at me and thinking what a lousy dad I was. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I am ushered into the exam room. The nurse took my blood pressure and was shocked at the reading. My normally low blood pressure was through the roof! I had let all the commotion get to me. I was stressed big time! Today my baby is a teenager and I look back at that incident and laugh. I just needed to calm down! Well, that is the word from the Lord to all of us in Psalm 37--just calm down! Don't worry and fret (v1,8). God has everything under control (v24). Whether it is people treating you badly (v1, 14), disastrous times (v19), personal failure (v24), or struggles to make ends meet (v25), God is there for you. But what must we do to stay calm in difficult times? There are eight things. Trust in the Lord (v3). Feed on His presence (v3). Delight in what delights Him (v4). Commit your plans to the Lord (v5). Be still and wait on Him (vv7, 34). Don't get angry (v8). Stay humble (v11). Do good (v27, 30, 31). This a great prescription for dealing with the ups and downs of life!

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 33-- An Unusual Sight on the Capitol Steps

It was an amazing sight. Standing on the steps of the U.S. Capitol our nation's representatives were singing God Bless America.There were Democrats, Republicans, Independents standing together and singing in unison. It happened right after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. For a period of time--although brief--we weren't identified by party or philosophical affiliation. No, we were identified as Americans. It was a good feeling, but tempered by the sadness of 3,000 of our fellow citizens losing their lives. Unfortunately it didn't take long for the unity of being American to depart and the divisiveness of labels to reemerge. When those representatives joined together in song they did so because they had something in common--they were first and foremost Americans. That fact caused them to break into song. As believers, we have many things in common regardless of the different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, politics or other factors that might otherwise divide us. Psalm 33 tells us that we have cause for singing--not because of a tragedy but because of the power and majesty of the God that we worship and serve. Because the word of the Lord is true (v4), because He is faithful (v4), because He is loving (v5, 22), because He is all-knowing (vv 10, 13, 14, 15), because He is the Creator (vv6,7,9), because He lives and stands forever (v11), and because He defends and delivers us (vv18-21), we can join together in song. We must remember that we are first and foremost Christians and in unison praise the Lord with our lips and with our lives. We must remember the call for us to live righteously and lead our nations to do the same because "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (v12).

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 27--What the Lion Missed Pursuing Courage

In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, one of the characters that Dorothy met was a lion who desperately wanted courage. He ventured with Dorothy to Oz to seek courage from the Wizard. In his mind, the only way he could get courage was to have it bestowed upon him. Have you ever thought about where courage comes from? We know we can't get it from a magical wizard in a fantasy story, but how can we get it? What makes courageous people courageous? What gives the police officer, for example, the courage to venture down a dark ally alone when he suspects trouble? Or the soldier the courage to enter a terrorist strong hold? I think there are four things: training, experience, protection and determination. Both the police officer and soldier have been taught what to do in these situations. They both had past experiences, even if simulated, that gave them a feel for what to expect. They both had protection--guns, rifles, bullet-proof vests, etc. They also had the will and determination to put those three things together and in order to place themselves in harms way. In Psalm 27, David challenges all of us to have courage as we journey through life. I believe we get that courage in the same way that the police officer or solider got theirs. Our training comes when we spend time in God's house, in His presence, and as we wait on Him to teach us His ways (vv 4, 6, 11, 14). We gain experience as we daily walk with Him and learn to trust Him with bigger and bigger issues (vv 2,13). We, too, have protection--and it is much greater than vests or guns. David put it this way: "The Lord is my strength" (v1), "Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear" (v3), "He shall set me high upon a rock" (v5), and "Then the Lord will take care of me" (v10). Even with all of this, we must have the will and determination to utilize our training, experiences and protection. When we do that, then we will have courage! "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" (v14).

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 25-- Lessons from the Karate Kid

Several years ago there was a popular movie and sequel called the Karate Kid. (A re-make was done in 2010). It was about a boy with a difficult home life who took up karate. The boy had a lot of potential but knew if he was going to be successful he needed training by a real karate master. There was such a person who agreed to train him. At first, however, the training was nothing like the boy thought it would be. The master had the boy wax his car! Not only that, but he was insistent that it be waxed a certain way with very deliberate strokes. "Wax on, wax off," the master kept repeating in a famous scene from the movie. Day after day the master had the boy do other seemingly meaningless tasks. After a while the boy got very frustrated. "When is he going to start teaching me!" he wondered in exasperation. He almost quit on the master but was persuaded to stick it out--and boy was he glad he did! When he went into the big karate match he discovered that he had not spent days doing worthless tasks. He actually was learning discipline and how to move his arms, hands and body in certain ways that were beneficial to karate. The master did not tell him why he had the boy doing certain moves, just that he needed to do them. In the end, the master knew what was best and the boy became a champion because he learned to intimately follow the master. I believe that you and I can become champions in life when we, too, learn to follow the Master--the Lord. Psalm 25 is a great picture of a learner--a student--desperate to follow the master and ready to reap the rewards of this discipline. "Show me Your ways...teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. On You I wait all the day" is how the psalmist-learner expresses it in verses 4-5. He was ready to wait "all the day" on the Master because he knew that the Master had the truth. He knew that the master knew the best path to take. He knew the master would lead him to victory. "Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity...the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him" (vv12-14). Today, you and I can unlock the Master's "secret" and find true success if we will become desperate students. Desperate students who linger on every word of the Master. Desperate students who seek the Master's guidance in everything, even when it doesn't make sense. Desperate student's who turn only to their Master for truth and nothing or no one else. Desperate students who trust their Master (v20) and live in integrity as they wait on their Master's direction (v21). Are you a desperate student of the Lord today? Are you even teachable?


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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 20-- Leaders with Praying Followers

We often talk about praying for our leaders, whether they are political officials, church leaders, or our boss at work. We need to pray for those who lead us, but what if we are in some kind of leadership role? Do we have people praying for us? If so, what are they praying? The kind of leader you are influences the types of prayers that followers can pray for you. A great example of this is Psalm 20, written by David while he was king of Israel. Although David penned this psalm and set it to music, it really was the prayer of the people he led concerning him. This psalm is how David's followers prayed for him. Notice a couple specific things in this prayer that reflect on David's leadership. They prayed that God would remember the offerings and sacrifices that David had brought to the Lord (v3). They had seen David's example when it came to sacrificing for the Lord. They knew he was someone who brought his best to the Lord. They prayed that God would give David his heart's desire and fulfill all of his plans (v4). They knew their leader's heart sought after God's heart and that he pursued God's plans above his own. They also knew David was a man of prayer (v5) and that he prayed the kinds of prayers that they would want answered. Thanks to David's example, the people had learned to put their trust in the Lord, not in their armies, military weapons, or anything else (v7). They had all of those things--but they knew ultimately that only God could deliver. They also knew that David was a leader responsive to their needs and concerns (v9). This chapter, then, begs the question, "What kind of leaders are we?" Are we the kind of leaders that exemplify godly sacrifices? Are our hearts set on things above and not on the earth? Do we seek God's direction first rather than planning first and asking Him to bless our plans later? Are we mature in our praying? Do we encourage others to grow in their faith? Are we cognizant of the needs and concerns of those we are leading? Maybe there is even a more basic question--do we desire and seek the prayers of others that we might be great leaders? These are some great questions for every leader to ponder.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 18-- Count Your Blessings and Make Good Decisions

Growing up in church, there was this hymn that we sang all the time titled, "Count Your Blessings." I don't think I have sung that song in years, but I still remember the lyrics. I sang the song as a child, but didn't understand lines like "When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed." I did, however, understand, "Count you blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God hath done." It is important to have regular times in our life where we pause and specifically take note of what God has done for us. This is the case in Psalm 18. I get the impression that this psalm or song was one that David sang regularly as he paused to look back over his life and note what God had done for him. David was very specific in exulting God and describing all that He had done for David. This is also an anthem celebrating the benefits of making good decisions. In verses 20-24, David praises God for rewarding his choices to live right and blameless before God. I'm sure David had in his mind those occasions where King Saul was trying to kill him and David actually had the opportunity to kill Saul instead. His soldiers justified the killing to David, but David would not go along with them. He went against peer pressure, avoided rationalizing the situation, and stuck to his convictions. Now years later, David looks back at those decisions and rejoices. There are two questions that we are faced with as we look at this psalm. First, are we making decisions today that we will be proud of 25 years from now? Second, do we have regular times in our life when we pause and enumerate the blessings of God? Two very important questions for all of us to ponder.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 16-- "Stay Close, Children!"

The warning signs were abundant as we began walking around the national park--"Stay on the Path." There were numerous hazards if one wondered off the path and no further warnings or protections were available. If you stayed on the path, you would enjoy some of the most incredible beauty of God's creation. But if you strayed, the results could be absolutely devastating. My children were small, so I made sure I had a firm grasp on them and kept them close to my side. In Psalm 16, David is pictured as walking through life just like my children walked that path with me--right at the side of their father. Twice he refers to being next to God (vv8,11) and he says that, "I have set the Lord always before me" (v8). He stayed by God's side and stayed where he could see Him at all times. Because David had put such trust in God (v1) and maintained complete dependency on Him (v2), David experience some wonderful benefits. He received multiple blessings (vv5,6), had guidance for his life (vv7, 11), enjoyed gladness and hope (v9), and had the assurance of eternal pleasures (v11). He also knew that just as Christ would conquer death (v10), God would not leave him in the grave. We too can experience these same benefits as we put our trust in the Lord, and as we walk intimately with Him along life's path. Yes, there are unbelievable dangers in life, but when we hold God's hand and keep our eyes fixed on Him, we have nothing to fear. There is safety in the presence of Father.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Exodus 10--The Long Anticipated Road Emerges

As I write this, I can hear heavy machinery moving dirt not far from my house. For years, the city has planned the expansion of a road and intersection near us. We've heard about it. Read about it. We've even talked about it. Now we are starting to see what it will look like and exactly where the road will go.

The current road is very narrow and is a traffic bottleneck. It intersects rail road tracks without crossing bars, making the intersection not only congested but dangerous. All of that, however, is about to change.

While we knew change was coming, we did not know the magnitude of the construction. We can now see that the roadway will be 4-5 times the size of what it was, with numerous traffic and turning lanes. It is one thing to understand something conceptually; it is quite another thing to actually start to see it now that the dirt is moving.

This is what took place in Exodus 10 as God unleashed two more plagues on Egypt. God began to pull the vail back so that Moses could see the bigger picture. The plagues and various altercations with Pharaoh was about more than just the Israelites leaving. They were about God doing something so incredible that people would talk about it for generations (v2). The plagues become a monument to the greatness of God and the destructiveness of sin.

Conceptually, people may have known about God's power, but it was another thing all together when they saw it for themselves. God had promised to not only make the Israelites a great nation, but He promised a land for them. They heard about the "future construction" plans but had never seen anything that would indicate it would happen. That all changed when the "dirt started to move" with the various plagues. Everyone could see God's power for themselves. Everyone could know that He had the might to do what He said He would do.

Even though God's power was on display for all to see, there were still those who failed to accept its ramifications. Pharaoh was so infatuated with himself that he would not listen to advice or accept the reality that Egypt was ruined (v7). He would try to bargain with the man of God, but would not accept the full terms that God had given. He saw God's might, but he still wanted to stay in control of the situation. The road was emerging but Pharaoh refused to accept it.

So what does this mean to us today? Well, this story reminds us that there are at least three action items we all need to take. First, look for God working around you. God is always at work--we just are oblivious to it most of the time. Second, remember that what you do see now is probably only a glimpse of what is to come. Finally, when you know that God is moving in your life, respond appropriately. Don't be controlling. Don't try to bargain with God. Just surrender yourself to Him as He unfolds the future.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and leadership developer. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Exodus 5--When 911 Doesn't Answer

There are some things that we expect to always be there for us and always work every time we need it. One of those is when we dial 911 for emergency help. We expect, and rightly so, that the call will be answered by a highly trained professional who can immediately dispatch assistance. Every once in a great while, however, the 911 system for a community will go down. On those rare occasions, callers cannot get the urgent help that they have come to expect.

While they didn't have 911 in his day--or even telephones for that matter--for Moses it was as if he was dialing 911 and no one was answering. In Exodus 5:23 Moses says to God, "Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." Let me paraphrase: "God, we dialed heaven's 911 line and you didn't come when we called!"

Now before you question Moses for saying this, consider that he was getting pressure from both sides. He goes to Pharaoh, like God told him to do, and asks for the Israelites to be able to leave Egypt. Pharaoh gets mad at the request and makes work even harder for the Israelite slaves. This in turn makes the Israelites furious with Moses.

No wonder Moses was dialing 911!

Notice that from Moses' perspective God let them down because he didn't come to their immediate rescue. Even though God had told Moses that Pharaoh would initially balk at his request, when things went from bad to worse Moses thought God would step in and take care of everything. He didn't--at least not right away.

Here are five principles we can take from this chapter.

1) We need to communicate with God on an ongoing basis--not just when we need help. This means listening to Him as well as talking.

2) What looks like an emergency to us may not be that to God. It's all a matter of perspective.

3) Just because divine help is not immediate does not mean that it isn't coming. God has a reason for our waiting.

4) Just because God calls us to do something, it does not mean that it will be easy or accomplished quickly. In fact, the opposite is usually true.

5) God responds with what is best, not always with what we want.

So do we stop dialing 911 just because of the rare occasion that we might not get an immediate answer? Absolutely not! What about those emergency prayers, do we stop those? Absolutely not! But if those prayers are not met with an immediate response, then it may mean that we need to take a step back and consider these five principles.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Exodus 3--Life Interuption

It wasn't the life he had dreamed about.

Whatever goals he had established for himself, it's pretty safe to say he hadn't realize them. Although he had really grown up in two worlds, like having dual citizenship, he now found himself separated from both those worlds. He didn't have a glamorous job, but I imagine he had reached a certain level of contentment with it and with his family. Life was simple, but that wasn't so bad.

One day on the job, however, everything changed. He reached a cross-road in his life that would forever alter it--and history. He had to make a major decision. He had to choose between the simple life that had become normative for him and being thrust into a major leadership role that would consume most of his time for the rest of his life. He had to choose between being responsible for just his own family and being responsible for thousands of families.

Most of all, he had to choose between obedience to God and a life of self-focus that never would reach its full potential.

In Exodus 3 we see that it was Moses who had come to this cross-road of life, to what Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God called a crisis of belief. Moses was in the desert taking care of sheep when he sees the burning bush, hears God's voice, and has to make a decision that would change everything for him.

His life was about to be interrupted.

Has your life ever been interrupted by God? Have you ever been going through life, doing your thing, when God placed before you a major opportunity? An opportunity that would require you to leave the comfort of the known to take a faith venture into the unknown?

How did you respond? Did you play it safe, sticking to the simple, afraid to wade out into the deep waters of faith? Or did you jump in-- nervous, maybe; scared, probably--but in you went? Did you allow God to interrupt your life in order to take it to another level, even though that meant a sacrifice on your part?

Maybe you have never had the chance for your life to be interrupted. Maybe that interruption is coming. What will you do then? Or maybe there is so much noise and spiritual distraction in your life that even if God showed up in a burning bush you wouldn't even notice it.

My experience has been that at some point in every believer's's life, God asks for an interruption. Sometimes it's a temporary interruption; sometimes it's a life-long one. Either way, it is still an interruption.

Are you willing for God to interrupt your life today?

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Exodus 2--The Fugitive and the Pizza Delivery Man

A baby marked for death. A prince. A killer. A fugitive alone in the desert. A family man.

All these phrases are how Moses is describe in Exodus 2. These 25 verses span 40 years of Moses' life. There certainly are a lot of details that we don't know about Moses, but the most important that we do know is this: "God saw the sons of Israel and God took notice of them" (v25).

How did God take notice of the terrible plight of the Israelites' Egyptian bondage? He raised up Moses.

Long before the "groaning" of His people reached epic proportions, God was already at work. He was already preparing a deliverer. He already had things in motion that would eventually lead to their salvation.

As I read this chapter, I am struck by two things. First, the way God worked in Moses' life and how God can use all of our experiences--good, bad or indifferent--to prepare us for kingdom impact.

The second is how God is always at work even when we don't see Him working. I imagine that as the Israelites sweated under the Middle Eastern sun fulfilling the burdensome tasks of their Egyptian masters, they wondered where God was in all of it. They cried to the Lord--but the answer was not immediate. Many times the answers to our prayers aren't readily visible, but that does not mean that the answer is not on the way.

We often expect the answers to our prayers to be delivered like pizza--hot, fresh, and in about 30 minutes.

God's answers are always fresh, but they happen on His time frame, not ours. When we find ourselves waiting for those answers to get delivered, we should take heart that God hears and He is at work.

We also have to realize that, like Moses, you and I just might be the answer to someone else's prayer. The difficult time we are going through now might very well be preparing us to be God's delivery man or woman in response to petitions of others.

Let's not get discourage. Let's keep praying. Let's keep trusting that God knows what's best.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 69--There's Hope

Sometimes we feel that we are walking alone, trekking through unchartered territories and climbing steep mountainsides where one slip means certain destruction. Those around us--co-workers, even family and friends--don't understand or worse are antagonistic toward us. We are trying to live right, but there is an undercurrent that seeks to pull us down.

If you feel like that today, then you will connect with what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 69, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me" (vv1-2).

Have you ever felt that you were swimming and swimming and swimming but only to find yourself losing ground? The waves keep coming and you are desperate try to catch your breath?

This psalm is one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament, with parts that are clearly prophetic of Christ ("They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst" v21). There are some principles here that stretch the span of time. They were relevant in the New Testament and certainly are relevant today.

First, there will be times when we are rejected because of our faith. Sometimes, this will even be from those closest to us. It may even be from other's who profess faith but who are not living out that faith (vv 4,7,8,9,11,12).

Second, there will be times when we feel alone and we feel that no one else has been where we are at. We need, however, to take heart in that we really are not all alone; and yes, there have been many other people who have gone through similar ordeals (vv3,19,20).

Third, God does hear us, even when it seems that our prayers are falling on deaf ears (vv 3,13,16,33).

Fourth, we must guard our testimony and not let circumstances cause us to disgrace the Lord (vv5-6).

Finally, we need to find cause to praise the Lord (vv34-36). There is always hope when there is the Lord. When we turn to praise, even when we feel like we are sinking, our spirits are lifted and we get a new perspective on life.

God hears! God guides! God delivers! Don't give up--there is always hope when you have the Lord.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 67-- Why Do You Want God's Blessings?

"God bless me today."

"God bless my family."

"God bless my church."

"God bless America."

Why do you want God to bless you, your family, your church or your nation? That may seem like a silly question at first glance. "Who wouldn't want God's blessings?" you ask.

But think again.

Do you want God's blessings so that you can have a better life? Do you want God's blessings so that you can accumulate more things? Do you want God's blessings so that you can boast of more people attending your church, ministry or programs? Do you want God's blessings so that you can experience prosperity in your nation?

Or do you want God's blessings so that you can be a blessing? Do you want God's blessing so that you have a message to take to those who don't know Him? Do you want God's blessings so that you can reflect God's glory into a world that desperately needs Him? Do you want God's blessings so that you can better accomplish His agenda?

Why do you want God's blessings?

The psalmist makes it clear in Psalm 67 that he wanted God's blessings so that God's "ways may be known on earth, your salvation among the nations" (v2). The psalmist craved God shining His face upon him so that all the peoples of the world would praise the Lord (v3). The psalmist desired God's favor so that those gripped in sin's prison would be set free and have a new song to sing (v4). The psalmist prayed for blessings so that "all the ends of the earth will fear Him" (v7).

Why do you want God's blessings?

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

When God Says "Wait!"

If you are anything like me, then you probably do not like to wait. You scope out the shortest check-out line at the grocery store. You pick the lane of traffic with the fewest cars waiting for the red light. You hit the elevator up button multiple times if the door doesn't close right away. You even stop the microwave three seconds before it's supposed to end.

No, I don't like to wait for the popcorn to get done, and I really don't like to wait on God.

We know we are told to wait on Him. We are told that when we pray His answer sometimes is "wait." We know that, but we usually don't like it. We want to take that next step, get to the next level, keep things in motion.

God, however, has a perfect plan that often involves our need to wait.

After praying earnestly about something for many months, the word I kept getting from God was "wait." It wasn't the answer I wanted to hear, but I finally resolved myself to do just that. In my frustration over waiting, I started looking at characters in Scripture who had to wait.

I asked, "What were they trying to do when they were told to wait?" "How long did they have to wait?" "What did they do while they were waiting?" And most importantly, "What was God doing while they were waiting?"

For some, like Abraham, their waiting time stretched into decades. Some, like Zerubbabel, started into their life's mission only to have it interrupted with a "wait." Others, like David, had multiple "wait" times in their lives stretching into several years. Regardless of the situation, there were at least four principles true of all of them:

1. They all went on with life, making the most of each day, while they waited.
2. They didn't lose faith but rather kept themselves ready for the day when they got God's green light.
3. God is still actively at work even when we are waiting, and His timing is always best.
4. Waiting wasn't the end of their dream. It wasn't a "no" to their dream. It was simply "hang in there until everything is ready for you."

I still don't like waiting, but by keeping these principles in mind I can begin to see a bigger picture. Hopefully, you can as well the next time God tells you "wait."

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 45-- Carry It or Watch Others Carry It: The Choice is Yours

It has marked the beginning of every Olympic Games since 1928.

The Olympic Torch lights a large cauldron during the opening ceremonies and the cauldron stays lit until the end of the games.  Since 1936, the flame that ignites the cauldron originates in Greece and then is carried by relay to the Olympic stadium. Typically hundreds, even thousands, of people participate in the carrying and passing of the torch as it makes it way around the world before finally lighting the cauldron.

There are those individuals who get to be part of history--the passing of the flame to the next runner--and then there are the rest of us who just watch.

When I think of the Olympic Torch relay, I can't help but think of the Torch relay all of us are to take part in as followers of Christ.

In Psalm 45 we are prophetically introduced to Christ. We are told about His majesty, righteousness and might. We are given a sneak peak into His everlasting kingdom. Then the chapter concludes by saying "I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever."

Just like the flame of the Olympic Torch is passed from one runner to the next, the Name of Jesus will be praised, exalted, and passed on from one generation to the next. But unlike the Olympic torch, which eventually is extinguished, the Name of Jesus will be remembered for eternity.

Think about that for a moment.

Since the resurrection of Christ different people have joined the relay to pass along Christ to the next generation. They have been part of an unbroken chain prophesied here in Psalms 45. Now, there were those in every generation who embraced Christ, but who failed to pass Him along to the next generation. They watched as others did, but they did not have that legacy for themselves.

They watched while others made history.

The question comes to us today: Will we watch or will we make history? Will we sit on the sofa while others in our generation proclaim the life-changing message of Jesus? Will we rest on the bench while our peers pass the torch to another generation? Or will we rise to the occasion and take our place in history by handing the Flame to those who will carry it the next leg?

Will we go into eternity knowing that we helped carry the Name, or will we go into eternity knowing we missed the opportunity to make a difference in our generation?

The choice is ours!

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 40--Slipping and Sliding

Although it was late April, snow still covered much of the mountainous parts of Romania where I was visiting with a team of Americans. We made our way up one of the mountains in a mini-van until we couldn't drive any farther. There was a family that we were going to visit who lived on a hill.  They were the only believers in this remote area and recently had suffered some personal tragedies. We went there to pray with them and try to encourage them. We parked the van and made our way up the steep hillside to their modest home. The area immediately outside their front door was flat and we could see they planned to use it for a garden. The rest of the area was un-level. We finished our visit with the family and began to make our way back to the vehicle over the mostly snow covered ground. As I moved off the flat surface my feet slipped. Before I knew it, I was on my backside sliding down the steep walkway into a pool of mud. What provided great amusement for my colleagues wasn't so amusing to me--one side of me was covered in mud and it would be a long ride before I could get dry clothes! That incident reminds me of how life often is--slippery. We have a hard time standing and sometimes even find ourselves in the "mud." In Psalm 40 David explains how God responded to him when he was in "the mud." "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand," is how David put it in verse 2. He goes on to tell how God "put a new song" in his mouth (v3) and blesses those who trust in Him (v4). God is our help and deliverer (v17) who is able to show us the way and provide stability when the world around us is shifting. How can we access the unmovable power and perfect plans of God? Look to Him for direction (v4). Focus on all the incredible things that He has already done (v5). Give yourself as a living sacrifice to Him (v6). Seek His will (v8) and proclaim His righteousness wherever you go (vv8-10). If we will do this, then we can avoid some embarrassing slides into the mud of life.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 37--Lower Your Blood Pressure

It was my first time out of the house alone with our new baby. I had a doctor's appointment and had to take her with me. As soon as I sat down in the waiting room I realized I had forgotten something very important--food. I was a brand new dad and the thought that the child would need to eat again before I got home totally slipped my mind. Well, no sooner did I get seated when my daughter started to cry, and cry and cry. I tried everything I could think of to calm her down but nothing worked. I just knew everyone was staring at me and thinking what a lousy dad I was. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I am ushered into the exam room. The nurse took my blood pressure and was shocked at the reading. My normally low blood pressure was through the roof! I had let all the commotion get to me. I was stressed big time! Today my baby is a teenager and I look back at that incident and laugh. I just needed to calm down! Well, that is the word from the Lord to all of us in Psalm 37--just calm down! Don't worry and fret (v1,8). God has everything under control (v24). Whether it is people treating you badly (v1, 14), disastrous times (v19), personal failure (v24), or struggles to make ends meet (v25), God is there for you. But what must we do to stay calm in difficult times? There are eight things. Trust in the Lord (v3). Feed on His presence (v3). Delight in what delights Him (v4). Commit your plans to the Lord (v5). Be still and wait on Him (vv7, 34). Don't get angry (v8). Stay humble (v11). Do good (v27, 30, 31). This a great prescription for dealing with the ups and downs of life!

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 33-- An Unusual Sight on the Capitol Steps

It was an amazing sight. Standing on the steps of the U.S. Capitol our nation's representatives were singing God Bless America.There were Democrats, Republicans, Independents standing together and singing in unison. It happened right after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. For a period of time--although brief--we weren't identified by party or philosophical affiliation. No, we were identified as Americans. It was a good feeling, but tempered by the sadness of 3,000 of our fellow citizens losing their lives. Unfortunately it didn't take long for the unity of being American to depart and the divisiveness of labels to reemerge. When those representatives joined together in song they did so because they had something in common--they were first and foremost Americans. That fact caused them to break into song. As believers, we have many things in common regardless of the different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, politics or other factors that might otherwise divide us. Psalm 33 tells us that we have cause for singing--not because of a tragedy but because of the power and majesty of the God that we worship and serve. Because the word of the Lord is true (v4), because He is faithful (v4), because He is loving (v5, 22), because He is all-knowing (vv 10, 13, 14, 15), because He is the Creator (vv6,7,9), because He lives and stands forever (v11), and because He defends and delivers us (vv18-21), we can join together in song. We must remember that we are first and foremost Christians and in unison praise the Lord with our lips and with our lives. We must remember the call for us to live righteously and lead our nations to do the same because "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (v12).

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 27--What the Lion Missed Pursuing Courage

In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, one of the characters that Dorothy met was a lion who desperately wanted courage. He ventured with Dorothy to Oz to seek courage from the Wizard. In his mind, the only way he could get courage was to have it bestowed upon him. Have you ever thought about where courage comes from? We know we can't get it from a magical wizard in a fantasy story, but how can we get it? What makes courageous people courageous? What gives the police officer, for example, the courage to venture down a dark ally alone when he suspects trouble? Or the soldier the courage to enter a terrorist strong hold? I think there are four things: training, experience, protection and determination. Both the police officer and soldier have been taught what to do in these situations. They both had past experiences, even if simulated, that gave them a feel for what to expect. They both had protection--guns, rifles, bullet-proof vests, etc. They also had the will and determination to put those three things together and in order to place themselves in harms way. In Psalm 27, David challenges all of us to have courage as we journey through life. I believe we get that courage in the same way that the police officer or solider got theirs. Our training comes when we spend time in God's house, in His presence, and as we wait on Him to teach us His ways (vv 4, 6, 11, 14). We gain experience as we daily walk with Him and learn to trust Him with bigger and bigger issues (vv 2,13). We, too, have protection--and it is much greater than vests or guns. David put it this way: "The Lord is my strength" (v1), "Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear" (v3), "He shall set me high upon a rock" (v5), and "Then the Lord will take care of me" (v10). Even with all of this, we must have the will and determination to utilize our training, experiences and protection. When we do that, then we will have courage! "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" (v14).

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Psalm 25-- Lessons from the Karate Kid

Several years ago there was a popular movie and sequel called the Karate Kid. It was about a boy with a difficult home life who took up karate. The boy had a lot of potential but knew if he was going to be successful he needed training by a real karate master. There was such a person who agreed to train him. At first, however, the training was nothing like the boy thought it would be. The master had the boy wax his car! Not only that, but he was insistent that it be waxed a certain way with very deliberate strokes. "Wax on, wax off," the master kept repeating in a famous scene from the movie. Day after day the master had the boy do other seemingly meaningless tasks. After a while the boy got very frustrated. "When is he going to start teaching me!" he wondered in exasperation. He almost quit on the master but was persuaded to stick it out--and boy was he glad he did! When he went into the big karate match he discovered that he had not spent days doing worthless tasks. He actually was learning discipline and how to move his arms, hands and body in certain ways that were beneficial to karate. The master did not tell him why he had the boy doing certain moves, just that he needed to do them. In the end, the master knew what was best and the boy became a champion because he learned to intimately follow the master. I believe that you and I can become champions in life when we, too, learn to follow the Master--the Lord. Psalm 25 is a great picture of a learner--a student--desperate to follow the master and ready to reap the rewards of this discipline. "Show me Your ways...teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. On You I wait all the day" is how the psalmist-learner expresses it in verses 4-5. He was ready to wait "all the day" on the Master because he knew that the Master had the truth. He knew that the master knew the best path to take. He knew the master would lead him to victory. "Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity...the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him" (vv12-14). Today, you and I can unlock the Master's "secret" and find true success if we will become desperate students. Desperate students who linger on every word of the Master. Desperate students who seek the Master's guidance in everything, even when it doesn't make sense. Desperate student's who turn only to their Master for truth and nothing or no one else. Desperate students who trust their Master (v20) and live in integrity as they wait on their Master's direction (v21). Are you a desperate student of the Lord today? Are you even teachable?


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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Zechariah 10-- Who are You Following?

Adolph Hitler. Jim Jones. Charles Manson. David Koresh. Today, we know these as men who's leadership led to the death of others. A few deaths--in the case of Manson, to millions of deaths, in the case of Hitler. But what about these men before they became infamous for the deaths of others? These men were all leaders--they had people who passionately followed them. They were accepted by people in main-stream society. Jim Jones, whose actions in the 70s led to the suicide deaths of more than 900 people, was well connected to top political leaders. Reportedly, this included the U.S. Vice-President at the time, as well as officials in Guyana, the country where the suicides took place. Manson had been accepted by well-known music and movie industry people. Koresh's followers included lawyers, accountants, and other well educated people. Hitler, of course, gained the following of an entire nation. The point is that a lot of seemingly smart people made a bad decision to follow the wrong person. In some cases, that decision resulted in their own death. Zechariah 10 is a contrast in leadership. God describes those who led Israel astray by pursuing idols, divination, and giving false visions (vv2-3). God's people got sucked into the leadership of "shepherds" who really weren't shepherds. They weren't really caring for the best interests of their flocks. God, on the other hand, "will visit His flock" (v3) and lead them to "be like mighty men" (v5) as He strengthens them (vv6, 12) and brings rejoicing once again to their hearts (v7). This chapter is an important reminder that we need to be careful who we follow. Just because someone articulates a vision and sounds good doing it doesn't mean they should have our allegiance. We must ask ourselves if we see godliness in their life. Does what they say match the truth of what God says? Is there genuine sincerity and care for those they are leading or is the focus all on themselves? While those you follow may never turn out to be a Jim Jones or David Koresh, they may subtly cause you to stray from truth and God's purpose for your life if you are not careful. Let's examine our leaders in light of the Ultimate Leader, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential.Please share this blog with your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Zechariah 7--Results Not Just Rituals

On the surface it seemed like a legitimate question. A delegation of Jews went to the prophet Zechariah and the priests to ask if they needed to continue fasting in the fifth month like they did during their captivity years. Now that they were back in their homeland and nearing completion of the temple, was this necessary? God had a word for them in Zechariah 7, but it wasn't a direct answer to their question. Instead, God questioned their motives for doing the fasts in the first place. "When you fasted and mourned...did you really fast for Me--for Me?" (v5). God then shifted the focus away from the few days a year that they fasted to how they lived the other days of the year (vv6-10). God has never--and will never--be impressed by rituals alone. It has and always will be the motivation behind the rituals and how those rituals change one's life that concerns Him. The problem in this chapter wasn't the ritual of fasting, it was the people doing it. We go through the rituals today of praying, attending church, tithing, and even fasting. Those are good things to do but in God's eyes they are meaningless unless the motivation behind them is proper and the outcome of them is a godly life. Okay, you go to church on Sunday but how do you live the other six days? What difference does Sunday make in the rest of your week? When was the last time you took something specific from Sunday and incorporated it into your Monday? Are you going through the motions of a ritual or are you allowing the ritual to change you for the better?

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Zechariah 6-- Translating the Vision into Action

Vision is one of the greatest attributes that any leader can posses. If you study great leaders, you will see that they were all people of vision. Leaders need both a long-term vision and also a more immediate vision. But what really makes a great leader great is that they are able to translate that vision into action. In Zechariah 6 we find both a short-term and a long-term vision. They are reminders to us that we need to have both of these kinds of visions in our lives. The immediate need before the Jews who had returned to Israel from captivity was the rebuilding of the temple. In this chapter, God shows them that He is well aware of their situation. He also gives them a picture to symbolize that His glory will once again fill the temple. He tells them to construct an elaborate crown and put it on the head of the high priest whose name was Joshua. The crown was an encouragement to Joshua that he would be successful in his efforts. It also was a vision to the future of the Ultimate One, the Highest of high priests, the King of all kings, the Lord Jesus Christ whose glory will fill the whole earth. The chapter closes with a short but critical statement from God: "This shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God" (v15). While the long-term vision had nothing to do with Joshua's and the Jews obedience, the short-term vision had everything to do with it. If they wanted to be the ones to see God move to restore the temple and bring His glory to Israel once again, then they would have to do what God told them to do. They would have to translate that vision into action. Has God given you a vision for what He wants to accomplish in your life? Then translate that vision into action by diligently obeying the Lord one step at a time.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Zechariah 3-- Behind the Scenes

We finished our waffle cones at the little sea-side village ice cream shop and made our way for the door. "You can't leave," we were told, "they are in the middle of a shoot." The "shoot" the man was referring to was a movie that was filming in the street outside. We were "stuck" in that shop smelling those freshly made cones for another half hour while a major film star filmed a scene.  That scene, which took hours to set up and film, lasted less than a minute in the actual movie. Movie goers didn't see us sitting in the ice cream shop. They also didn't see all of the shops on the street get painted before filming. There were a lot of behind the scenes things that happened which they were unaware. In life, there are a lot of things happening, often in the spiritual realm, of which we are unaware. Zechariah 3 records a vision the prophet saw concerning Joshua who was the Jewish high priest following the Jews return to Israel from exile. Joshua was focused on seeing the temple rebuilt and proper worship restored. He was unaware of what was happening behind the scenes, as well as what was to come. We are told in the first two verses that Joshua was opposed in heaven by Satan, but God rebuked the Devil. As God's leader for the moment, Joshua was in essence standing between heaven and earth enabling the fulfillment of God's plan. With that kind of high spiritual profile position, it was no wonder he would be opposed directly by Satan. We are also told in this passage that
Joshua's iniquity was cleansed (vv3-5) and he was promised eternal prominence if he remained faithful (vv6-7). Even greater than that, we are told that Joshua was a sign of the coming Christ (vv8-10). Joshua was just going about his business trying to faithfully serve the Lord and lead others into His presence. Until Zechariah's vision, he had no idea all of this was taking place behind the scenes. You and I may not know what is taking place in the spiritual realms behind the scenes of our lives, but it is important to remain faithful regardless. One day we will understand it all. Until then, let's stay the course and run with perseverance the race that God has set before us.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Zechariah 1-- Learning from History

We probably are all familiar with the quote, "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." It amazes me how much our society ignores history. I cringe when I watch politicians make the same decisions today that met with disaster 50 years ago, like somehow past mistakes will magically work in this era. I also cringe when I watch individuals and families repeat the past mistakes of their ancestors, or even their own past errors. Like the woman who got cancer after years of smoking. She underwent extensive chemotherapy and saw her cancer go into remission. What did she do next? Went back to smoking--and then couldn't believe it when cancer hit again. Or the family that is in a perpetual financial crisis because any time they do get some money they squander it on unnecessary things. Or the guy who can't hold down a job because he refuses to listen and learn from his bosses. I could go on and on but you get the picture. In Zechariah 1 God challenges the Jews who had returned to Israel from exile, and He exhorts them to remember their history (vv2-6). After 70 years of captivity, brought on by their forsaking God, they returned to their homeland only to repeat the sins of the past. With that exhortation, however, also came a wonderful promise (vv7-17). There was hope if they would learn from their past and return to the Lord. "My cities will again spread out through prosperity; the Lord will again comfort Zion" (v17). Friend, what blessings might you be missing out on today because you have failed to learn from your past? What mistakes do you repeat because you are too stubborn to repent of your sin? Let's learn some lessons from history.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Ezra 10--High Value May Require High Sacrifice

Every day we make decisions about value and sacrifice. We decide if the price of gas is worth the value of our mobility. We decide if certain clothes rise to the value of sacrificing some of our money to purchase them. We decide to give up some of our time to do what we value, whether that is time with the family or time with our favorite hobby. If we perceive that the value is high enough, then we are willing to make greater sacrifices. Now ask yourself this: What value do you place on holiness? What sacrifices would you be willing to make to live right before God? Do you value God's pleasure enough to drastically alter your life if you discovered it was out of alignment with God's nature and will? These were the questions that needed to be answered by the Jews who had returned to Israel from exile. Some of them, including their political and even religious leaders, had intermarried with people from the surrounding pagan nations. This was the very sin that led to their destruction in the first place. In Ezra 10 the Jews face this issue head-on. Would they compromise and allow the sin to continue? Would they eradicate it, even it if meant making incredible sacrifices? Those sacrifices in some cases would include divorcing wives and leaving children. Could they make the ultimate sacrifice to get their lives right before God? Notice how the people handled the situation. First, at the insistence of their leaders and with just three days notice, they all gathered in Jerusalem (v9). Standing outside under heavy rain, they were confronted with their sin (v10) as Ezra pulled no punches in declaring their guilt and calling for repentance. The people then agreed to a process to deal with the situation because "Nor is this the work of one or two days, for there are many of us who have transgressed in this matter" (v13). As you can imagine, because of this kind of sin, it would take some time to put things in order. They did, however, follow through with that process. Repentance started with a decision, continued with confession, and completed with action. It is important to note that under the New Covenant of grace, God does not call us to divorce if we are married to non-believers, even though He says we should not marry non-believers in the first place. God, however, certainly does call us to eradicate sin in our life, even if that means making great sacrifices to do so. So, let's revisit the question we started with: What value do we place on holiness? What sacrifices are we willing to make to live right before God? Ponder these as you go through your day.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Ezra 8-- Insights for Leading

One of the best ways to learn leadership principles is to read the biographies or autobiographies of great leaders. Looking at their thought processes, attitudes, and how they approach their tasks, we can get some great leadership insights. Ezra was a great leader, and we get some insights into his leadership approach in Ezra 8. He was assembling a group of Jews to leave Babylon and go to their homeland in Israel. In addition, they were going to beautify the temple and improve the Jews' worship. Notice how Ezra approached his task. First, he found other leaders who could influence people to go with him to Jerusalem (vv1-14). Second, he made sure he had the right people on his team (vv15-20). These leaders did a great job in assembling a group to go with Ezra, but they missed some key people. If they were going to improve the worship in Israel, then they would have to have temple servants, namely Levites and those who assisted the Levites, Nethinim. Even in the process of finding these men, Ezra approached "gatekeeper"  leaders who could recruit the needed people (vv15-20). Now with his team in place, Ezra proclaims a fast and humbly seeks God's face before proceeding (v21). It didn't matter that he had a great team. Ezra knew they could not be successful without God's power and protection. Next, Ezra organized the people so that they could safely carry the gold, silver, and other temple articles they were bringing to Jerusalem (vv24-30). Finally, he administrated the process of getting the items into the temple, conducting sacrifices to the Lord, and distributing the king of Persia's orders for support to the various government officials in the region (vv31-36). Ezra made sure things were "written down" (v34) so that there would be no confusion or discrepancy later. So, let's recap: Ezra worked through existing leaders, made sure he had the right team, sought God, organized his people, and effectively administered to ensure that things were done right. Sounds like a great process that every leader should follow!
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Ezra 7-- How to Become an Overnight Sensation

I have a consultant friend who likes to say it takes 10-15 years to become an "overnight sensation." Whether it is business, ministry, music, art, etc. there is almost always a substantial amount of time that goes into becoming something that the public notices. Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers: The Story of Success actually documents that it takes the right opportunity plus 10,000 hours of "practice" to become a true success or true expert. He shows this with The Beatles, Bill Gates and others. We also see this in Ezra 7 as we are introduced to a Jewish priest and scribe by the name of Ezra. Ezra bursts onto the global scene as he leads another wave of Jewish exiles back to Israel and then goes on to institute spiritual reforms. He is seen as a strong leader with close ties to the king of Persia. Look deeper at this "overnight sensation" and you might be surprised by what you see. In verse 6 he is called a "skilled scribe in the Law of Moses." In the same verse we are told that the king gave Ezra "all his request."  The king acknowledged Ezra's "God-given wisdom" (v25) and authorized him to appoint magistrates and judges among the people. Finally, verse 28 says that Ezra gathered the leading men of Israel to go with him. When you put all of this together you see a man who had earned the respect and admiration of leaders over time. He became an expert in God's law through discipline, consistency, and effort. He sought God's wisdom and used that in his every day interactions. Most of all,  "Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel," (v10). Ezra prepared himself to fulfill God's mission for his life. That preparation paid off in a big way! This begs two questions for us to ponder today. First, are we committed to fulfilling God's mission for our life? Second, what are we doing to prepare ourselves to be successful in that mission? If we want to be a "success" in our walk with the Lord, we must be focused and put in a substantial amount of time and effort for that to happen. Remember, overnight sensations rarely happen overnight.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Ezra 6-- How to Get God to "Show Up"

I've had the wonderful privilege of taking people on numerous missions trips around the world. It is always exciting to watch what God does in people's lives as a result of their stepping out of their comfort zone and into the Great Commission. I especially love watching the "first timers." Inevitably they come back with similar stories--"I didn't think God could really use me, but I went and saw God do amazing things." Before they could see the work of God they had to first respond to the word of God. When they stepped out in obedience to God's word, then they saw God's might. The Jews who returned from exile to Israel experienced this process first hand in Ezra 6. After their work to rebuild the temple had been stopped by their opponents and the construction site laid dormant for years, they listened to God's word. They started working again as they sought official permission from the Persian King Darius. Not only did Darius allow them to continue, but he offered to pay the costs from his treasury (v8). He went even beyond that and said that if anyone tried to change his decree allowing the rebuilding, "Let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it, and let his house be made a refuse heap," (v11). Wow! No one wanted to block the reconstruction efforts after that! God showed up in a powerful way, moving the hearts of the powerful and empowering the hearts of His people. The Jews finished the temple, dedicated it, and re-instituted the sacrificial system (vv19-22). They heard God's word. They stepped out of their comfort zone, overcame opposition, and acted on God's word. Then they saw God "show up" and provide everything they needed. The problem with many of us, however, is that we want God to show His might first before we respond to His word. It doesn't work that way! Respond to His word, then you will see His work.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Ezra 5--Everyone Needs a Cheerleader

Let's face it--life can be tough at times. Things don't go the way you expected them to, plans are frustrated, and you are uncertain how to proceed. It's in these difficult days that we especially need a cheerleader in our life. We need someone who believes in us, who can encourage us, and who can help us see the big picture. Cheerleaders are exactly what God provided to Zerubbabel in Ezra 5. Their names were Haggai and Zechariah. We can read their messages in detail in the books that bare their name, but basically they told Zerubbabel to move forward with the mission that God had called him to do--rebuilding the temple. At the end of Ezra 4 we see that Zerubbabel and his team were compelled by force to stop building. Fourteen years later, construction resumed. Imagine how discouraged Zerubbabel must have been during those years! At the right moment in time, however, God sends in Haggai to tell Zerubbabel how special he is to God (Haggai 2:23). Along with him is Zechariah, reminding Zerubbabel that his mission will be accomplished "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). These were just the words Zerubbabel needed to hear to renew his vision and move forward. Friend, who are the Zerubbabels around you that might need encouragement today? Who are those who God would have you speak a word into their lives? You may be just the one that God uses to help that person renew their vision and go on to accomplish great things for the Lord. After all, we all need a cheerleader.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Ezra 4--Removing "Quit" from the Dictionary

"There are two words that should be removed from the Christian's dictionary: quit and cannot." I can't tell you how many times I heard the late Dr. Jerry Falwell say those words while I was a student at Liberty University where he was chancellor. They would always come at the most difficult times in the school year, when professor after professor was piling on the work and it seemed that graduation would never come. Now more than 20 years later, the pressures of college life seem so trivial. But they weren't at the time. Just like the pressure and opposition you might be facing today as you seek to fulfill God's purpose for your life are far from trivial. Ezra 4 is a great story of how the Jewish leader Zerubbabel and the other Jews who had returned to Israel from captivity handled the temptation to quit. Team Zerubbabel faced fierce opposition as it sought to rebuild the temple. First it was subtle. "Let us help you," said their opponents, "after all, we believe just like you do." They sought to infiltrate the Jewish ranks and stop their work from within. Zerubbabel, however, was wise to this and would not give the opposition a foothold (v3). When infiltration didn't work, they moved to intense discouragement, even hiring people to try and dissuade the Jews from fulfilling their mission. Still no success, so they wrote lies to the Persian king. Again, without success. The opposition, however, was relentless and continued their attacks until a new king was on the throne who was sympathetic to them. Notice, though, that once they got the ruling they wanted from the king they "went up to Jerusalem against the Jews and by force of arms made them cease" (v23). The only way Zerubbabel and his team were going to quit was if the opposition overpowered them with force. Zerubbabel is a great example of someone who knew his God-given mission and would not let opposition get in the way of accomplishing it. They only reason Zerubbabel stopped was because it was physically impossible to proceed (at least for a while). Here's the point: we should not allow fear (Ezra 3) or opposition from others (Ezra 4) keep us from pursuing the calling that God has placed upon our lives. Now some times the fulfillment of that calling gets interrupted, with no fault of our own (as it did with Zerubbabel). But as we see in later chapters, God in His time provides what we need to finish the task. Don't let the Deceiver infiltrate your thinking. Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might! Eliminate quit and cannot from your dictionary!

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Ezra 1--Going Behind the Scenes

When I was just starting into full time ministry, a veteran ministry leader said to me, "Frank, there are people today making decisions that will affect your life five years from now." His point was that God is always at work, often unknown to us, putting things in motion that will accomplish His will at some future point in time. Ezra chapter 1 is a great example of the culmination of God's "behind the scenes" work. In this chapter we see Cyrus, the king of Persia, mandating that the Jews, who had been taken captive under the now defeated Babylon, could return to Jerusalem. He makes a beautiful proclamation about who God is, how God had brought him to global power, and how God desired for him to allow the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. He then made provisions for the building and to return some of the original articles taken from the temple before it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. What you don't see in this chapter is how God had been working "behind the scenes" to make this day occur. Isaiah 45:1-13 prophecies this day, even naming Cyrus, and telling how God would move so that Cyrus would recognize God's might and deliver His people. God was working, even when it must have seemed to His children that they had been forgotten. Plus, God was moving in the lives of individual Jews to take part in this rebuilding. "All whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord" (v5). These people's lives would forever be changed as they made the move to Jerusalem to pursue what God had placed on their hearts. So here's the bottom line: just because you can't see God working doesn't mean that He isn't working. He may very well be putting things into motion that will one day intersect with His Spirit moving your heart to accomplish something great for Him.

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.