Frank's Bible Blog

Matthew 7—The Man Who Calls Himself Father-God

It sounded like something you would hear during the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys—false teachers were trying to infiltrate a young church. But this isn’t something that happened hundreds of years ago. No, this is something that happened recently, right where I was just a few weeks ago. Here is what I wrote at the time:

This week I am writing you from Tanzania, East Africa. I’m here with a small team checking on the progress of the church we helped start a year ago. We are also training church leaders. The reports of the church’s progress have been good, but once we arrived back in Tanzania we heard some troubling news. A cult led by a man who claims to be “father-god” had come to our adopted village and was trying to win the hearts of the people by giving out free clothes.

“What will this do to these young believers,” I pondered as our 4-wheel drive vehicle made its way over the rough terrain that led to the church’s property. As we made our way inside the grass and branch structure that is serving as the temporary building, I was anxious to hear about this from the pastor and church leaders.

Soon a man stood up and began to talk about the situation. We knew him from our very first visit to the village. He was the chairman (mayor) and an early convert to Christ. He had also become a leader in the church, along with his wife, who our earlier teams had spent time discipling. The chairman told us that after a few days this false prophet asked for land to build a church.

“I told him ‘bye-bye’ there is no place for you here,” said the chairman.

With that the other leaders who were gathered with us laughed and clapped—and I breathed a sigh of relief! It was so good to know that even though these were new believers, they had recognized false teaching and were not allowing it to have any place in their community.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Although this verse deals with false prophets—like the one that showed up here in Tanzania—there is a larger sense that we also need to grasp. False teachings and false philosophies are things that all of us could get caught up with if we are not careful. We may recognize as dangerous someone who shows up at our front door calling himself father-god, but we may not be so quick to see deceptive ideas and subtle half-truths.

So this week I am reminded of the importance of running all of my thoughts and ideas through God’s filter to ensure that what I am pondering really is truth. Not my version of reality. Not the influences of a secular culture. Not even the words of believers who are well meaning. Jesus said that if we know the truth the truth will set us free. I don’t want to be in bondage to lies—I want to be set free by truth! My prayer is that you too will seek truth today and every day.
_____________________
Frank Banfill is an international speaker and leadership developer who 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 55--No Superman Suit Needed

If you could have one super power--like a comic book character--what would it be?

I don't have to think long to come up with my answer. Since I was a child, it has always been the ability to fly like Superman. To be able to go "up, up and away" in the midst of any situation and move unhindered to wherever I want to go would be incredible.

Did you know that this is the power that David in the Bible wished he had?

No, not to fly like Superman but to be able to fly like a bird. In Psalm 55 he says, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest--I would flee far away and stay in the desert..."(vv6-7). David wanted to fly away from all of his problems and hide out alone in the desert.

Sound familiar?

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever felt like you just wanted to get away from it all? Have you ever felt like the strain and pressure of life was getting to you? Have you ever felt like you'd like to fly to a deserted island and hang out there for a while?

Then you know exactly how David felt.

This was a difficult time in David's life. We can't be sure of the exact incident that prompted this psalm, but it would seem that it was after he became king. We do know that it was a time when one of his closest friends betrayed him (vv13-14). They worshiped together. They shared life together. But this beloved friend turned on David. He had joined the throngs of David's enemies. David wanted to fly away from it all, but of course, he couldn't.

Like us, he couldn't run from life--he had to deal with it. So what did he do?

"But I call to God...evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress" (vv16-17). After a period of pouring his heart out to God, David began to see things differently. He began to see God "enthroned forever" (v19). He learned that all of us can cast our cares "on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

Yes, David was surrounded by wickedness. Yes, David had been betrayed. Yes, there were smooth talkers (v21) deceiving many people. "But as for me," David said to God, "I trust in you."

David had the Lord. No Superman suit needed.

_________________________

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 52-- Don't Want that on my Grave Marker!

Not far from where I live are two very small and very old cemeteries. Most people driving past them never realize they are there as suburbia has grown up around them. These cemeteries have a little metal fence around them and a handful of plots inside. The grave markers are still there, some dating back to the 1800s.

Imagine if you were looking at one of those tombstones and it read:

"Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"

That certainly would be a sad commentary on one's life. Those words weren't written on any of the markers that I saw, but they could be written for many people. They certainly could have been on the tombstone of a guy named Doeg.

In fact, these are the words that David used to describe Doeg in Psalm 52. Doeg worked for King Saul while David was on the run from the king. Doeg lied to Saul and then went on to slaughter 85 priests as well as an entire town of men, women, children and babies (1 Samuel 22:1-23). He was ruthless, and David takes him to task in this psalm of instruction.

This psalm is a vivid reminder that there are and always will be ruthless people who will do anything to get themselves ahead. They will lie, cheat, destroy reputations--whatever it takes to get what they want.

While there may be those who are drawn to people like this, David reminds us that the righteous see through this (v6). They also laugh because they know the fallacy of such living. The contrast to this type of living is the one who trusts in "God's unfailing love for ever and ever" (v8).

Yes, it is easy to get discouraged when you see so many evil and selfish people in the world. But let these be reminders of our need to stay focused on God's unfailing love and living a life that brings Him praise.

_________________________

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 51--Do You Frequent the Car Wash?

When our family vehicle was new I would take it to the car wash each week. I was determined to keep it looking great inside and out. That lasted for a while before the weekly visits turned into every other week.

Then it was once a month.

Now it's when we are going on a trip, going to be driving guests, or when it gets so bad I just can't stand it anymore. I want a clean car, I really do! I just don't give it the attention that I used to give. I guess having a clean car all the time just isn't the priority it once was.

Well, many Christians take that same approach when it comes to sin. Right after our salvation or after a time of spiritual renewal, we are adamant about staying "clean." We are quick to confess our sins to the Lord and regularly ask Him to reveal wickedness in our lives. But then time goes on. Those regular "washings" become less frequent. If we are not careful, we can let the dirt build up until it is an embarrassment.

Psalm 51 is the record of David's confession of his sin following his affair with Bathsheba. David's life had gotten so dirty but he was oblivious to it. It took Nathan the prophet to point it out. It took Nathan to tell him he need a good cleansing.

Think about Psalm 51 as a car wash.

Think about it as a place we need to go on a regular basis to keep the dirt off. Think about this as a Psalm that you should frequent regularly and read as a reminder to deal with sin. Think of it as a reminder that we need to get honest about our sin and see it as God sees it. Think of it as a call to repentance--to a thorough washing on the inside.

David had allowed his sin to build up to the point where it was disgusting to himself and everyone around him. Not only that, but as the dirt began to pile on it obstructed his vision, causing even more wrong choices.

The good news, however, for David and for us is that God is a loving God ready to forgive. He is ready to cleanse us. He is ready to make us "good as new." But that doesn't happen until we get honest with ourselves and recognize that "Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight" (v4). Like David, we must ask God to "wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (v2).

Let's don't wait for the dirt to build up and cloud our vision or become an embarrassment to ourselves and our Lord. Let's make it a point to frequent the wash!

_________________________

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 36-- Space Aliens Over God?

It was hard for me to sit there and listen. Even though I was watching the TV screen in my own house, I cringed as I listened to atheist "scientists" bash the concept of God. I was watching the documentary by Ben Stein Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. The movie shows how academia and the scientific community have systematically expelled any concept of intelligent design in considering the origins of life. As the movie progressed, Stein showed how the world view of these "elites" actually forbade them from even considering any theory contrary to Darwinism. We all thought scientists were open minded individuals willing to pursue truth no matter what. What we discovered from their own lips was that they were willing to pursue potential truth as long as it fit within their pre-conceived ideas. These supposedly brilliant scholars said they could accept space aliens before they could accept the concept that God exists and had anything to do with the origin of life. Evolution must be believed because if you don't, then it opens the door for the possibility of God who might want to have a say in how we live our lives. Psalm 36 tells us that when there is no fear of God then all sorts of evil is possible (v1), even genocide. When there is no fear of God man turns to flattering himself (v2) and can no longer distinguish good or act with wisdom (v3). Evolution is important to these people because it allows them to hide behind an unproven theory to justify their self-worship. On the video, these "scientists" actually say it is there goal to eradicate religion from the world. Psalm 36 contrasts these people with the one true God who is righteous like the mighty mountains (v6) and stands ready to offer His priceless love (v7) to those who believe (v10). Don't fall into the evolution trap just because that is all you hear. Challenge the so-called science. Ask tough questions that move beyond the presumptions of those with an anti-god world view. Most of all, fear God. Feast on His abundance (v8) and you will see the fountain of life (v9).

_________________________

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 32--A Saint in Sin

For many years "Jill" ran from the Lord. She had grown up in a preacher's home and made a commitment to Christ but in her later teen years she began to stray. Caught up with the wrong crowd, Jill began to make terrible choices. Her life, it seemed, was spiraling out of control. Her parents continued to pray for her...and love her. They made it clear that the way she was living was wrong. But they also made it clear that when the day came that she realized she was on a sinking ship they would be there in the life boat rowing beside her. Although she acted tough on the outside, inside Jill was in turmoil. In her heart of hearts she knew she was throwing her life away. The weight of her poor choices began to bear down on her. She actually felt a physical heaviness...like she couldn't breath. Then like the prodigal son in Jesus' story, she finally came to her senses and returned home. She got rid of everything in her life that remotely resembled the life that she had been living--even her cell phone and apartment furniture. Today, she is a shining example of a godly young woman who seeks to glorify God in all that she does. I'm sure that Jill could relate to David when he wrote in Psalm 32 "When I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer" (vv3-4). What turned things around for both Jill and David? "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' and you forgave the guilt of my sin" (v5). Sin separates us from God. For the believer, sin separates us from fellowship with God and from His hand of protection on our life. However, when we do what Jill and David did and repent, then we are able to say to the Lord "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (v7). They experienced the blessings that come when our "transgressions are forgiven" and our sins are covered (v1). What about you today? Is there sin hindering your fellowship? Maybe you like David and Jill need to stop covering it up and seek His forgiveness.

 

_________________________  

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 17-- Nothing to Hide

One moment the magician was on stage alone with an empty cage. The next moment he is standing with a tiger. A moment later he is standing behind where our family was seated in the theater and the tiger was gone. It was pretty amazing! Now I must admit, I have always enjoyed watching "magicians" ever since I was a kid. You know you are watching an illusion, but a good magician hides his props and tools so well that it makes you think it is magical. Whether we realize it or not, a lot of us have become pretty good illusionists. No, we are not making tigers appear or somehow tele-porting ourselves to another place, but we give the illusion that everything is right in our lives. Sometimes we even try to pull that trick on God--but it never works with Him. David, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to hide in Psalm 17. He knew he was walking right before the Lord. "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress...I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer" (vv3-4). No sleight of hand with David. He was careful about how he lived and welcomed God's examination of his life. Because he was an open book, David enjoyed an incredibly intimate relationship with the Lord. "Keep my as the apple of Your eye," he says in verse 8. Like David, let us ask God to keep our steps in His path (v5), guard our mouths (v3), and keep ourselves from evil (v4) that we, too, may have nothing to hide.
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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 8--One More Night with the Frogs

I was probably 9 or 10 when a Southern Gospel singer came to our church and sang a song I have never forgotten. It was titled "One More Night with the Frogs." (I found someone singing it on the Internet--click below to hear it). It's taken from Exodus 8 and an interesting exchange between Moses and Pharaoh.

Moses, once again, had asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh refused so Moses and Aaron brought a plague of frogs upon the land. Not just a few frogs--but frogs everywhere and in everything! Imagine that!

Eventually Pharaoh had enough and told Moses if he would call off the frogs they could go worship the Lord. "When do you want me to get rid of them," Moses asked.

My reply would have been "right now!" But for some reason Pharaoh said, "Tomorrow." He was willing to put up with them one more night.

Here are two other interesting things in this chapter. When Moses and Aaron first caused the frogs to appear, so did Pharaoh's magicians (v7). Think about that for a moment. Frogs were the problem, not the solution. Workers of evil could "miraculously" create more of the problem, but they could not create a solution.

Second, once the frogs were dead, piled into heaps, and the stench filled the land, Pharaoh had a change of heart. "When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart" (v15). "It still smells really bad," he must have said to himself, "but the worse is over. So what do I need with all this God stuff? I've got it under control."

Didn't Pharaoh act just like a lot of us do today? We want to continue living in sin for just one more night. We turn to the world and ungodly friends for solutions to our problems but only get more of the same. We're willing to put up with some stench in our lives as long as we think we can still manage it. We'll turn to God to get us through our immediate crisis but quickly forget Him once it is past.

We can choose repentance or we can choose another night with the frogs. Which will it be?

_________________________ 

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 7--Beware of Counterfeits

The U.S. Treasury recently announced it was releasing a new $100 bill with several new anti-counterfeit features. As counterfeiterers get more and more sophisticated, the government has to regularly modify its currency in order to protect it. Some counterfeit bills are so close to the real thing that they fool many people. They are worthless, but because they look like the real thing people fall for them.

In Exodus 7 we see a couple encounters with counterfeiters. Not the ones making the money but ones trying to copy God's work. In the chapter, Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh to request the Israelites' release. They performed two miracles to get Pharaoh's attention--turning Aaron's staff into a snake and turning water into blood. What is interesting is that Pharaoh's sorcerers and magicians were able to do the same thing (vv11,12,22).

Satan has always had his way of trying to counterfeit the works of God. He is a great deceiver and will do anything to keep people locked in darkness. The challenge for us today--even for Christians--is to be able to distinguish the counterfeit from the real thing. There are many things done "in the name of religion" and even in the name of Christianity that are nothing more than thin imitations of what God does and wants us to do.

Just because something looks extraordinary doesn't mean God is behind it. We need to test the spirits, ask the Lord for discernment, and avoid getting sucked into things that, as the New Testament says, "gives the appearance of godliness but denies the power thereof."

Remember, not everything is what it seems to be.

_________________________

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 55--No Superman Suit Needed

If you could have one super power--like a comic book character--what would it be?

I don't have to think long to come up with my answer. Since I was a child, it has always been the ability to fly like Superman. To be able to go "up, up and away" in the midst of any situation and move unhindered to wherever I want to go would be incredible.

Did you know that this is the power that David in the Bible wished he had?

No, not to fly like Superman but to be able to fly like a bird. In Psalm 55 he says, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest--I would flee far away and stay in the desert..."(vv6-7). David wanted to fly away from all of his problems and hide out alone in the desert.

Sound familiar?

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever felt like you just wanted to get away from it all? Have you ever felt like the strain and pressure of life was getting to you? Have you ever felt like you'd like to fly to a deserted island and hang out there for a while?

Then you know exactly how David felt.

This was a difficult time in David's life. We can't be sure of the exact incident that prompted this psalm, but it would seem that it was after he became king. We do know that it was a time when one of his closest friends betrayed him (vv13-14). They worshiped together. They shared life together. But this beloved friend turned on David. He had joined the throngs of David's enemies. David wanted to fly away from it all, but of course, he couldn't.

Like us, he couldn't run from life--he had to deal with it. So what did he do?

"But I call to God...evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress" (vv16-17). After a period of pouring his heart out to God, David began to see things differently. He began to see God "enthroned forever" (v19). He learned that all of us can cast our cares "on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

Yes, David was surrounded by wickedness. Yes, David had been betrayed. Yes, there were smooth talkers (v21) deceiving many people. "But as for me," David said to God, "I trust in you."

David had the Lord. No Superman suit needed.

_________________________

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 52-- Don't Want that on my Grave Marker!

Not far from where I live are two very small and very old cemeteries. Most people driving past them never realize they are there as suburbia has grown up around them. These cemeteries have a little medal fence around them and a handful of plots inside. The grave markers are still there, some dating back to the 1800s.

Imagine if you were looking at one of those tombstones and it read:

"Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"

That certainly would be a sad commentary on one's life. Those words weren't written on any of the markers that I saw, but they could be written for many people. They certainly could have been on the tombstone of a guy named Doeg.

In fact, these are the words that David used to describe Doeg in Psalm 52. Doeg worked for King Saul while David was on the run from the king. Doeg lied to Saul and then went on to slaughter 85 priests as well as an entire town of men, women, children and babies (1 Samuel 22:1-23). He was ruthless, and David takes him to task in this psalm of instruction.

This psalm is a vivid reminder that there are and always will be ruthless people who will do anything to get themselves ahead. They will lie, cheat, destroy reputations--whatever it takes to get what they want.

While there may be those who are drawn to people like this, David reminds us that the righteous see through this (v6). They also laugh because they know the fallacy of such living. The contrast to this type of living is the one who trusts in "God's unfailing love for ever and ever" (v8).

Yes, it is easy to get discouraged when you see so many evil and selfish people in the world. But let these be reminders of our need to stay focused on God's unfailing love and living a life that brings Him praise.

_________________________

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 51--Do You Frequent the Car Wash?

When our family vehicle was new I would take it to the car wash each week. I was determined to keep it looking great inside and out. That lasted for a while before the weekly visits turned into every other week.

Then it was once a month.

Now it's when we are going on a trip, going to be driving guests, or when it gets so bad I just can't stand it anymore. I want a clean car, I really do! I just don't give it the attention that I used to give. I guess having a clean car all the time just isn't the priority it once was.

Well, many Christians take that same approach when it comes to sin. Right after our salvation or after a time of spiritual renewal, we are adamant about staying "clean." We are quick to confess our sins to the Lord and regularly ask Him to reveal wickedness in our lives. But then time goes on. Those regular "washings" become less frequent. If we are not careful, we can let the dirt build up until it is an embarrassment.

Psalm 51 is the record of David's confession of his sin following his affair with Bathsheba. David's life had gotten so dirty but he was oblivious to it. It took Nathan the prophet to point it out. It took Nathan to tell him he need a good cleansing.

Think about Psalm 51 as a car wash.

Think about it as a place we need to go on a regular basis to keep the dirt off. Think about this as a Psalm that you should frequent regularly and read as a reminder to deal with sin. Think of it as a reminder that we need to get honest about our sin and see it as God sees it. Think of it as a call to repentance--to a thorough washing on the inside.

David had allowed his sin to build up to the point where it was disgusting to himself and everyone around him. Not only that, but as the dirt began to pile on it obstructed his vision, causing even more wrong choices.

The good news, however, for David and for us is that God is a loving God ready to forgive. He is ready to cleanse us. He is ready to make us "good as new." But that doesn't happen until we get honest with ourselves and recognize that "Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight" (v4). Like David, we must ask God to "wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (v2).

Let's don't wait for the dirt to build up and cloud our vision or become an embarrassment to ourselves and our Lord. Let's make it a point to frequent the wash!

_________________________

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 36-- Why Evolution is so Important

It was hard for me to sit there and listen. Even though I was watching the TV screen in my own house, I cringed as I listened to atheist "scientists" bash the concept of God. I was watching the documentary by Ben Stein Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. The movie shows how academia and the scientific community have systematically expelled any concept of intelligent design in considering the origins of life. As the movie progressed, Stein showed how the world view of these "elites" actually forbade them from even considering any theory contrary to Darwinism. We all thought scientists were open minded individuals willing to pursue truth no matter what. What we discovered from their own lips was that they were willing to pursue potential truth as long as it fit within their pre-conceived ideas. These supposedly brilliant scholars said they could accept space aliens before they could accept the concept that God exists and had anything to do with the origin of life. Stein, a Jew, also showed how Darwinism was the philosophical basis Hitler used for the destruction of millions of lives. Evolution must be believed because if you don't, then it opens the door for the possibility of God who might want to have a say in how we live our lives. Psalm 36 tells us that when there is no fear of God then all sorts of evil is possible (v1), even genocide. When there is no fear of God man turns to flattering himself (v2) and can no longer distinguish good or act with wisdom (v3). Evolution is important to these people because it allows them to hide behind an unproven theory to justify their self-worship. On the video, these "scientists" actually say it is there goal to eradicate religion from the world. Psalm 36 contrasts these people with the one true God who is righteous like the mighty mountains (v6) and stands ready to offer His priceless love (v7) to those who believe (v10). Don't fall into the evolution trap just because that is all you hear. Challenge the so-called science. Ask tough questions that move beyond the presumptions of those with an anti-god world view. Most of all, fear God. Feast on His abundance (v8) and you will see the fountain of life (v9).

_________________________

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 32--A Saint in Sin

For many years "Jill" ran from the Lord. She had grown up in a preacher's home and made a commitment to Christ but in her later teen years she began to stray. Caught up with the wrong crowd, Jill began to make terrible choices. Her life, it seemed, was spiraling out of control. Her parents continued to pray for her...and love her. They made it clear that the way she was living was wrong. But they also made it clear that when the day came that she realized she was on a sinking ship they would be there in the life boat rowing beside her. Although she acted tough on the outside, inside Jill was in turmoil. In her heart of hearts she knew she was throwing her life away. The weight of her poor choices began to bear down on her. She actually felt a physical heaviness...like she couldn't breath. Then like the prodigal son in Jesus' story, she finally came to her senses and returned home. She got rid of everything in her life that remotely resembled the life that she had been living--even her cell phone and apartment furniture. Today, she is a shining example of a godly young woman who seeks to glorify God in all that she does. I'm sure that Jill could relate to David when he wrote in Psalm 32 "When I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer" (vv3-4). What turned things around for both Jill and David? "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' and you forgave the guilt of my sin" (v5). Sin separates us from God. For the believer, sin separates us from fellowship with God and from His hand of protection on our life. However, when we do what Jill and David did and repent, then we are able to say to the Lord "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (v7). They experienced the blessings that come when our "transgressions are forgiven" and our sins are covered (v1). What about you today? Is there sin hindering your fellowship? Maybe you like David and Jill need to stop covering it up and seek His forgiveness.

_________________________

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 13--How Clear are You?

We began our tour of the Israeli "diamond factory"--a place where raw diamonds are cleaned, cut and mounted for sale there and all over the world. It didn't take long for us to learn that clarity is one of the primary factors that determine diamond value. When you look at a diamond through a jeweler's magnifying glass, how many dark specks do you see? The fewer the specks, the clearer the diamond is and the more it is worth. The less impurities the gem has, the higher its value. Impurities, whether in gold, silver, diamonds, or even people's lives, cheapen the "value" of the item or life. Zechariah 13 describes a time when God will remove the deception of false prophets and prophecies from the land (vv. 2-6). It describes a time when "a fountain will be opened...for sin and for uncleanness" (v1). It also describes a time when God's "sheep" will be brought through the fire to be refined, tested, and ultimately call on God (vv7-9). While scholars may have different opinions on exactly what this chapter is describing, one thing is clear--we do not have to wait to the future to be cleansed and made pure. Through what Christ did on the cross we have access to the "fountain" that cleanses us from all sin. The question for us, once we have experienced that cleansing, is "Are we staying in the fountain?"Or are we allowing impurities into our lives that degrade our value to the Kingdom? God often allows us to go through refining processes now so that those impurities can be stripped away and we can become a brighter reflection of God's glory in this world. God wants to bring out His best in us. Let's cooperate with Him as He seeks to refine us, and let's remain "in the fountain" so that the impurities of this life will not be found in us. Let's improve our clarity.
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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 9-- The Only Thing Constant is Change

I enjoy learning about history and the epic stories of generations gone bye. Whether or not you are a history buff, one thing is clear from even a cursory look at the past--things change. One day there is a global power and the next day that nation or empire's power is gone. We often think things are static and will always be as we know them now. The Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman and other world empires all thought their power and influence would continue forever. It didn't. God reminds us in Zechariah 9 of how quickly He can change the global scene, especially when an entity is known for being evil. We are told in verses 3-4 about great cities which had amassed enormous wealth but God promised to destroy them. We are promised in verses 9-10 that there is a coming King, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change the global power structure once and for all. We also see in verses 11-17 the promise of the ultimate deliverance of God's people. These are all reminders that what we see now is temporary and that no nation is rich enough or powerful enough to sustain itself when God rejects it. This is also a reminder to each of us that we cannot expect the future to be the same as the present if we get too proud. Whatever wealth, prestige, power, or accomplishments we have amassed could be gone in a moment. 

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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 9-- Stupid is as Stupid Does

Have you ever seen someone do something and you just shake your head and say, "Unbelievable! Why in the world would they do such a thing?" Sometimes people do stupid things. This was the reaction of the Jews spiritual leader, Ezra, in the Book of Ezra, chapter 9. He could not believe what he saw. He had just returned to the Jewish homeland with a group of exiles and discovered that many of the Jews living there were committing the same sins that sent them into exile in the first place. "How could they be so stupid," Ezra thought. God had been gracious to allow them back into their land and they turned right around and resumed their sinning. Ezra's initial reaction was to pray--and that prayer is the bulk of this chapter. But notice in his prayer that Ezra does not talk about "those people." Instead, he says "Our iniquities have risen higher than our heads" (v6). They were his people, he was their leader, and he included himself with them even though he personally was innocent. That tells us something about Ezra's leadership. He saw sin for what it was and confessed that on behalf of his people. This chapter should also tell us something about ourselves. How many times do we sin, suffer the repercussions of that sin, and then go right back to doing the same thing? We don't learn. Sin should trouble us just like it troubled Ezra, causing him to tear his robe, pull his hair, and sit in utter astonishment. It then drove him to his knees (v5). Does the realization of sin--whether in your life or in the lives of those around you--drive you to your knees? It should. We need to stop the stupidity and get serious about dealing with sin.
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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.

Psalm 17-- Nothing to Hide

One moment the magician was on stage alone with an empty cage. The next moment he is standing with a tiger. A moment later he is standing behind where our family was seated in the theater and the tiger was gone. It was pretty amazing! Now I must admit, I have always enjoyed watching "magicians" ever since I was a kid. You know you are watching an illusion, but a good magician hides his props and tools so well that it makes you think it is magical. Whether we realize it or not, a lot of us have become pretty good illusionists. No, we are not making tigers appear or somehow tele-porting ourselves to another place, but we give the illusion that everything is right in our lives. Sometimes we even try to pull that trick on God--but it never works with Him. David, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to hide in Psalm 17. He knew he was walking right before the Lord. "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress...I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer" (vv3-4). No sleight of hand with David. He was careful about how he lived and welcomed God's examination of his life. Because he was an open book, David enjoyed an incredibly intimate relationship with the Lord. "Keep my as the apple of Your eye," he says in verse 8. Like David, let us ask God to keep our steps in His path (v5), guard our mouths (v3), and keep ourselves from evil (v4) that we, too, may have nothing to hide.
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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.

Psalm 10-- Where is God in the Wickedness?

Does it seem to you like the world is getting more and more wicked? You don't have to watch a TV newscast for very long or read too far into a news story before you see evil. Sometimes it is pure evil, like those who kill large numbers of people. Sometimes it is pure wickedness, those who openly rebel against anything and everything holy and righteous. Psalm 10 gives us some characteristics of people like this and a reminder that we all need to keep before us. The wicked are unrestrained (v3). They do whatever they feel like doing, with no sense of moral obligation. They are self-consumed and give no thought whatsoever of God (vv3-4). To others they seem unstoppable, and to themselves they feel invincible (vv5-6). The wicked look for easy targets, oppressing those who are the weakest and most vulnerable (vv7-10). Finally, the wicked think they can get away with what they are doing and will never have to face judgment (vv11,13). But remember this--God does see everything (v14). Nothing is hidden from God. He can, and has, brought the mightiest of this world to their knees (v16). In His time, God will bring justice (vv14,18)
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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.

Psalm 8--Reality Check

The cameras were rolling and the crowds were cheering when in walked the three stars of a popular TV variety show. My daughter and I were in the audience as each "star" made their way, one at a time, from the back of the theater to the front. As each made their way, the crowd chanted their name. One entered giving high fives to those seated on the end of each row. This was the second such show they had filmed that day, with four more to go while they were in town. I've never personally met any of these three stars, so I don't really know what kind of people they are, but I can imagine that hearing crowds chant your name all the time could affect your ego. It's not, however, just the famous who have to watch their ego. I think all of us at times can get caught up with ourselves, especially if there are people around us cheering our efforts. Psalm 8, however, is a great reality check as it contrasts man to the vast glory and creative abilities of God. "When I consider Your heavens, the work of your fingertips," David wrote, "what is man that You are mindful of him?" What is man compared to the incredible glory of Almighty God? Have you ever considered the vastness of the universe? To man, it goes on without end. Yes, God has reached out to us and given us dominion over this world (v6) but we must never lose our perspective of who we are in relation to God. As great as you might become in the eyes of some, the world does not and will not revolve around you! Once we have this reality check, then we can say "O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!" (v9).
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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.

Psalm 2--The Thousand Room Home and Sun Facing Statue

The Palace of Parliament, or the People's Palace as it was once known, is a massive building in the heart of Romania's capital city of Bucharest. I've been to this building several times, and each trip I renew my amazement. Not so much that it is the second largest building in the world, but I am amazed each time I hear its history. The communist dictator Ceausescu was building the structure at the time of his death in 1989 (actually, his execution by a mob). He had 20,000 people working 24 hour shifts to construct the more than 1,000 room edifice (some of those rooms are massive). This would be Ceausescu's crowning glory, a testimony to the world of his greatness. Of course he never lived to see it completed, and he demolished 30,000 homes and two dozen churches and synagogues in the construction process. Nearly a decade after Ceausescu's death, another man in another country, Turkmenistan, was also building an edifice to himself. Saparmurat Niyazov, or "Turkmenbashi" (father of all Turkmen) as he liked to call himself, built a 246 foot tall tower with a 40 foot tall gold statue of himself on top. The statue rotates with the sun. The list goes on and on of world leaders, past and present, who saw themselves as someone great. What does God think of all this? In Psalm 2 we are told "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh" (v4). Man can lift himself up and proclaim himself great but no one and nothing compares to the power and majesty of Jesus Christ, who will be given "The nations for (His) inheritance, and the ends of the earth for (His) possession" (v8). While you and I may not be building 1,000 room homes or 40 foot statues of ourselves, Psalm 2 is a reminder that we all need to keep our pride in check.
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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.

Genesis 44-- Stand Up and Take Responsibility!

We live in an age where it seems few people take responsibility for their actions and fewer people keep their commitments. We are quick to try and pass off our responsibilities to others rather than having the determination to see them through. Judah, in Genesis 44, did just the opposite. We see in him someone who stood up and took his responsibilities seriously. Originally from Canaan, he was in Egypt along with his brothers trying to get food during a famine. He had gotten food before but ran out and had to return. The man in charge of food distribution, who actually was his long lost brother Joseph, said that the only way to get more food was if Judah and his siblings brought their youngest brother Benjamin back with them. They did, much to their father Jacob's distress (see chapter 43). At that time, Judah told his father that he would personally take responsibility to make sure that Benjamin returned safely to Jacob. Now after this second trip, as Judah and his brothers were returning home, Joseph's servants stopped them and found Joseph's silver cup in Benjamin's bag, which Joseph purposely placed there. Now back before Joseph, who they still did not know was their brother, they were told they could go home but they would have to leave Benjamin behind. At this point Judah respectfully but forcefully articulated to Joseph why Benjamin had to go home. He then offered himself in Benjamin's place (vv 24-34). Benjamin was his responsibility and he was going to do everything in his power, even sacrificing himself, to make good on his commitment. Do you have that kind of determination when it comes to fulfilling your commitments? Do you keep your word even if it might cost you personally? The world is full of people who fail to fulfill their responsibilities. Don't you be one of them!
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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.

Genesis 42-- You Can Run But You Can't Hide

Every so often we hear a story about some criminal who had been on the run for years before he is finally captured. There were, for example, several Nazi World War II criminals who had fled Germany only to be found some 50 years later living in other countries. We hear of people who commit crimes, change their looks and identify, and start new lives. After a few years they think they got away with it. Yet something happens and they are finally apprehended. The Bible tells us "Be sure your sin will find you out." That applies to all of us, not just those who have committed criminal acts. This is how Joseph's brothers felt in Genesis 42 when they stood before him asking for grain. They had no clue that the Egyptian ruler responsible for grain sales in the midst of a global famine was actually their brother. When Joseph "accused" them of being spies and insisting one of them stayed behind in Egypt while they went home after their youngest brother, they believed their sin and finally caught up with them. "We are truly guilty concerning our brother...therefore this distress has come upon us," they moaned to each other, referring to their selling of Joseph into slavery. It had been many years since that fateful act--an act that they believed led to Joseph's death. Now, in their minds, they were finally paying for what they had done. They had gotten away with it for a long time but no more. Of course we know the rest of the story, and we know that in later chapters Joseph reveals himself to them and forgives them. Imagine, however, the agony these brothers went through prior to Joseph forgiving them. Imagine what it would have been like for them for all of these years hoping that their secret is never discovered. That is no way to live! Friend, this is no way for us to live either. Let's make good choices and don't harbor sin in our lives. Let's Keep short sin accounts and live with a clear conscience.
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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.

Genesis 38--Train Wrecks

It is unavoidable. You are checking out at the grocery store and the headlines of one of those tabloid magazines catches your attention. You know that 90% of the time it is something bazaar and far from the truth, but every so often they get it right. Some "expert" was asked once why so many people buy these magazines. "Everyone wants to see the train wreck," he replied, "and these magazines are full of train wrecks." Yes, when celebrities have a train wreck the world knows about it, but there are also the quiet train wrecks that are happening in lives all around us. What seemed like the perfect trip comes to a screeching halt and next thing you know it your life "train" is off the tracks. Usually this happens because we make poor choices. You see God has a way that He wants things done, and it is for a reason. We save ourselves and those around us much heartache when we just do what God says. In Genesis 38 we see that Judah's sons (Jacob's grandsons) were wicked and the Lord killed them. We see Judah failing to keep his promise to give his youngest son in marriage to the wife of his deceased eldest son. We see Judah going to what he thought was a harlot, only to discover it was this daughter-in-law who had disguised herself to get Judah. We see a train wreck. How much agony, grief and pain could we save ourselves if we just made godly decisions? How much better off would we be if we just did what God told us to do? In the nearly three decades that I have been preaching the gospel, I have seen a lot of train wrecks. The sad thing is that most of them could have been avoided. Don't let your life be next! Make good choices.

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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.

Genesis 34-- Kids Gone Wild

There are some kids who you just know are going to get into major trouble as they get older. As someone outside the family, you look at how they are being parented and how they act when they are young, and you can predict problems. Now we know that some kids rebel and make bad decisions even with good parenting. As a parent, I ultimately cannot make choices for my children when they are grown, but I can do everything in my power while they are young to teach them how to make good choices. In Genesis 34 we see some bad choices made by some young people, and we see that the parents are at least partially to blame. Dinah, Jacob's daughter by wife Leah, decides to go "into town" and hang out with the pagan girls of the region. Some scholars think she wasn't more than 14 years old when this happened. She catches the eye of Shechem, the son of a prince, who was use to getting everything he wanted. He "violated her" (v2) and then decided he wanted to marry her. Like he probably had done a hundred times before, he went to his father demanding to have his way--in this case to have Dinah for a wife (vv8,18-19). So the father dutifully obliges his son and goes to work out an arrangement with Jacob (vv8-9). It didn't matter that his son had disgraced Dinah and Jacob's family. What little Shechem wanted, little Shechem got! Now when Dinah's brothers heard what had happened they "were grieved and very angry" (v7). That is an understatement! They went on to devise and execute a plan that incapacitated all of the men of Shechem's city. They then went in and killed all of the men and took their wives and children captive, along with all of their possessions. What was Jacob's response when he saw this? Was there moral outrage for needlessly destroying so many lives? No. His response was "You...have made me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land...and since I am few in number they will gather themselves against me and kill me" (v30). As you consider this passage, ask yourself "If the parents had parented differently, could this whole tragedy been avoided?" Should Dinah been allowed to hang out with that crowd? Should the world have revolved around Shechem and he get anything he wanted? Should Dinah's brothers have learned the moral ramifications of their decisions and not just the practical ones? Poor parenting does not excuse what these kids did, nor does it justify any of their actions. But could better parenting have led to a different outcome? This is something to consider for all of us who are parents.
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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.

Genesis 32-- Facing Your Past

When he left home 20 years prior, Jacob was a self-centered, conniving young man who had disappointed his father and angered his brother to the point that he wanted to kill Jacob. A lot had changed in 20 years and now it was time for Jacob to face his past. It was time for Jacob to see his brother Esau and seek reconciliation. Genesis 32 records Jacob's preparation for that meeting, which ended up turning into something much bigger. As Jacob prepared to meet his past, God prepared him to meet his future. Noticed what Jacob did. First, he acknowledged God (vv1-2). Second, he was humble (vv3-5, 13-18). The arrogance that once typified his life was gone. He was coming to his brother in all humility. Third, he worked through his fears. When he found out Esau was coming to meet him and he had 400 men with him, Jacob was scared. And who wouldn't be! Jacob, however, did not give in to those fears and continue to run from his past. What he did do was device a plan to protect as much of his family as possible just in case Esau attacked them (vv7-8). He also prayed (vv9-12). In the meantime, God was at work in Jacob using this encounter to make him into something great for Himself. Jacob got alone that night and "wrestled" with an angel of God refusing to let him go until he blessed Jacob. He had deceived to get his father's blessing, but Jacob knew he needed something greater--he needed God's blessing (v26)! The exciting thing is that God gave it to him. I wonder how many people miss out on God's blessing because they 1) don't ask for it and 2) don't come clean with their past in order to receive it. What about you? Are there some things in your past that you need to deal with today? Are there some things you tried to ignore or sweep under the rug that has haunted you? Remember, God is gracious and forgiving and He will guide us as we seek to do what is right.
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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.

Genesis 31-- When Your Dishonest Boss is also Your Father-in-Law

Talk about a hostile work and family environment! Jacob in Genesis 31 was getting it from both sides as his employer, who also was his father-in-law, was making life very difficult for him. Jacob could read people--and it was very evident to him that things had changed in his relationship to his father-in-law Laban. He had a sense that things were going to turn south in a hurry. God confirmed that to Jacob and told him to leave the area. It was time to go home to the land of his fathers (v3). God promised to be with Jacob in the midst of this transition (v3). He had protected Jacob and blessed him even though Laban was dishonest and tried to take advantage of Jacob (vv6-9, 15). Laban was greedy and lived for himself at the expense of his own family (vv14-15). Contrast that with Jacob who tried to do what was right for all in the midst of a very difficult work situation. Now God was giving him relief from this dishonest boss. Jacob slipped away with his family and possessions but Laban eventually caught up to him. Even then, God protected Jacob (v24). When Laban accused Jacob of stealing his "household idols," Jacob had enough and spoke his mind to Laban (vv36-42). In this he made it clear to Laban that God was the reason Jacob had been blessed (v42). Without God, he would have nothing. Jacob and Laban eventually come to terms that included staying separate from each other (vv51-52). Now let's draw out three principles from this story. First, God does not promise to always take us out of difficult situations, but He does promise to always be there with us and see us through. That was Jacob's situation as he labored for a difficult boss. Second, God does work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Jacob is a perfect example. Finally, sometimes in order to maintain peace, there are some people that you will have to agree to disagree with and then go on with life. Challenging work situations are a part of life. Let's learn from Jacob and rely on the Lord to navigate us through the troubled waters.
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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.

Genesis 29-- When Years Seem Like Mere Days

It reads like a great romance novel. "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her" (Genesis 29:20). That is romantic--but it also gives us a great principle for living. Hardships go much easier when their is a goal--a prize--for which to strive. A goal gives hope. This chapter describes Jacob's search for a wife (vv1-10), his love at first sight when he sees Rachel (v11), and their eventual marriage (v28). But it wasn't all storybook. To have Rachel, her father required Jacob to labor for him for seven years which, as we saw in verse 20, Jacob did with ease. Then the father does the bait and switch, substituting his older (an apparently much less attractive) daughter for Rachel on their wedding day (vv23-26). Imagine Jacob's shock the next morning when he finds out that the woman he worked seven years to marry wasn't the one he actually married! He could have Rachel, the father said, but Jacob would have to work another seven years. Jacob did his "time" putting in 14 years to get the love of his life. That is a long time and certainly was not part of his original plan. Now think about this: when things take a wrong turn in life and we end up facing something we didn't expect, it is easy to get swallowed up in self-pity. It is easy to want to quit. Things didn't go the way we planned so let's throw in the towel. But if we will set our eyes on something beyond the immediate, then we will have hope. What goals do you have in your life? What special thing do you have to look forward to? Everyone needs something. It doesn't have to be extravagant, just something that will encourage you and motivate you to press on. Marriages need this as well. We need something special that we are looking forward to doing together. Maybe it is an annual vacation, a weekend getaway, or just a relaxing day walking in the park, but we need something that we periodically plan for that will help us to look beyond the immediate.
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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.

Genesis 28-- The Desperate Tale of Two Brothers

Emotionally hurt with his world crashed down around him, we find Esau in Genesis 28 desperate to recover his father's favor. Earlier he exchanged his birthright for some stew, then he lost his father's blessing. It seemed that his brother Jacob got everything that should have been his. So when Jacob goes off to find a wife who wasn't from the area, Esau decides he needs to do that as well. He already had two wives from Canaan (much to his parents displeasure) but thinks that if he finds one from his extended family it will bring him back into his father's graces (vv8-9). While Esau (a grown man) is desperately trying to recover from his emotional pain, his brother has his first real encounter with God. Jacob had grown up hearing about God. He knew many things about God. But he didn't know God for himself. Then along a roadside as he journeyed to find a wife, God spoke to him (vv10-15). This was a turning point in Jacob's life. Jacob vows that if God would be faithful to him, Jacob would serve the Lord and put Him first (vv20-21), even in his possessions (v22). Jacob had caused a lot of grief, he was a conniver and a liar. But something started to change in his life as he met God on that dusty road. His focus started shifting from himself to the Lord and others. He went on to become a great man of God whose 12 sons would become the 12 tribes of Israel and the Jewish nation. Where are you at in your life today? Are you like Esau, desperate to recover from your emotional pain? Desperate to find someone who will love and accept you? Or maybe you are like Jacob prior to this chapter. You know all about God but haven't made a personal commitment to Him. Maybe you have done some terrible things, caused a lot of grief, lied to a lot of people. Whether it is the emotional pain of an Esau or the guilt of a Jacob, Jesus Christ is waiting to forgive you, heal your emotional scars, and lead you into an abundant life. If you have never done so, today ask God to forgive your sin, acknowledge that Christ's death, burial and resurrection is sufficient to pay for your sin, and commit your life to the Lord right now. God will make you into a new creation and give you a purpose and peace that you have never known before.
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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.

Genesis 25-- Are You the Next Reality TV Show?

It could have been a reality TV show. We'll call it "Isaac's Family." It is the true story that begins to unfold in Genesis 25 as Isaac and Rebekah start their family. It took them 20 years before they could have children, but once twins Esau and Jacob were born I doubt there was ever a dull moment. There were some interesting family dynamics that we notice as we open the window and look in on this family. First, these kids were "fighting" before they even came out of the womb (v22) with each destined by God to father a nation or people group. They may have been twins, but these boys were dramatically different. They looked different (v25), had different interests (v27), different personalities, and they approached life differently. Jacob was a thinker--he planned, thought things through, and even schemed. Esau lived for the moment. He was rugged, tough, and self-focused. The first sign of trouble we see is that Isaac and Rebekah played favorites (v28) with Isaac loving Esau and Rebekah loving Jacob. Then we see how short-sited Esau was because he was willing to throw away his future--his birthright--for some stew. Jacob is far from innocent as he took advantage of his brother. This was a pretty dysfunctional family (it gets worse as the story goes on!). What was the bottom line that caused all of this? Each family member looked only at his or her own interests  and not the interests of the whole family. They also didn't consider the long-term ramifications of their decisions and the impact those decisions would have on others. The more members of your family there are who look only to their own interests, the more dysfunctional your family will be. It is that simple! Don't become fodder for a reality show--consider others before yourself.

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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.

Genesis 20-- Making Assumptions

We all make assumptions and we do it everyday. Our brains work so quickly that before we know it we have already sized up someone and formed an opinion of them the first moment we see them. The problem is that these assumptions often are wrong. We have to train ourselves to not stick with our initial assumption but try to get to know people and situations before passing judgment. In Genesis 20 Abraham makes two wrong assumptions. First, he assumed that the king of Gerar, Abimelech, was a godless pagan (v11). Abraham and his wife Sarah had moved to Abimelech's region. But Abimelech wasn't what Abraham had assumed. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and he recognized this as God, even responding by calling Him "Lord" (v4). Second, Abraham assumed people would kill him to have his wife. Abraham, as he did in Egypt, told everyone that Sarah was his sister (v2). Apparently she was so gorgeous that he feared people would kill him to have her (v11). Now, technically, Sarah was Abraham's half-sister (v12) but she was still his wife and he knew what he was saying was misleading. Both of his assumptions left God out of the equation--that God could touch someone like Abimelech and God could protect Abraham no matter how beautiful his wife might have been. How often do we make assumptions that leave God out? We see someone who is very depraved and assume they could never be saved. Or we see someone who looks or dresses different than we do and assume they don't know God, when they really do. Or we find ourselves in difficult situations and assume that it is up to us alone to figure a way out of it. Making false assumptions can actually cause us to take unnecessary detours in our lives and prevent us from becoming all that God wants us to become.
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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.

Genesis 19-- When Dirt Doesn't Bother You Anymore

Dirty Jobs is a television show about some of the dirtiest jobs in America. The show's host spends a day on a "dirty" job doing exactly what the workers do. One day it's cleaning up dung at an alligator farm, the next it's cleaning out the inside of a garbage truck, then it's on to scrubbing the inside of a city's sewer. There also was the show where he had to catch snakes and cause them to regurgitate their last meal. The host often finds himself waist deep in various "stuff" in his attempt to show what it would be like to do that particular job. At first you wonder how anyone could do these jobs, but for the people who do them, it is no big deal. After a while the workers get use to it. It doesn't seem dirty to them. Genesis 19 is a study of how a good person can get caught up in the "dirt" of this world to the point where the dirt no longer bothers him. In this chapter, God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. Before He does, however, He mercifully allows Lot and his family to escape. The fact that Lot was even living in these cities is a testimony to how desensitized he had gotten to the "dirt" around him. These cities were so incredibly wicked that God had to destroy them. Just the little bit we learn about these places here in this chapter is enough to make us cringe. Yet Lot, who is from a godly family, was right in the midst of them sitting at the gate (v1). Typically, people who "sat at the gate" were either political leaders of the city or businessmen. Lot knew the kind of people who lived in that city, which is why he feared for the safety of the visiting "men" (angels actually) who had come to warn him of the city's demise. When he told his sons-in-laws that they needed to get out with him, they laughed at him, which says a lot about the kind of people they were. Lot was reluctant to leave. His wife's heart was there. His daughters were very depraved in their thinking and later in the chapter did an unimaginable thing with their father. This family, under Lot's leadership, had gotten waist deep in filth--and it ended up costing them greatly. Lot lost his wife, his dignity, his influence and his wealth. It all started when Lot set his gaze towards Sodom. Before long he was engulfed by its dirt. Don't let this happen to you! Don't set your gaze towards the wickedness of this world or move towards its filth.
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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.

Genesis 16-- Avoiding a False Start

Imagine that you are at the Olympics running the 100 meters against the greatest athletes in the world. The race is ready to start. You get down into the starting position, your one foot firmly planted against the starting block, and you wait for what seems like an eternity. You know it is critical that you get a good jump out of the blocks. You know that since it is such a short race you have to come up fast and nail your stride. But as you try to anticipate the starter's gun, you jump just a second before it goes off. "False start," the announcer says as he calls out your lane number. You know if you do that again you will be disqualified from the race. Let's face it--waiting is hard. Whether it is running a track meet and waiting for the start or driving a car and waiting for the light to turn green. It is also hard to wait on God. We pray and pray and pray yet the answer we seem to get is "wait." That's not easy. When you get the "wait" signal, what do you do? Sometimes we jump out ahead anyway and end up with a false start. That is what happened to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 16. Even though God repeatedly told the couple they would have a child, they jumped out ahead of God when Sarah suggested to Abraham that he take her servant Hagar as a wife (v2). The result of that decision continues to be a source of conflict to this day as Hagar's children (the Arabs) and Sarah's children (the Jews) still struggle. Notice that after Hagar became pregnant and had a falling-out with her boss, she fled into the wilderness (v7). God, however, sought her out. He didn't leave her alone in the wilderness. He promised to multiply her offspring--but she needed to return to Sarah. I'm sure that was a difficult decision considering how harshly Sarah had treated Hagar, but she listened to God and went back. Hagar waited on God to fulfill His promise to her. Abraham and Sarah, on the other hand, got ahead of God. Whenever we get ahead of God we run into problems. Our false starts can be very costly, and they can negatively impact future generations. So today, let's be careful to wait on the Lord and avoid a false start.

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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.

Genesis 12--Dangerous Detours and Rest Areas

Have you ever been on a long road trip and then came to a detour? Not one of those two blocks out of the way detours but a miles and miles out of the way detour? I have. Then when you finally get back on the main road you are tired and what do you do? You look for a rest area. Now if all you did was take detours and hang out at rest stops you would never get to your destination. You might see some interesting things along the way, but you will never get to where you are supposed to go. We see this illustrated in Genesis 12 with Abraham. God called Abraham to leave his location, his culture, and extended family (v1) to go to a land He would show him. That land, as it turned out, was Canaan, which we know today as the area in and around Israel. What is interesting is that Abraham and his family originally were headed to Canaan (11:31) but when they got to a place called Haran they settled down there. They came to a rest stop and never left! So, God gets them into Canaan where He wants to build Abraham into a great nation (vv2-5). After a while, however, Abraham took a detour down into Egypt, lied to the authorities there (vv12-13) and eventually was deported (vv19-20). The good news, as we will see in chapter 13, is that Abraham got back on track and back to where God wanted him. What about you today? Have you taken a detour from what God has called you to do? Or maybe you were headed that way but then settled down into a comfort zone or rest area? If that is the case, let me encourage you to get back on the trail today! Wandering in detours and lingering too long at rest stops will prevent you from realizing your full potential.
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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.