Frank's Bible Blog

The Homeless and the Aged: How Will You Serve in 2014?

Galatians 5:13b “But do not use your freedom to indulge in sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.”

Last Sunday—the Sunday before Christmas—our family had the privilege of working with our church to serve the homeless of downtown Dallas. In the pre-dawn hours the homeless began to line up on one side of a parking lot, while others mingled around hot coffee on the other side where the weekly outdoor church service and breakfast would be held. The line, I learned, was to get clothes. One shirt and one pair of pants per person. My assignment was to enforce that “one and one” rule. Most people were very respectful of the rule, but then there was one guy who tried to leave with his arms full of clothes. We got him to put a couple things back that clearly would not fit him, but he begged us to let him keep the rest. “Construction workers threw everything I owned over the bridge,” he said. Apparently he had been making his “home” at a nearby construction site. We let him keep the extra clothes.

As the sun rose the church service began. I stood on the side and watched as people began to take their seats on cold metal chairs. One woman caught my attention. As soon as she sat down she started to cry. I slipped into the seat beside her. “Is there something I can pray with you about” I asked. “Yes,” she sobbed. She then began to tell me how child protective services recently took her three children. “All I want to do is tuck them in bed at night” she cried. “I’ve been real good lately. I stopped doing drugs. I don’t know why I lost them” she said. I shared the gospel with her and she told me that she had accepted Christ as Savior several months ago but had stopped going to church because she felt she wasn’t good enough.

Fast forward three days—Christmas Day—and our family found ourselves out early once again, this time to sing Christmas carols at a nursing home during their breakfast hour. We try to do something like this every Christmas that we are in town as one way to model service to our now-teenage children.

That brings us to my quiet time this morning. I read the familiar Galatians 5 passage about the fruit of the Spirit, but what really struck me were the verses leading up to them, particularly verse 13. It seems that many people struggle living by the Spirit because they don’t practice serving others. As I read this verse what came to my mind were the faces of the homeless man who lost his possessions, the woman who lost her children, and the elderly men and women who I talked with in that nursing home. I thanked the Lord for these opportunities to serve them with my family. These service opportunities were different from my normal “ministry” and it helped remind me of the importance of serving others and living by the Spirit, not just at Christmas but all year long.

So what about you? As you think about the upcoming year, how are you planning to serve others in love? You may find that it is much easier to live in the Spirit when you are walking in service to others.

______________

P.S. Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve written a Bible blog! 2013 has been a very busy year for me and our ministry, MaxPoint Missions, with trips to East Africa and assisting with work literally all over the world. In case you haven’t kept up, I would encourage you to visit our website at www.maxpoint.org to see what is going on these days and to sign up for our periodical eNewsletter.

God is Answering Your Prayers: Thank you!

In Jaunary I asked my blog readers to pray wisdom, clear direction from God and provision for MaxPoint (our ministry) and my family. I’m glad to report that many people accepted that challenge. Since then, I have been sprinting to catch up to all that God is doing—and that is a direct result of your prayers. Thank you!

Through that season of intense prayer, God showed me that clarity is absolutely vital, that wisdom often calls for thinking outside the box, that provision follows responding to God’s direction (not before), and that pride is an obstacle to realizing God’s provisions.

It became clear that direction was the most important of the three things we prayed about--even more important than wisdom. While the two are related, I see wisdom as showing us how to walk once we have chosen where to walk. During this process the Lord cleared the fog and clarified the vision for MaxPoint: Change the world by transforming villages into Christ-centered, self-sustaining communities (see more at www.maxpoint.org).

Second came the wisdom to know how to move within that path. God started bringing people to me who shared my vision and were interested in joining in its fulfillment. In order to fully utilize them, however, I would have to think outside the box. For MaxPoint, this means becoming a missionary sending agency with missionaries living both abroad and in the U.S. It also means a name change from MaxPoint Ministries to MaxPoint Missions, which our Board recently approved.

God convicted me a lot about my third request which was for provision. Even though I knew better, I had slipped into backwards thinking: Where God provides that’s where He guides. I had been looking for ways that God might provide rather than looking for the ways He was guiding. Throughout Scripture and history, however, we see God guiding first then providing for those who step out in faith.

I also saw that pride can block God’s provision. God is reminding me that when He gives a vision it is usually much bigger than the person He gives it to—and it requires the participation of others to be realized. Pride says don’t ask anyone for help. Pride says you can do this alone. But vision says you must bring others onboard, which means mobilizing laborers, prayer partners and financial supporters. When the Apostle Paul invited others to financially support his ministry, he gave them an opportunity to experience the power of God in their lives and receive His blessings (Philippians 4:10-20). Recently I shared my ministry vision and strategy with a friend and invited him to become part of our support team, which he gladly accepted. “Thank you for letting me be part of your team. I’m glad that I get to help reach these villages.” His words were a flashback to what Paul said and a reminder that I have to get pride out of the way and allow others to share in the blessings of the Lord’s work.

In the days ahead I will be reaching out to many more people to share this vision and the various ways they can get involved with MaxPoint. I would love to personally connect with you! If you have any interest please call, email or reach me through the “Contact Us” page at www.maxpoint.org and let's talk. Who knows but the Lord just might want us working together to impact this world for Him!

Thank you for your prayers—both past and future.

--Frank

Sumner's Last Email

If you could write one final email before you died and send it out to tens of thousands of people all over the world, what would you write?

Yesterday (Christmas) my long-time friend and mentor, Dr. C. Sumner Wemp, went home to be with Jesus after a very long and full life. But before he died, he wrote an email and asked that it be sent after his death. I have included it below.

For many years Sumner was a professor of evangelism, Christian living and pastoral theology. He preached in some of the largest churches in America. But most of all, Sumner was a soul winner. He had personally led someone to Christ in almost every U.S. state and many other countries. He radiated Jesus to everyone who came in contact with him--even if it were just a couple minutes in an elevator. The last few years he wasn’t able to travel and preach any more, but he developed an expansive email ministry that touched tens of thousands of people all over the world. I’m sure I’ll write more about Sumner later, but for now please read his final email:

Sumner Wemp's Last Email

My partner in this email ministry, Steve, asked me to write something to send to you when Jesus calls me home.  Well GLORY!! If you are reading this, it means I’ve seen Jesus! He has called me home and has spoken those cherished words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” (Matt 25:21)  I’ve seen my beautiful wife, Celeste, and others who went to heaven ahead of me, those who may have read a gospel tract that told of how much Jesus loved them!
 
To those still thinking about trusting Jesus:
What are you waiting for?  God loves you and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus to suffer and die for your sins and mine. He paid the eternal punishment for all you and I both have done wrong, all of our sins for “the wages of sin is death” and Jesus paid the debt in full, rose again and was seen alive by hundreds of people. If you will believe Him, that Jesus really did pay for your sins too and receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior, He will save you and will give you a home in heaven, instead of sending you to hell.  And I will see you someday again!
 
To those already saved:
You and I have been given the awesome and eternal privilege of giving everyone a chance to get saved, to get their sins forgiven and go to heaven instead of hell. We have been commanded by the God who saved us and told to “preach or give the gospel” to every person. Of course we must be as courteous as we can and do it graciously which I genuinely tried to do. Out of the thousands of tracts I gave over my lifetime, less than a few dozen people have refused them or were rude to me. But as happened a couple of months ago, I gave a tract to a lady on an elevator and she blurted out. “Oh, I need to be saved, tell me what to do.” In just seconds we got off the elevator and I had the thrill of giving her the gospel and the thrill of praying with her as she understood and accepted Christ as her Savior. Minutes later when I got outside the building, I started weeping and wanted to fall on my face and thank almighty God for the inestimable privilege He had just given me. So help me, witnessing and winning people to Christ will give you the most wonderful experience of your life. If you are not caring and sharing the gospel to lost human beings just like you once were, Satan is robbing you blind of eternal rejoicing and rewards that such precious experiences bring. Why don’t you do the logical and sensible thing and obey God and get in on the greatest privileges of your life? Help people to go to heaven instead of hell. Make sense?
 
“Father, You are so wonderful to let us have a part in this eternal privilege. You said, we shall catch men. Dear God please help each one reading this get in on it! In Jesus’ name”
 
Oh, how I wish I could have known each of you personally and how I long for you to be so mightily used of God!  My race is finished but God can still use you.  Won’t you get in on it?  You too can win souls. There is nothing greater, more lasting, more rewarding you will ever do. I implore you to stick with it and do what the Word of God says. I LOVE YOU, all because of Calvary, Sumner

 

Trailblazing Leaders: Why Adversity Precedes Great Leadership

“It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” --Genesis 45:5

Joseph was a leader in Egypt—he was the Jew whose godly foresight saved countless lives by preparing for a massive famine. If you are not familiar with his story you can read it in the Bible, in Genesis chapters 37-50. Notice two things about leadership from the verse above. First, leaders are sent ahead of others. That is the very nature of leadership—to be out in front blazing a path where few or none have gone before. Second, leaders are prepared ahead of others.

How was it that Joseph could be sent ahead of anyone? It was because he was sold into slavery, falsely accused of a crime, and forgotten about in prison. In particular, it was because he excelled in each of those situations as he determined to exalt God regardless of his circumstances.

While it may seem that some leaders become leaders through the “fast-track” of family or professional relationships by getting placements and breaks that others don’t, the reality is that most leaders are forged over time. And that forging process is often painful, dark and sometimes even depressing. Great leaders more times than not have had to overcome great adversity—in fact, this is one thing that separates leaders from everyone else. For it is in adversity that leaders-to-be learn how to overcome problems through faith, focus, positive attitudes, and ingenuity. And it is problem-solving that most people see as the primary contribution leaders bring to the table.

Now, for those of us who are students of leadership, we know the importance of vision, seeking out opportunities, and balancing emotion with reason, but the average follower only sees the immediate and the problems before them. Good leaders solve problems.

Joseph was such a leader but he became that way because he was sent ahead of everyone else. In a sense, he experienced the hardships so that others wouldn’t have to. He went ahead of them in suffering so that he could one day be ahead of them as a proactive leader who saves lives.

What about you today? What is your attitude and approach to difficult times? The struggles you are encountering now may be just what you need to mold you into a problem-solving trailblazer who saves and helps lives.

Isaiah 46—The Man from a Far-off Land

To them we might as well have been creatures from another planet, anomalies that some had only heard about but had never seen. Children who one minute were playing beside the road and the next were jumping and shouting “wazungu, wazungu” (the Swahili term for foreigner). Seeing a vehicle full of light-skinned wazungu bouncing along a remote East African road was sure to catch everyone’s attention.

Having made four previous visits to the “forgotten” village of Bukabwa, Tanzania, I had grown accustomed to the shouts and hand waves of excitement. Those previous visits by me and various teams of Americans, working in partnership with the African Inland Church of Tanzania, had brought the gospel to a place where time had stood still and witchcraft was openly practiced.

Standing in the center of the village where we have planted a church I looked at my iPhone app and notice that we were almost exactly 10,000 miles from home. Who in this forgotten place could have ever imagined that wazungu from a far-off land would one day be sitting in their huts telling them the story of Jesus and the message of salvation?

But then I read Isaiah 46:10-11. “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please…from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.”

God has a plan, and He will move heaven and earth to see that it is accomplished, even if that means dropping men and women from a far-off land into a village that isn’t on any map.

But what if we hadn’t gone? What if we skipped riding 24 hours one way in airplanes, squeezing into dusty 4-wheel drive vehicles and bouncing along stretches of land referred to as “roads”? What if we hadn’t answered the call or responded to the vision?

God would have found someone else. He would have found another way to fulfill His purpose. His eternal plans are not held hostage to our whims.

But what about us? What if we hadn’t been obedient? What if we hadn’t joined in what God was doing on the other side of the world? We would have missed out on seeing the Creator of the Universe demonstrate love to “the least of these.” We would not know first-hand the power of God to destroy demonic strongholds. We would have missed the smiles of the previously hopeless who now have an unspeakable joy. We would have never heard the stories of families delivered and restored from alcoholism and years of physical abuse. We wouldn’t have met people willing to walk two hours to get to the church. We wouldn’t have the satisfaction of knowing that the only reason there is any church in the area was in part because of our efforts.

Truly God would still have worked His plan but we would have been the biggest losers.
Sometimes God sends people from far-off places into our lives to fulfill His purpose for our lives. Sometimes He sends us. The question we each must ask is, “are we willing?” Are we willing to allow God to use others so speak into our lives—even if they are from a distant land, another generation or a different social status? Are we willing to be the man or woman from the far-off land who speaks into the lives of others—even if they look different than us, speak a strange language or eat unrecognizable food?

God will fulfill His purpose. We can either join with Him to see it accomplished or we can watch from the sideline.

_____________________
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.

Matthew 28--A Real Live Disciple!

I'm excited to have a guest blogger share with you today! My wife Beth and I just returned from a mission trip to Tanzania, East Africa and she has written a series of blogs on the adventure. These are not only great stories but great real life application of God's Word lived out today. May you be blessed and challenged as you read. --Frank Banfill

 

Matthew 28:19 "Go and make disciples..."

It was the first day of witnessing in Bukabwa, and it was the first hut that I went to.  I was teamed up with Katelyn, a recent high school graduate, Gladys, an amazing translator, and a handful of local church people.  I was the designated "speaker" at the first hut.  I remember one of my first trips to Romania about 13 years ago.  Our team leader said, just knock on the door and breathe...God will do the rest.  That advice always crosses my mind just before I share at the first home on mission trips. 

In this case, it was a mud and straw hut, and there was no door to knock on.  Sanjura and Julius were sitting outside, and they seemed very open, even anxious, to hear about why I came from Texas to Bukabwa to tell about the most important decision I have ever made.  I took a deep breath, and just like my leader said so long ago, God did the rest. 

As best as I knew how, I shared the plan of salvation and what the Bible says about becoming a Christian.  I told them how I made that decision for myself when I was a child, and that it was only by accepting God's free gift of salvation, turning from your sin, and putting your faith in Christ that you would know for sure heaven would be your eternity.  Sanjura Juma Magige.  The first person in Bukabwa that my prayer partner Katelyn and I had the opportunity to lead to Christ. 

As we went hut to hut in an area that was very widespread between homes, there's one thing I noticed.  Not all people allow the change that took place in their hearts to be reflected on their face.  As an emotional girl, (yeah, I'll admit it this one time) people can read me pretty well, and if I just received the best gift of my life, the joy would explode all over my face.  But that's not always the case with the people of Bukabwa.  I observed that emotions are often guarded, and the joy on the inside doesn't always show to others on the outside.  The Bukabwan people had varying reactions to accepting Christ.  Miraculously, no one we talked to refused, but I couldn't always see immediate joy.  And how I longed to see that joy on their faces, a tear in their eye, reflecting the decision they were making. 

But you know what?  I didn't need to see the joy.  God knew what change did or didn't take place in their hearts, and Sanjura is a perfect example.  When we left his hut, we were off to the next hut about 1/2 mile away.  We walked through thickets, corn fields, briers, cattle, and just about everything else you can think of that would go with those surroundings.  I had plenty of time to think about Sanjura and Julius during that walk.  I prayed for them.  I asked God to solidify that decision so they really understood what they were doing.  I asked God to allow their roots to grow deep so they would grow as Christians. 

You see, the church in Bukabwa is about a two hour walk from where Sanjura lives.  For him to fellowship with other Christians at the church, it would take some serious commitment.  It was Saturday, June 9th, when he gave his life to Christ, and I thought the first test of his commitment would be the next morning, if he showed up at church.  How wrong I was. 

The plan for the days in Bukabwa was to witness to the people, hut to hut, in the morning, and then break for lunch.  Then the afternoon was spent in discipleship groups, often under trees, sitting on rocks for chairs, studying the Bible together with the Bukabwan people.  I was anxious to see who would come to that first discipleship group, and sure enough, Sanjura was one of the people there. 

I recognized him immediately, but Sarah, another translator, started to tell me his story.  My brain started to scramble, because Gladys was with us, not Sarah, when Sanjura gave his life to Christ, and I was quite sure I already knew his story, but it sure didn't match what Sarah was telling me.  Then Sarah went on to tell me that her team had passed Sanjura's hut and noticed he had a tract in his hand.  They knew one of our teams had already visited with him, but he looked up and asked them to stop and talk.  Then he asked them if he could take them to visit with his neighbor.  Sanjura then went on to take them to several huts of people he knew that needed to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Straight from the New Testament, he had an urgency to tell others about this Jesus, his new friend, that he had met. 

Sanjura, a baby Christian, was already becoming a disciple.  How humbling it was to see this in action, right in front of my eyes.  After the Bible study time, I had the opportunity to go over and talk with Sanjura some more, through a translator of course, because my Swahili is non-existent.  (I kept wanting to revert to Spanish, but somehow that doesn't fly in Tanzania!!!  No beuno!!!) 

Sanjura went on to say that he had heard about teams coming into his village, and he kept wondering, "When are they going to come tell me about Jesus?"  Like I said, Sanjura lives quite a distance from where the church in Bukabwa is being started, so it took "the teams" a while to get to him, but in God's perfect timing, we did just that, and Sanjura became part of the family of God, my brother in Christ. 

Still, that long walk to church might prove difficult, and when I told Sanjura goodbye, I knew in my heart I may not see him the next morning at church.  I don't know if my faith is so weak as much as I'm a realist.  In reality, how many people do you know that will walk two hours to church?  I dare say not many.  Well, I walked in the door of the make-shift church after a very bumpy ride, and sure enough, there sat Sanjura, with a massive smile on his face.  It was his first time ever gracing a church, but no one would have known it.  He worshipped, he prayed, and he even came forward for people to pray for him at the end of the service.  He went out witnessing with us again Sunday afternoon, and this time it wasn't even in his neighborhood.  He was going hut to hut blindly, much like us.  He was becoming a disciple, right before our eyes. 

When I said goodbye to Sanjura on Sunday, I knew we were working in another area of Bukabwa on Monday.  This new area was in the complete opposite direction of where Sanjura lived.  It would be another two hour morning walk to the church, and again being a realist, I didn't expect him there.  No one even asked him to join us.  So what I saw on Monday morning brought tears to my eyes.  As we drove down that bumpy dirt road, a few miles from the church, we passed Sanjura Juma Magige.  He had a bounce in his step, and he waved as our Land Rover passed him on the dirt street.  He was ready once again to share Christ with us.  I pointed him out to Peter, our driver and host from the AIC (African Inland Church) and Peter agreed to go back and pick him up after he dropped us off at the church. 

On Monday, once again, Sanjura went hut to hut with us, this time sharing at every single home about the decision he had made on Saturday.  When he shared, he smiled, and he talked about how God had already changed his life and given him peace. 

I said goodbye to Sanjura on Monday and just assumed he would be with us again on Tuesday, but unbeknownst to me, he had a sick family member he needed to attend to, and I never got to really say goodbye.  He tried to tell me goodbye, but silly me didn't realize what he was doing.  He pulled me aside and thanked me for coming to his hut and sharing the Good News of Christ.  He asked how he could remember me and how he could give me updates on his growth in Christ.  I just smiled and said I didn't know when I would be able to come back, but that our church is committed to work in Bukabwa, so I'm sure I could hear updates through the team and the leadership. 

When Sanjura wasn't there on Tuesday, my heart sank.  I showed Pastor Samuel, the pastor of the church in Bukabwa, Sanjura's picture.  I wanted to be sure he knew about this newborn sheep, one that I want so desperately not to be lost in the pasture along the way.  I made sure Pastor Samuel knew he needed to follow up with him.  I told him every detail I could about Sanjura, as if I was leaving my own son in the care of a new daycare worker.  And then I left a picture of my family with the pastor to give to Sanjura, so he could share in the memory. 

Matthew 28 says to "Go and make disciples."  I went.  I went all the way to Bukabwa, in the Mara Region of Tanzania, East Africa.  Make disciples?  I can't take the credit for that.  God's love took root in Sanjura's heart, and those roots grew deep.  Sure, he watched me as I shared the Gospel with others, but somehow, as soon as he made a commitment to Christ, he started his path to becoming a disciple.   

Romans 10:14 says "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" 

How will they hear?  By Christians being obedient to what God tells us to do.  Obedience.  God says go.  The answer isn't yes or no, the answer is "Where, God?"  Bukabwa is where God sent me this last week.  Sanjura Juma Magige, I dare say, will never be the same, but I will never be the same either. 

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Psalm 63—How Bad Do You Want It?

For fans of the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks, 2010-2011 was an exciting year. It was the year that the team won the NBA championship for the first time in franchise history.

As the team worked their way through the playoffs and the eventual finals win, you could see a hunger in the eyes of every Dallas Maverick. You could sense their thirst for victory and their unstoppable determination to let nothing stand in the way of a win. You see, they had been to the finals once before only to come up short. This time, however, it would be different. They played with a focus and intensity that was second to none.

That intensity, however, was lost as the team started the next season going 0-3 and looking terrible in their first few outings. 2011 Finals most valuable player Dirk Nowitzki said after the poor start that they were still riding the wave of excitement from winning and had not yet regained their focus and drive. He was convinced, however, that the veteran team would get back on track.

When I read Psalm 63 I can’t help but think about championship teams and their drive to be the best. Except in this Psalm it’s not about winning a temporal trophy but rather it is about enjoying an intimate relationship with the Creator. One thing that comes through loud and clear in this Psalm is David’s passion to know and walk with God. He had a true hunger and thirst to glorify the Lord.

Look at the words he uses here to describe his focus on God: seek, thirst, long, see, behold, glorify, praise (used twice), lift, satisfied, sing (twice), remember, think, and cling. I look at these words and I see intensity. David wanted God and nothing or nobody else. David was pursuing his relationship with the Almighty with an unstoppable determination greater than the greatest sports champions.

This begs that question: How bad do you want it?

How bad do you want to walk in the Lord’s presence? How bad do you want that intimate relationship with Him? Bad enough to sacrifice for it? Bad enough to put in the time to attain it?

This brings us back to Nowitzki and the Mavs, who spent hours in extra practice time even when it wasn’t expected of them, all so that they could hold a trophy.

Are we willing to do whatever it takes to bring honor to the Lord? Or do we find ourselves in the same position as the Mavs were starting the season after their victory. Have we lost the focus and drive that we once had? Are we resting on our past faith rather than pressing forward in renewed faith? Are we basking in the glory of what was rather than attempting new things for God?

I’ve been pondering the “How bad do I want it?” question. Hopefully today you will ask yourself the same thing.

_____________________

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 53-- Is the World Suffering from Selective Hearing?

If you are a parent it probably has happened to you. You tell your child to do something and he or she ignores you. You say it louder and are still met with silence and inaction. Finally, you scream to them before storming into their room.

Once there, you are met with an "I didn't hear you."

Now sometimes that "I didn't hear you" is because the TV was too loud or the iPod was cranked up in their ears. Sometimes it is "selective" hearing--they hear what they want to hear, and it usually isn't you!

There are many people like that when it comes to God. They either are so self-absorbed that they don't notice God, they are so distracted that they can't hear or see Him working around them, or they have selective hearing and choose to ignore Him.

They also often live and operate in fear when there is no cause for fear (v5). This is most evident with those who do what we may consider irrational superstitions.

Some cultures, for example, believe that you have to "swing" away your sin. Each Spring the adults go to a playground-like setting. They stand on a swing, making it go back and forth, in fear that if they don't they will face God's wrath. They will put on their best clothes--guys in suits, women in nice dresses--and swing away!

In Psalm 53 David paints a picture of these outsiders. He uses words similar to those in Psalm 14 to reiterate the sinful and fallen nature of man. "The fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'"(v1).

Some scholars say that Hebrew words for "there is no God" is not a denial of the existence of God, but rather a denial of the providence of the Deity. In other words, whether God really exists or not doesn't matter because the person denies God's right to control, direct or intervene in his or her life. They live for themselves with no thought of God. "There is none who does good, not even one" (v3). They are going their own way and without God's grace will continue to drift through life and eternity separated from the Almighty.

While it is easy for believers to sit back and say "I'm glad I'm not like them," God would have us respond differently. He longs to have a personal relationship with everyone.

How do you break through and reach a person like that? Romans 10:13-15 says "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" It goes on to say, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God."

It is up to us to lovingly enter into the "noise" of their "room" and share God's word. Not screaming like the frustrated parent, but as a loving friend who, like them, was once lost in life but now desires to show them the way forward.

Will you be that friend and help the world with its selective hearing problem?

_________________________

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 39--Are You Really as Young as You Think?

Are you young or old? Now before you answer consider this: the concept of being young or old is really based on when we expect to die. If you are 20 and you figure you have at least 60 years left, then you consider yourself young. If you are 80 then you might consider yourself old. But should the 20 year old actually think he has plenty of time left? What if he is going to die in the next year? Then he really is old...he has limited time left. The point is this--we often do things or don't do things based on our concept of our age. If we are young, we may put off doing important things because we think we have plenty of time. If we are older, we may aggressively try to complete a"bucket list" while we have time and miss out on some bigger issues. In Psalm 39 David prayed a very interesting prayer. "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days" (v4). He went on to ask the Lord to "let me know how fleeting is my life." In essence he was saying, "God, remind me today and every day that I don't have much time left." David wanted to make sure that he made the greatest impact possible for the Lord with whatever time he had left. David also saw that the greatest hindrance to that productivity was sin. "Save me from my transgressions," David pleaded, "do not make me the scorn of fools" (v8). Some live for wealth, but David reminds us that sin can consume that as well. "You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth" (v11). Those who pursue wealth do so in vain, "he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it" (v6). The message is don't allow sin and worldly pursuits to rob you of years of productivity for the Lord. Whether we consider ourselves young or old, we all should keep our mortality in view and maximize every day that we have for God's glory.

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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 35--When the Boomerang Doesn't Come Back

There is a large decorative boomerang that sits in my office. On the back is a sticker that says "guaranteed to return." I picked it up during a trip to Australia several years ago. Even though it says "guaranteed to return" I have never thrown it, for fear that it won't return. I've seen boomerangs thrown and know that for them to work, they have to be thrown a certain way. I don't want to take the chance that I'll throw it and it will just keep on going...and going. Life is often like a boomerang. When we do good for others we usually see that good returned to us--the boomerang that comes back. But what happens when we throw out our best efforts to help others and those efforts never come back? Or worse, what if they come back as something completely different--something very unpleasant? Do you pick up the "boomerang" and throw it again, or do you allow the hurt and fear of rejection to keep the "boomerang" in hand? David struggled with this in Psalm 35. "They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn," he said in verse 12. When others were hurting, he felt their pain. He prayed for them and mourned for them (vv13-14) but when he stumbled "they gathered in glee" and slandered him "without ceasing" (v15). He threw out the boomerang of compassion and care but it returned as evil and maliciousness. What did David do about this? He took it to the Lord. He asked the Lord to contend for him (v23) and vindicate him (v24). It was not for him to change others. David realized that only God could do that. So David kept on being David. He kept on doing what he knew to do and that was to give God "thanks in the great assembly" and praise him before everyone (v18). David would continue to speak of God's righteousness and praises (v28). He would continue throwing the boomerang and leave the outcome to the Lord. That's a good lesson for us today. Keep throwing our boomerang and trust God for the return.

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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 21--Lasting Leadership

"I guess it was easier to fire one guy than to fire 15." Those were the words of an NBA player following the announcement that his basketball team's head coach had just been fired. This particular coach had good success with the team early on, but as trades occurred and personnel changes were made the coach found himself having a difficult time leading. His style, personality and approach just didn't work anymore. It is common in sports for a leadership change to be made and then the team begins to flourish under the new coach.  Successful leadership in sports is one thing, but what about successful leadership in life? What about successful leadership for a business, ministry or even a nation? Psalm 21 is a great chapter on great leadership--godly leadership. Notice some things about the leader mentioned here, who happened to be King David, the leader of Israel. He found joy in God's strength, not his own (v1). God gave him his heart's desire because his heart was set on God (v2). Likewise, God listened and responded to his prayers (v4). This leader discovered his glory by focusing on God's glory (v5). This leader loved to spend time in God's presence and trusted Him fully (vv 6-7). This leader saw the big picture of what God was doing in the world (vv8-12) and realized that the world revolved around God and not himself. Finally, this leader publicly praised the Lord (v13). Do you want to be a great leader that lasts? Then learn some leadership lessons from David's example. Let your leadership be an extension of God's glory not you trying to create your own glory.

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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.

I Decided to Shut Up--At Least for the Moment

I saw my chiropractor yesterday, who subscribes to this blog. While contorting my body in a direction it hadn't gone in years, he asked me what some of you might be thinking: "Are you still writing your Bible blog?" He hadn't seen any post for a while and was wondering.

The answer to him and you is "Yes...but." Yes, I am still writing and am very excited about working through the book of Exodus, but I've needed to cut back. Not because I'm too busy (we're all too busy) but because I needed to stop talking and start listening.

You see, 500+ posts ago (about two and a half years in the real world) I started writing this blog as an extension of my daily quiet time with the Lord. God was showing me some great stuff that I wanted to share with others. Problem was that over time my focus began to shift more to writing this than really listening to the Lord. I found myself spending time in the Word, not so much for what it could do for me but more for what it could do for others. It became a task to fulfill rather than a time of transformation.

There are a lot of pastors and ministry people who do the same thing. They spend a lot of time in the Word preparing sermons and lessons for others, but not much time just listening for themselves. I know--I used to be a pastor and I know this is a struggle for many in full-time ministry.

Now don't get me wrong, God's Word still spoke to me. I still spent time in prayer, and I still heard from God, but it just wasn't the same.

So, I'm taking some time now away from my laptop and my desk and my online Bible to "refresh" my daily time alone with God. I'll have a hardcopy Bible and an old fashioned pad and pen to write down what I hear, but the focus will once again be on seeing my life transformed into the image of Christ rather than getting five days worth of blog content. Don't worry--you will still get to see what God is showing me, but it just may take a little longer to get to you!

In the meantime, I'll gather up some "best of" blogs (sounds better than re-runs!) and intersperse them with new content so that we can continue to share this ministry with you and others. Knowing that there are people around the world who actually look forward to reading this each day is an incredible blessing to me. I also see it as a real responsibility.

So, as I hit the reset button on my devotional time, let me encourage you to take a fresh look at your own time alone with God. Do you have a daily time with Him? Do you work at keeping it fresh, exciting and interesting? Do you approach it as a task to complete or as a time for transformation?

It would also be great if you would share suggestions and ideas for keeping your quiet time fresh. You can go to www.FranksBibleBlog.com and comment on this post so that others can see it and learn from you.

Thanks for reading, and for your understanding as I try to talk less and listen more!

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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 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 11--Planning Ahead

Have you ever gone someplace only to realize once you got there that you were missing something you needed? Maybe you realize once you arrive at your beach vacation destination that you forgot your sandals. Or you travel to a business meeting and realize a critical handout is sitting back on your desk--1,000 miles away.

Maybe it's not that you forgot something, maybe it is that you never had what you needed to start with. I remember in college I was encouraged to try to test out of several courses because of my strong high school grades. So I signed up for the science, history and humanities tests. Science and history went great. The problem was humanities. At the time, I didn't even know what the word humanities meant! But I took the test anyway--which included identifying famous paintings, painters, literary works, authors, etc. I looked at the questions and had absolutely no idea what the answers were. So I guessed at all of them. Needless to say, I failed miserably.

The problem was that I was not equipped with what was needed--in this case knowledge--to accomplish the task before me. Had I known a couple years earlier that I would be taking that test, then maybe I would have made sure that I got what I needed. The point is that sometimes we forget what we need, and sometimes we never had what we needed in the first place.

God, however, knows exactly what we will need in the future to do exactly what He calls us to do. He gifts us and equips us and allows certain experiences--all to prepare us for what is to come. We see a great example of this in Exodus 11. Now it's easy to miss because it is just an aside in the story of Moses telling Pharaoh that the 10th and final plague--the death of the firstborn--was about to come.

In verse 2, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold. We find out later that the Egyptians were more than happy to oblige. Now this verse looks strangely out of place in this chapter. After all, we are talking about the death of scores of people if they fail to appropriate God's remedy. Yet while God gives instructions on the plague, He also throws in the gold and silver task. Why?

If I'm an Israelite, all I'm thinking about is how do we get out of town--quick. I'm not thinking about asking for a bunch of extra stuff to take with me. God, however, was looking ahead. He was looking ahead to the tabernacle that He would instruct the Israelites to build while they were in the middle of the wilderness. He was providing them with the materials they would need in the future, even though they had no idea at the time that they would need it.

Friend, whatever it is that you are going through now may just be God preparing you for tomorrow. It may be God giving you the tools now that you may not use until years later. But that is just how God is--always looking ahead.

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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 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 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 53-- Is the World Suffering from Selective Hearing?

If you are a parent it probably has happened to you. You tell your child to do something and he or she ignores you. You say it louder and are still met with silence and inaction. Finally, you scream to them before storming into their room.

Once there, you are met with an "I didn't hear you."

Now sometimes that "I didn't hear you" is because the TV was too loud or the iPod was cranked up in their ears. Sometimes it is "selective" hearing--they hear what they want to hear, and it usually isn't you!

There are many people like that when it comes to God. They either are so self-absorbed that they don't notice God, they are so distracted that they can't hear or see Him working around them, or they have selective hearing and choose to ignore Him.

They also often live and operate in fear when there is no cause for fear (v5). This is most evident with those who do what we may consider irrational superstitions.

Some cultures, for example, believe that you have to "swing" away your sin. Each Spring the adults go to a playground-like setting. They stand on a swing, making it go back and forth, in fear that if they don't they will face God's wrath. They will put on their best clothes--guys in suits, women in nice dresses--and swing away!

In Psalm 53 David paints a picture of these outsiders. He uses words similar to those in Psalm 14 to reiterate the sinful and fallen nature of man. "The fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'"(v1).

Some scholars say that Hebrew words for "there is no God" is not a denial of the existence of God, but rather a denial of the providence of the Deity. In other words, whether God really exists or not doesn't matter because the person denies God's right to control, direct or intervene in his or her life. They live for themselves with no thought of God. "There is none who does good, not even one" (v3). They are going their own way and without God's grace will continue to drift through life and eternity separated from the Almighty.

While it is easy for believers to sit back and say "I'm glad I'm not like them," God would have us respond differently. He longs to have a personal relationship with everyone.

How do you break through and reach a person like that? Romans 10:13-15 says "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" It goes on to say, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God."

It is up to us to lovingly enter into the "noise" of their "room" and share God's word. Not screaming like the frustrated parent, but as a loving friend who, like them, was once lost in life but now desires to show them the way forward.

Will you be that friend and help the world with its selective hearing problem?

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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 39--Are You Really as Young as You Think?

Are you young or old? Now before you answer consider this: the concept of being young or old is really based on when we expect to die. If you are 20 and you figure you have at least 60 years left, then you consider yourself young. If you are 80 then you might consider yourself old. But should the 20 year old actually think he has plenty of time left? What if he is going to die in the next year? Then he really is old...he has limited time left. The point is this--we often do things or don't do things based on our concept of our age. If we are young, we may put off doing important things because we think we have plenty of time. If we are older, we may aggressively try to complete a"bucket list" while we have time and miss out on some bigger issues. In Psalm 39 David prayed a very interesting prayer. "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days" (v4). He went on to ask the Lord to "let me know how fleeting is my life." In essence he was saying, "God, remind me today and every day that I don't have much time left." David wanted to make sure that he made the greatest impact possible for the Lord with whatever time he had left. David also saw that the greatest hindrance to that productivity was sin. "Save me from my transgressions," David pleaded, "do not make me the scorn of fools" (v8). Some live for wealth, but David reminds us that sin can consume that as well. "You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth" (v11). Those who pursue wealth do so in vain, "he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it" (v6). The message is don't allow sin and worldly pursuits to rob you of years of productivity for the Lord. Whether we consider ourselves young or old, we all should keep our mortality in view and maximize every day that we have for God's glory.

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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 35--When the Boomerang Doesn't Come Back

There is a large decorative boomerang that sits in my office. On the back is a sticker that says "guaranteed to return." I picked it up during a trip to Australia several years ago. Even though it says "guaranteed to return" I have never thrown it, for fear that it won't return. I've seen boomerangs thrown and know that for them to work, they have to be thrown a certain way. I don't want to take the chance that I'll throw it and it will just keep on going...and going. Life is often like a boomerang. When we do good for others we usually see that good returned to us--the boomerang that comes back. But what happens when we throw out our best efforts to help others and those efforts never come back? Or worse, what if they come back as something completely different--something very unpleasant? Do you pick up the "boomerang" and throw it again, or do you allow the hurt and fear of rejection to keep the "boomerang" in hand? David struggled with this in Psalm 35. "They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn," he said in verse 12. When others were hurting, he felt their pain. He prayed for them and mourned for them (vv13-14) but when he stumbled "they gathered in glee" and slandered him "without ceasing" (v15). He threw out the boomerang of compassion and care but it returned as evil and maliciousness. What did David do about this? He took it to the Lord. He asked the Lord to contend for him (v23) and vindicate him (v24). It was not for him to change others. David realized that only God could do that. So David kept on being David. He kept on doing what he knew to do and that was to give God "thanks in the great assembly" and praise him before everyone (v18). David would continue to speak of God's righteousness and praises (v28). He would continue throwing the boomerang and leave the outcome to the Lord. That's a good lesson for us today. Keep throwing our boomerang and trust God for the return.

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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 21--Lasting Leadership

"I guess it was easier to fire one guy than to fire 15." Those were the words of an NBA player following the announcement that his basketball team's head coach had just been fired. This particular coach had good success with the team early on, but as trades occurred and personnel changes were made the coach found himself having a difficult time leading. His style, personality and approach just didn't work anymore. It is common in sports for a leadership change to be made and then the team begins to flourish under the new coach.  Successful leadership in sports is one thing, but what about successful leadership in life? What about successful leadership for a business, ministry or even a nation? Psalm 21 is a great chapter on great leadership--godly leadership. Notice some things about the leader mentioned here, who happened to be King David, the leader of Israel. He found joy in God's strength, not his own (v1). God gave him his heart's desire because his heart was set on God (v2). Likewise, God listened and responded to his prayers (v4). This leader discovered his glory by focusing on God's glory (v5). This leader loved to spend time in God's presence and trusted Him fully (vv 6-7). This leader saw the big picture of what God was doing in the world (vv8-12) and realized that the world revolved around God and not himself. Finally, this leader publicly praised the Lord (v13). Do you want to be a great leader that lasts? Then learn some leadership lessons from David's example. Let your leadership be an extension of God's glory not you trying to create your own glory.

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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 4-- No Mountain High Enough

We stood along the bank of Alaska's Copper River and listened to our guide tell us the stories of how early settlers had reached that spot. Inspired by the prospects of gold, these adventurers traversed steep mountains, trekked across dangerous glaciers, and stared down the wildest of creatures. Most, however, never struck it rich. In fact, few found gold at all. The real "gold" was in selling supplies to these fortune seekers! I am inspired, however, by the determination of these people who were willing to risk it all in an attempt to better their lives. It also makes me wonder why we so many people give up when they are faced with even the smallest of obstacles. Zechariah 4 records God's challenge to Zerubbabel to not give up. Zerubbabel was called by God to lead the temple rebuilding effort following the Jews' return to Israel from captivity. Zerubbabel had faced various "mountains" of opposition but God said to him, "Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain" (v7). It didn't matter the size of the mountain or the depth of the challenge because God was bigger than it all. There is, however, a critical fact that Zerubbabel, or for that matter anyone who seeks to overcome mountains in their quest to fulfill God's purpose, had to keep in mind. It is "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts" (v6). We fail at "mountain" climbing because we try to do it in our our strength and power. Some fail because the don't even try to venture out with God. They feel so insignificant and they can't see how God could ever use them. "For who has despised the day of small things?" asks God (v10). He has an unending supply (vv2-4, 11-12) of whatever is needed to enable you to fulfill the calling He has placed on your life. Let's venture out with God, knowing that there isn't a mountain too tall to climb when we are relying on His power and Spirit.

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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.

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 2-- You're Never Too Old

Hap is a friend of mine and an incredible example that you are never too old to tackle new projects for the Lord. Hap had a colorful life and career. He was a highly decorated military veteran wounded three times in action who worked his way up the ranks to Lt. Colonel. He also worked with some high profile people like J.C. Penney (yes, the man who started the department stores) and others. But his life didn't really start until he was in his 60s--you see, that is when he trusted Christ as his savior. He and his dear wife began taking trips and witnessing behind the "iron curtain" when Eastern Europe was locked in communism and Christian witnessing was outlawed. After the curtain fell, they continued their trips, now as recruiters helping ordinary people go on short-term missions trips. Well into his 80s, Hap was going strong traveling to several countries each year, meeting new people, and impacting everyone he came in contact with. Now 90, Hap continues to display a "can do" attitude even though his body is slowing down. In Ezra 2 we meet a group of people who also had a "can do" attitude, many of whom were 70+ years of age. Numbering nearly 50,000 people, these were the Jews who left the comforts of what had been Babylon to start a new life in Judah where they would rebuild cities and the temple. These were risk takers not satisfied with the status quo. God had moved their hearts to service (chapter 1 verse 5) and now they were putting it all on the line to follow Him and accomplish His purpose. Not only that, but once they got to the land they "offered freely for the house of God...according to their ability" (vv68-69). They sacrificially gave so that the temple could be rebuilt. Hap and these 50,000 Jews are reminders to us that you are never too old to start something new, take risks, or impact others for 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. 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.

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. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.