Frank's Bible Blog

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

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.

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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 51--Do You Frequent the Car Wash?

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

Then it was once a month.

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

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

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

Think about Psalm 51 as a car wash.

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

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

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

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

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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 50-- Your Day in Court?

"All rise," the bailiff commands, "the honorable Judge Smith is now presiding."

A familiar scene played out in courtrooms all the time. The parties are assembled, the jury is in place, the judge makes his or her entry and takes control of the proceedings.

Now with that scene firmly in your mind's view, consider another courtroom as described in Psalm 50.

This courtroom is much greater than that which typically holds 2-3 dozen people. In this courtroom the whole world is assembled. Then the Judge makes His grand entry. Before the bailiff can give his command a hush fills the assembly as those gathered look on with awe at the presence of the Judge--no ordinary judge, but God Himself.

There is no jury.

There is no prosecutor.

They are not needed for the righteous, perfect Judge will handle this Himself.

There are two defendants on trial. The first is a believer who has all the outward formalism of worship but lacks it inside. He looks spiritual but is missing any real spiritual vitality. He does all the "church" things but his devotional life is nearly non-existent. He lives a self-focused life rather than a life of thanksgiving to God. When difficulties arise he turns to himself, others, or to worry in an effort to solve his problems.

The second defendant is not a believer but sure can talk like one. He knows the lingo, knows many of God's instructions, and often tells these to others. But he lives just the opposite. He lives a life that is wicked and opposed to God.

The Judge turns and addresses the first defendant.

"Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me" (vv14-15).

It is a stunning reminder of how this defendant used to live and a dramatic call to once again place the Lord first in his life.

The judge then speaks to the second defendant.

"These things you have done and I kept silent...But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue" (vv21-22).

A chill goes through everyone who heard these words. "He's giving him another chance," the crowd whispers to each other, "what will he do with it? Will he turn away from his sin and embrace God? Or will he one day have to face God's wrath?

If this scene were played out today, would you be one of the defendants?
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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 42-- Lessons from My Time in a Ford Pinto

I have vivid childhood memories of hot California summers riding in the back of my mother's Ford Pinto station wagon--the one with no air conditioning--and wishing more than anything to have something to drink.

To a young child, the few minutes drive in the heat seemed like an eternity. My thoughts were consumed with Kool-Aid, Coke, juice--anything to quench the thirst.

In Psalm 42 the psalmist describes a similar scene--no, not a young boy in the back of a Pinto--but a deer desperate to find a stream of cool, refreshing water. Likewise, the psalmist says, his soul desperately thirsts for God. His thoughts were consumed with meeting with God.

Just like the thought of a cold Coca Cola to a young Pinto-bound boy, or a cool stream to a weary deer, God was all this writer could think about.

What happens when we have that kind of fixation on the Lord? What happens when we reach the level where everything within us longs to be in the presence of God through His word, worship and prayer?

When that happens, it gives us an unusual ability to thrive in life.

Our tears of sorrow turn to joy (vv3-4).

When our innermost being is downcast, it gives us hope (vv 5,11).

When people tease us, look down on us, or even persecute us for our faith, it gives us strength (vv9-10). "Why so downcast?" the psalmists asks, "put your hope in God."

How thirsty are you for God today? How consumed are you with spending time in His presence? Maybe if we would be a little more consumed with God we would be a little less consumed by the pressures of life.

When is your next meeting with God?

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

Psalm 40-- Stuck in the Mud

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

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

Psalm 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 34--You're Standing on an Enormous Power Supply

It has been there all along but until recent years no one knew it. It is called the Barnett Shale, one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the United States, and it underlies 5,000 square miles of Texas. Above the ground of this energy field sits houses, businesses, a church and even the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. These individuals and organziations were sitting on a "gold" mine. Once the discovery was made and gas companies began to tap into the Barnett shale, the money began to flow to the property owners. This enormous source of energy was right there all along but it didn't do anyone any good until it was finally tapped into. As believers, we are sitting on top of an incredible "power field," if you will. But this isn't energy that can be burned up. No, this is the power of All-Mighty God. In Psalm 34 we are told that God stands ready to answer, deliver, save from trouble, send angels, provide for every need, see, hear, draw close to the brokenhearted, save the crushed in spirit, protect, redeem, and condemn the foes of His followers. All of this is available to the believer, but must first be tapped into. How do we "tap into" the incredible power and peace that God offers? David in this chapter says we are to extol, praise, boast of, glorify, exalt, seek, look to, call, taste, take refuge in, and fear the Lord. When we turn to the Lord in this way, then He is quick to respond with a vast array of benefits. But, we must seek Him. We must fear Him. We must demonstrate our complete dependency on the Lord. By trusting in Him and not ourselves or anyone or anything else, we tap into an incredible power supply that will never run out.

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

Psalm 33-- An Unusual Sight on the Capitol Steps

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

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

Psalm 28-- Are You Generic?

In business, companies are always trying to differentiate themselves and their products from their competition. What makes them different from everyone else? Why should you buy from them? Some products, however, take the opposite approach--they try to blur the distinctions between themselves and a better known product. Generic foods are a great example of this. Often they are even packaged to look similar to the national name brand. They try to make you feel that they are identical to the recognized brand so that you will be comfortable buying it. As Christians, we are called to differentiate ourselves from non-believers--not blur the lines! The problem with some Christians is that they have "packaged" themselves in such a way that they so resemble the the world that it is not easy to tell them apart. They act like everyone else around them. There is little distinction. In Psalm 28 David said he did not want to be like those who are outside of God. He wanted his prayers answered (v2) and God to deliver him (vv6-7). Yes, there were those around him "Who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts" (v3) and he did not want to be like them. Instead, he would put his trust in the Lord (v7), he would worship the Lord (v7), and he would lead a holy life before the Lord (v2). Don't be generic! Let people see the light of Christ in your life.

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

Psalm 26-- Maintaining Your Innocence

The headline read "18 Dallas County Cases Overturned By DNA Relied Heavily on Eyewitness Testimony." It went on to tell how 19 criminal convictions had been overturned based on new DNA evidence, 18 of which got their original convictions because of faulty eyewitness testimony. I'm sure all 19 men falsely accused of these crimes maintained their innocence even in prison. In the case of one man, he had been imprisoned 15 years before the mistake was discovered. These men were exonerated from within--from their DNA. Others looked at them and made mistakes, but they knew the truth. In Psalm 26, David boldly declares his innocence before the Lord. He took great precautions to make sure that he lived rightly, and he welcomed God's examination of his life. It didn't matter what eyewitnesses might say, what really mattered was what God would say because God knew what was within him. How could David be so bold about his innocence before the Lord? What did he do to ensure he was pure? First, he placed his trust in the Lord (v1). Second, he walked in real truth--God's truth (v3). Third, he guarded his relationships so that he did not spend significant time with those who worshiped other gods, were hypocrites, or who were just wicked (vv4-5). Fourth, he was vocal in speaking about the Lord (v7). Fifth, he spent time in God's house (v8). Finally, he was consistently righteous (vv1,11). These are great steps that we all should take to maintain our innocence before the Lord.


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

Psalm 25-- Lessons from the Karate Kid

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


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

Psalm 24-- Keeping the Unseen in Perspective

When I turned 40 I decided that I wanted to get a body scan--a high-tech imaging of the major body organs. I waited almost two years but eventually had it done. It was fascinating to sit with the doctor and watch the results on a computer screen. I could see what was inside of me, section by section! We don't usually think much about our heart, lungs, liver, etc. until something goes wrong. Those organs are always present with us, but since they are out of sight, we ignore them. We probably give no thought to how these organs work--we just know that they do. God is like this for many people, even believers. He is always present, but since we don't see Him we tend to forget about Him--at least until something goes wrong! Psalm 24 challenges us to always keep God before us and see Him for Who He is. First, we are reminded that everything and everyone belongs to Him (vv1-2). Second, we are told that while we have free access to God, we cannot approach Him flippantly. If we want to stand before Him expecting Him to pour out His blessing on us, then we need to come before Him in an appropriate way (v3) with purity of actions and heart (v4). Finally, we need to see the Lord as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the only one with an everlasting kingdom (v9) who has never been and never will be defeated! Just because you can't see your heart doesn't mean you shouldn't pay attention to it. The same is true with God. Let's keep the Unseen in perspective.

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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.

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 12--Getting a New Calendar

There is just something special about starting fresh, starting new. Whether it's a new home, new city, new job, new school grade or a new situation. It's an opportunity to leave whatever happened in the past behind and focus on making a new life. Sometimes we all need a fresh start. Our surroundings may not change, but we just need to reboot and take a new approach to life.

In Exodus 12:2 God said something interesting to Moses and Aaron. "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." God threw out the calendar and told the Israelites that they were starting fresh.

You see, they were getting ready to conduct the first-ever passover ceremony just hours before leaving Egypt for good. 430 years to the day (v40) after their ancestors frist arrived, Moses and the rest of the Israelites walked out of Egypt, leaving their past behind to start a new life. The years of bondage were now over. The road ahead would not be easy. There would be temptations to turn back to the old lifestyle and situations where their faith would be tested. But now they had an opportunity to become something special--to become their own people, their own nation. Most of all, they had the opportunity to serve the Lord without hindrance.They would have the opportunity to remember for generations to come how the Lord kept watch over them and gave them a new beginning (v42).

Friend, regardless of what the calendar says, today can be the first day of a new year for you. Today can be the day that you are set free from bondage. Today can be the day when you leave your baggage in the past and experience victory in the Lord. Today can be the day when you start a new walk in your marriage, with your children, on your job or with Christ. God can forgive you today and He can guide you into a better way. There will be challenges on the road ahead, but there will also be great opportunities to make your life count for God in a significant way.

You must make the choice: stay in Egypt by doing what you've been doing or embrace the new calendar by moving ahead with the Lord.

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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 8--One More Night with the Frogs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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.

Psalm 65--Escape to the Comfy Room

My wife and I love to entertain folks at our home and regularly have people over. Our living room is nice but on the formal side, and it's where we will greet guests or visit if the guests aren't staying long.

The living room is pleasant but no where near as comfortable as an upstairs room we call the media room. The dark carpeting and richly-painted walls set a nice ambiance. The sofas are extremely comfortable, and every seat reclines. This is where we really like to entertain--especially during football season.

Kick off your shoes, fill a plate with some chips, grab a can of soft-drink--and cheer on the Dallas Cowboys! This room is a warm, comfortable and inviting place. It's also where we like to hang-out as a family even when we don't have guests. You feel at ease there. It's relaxing.

This picture is what I see when I read Psalm 65. The psalmist wrote, "Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house..." (v4). Another translation says "We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house."

I picture God inviting me into His house and taking me to His "comfy room"--an incredibly warm and relaxing room where He gives me the opportunity to hang-out with Him. I settle into the comfy chair, kick-back, and listen. I'm at ease. This time, however, there's no ballgame to watch. No, there is something much better. The opportunity to spend time in the presence of the Creator.

What do I say? What do I hear? What is the conversation about?

It's about how God hears prayer (v2). It is about His incredible grace that forgave us when we were overwhelmed with sin (v3).

It is a time to reflect on His "awesome deeds" (v5) and celebrate His creative genius and strength (vv6-7). It's a time to pause and consider how He cares for this earth (v9), bringing water and grain to provide for the needs of those who dwell here (vv9-11). It's a time to reflect on the beauty of His creation (vv12-13).

Do you daily enter into that "comfy room" with the Lord? Not necessarily a physical room with reclining chairs, but entering into God's presence where you spend time worshiping Him and listening to what He has to say? Do you crawl up next to Him and simply look on in awe of who He is? Do you pull away from the busyness of life to experience His refreshing? Are you allowing Him to fill you with the good things that come from hanging-out with Him?

Today, you may feel like you are running on empty. You may feel like you are being pulled in every direction. You no sooner got out of bed today than you were ready to head back. Maybe you are discouraged or disappointed. Let me suggest that you head to the comfy room. Spend some time with the Lord reading His word, worshiping Him, praying to Him, listening to Him.

You might be surprised how rested, calm and encouraged you are the rest of the day.

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

Psalm 63-- Nothing Like a Good Buffet

I like a good buffet.

I know they probably aren't the best for you because it is easy to over-eat, but I still like them. I like variety. I like picking out exactly what I want. I like eating as much as I want for the same price. I like not having to eat something if I don't like it and the ability to easily substitute it for something else.

Now, I don't like just any buffet.

I don't like buffets where the food has been sitting under heat lamps for hours. I don't like buffets that don't have much variety. I don't like buffets where they sacrifice quality for quantity. But I do like good buffets! I like buffets that leave me satisfied knowing I got a good value while enjoying something delicious.

Did you know God is like a good buffet? At least, that's how I view David's words in Psalm 63:5 when he said to the Lord, "My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods."

David had reached an incredibly soul-satisfying place in his relationship with God. David had discovered that God's love was better than life itself (v3). When David began to taste and see the full magnitude of God's goodness it moved him to action. Notice what he said to God:

• I seek you (v1)
• I see you (v2)
• I behold your glory (v2)
• I glorify you (v3)
• I praise you (v4)
• I lift up my hands in your name (v4)
• I'm satisfied with you (v5
• I sing to you (v5)
• I remember you (v6)
• I wake up thinking about you (v6)
• I sing in your shadow (v7)
• I cling to you (v8)
• I rejoice in you (v11)

Wow! When your soul gets to the place where it experiences the full satisfaction of living in God's presence you cannot help but take action. You cannot keep silent. Your thoughts are filled with thoughts of the Lord and you burst out with praise. You are consumed with Him.

How did David reach that level? "Earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (v1). When you and I desire God as much as we desire water in the middle of a desert heat wave, then we too will have that kind of soul-satisfying relationship.

And that's better than the best buffet you can find anywhere in this world.

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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 51--Do You Frequent the Car Wash?

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

Then it was once a month.

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

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

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

Think about Psalm 51 as a car wash.

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

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

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

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

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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 50-- Your Day in Court?

"All rise," the bailiff commands, "the honorable Judge Smith is now presiding."

A familiar scene played out in courtrooms all the time. The parties are assembled, the jury is in place, the judge makes his or her entry and takes control of the proceedings.

Now with that scene firmly in your mind's view, consider another courtroom as described in Psalm 50.

This courtroom is much greater than that which typically holds 2-3 dozen people. In this courtroom the whole world is assembled. Then the Judge makes His grand entry. Before the bailiff can give his command a hush fills the assembly as those gathered look on with awe at the presence of the Judge--no ordinary judge but God Himself.

There is no jury.

There is no prosecutor.

They are not needed for the righteous, perfect Judge will handle this Himself.

There are two defendants on trial. The first is a believer who has all the outward formalism of worship but lacks it inside. He looks spiritual but is missing any real spiritual vitality. He does all the "church" things but his prayer and devotional life is nearly non-existent. He lives a pretty self-focused life rather than a life of thanksgiving to God. When difficulties arise he turns to himself, others, or to worry in an effort to solve his problems, rather than turning first to the Lord.

The second defendant is not a believer but sure can talk like one. He knows the lingo, knows many of God's instructions, and often tells these to others. But he lives just the opposite. He lives a life that is wicked and opposed to God.

The Judge turns and addresses the first defendant.

"Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me" (vv14-15).

It is a stunning reminder of how this defendant used to live and a dramatic call to once again place the Lord first in his life.

The judge then speaks to the second defendant. 

"These things you have done and I kept silent...But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue" (vv21-22).

A chill goes through everyone who heard these words. "He's giving him another chance," the crowd whispers to each other, "what will he do with it? Will he turn away from his sin and embrace God? Or will he one day have to face God's wrath?

If this scene were played out today, would you have to be one of the defendants?
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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 42-- Lessons from My Time in a Ford Pinto

I have vivid childhood memories of hot California summers riding in the back of my mother's Ford Pinto station wagon--the one with no air conditioning--and wishing more than anything to have something to drink.

To a young child, the few minutes drive in the heat seemed like an eternity. My thoughts were consumed with Kool-Aid, Coke, juice--anything to quench the thirst.

In Psalm 42 the psalmist describes a similar scene--no, not a young boy in the back of a Pinto--but a deer desperate to find a stream of cool, refreshing water. Likewise, the psalmist says, his soul desperately thirsts for God. His thoughts were consumed with meeting with God.

Just like the thought of a cold Coca Cola to a young Pinto-bound boy, or a cool stream to a weary deer, God was all this writer could think about.

What happens when we have that kind of fixation on the Lord? What happens when we reach the level where everything within us longs to be in the presence of God through His word, worship and prayer?

When that happens, it gives us an unusual ability to thrive in life.

Our tears of sorrow turn to joy (vv3-4).

When our innermost being is downcast, it gives us hope (vv 5,11).

When people tease us, look down on us, or even persecute us for our faith, it gives us strength (vv9-10). "Why so downcast?" the psalmists asks, "put your hope in God."

How thirsty are you for God today? How consumed are you with spending time in His presence? Maybe if we would be a little more consumed with God we would be a little less consumed by the pressures of life.

When is your next meeting with God?

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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 41-- Nightmares Disappear in the Presence of Father

It was late at night when the faint knock came to my bedroom door. It was my son and he had had a bad dream. He had climbed out of the top of his bunk bed and journeyed down the stairs to my bedroom.

 

You see, he needed to be in the presence of his father.

 

I opened the door and we made our way to the living room, where he sat on my lap and told me about his nightmare. I held him, prayed over him, and then he promptly went back to sleep.

 

All was well.

 

When he spent time in his father's presence, he gained emotional strength. When he spent time in his father's presence, he was able to forget what had troubled him. When he spent time in his father's presence, he was able to move on with life.

 

In Psalm 41 David reminds us of several things, the greatest of which is the importance of being in God's presence. David tells us of the blessings that come when we give consideration to those who are poor, weak, and in despair (vv1-3).

 

He then goes on to ask for God's mercy and healing for sin he had committed, which apparently also affected his health (vv4-8). In the midst of his personal struggles, he felt abandoned and despised both by his enemies and those close to him (vv5-9), prompting him to cry out to God.

 

The turning point for David came when he realized that God, his Father, was pleased with him (v11) and that God would uphold him.

 

"Set me in your presence forever" is how David worded it (v12). When he realized he was in the presence of Father, he knew everything would be alright.

 

Friend, when you and I spend time in Father's presence we will have compassion for those who are struggling in this world. When we spend time in Father's presence we will become acutely aware of our sin and seek to repent of it. When we spend time in Father's presence we have a sense of security and belonging that rises above life's circumstances.

 

Maybe today it's time to climb out of life's "bunk bed" and make your way into Father’s presence.

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

Psalm 40--Slipping and Sliding

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

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

Psalm 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 34--You're Standing on an Enormous Power Supply

It has been there all along but until recent years no one knew it. It is called the Barnett Shale, one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the United States, and it underlies 5,000 square miles of Texas. Above the ground of this energy field sits houses, businesses, a church and even the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. These individuals and organziations were sitting on a "gold" mine. Once the discovery was made and gas companies began to tap into the Barnett shale, the money began to flow to the property owners. This enormous source of energy was right there all along but it didn't do anyone any good until it was finally tapped into. As believers, we are sitting on top of an incredible "power field," if you will. But this isn't energy that can be burned up. No, this is the power of All-Mighty God. In Psalm 34 we are told that God stands ready to answer, deliver, save from trouble, send angels, provide for every need, see, hear, draw close to the brokenhearted, save the crushed in spirit, protect, redeem, and condemn the foes of His followers. All of this is available to the believer, but must first be tapped into. How do we "tap into" the incredible power and peace that God offers? David in this chapter says we are to extol, praise, boast of, glorify, exalt, seek, look to, call, taste, take refuge in, and fear the Lord. When we turn to the Lord in this way, then He is quick to respond with a vast array of benefits. But, we must seek Him. We must fear Him. We must demonstrate our complete dependency on the Lord. By trusting in Him and not ourselves or anyone or anything else, we tap into an incredible power supply that will never run out.

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

Psalm 33-- An Unusual Sight on the Capitol Steps

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

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

Psalm 28-- Are You Generic?

In business, companies are always trying to differentiate themselves and their products from their competition. What makes them different from everyone else? Why should you buy from them? Some products, however, take the opposite approach--they try to blur the distinctions between themselves and a better known product. Generic foods are a great example of this. Often they are even packaged to look similar to the national name brand. They try to make you feel that they are identical to the recognized brand so that you will be comfortable buying it. As Christians, we are called to differentiate ourselves from non-believers--not blur the lines! The problem with some Christians is that they have "packaged" themselves in such a way that they so resemble the the world that it is not easy to tell them apart. They act like everyone else around them. There is little distinction. In Psalm 28 David said he did not want to be like those who are outside of God. He wanted his prayers answered (v2) and God to deliver him (vv6-7). Yes, there were those around him "Who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts" (v3) and he did not want to be like them. Instead, he would put his trust in the Lord (v7), he would worship the Lord (v7), and he would lead a holy life before the Lord (v2). Don't be generic! Let people see the light of Christ in your life.

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

Psalm 26-- Maintaining Your Innocence

The headline read "18 Dallas County Cases Overturned By DNA Relied Heavily on Eyewitness Testimony." It went on to tell how 19 criminal convictions had been overturned based on new DNA evidence, 18 of which got their original convictions because of faulty eyewitness testimony. I'm sure all 19 men falsely accused of these crimes maintained their innocence even in prison. In the case of one man, he had been imprisoned 15 years before the mistake was discovered. These men were exonerated from within--from their DNA. Others looked at them and made mistakes, but they knew the truth. In Psalm 26, David boldly declares his innocence before the Lord. He took great precautions to make sure that he lived rightly, and he welcomed God's examination of his life. It didn't matter what eyewitnesses might say, what really mattered was what God would say because God knew what was within him. How could David be so bold about his innocence before the Lord? What did he do to ensure he was pure? First, he placed his trust in the Lord (v1). Second, he walked in real truth--God's truth (v3). Third, he guarded his relationships so that he did not spend significant time with those who worshiped other gods, were hypocrites, or who were just wicked (vv4-5). Fourth, he was vocal in speaking about the Lord (v7). Fifth, he spent time in God's house (v8). Finally, he was consistently righteous (vv1,11). These are great steps that we all should take to maintain our innocence before the Lord.


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

Psalm 25-- Lessons from the Karate Kid

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


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

Psalm 24-- Keeping the Unseen in Perspective

When I turned 40 I decided that I wanted to get a body scan--a high-tech imaging of the major body organs. I waited almost two years but eventually had it done. It was fascinating to sit with the doctor and watch the results on a computer screen. I could see what was inside of me, section by section! We don't usually think much about our heart, lungs, liver, etc. until something goes wrong. Those organs are always present with us, but since they are out of sight, we ignore them. We probably give no thought to how these organs work--we just know that they do. God is like this for many people, even believers. He is always present, but since we don't see Him we tend to forget about Him--at least until something goes wrong! Psalm 24 challenges us to always keep God before us and see Him for Who He is. First, we are reminded that everything and everyone belongs to Him (vv1-2). Second, we are told that while we have free access to God, we cannot approach Him flippantly. If we want to stand before Him expecting Him to pour out His blessing on us, then we need to come before Him in an appropriate way (v3) with purity of actions and heart (v4). Finally, we need to see the Lord as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the only one with an everlasting kingdom (v9) who has never been and never will be defeated! Just because you can't see your heart doesn't mean you shouldn't pay attention to it. The same is true with God. Let's keep the Unseen in perspective.

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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 22--Turning Thanksgiving into Thanksliving

Each year here in the U.S. we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a time for families to gather, for enormous quantities of food to be consumed, and in recent years, time to watch football. I would hope that most families also use the time to pause to reflect on and share about the things for which they are thankful. Personally, I love Thanksgiving. But the real issue isn't how we celebrate one day but how we live the 364 other days. Do we turn thanks-giving into thanks-living? Psalm 22 is a good primer on how to do just that. The first 18 verses prophetically describe the Messiah and His suffering on the cross. Thanksliving begins when you grasp the incredible sacrifice that Christ made for you. It continues when you speak openly of what Jesus has done for you (vv22-24) and you declare His work to the next generation (vv30-31). Thanksliving is exemplified when you follow-through on your commitments to God (v25) and live out before others what you say you believe. Thanksliving always keeps an eye to the future, knowing that these momentary toils will one day give way to "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship" before Him (v27). One day we will be able to say "Thank you" face to face with our Lord. Until that day, let's live a thankful life and make every day thanksgiving.
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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.