Frank's Bible Blog

Psalm 64—Better than a Surveillance Camera

If you have ever been to London and looked closely at the buildings then you have seen security cameras—lots of them. More than any city I know of, London is blanketed with a network of police surveillance cameras tracking the moves of everyone there. It is reported that there are 8,000 cameras in and around the city. You would think that with all of those cameras it would be impossible to get away with any street crimes. Yet the BBC reports that in 2009 only one crime was solved per 1,000 CCTV cameras leading to the capture of eight out of 269 suspected robbers.

It seems more and more that wicked people are getting away with their wickedness all over the world. As believers who seek to live right before the Lord and do good, this can be discouraging. We try to live right yet it seems that wickedness goes unpunished. Sometimes that wickedness is even directed towards us. Just ask the believers who have been arrested around the world for practicing their faith, or the churches whose buildings have been burned simply because they are followers of Christ. In Iraq, for example, a large part of the Christian population has fled the country for fear of their lives.

David in Psalm 64 reminds us that wickedness does not go unnoticed. Yes, “they shoot from ambush at the innocent man” (v4) but God does see them. “God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down” (v7). As the righteous we should “rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him” (v10).

Yes it can be discouraging when it seems as if evil doers are getting away with their sins. But we should always remember that nothing in this world goes unnoticed by God and He will deal with it in His time and in His way.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 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 44-- Abandoned by God?

Have you ever felt all alone? I mean really alone--like God wasn't even there?

You knew you were God's child. You knew you had a solid faith in Him. You knew you were living right before Him. Yet, somehow it seemed that He had forsaken you?

The psalmist who penned Psalm 44 felt exactly that way. He celebrated the things that God had done (vv1-3). He declared his complete allegiance to the Lord (vv4-7). He gave praise the the Lord (v8). But even with all of this, he felt rejected and crushed by God (vv9,19) and he felt that God was hiding from him (v24).

Sound familiar?

We cannot read this Psalm without also reading Romans 8:35-39, the passage where Paul quotes from Psalm 44. After giving a lengthy list of things that seemingly could separate us from God, Paul declares that we are more than super-conquerors through Christ. There is nothing--absolutely nothing--that can disconnect us from God's love.

"That's great," you say, "but it doesn't change how I feel right now." True.

So what can we do in those times when for no fault of our own we feel isolated from God?

Start by crying out to God, like the psalmist did in verse 26: "Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love." Go back to what you know about God--His promises, His love, His past workings in your life. Use the time to evaluate your walk with the Lord and intensify your focus on Him. Increase your prayer, worship and Bible reading times. Memorize scripture. Meditate on Christian songs.

Draw near to Him and He promises to draw near to you.

This "desert" time in your life actually may be a season that God wants to use to take your relationship with Him to a new level. Embrace it!

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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 36-- Space Aliens Over God?

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

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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 32--A Saint in Sin

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

 

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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 17-- Nothing to Hide

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

Exodus 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 9--What Will It Take?

It's painful to watch those who you love make terrible, even tragic, mistakes with their lives. They push people away, reject God, and choose a lifestyle that ultimately has a very bad ending. You want so desperately for these people to wake up and realize their need before it is too late. For some people, however, it takes tragedy to get their attention.

Such was the case with Pharaoh and many of the Egyptians that we see in Exodus 9. Up to the plague of hail in this chapter, the previous plagues hit all the Egyptians--there was no avoiding them. But here, God gives them a chance to avoid it. He gives them advanced warning of impending destruction. They could bring in from the fields their livestock, servants, and anything else perishable and put in them shelter. Verse 20 tells us that there were some of Pharaoh's officials who did fear the Lord, and they obeyed and were spared. Those who chose to ignore suffered the consequences, Pharaoh included.

After this devastating plague that did in fact wipe out people and animals, Pharaoh acknowledged his sin for the first time and admitted that the Lord was right (v27). Moses knew better, however, than to get excited by Pharaoh's confession. You see, it is one thing to acknowledge that you were wrong; it is quite another thing to do something about it! Pharaoh once again hardened his heart.

With some people, it does take tragedy after tragedy to get their attention before they will even recognize their sin. That was the case with Pharaoh. But recognizing is not enough--there has to be action. Something has to be done about it. That's where choice comes in. We can choose God's remedy for sin, or we can ignore it and keep doing what we were doing.

Maybe it is you who keeps making poor choices and causing grief for those who love you.

Are you prideful like Pharaoh? What will it take to get your attention? What will it take to break down that pride and acknowledge God and accept His salvation? Admitting that you blew it is one thing; allowing God to change you is quite another.

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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.

Psalm 60--Moving from Politics to Prayer

Several years ago I had the opportunity to attend a dinner held in conjunction with the National Prayer Breakfast. The annual breakfast is actually more like a series of lunches, dinners and other meetings that culminate with the breakfast. Its history dates back to the 1930s.

The dinner I was at was made up of politicians, business leaders, and ministers all from the same state. It was an interesting group, with people holding polar opposite political views from each other. But for a short time they put aside their differences, visited with each other over a meal, and prayed together.

Too bad this is only once a year!

Yes, politicians need to spend more time considering the Lord and praying for their nation, but so do those of us who aren't elected officials. We all need to be in prayer for our nation. (This blog is read by folks all over the world--and whatever country you live in, your nation needs prayer as well.) We should pray for our lands and for our leaders that they would acknowledge God and bring Him glory in what they do.

Psalm 60 could be considered a national psalm or prayer. It was written by King David when his country was having a tough time militarily. The nation's enemies were winning some battles, but as David turned to the Lord, they experienced an overwhelming victory. Notice seven things about David from this psalm, and pray that our leaders would emulate them:

1. David looked at his nation from God's perspective. Were they pleasing Him or had they turned their back on the Lord? (v1)
2. Although David was a warrior and had an army, he knew that ultimately any victory would have to be from above (vv5,11). History is full of stories where smaller, less-skilled forces defeated large armies of skilled warriors. David's faith was in the Lord not his military.
3. David saw the hardships that were facing his nation as lessons God was using to get their attention (vv3,10).
4. David shifted his primary focus from politics and war planning to spiritual matters. He would pray and lead his people to seek God's face (v6).
5. David asked for God's intervention in the nation. He saw himself as a steward, not the owner, of the nation. It belonged to God (vv6-7).
6. David praised the Lord when God responded and the tide turned in his favor. He didn't take the credit for victory; instead, he gave all the glory to God (v12).
7. David continued his focus on the Lord after the crisis was resolved.

Stop now and pray these seven points for your political leaders. Then, let's not let prayer for our nation be just an annual event, but rather let's make it a regular part of our prayer 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 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 52-- Don't Want that on my Grave Marker!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 44-- Abandoned by God?

Have you ever felt all alone? I mean really alone--like God wasn't even there?

You knew you were God's child. You knew you had a solid faith in Him. You knew you were living right before Him. Yet, somehow it seemed that He had forsaken you?

The psalmist who penned Psalm 44 felt exactly that way. He celebrated the things that God had done (vv1-3). He declared his complete allegiance to the Lord (vv4-7). He gave praise the the Lord (v8). But even with all of this, he felt rejected and crushed by God (vv9,19) and he felt that God was hiding from him (v24).

Sound familiar?

We cannot read this Psalm without also reading Romans 8:35-39, the passage where Paul quotes from Psalm 44. After giving a lengthy list of things that seemingly could separate us from God, Paul declares that we are more than super-conquerors through Christ. There is nothing--absolutely nothing--that can disconnect us from God's love.

"That's great," you say, "but it doesn't change how I feel right now." True.

So what can we do in those times when for no fault of our own we feel isolated from God?

Start by crying out to God, like the psalmist did in verse 26: "Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love." Go back to what you know about God--His promises, His love, His past workings in your life. Use the time to evaluate your walk with the Lord and intensify your focus on Him. Increase your prayer, worship and Bible reading times. Memorize scripture. Meditate on Christian songs.

Draw near to Him and He promises to draw near to you.

This "desert" time in your life actually may be a season that God wants to use to take your relationship with Him to a new level. Embrace it!

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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 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 36-- Why Evolution is so Important

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

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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 32--A Saint in Sin

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

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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.

Zechariah 13--How Clear are You?

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

Zechariah 12--Time Travel

Have you ever wished that you could time travel into the future? There have been many movies, TV shows, books, etc. with this as their theme, and many people have fascinated about it. If you could discover the future, would it have an effect on how you actually live today? I suspect that it would. I suspect that we would see things that would cause us to want to live differently so as to change the outcome. In Zechariah 12, God gives us a glimpse into the future. He shows us a time when the nations will gather against Israel (vv 2-3) but they will be destroyed (vv4-9). He also describes a time when "The inhabitants of Jerusalem...will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son..." (v10). There is great mourning when these who have been filled with the "Spirit of grace" (v10) see the Lord Jesus Christ and realize that they were responsible for Him being pierced. They were responsible for His death. Who are the "they?" Certainly those alive with Christ who shouted "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" But in reality, it is all of us because it was your sin and my sin as well as the shouting crowd's sin that pierced Christ. When one day we see Christ's hands, feet, and side and we realize how much He really did suffer for us, we too will grieve over our sin. But now that we have time traveled and gotten a glimpse into the future, thanks to this chapter, should this change how we live now? Should we be more aware of our sin and how it hurts Christ? Should we grieve and mourn over our sin now? If we did, would it then cause us to live more holy, more pleasing lives now that would bring greater honor to the One who was pierced for 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 share this blog with your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Zechariah 9-- The Only Thing Constant is Change

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

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

Zechariah 5-- The Elephant in the Room

You have probably heard or used the term "the elephant in the room." It refers to the one big thing on everyone's mind in a particular group that no one is brave enough to bring up and discuss. This often happens in meetings where everyone knows there is a problem--usually caused by a particular person who happens to be sitting in the group. They talk about everything else but the "elephant." They deal with all the small issues but are afraid to tackle to big one, the one that ultimately is causing the other issues. This also happens with marriages that are having difficulties. Couples tend to focus on all the small issues rather than dealing with the big things or real root problems. In Zechariah 5 we are reminded that the real elephant in many of our rooms is sin. We dress it up and call it by different names, but it is still sin, and it is something that should not be ignored. In this chapter Zechariah tells of two visions that he had. The first was of a scroll that when unrolled measured 30 feet by 15 feet. "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth" (v3) because sin was found throughout the earth. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God," we are told in the New Testament. Man is without excuse, and if he remains in that sinful state, he will experience God's judgment (v4). The second vision is of a woman representing wickedness who is stuffed into a basket which then has a heavy lid placed on it. The basket is transported to Babylon where it awaits a house to be built for its placement. Scholars offer various opinions on what this vision represents, but one thing is clear. God deals with wickedness. This brings us back to the elephant in the room. We can either ignore the elephant and wait for God to bring judgment, or we can deal with it and move on with a life that pursues the holiness of God. The choice is up to each of us.

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

Zechariah 1-- Learning from History

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

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

Ezra 10--High Value May Require High Sacrifice

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

Ezra 9-- Stupid is as Stupid Does

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

Psalm 17-- Nothing to Hide

One moment the magician was on stage alone with an empty cage. The next moment he is standing with a tiger. A moment later he is standing behind where our family was seated in the theater and the tiger was gone. It was pretty amazing! Now I must admit, I have always enjoyed watching "magicians" ever since I was a kid. You know you are watching an illusion, but a good magician hides his props and tools so well that it makes you think it is magical. Whether we realize it or not, a lot of us have become pretty good illusionists. No, we are not making tigers appear or somehow tele-porting ourselves to another place, but we give the illusion that everything is right in our lives. Sometimes we even try to pull that trick on God--but it never works with Him. David, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to hide in Psalm 17. He knew he was walking right before the Lord. "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress...I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer" (vv3-4). No sleight of hand with David. He was careful about how he lived and welcomed God's examination of his life. Because he was an open book, David enjoyed an incredibly intimate relationship with the Lord. "Keep my as the apple of Your eye," he says in verse 8. Like David, let us ask God to keep our steps in His path (v5), guard our mouths (v3), and keep ourselves from evil (v4) that we, too, may have nothing to hide.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Psalm 10-- Where is God in the Wickedness?

Does it seem to you like the world is getting more and more wicked? You don't have to watch a TV newscast for very long or read too far into a news story before you see evil. Sometimes it is pure evil, like those who kill large numbers of people. Sometimes it is pure wickedness, those who openly rebel against anything and everything holy and righteous. Psalm 10 gives us some characteristics of people like this and a reminder that we all need to keep before us. The wicked are unrestrained (v3). They do whatever they feel like doing, with no sense of moral obligation. They are self-consumed and give no thought whatsoever of God (vv3-4). To others they seem unstoppable, and to themselves they feel invincible (vv5-6). The wicked look for easy targets, oppressing those who are the weakest and most vulnerable (vv7-10). Finally, the wicked think they can get away with what they are doing and will never have to face judgment (vv11,13). But remember this--God does see everything (v14). Nothing is hidden from God. He can, and has, brought the mightiest of this world to their knees (v16). In His time, God will bring justice (vv14,18)
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.