Frank's Bible Blog

Exodus 11--Planning Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

_________________________ 

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.

Genesis 48-- Imagining Your Children's Future

There have been many times when I have "day dreamed" about what the future might hold for my children when they become adults. I've thought about their future careers and the spouses and children they will one day have. I imagine what the future might be based on what I see in them today. But we need to be careful about the assumptions we make about people's futures, especially our children's. In Genesis 48, Joseph brings his two sons to visit their grandfather Jacob just prior to Jacob's death. Jacob not only blesses his grandsons, but prophetically describes their future (vv19-20). The problem, as Joseph saw it, was that Jacob placed his right hand on the younger child and pronounced a greater blessing on him. "Surely he is mistaken," Joseph thought, "the oldest son will be the greatest." But Jacob knew exactly what he was doing--and history shows that he was right. Like Joseph, sometimes we think we have it figured out. We think as parents we know what will become of our children when they are adults. We don't. God gives different gifts and abilities to each. Some go farther and accomplish more than others. While we can't assume what will happen in the future, we can lay a solid foundation in the present. That is what Jacob did as he recounted God's promises and told of His faithfulness (vv3-4, 15-16). Jacob had walked with God a long, long time. Now it was time to pass that heritage on to his grandchildren and their generation. Their ultimate future would not be in Egypt, but it would be as part of Jacob's "tribes" who eventually came to enjoy God's promised land (vv5-7). Jacob was a prophet--we're not! While we can dream about what the future might hold for our children and grandchildren, there are solid, practical things we can do right now to prepare them for it. Those certainly include laying a strong spiritual foundation. Nothing wrong with dreaming about the future, but let's also act in the present.
_____________
Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at http://www.maxpoint.org/maxpoint/message_board.

Genesis 41-- Your Big Moment

Have you ever been in one of those "big moment" situations? You know, where you have the potential for the opportunity of a lifetime if you don't blow your chance? Maybe it is interviewing for your dream job or auditioning for a theatrical or even television role. I had one of those big moment situations when I was a teenager. I grew up in southern California and had won several local talent shows doing ventriloquism. I managed to get an audition for a children's TV show. My big moment came in a small office in Hollywood as I performed for the show's executive producer and director. I think the director liked me but not the producer. I never got called back. So much for my big TV moment! Well, Joseph in Genesis 41 didn't have a big moment in front of TV producers, he had something even bigger. He had an audience with the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Joseph, as you may recall, was in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Pharaoh had a dream that greatly troubled him and no one could interpret it for him. His butler, who had spent time in prison with Joseph, remembered his cell mate and told Pharaoh about his ability to interpret dreams. After a quick shave and a change of clothes, Joseph now stood before the most powerful person in the world at that time. This was his big moment! He could plead his case and beg Pharaoh to release him from prison. This was possibly a once in a lifetime chance for a pardon. But that is not what Joseph did. Instead of focusing on himself, he focused on Pharaoh's situation and on the Lord. When asked to interpret, Joseph immediately replied, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (v16). You see, Joseph's life did not revolve around himself. His first reaction was not to save his own skin but to glorify God with the abilities God had given him. He put God and others first, and God greatly blessed him. He not only was released from prison but was made the number two leader in all the kingdom. More than that, he became the savior of countless numbers of people as a famine griped the world--a famine for which Joseph had prepared. "So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands" (v57). By placing his focus on God's glory and not his temporary gain, Joseph not only got what he wanted (freedom) but more than he could ever have imagined. You see, God's definition of "big moments" and how they are to be handled may be very different than ours. Let's seek to glorify God, use our gifts and abilities to help others, and then we can leave the "big moment" outcomes to the Lord.
_____________
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.

Acts 6-- Teamwork

Growing up in Southern California, I remember following University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball as a child. When I started paying attention to the Bruins shortly after Coach John Wooden retired in 1975, Wooden was already considered a legend. He is one of the most successful coaches of all time, and led the UCLA Men's Basketball team to an incredible 10 NCAA National Championships, including seven championships in seven straight years. Wooden knew what it took to win. He is quoted as saying "Individuals win trophies but teams win championships." The same is true when it comes to God's work. Notice what it says in Acts 6:7, "Then the word of God spread and the number of disciples multiplied greatly." What caused this breakthrough in the early church that led to increased growth?  It was teamwork.  The first recorded conflict--some of the widows' needs being neglected--could have been a major internal distraction to the young church and its leaders.  The needs were real and needed to be met, yet there were other higher-level needs that also were pressing.  The answer to this predicament was to expand the team by adding what some consider to be the first deacons.  These skillful and godly servants organized to help others and the result was a breakthrough, not just in the church but in the community.  We can experience breakthrough today as each of us finds a place of service in our local churches.  Have you found your place on the team?  If you are a leader, how much effort are you giving to finding, developing and empowering teams?  Maybe the breakthrough you have been praying for is sitting right in front of you. Maybe its time to stop trying to win trophies and start trying to win championships.

_________________________________

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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 Corinthians 14-- Driving in a Fog

Have you ever driven in a real thick fog? No fun is it? It is stressful because you have to pay such close attention to what is right in front of you. It is especially difficult if you are on the freeway. You focus intently on the tail lights of the car in front of you, trying to stay close enough to see them yet far enough back that you can stop if that car suddenly hits its brakes. In a fog, you lose sight of the big picture. It doesn't matter how beautiful the scenery around you might be, you can't see it. Some people approach church, Christian service, and spiritual gifts like they are in a fog. They lose sight of the big picture and focus only on certain gifts or abilities. 1 Corinthians 14 is a reminder that we need to stay out of a spiritual fog and keep things in perspective. The most important thing that we can do is proclaim God's word (vv1,3,5,31,39) but we must do it in an orderly way (vv33,40). Our focus should not be on the minutia of particular gifts but rather on people hearing from God and growing in Him.  Keep that purpose in view and you will keep yourself out of a paralyzing spiritual fog.

_________________________
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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 Corinthians 12-- Snowflakes and Churches

We used to live a few miles from Lake Erie in Ohio. Every winter we would see snow--lots of it! After a while, the snow started to pile up and you just wanted to say "enough already!" But if you paused and looked closely at the snow--especially the flakes as they fell--you saw something beautiful. You saw their incredible diversity. So many flakes yet each one different. If God can make snow flakes so unique, think about how much more special He as made each of us! 1 Corinthians 12 both celebrates the unique gifts that we have from God as believers and challenges us to use them properly. When it comes to our gifts, abilities, uniqueness, etc. we basically have two choices: focus on these things in a divisive way (I'm better than you, or I want what you have) or use them to unite and improve the Body of Christ. God obviously emphasizes team work and the use of our gifts to unite. This is one of the major passages of Scripture dealing with spiritual gifts, and God makes it clear that every believer has at least one (you got it at the point of salvation). How you grow, develop and utilize that gift(s) is up to you.  Do you know what your spiritual gifts are?  If so, are you using them to build up the church?  Or are you squandering something wonderful with which God has entrusted you? If you don't know how God has gifted you, the best way to find out is to get involved in different types of Christian service and see what comes "natural" to you. God has created you unique. He has beautifully gifted you. He has empowered you to make a difference in this life. Join the team, work together with other believers, and impact eternity.

______________

Note: There are many different spiritual gifts surveys or inventories that you can take which can help guide you toward discovering your gifts.  One place you may want to look at is www.churchgrowth.org. Ultimately, however, the only way to really know is to ask the Lord to show you as you engage in ministry.

_________________________
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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Titus 2-- Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

I don't know who first said it, but I like the saying: "If you think you are leading and you look back and no one is following, then you are just taking a walk." Leaders need to lead! God-ordained leaders have a God-given authority and they need to exercise that with boldness, especially when it comes to teaching the truth and correcting those who fall into sin. Titus 2 is about leadership. The chapter begins and ends with "speak these things..." (vv1,15). There are certain things that God expects leaders to speak into the lives of those they are supposed to be leading. Those things concern how the person is to appropriately live for their particular life stage. Paul, in challenging Titus to lead, passes on instructions for older men (v2), older women (v3), younger women (vv4-5), younger men (vv6-8), employees (vv9-10) and everyone (vv11-14). It is important to note that as people move through different life stages they have different challenges. There are different temptations that come at various ages. There are also different kinds of opportunities. Good leaders do not take a cookie-cutter approach to leadership. They note where their followers are at in terms of their life stage, spiritual development, giftedness, etc. They then speak into those lives with exhortations and, at times, rebukes (v15) that are tailored to the follower's situation. So, if you are in leadership, pause today and take a look behind you. Are people really following you or are you just taking a walk? If it is the latter, then maybe the problem is you are not following the leadership principles outlined in Titus 2.

________________________________

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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

2 Timothy 1-- Olympic Toughness

As the world watches the Beijing Olympics, we are reminded that behind the records being set and the medals being won are real people--people with stories of both triumph and tragedy. But those who rise to the top are the ones who refuse to quit in the face of adversity. They overcome opposition, shatter their fears, and press on for the gold. How much more should all of us have this kind of an attitude when it comes to the journey called life. 2 Timothy 1 is a great reminder that life often is not easy, but we must battle through the challenges by keeping our eyes on Christ. Paul, who was imprisoned and had been deserted by many of his "friends," challenges timothy to stand firm in the faith even when faced with hardships (v8). The spirit of fear, he reminds his former protégé, is not from above. Paul reminds all of us of the victory that Christ provides us because He "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (v10).Here is Paul's gold-winning life strategy: 1)use your god-given gifts (v6). 2) Don't be ashamed of Christ (vv8,12). 3) Hold fast to sound doctrine (v13) and 4) Walk in the Spirit (v14). Sounds like a great plan that we all can use to be winners in life!
_________________________

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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 Timothy 4-- From Bookshelves to Real Living

Leadership is a hot topic today both in the church and society in general. More and more bookstore space is being given to the topic as it seems a new title hits the shelves daily. Personally, I enjoy reading books on leadership and usually find them helpful. But there is one book, the Bible, that has been guiding leaders for hundreds of years. Its timeless truths don't need any revisions and are applicable to today. Consider 1 Timothy 4 which provides eight instructions for godly leadership. First, godly leaders should point out false teachings (vv1-6). They should be disciplined in their pursuit of godliness (v8). Third, they should continually proclaim the gospel (vv9-11) while also being a consistent example of the believers (v12). They should be able to publicly instruct others in the Word of God (v13). It is also important for them to discover and develop their own spiritual gifts so that they in turn can help others develop their gifts (v14). Leaders should never stop growing (v15). Finally, leaders need to guard themselves and their beliefs (v16). These are timeless leadership expectations that every Christian leader should meet.
_________________________

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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Luke 4-- On Purpose

Every organization needs to know its purpose in order to be successful. Companies must ask "what business are we really in? Why are we doing what we do?" Having purpose doesn't guarantee success but a lack of it almost certainly guarantees mediocrity at best, and failure at worse. Strategic planning starts with purpose, then addresses vision--where you want to be at a certain point in time. Next it looks at mission--what we are here to do together that will move us towards our vision. Likewise, as individuals we need a clear understanding of purpose and then a vision for our life and an understanding of our mission. Jesus exemplified this in Luke 4. His clear sense of purpose is what enabled Him to overcome the devil's temptations (vv1-13). Jesus would not surrender long-term benefits for short-term gain. Jesus' vision was that no one would perish but all would come to repentance. So He went everywhere--even to those whom He knew would reject Him (vv23-29). His mission was prophesied by Isaiah (61:1-3) and He declared it to those gathered in the Nazareth synagogue--preach good news, liberate the spiritually captive, heal those with physical and emotional needs, and usher in God's age of grace (vv18-20). Jesus begins the fulfillment of that mission in the rest of this chapter as His public ministry gathers momentum. If you are struggling with consistency in your Christian walk, have an emptiness, or feel unfulfilled, maybe it is because you lack purpose, vision or mission. Do you have a clear understanding of why God brought you into this world? Do you have a vision of what you would like to see God do through your life in say the next 10 years? Do you understand the talents, gifts, abilities and callings that God has equipped you with so that you can find and fulfill your mission? If not, I would encourage you to spend some extended time praying about these things and then seek out godly counsel. Let's live our lives on purpose.
_________________________

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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Luke 3-- The Specialists

They are called different things in different sports, but they are the specialty players who have a very specific focus and purpose in the game. In football it is the special teams player. In baseball it may be the closer. The closer, for example, is a pitcher who typically comes in at the very end of the game to "close it out." He may only face one hitter, but it is his job to immediately throw strikes and get the batter out. A closer knows he is not going to pitch nine innings--that is not his role. Spiritually, I believe there is a stage that God wants to move us into called the deployment stage, which I write about in Maxpoint. This is the place in life where we know what it is that God has called us to do and we do it with focus and determination. It is about learning how to say "no" to good things so that we can say "yes" to the greater things. Luke 3 is a good example of this as we are introduced to the ministry of John, often referred to as "the Baptist." John knew his specific role in God's plan--to prepare the way for Christ (vv16-17). He fulfilled that role with determination and boldness. He spoke out against sin among the common people (v7), government workers (vv12-13), military personnel (v14) and even political leaders (v19). This boldness and focus eventually cost him his life, but he died honoring God. He didn't compromise his calling, beliefs or message. Can the same be said of you? Have you deployed into the unique role that God designed for you? Are you serving Him with focus and determination?
_________________________

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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Mark 10-- The Game Plan

Every good coach has a plan before the game starts. This game plan is based on the strengths and weaknesses of the coach's team and how they match up to the opposing team. The coach details that plan with the team so they can properly execute it. Well, God is the ultimate coach and He definitely has a plan. He has a perfect plan for marriage, for salvation, for believers and for individuals. We see these four plans laid out in Mark 10.

God's perfect plan for marriage is one man for one woman for life (vv1-12). For salvation, God makes it clear there is only one way. We must come to God with a child-like faith (vv13-16) that is willing to place our faith in Christ's sacrifice for our sin (vv32-34)and nothing else (vv17-27). It is so simple yet seems so impossible to many (vv26-27), including a rich young man whom Jesus met (vv17-22). For those who make that commitment and follow Christ, He promises blessings both now and for eternity (vv29-31). As His followers, God's plan is for us to serve one another (vv35-45). Finally, God has an unique plan for us as individuals. He cares about us personally, as we see demonstrated by Jesus' healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus (vv46-52). Yes, there were the crowds around Jesus, but there was also the individual who needed a touch, who needed a new start in life, and that is what he got through Christ. God has a general plan that He wants everyone to follow when it comes to marriage, salvation and service. He also sees us as individuals that He uniquely created, gifted, and called to make a difference in this world. As such, He has a unique plan for each one of us. My experience has been that it is a lot easier to understand that specific will for our lives when we are already following His general plan for everyone. So, now that you know the plan, it's time to get into the game.
_________________________
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 www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Ephesians 4-- The Dream Team

Historically, it is the most successful team in Olympic history. The U.S.A. Men's Basketball Team had long dominated international competition. When professionals were allowed to participate, it extended its dominance by fielding the "dream team" at the 1992 Olympics. They won the gold that year and in the next two Olympics. But by 2004, the bottom dropped out for team U.S.A. as it lost more games in that Olympics than it had in all the prior Olympiads combined. Faced with improved competition and the fact the the team was made up of individuals superstars who hadn't played together before, they fell apart. Individually they were incredible. As a team, sub-par. They lacked unity and team work.  Ephesians 4 is a great description of the kind of team God wants to build with His children--and it is remarkably different than the 2004 U.S.A. team. It is a team that seeks unity (vv 1-6) where each player understands his or her special role (vv7-16) but humbly strives for the greater good. Each player lives up to their potential by dropping "losing" habits such as lust, lying, anger, stealing, laziness, and destructive speech (vv22-31). But successful players must do more than end bad habits. They must replace these with what is good--attitude and actions that seeks to build up the rest of the team (vv25, 28, 32). You and I may never win an Olympic gold medal, but we can experience victory in life as we seek to advance God's "team".
_________________________

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.

Matthew 10-- Your First Job

Can you remember your first job? Can you remember what it was like your first day on the job? My first "real" job was working at a fast food restaurant my senior year of high school. Day one was mostly training, which consisted of reading the employee handbook and watching filmstrips (yes, I did say "filmstrips" and not DVDs) before I was introduced to the cash register--my work station for the next year. In Matthew 10, we see Jesus sending out the disciples on their first jobs. Jesus was all about multiplication and raising up laborers for the harvest. He wasted little time in getting His followers engaged in ministry. His training instructions, however, were far more encompassing than what they would experience in the immediate. No, Jesus was preparing them for the future and long-term ministry. The reality is that much of this chapter applies to anyone doing ministry, including us today.

Notice three principles that Jesus gave that we should take to heart today. First, expect rejection. Christ was opposed and rejected and there will be those who reject us today. Second, trust God to know what to say when witnessing or ministering. Yes, you need to have studied His word, but it is God who will give you the right words. Finally, don't sweat it--God's got everything in control. He knows even the number of hairs on your head (v30) and He will take care of you. You don't have to have a theology degree, know the answer to every biblical question, or have been saved for decades to begin ministering. Trust God to guide you and jump into service for Him. If you are actively serving God, then ask yourself "what am I doing to multiply myself into more laborers for the harvest?"

_________________________

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.

1 Peter 4-- Suffering that Makes a Difference

How often do you think about the suffering that Christ went through for you?  I remember seeing the movie The Passion of the Christ and how it vividly illustrated what Christ went through for us on the cross.  Christ didn't suffer just to suffer; but rather His suffering accomplished certain things.  Chiefly, it provides for our ultimate salvation but it also has other ramifications.  Because of Christ's suffering, we can live victoriously over sin (vv 1-6).  We have direct access to God through prayer, a privilege that we need to be serious about using (v. 7).  Because of what we have received from Christ as a result of His suffering, we should demonstrate love (v8), be hospitable (v.9) and exercise the spiritual gifts that we were given at salvation (vv. 10-11).  Finally, we should not be taken by surprise if we go through seasons of suffering ourselves or face persecution, but we should rejoice that we can be identified with Christ and grow through our circumstances (vv. 12-19).  Sometimes that suffering comes as a direct result of our disobedience (v. 17).  We should never get to the place where we think that just because we have received salvation through the suffering of Christ that we can do whatever we want.  No, God will still judge us (vv. 17-18).  He won't judge us to eternal damnation, but make no mistake, we will be judged.  There are consequences that we face in this life when we stray from the Father's way.  How will you let the suffering of Christ change you today?
_________________________

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.

Romans 12-- Get Into the Game!

It was a stunning upset.  The fifth seeded New York Giants, with less than a minute left in the game, came from behind to beat the previously undefeated New England Patriots to win the 2008 NFL Superbowl.  In an interview after the game, one of the Giants defensive players said "we are just a collection of misfits, and I'm the chief misfit.  But these misfits really came together, now look what we have done."  The misfits came together, learned to work together, and accomplished what few thought was possible.  Friend, the same is true with us.  Honestly, we are misfits but God says we can become an incredible team for His glory--but we have got to get into the game.  Here's the game plan right out of God's playbook in Romans 12.  First, you have to show up to play ("present your bodies" v1).  Second, you have got to get your mind in the game ("renewing your mind" v2).  Next, you have to determine to work as a team--no lone stars on this team (vv 3-5).  Forth, you have to find your position--the one you have been gifted to play (vv 6-8). Fifth, you have to have the right attitude towards your coach and your teammates (vv9-13).  Finally, you must treat the opposing team with respect, even if they are out to hurt you (vv 14-21).  It is one thing to watch a great game from the sidelines or in your living room.  It is quite another thing to be in the middle of the game, lending your talents to make a difference.  Let me encourage you today to make a difference.  Get into the game!
_________________________

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.