BCXR28

Our integrity is always demonstrated by what we say. Do we offer more than we can deliver? Do we paint a picture that is overly rosy? Do we dangle a carrot in front of our staff that will be hard to meet? The Scripture says our yes should be yes and our no, no (see Mat 5:37). There is no grey, just black and white. Sometimes it is not easy to say it like it is. Often when circumstances change, we struggle to meet our commitments. Perhaps we should do what we said we will do and let God sort out the consequences. He will honor a stand that is done in line with His requirements of us. We can live by the Word of God, keep our promises, and run a successful, growing, profitable, influential business. Quick Prayer: Jesus, You always demonstrated absolute integrity. Help me to walk like You. Amen.

You want to follow God AND achieve goals with purpose. But you're worried that setting goals will lead you away from God’s plans for you. So, you're wondering, "Is it okay to set goals as a Christian? What does God's Word say about how to do this and stay in line with His will?" God has a lot to say about goals, intentional planning, and stewarding well what we've been given. The short answer: goals are good! Even Jesus had goals. God desires for us to live on purpose, not by accident. The fact that you're asking and seeking His will means you want to do this life well. His Word is about to illuminate for you how to set the right goals and stay motivated to achieve them. But, don’t expect to find a checklist or a quick-fix formula for goal setting in the Bible. If it were that easy, we might read the list, check it off, and never talk to God about our plans. It's not about following rules, it's about a relationship with the One who created you with unique gifts and talents to use, God Himself. The alternative to setting good goals? Wandering around aimlessly, letting life happen to you. Think about it. Did any of the key figures in the Bible just sit around doing nothing? Sure, they had their missteps, but Moses, David, Solomon, Esther, Ruth, John, Paul, and Jesus Himself had goals, and they got after them with God’s strength and wisdom. You're about to do the same, one small step and leap of faith at a time. Pray with me: Lord, I want to follow You, setting goals that align with your will for my life. Thank you for creating me with unique gifts and talents to use for Your greater purpose. I want to go where you're going. Please show me how to set goals the way you desire. I need your wisdom on planning and purpose so I can steward what you've given me—my time, my money, my work, my relationships, my health—right where I am. Open my eyes to Your truth and help it move from my head to my heart to my hands. In Jesus' name. Amen!

How is your skill level? Have you, like a lot of leaders, neglected your own development to serve your company? Diligence is not only applying yourself to your duties with vigor; it is also ensuring you are advancing and growing. If you look after yourself, you will often have more to give others. Do not neglect reading, learning, listening to wisdom, attending a seminar, or meeting together with likeminded businesspeople. Be diligent in your own growth and development and everyone around you will benefit. When that happens, you can present yourself to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed. Invest in yourself, and you will see a return that will bless those around you. Quick Prayer: Lord, help me to help myself and grow in wisdom and knowledge so I may serve You with diligence. Amen.

We serve the God of the breakthrough—the God of the impossible! There is nothing you are facing today He was surprised by. He has the answer, and in many cases, it is already on its way. Please don’t try to cope on your own. Invite Him into your problems, small and large. Sometimes you will get an instant miracle and other times a slow recovery. Occasionally we are put under pressure to produce fruit, change, and be molded in the furnace. We can face these things in the knowledge that He loves us and that all things work together for good for those who love Jesus. Quick Prayer: Lord, help me to understand Your will in this situation and to pray accordingly. Help me in my time of need. Amen.

Martin Luther wrote, “A cobbler, a smith, a farmer, by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the body serve one another.” We are called to stay more often than to go. Doing what you do is the basis of your service to God. He will use you where you are, change you where you are, and grow you where you are. We need to learn to see the sacred in the seemingly ordinary to appreciate God’s plan for our lives. As we submit in this, the motivation will come, the fruit of the Spirit will be manifested, and true ministry will begin to occur. Quick Prayer: Lord, thank You for where You have planted me. Help me to see You in all I do. Amen.

The answer to the incessant voices of comparison and competition you hear is to know God as your qualifier and your approver. As a Christian, you might not have too much trouble believing the first part of today's scripture, but believing the second part - that you have been brought to fullness in Christ - may be more of a struggle. But verse 9 about Jesus cannot be true unless verse 10 about you is true as well. In essence, Paul says, "Let me tell you how full and complete Jesus is." Then in the same breath, he says, "And let me tell you how full and complete you are." He doesn't pause. He doesn't qualify his statement. In the context of the perfection of Christ, he makes a declaration of fullness over you. God wants to speak a different reality over your life. He wants you to know and believe that the fullness of Christ has been given to you. It is finished. It is accomplished. And nothing can change that. You have everything God has in Christ. You are full of love, joy, affirmation, blessing, and strength, so there is no need for comparison and no place for competition. This is the deathblow to the spirit of insecurity that can rule your life apart from Christ. This is the freedom you have in Christ, the security you have when God is your qualifier.

Life and death are harnessed in the power of our tongue! Do we believe this? Even though the tongue is a small thing, it can make grand speeches. A tiny spark, also a small thing, can set a great forest on fire. The rudder of a ship is another small thing that can direct the course of a large vessel. Among all the parts of our body, the tongue is the most powerful and can set your world on fire or breathe life into a weary soul. You choose. The Word tells us that our words can be like a scorching fire, separating close friends, stirring up anger, and providing the folly of fools. In contrast, the Word also says that our tongue can speak words that bring life … words like apples of gold, life-giving water, or honey to the soul. Our words have an impact for good or ill. Our tongue and its power to use words is a unique and influential gift from God. When we read the book of Proverbs, we must notice that verse upon verse about the power of our words keep jumping off the page. Proverbs 12:6 teaches that our words have the power to destroy and the power to build up. Are we using the words from our tongue to build up people or destroy others? Who’s in charge of your tongue? Who can we blame when hurtful things come tumbling out of our mouths? It is imperative that we make a conscious decision to control the output of our own tongues. Since our powerful, positive, and beautiful words can heal and uplift, we must be lavish in these words. When spoken with truth, our words have the ability to change lives. Stop and think about how you communicate. Do your words encourage people to achieve greatness? Do your words support and help someone who is suffering? Do your words nurture, nourish, and inspire your own children. Sadly, emotions like hatred, fear, anger, doubt, frustration, and resentment can be expressed and fueled by words as well. Whether words are written or spoken, they have the power to break and destroy healthy environments, as well as relationships. Years ago, I accepted the challenge presented in Ephesians 4:29 which states, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” What a powerful directive. This would be a project in taming my tongue. Witnessing the barren desert of hurtful words, I was excited to go on this new life-giving adventure. I wanted to speak life into my world starting with my own tongue. Since our tongue wields the mighty power for life or for death, we must be mindful of what we say and how we say it. Consider your words. Your words can change everything! Ponder: Small. Quick. Easy. Consider the impact of your words. How can you speak more life-giving truths and not words that destroy? Prayer: Lord, please help me to become super aware of the power in my tongue and my chosen words. Help me to speak life and not death.

Just like David, at one point or another, you have probably felt unqualified. You've probably faced some situation where you wondered if you really measured up. Maybe there's a flaw in your character you try your hardest to hide. It could be lust. It could be anger. It could be addiction. Even if it's in the past, you may live in secret fear that one day it will come back with a vengeance. Maybe it's in your role as a parent. On the outside you seem to have everything under control. But at home, it's another story. You have no idea what you're doing, and the older your child gets, the more you feel dangerously unprepared. Or maybe you feel called to be a leader, a decision maker, a risk-taker. But your track record is far from spotless. And the thought of putting yourself out there is petrifying. Many people live their entire lives fighting these contradictions. They deal constantly with voices in their heads telling them that they don't qualify, that they will never qualify, that they are totally, epically disqualified. But God has a habit of picking people who have been passed over. And if you look at the great men and women of Scripture, you find one common denominator: They were all unqualified. Look again at today's scripture. Even Saul, the king, felt David was unqualified to kill Goliath. But God called David and equipped him to fulfill his calling. So if you're feeling unqualified today, remember, God chose you. He qualified you. And you can choose to let Him be your source of sufficiency.

One of the most dramatically unqualified biblical heroes I can think of is Jacob. He was a liar, a con, a trickster, a fraud. He spent much of his life haunted by bad decisions and exiled to the chaos of self-inflicted consequences. And yet God called him, chose him, and even blessed him. Jacob ended up playing a major role in God's plan to redeem the world. He emerged simultaneously as one of the most important figures in Scripture and one of the most screwed up. Jacob was a poster child for the confusion and complications that weaknesses produce. But he was also a dramatic example of someone who was, at least by the end of his life, able to embrace his insufficiencies, look past them, and trust in God. And when he did, God took over. He overruled Jacob's limitations and trumped his disqualifications. Jacob was acutely, painfully, spectacularly human. That's probably why I can relate to his failures faster than his feats. But ultimately God redeemed, redefined, and realigned Jacob through his weaknesses, not in spite of them. And that's what He will do for you and me, when we embrace who we really are. He wants to bless the real you, with all your insufficiencies and weaknesses. He is the one who has called you, equipped you, and empowered you. And He is able to open doors of opportunity just for you...just as you are.

In Matthew 16, Jesus is having a conversation about His identity with Simon Peter, and Jesus asked him an all-important question: "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And he got it right. Getting this question right is both the quintessence of salvation and the starting point for a lifelong journey. You are saved when you come to know and believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but that is only the beginning of your relationship with Him. When Simon correctly identified who Jesus was, Jesus identified who Simon was. He said, "I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church." From then on, Simon was known as Rock. That's what petros, or Peter, means in Greek. What changed in that moment wasn't who Peter was but rather his view of who he was. Jesus said he was a rock. Suddenly Peter could see the man he really was. So who do you say Jesus is? It's life's biggest question. Knowing God is paramount to finding out why He made you and who He means for you to be. God wants to give you a revelation of who you are too. He wants to show you your value now, and He wants to open your eyes to who you can become in Him. Stop talking about who you are not and what you cannot do, and start listening to what God says about your life. Stop labeling yourself, and start letting God do whatever He wants in, through, and with you. It's time to take the fullness of Christ into account when you think of yourself.

This is one of the Ten Commandments I most misunderstood growing up: Don't take the Lord's name in vain. I thought this commandment had a very specific and limited application. Basically it boils down to not saying, "Oh, my God!" when you are shocked or excited. It means not saying, "Jesus Christ!" when someone cuts you off in traffic. But this commandment is about far more than how you use God's name as a vocabulary word - it's about how you take His name as a way of life. In other words, do you live according to who He is? Does your life reflect His identity? Or do you live in ways that are incongruent with the name you took when you decided to call yourself a Christian? Unfortunately, my tendency - and maybe yours - is to take this commandment almost as a threat. We think God's focus is our behavior. But our actions are only a small part of what it means to take God's name in vain. In reality, this commandment is directly connected to how we view ourselves. God has given you the gift of identity. He's given you His identity, His sufficiency, and His qualifications. And God wants to give you His name in your situation, in your weakness, and in your need. But you have to choose to take it.

God introduced Himself to Moses with just two words: "I AM." Typically that phrase needs a third word to complete the sentence. But because God is everything and everyone and everywhere that He needs to be in every moment, His name doesn't need a third word. You and I, on the other hand, need that third word to anchor our identities to specific, tangible, descriptive terms. But completing the "I am _________" sentence is not as easy as it sounds. We fill in the third word blank all the time with automatic and subconscious nouns and adjectives, but we seldom stop to question whether we've gotten our third words right. Here are some third words I hear all the time, both from my mouth and my mind: Unqualified. Stupid. Strong. Driven. Screwed-up. Loyal. Stuck. Hurting. Overwhelmed. Blessed. Capable. Disappointed. Broken. Hopeful. Jaded. Content. Which of those do you identify with? Circle them mentally. What word of your own would you write in? How does all this compare with God's assessment of you? These are enormous, confusing, and brave questions. And getting them right will take a lifetime. But I challenge you not to ignore them. Dig deeper into who God has called you to be, ask the tough questions, and allow God to define you. Give God the final say on your third word. Only there will you find your true self.

Are you working long hours, tired, irritable, and not spending enough time with your family? This is not compulsory for success. God has said that His burden is light and that He has come so that we may have life—life to the fullest. God will provide you with the resources you need to accomplish the task He has set for you. Are there people in your business you are not delegating to? Do you need to be across all that detail? Can you not trust those around you? If your view is that if you want something done, you have to do it yourself, then stop because you are on the road to trouble, both for yourself and for those around you. Look at what you have to do, and give away all you can. If you trust others to deliver, you may well be surprised at the outcome—in a good way. Be very clear on your desired outcome. Make sure your employees are well resourced, and let them loose. You may well be unlocking their God-given talent. The people you always wanted may already be with you. Quick Prayer: Lord, help me unload what You never intended me to carry. Amen.

salamat po sana po makatulong sa problema ng laptop namin. nag update po kasi tapos nawala po sa connectivity yung wifi ethernet nalang po nalabas.

Openness and transparency—are they a question of culture and leadership style or a spiritual mandate? Control is often an illusion. Those who are too controlling move people from commitment to mere compliance and often to passive if not overt resistance. Openness, transparency, and free communication come with a set of risks, which are far outweighed by the trust and positive productivity they engender. Engagement to a clear vision and open communication are a powerful cultural mix. Innovation, creativity, customer service, and productivity are all increased in an environment of trust and empowerment. If people don’t know what’s going on, they will make it up anyway; they might as well talk about what is really happening. Quick Prayer: Jesus, help me to open up and be secure in You and more open with others. Amen.

Scripture is often misquoted as saying, “Money is the root of all evil.” The verse in question is correctly quoted above. Money is neither good nor evil. It is a morally neutral tool that can be used for good or to cause damage. Money buys freedom of choice and options to give and sow into the work of the kingdom. What is it in you and your business that constrains the wanton pursuit of profit at all costs? Greed is moderated by giving; God calls us to a generous life—a giving life—as demonstrated by His Son, who gave His life for all. The pursuit of wealth for wealth’s sake will bring with it collateral damage in other areas of life if it is not counterbalanced with a generous spirit. Moderation is a virtue, and God’s principles of giving and sacrifice bring balance to our natural tendency for greed. Quick Prayer: Lord, please bless my workplace and balance my life with generosity and wisdom. Amen.

Is God interested in our work? If He has a plan for our lives, I am sure it would include the place where we spend most of our time. Do we really think His plan is just for Sundays? He plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future. How could He prosper us if He were not interested in what we do at work? He has every day planned for us, and that was done before we were even created. You don’t need to wait for Sunday to experience His love and attention. You can walk and talk with Him today and every day at work. His plans for your work are to prosper you and not to harm you and to give you hope and a future. Why not invite Him into your workplace today? Quick Prayer: Thank You for Your plan for my work. I invite You into my workplace. Amen.

"Ayoko na..." "Nakakapagod na..." "Hindi ko na kaya..." Saying words like these doesn't make you less effective; it makes you human. Limitado tayo, kulang. Mahina, napapagod. We're all broken and flawed at some point. We all need God today as much as we needed Him when we first met Him. Balik ka lang sa Kanya when your light runs out, Hindi masamang amining pagod ka na at hindi mo na kaya, He already knows anyway. "For His strength is made perfect in my weakness. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:9-10) Whatever you're facing right now, I just want to encourage you to keep living. Keep serving the Lord even when it hurts the most. And remember, You're most anointed when you're hurting. You're most anointed when you're broken. You're most anointed when you keep on fighting. The anointing flows freely in you when you're most hurt and broken. Grace begins at the end of yourself when you can finally say, "Lord kung wala ka hindi ko makakaya." Cry if you must but don't quit now. Rest if you must but don't stop now. The Spirit of the Lord wants to heal your heart right now.

Paul calls the Galatians to live a life that expresses selfless generosity that stands in contrast to a self-centred world. The freedom which we have received from Christ is not a license for selfish ambition, but rather an opportunity to glorify God and serve others in love (See Galatians 5:13). We can look to Jesus as the perfect example of someone who stepped into His purpose through selfless service. In His humanity, He knew the cost of selfless service as He said, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me”. Yet we find Jesus doing the greatest act of selfless service as He also said, “Not my will, but your will be done”. He died so that we can step into purpose. He died so that we can help others do the same (See Matthew 26:39). As you pray, ask the Lord to reveal to you the context in which you can serve others in love. You may find yourself in situations where you are serving people in church or at work. Whatever you do, do it all as unto the Lord for the love and freedom He has already given to you.

There have been so many incredible heroes who have gone before us, stepping into their purpose to make a difference, shaping the world to what we know it today. Some names along the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, even Bethany Hamilton (who despite her disability never gave up on her purpose and calling). We can all learn from these incredible leaders, and there are so many attributes that have made them stand out heroes. However, I want to focus on one attribute that these three figures had, which is pivotal to ‘Stepping into your Purpose’, - and that is perseverance in faith! Perseverance can be a hard task when we live in a world filled with negativity - especially towards Christianity and God. But one thing you can be sure of is that God is on your side! If our Creator called you and created your purpose, he intends for you to reach it. It might seem bigger than you right now… and you know what, IT IS! But let me encourage you with the story of how the prophet Jeremiah came to be and how God called him. Through Jeremiah chapter 1 (in a nutshell), we see God calling Jeremiah to be a prophet to not only his people but THE NATIONS - scary task right? But God goes over and above to assure and equip Jeremiah for his purpose (Jer. 1:9-14). In all honesty, Jeremiah had it pretty heavy in the area of purpose, but God promises Jeremiah that He will never leave or forsake him. From this message we can have the utmost assurance that God intends you to reach your purpose, even if the task seems difficult. We can take notes from Jeremiah’s persistence to succeed with God! The enemy cannot touch what God has appointed, unless we give him permission. God has called you to succeed in your purpose because He believes in you and created you for that specific thing. He is with you and you have all of heaven backing you! So get your game face on, keep pressing on and don’t listen to the enemy’s lies and discouragement. Persistence is key to seeing your God given purpose come to life! You, the very person reading this, can and will be a hero this world needs, so take heart and listen to the promise God gave Jeremiah - "'They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord.” (Jer. 1:19)

The idea of “purpose” is something I was quite confused about growing up in church. How did God want to use me? When would I find out? What was I supposed to do until then? I would often ask these questions and come up empty and discouraged. This was a constant struggle until one day I came across a scripture that honestly changed my life - “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31) Revelation set in. Yes, God has detailed unique plans for each of us. Yes, your purpose is different to everyone else's purpose. But all these things exist for one, overarching, collective and intrinsic purpose: to bring glory to God. God isn’t seeking an ego-boost! His call to be glorified comes out of His great love for us. He knows that when we realise his goodness and ascribe worth to Him, we receive revelation and start to understand His love for us on a deeper level. This love changes everything. God loves us whether we glorify Him or not, but his desire is for us to know the fullness of that love. All glory to God! This is our purpose.

We are living in a microwave generation. Everything has to happen right now. We can’t wait, and results have to be instant. The same can be with how we see our purpose sometimes. We might believe God has called us to something - to lead thousands in worship, to have a thriving business and earn a 6-figure salary, to find the love of our lives and get married, to travel the world preaching the gospel...the list goes on. There is nothing wrong with believing for these things to come to pass. However, more than often it takes time and waiting for us to get to that place! It is estimated that David was only around 15 years old when he was anointed by Samuel to become the king of Israel, yet David did not take up this position until he was 30 years old (2 Samuel 5:4)! In those years of waiting, God prepared David to become a king. It was in the wilderness where David learnt some of the most valuable lessons of his life, where all he could rely on was God. Studying the Psalms gives us an insight into the sorrow David went through, the tears he shed, but also how he learned of God’s faithfulness, of His great love and how David could find his strength and refuge in Him. Read Psalm 25. Going through these times shaped David into the great, godly man that God had appointed to become king of Israel. Just like David, the waiting is a season where things might not be easy, but it is a season where God prepares us for everything that is ahead as we step into all that He has for us! Rest assured that God goes with you as you step out into the great things He has in store for you.

What was one of the first things God did for man? He took man and put him in a place where he was supposed to work. This was not an act of slavery or a consequence of the fall. This was before sin and not a consequence of our fallen state. God placed man in the perfect place so he could work. Here in this pure world that was uncorrupted and unspoiled by sin, God called man to work. Work is from God and a good thing. It is ordained by a Creator who knows what is important for us. He created a garden that needed some work to be done and knew that it was good for man to work. Work is not a curse; it is a gift of God. Quick Prayer: I acknowledge that work came from You, not from the curse. Amen.

Vision is so crucial for stepping into your purpose. Ezekiel 47 tells of the river that flows out from the temple, from the Holy of Holies (see Isaiah 6:1-6). This passage is powerful because it shows that if you pursue God’s holiness, you will undoubtedly receive vision for the purpose that He has for you. But, as the passage shows, this is not achieved within your comfort zone. Ezekiel progresses through four different levels before he is able to see. So often we ask God to reveal our purpose, but we’re only willing to go ankle-deep. The vision Ezekiel sees is of abundant life sustained by proximity to the holiness of God (the river, see Psalm 1:1-3). Things that drift away end up stagnant and lifeless (Ez. 47:11). If you want clarity and sustained vision for your purpose, you need to venture into a relationship with God that pushes your boundaries. One in which you are immersed, where your feet don’t touch the bottom of your comfort zone. It’s in this place that you surrender your control and, in exchange, find yourself carried by Him into a purpose that contains the fullness of life.

Many people do not envision success as it really is. They are looking for fireworks, glitz and one big resounding stadium of applause. Our entertainment industry and social media sites, along with professional sports, have created an unrealistic view of what it means to be a successful person. Unfortunately, this unreal expectation often causes us to miss out on true success when it comes along. Or it causes us to miss out on enjoying the success we have achieved. As a result of not recognizing it, we can wind up chasing the next big thing. And then the next and the next. We find ourselves spinning our wheels in the rat race of life. Since we live in a broken world, tainted by sin and its effects, many of the milestones of success in our lives may seem bittersweet when all is said and done. Unless we understand the nature of spiritual success, we can wind up on a never-ending quest for something we’ve already been given. Without a clear understanding of kingdom success, we won’t know how to invest our time, talents and treasures. Whatever you sow will determine what you reap. But Satan often gets us to sow into the wrong things because we misunderstand what authentic success looks like. What are the top three things or visions you have sown into over the last few years? What results have they yielded, and do they fit into God’s kingdom agenda?