Your next project

July 24th, 2008

David had a huge project ahead of him in the construction of the Temple (1 Chron. 28-29).  He demonstrated the PERFECT way to tackle big projects:1.  PERSON–He chose Solomon to be the point man.  Every project needs a person, the absolute FIRST issue you must settle.2.  PLAN–David had the detailed plans of the temple complete before he died.  Every project has to have a complete, to the finish plan or you are planning to fail.3.  POWER–David empowered Solomon by encouraging him and giving him all the personnel support he needed.  When we send a person into a project without the support they need, we are setting them up to fail.4.  PROVISION–David stockpiled tons of gold, silver, brass, and all the needed materials for the project.  Many projects fail because they are underfunded.5.  PRAYER–David spent twenty verses just praying for God’s success in the project.  Spiritual warfare is quite intense (ask Nehemiah) when a project is coming to a close.  Double up on prayer and fasting as the project is reaching the critical stages.Result:  Project Complete! 

Alignment

July 21st, 2008

I had a great time this weekend teaching on “alignment for your assignment.”  I never realized that there are TWO parts to the will of God:  your “alignment” (your discipleship and character) and your “assignment” (your destiny and calling).    Now, I understand why so many people don’t find the perfect will of God:  they are out of “alignment.”  Their thoughts, their words, their relationships, their attitudes, their desires, etc. are all “off course.”  When I line all those things up, I can automatically see my opportunities, my open doors, and hear the voice of God clearly. We had fun yesterday with the “mule” (Ps. 32: 9), and tracing the ways the mule and the donkey is like us when we get into the “permissive” will of God and not the “perfect” will of God.  I got up this morning asking the Lord to take the “mule” out of me and let me be so sensitive to the voice and even the “eye” of the Lord.  Four things keep you in proper “alignment” in the will of God:1.  Separation from wrong friends;2.  Prayer that is daily, watchful, and your highest priority;3.  Love that refuses to hold bitterness but covers the wrongs of others;4.   Ministry to others even when you don’t feel like it…Have a great day in the perfect will of God! 

Switzerland

July 16th, 2008

Last night was amazing.  I preached on the new campus of Switzerland’s largest congregation here in Zurich.  About 900 people were there and they brought their lost friends.  Almost 100 of them got saved!  I have never seen anything quite like it in Europe.  God is moving everywhere in the world, but I never expected to see invitations like we are seeing in America coming into Europe.  There is such a hunger worldwide for reality, especially in regards to eternity.This morning in prayer, I thought of the verse, “The wicked will be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Ps. 9: 17).  I could see every nation on earth like a huge funnel with a large sidewalk around the edge and people casually walking around on it.  Thousands from every nation were sliding off the sidewalk and falling down the funnel that led into an eternal hell.   They were falling by the tens of thousands every day into the lake of fire while others casually walked around the perimeter of the funnel.No wonder Jesus was willing to give His life to rescue millions and billions of souls from an eternal punishment.  We must be about the soul-winning business, snatching people from the “funnel” they are falling down before it is eternally too late.  Jonathan Edwards said that our sin is so heavy that when we die we fall like a “rock through a spider web” into the lake of fire.I have decided to give myself afresh to snatching souls from eternity from every nation while I have time left on this earth!