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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Belief and Unbelief   CURRENT TV SERIES LifeWorks

[A]nd I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze….   Exodus 31:3-4 (ESV) In Exodus 31, we see God giving Moses the final commands as to how the tabernacle is to be built. In chapters 25-30, God gives Moses very specific demands as to using only the finest materials to construct the tabernacle. However in Chapter 31, the focus turns from the fine materials that are to be used to the people whom will physically construct the tabernacle. Just as only the finest materials were to be used, only the most skilled craftsmen would be the ones to work on the tabernacle. In fact, it was a humbly born craftsman named Bezalel that God blessed with ability, intelligence, and natural craftsmanship to be his chief contractor and bring forth his earthly dwelling. God uses all people to build His kingdom. It is not just the ministers that He uses, but also everyone who confesses Jesus as Savior. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a minister. In my opinion, the greatest opportunity for ministry we have, outside our family, is at our place at work.  After all, this is where we spend a substantial majority of our time.  Let your light shine at work.   Let your coworkers, bosses, and employees know by your labors that you are different from nonbelievers.  Be diligent in your work.  Be Christ-like in your behavior and speech. We are at a serious crossroads in our nation’s business sector.  Our nation’s economy is perilously close to collapse. Workers are unhappy and dissatisfied in their work, if they even have work.  Christians and especially Christians in business are being targeted for their core faith and beliefs.  Pray this day that God rise up godly business leaders and create industry to provide honest employment and generous provision for individuals and families in each community.  Pray this day that God protect businesses and their employees that take a stand for their Christian principals. PRAY FOR OUR NATION'S BUSINESSES AND WORKERS TODAY

Importunity

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”
Luke 11:5–8
Speaking on the importance of not giving up in prayer, R. A. Torrey said, “I prayed fifteen long years for the conversion of my oldest brother. When he seemed to be getting farther and farther away from any hope of conversion, I prayed on. My first winter in Chicago, after fifteen years of praying, never missing a single day, one morning God said to me as I knelt, ‘I have heard your prayer.’ Within two weeks he was in my home, shut in with sickness which made it impossible for him to leave my home for two weeks. Then the day he left he accepted Christ over in the Bible Institute in Mr. Moody’s office, where he and I went to talk and pray together.”
The Lord could answer our prayers that are in line with His will immediately, and sometimes He does just that. But often we must pray over and over, sometimes even for years, before the answer arrives. This is not because God does not love us, but because He knows our need for character and consistency. When we continue to trust Him and pray faithfully even though we do not see Him at work, it strengthens our walk and our relationship with Him.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Many of our prayers are not answered simply because we give up before the answer comes.