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What To Do First to Make a Profit

The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat  ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're  not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director.  Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year.  God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
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I am your preparation


Last night before I went to speak, I was preparing and I sensed God just ask me..."put your notes away. Come talk to me." I'm one of those people who prepares an exhaustive amount of notes and if there's such a thing as being "over-prepared" I guess sometimes I am. I had planned on reading the Word and Secrets of the Secret Place later, just savoring some time before sleep to be with Him. But He said, "no, you really can't be any more prepared in the natural than you are right now. So just spend some time in my Word, and talk to me."

I read John the 5th Chapter, which went along with chapter 40 of Secrets, the chapter entitled, "The Secret of Beholding Jesus." It was all about beholding and knowing Jesus, not just His Word, but Him, the person. It centered on the fact that our reading in the Word is meant to be a living encounter with the person of Jesus Christ, and the fact that we can read the Bible and truly never get to know the Lord. I have long realized that to be the truth but I know I need to be reminded of it. I have met a lot of people, that just like the Pharisees, know enough scripture to choke a mule, yet they do not have the power of God in their lives or flowing through them. That's the last thing I want for my life. I want an intimate relationship with Him. I really don't want to ever be guilty of knowing a lot of the Word yet not knowing Him. I don't want to be "prepared" yet still not be in sync with Him. And there is such a thing.

After reading John 5 and spending some time in prayer, and in particular praying in the Spirit, I opened up my Come Away My Beloved and this, unbelievably was the word of the day:

Seize Each Oppourtunity

Behold, as the lilies of the field, and as the grass, so your life is but a season.

Yes, though you flourish in health, yet your time in short. You have no promise of tomorrow.

Therefore, live each day as though it were your last. Seize every opportunity, knowing it may be the last.

For it is certainly true that no situation presents itself twice the same. The opportunities of today are not those of tomorrow.

Do not live as though they might be repeated. Do not fail to enter every open door, or be held back by a feeling of unreadiness. I Myself am your preparation.

I will give you the needed grace and wisdom for each moment as it comes, and you will rejoice in the victory. For I will overcome timidity and I Myself will displace inadequacy.

This is My work. I will do it Myself through you if you will allow yourself to be a channel for the flow of the Spirit.

For I myself am life. I Myself am your wisdom and your strength, even as I am your joy and your peace. I am your victory. My word is power, because My word is spirit and truth.

Do not bear needless burdens. They will only press upon your spirit and interfere with My movings. Much remains to be accomplished. Linger not over what appears to be an unfinished case. Pass on. My Spirit will continue to strive though you give no further thought. In this way, y our mind shall be kept free and your path open, and it shall always be a new way.

Keep moving always and from life to life I accomplish my purpose.

And know that as I work, all things work together so that there is gathering strength and there shall be a glorious consummation. Praise God!" (Frances J. Roberts)

Everytime I read the Word and pray and God speaks to me, I open up Come Away and it seems to always have a word that beautifully dovetails with whatever I just prayed. Amazing.

So yes, ultimately HE IS our preparation. I have seen that proven true time and time again in my life. Last night I knew my material but more than that, I knew Jesus and His power was working in me, and it was THAT POWER that enabled me to put my arms around another woman, feel the pain in her heart and life and ask Jesus..."HEAL IT...HEAL IT NOW." She didn't feel like coming last night, was tired from work but one of her sisters said, "no, you need to be there" and she came and received what God had for her. I am thankful that I didn't just have a word. I had Him. Like the woman who pressed through and touched the hem of His garment, so that precious woman pressed through and brought her hurt to Jesus.

Yes, HE IS our preparation.

A few months ago I met a woman in the community who used to be a pastor's wife and is now "taking a break from ministry" and she claims she doesn't go to church in Tampa right now because "no pastor in this town exegetes the Word of God correctly." She's very critical...very, very negative. The truth is, I have met many people who can exegete the Word of God, but they really don't know how to GET AHOLD OF GOD. What that woman is searching for, she will never find right now because the eyes of her understanding are clouded and she needs deliverance from her critical spirit. I have met many people who can practically write commentaries of their own - they can break down the Word - and yes, they can tell you exactly what it means - in fact they can probably tell you what temperature it was outside when that part of the Word was written. However, my point is, we need to be able to KNOW the Word of God, but more important, we DO need to know how to GET AHOLD OF GOD - which means, to come into that secret place with Him, walk with Him, get His mind on things...allow Him to be our preparation. Basically such a person is...UNSTOPPABLE. The world says, "knowledge is power." That may be true when it comes to business, management, school, even raising your kids. But in God, knowledge is not necessarily power. Knowledge is just knowledge. You have to add spending time with Jesus and learning to walk with Him, and flow in Him. It is only then that that knowledge becomes life changing for you and those around you.

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