Business by the Book Matthew 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: Before the Lord preached what many regard as the greatest sermon ever, the Sermon on the Mount, he took time to get set. …when he was set… The Lord knew that before any great undertaking a person must be set. Their mind must be set, their plan must be set, their resources must be set, their goal must be set, every detail must be accounted

Business by the Book Matthew 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. Jesus became famous because He did things that no one else could do. Down through the ages individuals of all walks of life have been thrust into the spotlight of fame because they did so

Business by the Book Matthew 4:20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. For centuries people have wondered about the immediacy of Peter and Andrew leaving their business and following the Lord. They did not sell their business, made no arrangements for others to manage it; they may not have even properly stored their nets or other fishing gear. When invited to do so they simply left their business and followed the Lord. This may not be the best verse to use

Business by the Book Matthew 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. Commercial fishermen cast nets into the sea; that is what they do, for they are fishermen. Sales people sell, that’s what they do. Managers manage, accountants keep the financial books in order, assembly workers assemble products, and information technology experts oversee all aspects of c

Business by the Book 2 Chronicles 15:7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. One of the rewards of work is the satisfaction of a job well done. I remember the very first time I enjoyed such satisfaction. I was a young boy, maybe in fourth or fifth grade. My room was a disaster, it was horrible. Mom used to say that my socks walked themselves to the washroom and at night I simply took off my jeans and stood them up in a corne

Business by the Book Psalm 62:4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Not everyone means what they say. I once oversaw a very large contract with a group purchasing organization (GPO) that was based in Chicago. It was my account; I had made the first cold call on the account, cultivated it into a prospect, carried out the product testing, waded through the intricate proposal process

Business by the Book Psalm 56:5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. Every successful person must learn how to deal with those who twist their words and devise evil against them. In considering how to deal with those who would trouble you consider four things to do. One: have confidence in yourself. One of the enemy’s favorite strategies is to shake your confidence. If you begin doubting yourself, then the enemy is well on the way to win

Business by the Book Psalm 56:5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. Every successful person must learn how to deal with those who twist their words and devise evil against them. In consideration of dealing with those who would trouble you consider four things to do. One: have confidence in yourself. One of the favorite strategies of an enemy is to shake your confidence. If you begin doubting yourself then the enemy is well on the way to

Business by the Book Psalm 56:5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. Every successful person must learn how to deal with those who twist their words and devise evil against them. To deal with those who would trouble you consider four things. One: have confidence in yourself. One of the enemy’s favorite strategies is to shake your confidence. If you begin doubting yourself, the enemy is well on the way to winning. Two: eliminate the word

Business by the Book Psalm 56:5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. Every successful person must learn how to deal with those who twist their words and devise evil against them. In consideration of dealing with those who would trouble you consider four things to do. One: have confidence in yourself. One of the favorite strategies of an enemy is to shake your confidence. If you begin doubting yourself then the enemy is well on the way to

Business by the Book Psalm 41:1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. Jesus said For ye have the poor always with you… (Matthew 26:11). So it is today, there are poor among us. Some are poor through no fault of their own, some have earned poverty through idleness, but whatever the cause there are poor everywhere. In every country, state, city, town, village, or hamlet poor people exist. The question is not “Are there poor peopl

Business by the Book Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Some mock the righteous, calling them “Goody two shoes,” or “Do gooders,” or other names, but the righteous have a promise. This is a promise that cannot be broken, a promise that was given by a king from the King of Kings, a promise that will last throughout the centuries. Of all promises found in Scripture there is none that is more rel

Business by the Book Psalm 37:21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. Margaret Thatcher once said, “No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he only had good intentions. He had money as well.” How a person uses their money will reveal their heart. In fact Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:21). King David, the writer of Psalm 37 describes the difference between the wicked an

Business by the Book Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. Anger is seldom productive. Oftentimes anger and wrath is a petri dish for growing evil actions. Evil actions always bring forth unwanted and unintended circumstances. In business, anger at its very best should be treated as a controlled substance; as a dangerous element that must be guarded against similar to any other toxic material. Cargo companies must be notified

Business by the Book Psalm 30:6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. On the occasion of dedicating his house, David said that his prosperity would not move him, would not change him, and would not alter who he was. Too often this is not the case. When prosperity comes to a person the temptation is to change, to become someone else, to leave a fixed position and find new paths to walk. A preacher once said to me that prosperity causes people to sin. I disagreed

Business by the Book Psalm 26:1 …I have walked in mine integrity… Written by a king, but lived by millions. To walk in one’s integrity means to be completely upright, decent, and honest. King David did and so can you. Walking in integrity is the opposite of walking in dishonesty. Dishonesty is easy; integrity is more difficult. In electronics the integrity of a circuit is often tested. If the circuit is broken, has a short, or has a component that is not functioning properly,

Business by the Book Psalm 25:5 …on thee do I wait all the day. Waiting is difficult. The word “wait” is used 101 times in Scripture. There are some things the Lord wants us to know about waiting. Primarily He wants us to know that there are times that we must wait. In our day and age waiting is not one of our strongest points, for we live in an instant world. Waiting is usually not an option for most people, but sometimes wait we must. Great hunters are great waiters. I’m no

Business by the Book Psalms 15:4 …He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. This Psalm contains a description of He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. (verse 2). In verse 4 this person is said to be one that honors, among other things, a person who swears (makes a decision, vow, or promise), and does not change even if that decision hurts him. Therefore, we can conclude that the Lord places a premium on a person k

Business by the Book Psalm 7:15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. Reading this verse always reminds me of a man in the Bible named Haman. This man was promoted by King Ahasuerus above all the princes of the land. He was mighty in power and he hated Mordecai who was Jewish. As Haman passed, everyone in the kingdom would bow down and worship him, except Mordecai. As a Jew, Mordecai, knew that the Law of Moses forbid him to worship anyone

Business by the Book Psalm 3:1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. There are three things a person has or does that will cause trouble from others. Know more, have more, or do more. Sadly, few people can truly rejoice in the successes of others. If you know more, have more, or do more, those who trouble you will usually increase, and those who rise up against you will be multiplied. This is why the Lord gives us ample instruct