I Closed My Business. Was I Correct in Discerning God's Will?

In the spring and early summer of 2005, I began wondering if God was asking me to take my interest in spiritual journaling and writing about my faith to a higher level. At the time, I was also very concerned about the impact of globalization on my career designing business software. I began to wonder if God was leading me to start a business "on the side" to both develop my spiritual gift of writing and provide for the financial needs of my family.

In July of 2005, I believed God wanted me to do it. I felt even if my business venture was not a financial success there must be something God wants me to learn from the process. My plan was to provide some inspirational material "for free" but also offer some Christian material available for sale as eBooks for a very nominal fee (eg. $2.95) and take payments using PayPal. I wasn't expecting to make a lot of money but I wasn't risking a lot of money either. I decided I'd rather try and fail than not try and wonder for the rest of my life whether I had missed out on serving God's purpose or missed out on some blessing He had in store for me.

I took a long lunch from work one day and drove down to the county clerk's office and for $20 took out a business license for Caleb's Publishing. The name is a reference to the Old Testament character Caleb who was one of the twelve spies Moses dispatch to scope out the promised land.
Here's what I wrote back then. (Click here for the original.)

About Caleb's Publishing™

Caleb's Publishing™ was founded by Philip Hartman in July 2005 as a "leap of faith." Like many men in their mid-40's I had achieved some success in my profession but began wondering if God had something else in mind. This then became a frequent topic in my prayer life for approximately 1.5 years. Along the way, I was introduced to the idea of combining a business with a personal ministry. I also began regularly keeping a spiritual journal and discovered I really enjoyed writing about matters of faith. What you see is the result of this spiritual journey so far. I don't know where this journey is going to take me, but that is part of the fun!

Incidentally, I highly recommend the book Halftime by Bob Buford to any man who is feeling the same way. Also, visit the halftime.org website.

I hope to serve the community by:

• Providing original and thought-provoking material to assist Sunday School teachers, small group discussion leaders, pastors, and anyone seeking a closer relationship with God
• Giving you the benefit of the many hours I have spent in research over the last several years reading various books, articles, and websites. If something was thought-provoking or convicted me, then I suspect it may have the same impact on you.
• Encouraging "regular Christians" who feel God may have chosen to use them for His purposes thru their gift of writing.
• Providing a wider, Internet audience for anyone who has a message or story to tell. I want to publish both unique Christian works and original secular works in fields such as history.

Where did the name of the company and website come from?

I devoted a lot of my spare time in the evenings over the coming months to creating a website, writing, editing some sermon materials I inherited from my father and grandfather, trying to figure out how to show up in search engines like Google, and more. I did learn a lot. I felt good about sharing my faith in this way. I was amazed to find from my website statistics that my little website got visitors from far away places like the UK, Australia, Canada, India, Finland, and more.

However, one thing I was not doing was making money. In hindsight, I have come to understand how much free Christian material is available over the Internet. (Like this blog.)

Without any real fanfare, I officially closed Caleb’s Publishing today as a business entity. The ISP still hasn’t shut the site down even though I never renewed the hosting contract.

Now I must wrestle with whether I was correct in how I discerned God’s will 1.5 years ago. Was he leading me to start the business as I thought? Does it even matter if I didn't make money (espcially if I didn't risk much money)? Was it vanity on my part? Was I right about developing my own writing but wrong about the publishing other people’s writing? Was God trying to teach me something that did not depend on whether the business made money? I guess I’ll never know for sure until I’m in heaven some day. For the moment, I'd like to think I did what He wanted. I took a chance for Him. I got out of my comfort zone. People on the other side of the world did read some of what I wrote. I might have had a positive impact.

God, have I learned the lesson about writing and publishing You wanted to teach me thru Caleb’s Publishing? Did I discern Your will correctly? If not, then I pray that You correct my ways and help me discern Your will properly. If I did, then I pray that You reveal to me what You would have me do to serve You next. Amen.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Priorities and challenges for the next 50 years

Christianity Today asked 114 leaders from 11 ministry spheres about evangelical priorities for the next 50 years. Check out: What's Next: Evangelism | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

God Can Use Your Voice Mail Greeting

A Man Coming Alive in christ: Leave Your Phone On, God Might Call.....

Check out the post above on Donny Prater's "A Man Coming Alive" blog that talks about how God used one man's cell phone voice mail greeting to save one and possibly two lives.

Adding to Our Prayer List

Things We Usually Pray for

• for forgiveness of our sin
• to help us stop sinning more
• to help someone else stop sinning more
• to remove or minimize the consequences of our sin or bad decisions previously made (likely decisions made without seeking God’s will first)
• to remove or minimize the consequences of someone else’s sin on our lives
• that our family & friends come to know Jesus as their Savior
• for the future good health, happiness, and general well being of ourselves, family, & friends
• for help in dealing with a difficult person in our lives
• to remove a difficult situation in our lives
• to take away our desire to repeat a difficult sin
• for financial blessings or for success in life
• for success in and God’s blessing upon the plans we have made for the future
• for relief from financial distress or burdens
• for His provision of a job so that we can support our families
• to help us be a better parent to our children
• to change our spouse so that he or she becomes more like the person we need them to be
• to heal someone close to us already suffering from an illness or injury
• for His protection from accidents and anyone who might intentionally harm us or our family & friends
• to bless and lead our church leaders and other spiritual leaders who minister to us.
• to bless and lead the executive, legislative, and judicial governmental leaders in the decisions they make which affect all of us.
• to bless and protect from harm those who willingly risk their lives to protect us such as our policeman, firefighters, and military.
• that doctors and nurses who try to make us or our family well again have the skill and wisdom they need to provide the proper medical care.

Food for thought... Should We Add Some Prayers More More Like These?

• Seek God’s will in a difficult decision we must make before we make the decision
• “I thank You and praise You God for Your grace in forgiving me of the sins I’ve committed in the past and for forgiving me in advance for sins I will no doubt commit in the future. Help me accept Your gift of grace. Help me stop feeling guilty about the past and help me instead to get about the business of glorifying and serving You to the best of my ability both now and in the future.”
• Ask God to show us where He is already actively working around us and reveal to us how we should alter our plans and join Him
• Help us to be able to forgive someone who has sinned against us because we are having trouble forgiving them
• Ask God to reveal what He wants us to learn from a difficult situation when He chooses not to make it go away. (see I Peter 1:6-8)
• To change us so that we become the person our spouse needs us to be.
• That we be able to rejoice in the difficult circumstances we face if is because God is “pruning” us to bear even more fruit for Him in the future. (see John 15:1-8)
• That the Holy Spirit lead us so that we always glorify God in what we think, say, and do... and that our lives be a positive influence on all those around us.
• Ask God to reveal His purpose for our life, how He wants to use us to serve His purpose, and for the Holy Spirit to lead us and equip us for those tasks.
• Ask God to reveal to us His plan for our “outreach” to those outside the church who do not yet believe.
• Ask God to reveal to us His plan for our “inreach” to serve our fellow believers
• For help in accepting a “no” or “wait” answer from God to one of our prayers for His help
• For strength to persevere in times of adversity when God chooses not to relieve us from difficult circumstances or consequences
• That God use the Holy Spirit to prepare the heart of someone who does not believe in Jesus to be ready to hear God’s truth and accept Jesus
• That God use us in some way to help someone who does not believe to come to know Jesus as their Savior
• That God use us today in some way to plant a spiritual “seed” in someone’s life, water a seed someone else has already planted in their life, or otherwise care for any spiritual “plant” which may be growing in someone’s life.
• For the words to say to or the actions to take towards someone that God puts in our path today
• That today God would place someone in our path that we are to influence in some way for God’s glory.
• The ability to discern whose heart the Holy Spirit has already prepared and that God would prepare us to be ready to help that person find Christ in their life, or at least help them get started.
• How we should respond as a Christian when someone around us is involved in some sin such as adultery, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography, drugs, theft, dishonesty, etc.
• Identify what we do now or have now that God would have us give up so that we might more time/energy/resources to serve Him better
• Help us identify the right balance of our time/energy/resources across our jobs, marriage, children, church, service to others, personal enjoyment, and personal growth.
• Unity among Christians in the face of dissention and disagreement in the Church
• That God give us joy when we submit to and obey God
• That God give us the ability to lovingly confront believers who are giving in to sin.
• That God give us the ability to discern between His truth and false teachings
• That God give us the ability to discern between godly spiritual leaders and false ones
• That God help us to submit to the godly leaders God puts over us.
• That we have a hunger to know more about God and be have a closer personal relationship with God

Copyright © 2005 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

With God at Our Desks - Faith in the Workplace

On October 31, 2004, the New York Times published an article entitled "Faith at Work" by Russell Shorto. The article not only takes a look at the faith at work movement, but highlights the ministry of one bank in Minnesota and all they do through their business. It is worth taking some time to look over, regardless of your point of view. This article will make you think! Click here to view the NY Times article

False Humility and False Love

This is just too good not to share. In a few short sentences, it encapsulates why we as Christians need to plant seeds in the lives of those around us, water seeds that others have planted, and let the Holy Spirit work in the lives of the people that cross our path. We aren't responsible for the results because of their free choice but we are responsible for being a messenger.

"When men's eternal souls are at stake, the church cannot be passive and indifferent. Nor can it hide behind false humility that fears being judgmental or behind false love that fears offending. Christ was supremely humble, yet He never called evil anything but what it was. Christ was supremely loving, yet He never withheld a warning that might save His hearers from hell. And He had nothing but intense anger for those who by their false teachings led men away from God and directly toward hell."

John MacArthur, 1 & 2 Peter: Courage in Times of Trouble

Unceasing Anguish? Me?

I was reading in Romans 9 tonight and found myself feeling my commitment to spreading my faith inadequate.

Romans 9:1-5 (New International Version)

God's Sovereign Choice

1I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised![a] Amen.

Notice how Paul describes how he feels about his fellow Jews and how they have not accepted Jesus. “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” Paul’s statement made me question myself and my level of commitment. “What sense of urgency do I feel about spreading the Good News?”

I am not talking about a brute force approach and level of commitment. I am not talking about beating total strangers “over the head” with my faith. I believe that their salvation has very little to do with me, how “in their face”, or how competent I am at presenting the Gospel. I believe that true salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit drawing the person close to God.

That being said, how badly do I want the Holy Spirit to use me? How much energy do I expend in prayer asking for the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of the non-believers around me? How badly do I want to discern when the Holy Spirit is prompting me to say something, be somewhere, or do something which might help someone in their journey to come to accept Jesus?

It is just too easy to get too busy. Being available to the Holy Spirit can be inconvenient. Schedules can be unpredictable. And heaven forbid that the Holy Spirit might whisper in my ear “I want you to pack up your things and take your family to the other side of the world and become a missionary.” Am I committed enough to say “yes” when called upon? Well.. maybe a week-long mission trip instead.

God, help me make Your priorities my priorities. Use me in in a way that suits Your purposes. If You need me to make big changes and sacrifices, prepare my heart. Give me the faith I need to say “Yes” when You need me. Amen

J.R.R. Tolkien Brings C.S. Lewis to Christ

The name "C.S. Lewis" has started showing up in the strangest of places: movie theaters! With a motion picture of The Chronicles of Narnia coming soon, Focus on the Family has high hopes that today’s culture will look closer at the works of this gifted theologian.

A professor in England during the 1940’s, Lewis was an atheist until age 30 – when he spoke with his colleague J.R.R. Tolkien (author of The Lord of the Rings). The two professors shared a love for fantasy stories, and one night Tolkien revealed why he gained so much from "legends": because they contain hints of the Christian Gospel, the truest legend of all. That same night, Lewis prayed to receive salvation.

C.S. Lewis went on to become an author widely known for the winsome way he presented the Christian faith. But his love for fantasy stories did not die. He began to create a mystical land where animals hold the power of speech… where dark forces gather to wage war… and the Great Lion Aslan is the only hope: the land of Narnia.

Without question, the themes of sin, sacrificial death, and redemption speak volumes in The Chronicles of Narnia.

Portion of email received tonight from Focus on the Family

Why does the word evangelical threaten so many people in our culture?

Philip Yancey provides a great article "Exploring a Parallel Universe: Why does the word evangelical threaten so many people in our culture?" which I recommend to anyone who wants to reach skeptics and those who openly disagree with us. Here are a few quotes which should encourage you to check it out:

"I have learned from this group how threatening religion can seem, especially to those who see themselves as a minority of agnostics in a land of belief. They tend to regard evangelicals as morals police determined to impose their ideas of proper behavior on people who do not share their beliefs."

"Reflecting on our conversation, I remembered a remark by Lewis, who drew a distinction between communicating with a society that hears the gospel for the first time and one that has embraced and then largely rejected it. A person must court a virgin differently than a divorcée, said Lewis. One welcomes the charming words; the other needs a demonstration of love to overcome inbuilt skepticism."