Plug-In
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. —Genesis 1:27
You have been created after the image and likeness or character and nature of God. Think about that for a minute…pause…go ahead I’ll wait…think hard…you’ve been created in God’s image and likeness. He is a creative God with inexhaustible potential. Everything we see, hear, taste, feel or enjoy in this world today, resided and existed in Him first before it all came into existence at His decree.
Everything you need to manifest your dreams and complete your life’s-assignment is hidden within you under the alias: “purpose”. But the vastness of those capabilities that Father-God has deposited, entrusted and invested in your life will go unused and wasted unless it’s tapped into. You’ll never know the greatness you have living, resting and quietly sleeping on the inside of you until you dare to rouse and wake it up. Plug-into God in you. Connect to life’s source: Christ in you. Tap into Holy Spirit’s inexhaustible power residing within you.
Do not allow your legacy to be reduced to a future full of regrets and pitiful confession of: “I should’ve…I could’ve…I would’ve…but I did none of…” Seize life by the throat and squeeze tight, don’t let go until it spits out God’s best for you! Place a demand on your God-given potential and pursue that which you’ve had or have the desire within you to pursue. There are no limits to limit you, only those limitations you limit God and yourself with. Dig deep into the buried treasure of Christ in you to: discover, uncover, recover, take-over and “fork-over” or release and serve the Creator’s greatness in you. The world awaits!
Fully-Loaded
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will be just like Me and will partner with you and teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.—John 14:26 (paraphrased)
When Jesus Christ was baptized by Holy Spirit, was Holy Spirit different, younger and stronger back then than today? When the apostles and disciples were baptized with Holy Spirit, was Holy Spirit in the prime of His life but today has grown old, weak, senile and impotent? When Holy Spirit baptized you with Himself, were you given a watered-down, bootleg and diluted version?
Did we receive a counterfeit? Were we baptized artificially? Or was Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ, the apostles and disciples the very same Holy Spirit that baptized us? Do we still have the same person of Holy Spirit baptizing today? Did Jesus Christ receive a greater more potent dose? Did the apostles and disciples receive a greater degree? Is Holy Spirit the same today as He was in days of yesterdays?
Maybe it’s blasphemy to think we have the very same Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ received? Maybe we find it sacrilegious to trust the very same Holy Spirit that the apostles of old partnered up with? Maybe we should be satisfied that we have some crumbs and left-overs from God’s abundant spiritual blessings table. Or maybe we really do indeed have the very same Holy Spirit person living on the inside of us that lived in Jesus Christ, the apostles and disciples?
Whether you know it or not, understand it or not—you are fully-loaded in Christ through the Person of Holy Spirit. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead DWELLS IN YOU, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who DWELLS IN YOU.—Romans 8:11 NKJV We were not duped or ripped-off by any stretch of the imagination of God’s absolute very best. We have living in of us the very same Person Who lived in Christ Jesus when God was man.
Peace
And Jesus he woke up and arose right in the middle of a raging storm, and He rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still”. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. -Mark 4:39 (paraphrased)
Peace is not something you try to import or bring into existence during life’s storms when they hit, peace is who you are in Christ.
Peace is an attitude, an inner residential confidence that’s been built brick by brick on the foundation of sacred trust, reinforced by steel beams that have been forged, strengthened and tested in the fires of faithfulness, and held together with the mortar of integrity.
Peace is then exported or released from within our fortified depths of gratitude. For we remember and know that we’ve been here before in other storms and have remained standing despite and after the high winds and torentuous rains of past life’s storm’s.
Yes it’s been scary at times there’s no doubt about it, but peace is the result of God being God: an unchangeable and immovable anchor that holds during every threat, all doubt, any worry, each anxiety or fear. Peace is not a rabbit we all of a sudden pull out of a magic hat when things get hairy, peace is a lifestyle, a mindset, an attitude that’s been fully clothed in the safety, security, Sovereignty and love of Christ.
Focused
Most fighters do not particularly enjoy the taxing hardships of training. Even though it is necessary, they would much rather joyfully pass on it. But the truth is that they cannot neglect the grueling physical torture that they must daily submit their body to. Nobody wants to hurt, sweat, push and push themselves harder and hander until you feel like you’re almost going to die of fatigue. Yet fighters all over the world have chosen to do this and make this very difficult grind a lifestyle.
To me, “Why” and “How” then becomes the question. Why would anyone do this? and How do they do this everyday? I believe the answer to “Why” is “the prize” and the answer to the question of “how?”; is also “the prize”. You see fighters endure the pains of discipline and training by fixing their eyes on the prize. They push through the tough hard times by focusing not on their pain and discomfort, but on the championship belt that will one day be tightly wrapped around their waist.
The real intense grueling exercises, even the boring mundane and tedious training schedules become bearable by thinking thoughts of having their hand raised way up high as champion and pound for pound one of the greatest fighters in the world. Even when quitting because it has become too hard becomes a thought, they subject that temptation to give-up and surrender to the intense focus on the prize that’s ahead, that which is to come and which they will receive.
Christ is the greatest example of relentlessness to me and here’s why. “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! —Hebrews 12:1-3
How do we overcome the temptation to quit, surrender, raise the “white-flag” or to give-up? How do we keep pushing when we are weary, tired, discouraged, disappointed or when the popular “I’ve had enough” and the not wanting to go on anymore thought invades our mind? By taking our eyes off of ourselves, off of what’s going on right in front of us. We do this by ignoring the discouragement that urges us to quit and by keeping our eyes fixed and focused on the prize that Christ Jesus has waiting for us just up ahead. Keep your eyes fixed and focused on the prize, and remember to “F.O.C.U.S” is to: Follow One Course Until Successful.
You Are God’s Inspiration
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and BREATHED into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. —Genesis 2:7
Your point of origin is found in God’s mind. You were intimately thought of, intentionally planned, intricately designed and lovingly created. In short, who you are today is nothing less than the crown of creation that has been breathed out by God’s divine inspiration.
You are the inspiration of God become flesh. In Genesis we read that God breathed out into man’s nostrils and he became alive. In 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by INSPIRATION of God…”; we see the very same phrase of “God-breathed” being used. [strong’s 2315-theopneustos: God-breathed, i.e. inspired by God.]
The take away is simply this, no matter how uninspired you feel when you look in the mirror; you are still God’s INSPIRATION in the form of a human being. You and I are the result of God’s divine and Sovereign inspiration, not the product of an random, mindless, loveless, unguided, purposeless, insignificant, meaningless, accidental process of chance to the incalculable power of 10. The bottom line is simply this now follow me, because you are God’s INSPIRATION, the very thought of you—INSPIRED God.
You, yes you are the essence and the epitome of God’s INSPIRATION! Don’t you ever forget this truth for a single moment of your life. You’re a priceless, valuable worthy, loved, significant person full of potential and purpose who is breathing not only as a result of God’s INSPIRATION, but because you were conceived as His INSPIRATION—you are literally the physical manifestation of God’s INSPIRATION.
Fully Loaded
M
OST OF US BUY INTO THE LIE…”I can’t do more for God and others because I have so little, but once I get more, then I’ll be able to do more and bigger things.” We ask ourselves, “What good is what I have, when what I have isn’t good enough?”
In God’s Kingdom economy the reverse is true: “Be faithful in the little and you will be made ruler over much.” [Matthew 25: 21-23] Every dream begins in a seed-form, how big it grows depends upon the cultivator of that dream-seed.
It’s not how little of how much you do or do not have that matters, it’s how little or how much you do or do not do with how little or how much you do or do not have that’s important.
The same question was asked a long time ago, “What good is what I have, when what I have isn’t good enough?” Jesus taught us that all we needed was faith as small as a mustard-seed.[Luke 17:6] Jesus used the seemingly “not enough” two fish and five loaves of bread that a young boy surrendered unto Him to feed a multitude of thousands. [John 6:9-11] When God designed and created you, He fashioned you to be “fully-loaded” and “fully equipped” to handle and be everything He intends and desires for you to be and do.
God and you will always be more than enough, so do the do with what you do have to do the do with. You’ll never know if you have enough until you dare to put it in the “more than enough” hands of Jesus and let Him give it away to others through your obedience to “go” and “do”. The truth of the matter is that you always had the “more than enough” in your possession that you thought you lacked all along. It was already in your hands just desperately ready and waiting to be given away. #BeRevolution
You’re In Great Demand
“This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: CHRIST IS IN YOU, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory.” —Colossians 1:26-27
PEOPLE IN THE STREETS…won’t bump into God by accident, but they may bump into you by accident.
If they do, it was no accident at all, they’ve just bumped into God in the streets by bumping into you: a child of God.
Christ in you means that you are Christ become flesh. No you’re not Christ 2.0, butChrist has wrapped Himself in you, now you are the incarnation of God. Let those who have ears hear what the Spirit of God is saying.
Christ in you is your hope of glory, so that now in Christ you may be the hope of glory to others. You are now God’s hands, His feet, His eyes, His mouth, His ears and His heart. Through you, God can touch and love others. Christ in you is the hope of glory that every human-being alive is desperately searching for—you are in high and great demand.
Bounce Back
NO TRUE CHRISTIAN PROFESSES TO BE PERFECT, JUST TO BE FORGIVEN…Thus this thought from a “rubber-ball”.
“Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” —Micah 7:8
At some point in our lives we all fall-down, mess-up, yada, yada, etc. Falling is a given, getting back up is a choice.
There are 3 kinds of “Christians”, which one are you:
1. Bouncing rubber-ball.
2. Half-inflated rubber-ball..
3. Fully deflated rubber-ball.
The first bounces right back-up when life throws them hard against hard-times. The second barely and with great difficulty bounces back at all. The third lays dead deflated right on the spot where it was thrown.
Jesus knew that in this world we would get thrown against hard-times. Most of it would be of our own making. As a matter of fact He said, “In this world you will have trouble but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
The take-away is: Be like a rubber-ball that bounces back-up quicker and even higher the harder its thrown against the hard ground. God does not demand or expect perfection, just a relentless determination to continue moving forward in the right direction. So if you by chance have fallen hard, don’t stay-down…bounce right back.
When you sin, never run away from God, always run towards Him. It’s okay to fall a million times, as long as you get back-up a million and one. I’m not endorsing a habitual sinful lifestyle, I am endorsing that there is grace and forgiveness for the imperfect person who may mess-up and sin. Bounce back like a rubber-ball, Get Back-Up!
Crisis Happens
Life is one short or long crisis after another, with longer intermissions of joy in between.
Jesus taught; “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”— John 16:33 MSG
Now this is not bad-news, it is actually really good-news. Why? Because life or “to live” describes a resistance, a struggle and a movement. When a person is dead, all motion ceases.
To live means to confront challenges, obstacles, struggles and adversity. If we can understand and come to terms that within this journey we call life, crisis will lurk around every other corner; then we will not get caught by surprise or off-guard.
If you’ve ever been temporarily disabled, then you know what I mean. If you almost lost your life, then you know exactly what I mean. Those who are bed-ridden understand this well. Though life may at times be a bitter hard upward climb, it is better to be alive and struggling; than dead and unable to fight.
If life indeed is one crisis after another, then it is of critical importance that we learn how to correctly respond to crisis. You can overcome every time. You can be triumphant every time. You can win every time. The secret will be in whether you incorrectly react with panic, or correctly respond with trust in God to the crisis. Remember, all you’ll ever need to overcome is the Over-Comer Who overcame death and hell: Jesus Christ!
Th Art Of War
The great war strategist Sun Tzu made this statemet: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Now I do not adhere to his teachings to any degree, but he does make a great valid point. Yet I believe that Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul stated an even greater truth to which I do adhere: “Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are NOT IGNORANT OF HIS STRATEGIES OR DEVICES. ―2 Corinthians 2:11
Just like God has His own “battle-plan” book: “The Bible”, a manual for warfare; satan also has his own [though a joke when compared to God’s] “little evil plan” book [but still a deadly weapon to those that are ignorant of it].
Now while the context of this verse is forgiveness, I believe the principle still applies and holds true for every area of life―“Do NOT be ignorant of the enemy’s strategic war-plans of attack” or his modus operandi. You see in any country, there is nothing that is considered as valuable as “Intel”. “Intel” is the gathered body of information for the purposes of getting the “upper-hand” over your congestion or enemy. It is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your enemy’s army, weapons, defenses, infrastructure, arsenal, finances, supplies, etc; to exploit them if and when neccessary to your advantage.
Do you know your own strengths and weaknesses? You should because the enemy’s attacks on your life will come directly through the weak parts or the cracks of your defenses. You see the enemy has “intel” on you, he has done his homework on human-nature for a very long time and knows how to infiltrate and defeat us. Have you done your homework? Do you have “intel” on his strategies of warfare and military operations? Do you have the necessary “intel” to not only withstand but also crush and defeat the enemy’s advancements? If not, you have work to do, get to learning. Ignorance will not protect you, as a matter of fact; it will destroy you.
God’s Favorite Flavor Is?
“You are the salt of the earth…” –Matthew 5:13
What was Jesus teaching us? While a wealth of inexhaustible truth can be extrapolated from this verse, I will submit just one, “Salt changes its environment, the environment never changes salt”.
For example, you and I can complain about our food in this way: “This steak is too salty”! But we will never complain about it in this way: “This salt is too ‘steaky’”! You see while all other foods acquire the taste of salt [or conform to their environment], salt doesn’t but keeps its properties intact. Salt affects change where ever it is, but change does not affect the salt.
In a culture that is aggressively trying everything it can to conform and mold us after their own patterns, we must remember that “we are the salt of the earth”. We have been pre-destined to be “world-changers”, not “changed-by-the-world”.
You will never sit at a restaurant and complain about how much that “T-bone steak” tastes like steak, but you will definitely start a ruckus if that $40.00 steak tastes too much like salt.
What’s the “take-away” for today? You are in the world but NOT of it. Like salt, you must come out of your “salt-shaker” in order to be of use and affect change to your environment. But here perhaps is the most important truth to know when you engage this culture: “you don’t have to possess the fear that you will become or start “tasting” [become contaminated or defiled] like the culture.
You see salt keeps all of its properties and loses none. Salt does not get defiled or contaminated. As you engage your “sphere of influence” this is what should be said of you: “Every time he/she comes around, it tastes a lot more like, I don’t know like, Christ’s Kingdom in my life and around here doesn’t it”?
The reverse is also just as true and important, what should NOT be said of you and I is: “Every time that person comes around they talk, look, behave and smell so much like “God’s purpose has been violated”, that I feel violated”. You are the salt of the earth, you are to give this world it’s “flavor”; so you should strive to always taste like and release God’s “favorite flavor”—“Christ’s-Kingdom”. #BeRevolution
Rejoice Always?
REJOICE in the Lord ALWAYS. I will say it again: REJOICE!” —Philippians 4:4 NIV
THE APOSTLE PAUL WHO WAS A “JESUS-FREAK” AND A “NOIZE-MAKA”…was imprisoned, incarcerated, locked-up, chained and shackled when he wrote the letter of Philippians to Phillippi. Yet in the middle of this difficult situation and circumstance he used the words “joy” or “rejoice” some sixteen times. Say what?
To rejoice is an attitude that makes a conscious choice, that no matter the attacks the enemy deploys, I will make a joyful noise with my heart, mind, soul, strength and voice; that once and for all—all sadness, gloom and despair it completely destroys.
This guy was a prisoner who was most-likely beaten and probably mistreated. Maybe he was in solitary confinement with little food and water. Maybe he had no medical attention for his wounds or relief from his pains. Because he was chained in a dungeon, the odds are that he was left to sit and sleep in his own human-waste.
Yet through all this tragic drama unfolding right before his eyes, Paul still managed to get-out of his system the words “joy” or “rejoice” some sixteen times. I don’t know what you’re going through, but if Paul in his bleak situation was able to encourage us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”—then we have absolutely no excuse to pout or wallow in a puddle of self-pity.
Pity-Party is NOW SHUT-DOW and OFFICIALLY OVER…it’s time to REJOICE AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN!!! “REJOICE in the Lord ALWAYS. I will say it again: REJOICE!” —Philippians 4:4 NIV
Still Standing
Through grace, now there’s no commandment given by God in Scriptures that He has not already fully equipped, wired, capacitated, empowered and provided you with everything you need to triumphantly, victoriously and successfully fulfill it.
For example, when God says in Ephesians 6:13; “So use every piece of God’s armor (arsenal and weaponry provided) to resist (and STAND against) the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be STANDING up”; you can be certain that He has equipped and empowered us TO STAND 100%. No it’s not in our own strength of course, but through the infused power of Holy Spirit!
Notice that Scripture acknowledges the reality of the dangerous battle we’re in. It doesn’t say that we will not be knocked-down or laid-out, but it is saying that even though we may fall a million times, if we continue to get back-up a million and one; then we will be the “Last Wo/Men STANDING”. Remember you may have been knocked-down, but you haven’t bee knocked out as long as you continue to get back-up.
Once the cloud of dust has settled and the smoke had lifted, the only ones who will be left standing are those who have trusted in God’s faithfulness and integrity. “STANDING” is a position of the heart, it is not necessarily a physical stance. To “STAND” is an attitude that is relentlessly resolved, committed and determined to remain steadfast to the very end, never giving-up or giving-in no matter how hard life gets.
You may already be facing in 2014 the fight of your life, but if you dare to take the relentless and determined attitude that trusts God no matter how ugly the war that’s breaking against you looks; then when the enemy’s bomb shrapnel subsides, the rapid fire machine-gun ceases and desists, and all is finally said and done; many will be laid-out but you will be STANDING TALL even if it’s STANDING TALL bruised, battered and bloodied on your knees.
INTOLERANT OF INTOLERANCE…HUH?
If we have to choose between obedience to God and obedience to any human authority, then we must obey God. -Acts 4:19, 5:29 VOICE
Isn’t it interesting that those who demand absolute tolerance for all; are absolutely intolerant of all others? Huh?
In a “Free Thinking” society, we are free to think anything and everything we desire, as long as it is what the “Free Thinkers” say we are free to think. Huh?
I AM INTOLERANT without reservations, hesitations or apologies. Make no mistake about it, I don’t hide it; I am NOT “politically correct”.
- I AM INTOLERANT of the thousands of innocent babies daily murdered under the guise of “women’s healthcare”…
- I AM INTOLERANT of schools teaching our children that homosexuality is natural…
- I AM INTOLERANT of it being “politically correct” for Christianity to be villainized and discriminated against…
- I AM INTOLERANT of the government giving our children birth-control and abortions on demand without parental consent…
- I AM INTOLERANT of a culture that entitles and empowers the wicked via human trafficking…
- I AM INTOLERANT of a society that calls good evil and evil good…
- I AM INTOLERANT of injustice…
- I AM INTOLERANT that our courts are allowing marriage to be redefined….
- I AM INTOLERANT of this and so much more…
- I AM INTOLERANT!!!
That’s why for me this one Truth will never ever change but steadfastly remain, “It is better to obey God; rather than to obey man”.
Moby Dick & You
I am confident that the Creator, who has begun such a great work among you, will not stop in mid-design but will keep perfecting you until the day Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, returns to redeem the world. —Philippians 1:6
“Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tartar sauce with you.” —Zig Ziglar
- “No we are NOT to be stupid, foolish or reckless. But we are to be fearlessly courageous in our trusting God’s faithfulness”.
If we never risk anything, we will always have nothing to risk. No one has ever achieved greatness by sitting on the seashores of safety. All who have achieved greatness have had to take great risks, some risked it all; but there’s no other way to greatly live.
If we desire to conquer our “Moby Dick” giants, then we will have to go after it with what little we do have and dive-in to the raging seas of risk trusting that God is in us, with us and for us.
Run Or Stay
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33
That troubles show-up in any shape, way or form, uninvited and unexpected should come as no surprise to us. Those of us, who have committed our lives to the Lordship of Christ, have already been forewarned of impending hard-times.
So the question we must ask ourselves today is, “What do I do when troubles hit me upside the head”? Now you will either do one of two things: 1. react incorrectly or 2. respond correctly. Reacting is instinctual (consequence of the unrenewed flesh mindset), responding is spiritual (result of the renewed spirit/attitude mindset).
It’s just a matter of time until the next crisis hits, have you “renewed the attitude of your mind” to respond as an over-comer? Or have you been to busy feeding and pleasing the “flesh” or the unrenewed mind “steak and potatoes”? Always remember and never forget, All You Need To Overcome Is The Over-Comer! So no matter how often of how hard life hits, never ever quit!
The unrenewed-mind will “react” in panic according to the circumstance and situation. The renewed-mind will “respond” in confidence to what God’s Word says about that circumstance and situation.
Troubles will come, that is an unchanging truth. Your instinctual fears will tell you to run-away as fast and as far as you can. Your spirit man will respond in faith and confront it head-on with God’s unchanging promises. Now knowing this, whether you run or stay when troubles hit is completely up to you. But God has equipped you not only to stay, but overcome as He overcame.
Live Big
“Those Who “Belittle” You; Will Always “Be-Little” Before Your Greatness!”
The great adage, “The BIGGER they are, the HARDER they fall”; could not be more timely, appropriate and truthful than for whatever you may face in your life today.
It’s doesn’t really matter how BIG is the obstacle that stands before you; but what’s immensely important is how BIG is the One Who stands with and goes before you. Read 1 Samuel 17 and gain the courage to “Face Your Giants”. Reject intimidation, negativity, doubt, critics, opinions and even the lies your ow mind says about you.
Dare to “LIVE-BIG”! You have been created to not only “Face Your Giants” but to run right through and trample over them. I know circumstances sometimes seem scary, inescapable and hopeless. But what if you shifted your mind-set? What if your thought-process changed? What if the tables were changed and your circumstances and all involve would have to fear being trapped with you in the same place?
What if your presence there made your adversities so fearful they would lose each and every and all hope? What if the traps that were set for you became the prison that now holds them? What if trying to steal, kill and destroy your dreams became their very worst nightmare? It’s NOT how big is the problem that stands in front of you that matters, it’s how BIG is the One Who stands by your side and goes in front of you that really makes the difference! Don’t ever feel sorry for yourself, feel sorry for those who dare to stand against the God Who forever stands with you and eternally goes before you!
Dealing With Critics
The real motives come from deep within a person—as from deep waters—but a discerning person is able to draw them up and expose them. —Proverbs 20:12
The Opinions of Critics are the opium by which they intoxicate themselves into a stupor. In a quest to impress themselves, critics demean or belittle others to cover-up the fallacy of their grandeur. In other words, they “get-high” off of their own critical words, so that they don’t have to face the reality that they really feel like a worm.
It’s like the “Great Wizard of Oz”. There was a lot of fire and smoke, but behind the curtain was a cowering little person afraid of the world. A critic like the “Great Wizard” may say, “Pay no attention to the person behind the curtain”, but a leader will pull back the curtain to expose the real person, yet will still lovingly influence their weaknesses without prejudice. Leaders expose the heart but they don’t disclose or exploit its contents through criticizing or gossip.
Think about this: “Critics criticize because they don’t, but desperately wish they had your life”. Within every hardened heart, there’s a “soft-spot” that your influence can touch and reach. Your daily example of leadership will continue chipping away at their hardened-rock-heart and eventually—it will give-in.
Real Love
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. —John 3:16
Have you ever loved someone so much that they have bought you to your knees? Sure you say I proposed to my wife or husband that way. The love I speak of is like no other. It’s a love that forever changes your life. It’s a love that will swell up so much emotion in your life and heart that it will bring you to tears and yes not only bring you to your knees, but make you fall to your knees in awe.
My friend this is a relationship between you and your Lord Jesus Christ. Years ago God the Father gave His only son that you may live. Notice I said, “His only Son”. Being a parent I know how much my child means to me. My friend, He sacrificed His only Son so you could have life. If you believe in Him you will never perish and have everlasting life!
My friend this real love you can have is the most intimate relationship that you will have with anyone. When you come to your Lord in prayer it can be so beautiful. He walks with you daily and holds your hand through life. If you stumble and fall He picks you up. If you are going through a valley, this is when He carries you. Can you say anyone on earth can do this for you? I don’t think so. This friend is true and real love. It not only lasts a lifetime. It lasts through all eternity!
Contributed by: Jean Callaway
THE CASE FOR WISDOM
Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. –Proverbs 4:7
If you didn’t know what was “right” or what was “wrong”, then maybe I could probably argue and claim ignorance or innocence and dismiss your case. But because you insistently claim to know it all, I must hold you accountable, responsible and guilty for all you know or willingly refuse to know which is the crime of—foolishness.
Yes you are “guilty as charged” for your actions, in-actions, decisions and in-decisions. You see apathy, complacency or passivity still reap and yield the same guilty verdict, As if by your own hand the crime was committed.
Even Intentional Ignorance Is Never Bliss, It’s Just Choosing To Be Blind To All That’s Amiss.
What I’m saying is simply this, “There’s No Defense For Ignorance Or Indifference In A World Of Overwhelming Evidence For God’s Existence. So in All your getting please get wisdom’s understanding, which is: :the ability to recognize the difference”. You were designed, created and born for massive-greatness, don’t squander it by rejecting wisdom and intentionally choosing the cowardice of ignorance.
In ALL Your Getting, PLEASE GET WISDOM’S UNDERSTANDING!!!
Mind Puppet
Love does not count-up, tally, save, log, make a diary of or keep a record of wrongs done. —1 Corinthians 13:5
WHO ARE YOU HOLDING HOSTAGE IN YOUR MIND??? Whoever that person or persons may be, like a master puppeteer they are pulling the controlling strings of your mind. Past mistakes need to remain and be part of just that, “the past” and not time-travel at “Star Trek warp speed” on demand to the present.
Love does not deliberately create a “new folder” in the brain named “Pay-Backs”, just to “save to disk” other’s past mistakes. Love does not save to the mind like a hard-drive other’s wrongs in order to have quick and easy access to recall, print, flaunt it and vengefully throw it back in their face. Love does not eagerly wait for the first opportune time just to cause others disgrace and make them feel just some of the same past pain you still bitterly carry around in your head.
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. —Lewis B. Smedes
Who are you holding hostage in your mind? Of whom do you continually, over and over again play, rewind and play again the movie you created of their very painful demise? Whoever that may be and whatever may have been done is still not only controlling like a puppet your mind, but also you are allowing them in to your life to hurt you again and again, time after time. The truth is that someone like you who has been forgiven as much as you have been forgiven, has no right to keep a record of someone else’s mistakes!
Deal with the wrongs done to you then burn the offender’s criminal record once and for all. Now this doesn’t mean that we erase or delete from our minds what was done, but it does mean that we will no longer use it against those who have wronged us. So why would we do that? We do it because God did the same exact thing for us. Even though He forgave us through Christ, that doesn’t mean He doesn’t know all we’ve done in the past. It simply means that He has chosen and vowed He won’t ever hold it or use it against us again. In the same way, we need to forgive and while we will still remember, we’ll refuse to share cells with our offenders in the prison of our own minds. God’s love releases and holds no one hostage in the dark recesses of their mind.
No Limts
Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things ARE possible!” -Matthew 19:26
The Only Thing Standing In-Between You And Your Goal Is The Cow-Dung Story You Keep Telling Yourself About How And Why It Can’t Be Done.
It’s time to change the lens of your world-view by changing how you think, so that you can begin to write a new chapter in your life’s story starting right now. Ready? Let’s go! Repeat with me:
“I Know My Limits, But My Limits Won’t Ever Know Me. Limits Limit, But They Won’t Limit Me. Limits Are Made To Be Broken. I Am Unlimited. I Set The Boundaries Of My Life’s Impossibilities, And With God Forever They’re Limitless And Non-Existent. Never Again Will I Be Limited By Fear And Doubt. From Today And Every Other Day I Will Launch-Out In Complete Trust In Him…In Jesus Name It Is Done!”
Just Like Me
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. —Genesis 1:26
You were created to be a “misfit”, not to “fit-in”. To be a square peg in a round holed world. You are unique and lovingly designed to “stick-out” like a sore thumb from among the crowd. You are God’s absolute best work. You are first-class all the way; second to none. Completely extra-ordinary through and through, inside and out because God doesn’t do anything half-way—He always goes all the way!
I don’t know what you’ve been told, but here’s what God says about you: “I made you in my image and likeness. You reflect my nature and character. You are like me because you have all my attributes and qualities. I didn’t make trash in my creation, and especially NOT in you; there are no mistakes, accidents, failed experiments or defects. Picture this, “You Are Who You Are Because I Am Who I Am”! No, you’re not some manufactured mass-produced product; you are my beloved child born out of My passionate unconditional, never-ending love.”
It’s A Tragic Waste Of Life To Exist Not Knowing Who You Are And Why You Live — Those Answers Are Found In Your Identity!
“I believe in you, now it’s time for you to believe in yourself. I value you as priceless, now it’s time for you to value yourself as such. As a matter of fact you are worth to me the life of my own precious Son. If you have received and accepted Him as your Lord, then you’re forgiven and it was worth every drop of blood. Because of Jesus, I have forgiven you, so now it’s time for you to forgive yourself.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say here is, you’ve been away from home for far too long. You don’t have to continue running away. It’s time, and it’s okay for you to now finally come-back home to be who you were always intended to be and take the place you were always meant to have before you were even born. You Are Everything I Always Intended And Desired For You To Be—Now Go Dare To Be And Live Just Like Me!”
Derailed?
“If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” ―1 John 1:9
“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
No matter how fast you’re going in life, the high-speeds won’t matter at all if you’re headed in the wrong direction. As a matter of fact, a train traveling at dangerously high-speeds can get derailed. Even worse, a train that is on the wrong track going in the wrong direction full-speed ahead, will most likely result in a head-to-head collision with another train. In other words, CRASH, KA-BOOM, only the burning fragments of a wreckage will remain.
Maybe you’re running full-steam ahead, on the wrong tracks of life, headed in the wrong direction. It’s inevitable, it’s just a matter of time until (if it hasn’t already happened) that your life will be reduced to the ashes and smoke of a colossal wreckage. The “GOOD NEWS” is this: God Allows U-Turns! Your Life May Be A Train Wreck Right Now, But It’s Never Too Late To Get Your Derailed Life Back On The Right Track And Going In The Right Direction! This may be your last and final “WARNING-LIGHT” before a disastrous impact comes your way, runs you over and takes you out for good; so please DO NOT ignore this! God loves you too much to see you go up in flames. Why not allow Jesus Christ to be the conductor of your life, by trusting Him as your Lord right now?
col-li-sion: the hit & run revolutional 