"I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." – Philippians 3:12
A friend of mine had his break down before leaving on a trip recently. A good friend of mine who happened to be a Cadillac dealer insisted that he drive one of his brand new Cadillac Seville demonstrator cars. My friend had a ball in that car! He said that he started the engine, put the car in reverse, and couldn't believe what he saw. As he backed out of the driveway, suddenly the digital speedometer started flashing, registering the miles per hour he was going in reverse. For the first time in the history of the car industry in the United States there was a speedometer that registered backward speed.
In times of defeat, it's easy to think we're going backwards. Let's not count it! The secret of success is to look ahead. We must lay aside the negative weights and run with patience the race that's in front of us.
* * *
Is there anything in your life that is weighing you down? Identify it. Let go of it. And, press on!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Look For The Good
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." – Genesis 50:20
A young man named Woolworth decided he was going to open a new store—a brand-new business of his own. When he was ready for the grand opening, a merchant down the street got a little nervous about this young man taking some of his business away, so he ran an ad in the local paper. It read: DO YOUR LOCAL SHOPPING HERE. WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 50 YEARS! Young Woolworth couldn't believe it! How could he handle this competition? What should he do? The next week he countered with an ad of his own, which read: WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS ONLY ONE WEEK—ALL OF OUR MERCHANDISE IS BRAND-NEW! And he was off to a great start!
Take all the good news you can. But even if you're faced with bad news, remember—often there is good news hidden in bad-news situations. But you have to be positively oriented before you see it.
* * *
Make a habit of looking for the good in any bad situation that comes your way.
A young man named Woolworth decided he was going to open a new store—a brand-new business of his own. When he was ready for the grand opening, a merchant down the street got a little nervous about this young man taking some of his business away, so he ran an ad in the local paper. It read: DO YOUR LOCAL SHOPPING HERE. WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 50 YEARS! Young Woolworth couldn't believe it! How could he handle this competition? What should he do? The next week he countered with an ad of his own, which read: WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS ONLY ONE WEEK—ALL OF OUR MERCHANDISE IS BRAND-NEW! And he was off to a great start!
Take all the good news you can. But even if you're faced with bad news, remember—often there is good news hidden in bad-news situations. But you have to be positively oriented before you see it.
* * *
Make a habit of looking for the good in any bad situation that comes your way.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Don't Quit This Week
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."
— Numbers 13:30
What is the secret so spiritual longevity? What practical steps can we take to assure that we will be walking with the Lord years from now? The answer is found in the Old Testament story of Caleb, a man who never lost his edge spiritually. At age 85, he said of himself, "I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in" (Joshua 14:11).
One important step to spiritual longevity is that we will not compromise, but instead stand our ground. That is what Joshua and Caleb did when they were sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan. It would have been easy to go along with the crowd. But they stood their ground at the risk of being personally ostracized and losing their friends, even their lives, because the people wanted to kill Joshua and Caleb.
In the same way, we need to stand our ground. We need to be more concerned with God's approval than the approval of others. When you decide to wholly follow Jesus Christ, you had better expect and brace yourself for opposition. There are people who will ridicule, harass, and oppose you. But you cannot let anyone or anything keep you from the commitment you have made.
If you want to stand the test of time in your commitment to Christ, then you must develop a set of convictions that will help you steer through the rough waters of temptation and compromise. Be willing to stand up for what you believe.
— Numbers 13:30
What is the secret so spiritual longevity? What practical steps can we take to assure that we will be walking with the Lord years from now? The answer is found in the Old Testament story of Caleb, a man who never lost his edge spiritually. At age 85, he said of himself, "I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in" (Joshua 14:11).
One important step to spiritual longevity is that we will not compromise, but instead stand our ground. That is what Joshua and Caleb did when they were sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan. It would have been easy to go along with the crowd. But they stood their ground at the risk of being personally ostracized and losing their friends, even their lives, because the people wanted to kill Joshua and Caleb.
In the same way, we need to stand our ground. We need to be more concerned with God's approval than the approval of others. When you decide to wholly follow Jesus Christ, you had better expect and brace yourself for opposition. There are people who will ridicule, harass, and oppose you. But you cannot let anyone or anything keep you from the commitment you have made.
If you want to stand the test of time in your commitment to Christ, then you must develop a set of convictions that will help you steer through the rough waters of temptation and compromise. Be willing to stand up for what you believe.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Optimistic or Pessimistic?
"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." – Psalm 27:13
A nine-year-old boy arrived home from school one day to find his father waiting for him holding the boy's report card; it was filled with poor grades. "What do you have to say about this?" his father asked.
"Well, Dad," the boy replied, "You can be proud of me. At least you know I haven't been cheating." Now there's an optimist!
Optimists expect the best possible outcomes and emphasize the most positive aspects of a situation. A pessimist tends to take the least hopeful view of a situation.
At the heart and soul of both positive thinking and possibility thinking is the same powerful optimism. Optimism is the all-empowering attitude that unfailingly delivers the energy to start something, stay with it, or bounce back and start over again after a disappointment.
Optimism or pessimism—it's your choice.
* * *
Ask God to make you more aware of your thought process. Tempted to be cynical or pessimistic? Choose to be optimistic instead.
A nine-year-old boy arrived home from school one day to find his father waiting for him holding the boy's report card; it was filled with poor grades. "What do you have to say about this?" his father asked.
"Well, Dad," the boy replied, "You can be proud of me. At least you know I haven't been cheating." Now there's an optimist!
Optimists expect the best possible outcomes and emphasize the most positive aspects of a situation. A pessimist tends to take the least hopeful view of a situation.
At the heart and soul of both positive thinking and possibility thinking is the same powerful optimism. Optimism is the all-empowering attitude that unfailingly delivers the energy to start something, stay with it, or bounce back and start over again after a disappointment.
Optimism or pessimism—it's your choice.
* * *
Ask God to make you more aware of your thought process. Tempted to be cynical or pessimistic? Choose to be optimistic instead.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
ARISE! Bible Study Launches Soon! Order yours NOW!
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Scars Into Stars
"For Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." – 2 Corinthians 12:10
The Bible makes an astonishing promise—out of our weakness will come strength.
That's like saying where a bone was broken, it will knit, weld, and become stronger there than at any other point. Where the flesh was cut the skin will mend and form a scar that is tougher there than at any other point on the body.
Once when I was visiting a friend in the hospital, a doctor pointed out a nurse who was walking down the hall and said to me, "She's the best nurse we have. She works hard and is so dedicated," Then, as an afterthought, he added, "That's because when she was a teenager she spent ten months in the hospital."
Do you want to live an emotionally healthy and spiritually happy life? Learn to handle the hurts that come your way. Turn your scars into stars!
* * *
What "scar" in your life has God used to make you a "star" in someone else's life?
The Bible makes an astonishing promise—out of our weakness will come strength.
That's like saying where a bone was broken, it will knit, weld, and become stronger there than at any other point. Where the flesh was cut the skin will mend and form a scar that is tougher there than at any other point on the body.
Once when I was visiting a friend in the hospital, a doctor pointed out a nurse who was walking down the hall and said to me, "She's the best nurse we have. She works hard and is so dedicated," Then, as an afterthought, he added, "That's because when she was a teenager she spent ten months in the hospital."
Do you want to live an emotionally healthy and spiritually happy life? Learn to handle the hurts that come your way. Turn your scars into stars!
* * *
What "scar" in your life has God used to make you a "star" in someone else's life?
On The Next
"The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray."
I've always loved Mark 1:35. It motivates me to seek God early in the morning. But I never fully appreciated it until I examined the phrase: "the next morning." So what happened the day before? The context is the key to this text. Jesus had a long day the day before. He preached a sermon. He cast out a demon. And he healed a multitude of people. As a pastor, I know how exhausting it is to simply preach an anointed sermon. It's a tremendous expenditure of physical, spiritual, and emotional energy. Can you imagine how much spiritual energy it took to cast out a demon or heal the sick. Jesus had to be absolutely exhausted. But "the next morning" he got up early to pray.
In baseball terms, Jesus hit for the cycle. In hockey terms, it was a hat trick. In horse racing terms, it was the triple crown. An anointed sermon, exorcism, and healing in one day?
So what's my point? Well, what would most of us do the day after a day like that? I'm guessing we'd sleep in. We'd kick back. We might even let down our guard a little bit. Not Jesus. He was up and at it early the next morning.
Success is a dangerous thing. For so many people, it is their undoing. They don't steward the success. They don't steward the blessing. They let down their guard and give the enemy a foothold. And that's when the blessing turns into a curse and success turns into failure. They either get satisfied or smug. They stop seeking the source of success.
Here's the bottom line: when God uses you in a powerful way, you better get up even earlier to seek Him. When God blesses you, you better pray even more. And any measure of success God gives you better result in seeking Him even more.
I've always loved Mark 1:35. It motivates me to seek God early in the morning. But I never fully appreciated it until I examined the phrase: "the next morning." So what happened the day before? The context is the key to this text. Jesus had a long day the day before. He preached a sermon. He cast out a demon. And he healed a multitude of people. As a pastor, I know how exhausting it is to simply preach an anointed sermon. It's a tremendous expenditure of physical, spiritual, and emotional energy. Can you imagine how much spiritual energy it took to cast out a demon or heal the sick. Jesus had to be absolutely exhausted. But "the next morning" he got up early to pray.
In baseball terms, Jesus hit for the cycle. In hockey terms, it was a hat trick. In horse racing terms, it was the triple crown. An anointed sermon, exorcism, and healing in one day?
So what's my point? Well, what would most of us do the day after a day like that? I'm guessing we'd sleep in. We'd kick back. We might even let down our guard a little bit. Not Jesus. He was up and at it early the next morning.
Success is a dangerous thing. For so many people, it is their undoing. They don't steward the success. They don't steward the blessing. They let down their guard and give the enemy a foothold. And that's when the blessing turns into a curse and success turns into failure. They either get satisfied or smug. They stop seeking the source of success.
Here's the bottom line: when God uses you in a powerful way, you better get up even earlier to seek Him. When God blesses you, you better pray even more. And any measure of success God gives you better result in seeking Him even more.
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