How Champions Think

Good quote I learned from a tennis mentor, and it is a great philosophy that helps us to see how Champions think:

"Your next shot is more important than your last mistake” ~ Tom Veneziano

How can you apply this to your life? Have you made the wrong career choice? Bad decision making in a relationship? Did you double fault on 30-40? Maybe you did not speak up when you should have?

In terms of human history, we made a bad decision in the garden, but God, through Jesus of Nazareth, has given us our next shot in life...What will you do with it?

Process, Not Product

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature
and in favor with God and man.
~ Luke 2:52 ~

Inspired from Luke 2:52, I have thought about some new ideas to implement in gaining wisdom, stature, and favor...How can I best gain knowledge and abilities this year and use what God gave me for His Glory? Hoping to avoid a "self-help" entry, I have provided, not an exhaustive list by any means, but a few tips and tactics for getting to that next level for 2012...Four focus areas:

1. Focus on the process instead of the product
Too many times, all we think about is having a bigger bank account, or a better physique, without thinking about what needs to be done, or how it needs to be accomplished. Determine your end product, but focus on how to obtain it...working on the process in chunk's of time and effort...and then be persistent: Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won. -Unknown

2.Implement the MIKE Tactic
Mike Singletary, famous linebacker for the Baylor and Chicago Bears, was always known for intensity...his eyes showed it and his play backed it up...so as you establish new goals this year, get intense about them and establish the MIKE Tactic:

M- Motivated = You must be motivated for change
I - Inspire/Influence = find someone who inspires you and think of someone you can influence
K - Knowledge = If you want to change, you must arm yourself with the knowledge of what to do and how to do it (see below).
E - Evaluate = a key step to see if you are on pace with your goals

3. Multiply and Subtract
We need to multiply certain areas that direct us to transform, and we need to subtract things that are holding us back. There is a quote that reads, "In 5 years you will be the sum total of the books you’ve read and the people you’ve associated with." Let's condense that down to one year...by January 2013, you could be the result of what you allowed to enter your mind by what your read and who you ran with...our readings and our associations have a profound effect on who we become. It is why Psalm 119:93 says “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life,” and why Proverbs 4:23 states, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." So we must focus on the input if we desire a certain output. Here are some tips:

• Do you want to know what you believe and why? Then read On Guard by William Lane Craig, and then form a study group and watch the DVD Companion to it...you read and discuss, read and discuss, constantly shaping your mind and your transformation.

• Do you want to gain muscle and lose fat? Then subscribe to fitness magazines/blogs, and form a fitness group. Read books and associate with people who are like-minded to get strong and healthy. (If you can't find a workout partner, then I highly recommend DVD programs, I know it sounds crazy, but for real, get Insanity or P90X2...they will at least motivate you because you see other people getting fit, and it lays out the program in a plug-n-play method.

• Do you want to establish better finances? Then read books and hang out with people who have become rich through smart investments and a savings plan.

4. Who Do You Play For?
A favorite quote comes from the movie, Miracle, the true story of Herb Brooks (Russell), the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Russian squad. It is a simple quote used by the coach, and it goes like this:

"Who do you play for?"

This one quote totally shifted the players mentality from selfishness to self-giving! One reason they were able to beat the Russians is because they realized they played for their country, their family, their team. Listen, if you want to transform in 2012, then ask yourself, "Who do I play for?"

Are you a parent? Do you want your kids to know Christ? Then study The Scriptures, serve on Mission Trips, be a leader in your Church and your community. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”- Proverbs 22:6

Do you want your kids to get into Harvard or Stanford? Then don't just tell them to study and work hard, let them see you reading intellectual books and making new discoveries.

Do you want your organization or your team to improve? Then don't tell others to work or play hard...you work hard, you play hard and they will echo your efforts.

When people see you learning and growing Spiritually, Intellectually, Physically, Financially, etc, then they will follow as well. So not only will you be achieving your goals, you will be helping others achieve their goals.

So for 2012, don't just expect success, train for it...think process...think influence...and you might find the product is better than you expected!

4th Of July Challenge

Abraham Lincoln once observed, “The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next.”

G. K.Chesterton’s observation about Russia has come true here, “Once abolish the God, and the government becomes the God.”

• • •

Great article by Frank Turek, titled Country a Mess? Blame the Church...

I have been very motivated and challenged by this article, and I believe you will be as well. So I would like to issue a 4th of July challenge to all Followers of Jesus Christ...we need to transform culture and society by infiltrating it instead of avoiding it...so...

Let's put an end to the anti-intellectual movement that leads believers to separate from society rather than reform it. Let's reform society by thinking, writing, influencing, and creating.

Let's stop bifurcating life into two separate spheres—the sacred and secular. We need to saturate society with the Truth of Christ, morality, and ethics...not separate from it. And forget about being PC and non-offensive. Our softness is allowing culture to spit on The Cross of Christ.

Let's stop substituting Reason for emotionalism, and thinking that only activities that directly save souls are deemed sacred. A saved soul is wonderful, but we must make the connection that a saved soul is a transformed person...and transformed people lead to a transformed culture.

Eternity is at stake, but so is our present day...May God's Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven...

**Bold captions are derived from Frank Turek's article, Country A Mess, Blame The Church

Losing For A Purpose

...Just read the latest question of the day over at Jesus.org, called, A Gospel for Losers? It really made me think that we need to put such a topic in the proper perspective and in the proper context.

In the article, the author speaks of truth, but does not contextualize it...not to do so is a major weak point of any type of teaching. He states the following:"Jesus came to show us that the gospel explains success in terms of giving, not taking; self-sacrifice, not self-protection; going to the back, not getting to the front. The gospel shows that we win by losing, we triumph through defeat, we achieve power through service, and we become rich by giving ourselves away."

But what does all of this mean? When do we do this? Why do we do this? We must qualify statements such as this by looking at WHY Jesus taught these amazing principles. Statements like this that are isolated from a proper perspective simply sound like feel-good slogans or cheesy bumper stickers.

Jesus does not want bumper stickers, He wants bold servants. He wants people that serve while leading, not those who serve simply to lose. I am seeing a lack of leadership in the Christian community (which includes myself) to take a stand against all the moral filth and secularism that is infecting our country. Moral relativism and religious pluralism have invaded every area of life like a bad virus. And one of the reasons this is occurring is because Christians are saying, "well, I need to just stay quiet and triumph through defeat."

Let me digress for a moment and qualify where I am coming from on this issue and state what I am for and what I am against so that my statements are not taken out of context...

What I am in favor of: I am all for The Gospel and believe in everything Jesus said. I firmly believe in Classical Christianity because I am a firm believer in objective truth. I am in favor of the proper Exegesis of Scripture (explanation of then and there) and the proper use of Hermeneutics of Scripture (interpreting for the here and now).

What I am against: I am totally against Eisegesis (interpreting a text in such a way that it introduces one's own ideas)... I despise relativism and the claim that all truth is subjective truth...

...so to get back to my main point, Jesus tells us such counter-intuitive teachings not so that we can look all humble and sweet, but so that we can live for a higher purpose...His purpose. He exhibited this in His own life. He did not simply take a punishment or die on the cross so that we could say, "Wow, what a nice man." Instead, He willingly laid down His life for a purpose. He came on a rescue mission to save all of humanity from eternal torture in order that we could be justified, sanctified, and glorified.

So could it be that all the secularism that has taken over our planet, the removal of school prayer, the corrupt politics and political correctness, the immoral lifestyles, the pro-choice movement, the double standards, and all the filth that we see in the media is because as Christians, we see it happening, but we are too soft to stand up and do anything about it? Is it because we have an improper view of the definition of humbleness? An improper view of what it means to save our lives by losing them?

There could be other reasons of course, apathy for example, or wanting to take a stand but not knowing how...but when it comes to giving and not taking, self-sacrifice instead of self-protection, and winning by losing, it must be in the context of purpose...If we "lose" then we "lose" in order to assure a greater victory...we need to have a context for our convictions instead of a cop-out for our cowardice...

Think Differently To Discover God's Will

Do you want to know God's Will for your life? If yes, then here is what you must do:

~ Change The Way You Think ~

Here is how Romans 12.2 says it,

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (emphasis added).

In terms of changing the way we think, other translations say, "Renewing Of Your Mind." Ask God to renew your mind and change the way you think, then discover ways to do so through Prayer, Bible Meditation, talking with Christian leaders, family, and friends, listening to podcast, etc...Get involved with new experiences...serving, missions, ministries, etc...Read new books, learn a new activity, see from new perspectives and use Scripture as your filter...do whatever it takes to stop conforming to the world and its teachings, and start listening to God as He molds you into everything He created you to be...All For His Glory!

James 2

Notes from James 2:

• No Favoritism - God's Kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. (2.1-7)

• Royal Rule of The Scriptures - "Love others as you love yourself." (2.8-11)

• All-or-None - God's commands are all-or-none, we can not pick and choose according to our liking. (2.8-11)

• We reap what we sow - (2.12-13)

• Demonstrate your faith through your action - "God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense." (2.14-18)

• Faith and works are interconnected - Faith expresses itself in works - our belief is demonstrated through our actions. We must have a child-like faith that leads to bold action. Abraham believed God and backed it up with action, led to Abraham being called "God's Friend." (2.21-24)

Main Idea of James 2: Seamless Unity of believing and doing. (2.25-26)

James 1

Notes from James 1 MSG

• Persevere and Endure. Don't look for the quick fix. Build and exercise your faith by overcoming challenges...this leads to maturity, proficiency, and development. (1.2-4)

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
~ James 1.12 ~

• Pray for Wisdom. Pray with the two B's (Boldness and Belief). God loves to answer this Prayer. (1.5-8)

• God does not trip us up. Our sin and lustful desires (which have a terrible snowball effect) trip us up. God is there to deliver us. (1.13-15)

• Stay On Course = No Distractions (1.16-18) and (vs 25)... (also see Ps 119.1). Every desirable (see Ps 34.4) and beneficial gift comes out of Heaven (1.16-18).

• God will Landscape us with His Word. (1.19-21)

• Act on God's Word (1.22-24). Our affirmation arrives through action. (1.25)

• Reach out. (specifically to the homeless and the loveless). Guard against corruption. (1.26-27)

Transformed

I was inspired from Mark Batterson's post the other day, titled, Rewiring The Mind.

He gave a great illustration from a study that was performed at the National Institutes of Mental Health. The study was on a finger-tapping exercise and it showed how we can actually create new neurons in our brains, a process called Neurogenesis.

Like Mark said in his post, we can juxtapose this with Romans 12.2:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I love this thought because as we read Scripture, our goal should not simply be a gain in knowledge. I am a trivia junkie with the best of them, but we must shift our hopes from answering all the Bible trivia on Jeopardy one day, to a desire of transformation and gaining the Mind of Christ.

This is so applicable to all areas of life as well. If our end goal is merely knowledge, then nothing will ever get done because we are not meshing it with action. Without a transformation, without a rewiring, without a Neurogenesis in our lives, then we will never:

Be good stewards
Walk By Faith
Obtain our New Year's Resolutions
Break a bad habit or start a good habit
Love our neighbor
Get in shape
Save and invest our finances wisely
Form good relationships

You name it, the list goes on and on... As humans, we represent the most intelligent of all life forms. But you must agree, that we are also rationally irrational. We know what is right and wrong, good or bad, yet we still do the same things over and over again. Why? Because we have not changed despite our wealth of knowledge.

So to live according to God's assignment in our lives and complete down to the last detail what He has called us to do, to achieve our hopes and dreams during this generation of life, we must have new synapses fire, we must start "finger-tapping" in all areas of our lives so that new connections will be made. Attitudes must change and paradigms must be shifted...

...Easy? Not quite, Newton's first law of motion does not only apply to mechanics and laws of physics. We also have a resistance to change, an inertia, in our daily activities and thought patterns. So it is time to take our knowledge and mesh our beliefs with our works...

How do we get transformed?
1. Dig into God's Word (Landscaped with The Word of God) and then Act on it!
2. Grab a Glimpse of God's Revelation...eliminating all distractions
3. Be men and woman of action...we will find delight and affirmation in the action...

> God's Word + Action = Transformation <

I love how James puts it in his famous, Faith In Action, section of Chapter 2. "Dear friends, do you think you'll ever get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything?

He goes on to say, how we have works of faith...The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?

So go forward today being renewed with God's Word and being transformed by Faith fruitful works.

Why a person would sit when he can soar, spectate when he can play,
or atrophy when he can develop is beyond me - Bill Hybels

Trust In God To Make Something Of You!

...make something of me. You can do it;
you've got what it takes — but God, don't put it off
(From Psalm 40.16-17 MSG)

The Book of Romans says that "we call Abraham 'father' not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. (Romans 4.17-18, emphasis added)

I don't know where you might be in your life, but if you are ready for God to make something of your life, no matter what the circumstances, take some encouragement from Abraham...

Here is how it happened:
• Abraham and Sarah wanted a family, Abraham was old and Sarah was infertile...no worries though, because they believed and trusted in The Almighty God

• Abraham dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing.

• When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do.

*** We have the choice on what we believe...
we must DECIDE like Abraham
to live on the basis of what God WILL Do!***

• Therefore, God made Abraham father of a multitude of peoples

• Abraham was old and Sarah had decades of infertility...despite this, they never focused on their own impotence and said, "It's hopeless." Instead, God himself said to him, "You're going to have a big family, Abraham!"

• Abraham did not tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions.
• Abraham PLUNGED into the PROMISE and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what He said.

• Listen to what The Bible says next: "Abraham was declared fit before god by TRUSTING God to set him right." (From Romans 4.19-25 MSG, emphasis added).

We must go through training in athletics, studies, work, etc in order to be declared fit for those specific endeavors...if we want God to trust us, we must trust Him...allow your current circumstances to put you "in shape" so that you can be declared fit before God, ready to PLUNGE into the PROMISE that God has for your life!

Final note: From this same chapter, The Book of Romans says, "It's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we EMBRACE and BELIEVE The ONE who brought JESUS to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God."

Our salvation is set, Praise Christ!...Jesus has made us fit before God...now, if we want to live the abundant life God called us to, we must trust and believe like never before...Hebrews 11.6 says, without faith it is impossible to please God...

Trust Him, Worship Him, Believe In Him, Praise Him...The same resurrection power of Jesus Christ is available to us today, it's time to resurrect, roll away the stone that has been keeping you locked up, take off the bandages, and become what God has PROMISED for you!

Trust in God, He will make something of you!

Holy Spirit Prays For Us

Want to start living with Holy Anticipation? All we have to do is realize two facts that blow my mind: The Holy Spirit Prays for us and that our life is God's Prayer! Drink it in!

He Prays for us in accordance to God's Will! Soak that up...what if we really believed what God's Word is telling us??...What would we dare to accomplish for His Glory if we really believed that The Holy Spirit is Praying for us...It's time to start living what we believe!

Christian has even mentioned to me that he has heard one preacher make an interesting point, "that Christians really don't believe the bible. If we did, our lives would look completely different...as would our obedience to God!"

Romans 8.27 says "for the Spirit pleads for us BELIEVERS"...

It does not say "the spirit pleads for us who would like to believe..."

My point is this...I think sometimes we can get 'lost in translation.' We read a powerful scripture, we hear a good sermon, etc, but then fail to connect God's Word to our living...we go back to living the same lives, going through the same routine, wishing that things were different, hoping that somehow things will change without any action on our part...we must translate Gods' Powerful Promises to our Faithful Living...it's not enough to hear a sermon or read Scripture but then never act on it...

It's time to have a whole new perspective on life knowing and BELIEVING that The Holy Spirit is PLEADING for us in accordance to God's Will!

Psalm 42.6-8
Then God promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God's prayer.

Romans 8.26-28
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them

The Principle of The Path

The wise see danger ahead and avoid it,

but fools keep going and get into trouble.
Proverbs 27:12

Albert Einstein once said, "Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them. Well that is what The Wisdom of Proverbs teaches us in Proverbs 27:12.

Andy Stanley talks about it in his podcast entitled, Destinations. In Destinations, Andy points out the amazing principle from Proverbs that he has coined, "The Principle of The Path."

One quote sums it up, in which Andy states,

"Direction, not intention, determines destination."

Where Are You Headed?
Look at your life, your relationships, your finances, your health, your decisions, etc. Look at where they are headed, not necessarily where they are. You may have the best of intentions, but it is your direction that will determine your destination. It's like heading down the interstate. If you want to go to Florida but you are headed to Detroit, even if you have the best intentions, you will still end up in Detroit because you are on the wrong path. Where are you headed?



The Path and The Second Law of Thermodynamics
The Lord tells us that the wise see danger and avoid it. This goes right in line with one of the laws that governs our universe, The Second Law of Thermodynamics. Here are a few examples of the law...

Ice Cream melts, iron rusts, apples turn brown, things get dirty, etc. Left alone, situations get worse. But through action things get better.

Well so many times we say the following:

"I know I'm headed down the wrong path, but things will get better."

" I know I need to save more money instead of spending so much, but things will get better."

" I know my relationships are moving farther apart, but things will get better."

" I know I am gaining weight, drinking too much, telling too many lies, but things will get better."

Saying things like that is like saying the ice cream will somehow spontaneously re-freeze on its own without any action on our part.

4 Words
Here are four words to think about that Stanley mentions in part of his series.

Action. Sacrifice. Embarrassment. Relief.

In order to see danger and avoid it, we must take ACTION. Action will require SACRIFICE, which may cause some EMBARRASSMENT. But in the end, we will be full of RELIEF.

Noah took action. It required Sacrifice. He was probably embarrassed to be building a boat when the weather was beautiful. But what a relief that He listened to God, saw danger, and avoided it.

Become Wise By Walking With Whe Wise

Become wise by walking with the wise;

hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces
~ Proverbs 13:20 ~

A few days ago I read a great article about Tyrese Gibson (singer, model, actor, and star of Transformers. He worked his tail off to achieve success. Then he started hanging out with the wrong crowd. He lost his motivation, gained weight, and the downward spiral was on...

But then one day he ran into another actor, Will Smith, who told him this:

"The five people you spend most of your time with will dictate how far your life and career will go. Slobs will make you a slob."

That's all it took. Tyrese began listening to Will Smith, started hanging around more positive influences, turned his life back around, and the rest is history. This parallels the wisdom we receive from Proverbs. We must have a circle of influence where we push others to achieve their best and where they push us to achieve our best.

Are the people you hang around pulling you down because they are afraid to stand up? And what about you...are you encouraging and influencing them in positive ways? Take a quick inventory and do some evaluations. You can determine their influence on you and your influence on them simply by looking at the "fruit" that everyone is producing...it is either ripe or rotten.... Are you better or worse because of their presence? Are they better or worse because of your presence?

Think for a moment by how we learn best...we model those we want to be like and then insert our own gifts to the mix...For instance, the disciples "did life" with Jesus. They walked with Him on a daily basis. Resident physicians follow and walk side-by-side with the Attending Physician to learn everything about medicine/surgery, etc. Athletes, musicians, artist, business people, etc train with the best, work with the best, live with the best.

I love how Jesus puts in Matthew 11.28:

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.

One last note, Erwin McManus writes in his book, "Seizing Your Divine Moments," the following about the power of influence, and how influence is contagious:“People who are influential pass on what they have like the flu. They’ll sneeze all over you...We pass on not just who we are, but who we genuinely desire to become.

Escape quickly from the company of fools;

they're a waste of your time, a waste of your words.
Proverbs 14:7

God's Masterpiece

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
~ Ephesians 2:10 ~

According to The Oxford American Dictionary, A Masterpiece is a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship ; an artist's or craftsman's best piece of work. We are God's best piece of work. And to know that The Carpenter of Creation has created us in Christ Jesus so that we can do good things, things that He has planned long ago, should give us a Holy Anticipation to live our lives with God-Ordained Passion!

The question is, do we "see" it? Do we see the reality that we are God's Masterpiece? Or are we focusing in on cultures perspective more that God's original design.

God's Plan
God had plans for Mary's life. He planned that she, a virgin, would give birth to The Savior of The World. Her response was, "But how?" Are we saying the same thing for God's plan in our lives? But how?

Holy Anticipation
We must believe that God has already planned for us to do good things, that He has a specific purpose for us to UNLEASH His Glory! We must keep our eyes open and "see" with a Holy Anticipation what God is doing and wants to do through us. Mary kept her eyes open and finally came around to "see" what God was up to:

And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me just as you say. ~ Luke 1.37-38 ~

Living Wide-Eyed In Wonder And Belief
What it comes down to is whether or not we live our lives in "Wide-Eyed Wonder and Belief" or whether we are living "squinty-eyed" in greed and distrust."

From Luke 11.33-36:
"No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It's put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they're going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don't get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." (Emphasis added)

How are our eyes? Do we "see" what God has planned for us? Are we living in a Holy Anticipation with Wide-Eyed Wonder and Belief? Let's accept the fact that we are God's Masterpiece, and then say, along with Mary:

Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's...ready to serve.
Let it be with me just as you say.

Go

"Go. What you believed could happen has happened."
Matthew 8.13

Jesus Astonished
I want to have Jesus "taken aback" by my faith. I want Jesus to be "astonished" by my faith. In Matthew 8.5-13, Jesus was "taken aback" by the faith of a Roman captain. The captain's servant was sick and needed healing. The captain knew that all Jesus had to do was give an order, that Jesus did not even have to be physically in the presence of the captain, and that he would be made well.

The captain goes on to say, "Just give the order and my servant will be fine." That is when Jesus was "taken aback." And then later Jesus says, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well.

At That Moment
Today could be your moment. Today could be the day that Jesus is astonished and taken aback by your faith. Today could be the day Jesus tells you to "Go. What you believed could happen has happened."

Where do we need Jesus to "Just give the order..." in our lives? Or maybe the questions should be, do we really believe? Is Jesus astonished by our faith? Where are we holding back?

Let's "Go" forward with the faith of the Roman captain...Let's live our lives from this point forward to where Jesus is "Astonished."

Witness

In Matthew 8.1-4, Jesus heals a leper and then says the following to him:

"Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."

I love how Jesus says for the leper to give expressions and thanks to God...and then how witness what He has done, saying "Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."

I know there is a time and place for speaking The Word with our voices because Scripture is loaded with verses, stories, and commands for doing so. But think about how many people you are around everyday, those who see you, but never have the opportunity to speak with you...they can see your clean and grateful life even if they never hear a word from your mouth...and that, according to the above Scripture, can "bear witness to what Jesus has done."

Prep For The Test

Do you work? Are you in school? Do you compete in athletics? If yes to any of these, odds are you will have a "Test" coming up soon. It could be an exam, a sale or idea to pitch, a deal to close, or a game to win. Well what about in the "game" of life? Are you being tested right now? Maybe the more important question is, "Are you prepared for The Test?"

In Matthew 4.1-11, Jesus was prepared for "The Test." The Spirit led him into the desert and the devil was ready to give the test. But like a winning quarterback for the 2-minute drill or the mind and hands of a gifted surgeon, Jesus was PREPARED!

Two Preparations
Jesus did at least Two things according to Matthew in order to prepare for the test.
1. He Fasted for Forty Days and Forty Nights
2. He knew God's Word forward and backward, up and down, inside and out

Three Test
Jesus was tested three times by the devil, and each time, Jesus quoted a passage from Deuteronomy. (I don't know about you, but this motivates me to want to study Deuteronomy :-)

Our Test
Are we prepared for the test that culture throws at us? Are we prepared for the test that the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life brings? Where is satan trying to pull you down? What temptations are you struggling with?

Jesus was prepared...Are We?

Strength For The Day and Your SCI

If you are like me, you need strength for each day...Raw strength, The Strength that comes from God's Word. And the great thing about meditating upon His Word everyday is the cumulative factor that comes with it...the consistency of digging into Prayer, listening to His Voice, and following His ways is like adding up a Spiritual Compound Interest (SCI).

So the investment this morning comes from the Word "Fortress" and the phrase "Greater Things."

Psalm 27.1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?"

Jeremiah 1.18 says, "My power will make you strong like a fortress or a column of iron or a wall of bronze."

John 1.50 has an account of Jesus speaking to Nathanael, and Jesus tells him, "You will see greater things than this.” Mark Batterson has an Amazing new series out on this passage...check it out, it's a great new Faith-Building series!

Attack today praising God for every breath (Psalm 39) you take, realizing He is your Fortress, there is no one and nothing to fear...believe in Him and believe that He wants to use you for His Plans, and as you follow His ways and become more and more like Him (1 John 2.6) you will add to your SCI and will see "Greater Things!"

Start Living It!

As I am taking two chemistry and one biology course this semester, I am focusing on how important it is not to only study the material, but also how important it is to go and have hands-on experience by working in the lab. We learn and then we do. We practice and then we play.

It is the same way in our lives as Christ Followers. It is not enough to only read or even meditate on The Scriptures...we must live them as well. Look how Colossians 2.6-7 says it:

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

So like the chemistry lab where I donn my cool goggles and lab apron, I want to in all of life, Put on The Full Armor of God and start living! "Letting my living spill over into thanksgiving!"

God-Ordained = GO!

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must GO to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. ~ Jeremiah 1.7-8 ~ (Emphasis Added).

In the next post, we will talk about how we need to LOVE in order to get rid of all fear...but now we will see how what we LOVE will help us to "GO" and LIVE a God-Ordained life!

The word ordained, according to one source, is an order or decree prescribe; determine (something) such as "the path ordained by God."

...So when I say that LOVE can and will help us live a "GO" life, I'm not talking about a fuzzy-feel good cute and cuddly love...I'm talking about the kind of LOVE that moved Jesus to go the The Cross for you and for me...that is the kind of LOVE that drives out fear and allows us to live a God-Ordained Life!

Jesus lived a God-Ordained life...In John 17.15 we see how Jesus says the following:

I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.

Determining Our Assignment
There are many ways we can try and understand what our assignment to do is and how we can live a "God-Ordained Life...One way we can get a glimpse of it is by applying the "Philippians 4" Principle to our lives.

Philippians 4.8-9 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (emphasis added)

Notice how the "whatever" is mentioned 7 times in the above passage...So living a God-Ordained life is "whatever" you do that is Noble, Right, Pure, etc..the important thing is that we don't just think or meditate upon these areas, but we that we actually put into practice what God teaches, tells, and shows us.

Final Thought: Jesus received an assignment. Jeremiah received a command. They received them because they had a relationship with God. We must do the same. If we do not 'hear' from God, it is probably because we are not seeking Him.

But If we do 'hear' from God and do not act, it may not be that we don't know what God is wanting us to do, it could be that we are too afraid to do it...

So let's think and then act on whatever is noble, right, pure, etc, and those qualities, just like LOVE, will help us to overcome our fear and 'GO!'

What is your assignment? What command do you need to GO and take action upon?

Influence and Leadership

Great thoughts on Leadership and Influence. Apply them to your life and to those in your circle of Influence:

The Following From Erwin McManus
You Can Know Who You Are By What Others Become Through You

God wants us to be proof and evidence of His Life, that through our lives, God's story would be written on the hearts of others

You can know who you are by the people around you, by watching the progress of their life

You are writing a story in their hearts that will effect the story in your heart

Rick Warren
Leadership is Stewardship, Not ownership.

Mark Batterson
Leaders Create more than they consume.

Max Lucado
Leaders can & should make their plans, but they must never forget that it is God who controls the future.

Proverbs 21:1 (New International Version)
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Psalm 119.79-80 MSG
Let those who fear you turn to me
for evidence of your wise guidance.
And let me live whole and holy, soul and body,
so I can always walk with my head held high.

Edward Everett
"I am only one, but I am one; I cant do everything, but I can do something; what I can do, I ought to do, and by the grace of God, I will do."