Month: April 2013

You are being build into a Spiritual House

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Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5 God is on a mission. Through the hands of the master carpenter he is building a temple. Only this time a spiritual power house. As we draw new to Him, our foundation is the chief cornerstone – Jesus himself. I love the way C. S. Lewis describes it in mere christianity: Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth …

let there be light

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Originally posted on shift:
“You will be remembered. Stay strong Boston.” … It’s been nearly two weeks since the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Nearly two weeks since two alleged terrorists killed three people and injured 264 others at one of the world’s oldest and most beloved annual events. Nearly two weeks since chaos erupted and an entire city was shut down to find the imposters. Nearly two weeks, and I have yet to say a word. I haven’t mentioned Boston. Why? Is it because I am heartless? Am I too busy writing articles to concern myself with the plight of marathoners far, far away? Too busy talking to birds and making up poems about the night sky to worry about things like death and destruction? Too busy pondering life to take stock of what’s happening in it? Or is it . . . something else? Injured child in Syria On the same day as the Boston marathon, eleven Americans were murdered by guns. Two days later, a fertilizer plant in Texas exploded, killing 14.…

John 1:4, 5

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Light in Dark Places Life, what is it, where did it come from, how is it sustained? Contrary to popular thinking, life has its origin in God. He is the maker of everything – the giver of life. When He made man, “He breathed into him and man became a living soul.” If we want to talk about life, its origin and how it is sustained, Jesus should be at the center of that discussion. The scripture says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Everything, this world, human life, depends on Jesus for survival. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Though most men do not recognize this, it still is the truth. Jesus is not only the sustainer of physical life he is also the giver and sustainer of spiritual life. When he stepped out of eternity into time, into this dark and evil world, he was on a mission to lay …

Lead to Inspire

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“A leader is a dealer in hope.” — Napoleon Bonaparte “Nobody rises to low expectations.” — Calvin Lloyd “A person, who no matter how desperate the situation, gives others hope, is a true leader.” — Daisaku Ikeda “One cannot consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar.” — Helen Keller “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery “Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens, people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.” — Warren Bennis “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams “Lead and inspire people. Don’t try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but …

Bold and Courageous Leadership

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“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” — William Shedo “Boldness, more boldness, and always boldness!” — George Jacques Danton “Courage is the enforcing virtue, the one that makes possible all the other virtues common to exceptional leaders: honesty, integrity, confidence, compassion and humility.” — John McCain  “Leaders make decisions that create the future they desire.” — Mike Murdock “Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don’t take too much advice — keep at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers that move the world.” — Noah Porter  “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” — Faye Wattleton _____________________ Resource: Leadership Quotes

How to Excel in Pleasing God

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In this first letter to the Thessalonians Paul begins in chapter 1:4 by recounting how the gospel – preached with the Holy Spirit’s power and full conviction – had touched and transformed the lives of many. This transformation was so plain to Paul that he declared in 1 Thess. 2:1 that “our coming to you was not in vain” and how in 1 Thess. 1:9, “they had turned from idols to the living God.” He calls them imitators of God in 1 Thess. 1:6, and boasted about how their testimony had gone forth not only in their immediate surroundings, but also to far away places (1 Thess. 1:8). Paul also called them his hope and joy, the crown of exultation, and glory (1 Thess. 2:19, 20),  and broke out in ecstatic praise when he got news that they were doing great in their walk with the Lord even though he had not visited to impart what he thought they were lacking in their walk with the Lord. Even after hearing how great they were doing – Paul still continued to pray for them to increase and abound in their walk with the Lord. He admonished …

How do I get to the post office?

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In the book, The Leadership secrets of Billy Graham, W. Clement Stone writes a story about Billy Graham trying to find his way to the post office in a small town. Upon asking a boy how to get to the post office in this small town and upon getting directions he needed, Billy invited the boy to come to his meeting that evening, saying, “you will hear me telling everyone how to get to heaven.” The boy’s response was hilarious – he said, “I don’t think I will be there, you don’t even know your way to the post office.” Myra, Harold and Shelley, Marshall. The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham. (Zondervan, 2005), page 49.

The Tale of Four cities

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It had finally reached the ears of all the nobles of the people of the ends of the earth. The word on the street was not very different, but the official version was short and sweet: “Across the great waters is a land of great learning and enlightenment. Anyone with enough courage to brave the great waters would find the secrets of life, depth of knowledge and heavenly wisdom that only comes from the Wisdom God.” The decision was final, the nobles had decided, Yakobo will be the first one to take the Journey. Unfortunately, an important piece of the information did not reach the ears of the nobles of the people of the ends of the earth. Across the great waters there were three other cities competing for the allegiance of anyone brave enough to travel over the great waters. In each of these cities there was a powerful force strong enough to captivate the allegiance of anyone. The name of the city where the Wisdom God dwelled was ILLUMINOS The name of the first …

Sunshine Sunshine in my soul today

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This video captivated my imagination about Jesus, his splendor and radiance. Hope it lights up your soul as well. For truly the sun declares the glory of the King. his face was like the sun shining in full strength. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!

Releasing a culture of Victory in the face of Opposition

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One of the key truths about the kingdom of God, the church or a believer is that we always seem to triumph even in the mist of intense opposition. For example: The massive Goliath falls to a boy with five smooth stones Pharaoh’s pursuit and the parting of the Red Sea. A great multitude of Moabites and Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat prayed. God spoke. The worship band sang. God moved. Israel won the battle. Jesus lived and died. His disciples begin to spread the good news. Opposition is as intense as it was with Jesus. Some get killed, yet the truth still lives, impacting countless millions. Time after time we win. No matter the opposition. No matter the issue, no matter the seeming setbacks, we win. Truth gets twisted but it never breaks. Kingdoms rise, kingdoms fall, He is immovable rock, so are we. Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it!” Here are a few things we need to do when faced with opposition 1. Remember God …