Month: April 2013

7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders

Published by

Charles Nobles once said, “first we make our habits, then our habits make us.” We are what we repeatedly do. And if we ever want excellence in our lives, we need to remember that it “is not an act, but a habit.” Some habits are good, others very bad and still some are of no value or eternal significance. However, to effectively impact the people around us and leave a lasting impression, we must develop good habits and do everything in our power to unlearn bad ones. The following are habits of highly effective leaders: Where the Lord leads, they follow It is laughable to think that one can lead effectively without he being led. You may be the head of your home, the head of your church or the head of your company, but God is the head of you. A highly effective leader is humble enough to recognize and submit to the leading of the Lord. A leader who follows God where ever He leads, is bound to succeed. It was Benjamin Franklin …

How to resist and defeat Cultural Pressures

Published by

We are exposed on every side to cultural pressures. Between the two temptations of escapism and conformism, the latter is more common—that is, accommodation to the prevailing culture. We are exposed to cultural pressures incompatible with the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which, nevertheless, are demanding from us a capitulation that we are not prepared to give. And if we do capitulate to the pressures of society around us, then we compromise our integrity, we blunt our testimony, and we suffocate our spiritual life. What are the pressures of our culture to which we are forbidden to conform? What are the contemporary trends which threaten to envelop and engulf the church and against which we need to be on guard? I have selected three. I’m sure there are many more we could discuss, but these three are very important. First there is the challenge of pluralism: the church is called to be a community of truth. Second there is the challenge of materialism: the church is called to be a community of pilgrimage. Third there is the challenge of moral relativism: the …

Like a fire burning in my bones

Published by

You’ve been here before, searching, looking, burning the midnight oil, tossing and turning on your bed, searching for answers and still can’t come up with anything. You are looking for that one thing that will turn your life around. You feel stuck and life is dull. You’ve tried everything, yet, you are still bored to death. Your 9 to 5 or 5 -9 isn’t cutting it for you. You want more. You are hoping that something will click inside of you, wake you up and propel you toward your destiny. But, the only thing missing is your definition of the one thing that moves you, the one thing that makes sense, that one thing that gets you fired up. When Michael Jordan turned 50, ESPN Magazine ran an extended essay/interview about Jordan’s continuing obsession (or idolatry) with the best days of his basketball career. The article stated: [Jordan’s] self-esteem has always been, as he says, “tied directly to the game.” Without it, he feels adrift. Who am I? What am I doing? For the past 10 years, since …

Prayer Knows No Bounds

Published by

Faith, and hope, and patience and all the strong, beautiful, vital forces of piety are withered and dead in a prayerless life. The life of the individual believer, his personal salvation, and personal Christian graces have their being, bloom, and fruitage in prayer. God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. They outlive the lives of those who uttered them. Prayer is of transcendent importance. Prayer is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work. Praying hearts and hands only can do God’s work. Prayer succeeds when all else fails. Prayer honors God, acknowledges His being, exalts His power, adores His providence, secures His aid. Prayer puts God’s work in His hands-and keeps it there. Prayer is our most formidable weapon, the thing which makes all else we do efficient. It is hard to wait and press and pray, and hear no voice, but stay till God answers. The possibilities of prayer are found in its allying itself with the purposes of God, for God’s purposes and man’s praying are the combination of all potent and omnipotent …

The Day God Ran

Published by

… But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him… There are four things about God you can rest assure about: you are never beyond God’s reach… you can not out run God… God will never stop pursuing you… His love for you is vast beyond all measure… Meditation: Luke 15:1-3. 13-32 Prayer: Lord help me to see you just as you are – full of love and compassion. Help me to respond with absolute trust that you will receive me just as I am. Amen!

The “Coca-Cola-nization” of the world

Published by

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthian 3:18 There is a quest for transcendence, a recognition that the human spirit will never be satisfied by the material order. It’s the main reason for the collapse of Euro-Marxism. Marxism was offered as an ideological substitute for religion, and Marx confidently predicted that religion would wither away and die. But the human spirit cannot be satisfied with the material. As Jesus said, quoting Deuteronomy, “The human being doesn’t live by bread only but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Theodore Roszak, although he lived and wrote before the New Age began, wrote about this. He couldn’t bear what he called the “Coca-Cola-nization” of the world. He hated the pseudoscience that claims to explain everything, and he couldn’t bear the undoing of the mysteries. When science gets its hand on something, there are …

Last Words of Famous Rock Stars

Published by

This post is not intended to endorse in any way, form or fashion, the lifestyles of the artists mentioned in this post while they lived on this earth. The post does seek to make any judgment or any determination about the eternal fate of these artists. We can only hope that each one of these had at least one moment to connect with their creator before their passing. In his book, The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars, rock historian Jeremy Simmonds writes, “When the last moment [of life] does arrive, even the most articulate [musicians] can struggle to find the right words.” Simmonds lists the following last words of famous contemporary musicians: Amy Winehouse, the British singer who died in 2011, tweeted her last words: “Oinka Oinka Oinka why you awake.” Terry Kath, the Chicago guitarist who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said: “Don’t worry—it’s not loaded, see?” Michael Jackson: “I’d like to have some milk. Please, please give me some more.” Kurt Cobain: “I don’t have the passion any more, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to …

God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called!

Published by

Isaac was a day dreamer, Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper and denied Christ, David had an affair and tried to cover it up with murder, Noah got drunk. Elisha was suicidal, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer and he was way too religious. Timothy had too many ulcers, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Rehab was a prostitute, Samson – he liked prostitute. Isaiah preached naked for three years, John the Baptist ate bugs and had second thoughts about the very Messiah he baptized. Jeremiah was way too emotional, Moses stuttered, Zacchaeus was too short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called! I picked this up from a friend’s Facebook status. I don’t know if it is his original stuff, but it sure got my attention. Never say to yourself, “God can never use me.” God is not looking for the qualified, he’s looking for people who would …

Footprints – Leaving a Legacy

Published by

In his book, Crazy Love, Francis Chan tells a story about a very young girl by the name of Brooke Bronkowski that challenged me in such a way that I found myself saying I want to be like Brooke when I grow up. Brooke was a 14 year of girl… loved Jesus, started and led a bible study group at her school. According to Chan At age 12 she wrote the following: I’ll live my life to the fullest. I’ll be happy. I’ll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I have ever been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles but instead help others with troubles. You see, I’ll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age. Oh, I’ll have moments, good and bad, but I will wipe away the bad and only remember the …

Relativism: What’s your take?

Published by

While a lot of young people across America and around the world are helplessly struggling with what some are calling “the morass of relativism” Abraham Ebel writes, It all depends on where you are and it all depends on who you are. It all depends on what you feel, and it all depends on how you feel. It all depends on how you’re raised, and it all depends on what is praised. What’s right today is wrong tomorrow. Joy in France and England’s sorrow. It all depends on point of view, Australia or Timbuktu. In Rome do as the Romans do. If tastes just happen to agree, then you have morality. But where there are conflicting trends it all depends; it all depends. Please leave a note or a comment for why you voted the way you did. I would love to hear from you.