Month: October 2013

Call & response: A Spiritual Dialogue


A call to Hear Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! This a call for the elderly and for the young – every man, woman, boy, and girl. He doesn’t want any to be left out. He is calling Hindus, Buddhist, and Muslims. He is calling the entire world to hear what He has to say through His Son Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” If you hear His voice don’t harden your heart! A call to Awake Awake, you drunkards, A spiritual slumber has swept over the nations. The eyes of many Christians are heavy. Jesus is calling the church to come alive. He wants to bring revival. He wants to raise up those dry bones and breathe life into them so that they can live again.  Ephesians 5:14 says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Are you asleep? Could you not …

Patience is more about long-term endurance than it is about short- term


I finished reading Mohler’s “Conviction to lead” yesterday. It is a great read jam packed with lots of substance. I immensely enjoyed the chapter on the “passion to lead”, and “the leader understands worldview.” But I was more impressed with chapter 23 – Leadership that Endures. The following paragraphs are from chapter 23. The title above each paragraph is not in the book. Here are three things I want you to consider over this weekend: Consider Patience Patience is a virtue that is highly honored by Christians.The Bible reveals patience to be one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul prayed that the church would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). Evidently, patience and endurance and joy belong together. Paul also told Timothy to preach “with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Consider long-term not short-term. We often think of patience as a short-term issue. We are impatient in a checkout line, impatient in traffic, and horribly impatient …

How to learn from your mistakes when PlayingPumps don’t work


I came across a very interesting story a few days ago that I would like to share with you today. Tom Murphy is the man behind the story and it reminded me of how too often, we come up with very good ideas that seem innovative and fun, but at the end of the day, these ideas do not really deliver the results we really were looking for. How do you learn, and recover from mistakes you’ve made and take your business, projects and dreams into right direction that will produce desired results? That’s what this story is about. Here is how it goes: A few people got together and came up with the idea of a merry-go-round that will connect with a water pump. Since kids love playing on merry- go-rounds their playful, fun loving activities would be the power source by which water is pumped to the town’s reservoir making water available for the entire community. This innovative technologically savvy project was supported and praised by Laura Bush and AOL co-founder Steve Case and …

Without good direction, people lose their way


Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances. Here are a few nuggets from Proverbs 11 to help guard us in the right direction: Lead a life of honesty God hates cheating in the marketplace; he loves it when business is aboveboard. Practice humility The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm. Use integrity as a guardrail The integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin. Place more value on faith, hope and a principled life than on riches A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst. Leave a good name and a good reputation everywhere you go Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life. Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust. Seek to leave a lasting legacy When the wicked die, that’s it—the story’s over, end of hope. A …

From Prison to Prime Minister: 7 principles for divine favor


When we read the bible, especially ancient stories like that of Joseph, the first question that comes to mind is – is this applicable in my life, is this relevant for our time? The answer to those questions is very simple. God made sure that what is recorded in the scripture will transcend time and minister to subsequent generations. If it worked for them, it will work for us. So “Yes”, God can raise you up from nothing. He can elevate you beyond your qualifications. He can promote you and cause you to be more influential than your peers. Let me share with you 7 Principles about how that can come about: Destiny Destiny is not necessarily where we can take ourselves but where God can take us. It is the prophetic promise on our live. It is his dream not ours. However we need to embrace his plan and align our lives with it. Joseph held dearly unto every revelation God gave to him. He wrapped his entire life around it and it lifted …

A Rugged Disposition doesn’t know when to quit


A Rugged Disposition doesn’t know when to quit Just a few before service pics from the weekend. I preached at TAG Church. We are in the second week of a sermon series entitled “Momentum.” Momentum is often described by the force that can stop it. This weekend we talked about the forces that can stop your momentum. Some times it is as simple and dangerous as discouragement in the face of opposition. The temptation to give up and throw in the towel. In Nehemiah chapter 6 we highlighted about seven forces that can stop your momentum as he said NO to a proposal to meet with Sanballet and friends in the land of ONO. But in this post we would like to emphasize the temptation to get discourage and give up pressing on in your momentum. Have you ever noticed? When we are doing great in life ministry and mission, that’s when he shows up to get us off track? Tell him – Oh No! I am doing a great work and I am not …

Integrity is not a Cantaloupe, it’s a Grapefruit?


Integrity – what is it? Some times we say things like, integrity is being truthful, holy, pure, obedient to God, trustworthy, who you are and who you are supposed to be when no on is looking. But the word Integrity is from the latin “integer” and it means “unity.” What that means is, a person of integrity does not live a divided life. There is no difference between who you are Monday through Friday and what you are on Sunday. There is no difference between who you are on the job and who you are at home. Integrity must invade every part of your life. In most of the circles today, I often hear a lot of people say, “you either have integrity or you don’t.” How true is that assessment? Could that statement be misleading? Is there a better way to explain integrity? According to Fred Smith, the author of Leading with Integrity, integrity can be compared to a Cantaloupe and a grapefruit. You can have it in one area of your life, but it …

Choosing to Live life on purpose


One of the reasons why I decided to start a blog and actually give it the title “where are you… Where are you going?”, can actually be summarized in a very few words. I want my life to really count. And if I can inspire somebody to think the way I do, and do the things I do to make my life count, than at least in this small portion of my life I have succeeded big time. At the end if my life, I want my wife and kids, my friends and loved ones to say that I was the husband, the father and the man that I was created to be. That I lived my life exceptionally well and left this earth with no regrets. I want to leave a legacy that generations after me will not easily forget. I want to go out with a deep satisfaction that I did my best to serve God and my family. I want to leave this place knowing that I was able to discover God’s …