Hope & Courage: General George S. Patton

Currently, God is specifically working on me in the areas of hope and courage. The following are some words of wisdom I have been reading from General George Patton, one of the most courageous men to ever live in recent times.

"Better to fight for something than live for nothing."
Biblical Reference: Matthew 7:21-23

"The test of success is not what you do when you're on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom."
Bible Reference: Philippians 4:11-13

"When we are not moving, we are losing."
Biblical Reference: Psalm 90:12

"When there is fear of failure, there will be failure."
Biblical Reference: Psalm 27:1

"Do not be afraid to fail. Never take counsel from your fears."
Biblical Reference: Psalms 23:4

"Always do more than is required of you."
Biblical Reference: Matthew 5:41

"Pressure makes diamonds."
Bible Reference: Philippians 1:6

"Generals never show doubt, discouragement, or fatigue."
Biblical Reference: 2 Timothy 2:3, Joshua 1:7

"Defeat is due not to losses but the destruction of the souls of the leaders."
Bible Reference: Daniel 4:36

"People who are not themselves are nobody."
Biblical Reference: Proverbs 6:19

"A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood."
Bible Reference: Proverbs 12:24, 2 Peter 1:5-8

"When a decision has to be made, make it. There is no totally right time for anything."
Bible Reference: Ezekiel 33:4-5

"Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader."
Bible Reference: Ezekiel 33:3

The interesting part of General Patton’s pearls of wisdom, they are all biblical.

Accept Christ As Your Savior - wikiHow

How to Accept Christ As Your Savior

People talk about God and "accepting Christ as your Savior". What does the Bible say and why should you "accept Christ as my Savior"?

Steps

1. Believe that God loves you; He has shown this by giving His Son as a sacrifice for all you've done wrong and for all your sins. Admitting that you have sinned is a prerequisite to accepting Christ, and the hardest step to take. Once you have done this, every other step will fall into place. If you still have a hard time with this concept, trust Jesus as Lord over you as well as Savior.
   
2. Know that the Bible is God's Word to mankind, written by people God chose to write it. The people who wrote the Bible were inspired by God to write it.
   
3. Know the Bible teaches that all people have sin in their lives. Sin is anything that displeases God.Romans 3:23 (NIV)"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"That means 'everyone'. Sin separates us from God, who is perfect. The payment we pay for sin is death-permanent separation from God.Romans 6:23 (NIV)"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
   
4. Know the free gift of God is His son Jesus.John 3:16 (NIV)"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."Belief is trust and faith that God is who He says He is. He provided the payment for our sin by His own son’s death.
   
5. Understand the difference between heaven and hell, and how Jesus can help you avoid the latter. All sins, past, present and future were forgiven by Christ at the cross.Hebrews 10:10 (NIV)"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
   
6. Know when Jesus was nailed to the cross He bled.Hebrews 9:22 (NIV)"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."Jesus died to pay for the sins of man.
   
7. Talk to God in your own words. Tell God you believe on Him and that you accept His Son as your Savior. Ask God to lead and guide you day by day.
   
8. Congregate regularly with other Christians who can help you grow in your new life.
   
9. Follow Christ's teachings.

Tips

• If you have accepted Christ as your savior,Romans 10:13 (NIV)"for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"You are now a child of God. Just believe what the bible says, and accept what it says practically, as if what it says is exactly what it means.
  
• Now that you have chosen to accept Christ and receive his forgiveness for your sin, don't take advantage of his forgiveness and commit wrong like watching bad movies, reading porn magazines, etc. Don't beat yourself up if you do sin, remember that we will only be perfect once we get to heaven!
  
• Christianity may be metaphorically compared to a race. A race to reach the finish line (Heaven) is our ultimate goal, but how we run the race is more important than when we finish the race. We pause to help others along the way (benevolence, and bringing others to Christ), and sometimes stumble on obstacles in the way (our sin, others' sin). Christianity isn't an easy path. It may be easy to 'run the first lap', but the race becomes more difficult as we mature in our faith. Never forgot to ask Jesus' help, because we are not alone in the 'race'.
  
• You can approach God ANYTIME. talk to him as you would with a regular friend. You don't have to like tell the priest all your messages to God... God's a friend... and we have direct access to him!
  
• Plug into a church or a youth group. They will help you know more about God and be closer to him. Don't be too proud by thinking that you can walk with God alone. Christian friends build you up and encourage you, so plug into a church as soon as possible.
  
• Church does not mean a building. It means, and has from the beginning, a group of people who have accepted Jesus as the One True God meeting in the same place to celebrate what they have and learn from each other how God is working in their lives. This can happen anywhere, at set times, or even spontaneously.
  
• If your parents don't approve of the church thing, seek the help of the pastor or youth leader of the church you want to go to, or any other church. Technically, you aren't a member of the church yet; you're just seeking the help of a pastor or youth leader.

Warnings

• Do not expect that this is an easy life. Some example may be found in books like Jesus Freaks, The Hiding Place, Boom, Heavenly Man, or Christian magazines such as OpenDoors International or Voice of the Martyrs to find out what true faith looks like worldwide.
  
• Don't ever suppose that God doesn't care about what you do from now on. Always be aware that he doesn't want you to go back and do the sin that you were used to. He has made you a different person so you can live 'above' sin, not fall back into it. Always remember that you will undoubtedly be tempted to sin, but you can pray daily that God will keep you from failing. If you do sin, ask forgiveness from God right away, and ask him to help you not to do it again. If you have wronged someone else, go and apologize, no matter how hard it may be it will always be worth it to make restitution. Again, do not dwell on it, but get back to following Jesus and His example.
  
• For some people becoming a Christian is an emotional step; for others it is a simple act of trust without emotions. God will save you with or without emotions.
  
• Do not expect all your family and friends to like the new you, but it is OK, Jesus never said that it would be easy, He just said that it would be the truth.
  
• The grace of Jesus covers all sins. None of your words or actions can ever keep you from salvation and God's loving embrace. The only exception to this is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but this only applies to those who are already believers and speak vile words or commit vile acts against the Holy Spirit.Luke 12:10 (NIV)"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."Aside from this only exception, the grace of Jesus is yours when you believe in Him -- when you commit yourself to Christ.Ephesians 1:12-14 (NIV)"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory."
  
• Be aware, once you've accepted Christ into your life, that persecution knows no bounds. Now that you understand and feel the love of Jesus, you may become one of Satan's prime targets. Fret not, though, because nothing on earth or in Hell can harm your faith with God daily at your side. Do not worry about it, but rather remember this when you face temptations to sin.

Things You'll Need

• Faith
  
• The Bible. In some countries, it is very difficult to obtain a copy of the Bible due to the persecution of Christians or lack of adequate funding or supply. The word of God, as written in the Bible, is the truth necessary for understanding what it means to be a Christian. Owning a copy of the Bible isn't necessary, but having access to the Bible (ie: from the Internet or through verbal communication between others) is essential.
  
• Other Christians to encourage and guide you. If you don't know any other Christians, praise God for the mission field He has placed you in! You may feel inexperienced, but ask God what He wants to do and then do it. He may ask this of you, and possibly in a specific way, but verify it is truly Him by comparing it with His word (the Bible).

Related wikiHows

• How to Become A Christian
  
• How to Read the Bible
  
• How to Have a Personal Relationship With God
  
• How to Address Your Doubts About Catholicism
  
• How to Be the Antichrist
  
• How to Celebrate Lent

Sources and Citations

• Bible Gateway - Versions. 50 Bibles in 35 Languages. Free to download. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/
  
• Bible Gateway - Main. http://www.biblegateway.com/
  
• World English Bible. Simple website, powerful message. http://ebible.org/bible/web/
  
• World English Bible. New Testament in .PDF format. http://ebible.org/bible/web/webnt.pdf
  
• Persecution: Voice of the Martyrs - http://www.persecution.com/
  
• Global Outreach: OpenDoors USA - http://www.opendoorsusa.org/

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A Divine Appointment

Allen is one of my new best friends and brother in Christ. I met Allen for the first time after leaving work very late from the office. Allen was the security guard on night duty. As I was leaving the building, he noticed I was carrying my bible. He literally ran over and was eager to find out if I was a follower of Christ. I acknowledged that I was. He became filled with joy. I have never seen someone become so joyful about my salvation. For the next forty-five minutes we would stand in the doorway of the office building having a discussion about his love for the Lord. He was on fire for God! I loved it!

He came to the United States eight years ago from Haiti. Haiti is one of if not the poorest country in the world. It is always amazing to meet people from other countries who have suffered in ways many of us can’t imagine; in turn, have a strong and intimate relationship with their Father.

Three important takeaways came from my discussion with Allen this evening.

1) God is Omniscient and Omnipresent
2) He Never Leaves Your Side
3) The Joy of the Lord is Alive & Real

God is Omniscient and Omnipresent
Eight months ago, I was in one of my favorite bible studies in Brentwood, TN with Larry Thraikill. We have been studying to book of Psalm for the past few weeks. This particular week, we were covering Psalm 91. During our study, I felt there was a great lesson to be learned; but, I had no idea what the life application was going to be. A few days later I would begin to understand a little bit more. I would encounter a debilitating physical experience just before my 33rd birthday. All I could think of were the verses from Psalms 91.

2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.

And...
10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.

A few months later, my mom would experience a horrible facture to her knee. While in the hospital, one of her dear friends, Daisy Hobson was visiting my mom. While visiting, she decided to grab the bible from the hospital room table. She said, "Let's see what the Lord gives us." Randomly flipping through the bible she landed on Psalm 91 and started reading. It separated my heart in two.

At the beginning of my conversation with Allen, he randomly quoted to me verse 7 in Psalm 91. The minute I heard him say Palm 91, I knew God was speaking to me again. He had absolutely no reason to choose this verse in the bible unless it was God sending me the message for the 3rd time. The reason why this was so timely, my faith has been tested exponentially since I am still experiencing physical complications. The message received: I am covered. No evil pestilence or plague will come near me.

He Never Leaves Your Side
It was 1:30am! The last thing I expected leaving the office at this time was getting into a discussion with a stranger about God's grace. However, it is what I needed, when I needed it.

The Joy of the Lord is Alive & Real
In this prestige office building, Allen has the most joy in comparison to anyone else in the building. From a worldly perspective, this should not be the case. He is the security guard, and has the graveyard shift. What does he have to be happy about? There is a distinct difference between being happy and joyful in the presence of God. My encounter with Allen was a great reminder it is who you are and not what you are that matters most.

Allen was a great blessing to me and without a doubt truly a divine appointment.

Power of The Holy Spirit

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

The above verse is extremely powerful to say the least. We often don't realize how powerful the Holy Spirit is living inside of us. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can create the joy, peace, hope, and love we desire to harness. Emotional freedom comes from experiencing the joy of the Lord, not from the temporary feeling of happiness created from engaging in enjoyable activities or experiencing positive circumstances. The Holy Spirit lives in each of us. This is how we truly know when there is a green light or red light when making decisions. You always have a sense to which direction God is leading. Your sensing becomes stronger the closer you draw near to God. At the same time, your sensing can become weaker the farther you are away from God. Whether we decide to listen to His lead is a choice we all have to make. Freewill grants us the option to ignore the Holy Spirit completely. This is something many of us do often. If you are feeling no peace, joy, hope and love, this is a good indication you are not listing to God and the Holy Spirit which lives inside you. In addition, the joy and peace derived from the Holy Spirit has the power to suppress all doubts and fears. Spend time with the Lord and listen for the Holy Spirit to give you guidance and joy. For me, the only time I fear or doubt is when I am not leaning into God, and listening for the Holy Spirit to grant me peace and joy. It's a journey; I fear and have doubt just like everyone else. But, I can sense myself getting closer everyday to feeling less fear and having less doubt. Only because, everyday I am growing in my faith and trusting in the Lord for everything.

Prayer:
Lord, I pray you grow the presence of the Holy Spirit inside of me and anyone who you lead to read this prayer. I need to have a keen awareness of how to navigate all my adverse circumstances and blessings with You at the Helm. I want to continue to experience the abundance of joy, peace, hope, and love only You can offer. I can believe with all my heart and soul I have nothing to fear or doubt as long as I am listening for the Holy Spirit, and carrying out Your purpose for my life. Don't allow my circumstances or activities to be the measuring stick of my peace, hope and joy. Through the Holy Spirit, You alone make me whole. I only desire to fear You Father. And, You alone! Amen.

Survival of the Fittest

Currently, we are all faced with an overwhelming amount of challenges. Our lives have become one big game of "Survival of the Fittest". Expectations at work and home can make you feel like surviving is all you can do at this point. Debt and financial pressure is something most individuals and families are faced with right now. Why are we drowning and gasping for air? Can you relate to this feeling? Well, the main reason you are feeling this way is because you are fighting with a BIG GOD. He is much bigger then you. Therefore, you don't stand a chance! If you want peace, you must fully surrender and start being obedient regardless of your circumstances. Sometimes, this seems much easier said then done, but definitely not impossible. ...With God all things are possible - Matthew 19:26. I have found He will keep you right where you are at until you are ready to surrender completely. In many cases, people think they have surrendered, and don't realize they really haven't. The irony, brokenness is a sign of how much He loves you. God's love is perfect! Don't be afraid of brokenness, embrace it. The heart is prepared to grow when it is broken. Understand, with God there is no coexistence, negotiation or copiloting. He is the captain and you are the mate. Our flesh keeps trying to place us in the captain's chair.

When in survival mode we become angry, have loss of control, become depressed, have doubt, anxiety, fear, and unbelief. Therefore, we must train ourselves to overcome. Overcome the lies, the unbelief, and fears. God's purpose is to use our life as a training ground to better understand who He is and what the Kingdom can offer. The goal of the training is to demonstrate what Adam and Eve had before they introduced sin, God's perfection. Therefore, the act of overcoming means you should have peace when you shouldn't, control over responses, breakthrough personal growth opportunities, and freedom from any fears or bondage. I don't have a 10 step process to share with you to fix the feeling of survival. All I can recommend is to get on your knees and relinquish control.

Recommended Prayer:
Father, I can't do this life without you. I don't want to live in survival mode anymore. Teach me your ways. Give me the strength to overcome. I don't want to just survive in this world. I want to flourish by honoring, obeying, and surrendering to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

Charles Stanley on Facing Our Loneliness

If you have a feeling of loneliness or want to understand someone who might be feeling lonely, this is a great sermon to watch. We all experience loneliness at one point in time or another. I highly recommend watching part 1 as well.

> Watch Video Sermon on Loneliness Part 2
> More Sermon's by Charles Stanley & Part 1

The Dash

What is the "Dash"? The dash is what happens between the year you are born and the year you go back home. The big question, what did you do during this time? Were you a good and faithful servant or self serving? I am personally too often self serving. The more we have, the more we want. We all seem to struggle with making this trial period (our life) count to receive the blessing of an eternal life. Some have a more difficult time then others. The irony, the more difficult your life seems the more God is trying to reveal Himself to you. It is a blessing and not a curse. The bible tells us the poor are rich and the rich are poor. Just by living in the United States you can be considered rich because your income is most likely greater then 96% of the world's population. If you ever talk to someone who has gone on a mission trip, they will always tell you the experience blessed them more then the people they went to serve.

I heard a great sermon tonight by Pastor Tim Johnson about the difference between a believer and a disciple. We are not called to just be believers; but, disciples for God's kingdom. May people think by being a believer you already made it across the finish line, but; believers easily can backslide, where as disciples have crossed the line from feeling God to knowing God's purpose for their life. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus gives the great commission - to go and make disciples of all nations. He didn't tell us to just become believers. Who have you been a disciple to lately?

As a believer we tend to seek how to be a nicer person and achieve happiness through a relationship with God. But, what He is really after is our entire heart, commitment, and trust in Him. The world "nice" is not even in the bible.

Pastor Tim also gave a great story about a lifeguard who saved a man from drowning. When a life guard saw a man drowning in the water, he took his time getting to where the man was in order to rescue him. The people on the beach were yelling at him to move faster thinking he was a coward. The man was obviously in big trouble and needed help. When it looked like the man was about to finally go under for the last time, the lifeguard rushed out to save him and brought him ashore. He cleared his lungs full of water and the man survived. However, all the onlookers were very upset about the way he handled the situation. The lifeguard paused for a moment and went on to explain to the onlookers, "If I went out too soon the man would have drowned us both since he was much bigger then me." The man was not ready to be rescued because he had not fully given-up yet on staying in control of his own life as he wrestled fiercely with the water. This is a perfect metaphor for how we act in life everyday. Unfortunately, in many cases we need to exhaust ourselves before we are prepared to become a disciple. The transition from a believer to a disciple is equally if not more important as the transition from a nonbeliever to believer in Jesus Christ. It is all part of the journey if you are willing to except God's purpose and plan for your life.

Here are a couple of things Jesus and His followers had to say about this subject:

"You are the salt of the earth…light of the world" - Matthew 5:13-14

"But, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:20-21

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24

Teach us to number our day's alright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom - Psalms 90:12

Faith without deeds is dead - James 2:26

Conflict Resolution

We have all experienced conflict with a parent, spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, child, relative, friend, and co-worker.

Some of us are blessed to grow-up with great models to follow for resolving conflict and some of us are not. Even if we did have a great model to follow, it does not mean the person you are dealing with has the same great model. This can cause a great deal of frustration when a conflict arises.

Ironically, we tend to do a better job resolving conflict with those least closest to us. Conversely, we have the most difficultly resolving conflict with those closest to us. Shouldn't it be the other way around? If we are emotionally connected to someone else, resolving conflicts should be easier. We should be more transparent, honest, and feel safer with the person closest to us. But, for some reason, our levels of trust get damaged along the way as our own individualized expectations are not met. In turn, disappointments seem to become more frequent as the relationship matures. Our emotional bank account ends-up gets depleted overtime. This ultimately leads to becoming desensitized to the other person. Why does this happen? First, we must understand what are the methods we typically use to deal with conflict?

Method 1: Avoidance
The first method of dealing with conflict is to shut down when feeling overwhelmed. This can be very frustrating to someone who is committed to getting their view point made and implemented.

Method 2: Denial
The second method of dealing with conflict is to deny conflict even exists. A person usually acts agreeable and accommodating in order to ensure peace and harmony. But, the issue never gets resolved resulting in pent-up anger and resentment.

Method 3: Emotionally
The third way of dealing with conflict is to approach it emotionally. Some people have a tendency to lash out and escalate their temperament to ensure their view point is heard and received. This method typically ends by attacking the person and not the issues at hand. Reality and facts are usually overlooked as fear and anger drive conversations.

Method 4: Logically
The forth way of dealing with contact is to concentrate on the facts. This method typically discounts the other person’s feelings and thought process all together.

In some cases, we tend to use a combination of these four methods.

So, how do you resolve conflict?

This requires us to consider one more method infrequently used.

Method 5: Spiritually
Whenever you face conflict, the first priority is to take a step back and pray together over the issue. If the other person is not willing to pray with you, pray on your own and ask for wisdom and humility to help deal with the issue(s) at hand. In addition, pray for the other person. Don't pray for them to see things your way. Pray they seek God for the answers as well. God is the only one who grants us the ability to resolve conflict properly. He can turn impossible situations to great relationship building opportunities. If for some reason there is still issues left on the table, ask a trusted and mutual God-fearing person or councilor to join the conversation to help navigate and mediate the issue(s). If this still does not result in an amicable resolution, involve your pastor and elders of your church as they tend to offer a great deal of wisdom and counsel from a Godly perspective.

Resolving conflict on your own is virtually impossible at times. We tend to cause lots of damage and hurt without even realizing it. Understand your communication limitations and try and not to attack the other person in the process. Typically both parties are right and the conflict can be resolved through humility, prayer, and involving the right Godly men and women.

Note: Women and men of God will always encourage you to stay with your husband or wife, unless physical abuse is being inflicted. They will help provide the navigation system to overcome difficult obstacles you might be facing. Moving on to find someone better or choosing to be alone is usually not the right answer. Why? Because the method of communication you are using to resolve conflict will not change with someone else. In addition, a great deal of regret, bondage, and brokenness is created from failed relationship which only gets cared over into new relationships. This may not show-up in the early stages of courtship, but methods of dealing with conflict will not change and eventually a repeat of this vicious cycle will occur. When two people are in a God fearing relationship, He will create the necessary harmony.

What is your method of resolving conflict? Have you tried method #5 yet? Try it out, and let me know what happens. God Bless!

Preparation for Marriage

God prepares us for marriage. The song, "A Page is Turned" by Bebo Norman, perfectly illustrates the preparation that occurs between a man and woman from the beginning of their life. This song also demonstrates how God offers us a "second chance". Second chance does not mean just two, it means over and over and over again. God will give us a do over opportunity every time because he loves us so much. But, this requires asking for forgiveness. We need to do the same for each other as well. We all have the tendency to operate from the flesh. We will fail to meet the expectations of the other person countless times. Turn the page constantly to a new chapter called forgiveness and love.

A page is turned by the wind to a boy in curly grin
With a world to conquer at the age of ten
But as history unfolds and the storybook is told
He finds salvation but not at the hands of man

And the God of second chance
Picked him up and He let him dance
Through a world that is not kind
And all this time, preparing him, the one
To hold him up when he comes undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And now a man, here you stand
Your day has come

A page is turned in this world to reveal a little girl
With a heart that's bigger, as it is unfurled
By the language in her soul, that's teaching her to grow
With a careful cover of love that will not fail

And the God of second chance
Picked her up and He let her dance
Through a world that isn't kind
And all this time, preparing her the one
To hold her up when she comes undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And grown up tall, here you are
Your day has come

Beneath the air of autumn, she took him by his hand
And warm within the ardor, she took his heart instead
And high upon the mountain, he asked her for her hand
Just for her hand

A page is turned in this life, he's making her his wife
And there is no secret to the source of this much life
When the grace that falls like rain is washing them again
Just a chance to somehow rise above this land

Where the God of second chance
Will pick them up and he'll let them dance
Through a world that is not kind
And all this time, they're sharing with the one
That holds them up when they come undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And once again, here you stand
And once again, here you stand
Your day has come

Grooming Your Child

I was listening to a Christian radio station yesterday and a high school freshman girl called into the station and gave her testimony about how difficult the last school year was for her. She was a sweet girl with a humble voice. Towards the end of the conversation, the radio announcer asked one of the most frequently asked questions by adults to adolescence, "What do you want to be when you grow-up?" As most of us are unaware, this question is a loaded question which signals what should be important to youth is what they want to be according to society. This supports the notion that the end game is to "be somebody", a high achiever, someone with a prestigious title, prestigious education, job or position. If you don't say something like a doctor, lawyer, accountant, consultant, MIT graduate, Harvard graduate, etc., you are somewhat frowned upon or encouraged to have these aspirations by the person asking the questions. This girl happened to say, "I want to be a lawyer or accountant like my mom." There is nothing wrong with her becoming a lawyer or an accountant. But, it is a true representation of how she has been conditioned and what has been heavily supported in her life as to what will make others proud of her. It sounded like she said the answer in a way that was making someone else happy, not necessarily her. Ideally, her first response to this question should be, "A great Godly wife to my husband one day." What a mature and powerful statement to make. Anyone can condition their child to say, "A lawyer or doctor". However, the child who gives the response to be a great life partner to someone else is the person I want to marry one of my children one day. They have their priorities straight.

Moms and Dads, this is especially critical for you guys to hear, understand, and implement. Groom your child to be a great wife or husband. Don't look forward to giving accolades or praise for their worldly achievements. Praise them more for being or aspiring to be a great husband, father, wife, mother, and servant. I was talking to a friend the other day. His daughter is about to get married. He was meeting his future son-in-law for the first time to have a man to man discussion. The most important questions on his mind to ask his future son were, "Can you lead my daughter? Will she submit to you?" The future son-in-law was floored by the questions. He could not believe her father would ask questions encouraging submission to him by his daughter. To no surprise he said, "Of course". Wrong Answer!

Think about this for a moment. How many fathers are asking their future son-in-law if his daughter will submit to him? I don't know too many fathers or mothers who would support this notion. The questioning is more like, "What kind of job do you have? What are your future plans and goals in life? You are going to take care of my little girl, right?" Conversely, the questions are very similar for the future daughter-in-law. We are not asking the right questions to support a health marriage and family. The home and family unit is God's sanctuary and refuge. Getting this right has multi-generational effects. If your child is not groomed to be "The Best" Godly husband or wife, they can have the most prestige job in the world and still not have a rich life. Encourage and condition your son or daughter to place the highest priority and value on being a good partner to someone else one day.

In closing remarks, Pastor Andy Stanley recently gave a powerful message about how he wants to encourage his children to get married as early as possible. Instead of encouraging your children to go and get some experience with multiple partners, careers, and take on other worldly opportunities alone, experience life's challenges with a life partner earlier then later in life. How? Pray for a life partner for them and encourage them to pray for one as well. Don't wait until they are 40 years old with too much experience under their belt to start praying. Support and encourage a relationship throughout your child's journey verses emphasizing careers and achievements. We all need to recondition ourselves to think this way. Most likely we were not taught any of this stuff growing-up, I wasn't. This does not mean I didn't have great parents. It just makes it 10X harder to make the change.

Freedom in a Relationship

The desire for equality and freedom within a relationship is the most challenging issue couples face today. Understandably, know one wants to be caught in a relationship where they are told what to do and how to do it. However, you should be able to surrender in a relationship because you want to love the other person as Christ loves you. Step one towards freedom, relinquish control. You should be asking God, what to do and how to do it, and not asking or telling each other. Relinquishing control to our loved one is a great demonstration of trusting God. It is laying down your ego, pride, and selfish tendencies to understand life is not about you. The question we should be constantly asking ourselves is how can I be a servant to the other person, not how can I feel freedom with them or are they making me happy or not? These are very short-term goals and expectations. They will never be fulfilled adequately by another person. The ability to have and implement a selfless heart is what provides the feeling of freedom everyone so much desires in a relationship. It is very counterintuitive! It is impossible to implement without having a deeply committed relationship to God and constantly engaging with Him regularly to stay on track. This is one of the major tests God gives us in the area of trust and having faith in Him. See, if we can't trust the person He has put in our life, how can we ever trust that He is the provider of the person in the first place? He will honor our faith in Him greatly by relinquishing control of our perceived "freedom". You may or may not feel the effects instantaneous, but definitely in heaven. In addition, you are signaling our ability to truly believe God has your best interest at heart, and would never place you in a relationship that would be harmful to you. This is hard to believe if you have seen different outcomes in the past. Or, if you are in a relationship with someone who does not believe God's sovranty, the relationship can never get the freedom issue right. But, if the person you are with truly has a heart for the Lord, trust God will deliver freedom to you both through love, compassion, understanding, trust, and a desire to carry out a life of service, not gain.

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. - Galatians 5:13

Women are especially getting tested in the area. There is a great desire to have insurance there is "freedom" in a relationship. If either party has the desire or mindset to control the other person, this is not of God. In the same vain, neither party should be seeking freedom as it is equally destructive.

See Also: Fighting for Your Independence

Christianity is Hocus Pocus

Some people think Christianity and the bible is all a bunch of hocus pocus nonsense. It is just another religion and belief system among all the others. I use to be a doubter as well, until I was 28.

One argument, believing in Christianity is just another religion among all the others available for you to choose from.

Another argument, if there is a God and Jesus was His son we should be able to see them.

I personally do not view Christianity as a religion; it is a commitment to enter a personal relationship with God and His son Jesus Christ.

What is the difference?
There is a big difference. The following three blogs will give good examples of what makes believing in a religion different from having a personal relationship with the Father and His son Jesus.

1. Stuck Rock Climbing: Faith Not A Belief System

Early on in my Christian walk, I read an article about a man who got stuck on a mountain rock climbing. He ended-up hanging in one spot for several days. He realized how little control he had over the situation. He also came to realize only God had the power to save his life. Needless to say, he started praying. Man, if you want to start believing in God go get stuck hanging from a mountain for a few days (just kidding, don't try this at home). The rock climber was not a believer before this incident. As you can imagine, when you are stuck on a mountain for days just hanging from a cliff, your faith is severely tested. It is a good example of how someone can start out with no relationship with God and receive His grace in just a very short period of time.

I only know this story because God ended-up rescuing the man from his circumstances. The climber acknowledged the miracle that had occurred. God can use anything to get at you. The rock climber did not all of a sudden adopt a new religion; He had an encounter with his Father. Some people need to be stuck on mountains or hospital beds before they come to their senses. Others get saved when they are a child, hanging around other Christians to hear their testimonies, or visiting God's country.

I tend to believe receiving your salvation is more powerful and rewarding when you meet God facing tremendous adversity. Why? Because, when you are broken, helpless, and realize you have no control, God can go to work on your heart in a powerful way. This makes it a little more difficult to forget about Him. But, not much if you are not careful. It is very slippery slop.

When you allow Jesus to enter your heart, knowledge turns to wisdom. Your view on life does a 180 degree turn. A U Turn back to where you came from. God created you. He watches over you. And, He eliminates you! Don't mess with Him!

If you don't agree me, feel free to ask me questions or post comments. I would love to hear from you.

2. International Missionary: Demonstration of Christ

I was listening to an international missionary providing his testimony at the Vineyard Church (http://www.bostonvineyard.org/) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He talked about his journey to some very challenging places in this world when it comes to spreading the gospel. In these locations it would not behoove him to run around and yell, "I am a Christian and you should be one too." This would be advocating one religion and denouncing another. This is usually not a good approach! Besides, it is not about encouraging people to join "a religion". It is all about encouraging people to enter into a personal relationship with God and His son Jesus. For the missionary, his purpose was to shower people in other countries with God's love. He had no other ambitions, goals, or objectives. He was not trying to get people to join a religion or different belief system. His primary objective was to be Chirst-like regardless of someone's gender, race, background, or religion. This was His purpose and calling in life.

What does it mean to be Christ-like?
Mark 10:43-45

43 "...whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;

44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.

45 "For even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Who do you want to be like when you grow-up?

3. Singapore Cab Driver: Communication Through Radio Waves

A dear friend of mine, Debo Lukanmbi from Nigeria, told me a story about a time when he was in Singapore. He was riding in a cab and decided to strike-up a conversation with the cab driver about God. He asked the man if he knew what God’s grace and favor felt like. The cab driver thought it was an odd question so he did not respond. He asked him again. The cab driver said with a smirk, “I don’t believe in God. If there is a God, why don’t you show me Him?” This was a fair question to ask. The cab driver starting pointing to the sky laughing and continuously saying, “Where is God?, Show me Him!” All of a sudden the cab drivers cell phone rang. After the call was completed, Debo asked him, “Who was on the phone?” “It was my wife”, the cab driver responded. Debo said, “What would you do if you had to call her back?” “What do you mean? I would just call her phone number”, the cab driver said. Debo asked, “Ya..But, how does your phone know how to reach her phone when it is so far away?” The cab driver said, “The radio waves establish the connection. Debo said, “Where? Show me the radio waves!” The cab driver got totally disoriented. He did not know what to say. Everything went very quiet for a few minutes. Debo then said to the cab driver, “Ok, you show me the radio waves which allow you talk to your wife, and I will show you God.”

In essence, radio waves is the same thing we use for talking to God. It is an invisible line of communication we can not see but can trust, feel, and rely on to work at all times. Even in a rain storm, far away from any civilization, and when there is lots of cell phone traffic. Faith is a Christian’s invisible radio waves. What network are you on?

An Intimate Relationship

An intimate relationship with God is synonymous with one's purpose. See, you can't have a real purpose in life without a relationship with God. Why? Because having an intimate relationship with Him is what completes the desires of our heart. It is the ultimate purpose in life! When you can feel the Holy Spirit living in you and God's grace showering over you, there is nothing more pure and peaceful. Have you ever met someone with an aura about them which seems much different? Constantly singing or humming, and constantly serving others besides themselves. It's only the Holy Spirit which can provide such an inner peace. This person is usually someone who loves the Lord and allows God be the manager of their life. Why? Because, all He really wants to do is mature us and shower us with His abundance of love while we exist on this earth.

Take a professional athlete for example. Who do you relate too better? Is it the athlete who takes all the glory? Look at me and my accomplishments! Or, the one with a humble heart and gives all the glory away. It was my teammates. Or, thank you God! The one with a humble heart is typically in a strong relationship with God.

May God be the glory, and He will glorify you.

Temporal vs. Eternal Living

Until today, I did not fully grasp the significance of temporal verses eternal living. After listening to one of my favorite pastors, Dr. Charles Stanley, on the topic "Living for the Eternal Life, I fully realized how nothing we focus our energy on is eternal, except our relationship with God. Matthew 6:20-21 says, 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Conceptually and experientially, I knew this to be true. I even understood how this works. I have had several reminders during the course of my journey to get this one right. However, I obviously still need reminders from time to time. By striping everything away I want to hold on too, He is the only thing I can rely on. My career, relationships, resources, will ultimately all turn to dust and ashes one day. This goes for everyone. On one hand, this is a very sad thought. We invest so much of our time and energy trying to make these things prosper. This is a good thing, as long as it is for the right reason, to honor God. In many cases, we find ourselves doing it to feel better about ourselves and to live a "happier life". It is sometimes so difficult to comprehend how our own desires are insignificant compared to God's desire to provide us an eternal life both here and in heaven. Maybe we believe we can take ownership for all the good things that happen to us because of the investments we make. Or, we can feel responsible for another person's happiness. Once we do take ownership of our life, pride takes over. And, Pride = Ego = Edge God Out. I truly believe God uses these temporal activities to mature us and condition us to see His eternal perspective. It is sometimes very difficult to have this type of perspective when you are concentrated on making these temporal things go well according to your own personal desires.

So, how do you have an eternal life here on earth? I thought you can only have a life of eternity in heaven. Well, I believe your eternal life starts right here and right now. The following is one of my favorite verses in the bible. Psalms 90:12 says,

"So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Powerful Stuff! I believe God is telling us eternal life starts now, during this trial period. If you want to win the big race, you have to run in practice just like you would during the big meet. Are you practicing in order to win the big race?

Conditioning of the Heart

Have you ever tried exercising after months or years of not doing anything at all? It seems almost impossible to restart your engines again. In the same vain, your heart is conditioned over time. It is hard work! The minute you get lazy and stop conditioning your heart, it usually takes twice the effort and time to get back to par. The bible warns us constantly this will happen. For example, 1 Chronicles 16:11 says,

11 "Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually."

And, Job 17:9 says, 9 "Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger." As we experience the ebbs and flows of life, we often find our heart following the same pattern. However, when trials come our way, it is the preparation or reconditioning of your heart which will determine your approach and potentially the outcome. In many ways, if you already have an intimate relationship with the Lord, it does not take very long to recognize when he is tapping you on your shoulder and telling you it is time to wake-up and go running again (starting preparing or reconditioning your heart again). However, there is a dangerous slippery slope we tend to misjudge. Even when we seem to be waking in lockstep with God, the devil is working overtime to place fear and doubt in us. It is amazing how quickly our heart and relationship with Jesus can weaken, but take a considerable amount of time to heal and strengthen again. It's the process of preparation, conditioning, and reconditioning which Jesus uses to help make the relationship with Him stronger and more satisfying during our journey. If God allowed us to control the relationship with Him as we see fit, then having a relationship with Him would not be very special or important. When I am in a strong relationship with Him, all my other relationships get strengthened as well, by osmosis. There are a couple of important actions steps I like to take in order to ensure my heart is being conditioned at all times. Honestly, I still get lazy and fall behind on some of these activities myself at time. But when I do them ritually, I definitely feel the positive effects.

1) Go to church EVERY WEEK
Church Online:
Discovery Church in Orlando, FL: http://www.discoverychurch.org/
North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia: http://www.northpoint.org/messages

2) Read the Bible EVERYDAY (prefer version: NASB, closest translation in English from scripture)

3) Stay dependent on Him - Don't let yourself get too comfortable. This is when you tend to stop exercising. Proactively challenge yourself to exercise your heart by doing things you normally would not consider or seem uncomfortable.

4) Make sure you are in a small group or have an accountability partner you connect with at least once a week, if not more.

5) Listen to praise music or hymns at least once a day and as often as possible. In the car, at work, at home, while exercising. Recommendation: Before you leave the house in the morning turn on your favorite Christian music station. If you don't have one, get one. This way when you leave your house, God’s house, He is present. This way He is present when you leave in the morning and enter in the evening. Your house needs to be His sanctuary and a place of comfort. This does not happen without taking an active role in creating an environment filled with His presence. This is especially important and helpful with children in the household.

6) Journaling is a great way to have a two way conversation with God.

If you have any good methods not listed above which helps to condition your heart, I would love to hear about them and share with others.

Everyone Needs a Playbook

Life is one big endless game played in a series of smaller events. It is a journey, not a destination. Without a playbook you are playing a game with one hand tied behind your back. My playbook is The Bible (version: NASB). It is my guide in life which never fails me. It gives me clues and/or answers to all my questions. This sometimes requires I am listening, praying, and/or actively seeking for the answers found in the Word.



I say the game of life is endless because we are either going to heaven or hell. At 90-years old, Pastor JD Phillips from Alabama would say, "Hell is Hot! So come with me to heaven". If you ever have the pleasure to hear Pastor Phillips say this, you too will begin believing in heaven and hell. Just one look into his eyes, you would see God is real and alive.



I am promised a life of eternity if: 1) I truly believe Jesus died on the cross as payment for my sins. 2) I allow God's presence to fill my heart and soul so I am engaged in His purpose for my life. I am not promised a life without trials and tribulation. I am not promised a life without sin or mistakes. But, I am required to do my best with what has been gifted to me, my life.

Think about this for a moment, doesn't the game get much easier when you do not have to create the rules as well? Just playing the game is hard enough. Imagine trying to play football without any rules to start with. Most likely you would never play the game, because, so much time and energy would be spent creating the rules. This applies to the game of life as well. A great rule to follow on this one, KISS - Keep it simple stupid. Get a playbook!

If you don't have a bible and would like one, please feel free to email me at: james@jameszimbardi.com.