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Saturday, October 21, 2006

SEVEN MARKS OF TRUE SPIRITUALITY

1. The desire to be holy rather than happy.

“...I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them
rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil. 4:8)

2. The desire to see the honor of God advanced through our life even if it means
suffering temporary dishonor or loss.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We
always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus
may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Cor. 4:8-10)

3. The desire to carry our cross.

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race
and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the
gospel of God's grace.” (Act. 20:24)

4. The desire to see everything from God’s point of view.

“We are asking God that you may see things, as it were, from His point of
view by being given spiritual insight and understanding.” (Col. 1:9 - Philips
Translation)

5. The desire to die right rather than to live wrong.

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do
not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into
the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will
rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know,
O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have
set up" (Dan.3:16-18)

6. The desire to see others advance at our expense.

“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your
servants for Jesus' sake.” (2 Cor. 4:5)

7. The practice of habitually making eternity-judgments instead of
time-judgments.

“...We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen
is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)

“That Incredible Life” – A.W. Tozer – Christian Publications Inc., Camp Hill,
Penn. (Scriptures added)
My prayer is that you are having a great week!

R. Dwight Hill

Sunday, June 04, 2006

After returning from a trip to Russia, an article about my journey
appeared in a local newspaper. The next day I received a phone call
from
an elderly woman who made an appointment to come to my office.
"Tell me about your trip," she asked as I helped her into the chair
near
my desk. Then, almost before I could say a word, she began, "You know,
I've been to Russia several times. My grandparents were born there
before Stalin came to power."
She hadn't come to hear about my adventure. She made the appointment in
order to tell me about her's. So I enjoyed seeing how long I could keep
her talking. I asked every question I could think of and politely
listened.
After two hours the delightful woman glanced at her watch and
announced,
"Oh my. I really must be going. But let me tell you something. You are
one of the most interesting people I have ever talked with!"
There's no quicker way to make friends than to encourage people to talk
about their interests.
Remember, knowledge is power - and it comes by listening.
- Neil Eskelin
ump Start: "Even a fool . . . when he shuts his lips, he is considered
perceptive" (Proverbs 17:28)

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Do It Now!
By Rick Warren
Most of us have experienced the 8 Phases of Procrastination:

Phase 1: I'll start early this time (hopeful)
Phase 2: I've got to start soon (a little tension)
Phase 3: I should have started sooner (creeping guilt)
Phase 4: There is still time to do it (false reassurance)
Phase 5: What's wrong with me? (getting desperate)
Phase 6: I can't wait any longer! (intense pain)
Phase 7: Just get it done! (get it over with!)
Phase 8: Next time, I'll start earlier. (the cycle repeats)

Procrastination does tremendous damage to ourselves and others at work.
It causes unnecessary pressure and problems... and it wastes opportunities, time and money.

The problem is: procrastination is addicting! The more you succumb to
it, the harder it is to change. It becomes a way of life, causing you a
lot of misery.

The Bible says, "IF YOU WAIT FOR PERFECT CONDITIONS, YOU WILL NEVER GET
ANYTHING DONE." Ecclesiastes 11:4 (LB)
so.................
* stop making excuses!
* Realize perfectionism paralyzes performance!
* Face your fears!
* Focus on the gain, not the pain!
* DO IT NOW!

What have you been putting off that you know you need to do?...
something at work... at home... at church. DO IT NOW!
A PRAYER: "God, help me to DO what I already know I need to do. Help me
to do it NOW!"
"Never boast about tomorrow. You don't know what will happen between now and then." (Proverbs 21:1)

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

CHOICES, CHOICES

 Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,
 loving the Lord your God,
 obeying Him and holding fast to Him;
 for that means life to you and length of day.
 
   ---Deuteronomy 30:19-20   

Every day, each of us faces choices.  Some decisions come easily.
Others take a bit more thought.
A poster in the back of a New England church spoke specifically to the
young among us, listing helpful steps to making good and loving
choices.
Here is what the poster said:
* Find a quiet place to think about what you must do.
* Pray to the Holy Spirit for help in making a good and loving
choice.
* Think about all the choices, good and bad, that you can make.
* After thinking about each one, ask: "If I do this, will it show
I love God? Others? Myself?"  If the answer is "yes" to loving God and
others and myself, then it is a good choice.
* Talk over all your choices with someone who can help: a parent,
teacher, aunt, uncle or older relative.
* With God's help, choose to do the right and loving thing.
 ____

Monday, April 10, 2006

Facing Failure
By Rick Warren

No one's life is an unbroken chain of victories. We all experience
setbacks...defeats... Iosses...failures. Nobody bats 1000%. We all make
mistakes.
Since failure is common to all of us, one of the most important
life-skills you can learn is how to respond to it. Successful people
know how to turn every failure into a learning experience - a stepping
stone to future success.
Although the reasons for failure are numerous, there are five common
causes:
* When we don't plan ahead. As the old saying goes, "If you fail
to plan, you're planning to fail." Proverbs 27:12 says "A sensible man
watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them." Remember, Noah
had to start building the Ark long before it started raining!
* When we think we've "arrived." Remember the lesson of the whale:
Just when you get to the top, and you start to blow - that's when you
get harpooned! Proverbs 18:18 says "Pride leads to destruction and
arrogance leads to downfall." In other words, the man who gets to big
for his britches will be exposed in the end.
* When we are afraid to take necessary risks. The fear of failure
can cause failure.. We worry about what others will think of us if we
fail so we don't even try. Fran Tarkenton says "Fear sets you up to be
a
loser." We fail to take advantage of golden opportunities. "The fear of
man is a dangerous trap." Proverbs 29:25
* When we give up too soon. Many times, success is just around the
corner. Remember, the game is often won in the final seconds. If at
first you don't succeed- you're normal! Keep on keeping on! The value
of
a postage stamp is found in its ability to stick to one thing until it
gets there. "A lazy fellow had trouble all through life." Proverbs
15:19

* When we ignore God's advice. The Bible is our owner's manual for
life. It is filled with practical instructions and guidelines for work,
home, finances, relationships, and health. When we fail to follow
these,
we're asking for trouble "There is a way that SEEMS right to a man, but
in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

Here are suggestions for steps to starting over when you've experienced
a failure:
 ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN FAILURE. If you've made a
mistake - admit it! Welcome to the human race. Don't blame others. To
blame is to "b-lame." Losers love to blame bad luck...the economy...the
boss...their spouse...or even God for misfortune. But winners never
accuse others and never excuse themselves when they fail. In 1974,
after
an 88 game winning streak, UCLA basketball lost to Notre Dame in a game
they had led by 11 points. The next day's headline read "Coach Wooden
says 'Blame me!'" Wooden was a winner. "Anyone who refuses to admit his
mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes
them,
he gets another chance." Prov. 28:13 (LB)
 
 RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF FAILURE.
 For instance...
 - It shows you what doesn't work. Thomas Edison said, "Don't
call it a failure. Call it an education!"
 - It forces you to be more creative. You look for new ways.
 - It prevents arrogance and egotism. If everything you did was a
stunning success, no could live with you!
 - It causes you to reevaluate what's important in life. Failure
is one way God gets us to reflect on the direction of our lives.
 "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our
ways." Pr. 20:30 (GN)
 
 ASK GOD FOR WISDOM TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE. Why did I fail? Is
there any reason I might have set myself up to fail? There are many
unconscious reasons we sometimes sabotage our own efforts:
 - The fear of success: Success may mean handling more
responsibility than I want to carry.
 - Guilt: If you feel you don't deserve to succeed, you may have
set yourself up to fail.
 - Resentment: Some people fail as a way of getting even with
those who are pressuring them to succeed.
 "If you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all..."
James 1:5
 
 FORGET THE PAST AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE. Your past is past! It's
water under the bridge. You can't change it so you may as well stop
worrying about it.
 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I
press on..." Phil. 4:1

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Defeating Discouragement 
By Rick Warren
Discouragement is a disease unique to human beings:
* It's universal. Everyone gets it .
* It's reoccurring. You can catch it more than once.
* It's highly contagious. Hang around discouraged people - you'll
be infected.
WHAT CAUSES DISCOURAGEMENT?
 FATIGUE. When you are physically or emotionally exhausted, you
are a prime candidate to be infected with discouragement. Your defenses
are lowered and things can seem bleaker than they really are. This
often
occurs when you are half way through a major project -you get tired.
 FRUSTRATION. When unfinished tasks pile up, it's natural to feel
overwhelmed. And when trivial matters or the unexpected interrupt you
and prevent you from accomplishing what you really need to do, your
frustration can easily produce discouragement.
 FAILURE. Sometimes, your best laid plans fall apart: the project
collapses... the deal falls through ... the order is cancelled. How do
you react? Do you give in to self-pity? Do you blame others? As one man
said, "Just when I think I can makes ends meet- somebody moves the
ends!" That's discouraging!
 FEAR. Fear is behind more discouragement than we'd like to
admit. The fear of criticism (What will they think?), the fear of
responsibility (What if I can't handle this?) and the fear of failure
(What if I blow it?) can cause a major onset of the blues.
WHAT'S THE CURE?
There's a fascinating story in the Bible about how a guy named Nehemiah
mobilized the residents of Jerusalem to build a wall around the entire
city. Half way through the project, the citizens became discouraged and
wanted to give up - because of the 4 causes I've given. Here's what
Nehemiah told them to do to defeat their discouragement: (Nehemiah 4)
* REST YOUR BODY! If you need a break - take one! You'll be more
effective when you return to work. If you're burning the candle at both
ends, you're not as bright as you think !
* REORGANIZE YOUR LIFE! Discouragement doesn't necessarily mean
you are doing the wrong thing. It may just be that you are doing the
right thing in the wrong way. Try a new approach. Shake things up a
little.
* REMEMBER GOD WILL HELP YOU! Just ask Him. He can give you new
energy. There is incredible motivating power in faith.
* RESIST THE DISCOURAGEMENT! Fight back. Discouragement is a
choice. If you feel discouraged it is because you have chosen to feel
that way. No one is forcing you to feel bad. Hang on! Do what's right
in
spite of your feelings. No feeling lasts forever

Friday, March 03, 2006

Different Kind of Fasting

Lent is virtually synonymous with penance. As a time of preparation for the joy of the Resurrection, the glory of Easter, that’s appropriate. But, fasting means more than eating less food.

Word Among Us magazine offered some ideas for expanding the concept of fasting:

Fast from anger and hatred.

Fast from judging others.

Fast from discouragement.

Fast from complaining.

Fast from resentment or bitterness

Fast from spending too much money.

All people can gain a great deal by giving up something to which they cling, whether a poor habit or a hurtful attitude. Today, give up one thing that distances you from others and from God.

This (is) the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice…to let the oppressed go free …to share your bread with the hungry…when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own. (Isaiah 58:6,7)