Category: Readiness

Knowledge that you possess, and are not using, only gets in your way and becomes a stumbling block to real and meaningful contribution.

What follows are some observations I have made as I have worked with groups of people through the years, in work arenas, team building, missions, and also in physical training.  There are many, many ideas that immobilize, and I am sure I have these in my own life that I have yet to see.  Nevertheless, these are some that I have seen in my life and declared war against, as well as some I have routinely encountered in others.  I offer them here as an encouragement to you.  Consider if any of these ideas are holding you back, and if you find one, ask for God's grace to make you free.  He is faithful to answer the call. Continue reading “Ideas That Immobilize”

To a large degree, we Christians are living like mere mortals…….  In truth, however, we are not mere mortals, but are born from above, and can, at once, answer the invitation to see and enter (living from a perspective of) the eternal kingdom of God.  We can make a clean break with this realm's controlling influence.  This is not complicated.  Help us, Lord.

The spirit of the age is playing the role of guide in this mere-mortal existence.  Following along, we look, smell, and taste like the predominant culture around us, whatever that culture may be; whether Eastern or Western.

Quit yourselves like men, and fight!  (in non-King James version – stand up and fight like never before!)  It is beyond important that this is changed.  We must fight to see it so! Continue reading “Living?”

“All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” C.S. Lewis

To find meaning in life, to look for your “passion in life”, or to attempt to discover ultimate meaning, apart from God, is vanity.  Hey, but that's just the deep stuff.  There are innumerable others paths to the shallows of vanity that each have their own appeal.  I can see the effect of deep and shallow vanity all around me.  I bet you can too.  It is deeply disheartening. Continue reading “Escaping Vanity”

As we get closer to Jesus, the things that illegitimately have influence in our lives get dealt with.  Of course this is a process, and we go through it many times.

In some ways it is simpler, easier, and more comfortable to keep a certain distance from the Lord, especially if you intend to maintain compromise or are listening to and being influenced by other things.  Selfishness is one of the chief motivators that makes us want to maintain a distance from the Lord.  All of this thinking is based on the deception that you are better off without coming into complete surrender.  This idea steals from us more than we can realize.

It takes courage to come close to the Lord, which causes turbulence and drags your stuff out into the light.  For those who overcome this resistance and discomfort, the reward is beyond imagination.  Take courage today.