Monthly Archives: May 2013

Tips for Leaders

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“Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.”1

On an occasion following a great victory Napoleon was asked how he made his army cross the Alps and he replied, “One does not make an army cross the Alps; one leads it across.”

Whether a boss, a parent, a teacher, or a friend, the most effective way to lead others, to teach others, to motivate others, to train our children and/or to influence others is by example; that is, by who we are, by what we do, and most of all by how much we care about them. In other words, we need to model what we want others to learn and do. We need to lead the way, not by being demanding or controlling, but by showing through both our caring and our doing—by example not by telling.

Furthermore, “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care,” and as Carl Jung stated, “Where love rules, there is no will to power, and where power predominates, love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to teach others your ways, not by my telling them how but by showing them how by my example. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 20:26-27 (NIV).

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A Voice in the Night

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“Sit up!” the voice in the night said, “and take a deep breath.”

It was a stormy night, a personal friend shared, and we were awakened by an extremely loud clap of thunder. After the initial fright, checking the kids and the house, we went back to bed and to sleep.

Then came the voice. I was certain I heard someone speaking. “Sit up and take in a deep breath,” it said.

I only half-awoke and thought I must have been dreaming, so rolled over and went back to sleep.

The voice spoke again with more insistence, “Sit up and take in a deep breath.”

This is weird, I thought, so again rolled over and went back to sleep.

“SIT UP! Take in a deep breath!” the voice spoke again with great urgency.

So I sat up and took in a deep breath … and smelled smoke! I was fully awake in an instant … awakened my husband … rushed to wake the children … we had the oldest one phone 911 (for emergency) … my husband took over the phone … the operator asked if the lights were working … my husband said they were going out one room at a time.

“Get OUT of the house immediately,” declared the operator. “Your house has been struck by lightning.”

As quick as a flash the family rushed outside … immediately the house exploded and burst into flames. It took firemen six hours to put the fire out. The house was totally destroyed … but the entire family was saved.1

Talk about a God-wake-up call!

Surely this was a God thing. Fortunately the members of this family were committed followers of Jesus Christ and even though they lost their house, their lives were saved. Furthermore, God has used this happenstance to touch and encourage many thousands of others.

God doesn’t usually speak to most of us in an audible voice. He doesn’t have to because his “wake-up call” is spoken to us repeatedly in his Word, the Bible.

“Wake up!” God says to every one of us, “Flee from the wrath to come”2 (God’s judgment of a world that has turned from Him to go its own sinful ways). “Wake up!” “It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment.”3

“Wake up!” “I will come again,” Jesus said and promised to take all who believe in him to be with him in heaven forever.4 “Wake up!” Jesus is coming again … it may be today. If it were, would you be ready? Again Jesus said, “I stand at the door [of your heart and life] and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”5

Whatever you do don’t miss God’s wake-up call. Have you opened the door of your life and invited Jesus, the Son of God, to come into your heart and life as your God and your Savior? If not, may I urge you to do that today—right now—by praying a simple prayer such as the following:

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I hear your wake-up call as faint as it may be. I confess that I am a sinner and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. I invite you to come into my heart and life as my God and my Savior. With your help I repent of and turn from my sinful ways. Thank you for hearing my prayer, for forgiving me of my sins, and for coming into my heart and life as my Savior. Help me to live for you always in all ways. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: If you prayed this prayer, please let us know by clicking on: http://tinyurl.com/pgntm and we will send you a few practical articles (without charge) to help you in your Christian life. (Be assured that we will never give any information about you to any other person, organization, or business.)

For more help click on: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian for the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious.”

1. Linda Hook
2. Matthew 3:7.
3. Hebrews 9:27.
4. John 14:3.
5. Revelation 3:20.

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Flee, Follow, Fight

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“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”1

The religious leaders of Christ’s day, especially the Pharisees, outwardly lived by the letter of the law. They prided themselves in their good works and their strict religiosity. If you hear what Jesus had to say to some of them, one would be hard-pressed to call them godly or “men of God.” They had religion but they didn’t have godliness nor did they have a right relationship with God.

A vital part of being involved in godliness, as the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy, is to: “Flee …Follow … Fight … and to Lay hold on eternal life.

FLEE. First, is that we flee or avoid the following actions: 1) Not standing for sound doctrine as taught in God’s Word, the Bible. No matter what I am taught by my church or anyone else, if it is not in harmony with or is contrary to God’s Word, it is not from God. Quite possibly man-made doctrines may be sending more people to hell than anything else. 2) The man or woman of God is to avoid having false motives, and 3) He/she is to avoid falling into the trap of materialism. In the broader context, the godly person is also to avoid greed, selfishness, gossip, immorality and all sins of commission and omission.

FOLLOW. Second, the man or woman of God needs to follow these characteristics: 1) Righteousness (right living). 2) Godliness (godly living). 3) Faith. 4) Love. 5) Patience, and 6) Meekness.

FIGHT. The godly person is also instructed to fight the good fight of faith; that is, to take a stand and fight for justice, purity, honesty, moral living, ministering to the poor and the hungry; taking care of the elderly; and being God’s agents in every area of life. In other words, we are to hate and fight against the things God hates—things that are destructive to those whom God loves—and love and fight for the things that God loves. Furthermore, we are to fight for the “supreme task of the church” which is the evangelization of the world. That is, we are to do everything in our power to reach every person in the world with the saving gospel message of Jesus Christ.

LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE. Finally, the godly person is to lay hold on eternal life; that is, to live with eternal values in mind and to make absolutely sure that he/she is on the way that leads to eternal life by committing him/herself to Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life—and the only way into God’s heaven and eternal life.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be a man/woman of God—never in a spirit of legalism—but from a grateful heart in appreciation for all that you have done for me, especially in the giving of your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins so I can be freely forgiven and receive your gift of eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (KJV).

2. John 14:6. See also, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

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