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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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Letting Go of the Past

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“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully.”1

Janet had been married eleven years when her husband, Ron, told her that he didn’t want to be married to her any more. Understandably, Janet took it extremely hard and refused to believe that Ron meant what he said.

But he did. So much so that he divorced Janet.

Two years later Janet was still in denial about her situation even though Ron was married to another woman. Furthermore, while Janet was fully supporting herself and taking care of her and Ron’s children, Janet was still supporting Ron financially—all of which was a vain attempt to get him back.

She had blinded herself totally to the reality of her situation and was living in a fantasy world. As long as she was in such deep denial, she was bound by her past, going nowhere with her life.

When Janet joined a support/growth group and began to see how much she was in denial about her situation, as painful as it was she was able to begin a process of healing that, in time, set her free to move ahead with her life.

Any wonder the Bible teaches: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood.”2 And as Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from the sin of denial so that I will always face reality and be totally honest with myself, God, and others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 4:25 (NIV).

2. Ephesians 4:25 (NIV).

3. John 8:32.

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Dark Night of the Soul

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“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.”1

William Cowper, poet and hymn writer, who lived from 1731-1800 in England, apparently suffered from fits of melancholy and frequent attacks of spiritual despair which led to two suicide attempts.

On one of these occasions, during a time of deep despair and a dark night of the soul on a foggy night he set out from his home in London with the intention of jumping into the River Thames to end his life.

He got hopelessly lost in the fog and wandered blind for some time. Eventually, lost and confused, he walked into a home to get out of the fog. And the home he walked into? It was his own.

He sat down and penned the words of the beloved hymn:

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Dear reader, if you are going through a dark night of the soul right now and it feels that God is far away, be assured he is standing in the shadows and as he knows about every sparrow he knows all about you and he cares.

When we commit and trust our life to God every day, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy will come in the morning”—even if it is eventually!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in my despair let me not grow weary in trusting you, but renew my faith and use my present pain to make me a better, stronger person so I can comfort others as they struggle through their journey of despair and pain. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Luke 12:6 (NIV).

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Purpose in Suffering

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“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”1

Jeris E. Bragan wrote about an old violin maker who chose the wood for his instruments from the north side of the trees because this was the side that faced the fiercest windstorms. When the storms raged the trees groaned under the lashings but this is what gave them their strength. As the violin maker said, “They are simply learning to be violins.”

In younger days I had a home that I built myself at the top of the hills overlooking the beautiful city of Adelaide in South Australia. Most Adelaidians didn’t like to live up there because of the fierce winds that often blow. But the view of the city and the ocean beyond was magnificent. However, when I was landscaping our property, the nursery man told me it was better to get very small trees and if I stake them at all, be sure to stake them very loosely. Allow them to bend and go with the wind because this makes them develop a strong root system. When the trees grew and the winds raged, we lost a few branches but we never lost any trees.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God …
Like the trees of the forest,
may I find nourishment in rain as well as sunshine, bend with the winds of misfortune without breaking;
give of myself to others
to provide shade from the blistering heat,
grow old gracefully and not
become rigid or unbending;
and above all
may I keep reaching ever upwards
towards heaven and to God.

– Dick Innes

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 5:3-4 (NIV).

NOTE: The above poem by Dick, “Reaching Upwards,” beautifully produced and ready for framing, is available online, on sale, at: http://tinyurl.com/reaching-up.

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The Value of a Friend

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“A friend loves at all times.”1

The following description of a friend came from an English magazine: “A true friend is one who has the courage to disagree with us when [we are] in the wrong, and advise us for our own good, rather than let his sympathy or sentimentality cause him to agree.”

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.”

Samuel Johnston said, “We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is that last drop which makes it run over, so in a series of kindnesses, there is at least one that makes the heart run over.”

And Dr. Alfred Adler, internationally known psychiatrist, based the following conclusions on a careful analysis of thousands of clients: “The most important task imposed by religion has always been, ‘Love thy neighbor….’ It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow man who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury on others. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring.”

Oh the priceless value of having at least one deep abiding friendship. Thank God for the gift of friendship.

Suggested prayer: “And thank you God for Jesus—the friend of sinners. Help me also to be a friend to fellow sinners and spread your love and forgiveness everywhere I go. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 17:17 (NIV).

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Dangerous Pets

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“What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What a relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.”1

I read about a girl who had a raccoon as a pet and was warned that it was about to undergo a glandular change that animal specialists say happens when they are about eighteen months old. This change can make them very dangerous.

Unfortunately, the girl didn’t heed the warning, protesting that her much-loved pet would never do anything to harm her. She was wrong—very wrong. Soon after, her raccoon clawed her so viciously she had to have reconstructive facial surgery.

Unresolved personal conflicts can have a similar effect. Some people can look very calm on the outside, but underneath they have a reservoir of super-charged repressed negative emotions that they never learned how to handle creatively.

At some point something happens. Their stored-up negative emotions are triggered—often by something as simple as somebody making a trivial mistake—and kaboom! They explode. Or they implode and become ill, or may even have a heart attack.

Other people have a secret or pet sin they hang on to telling themselves that it would never harm them. In time, however, it becomes a habit, the root of which they’ve never resolved. And then the habit gets the better of them and becomes an addiction that ends up badly hurting them and their loved ones.

So, whatever “pet raccoons” you and I may be harboring, we need to be aware that they could hurt us real bad if we don’t get them out of our life.

As David said, “There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess them to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, if there are any ‘pet raccoons’ in my life that I am either harboring or unaware of, please bring these to my attention and help me to see how dangerous they are and, with your help, get them out of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 32:1-2 (TLB)(NLT).

2. Psalm 32:3-5 (TLB)(NLT).

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Give Me a Thankful Heart, O God

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“Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. ‘Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything and the multitudes of heaven worship you. You are the Lord God.’”1

How easy it is to take God’s blessings and provisions for granted. I’ve lived in Southern California for several years and have experienced earthquakes that shook more than the good old terra firma I was standing on. And frankly, the more “firma” the less “terra”! I’ve seen ravaging fires that destroyed scores of homes, riots that destroyed scores of properties, and floods and mudslides that also caused great losses.

Southern California is little more than converted desert, and what absolutely amazes me is where does all the water come from to meet the needs of 16+ million people? I’ve lived through several years of drought and still there was enough water. Most of the water comes from the most marvelous water storage system ever created and it’s not from the many man-made dams and reservoirs, as wonderful and as necessary as these are. It’s from the snow that stores water for many months of the year and releases it basically as it’s needed. If it weren’t for the magnificent mountains and the amazing supply of snow, Southern California would still be a desert.

It also amazes me how so many people complain about rainy days when we get good rains in such a dry and thirsty land—rains that fill up the rivers, dams, and reservoirs and store billions upon billions of gallons of water in the form of snow over thousands of square miles of rugged mountains—rains that keep us alive!

All God has to do is turn off the sky’s faucet or blot out the sun for long enough and every living thing would die.

As the Levite priests said, truly God gives life to everything.

Suggested prayer: “Thank you, God, for the incredible blessings you provide for all of us all of the time. May I ever be mindful of these manifold blessings that come from your hand. And above all that you have given me, please give me a thankful heart. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Nehemiah 9:5-7 (NIV).

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Blessings From Trees

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“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy, they will sing before the Lord, for he comes … to judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.”1

Imagine, if you can, living in a world without trees. How desolate such a place would be. But trees are not just a thing of beauty. They have a very strategic role to play in our world. They convert light into energy and “breathe” the carbon dioxide exhaled by man and animals. They use this gas to help manufacture food and in its place give off oxygen which man again breathes. They help clean the air of dust particles, stop erosion and restore deserts. They provide food, drink, lumber, and innumerable other products. Just how they lift enormous amounts of water to their highest branches and manufacture food is still a mystery.

As the poet so eloquently put it:

I think that I shall never see
a poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose thirsty mouth is pressed
against the earth’s sweet flowering breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
and lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
a nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
but only God can make a tree.
– Joyce Kilmer

Suggested prayer: “Thank you God for all the beauty and functionality you have created in nature. May these ever remind us of your majesty, your awesome power, and your everlasting love. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 96:11-13 (NIV).

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