Month: June 2016

Many years ago one of my mentors suggested it would be a good idea to begin to exchange your paper money for gold and silver. This was at a time when the price was significantly lower than it is today. At that time my teachability index was low and my excusitus index was high on this subject and I did nothing. In the months following that recommendation those two metals skyrocketed in value to levels much higher than they are today. When the value of the metals fell I began to take action and recommended to others they might want to do so also. I am not sure anyone has. The general concept of thinking today is gold and silver is just a commodity. People have lost touch with the fact that these metals have historically been used for trade and commerce. They have maintained their value and worth over time. Paper money has not. For those who know what others don’t know there is still a window of time to exchange your paper money for that which still has value. You certainly are not making any interest on the paper stuff, which in fact is really only an electronic, digital concept.

At the same time I would like you to consider the fact that while this might be a wise economic move, it is not the ultimate treasure. There are more important areas to give priority to. Matthew records the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. {20} But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” There is more to life than focussing on material things. It is important to remember this.

At the same time it is a wise decision to provide for you and your family and to be prepared for what may come in the future. Joseph was groomed through a series of events which may not have been perceived in the moment of happening as good, but were exactly what he needed when the nation of Egypt and the surrounding countries faced seven years of drought. He was ready to take leadership through that time and protect the lives of a great many people including his own family. The decisions he made in the good times provided for the lean times and in fact he thrived in the lean times. Faithful stewardship of resources is important in the process of living your life to its full potential.

How high will gold and silver go this time? No one knows for sure, but the overwhelming debt load of the nations of the world cannot be sustained for much longer. This is a period in history when wise choices will pay big dividends both sides of eternity.

Napoleon Hill wrote, “Success is the development of the power with which to get what one wants in life without interfering with the rights of others.” What is interesting about this concept is the defining element of success lies with each person. It is about what we believe to be true about our own life. What is your status in your journey towards your full potential. This is your measuring stick about your success progress.

Joseph Murphy in his book, “The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind, gives three steps towards success.

1. Find out the thing you love to do, then do it. Success is loving your work. Is this a reality right now in your life? If not, why not? Your quick answer to that question will give you insights into the limiting programs running in your subconscious mind holding you back from your true success. There may be someone who says, “I don’t know how to get from where I am currently to where I would like to be.” Have you identified that want to be place? Have you pictured it in your imagination? Do you have a passion to be there? If not, this would be a good place to start. A young man was about to be made King of a nation and was not sure what he should do or how he should proceed so he asked for wisdom to be able to rule the nation. Later he would pen the words, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; {6} in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6 (1984 Edition NIV).

2. Specialize in some particular branch of work and know more about it than anyone else. If this is what you love to do, you should be excited and enthusiastic about it. This in itself will aid you in your passion to investigate and become knowledgeable. Success is not about just getting by or making do. It is about becoming the best version of you possible. Seek to know what you don’t know and then learn, so you do know. After that be willing to take what you do know and find a way to benefit others.

3. You must be sure the thing you want to do does not result in just your own success. Be sure it will benefit others as well. To be truly successful you must never interfere with the rights of others to be successful and you accomplish this as you develop ways to bless others helping them to be the best version of themselves. Troy McClain, modern day business executive and philanthropist, often encourages people with the words, “The best way to get ahead is to give back.” You are a steward of everything at your disposal and you are accountable for what you do with what you have. The Apostle Paul in reflecting on his own life wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, {14} I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I close this article with the words of Joseph Murphy, “In considering the three steps to success you must never forget the underlying power of the creative forces of your subconscious mind. This is the energy in back of all steps in any plan of success. Thought fused with feeling becomes a subjective faith or belief, and according to your belief is it done unto you Matthew 9:29.”

Last evening I had the privilege to be on a training call listening to Brett Labit, CEO and founder of The Local Impact Zone. The Mission Statement of LIZ includes the idea of providing a dynamic collaborative community for individuals to progress in life and business and to create unified relationships where giving, serving and caring are at the core of interaction. I personally am a member of LIZ as is Life Potential training. If you own a business I would highly recommend you go to http://www.localimpactzone.com and sign up for your free account and fill in your business and personal profile.

On the call Brett made some suggestions regarding what we can do to not only benefit ourselves but others also. One particular point resonated with me which I want to address in this article. He said, “Have faith and support your faith with reason.” This was an AHA moment for me, because I realized this is actually what I have been seeking to apply to every area of my life, without having the specific wording to identify it.

In the past there have been individuals who have declared to me if we are to express faith, then that is what it must be. If your faith needs the backing of science or some other backing, then it is no longer faith. That concept while having a spiritual sound to it, just did not vibrate well with me nor with my concept of who God is. The God I perceive from Scripture is not afraid of investigation and sincere, honest seeking and examination. In fact I believe He welcomes such interest. Christian apologetics is all about building a case for your faith in order to squash doubt. Honest science will not be in opposition to the Bible, but will in fact reinforce what it has to say. We need not fear or run from such processes.

In Proverbs 8:17 wisdom declares, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

To understand the workings of the physical world in relation to the spiritual realm opens up the opportunity to new insights into the truth of God’s Word and its application for our daily lives. If you really want to be the best version of you and live up to your full potential grow your faith and trust in the One who created you. Build your faith on a firm foundation so when a storm comes you will continue to not only stand, but move forward in all that you are and do.

I do not have words to describe how I feel about the mind manipulation that is occurring in our world these days through the media. On June 23 there was a vote in Britain in which the people voted to exit from the European Union. The news media responded with an overwhelming tirade of negativity and dire warnings as they feared mongered over the event. Currency values were erratic and tended to trend lower and stock markets were volatile. But what had changed on June 24^th? Nothing had changed except the media manipulated and driven level of fear around the world. Britain still had the same Prime Minister and will for months, Britain was still part of the EU and nothing had been arranged for timing or process of the exit. Most people likely went to work at the same job as the day before. The sun came up and set on schedule.

Will changes come? Probably. Will things actually be worse as the media is declaring? Time will tell. The future will largely be determined by how successful the small group of influential media directors are in their campaign of fear and what will be the focus of response of the people? What will be the general population’s perception and expectations be, because that will likely determine the outcome? I would encourage you to make a choice and prepare and plan for your future enrichment and blessings. Fear and worry are not the tools of God.

Matthew 6:25-34 records some wise words of Jesus, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? {26} Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? {27} Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

{28} “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. {29} Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. {30} If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? {31} So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ {32} For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

{33} But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. {34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

My challenge for you today is to work on your God given potential and leave the worry and fear for those who feel they need it. God is ultimately in control so make the choice to be on His team knowing he will work out the details. Remember the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I have had the privilege of working through a process of training towards becoming a facilitator for the One Day, One Command Seminar. It has been an amazing opportunity to be introduced to some very beneficial information related to quantum physics and leading edge neural science. For me the journey also involved the possibility to look at this science and the principles of the One Command from a Biblical perspective. The insights which began to reveal themselves provided an incredible AHA moment. Time and space will only allow me to introduce this opportunity to you today. It will likely show up in a coming sermon when I have worked with it some more.

I have been preaching and speaking about the authority and power we have “in Christ for a long time.” I have daily been writing this sentence as part of an exercise to remind myself of some primary focuses in my life. “Personal, active engagement of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.” I have referenced Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 16:19 a number of times. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This verse has significance in relation to spiritual warfare in our world today. Not knowing what I did not know, I could only make some assumptions as to the how this process actually worked in the reality of both this physical world and the heavenly realm. The One Command training provides the opportunity to see the mechanics of not only how it works, but the ability to actually know what to do to implement it.

If you are looking for me to give you the answer here today, not happening. I want to encourage you to investigate and learn this for yourself so you can become first consciously competent and then unconsciously competent in being able to do what Jesus says you have the power to do. For those who live within driving distance, maybe you could come to one of my One Day One Command events in the future and I might reveal something at that time. My recommendation is, buy a copy of the One Command book by Asara Lovejoy and start reading and learning how to do the 6 steps of the One Command. Asara also has online training you can also access to learn more.

Would you like some greater spiritual insight to what Jesus said as recorded in Matthew 7:7-11?” “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. {8} For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. {9} ‘Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? {10} Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? {11} If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Spend some time reflecting on the process of how you connect to God. Think about the role of faith in prayer. Learn to understand how your limiting beliefs affect your effectiveness in prayer. Discover how to reprogram those limiting beliefs to be, do and have all God destined for your life. Live to your full potential. It i9s possible if you simply learn how to do it.