October 31, 2017

Have you identified your true passion within? Napoleon Hill suggests it would be a good thing for us to define our dream and get a burning desire (passion) for its achievement. There are those who might think their dream consists in some form of materialistic item, maybe even in the accumulation of financial gain or success. Since some people choose to make such a choice, there are others who run in fear from the concept of living their life motivated by a dream and fuelled with passion.

The Apostle Paul had a definite chief aim and dream and was driven to fulfill it with great passion. In 1 Corinthians 9:16 he wrote, “Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not declare the gospel!” Even when opposition arose against him, Acts 28:19 records this, “Because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar–not that I had any accusation to bring against my own nation.”

It would be good if you considered connecting, or reconnecting with the authentic you within, the person and design God created you to be. When asked specifically what this would be like an acquaintance of mine responded, “It would mean I was happy, fulfilled and living with a sense of purpose.” Isn’t that an outcome you would want for your life? It will not happen unless you are willing to make a decision and then take the necessary action steps to make it your reality. There is no better time than today to do so. Let your dream and passion connect to being, rather than getting.

October 30, 2017

Yesterday I had the opportunity to put on a suit I have not been able to wear in a number of years and have the pants actually fit. This was an exciting day because it was a reminder to me of the importance of following through on a commitment which I had made almost a year ago, but never really engaged in until recently. I still have a few more pounds I want to lose to get to my final target weight, but the goal is in sight.

It was almost a year ago when I created my personal “dream card,” as directed by Joel Bauer. There are five specific areas addressed on the card. Health is one of them. The call to use the card as a reminder tool in our decision making process is invaluable. Asking the question, “Is the choice I am making in alignment with my dreams, or sabotaging my life with every bad move?” provides a pause for reflection.

What if we starting asking this question in terms of our choices as it relates to the spiritual realm in our life? Would we think, believe, speak and intend differently than we have been? Would such a practice transform our actions and therefore our reality?

Charles Sheldon wrote a book a number of years ago titled, In His Steps, What Would Jesus Do? It has been turned into movies and rewritten to reflect more modern times, but the message remains, what would happen if people got serious about their relationship with Jesus and asked the question, “What would Jesus do?” before they made their decision in how they would respond to the daily activities of life.

The one common response to this question is, we would be much more aware of our accountability and less likely to simply drift through our days living in automatic default. In identifying your goals and dreams and living with joyful passion you become the person you were created and designed to be. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in the process and implement and watch what will change in your life.

October 29, 2017

What were your thoughts and expectations for this day? If you are reading this post after the fact, did it go as planned? If you are reading this at the beginning of the day, on a scale of 1 to 10 what is your belief it will develop as you expect? There are many unexpected variables which might or have come into play which impact how the day will turn out. Then there is your responses to events as they happen which shapes the outcomes.

Now, an important question! To what extent is your day so predictable that you know pretty much how it will turn out, because it is just like the last one? You get up, go through a set routine, likely somewhat tired, go out the door, and fight the traffic, or rush to the bus stop or subway, finally get to your destination and go through the same cycle as before, do the reverse trip home, do some house chores, take the children to some function, or watch TV, then flop into bed and start the cycle all over the next day. I hope this is not a picture of you. Such a routine, run day after day, hoping for some sort of change and excitement on the weekend will probably bring a cycle of weekend routine, providing no opening for creativity and meaning to life.

At what point will you stop and consider how this path is clicking off the days, weeks, months and years in a programmed, automatic, robot style of “living.” Is this what you really want? What if you could get up in the morning with a wonder and expectancy as to the potential for new and unexpected exciting adventures in your day, where the unexpected was not something negative? How would you feel if your day included opportunities to interact with others that was both enjoyable, uplifting and mutually beneficial?

Have you considered the fact, it is your thoughts, beliefs, words and intentions which dictate your actions and thus your outcomes each day? You get to decide what your day will look like, feel like and end up being like. You get to decide whether you will shrink into your own self-protected world of you, or engage in a process that uplifts and encourages someone else. A simple conversation can be nothing more than a shallow trade of sports scores and gossip, or an engaging process where you demonstrate, compassion and encouragement to another human being bringing meaning and value to life.

It begins with a decision you make each morning as to how you will live that day. Life by default, or life by design? You decide! This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

October 28, 2017

I was working yesterday through the process of creating and redoing PowerPoint slides for my upcoming full day One Command® event on November 25, 2017. I am still a newbie in working with this software and there are times when my forward progress is not a quick as I would like in slide building. Joel Bauer taught me the importance of this visual dynamic and the need to not only incorporate the message, but also the emotion you want to communicate in the process. It is not a hundred yard dash so you can say you are finished.

Life is like that also. The time and quality you put into what you do is a reflection of who you are on the inside. You are not competing against anyone else. It is about being the best you can be in the moment. This is true in every area of your life including the spiritual realm.

The next slide I will be working on in my presentation is titled, “I discovered my secret power.” Taking the time to understand and then in a clear, concise way communicate what you have discovered through your story is not only challenging, but also very powerful. Adding the element of being visually engaging means taking the time to go over, and over, and over how this will happen.

I would suggest you consider going through this process in your life. You potentially could learn some things about yourself you had never thought about. It might also help you know you better, so you can help others know you better.

Jesus was a Master communicator. There is much we can benefit and learn from Him as we are willing to say YES to the relationship with Him. The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Be more concerned about working on yourself than working on others.

October 27, 2017

C. S. Lewis wrote the following in his book, Mere Christianity. “Jesus [. . .] told people that their sins were forgiven. [. . .] This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. [. . .] I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’

That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

There are those who argue Lewis put together a straw argument leaving out other options like perhaps Jesus was simply mistaken and we don’t have an accurate record of what he truly said.

In reality these arguments are not new. In fact Jesus Himself addressed these as recorded in John 10:22-38. As part of the discussion between Jesus and those who opposed Him, He said, “Do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God? {37} If I am not doing my Father’s works, don’t believe Me. {38} But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”

There are others verses where Jesus directly claims to be God’s Son and indirectly infers it. Lewis’ claims related to Jesus being a great moral teacher are often twisted to say he was a great teacher. The issue of the morality of what Jesus said cannot be ignored. This was in fact the challenge of His opponents.

There is significant evidence that would suggest Jesus was not mistaken about His identity as claimed by His opponents. As to the question of the reliability and trustworthiness of Scriptures. That argument is not something new. It distills down to what we chose to believe. There is according to Josh McDowell more than enough evidence to determine in a court of law that Jesus was who He said He was.

Whether we say YES to the relationship with Jesus is our choice as He said in John 10:37-38. We need to realize our choice does determine our destiny. You cannot sit on the fence as to who Jesus really is.