CHRISTIANITY AND CULTURE TODAY

Monday, November 26, 2012

TRUSTING IN THE GOD OF ALL HOPE!

"May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." (Romans 15:13, The Amplified Bible)

Your hope is not found in your relationships, your job, your bank accounts, your abilities, your gifts, your talents, your position, your professional achievements, your academic successes, your career, your financial security or your network of family, friends, and partners. But your hope is only found in the God Who never lies and promises to be the God of all hope.

Friends, you will never fully experience biblical joy and peace until you place your hope entirely on the True and Living God! “5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, The Amplified Bible). Beloved, let us trust God with our lives without any reservation, you and I will never be disappointed! I am praying for you and I love you with the love of Christ!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

FORMULATING NEW STRATEGIES TO SUCCEED IN LIFE!

Have you been trying to achieve success in any area of your life? Have you thought about what you were able to successfully accomplish in 2012? Have you even begun to think about your goals and aspirations for 2013? Why are strategies for success important and how to begin formulating them one by one? If you have been working hard at succeeding in a particular area of your life and you find yourself failing miserably at times; perhaps it is time to prayerfully consider formulating new strategies of success.

Now that we have celebrated the thanksgiving holiday and survived another Black Friday, I wanted to take the time to encourage you to start thinking about your future. A winning strategy for the follower of Christ begins with God’s Word. Listen to the command given by God in Joshua 1:8, "This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”

Friends, your future success depends on the level of commitment that you exert in analyzing your current mode of operation. “9 Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9; The Amplified Bible). So strengthen your spiritual muscles, roll up your sleeves, and have the courage to move forward like a soldier on his/her way to a successful conquest. If you are like me, perhaps you have come to realize that you have the potential to do much more, the ability to be more effective or the prospect of being more efficient in the things that God has planned for you to do for Him here on earth!

Beloved, as you think about where you are now, where you should be or could have been; let us also begin to formulate new strategies of success, and rely on God's Word and on the Holy Spirit to empower us to reach new heights in Christ! You can and you will fulfill your purpose in God! Let us do it strategically, amen!

YOUR BIBLICAL FORMULA FOR SUCCESS!

"8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. 9 Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:8, 9; The Amplified Bible)

Doing the same old things, and expecting a different result is pure insanity! Success does not happen in a vacuum. Real success will require hard work in creating, formulating, and executing a winning strategy. While conventional wisdom says that only those who have been lucky, those who have unique gifts and talents, or find themselves in the right place at the right time, are able to achieve success—it is not always true. Although I am one who believes that the aforementioned statements are possibilities and may eventually contribute to achieving success; I also believe that we need divine guidance, godly wisdom, and God honoring strategies to achieve the God-kind of success.