There are no seasons of fruitlessness in the Kingdom of God!

There are no seasons of fruitlessness in the Kingdom of God!

Dr. Paul Taylor

Why Jesus cursed the fig tree?

“Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.” Mark 11:12,13

This portion of scripture is not about food or Jesus being angry because there was no fruit on the fig tree.  No, Jesus is teaching His disciples and us about the Kingdom mindset or thinking.  I have always wondered why Jesus cursed the tree when it was not the season for fruit!  What right did He have to do that?

Here in lies the power of the Kingdom of God.  This portion of scripture is all about Kingdom thinking and having a renewed mind in Christ!  Jesus had every right to expect fruit because there are no seasons of fruitlessness in the Kingdom of God!  There are no seasons of want, of need, of sickness, of lack, of sorrow, of.…..there is only FULLNESS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

Walking with God in the Kingdom is a walk of expectation, of hope, of faith!  The renewed mind allows us to believe for the possible, when with man it is impossible!  This message is continued when the disciples see the fig tree withered away because Jesus cursed it.  Do not focus on the curse, but focus on the expectation!  

The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23For assuredly, I say to you, whoever saysto this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:21-24

Jesus’ answer to their question was HAVE FAITH IN GOD!  IF YOU HAVE FAITH, YOU HAVE HOPE AND YOU CAN EXPECT GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE.

1. We have the right to expect fruit (abundance, to prosper, provision) in an unfruitful season.  Remember there are no seasons with God.  Can you ever imagine thinking, “Well, this is not the season for God to answer my prayer!”  I don’t think so!  We would be of all people hopeless, but we are not hopeless.  We are people of faith believing God for the impossible!  

2. We have the right to expect the impossible to be possible!  With man things are impossible, but with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!  This is the power of the mind of Christ and Kingdom thinking.  There are so many examples of Kingdom thinking, even in the Old Testament.   I encourage you to read the story of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25-27) . Esau thought like a man and he sold his birthright as the first born to his brother Jacob.  Jacob realized and understood the importance of being first born.  When time came for the blessing from his father Abraham, even though he had to disguise himself as Esau, he had every right to answer his father’s question, “Who are you my son?”  Jacob answered, “I am Esau your first born.”  Why did he have the right to say this?  Because he had purchased Esau’s birthright!  Jesus is the firstborn and has purchased the birthright and we are in Him!  We have every right to say to our Heavenly Father, I am your son and have the right of the firstborn!  Bless me!!!!

3. We have the right to speak that, which is not, as though it was!  (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) ◙ in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” ◙ 19And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:17-22

My friends, today in whatever season you find yourself, put on the mind of Christ and BELIEVE!  Believe for fruit in a fruitless season.  Believe for the impossible.  Speak to that which is not, as though it was and you will receive it just as Abraham received Isaac.  I believe in you!

DO NOT TALK ONLY, JUST DO IT!

 

WATCH VIDEO CLICK HERE 

This video was recorded specially for REAL. Please, watch and share. Please, comment! What are the lessons have you learned in this message and is going to put in practice in your life? I find one of the challenges in life is not to do the hard things in life. We want to be able to to big things, but most often we don't do the little things we can. The impossible then becomes what we don't do we can, due to laxity, procrastination and other reasons. We may be not able to climb a huge mountain today, but are we willing to climb the small ones? If we do not change ourselves into practitioners we will go on in life being just speakers and accomplishing nothing. I encourage you today to be who you really are, a DOER and not a TALKER. Dr. Josimar Salum

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The Church and the Market Place: What it really matters!

Everyone who has been born again is a king and priest. All God's children are anointed! All of them!

If you are a pastor or an evangelist it doesn't mean you are more anointed than a carpenter, a medical doctor, a businessman or a teacher. 

If you meet any brother and sister in Christ at the work and have fellowship with them there is church right there. You are the church, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Not individually, but collectively. 

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

I Corinthians 3:9, 16 

As Dr. Salum and I have been sharing, the church is not a building. The church is people that are gathered together in the Name of Jesus!  

So you can have a church at work, on the farm, in the coffee shop or in a restaurant. Yes, you can also have a church in a building that we call church, but the building is not holy, sacred and it is it the house of God. God doesn't live or inhabit in buildings or temples. The House of God is the Church, the people.

The gathering of people or the true church is where we grow in our knowledge of God and learn how to apply the spiritual principles of the Kingdom of God to our daily lives. We learn about spiritual gifts, but this knowledge is not to be reserved for a once a week meeting. We must learn how to apply these gifts and the knowledge of God to our daily lives as Kings and priests in the market place!

Think for a moment. Where do we spend the majority of our time?  In church or in the marketplace?

Of course the marketplace or in the school or at home, but not the place we call church. This is why we MUST BEGIN TO FLOW IN OUR PASSION, PURPOSE AND PLACE TO EXPAND THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

The Bible principles are not for to be used inside the church, they are for change in all the world. The church is a gathering, a fellowship when people meet even without a set time. Yes, they sing together, they  praise together, but anywhere. The marketplace is where the Kingdom principles must be used.

These are questions that matter:

How can you and we bring the influence of the Kingdom into our daily lives? 

How can we rule financially, in our schools, in politics, in education, in sports, in the media, etc? Remember that ruling for God is serving. Like Jesus we are servant Kings. We are all priests and ministers! 

What is more important, the church or the marketplace? Both!  Many times they can be intertwined. 

What do you say?

Dr. Paul Taylor

Stop talking: You have to move your feet.

It is pointless to ask God for direction if you are not willing to move your feet. 

Every breakthrough and every success story is the combination of God's power and human effort. "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6

God brought manna to Israel but He didn’t make it fall inside their tents, neither did God pick it up and chew it for them. (Exodus 16) 

No amount of praying or fasting could replace Israel’s need for decision-making and decisive action. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” Exodus 14:15-16

Each Israelite had to get up early in the morning, find containers and gather enough manna for the day. 

God usually doesn't do for you anything that He’s already given you the strength to do. “I CAN DO ALL THIS THINGS through GOD who gives me strength.”Philippians 4:13 

God wants to bless you financially but you have to getup every morning and work diligently and faithfully. “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”

Ephesians 4:28

God wants to bless you with a child but you have to endure the nine long arduous months of pregnancy. 

God wants to bless you with a virtuous wife or loving husband but you must get out of your comfort zone, sacrifice comfort and convenience, open your heart to love and be loved, invest time in the relationship, lose a few friends and disappoint some family members along the way. Just because it is from God doesn’t mean it’s to be easy. 

God gave Israel the Promised Land but they had to walk through the desert, cross seas and flooded rivers, and fight and kill for it. 

Whatever it is that you’ve been praying for, God might’ve already said yes. But it won’t fall on your lap without your effort and action. After claiming it in prayer you must get up and take it by force. 

Birds are born to fly, not withstanding the law of gravity. Fish are born to swim, not withstanding the principle of floatation. Every child of God is born to win the battles of life, regardless of all obstacles and challenges. Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world. 

No two birds have ever collided in the sky, which means there's more space for all of them. You don't need to pull your neighbor down to succeed. Pulling someone down does not necessarily mean you will go up! 

There is more than enough space and resources for us all to be the best that God wants us to be. (Author unknown)

Edited by Josimar Salum

Published on REAL Whatsapp Group by Jeanne Rintwari (Burundi, Africa) 

The Power of One - Dr Paul Taylor

The Power 

of One 

Dr. Paul Taylor

John 4:4: “But He (Jesus) needed to go through Samaria.”

As I have been praying about the path of my own life the Lord has spoken to me about the power of one person.  We are so conditioned to believe that bigger is better and the larger the meeting the more anointed we are.  I am not putting down anyone.  I believe God is trying to address a pattern of thinking in each of our lives that needs to change.  Maybe He is just speaking to me and I receive that also. 

I grew up with the American church mindset.  The larger the church, the more successful the pastor.  The larger the meetings, the more anointed the evangelist.  Numbers pointed to success and to the importance of that person or ministry.  So this was the reasoning behind my pursuit of building a large church and ministry.  Let me say that numbers are important because they do represent people and Jesus loves people.  But numbers have little to do with a person’s success or anointing.  Obedience is the one and only standard of success that God places on us.  Will we obey the voice of the Lord no matter what?

In John 4, Jesus left the place of ministry to multitudes and was on His way to Galilee when He needed to make a visit to a place that was not accepted by the Jews.  He needed to speak to a woman who was not accepted by her own people, never mind the Jews.  She was a Samaritan.  She was a woman of ill repute.  Meaning she was living with a man who was not her husband at the time Jesus arrived though she was married before with some husbands. Jesus did not go there by chance.  He went there because that is where His Father wanted Him to be to speak to one person – this woman!

This woman becomes a missionary!  Amazing!  I want to challenge you to think about all the ONES that Jesus singled out in the midst of His travels and changed their lives.  These encounters did not happen in the context of a large church service, but on the way to some place that He was going!  In the midst of His travels Jesus obeyed the voice of His Father and touched the leper, healed the blind, raised the dead, ate with sinners, met with a Samaritan, forgave the woman taken in adultery, and the list goes on.

Jesus was not controlled by religious doctrine, but obeyed the voice of His Father.  He often left the multitudes to do what no one else would do.  Let me ask you these questions;

·         Is it more important to abide by church doctrine or to obey the voice of the Lord?

·         Is ONE person as important as the multitudes?

·         Is it more important to go to church with all of your brothers and sisters in the Lord or to recognize the person in need in daily life and share God’s love with that ONE person?

·         Are you willing to be ridiculed for doing something that is forbidden by the church, to obey what God is telling you to do?

·         Are you able to think for yourself or are you controlled by the multitudes?

I want to challenge you to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and begin to recognize His directions as you go about your daily business.  The ONES that God will direct you to are just as important as the multitudes that you may have the privilege to minister to in a church service.

Who knows, that ONE person may be the one to save a nation, like Rahab the prostitute or become the mother of influence like Ruth or Mary Magdalene who had seven demons or Zacheus, the tax collector and on and on we could list the ONES who God singled out to make a difference for His Kingdom.

·     You will have to hear His voice and obey.

·     You will have to overcome what others say.

·     You will have to think for yourself!

·     You must have to break the rules of religion to follow Jesus!

·     You will have to overcome the church mindset to see the ONE is just as important as the multitudes when directed by the Holy Spirit!

There is no substitute for obedience!  Look for the power of one and obey!  You are just as anointed as the evangelist speaking to millions!  Beware, you may find yourself in Samaria!  Be strong and stand for Him!  Be a Champion!

Five Strategies of Exceptional Leaders: Leadership development progression

Five Strategies of Exceptional Leaders: Leadership development progression

Lets review quickly the five strategies.

1. Cultivate Positude.

2. Lead by Serving.

3. Dare to make a difference.

4. Embrace and employ discipline.
5. Update your snapshot regularly (forgive).

I have already shared on each of these strategies.  I want to end by sharing the leadership development progression.  You may have already heard these four steps of development, but here they are again.  Let me say that we should always be developing our leadership ability.  There are many areas that we can grow or mature in.  To do this we must develop our skills.  This is a constant process!

Phase 1 – Unconscious Incompetence
In this phase you are unaware of what you do not know.  This is the beginning of the learning process.  Maybe you have never heard of leadership, so it is new to you.  This is called unconscious incompetence.

Phase 2 – Conscious Incompetence
In this phase you have become aware of what you need to learn.  Leadership training and the many different aspects of it are now new and you want to learn more.  You have become conscious of what you don’t know.

It is at this time you must develop skills to move to the next two phases.  These skills could be listening skills.  They could be skills concerning the business you are working in.  You can’t be a good leader if you don’t know what you are talking about!  You may need to go to school or take a class, but you must develop skills to lead!

Phase 3 – Conscious Competence
In this phase you intentionally apply your skills.  Knowledge does us no good unless we apply it in our daily lives!  Learn new skills, but please use them to grow as a leader.

Phase 4 – Unconscious Competence
In this phase what you have learned has become “second nature” in your daily life.  That means you do it without thinking.  You have accomplished mastering that skill.  

This development progression is a cycle of learning.  There are many things we must learn and will always have new things to learn, so the progression begins all over again.  Keep learning and progressing through this transformation.  We can all grow as leaders.  If ever we needed strong godly leaders, it is today!

Believe for the impossible!  

Dr. Paul Taylor

Five Strategies of Exceptional Leaders: 1 - Cultivating Positude

Cultivating Positude: a Positive Attitude.

We have talked about the five strategies that surround the EPIC. 

Five Strategies that cultivate an EPIC Leader. Please, click here

Remember EPIC stands for Ethics, Principles, Integrity, and Character.  

Before going forward you should think about these basic questions: 

What is your purpose? Why do you exist? What do you want to accomplish? What are your dreams? Think about your purpose in life. As a student. As a husband. As a father. As a son. As an orphan. As a teacher. As a king. As a champion. As an SouLutionist. As a revolutionary. 

One of the most important strategies to being this kind of leader is to cultivate Positude!  A positive attitude!  

Here is an action plan to Positiude.

1. Consider the people you associate with.

• Build a longer list of those that encourage you.

2. Map out your goals.

• Spend 15-20 minutes with a blank sheet of paper and try to list 15 to 20 goals that will bring you closer to your purpose.

3. Serve your associates.

• Consider sending a helpful tool to 4-5 friends today.

• Consider a few “thank you’s.”

4. Ask questions.

• Try listening 70% of each conversation.

5. Apply the Principle of the Slight Edge.

• It’s the details, the little things that can make a great difference.

6. Celebrate your uniqueness.

• You don’t have to be just like everyone else.

7. Build a collaborative culture.

• Encourage innovation and creativity.

• Demand excellence not perfection.

8. Follow through.

• Thing of the things you have not yet finished and do it now.

9. Learn the art of positive criticism.

• Praise in public; Reorientation or correction in private.

10. Turn obstacles into opportunities.

• This includes past failures.  Don’t let yesterdays mistakes keep you from moving forward today.

These are some very important thoughts and things we all need to apply to our lives on a regular basis.  You may need to address these things on a monthly basis.  

Success is doing the right things over and over again.  Sometimes we need reminders and this list can be very helpful.

I want you now to think about this quote from one of America’s great leaders.  Jack Welsh, the former CEO of General Electric once said, 

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.  When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

Tell why you agree or disagree with this statement.  Remember we are developing servant leaders with Jesus Christ being our model.

You might also want to define a “servant leader.”  

Most people in business want to climb the ladder of success by stepping on other people in their journey.  That is not the model of success that we are promoting.  

I pray that these thoughts will encourage you to grow your self and others.  They come from ROI and it is my privilege to pass them along to you.

Believe for the impossible,

Dr. Paul Taylor

The Seven Slight Edge Principles by Jeff Olson

The Seven Slight Edge Principles can be used every day for your personal and business life.  

The things we do or don’t do every day move us closer or father away from our goals.

1. Show Up:  

Director Woody Allen said “80% of success is showing up.”  Most people won’t take the steps to just get started then learn the skill necessary to follow-through and overcome the obstacles.  Stop thinking about it get busy.  Commit and show up.

2. Be Consistent: 

Consistency and showing up work together. 

Consistent effort over time produces results. 

How do you measure effectiveness if what you are measuring isn’t performed consistently?  

Be consistent.

3. Have a Good Attitude:  

Jim Rohn said;

“Each of us has the ability to put our unique human potential into action and to acquire a desired result. But the one thing that determines the level of our potential—that produces the intensity of our activity and predicts the quality of the result we receive—is our attitude.”  

Enough said.

4.  Be Committed for a Long Period of Time:  

Showing up, commitment and consistency is critical for long-term success in any venture. 

Jim Rohn also relates to the Biblical story, The Parable of the Sower.  The sower committed to sowing seed regardless of the outcome. Keep sowing, sowing and sowing and you’ll eventually reap the harvest.

5.  Have Faith and a Burning Desire:  

Napoleon Hill wrote; 

'There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, and the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it’.  

Most important be specific about what you want and write it down!

6.  Be Willing to Pay the Price:  

Jeff Olson says, “Anything worth having is worth working and paying a price for.”

Zig Zilar said; “You do not pay theprice of  success, you enjoy the price of success.”  

Following the Slight Edge Principles will keep you on track.

7. Practice Slight Edge Integrity:

Integrity and character are demonstrated as by what you do when no one’s looking.  Be true to yourself first. 

The compounding effect of the Slight Edge Principles works both ways.  

What’s easy to do is also easy not to do.

 Success is a compilation of small daily decisions.  Missing a day or two or three might go unnoticed for a while but the compounding effect of good and bad decisions eventually work for you or against you.

By Mark Petticord

Being productive and being busy are not necessarily the same thing. Doing things won’t create your success; doing the right things will. – Jeff Olson

One of the great things about the slight edge philosophy is how it can be applied to any area of your life. It can be in fitness with exercise vs eating , or in finances when it comes to investing or paying down a debt vs paying the interest on a debt. 

I also really like what Olson says about its effects spreading:

Success in any one of these areas begins to affect all the others too. Improve your health and you improve your relationships; work on your personal development and you have an impact on your career. Everything affects everything else.

In the end, it all comes back to personal development and getting the right information, as Olson points out quite well.

The greatest gift you could ever give yourself is also the wisest business investment you could ever make. It is also the most critical step in accomplishing any challenging task, and is the one step without which all other success strategies, no matter how brilliant or time tested, are doomed to fail.

What is this mysterious gift? It is your own personal development.

Ben Franklin basically said the same thing; in a shortened version. I love this quote so much that it’s the signature to all my emails.

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

95% of people don’t succeed as they would like to in their life, and that is mainly because they focus too much on results. Focusing on results is important, as I point out in my page on my goals. But the people who have the drive to succeed yet remain in that 95% category usually ignore what is going to get them the results. It’s going to take the right information; the right philosophy.

Olson goes through the different ways of acquiring the right information like books and CDs, but he also covers one more important medium. This is about having mentors and being part of a group or community to support you.

It’s easy to quit something, or not do something you should be doing, if no one is watching. When you’re around a group of people it’s harder not to do those easy things that everyone else around you is doing. It’s about the power of association. Jeff Olson points out how this principle works for everything.

I was just at a LIFE meeting with Mike Rocheleau speaking, and he made the following great analogy which I feel fits nicely with this subject.

If someone backed up a dump truck onto your lawn and emptied its contents all over the place, you would be out of your house and letting the person know how unhappy you were with the situation and would make sure it was cleaned up. But we let garbage into our mind all the time, and welcome it.

It’s time to make the decision to do something about it. Stop letting the garbage in, and start putting in pieces of gold instead.

Source: https://leadershiptofreedom.com/2013/04/04/the-slight-edge-principle/

The Creed, the Cross and Jesus. Dr. Josimar Salum

The Creed, the Cross and Jesus.

Josimar Salum

I was added to a theology type group on Facebook! I don't even know who did. I decided to stay and I am enjoying, specially posts like the one of the greek word (adjective) for "double minded".

Everything it was going well until I decided to post a "little comment."

"Let's go back to the postulation of the Protestant Reformation. Sola Scriptura. Rend therefore your confessions of faith!" (JSalum)

Usually 2 or 3 people liked the others posts. None practically were commenting, but these words got a lot of attention! Some comments were very professional and polite, especially from a theologian, PhD brother, I don't know him, I do think he is my brother in Christ. I mean, I don't think we know people very well only being friends on Facebook. But one or two comments were very disdainful among dozens of discussions that took place!

"Let's go back to the postulation of the Protestant Reformation. Sola Scriptura. Rend therefore your confessions of faith!" is just a provocative opinion. It is just a start point for a dialogue. We are all accustomed to creeds that a statement like that may become a dividing issue. 

"Sola Scriptura is a doctrine directly speaking to the Roman Catholic belief that church tradition is infallible and authoritative." And for many Protestants, evangelicals, too! Not really infallible but authoritative! Creeds are part of Church tradition! As MacArthur puts it, Sola Scrptura "has to do with the sufficiency of Scripture as our supreme authority in all spiritual matters." But I do not believe that Scripture is our supreme authority in all spiritual matters." At least it was not for so many believers in history, even for Abraham, David, the prophets, the apostles, etc. Jesus is the supreme authority in all matters, not His Scriptures!

Understand well! I love the written Word of God. In one version Jesus said so: "You search the Scriptures, because ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39

I love the word of God. "How I love your law! I meditate on it all day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, because they are always with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, because I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts to. Alejo feet from every evil way to obey your word. Do not turn away from thy judgments, for you yourself teach me. How sweet to my palate your words! More than honey to my mouth "Psalm 119: 97-103

I believe with all my heart in the word of God.

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which, in due course, give her fruit, and whose leaf does not wither; and everything he does will succeed "Psalm 1: 1-3.

Do we need to have the same creeds to be true Christians. Is that right? Sola Scriptura concept can't be argued! Are the Reformation pillars so sacred? It is written in stone! Which stone?

My statement was just a mere opinion of a participant, yes, definitely, it is just an opinion. I just posted an opinion. It is not even a creed neither a confession of faith. 

Yes, we have opinions, creeds and confessions of faith. And yes, I was just trolling around my controversial opinion! 

It is amazing how an opinion like that can get a lot of attention! But believe me, I will not die for an opinion as much as I would die to be in communion with my brothers! 

I love the Scriptures, and I read the "creeds". They are only creeds! And I find interesting how many Christians does have just a creed and a cross!

I believe that "All Scripture is the inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3: 16-17

I do not believe the creeds and confessions of faith are inspired by God.

We can all agree that the Bible is the Word of God written by mere men and creeds are just mere statements and writings of mere men, even if they are biblical. 

However, I do not have to believe the same religion, I mean, creed or the same confession of faith that you believe to be your brother in Christ! Do I? Of course, as we are brothers and sisters in Christ does not mean that we have our own beliefs and doctrines based on any teaching around the globe. We have the Scriptures  and we do have Jesus! But we do not follow the Scriptures, we follow Jesus. The Scriptures without knowing Jesus are just Scriptures. Without believing in Jesus, only Jesus, we will continue lost without Eternal Life even if we keep believing, professing and keeping our creeds, confessions and traditions.

Yes, we can talk about the unity of faith! The unity of the Faith also is Christ. Thinking the same thing does not mean believing in the same thing. We relate to people and not to ideas! In the Body of Christ there is no uniformity, but diversity. There is one Body, one God, one Spirit and one Christ! And remember we are all One!

"John, Peter, James! You want to eat fish on the beach with me!" I have told the Lord that morning! We have Jesus! What wonderful friend! It is Jesus enough?

“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39-40

LIAR, LIAR . . . by Ellene Meece

LIAR, LIAR . . .

by Ellene Meece

Living in a world of lies and deceit can take its toll on us. It seems the brown cloud of lying has thickened across our world and sometimes it's impossible to discern truth. We not only have the media slanting their stories to suit their views but we have advertisement exaggeration taking us into fantasy land with their false promises, manipulating us into thinking we need their product to be happy.

 

In the marketplace, business integrity and ethics are being compromised. In our homes, parents are covering their mistakes with a fabrication of excuses and children are routinely deceiving their parents.

 

Lies hurt people, so how did we get here and can we stop the lies?

 

To expel the lies that swirl around us day to day, we must first of all recognize where those lies originate. Satan is the deceiver, the accuser, the one whom Jesus calls the Father of Lies, and is the one who is the cause of all anguish, deception and suffering in this world.

 

Secondly, we must know the truth. This comes from knowing God - His character, His intentions for us. Know that His words are inerrant and timeless.

Garrett Kell wrote on his blog, All Things for Good, a wonderful synopsis of identifying the enemy lies and overcoming with God's truth.

William was facing the most excruciating season of his life.

He and his wife were finalizing a divorce. He'd lost his job. He was potentially going to lose his son in a custody battle. His financial foundation was dissolving. He couldn't sleep. He wouldn't eat. He could barely breathe.

The darkness of William's days turned into the Tempter's paradise. Every waking hour brought with it a call to turn from the Lord. The flaming darts of the evil one sailed in without mercy and his heart became a pincushion for his lies. Everything he believed was being called into question, down to whether God was even there anymore.

William said that one of the things that God used to pull him through the deep valley was a journal that became a lifeline for him. On the left hand side of the journal William wrote down how he was feeling and the lies that he was being called to believe. On the other side of the page he countered the lie with what God said was true. Line after line of lies combated by line after line of truth. William was in a battle for his soul and he learned that his only hope was to fight fire with fire.

What follows are some of the most common lies we face as believers and some helpful truths that expose those lies and put them to death.

The liar says . . . God isn't there and God doesn't care.

The Lord says . . . "Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands . . ." Isaiah 49:14-16

 

The liar says . . . You have nowhere to turn to; no one loves you.

The Lord says . . . "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest . . . I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" Matthew 11:28-29  "The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

The liar says . . . you are unlovable, unworthy, undesirable, and good for nothing.

The Lord says . . . "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing" Zephaniah 3:17. This amazing love is seen supremely in the fact that "God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses ... raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus . . ." Ephesians 2:4-6

 

The liar says . . . Just give in this time, you can just ask for forgiveness later. You deserve to feel good after all you've been through.

The Lord says . . . "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Romans 6:1-2 ". . . what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death" Romans 6:21

 

The liar says . . . God's holding out on you. Fun and freedom and real life are found apart from him.

The Lord says . . . "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11

 

The liar says . . . You are never going to get God's plan going for you. You will always be a loser.

The Lord says . . . "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." Psalm 32:8

 

The liar says . . . God is not pleased with you and because of that He will never give you your deepest desires.

The Lord says . . . "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4. "Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be put to shame." Psalm 34:5

 

We may not be able to control the lies being spoken in our workplace or on the news or in some of our relationships, but we can for sure take charge of the lies being spoken in our heads! When the liar opens his mouth, it's time to open yours . . . with God's Word.

 

The liar says . . . These lies that I am feeding you will never stop.

The Lord says . . . "But the king will rejoice in God; everyone who swears by Him [honoring the true God, acknowledging His authority and majesty] will glory, for the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped."

 

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Written by Ellene Meece, Director of FMIN Workplace Leaders Network

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Workplace Leaders is a group that is designed for you. We are here, as Workplace Leaders Network, to edify, build up and inspire you to inspire others as we live out our lives in the workplace. FMIN provides the ministry organization for Workplace Leaders Network to thrive and grow as marketplace leaders. We also provide a Workplace Leaders Network Facebook page - join us to share stories, photos and discussions around the workplace Christian life.

 

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