‘Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

Stay on the job until you succeed

In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill tells the story of how Automobile genius Henry Ford once came up with a revolutionary plan for a new kind of engine which we know today as the V-8. Ford was eager to get his great new idea into production. He had some men draw up the plans, and presented them to the engineers. As the engineers studied the drawings, one by one they cane to the same conclusion. Their visionary boss just didn't know much about the fundamental principles of engineering. He'd have to be told gently--his dream was impossible. Ford said, "Produce it anyway." They replied, "But it's impossible." "Go ahead," Ford commanded, "and stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required." For six months they struggled with drawing after drawing, design after design. Nothing. Another six months. Nothing. At the end of the year Ford checked with his engineers and they once again told him that what he wanted was impossible. Ford told them to keep going. They did. And they discovered how to build a V-8 engine.”

Has God given you a dream?

Throw off everything that hinders you, fix your eyes on Jesus, and proceed on the path God has created you for and has marked out for you!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb. 12:1-3)

Do it God’s way!

“God's work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” – Hudson Taylor

“So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.” (Gal. 6:9)

The value of courage, persistence, and perseverance has rarely been illustrated more convincingly than in the life story of Abraham Lincoln!

Abraham Lincoln’s story of persistence

·      Failed in business – at age 22

·      Ran for Legislature--defeated – at age 23

·      Again failed in business – at age 24

·      Elected to Legislature – at age 25

·      Sweetheart died – at age 26

·      Had a nervous breakdown – at age 27

·      Defeated for Speaker – at age 29

·      Defeated for Elector – at age 31

·      Defeated for Congress – at age 34

·      Elected to Congress – at age 37

·      Defeated for Congress – at age 39

·      Defeated for Senate – at age 46

·      Defeated for Vice President – at age 47

·      Defeated for Senate – at age 49 

·      Elected President of the United States – at age 51

Therefore

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chron. 15:7)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9)

 Persistence!

 “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” – Calvin Coolidge

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Phil. 4:6 )

This passage is a four-step formula for success for any and every situation.

No matter what you're dealing with at home, at work, or in every and any situation, apply these four steps.

• Step one - “Don’t  worry”. Worry is the opposite of faith and is a tool of the devil to stop you. But don't let it! DECIDE NOT to worry! That’s right! It's a decision. Take control of it! Immediately make a conscious decision at the onset of any situation, regardless of its appearance. Use God’s Word as your weapon to fight it (it’s the sword of the Spirit). "Do not be anxious about anything; but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7).

• Step two - “Pray about everything.” Most of the time we don't use the biggest resource we have in our hands, prayer! If you don't use it, you lose it! As a child of God, you can come boldly to Him at any moment and instantly discuss anything with Him. And you must do so immediately and boldly in the time of need. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)

• Step three - “Tell God what you need.” Come right out with it! Be specific and tell God exactly what you need! He cares about you and wants to help you, but you must ask! “You have not because you ask not.” (James 4:2). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7)

• Step four - “Thank Him for all that He has done.” Thank Him for the many times He has helped you previously in the past. Thank Him, too, for the thousands of promises He has already provided for you in the Bible, which cover virtually every possible need you could ever encounter! God has already thought of everything and provided for it. Many times we ask God for things he’s already provided for us in the Bible. When problems or challenges come along, find specific promises in the Bible that already apply and then thank Him for them! “And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.” (2 Peter 1:4). “All the promise of God are yes, through Jesus.” (2 Cor. 1:20). “And God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)

So do it!

“Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John R. Wooden

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all." - Dale Carnegie

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb 13:6)

While traveling in our RV during a turbulent political season in our country, police abruptly rerouted us to back roads to avoid the riots that were going on in a city that we were about to travel through. As we switched on our radio, we became aware of the plight of innocent individuals being attacked along our intended route. Anger-fueled mobs were stopping cars on the freeway, yanking people out, and causing them serious injuries. We were grateful for the warning and for the alternative route.

Scary things do happen!

Today, It's impossible to pick up the newspaper, turn on the television or radio, or even look at social media without being bombarded with all kinds of fearful news! And yes, it can be frightening. But fear doesn't have to rule us because we have a constant helper! And it's none other than God Himself! Check out the following promises!

God’s hand will help you!

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

 When you cry out to God, He will answer!

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” (Psalm 137:3)

“For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight.” (Psalms 72:12-14)

Therefore

“But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble.” (Psalm 37:39)

Jer. 33:3 “Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

I attended a business seminar a while back, and the speaker emphasized over and over again the importance of asking questions because, as he said passionately, “You don't know what you don't know!” He was certainly right about that! Asking questions of experienced businesspeople who have important knowledge about things, you can avoid serious mistakes and move ahead faster and with fewer problems.

God’s people can get in trouble for lack of knowledge!

It is important to ask questions in business matters! But it's also important to seek knowledge in other areas of your life!

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6a)

Wise people seek knowledge from God!

“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” (Prov. 18:15)

God gives knowledge to those who ask

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6)

Fools reject knowledge

It's foolish not to ask God for wisdom and knowledge about things!

“Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.” (Prov. 1:29-31)

Knowledge is pleasant and will guard you

“For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.” (Prov. 2:10-11)

Quote

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8)

No worries

Knowing that God has given me “all sufficiency in all things for every good work” makes my life function a whole lot better without unnecessary stress or worries.

The family business and CEO

I think of myself as one of God's kids, as one of Jesus's little brothers. A joint heir with Him and a worker in the “family business.” And, my Heavenly Father, the creator of “the business,” and Jesus, the CEO of it, will continually guide me to do what is needed to make it thrive and prosper.

Therefore

I expect Him to, and He does, give me exactly what is needed at the right time, according to the exact specifications needed, to get the right things done at exactly the right times. (Eph. 2:10).

Things work much better!

Looking at things this way makes me successful and happier because, if any problems do arise, personally or business-wise, and they do occasionally, I let the CEO of “the family business” handle it!

Therefore

“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.” (Rom. 8:28)

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:18)

There are divisions all around us

Division is obvious in things like politics, race, and religion; our country was greatly divided in the last few presidential elections, and the truth is, no matter who had won, the other half would have been unhappy about it. Division is now the new norm, unfortunately.

Anything divided is weaker!

The way to weaken anything is to divide it. In fact, an often-used battle strategy is called divide and conquer.” 

Patrick Henry said in his famous last speech of 1799, “Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs."

Jesus said it this way

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mark 3:24-25)

God wants us to bring the message of reconciliation to the world!

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:18-19)

And here’s how!

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Col. 3:12-15)

Quote

“The number one problem in our world is alienation, rich versus poor, black versus white, labor versus management, conservative versus liberal, East versus West . . . But Christ came to bring about reconciliation and peace.” – Billy Graham

Romans 12:11-12 “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV).

This passage uses two words, zeal and fervor, to describe how your relationship with the Lord should be. According to the dictionary, zeal is defined as great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective, and fervor is defined as intense and passionate feeling, eagerness, enthusiasm, and fire.

Are you lacking in zeal and fervor?

Many people are excited and even on fire for God when they first become saved. But, over time, they cool off, lose their fresh enthusiasm for the Lord, and even fall away. Jesus spoke about this in Rev. 2:3-4, “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

How to know you that you have left your first love 

Here are some warning signs to watch out for.

1.     Your heart toward Christ is cold and indifferent, not tender as it once was.

2.     You are not easily moved by the Word, and no longer read the Bible daily.

3.     You no longer talk about spiritual things when you get together with others.

4.     You can go hours or days without having more than a passing thought of Him.

5.     Things that used to disturb your conscience no longer do.

6.     Private prayer and worship are almost non-existent, cold, and dry.

7.     Your service for Christ and others is motivated by a sense of duty or obligation.

8.     You spend more time and effort on your physical appearance than you do on cultivating inner spiritual beauty to please Christ.

9.     You are more concerned about what others think and pleasing them rather than about pleasing Christ.

10.  You prefer secular songs, movies, and books more than songs or reading material that point you to Christ.

11.  You prefer the company of people who don’t love Christ, more than the company and fellowship of those who do. 

Any of these things should act as warning signs to prompt you to turn back around (repent) and to do what you must do to get back on track.

Jesus said what to do

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev. 2:5)

In the passage above, He said to do three things:

1.     Remember from where you have fallen. Think back to when you had first received Christ. Recall the specific circumstances that initially led you to Him, the prayers you uttered, and the transformation that occurred in your life.

2.     Repent. The word “repent” means to turn around, change direction, or turn away from something. So, make a sincere decision to turn back to God with your whole heart.

3.     Do the works you did at first. Go back to doing the things you did at first. Those things were probably basic, such as praying, reading your Bible, going to church, singing worship songs, and sharing your faith.

Therefore

“Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty.” (Zech. 1:3)

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)

The most important present you can ever give to another is the gift of love, without strings, without conditions, and without judgments.

The Ingenious plan

Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. "I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me."

Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan. "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you're getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, and sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?"

"Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as by often repeated deeds.

What is love?

The Bible explains what love is in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13:4-8. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

In other words, it's what you do for others

Quote

“Love is the fruit in season at all times and within reach of every hand.” – Mother Teresa

Smile

Dearest Jimmy,

No words could ever express the great unhappiness I've felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you'll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! Yours forever, Marie.

P.S., And congratulations on winning the state lottery.