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A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. “The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.” One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if I had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. The president called all of the executives into the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful—in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him! When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!” All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!” When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!” Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed. “How could he be the new CEO?” the others said. Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow. So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!” ·      If you plant honesty, you will reap trust ·      If you plant goodness, you will reap friends ·      If you plant humility, you will reap greatness ·      If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment ·      If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective ·      If you plant hard work, you will reap success   Think about this for a minute….   If I happened to show up on your door step crying, would you care? If I called you and asked you to pick me up because something happened, would you come? If I had one day left to live my life, would you be part of that last day? If I needed a shoulder to cry on, would you give me yours?  This is a test to see who your real friends are or if you are just someone to talk to. Do you know what the relationship is between your two eyes? They blink together, they move together, they cry together, they see things together, and they sleep together, but they never see each other; ….that’s what friendship is.. Your aspiration is your motivation, your motivation is your belief, your belief is your peace, your peace is your target, your target is heaven, and life is like hard core torture without it!

Angels are spiritual beings, usually invisible, although they can take on human forms. We learn in Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 10 there are different types of angels.  Angels serve as messengers.  Angels serve as protectors.  And you don’t know when you might encounter one.  But they are not to be prayed to.   Hebrews 13:2 reads: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”   Twenty-two years ago the Southeast Church bus was out in the middle of nowhere on the WK Parkway, bringing about 25 kids back from church camp.  That night the steering column malfunctioned and the bus was going about 60 mph when it wrecked in a ditch.  About five or six kids had to be taken to the hospital but fortunately there were no life-threatening injuries.   But right after the wreck, there was a man who helped the kids get out of the bus and tried to comfort them and encourage them during those frightening moments while some were still in shock.  Later, as they compared notes, they realized that many of them had the same story: they had come in contact with this same calming and helpful man (he was wearing a cap), but what was strange to those who had been comforted by him, was that no one saw him come on the scene, nor did anyone see him leave.  At that stage, when it initially happened out in the middle of nowhere, there was no other vehicle on the scene as he helped the kids off of the bus.  Now was that an angel?  Could be…or it could have been a very unusual coincidence when that exact moment a man was out walking along the edge of acres of farmland with no house in sight.    Matthew 18:10 is where the concept of guardian angels for kids originated. Jesus says: “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”   These angels aren’t to be prayed to—only God is worthy of our prayers.  And while I would guess that most of those are unseen beings, obviously some are visible or else the Hebrew writer wouldn’t say that, at times, we’ve been unaware that we have been socializing and greeting angels.   Evidently, angel appearances are quite rare.  Throughout the entire time period of the Bible, spanning some thousands of years, an angel appears only a dozen times or so.  So on Monday don’t expect a divine apparition to show up at your cubicle!   Angels typically were delivering some type of a message.  They are trying to convey God’s plan for a situation in which they find themselves.  At Christmas, we see angels everywhere—on front lawns, in nativity sets, in children’s plays, and in malls (though you probably won’t see a lot of angels in the parking lots of malls!), but you will see figurines.  Here’s what I’m hoping…I’m hoping that whenever you see an angel you will immediately think: God is at work—unfolding His plan .   We look at life as though we’re looking at the backside of a tapestry.  Every thread looks jumbled up and it has no meaning.  But God sees our lives from the correct side – the eternal side – and from his vantage point every thread has a purpose.  The tapestry was woven together so that when it was completed, from one side it would make sense and it would be beautiful.   Throughout Biblical times and even today there are plenty of moments when we aren’t sure why things happen the way they do.  In some of those rare occurrences God allowed angels to clarify His plan to help with the process.  You see, angels are images of providence.

Here’s a brief summary to whet your appetite: 1. A Manly Pastor. Men don’t like macho or power-hungry pastors, but a pastor who projects a healthy masculinity will draw men. This is because men see their churches through their pastor. If a man respects his pastor, then he likes his church. If a man doesn’t respect his pastor, he won’t like his church. Go ahead, ask a man about his church. He won’t talk about the ministries, or the facilities, or the programs; he’ll talk about the pastor. 2. Excellence is vital. Men are less forgiving of anything bad, hokey or half baked. The churches that are growing and attracting men consistently offer excellence – in the preaching, the music, the facility and the programs. You don’t have to be the best in town; just do what you do very well and men will be drawn. And if you can’t do something well, then don’t do it at all. 3. Give men space. Churches that attract men honor their need for space. Don’t force your men to hold hands or hug each other. If you must hug, there are safe ways to do it. And you should also be judicious when laying hands on men. These days we like to put people in “prayer mushrooms.” You know what I’m talking about – Vince asks for prayer and soon he’s mobbed, with hands all over him. The other men look at what happened to Vince, so they keep requests to themselves, for fear that they will be mobbed too. 4. Make Prayer Real. Christians speak normally to one another, but when they talk to God they lapse into a strange language I call “prayer speak.” I’m not talking about speaking in tongues; prayer-speak is a nonstop petition to God, repeating his name over and over, punctuated by the word “just” (Father God, we just thank you for this day, Father God, and Father God, we just ask that you’d bless us Father God). The problem with prayer-speak is that it discourages plainspoken men from praying aloud, because the feel that their petitions need to be delivered in this “holy language.” If you want more men praying, cut the prayer-speak. 5. Honor Men’s Time. Nothing discourages men like a worship service that drags on and on. It’s no coincidence that African-American churches, known for their 3 hour worship services, are also very likely to have a man shortage. Jesus was not long winded; in fact the average parable of Jesus can be taught comfortably in under a minute. It’s not the length of your message but its impact that changes men’s lives. The other five ways are captured on David Murrow’s DVD, Why Men Hate Going to church. This DVD is only available from this web site , and is not sold in stores. To book a conference, please contact David at www.churchformen.com .

We are carry an internal tension that’s associated with our appetites. We struggle desperately because we all want MORE. When we talk about our appetites, we immediately think about food or hunger, but there are a lot of different human appetites. There’s food and sex and….I’m sure there are a lot more! For me, I’m just looking through the lens of a guy because that’s all I’ve really been, but for you ladies who a trying to figure men out, they only have three appetites: food, sex and sleep. Just kidding. God has designed us in such a way that we are really just a big bundle of appetites and desires. And appetites also include security, an appetite for love, an appetite to be respected, to be cherished, to feel successful…All these things God designed us with, but each one of our appetites creates tension. The reason you feel tension in your life, is because one or more of your appetites are clamoring for MORE.   When it comes to leadership-whether it’s in a non-profit business, a for-profit business, a church or whatever it is, I believe that there are some appetites that are heightened beyond the average person. I want to discuss the tensions that you will always have to manage as a leader. All of us in leadership have an appetite for progress. We want to see our churches or companies move forward. We have an appetite for greater responsibility. You probably wish you had more responsibility, but here’s the interesting thing. Every time you get more responsibility in your organization, what do you want? MORE! We want respect-recognition for what we’ve accomplished. We want to win. Now, we don’t like the sound of that word in ministry because it sounds so non-godly and non-spiritual, but you know what? No matter who you are, there’s something in you that wants to win! Every year Outreach Magazine publishes a list of the fastest growing churches in America. Here’s what happens in our office. The magazine sits on the desk of my assistant’s office, and I pretend like I don’t want to pick it up. How silly! Who cares about who has the biggest church? I mean, God doesn’t care about who has the biggest church…We know that big churches depend on where you are located, how long you’ve been there, whether your father is a famous televangelist like mine. Many people ask me how I do what I do. I always say, step one is to be born into the family of a famous televangelist. Every time I get invited somewhere, they think it’s him. I show up somewhere and they say, “Wow, it’s you?” Now we all think this stuff is kind of silly, so I walk back and forth in front of the church growth magazine and I’m not going to let someone know how much I want to pick it up. But do you think I want to know if we are on the list? Of course I do!  If you are a leader, don’t be fooled. You want to win! No matter how many times you win, guess what you want? MORE. We want to grow. We want to be famous. (We don’t talk about that out loud.) If someone says they read your article or heard you speak-you may appear humble on the outside, but you go home and gloat. Pastor Rick Warren talked about the appetite to be envied. Guys, isn’t that why we buy the cars we choose to buy? We drive around cars we can’t even see because we are inside of them. Have you ever thought about that? You can’t even see your car driving down the road. You’re inside of it. But here’s the amazing truth. I think all of this is part of the imago dei -the way in which God made us. God created our desires and sin distorted them. Winning, progress, responsibility are all created by God. Think about it. Man is in the Garden of Eden and God said “This is your job-run the WHOLE WORLD.” Appetites are never fully and finally satisfied. EVER. This is an internal tension that never goes away. No matter how big your student ministry is, whether you got recognized by your denomination, or your pastor gave you a trophy. Three days later, that award is in the rear view mirror and you want MORE. How many times have you finished a meal and you say “I can’t eat another thing.” Three hours later-the refrigerator is calling your name and guys say, “Duh, Food!” We somehow think there is someone out there, some reward, some recognition that will finally fulfill our appetites. Often we will spend our lives making really poor leadership decisions trying to find the “golden ring” and give a relaxing sigh, “Ah!” “ My church is big enough! My ministry is big enough! I’ve written enough books.” “ I have a cool enough car. My children are perfect enough.” None of your appetites are fully and finally satisfied.” Leaders, there is always, always, always tension in this area. Your appetites always whisper, “Now!” Never “Later.”   Your response to these appetites, your ability or inability to manage your unquenchable urges and to say “I can’t let them rule my life” determines your success and your spirituality. Your response to that truth will determine your direction of your ministry, your family and your life. Do you know how that’s true? You simply look at your parents. Some of your parents wrecked their lives over an appetite that they thought could be fully and finally satisfied. Some of your parents have ended well because they were able to tame and manage this tension and they knew there was not someone or something out there that would bring the big “Ahhhh…I’m done!”   I can’t name many people serving God who lost their ministry over bad theology. But we could compile an endless list of men and women who have lost their ministry, lost their churches or families because of their inability to manage the tension of a longing that says, “I want more.”   If you don’t get this right, it doesn’t really matter if you get the rest right. If you are ruled and controlled and deceived by the little voice that says, “More.” If you could just get a little more, have a little more, grow a little more…somehow you are going to get to this place where you can say, “Done!” If we lead that way, ultimately embarrassment follows and the loss of what you currently consider most valuable.   I Timothy 6:6 : “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”   Be content. Be thankful. It’s time to sigh, “Ahhhh.” Thanks, God. I choose to do Your will, not mine.   Transcribed from Session One Catalyst West 2010. Used by permission. Register for a Catalyst Conference: events.catalystspace.com .

Listening to James MacDonald’s radio program “Walk in the Word” tonight, I was encouraged by something he said. In his message he spoke of how the Bible is attacked and maligned with such vengeance on college campuses and elsewhere.  We seldom see such attacks against the Book of Mormon, or the Quran, or any other spiritual literature – just the Bible.  He said the reason we don’t see such attacks against the others is that they just don’t reflect true realities like the Bible does.   It encouraged me in a strange, but substantive way.  The reason the Bible is so attacked and maligned by so many is that it really does matter.  It IS the Word of God.  It does have the Words of Life.  It is a living, breathing, life-giving light in a very dark world.  It changes people.  It brings peace during chaos.  It offers hope amidst utter devastation.  And it has withstood such fierce attacks for centuries – and it’s not going away.  The darker the world gets, the brighter it shines.   What is really remarkable is how it has won over some of its most dedicated critics.  Simon Greenleaf attempted to show by his widely accepted rules of testimony, that the four gospels were either collusion, or the telling of different stories – he wrote “Testimony of the Evangelists”.  Josh McDowell set out to prove that the evidence refuted the resurrection of Jesus – he wrote two volumes of “Evidence That Demands a Verdict”.  Viggo Olsen set out to prove the Bible to be scientifically inaccurate – he wrote “Daktar, Diplomat in Bangladesh”.  Antony Flew spent most of his life lecturing and writing against the Bible and promoting Atheism – he wrote “There is a God.”   The list goes on and on.  Time-and-time-again, the Bible wins over those who honestly oppose it and try to refute it by studying it to expose its weaknesses.  Instead of weaknesses, they find it to be the powerful word of God.  Instead of holes, they find it to be the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Instead of inaccuracies, they find insights missed by centuries of scientific enquiry.  Instead of oppressive legalism, they find life-giving grace.  Instead of irrelevance, they find it to more accurately describe the state of mankind and this world than any other work in existence.  Instead of a hateful mean-spirited God, they find a God who loves them so much that He sacrificed what was most precious to save them. They find that the Bible really does matter!   And that is the reason it comes under such relentless assault.  Something in us chafes when faced with ultimate authority.  Part of our fallen nature wants to lash out at anything that claims authority.  Every time I see one of those bumper-stickers that read “Question Authority”, I want to reply, “Who says I have to?”   I do not think God feels the least bit threatened when His word comes under attack, and I don’t think I need to lose heart about it either.  His word will stand, when all others are proven false.  Communism could not blot out God’s Word – there were hundreds of times more Christians in China when it opened up to the west in the 1980s than when it kicked out the missionaries in 1949.  Nazism could not overcome the Bible – it only proved the depravity of man and drove many, including Jews to the Bible.  Rome could not keep the New Testament from being written – its road system became the Bible’s distribution network to the world.  Materialism could not make God’s truth unnecessary – its emptiness highlighted the Bible’s substance.  Darwinism could not explain away the creator – it only reveals more of God’s glorious creation.  Neither will the “New Atheism” prove the Bible irrelevant or harmful.   So I need not lose sleep when someone with fancy credentials or notoriety lashes out at the Bible.  I don’t think God is wringing His hands over it, neither should I.  Instead I can sit back and watch the glory of God as He triumphs over the most “formidable” of His detractors.  Yet like God, I need not see them as enemies to be eliminated.  He has drawn some of His best workers from such stock.  I think of the Apostle Paul, at one point committed to the elimination of this troublesome sect from the face of the earth.  Even before his conversion, all he accomplished was to spread its followers over the known world by his acts of oppression.   What encourages me about all of this is that I don’t need to “defend” the Bible.  It will stand on its own merit.  It will defend itself better than I ever will be able.  All I need do is present it.  God’s Word will sink down into the hearts of people, even the most hardened, and kindle that flame so long smothered.  It will inspire even the most lifeless.  It will give hope to the most discouraged.  It will bring light to the deepest dungeon.  It will bring a song to the spiritually deaf and dumb.   For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version, ©2011)

I have learned that my faith in Christ is an intelligent faith. It is based on the weight of the evidence. This brings my mind and my heart into harmony, for I trust Christ with my whole mind, will, and emotions. Intelligent faith provides meaning and purpose for my everyday circumstances, for I see how they fit into God’s plan for my life. That intelligent faith enables me to apply truth to my life, knowing that everyday circumstances can be God’s tools for making me become like Him. Faith reveals God’s purpose for me.   The man without God says: “You and I control our own destiny. God expects us to make things happen. Faith may give you peace and the freedom to find meaning for yourself, but remember, faith is a private matter. The important thing is for each person to determine his own purpose in life, hoping in some way to leave a lasting impression on the world…”   But God invites us to ask, seek, and knock. This requires the use of our minds, for He wants to share with us His intimate secrets so that we may relate truth to our everyday living.   1. Understanding requires application   Understanding takes place when we know how to apply truth correctly. Simply knowing a truth or principle without applying it with the hearts is not satisfactory.   “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good life, his deeds performed in the gentleness of wisdom” ( James 3:13 ).   “And the one on whom sees was sown on the good ground, this is the man who hears the Word and understands it; who indeed produces a crop, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” ( Matthew 13:23 ).   Intelligent faith unites the intellectual evaluation of truth and inward perception of the heart with its application to our lives. We glorify God when our faith results in the mind and heart joining together to produce godly behavior.   2. Understanding requires association.   In some of the richest language of Scripture, Paul emphasizes that the key to understanding is knowing Christ.   “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” ( Philippians 3:8 ).   “…That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…” ( Philippians 3:10 ).   Understanding with our hearts and minds how truth applies depends upon our knowing Christ well. As believers, our hope is founded upon the intimacy of our relationship with Christ.   3. Understanding requires examination.   The early church leaders frequently urged believers to evaluate intelligently any doctrine they received. They gave their converts solid criteria for judging doctrine ( 2 Corinthians 11:4-15 ; Galatians 1:6-9 ).   A stimulating challenge to us, as believers, is the example of the Bereans. Pail and Silas preached the gospel to the Bereans, who didn’t just accept this new doctrine blindly. ( Acts 17:10-15 ).   The Bereans were not about to accept something just because missionaries in sandals came along and taught it! The Apostle Paul did not discourage their open-minded search by saying, “Just believe.” Examining the Scriptures to understand how to apply God’s truth to our own lives is the only sure way of establishing a solid foundation for our faith.   II. Intelligent faith provides purpose ( Romans 8:28-39 ).   Faith is the assurance of the heart, resting in the adequacy of the evidence.   Certainty about God’s control comes when I intelligently submit, surrender, rest in, acknowledge and accept His work in my life. This creates a deep conviction that God does have a plan for me to follow. I am a person of destiny!   God, who is in control of the events of every believer’s life, focuses even apparently meaningless events into one meaningful purpose. His plan is to make us like His Son Jesus. He is at work in each experience and circumstance to give us the opportunity to trust intelligently in His control. And while God does not will adverse conditions or circumstances upon us, He is able to use them to achieve the goals of making us more like Christ.   Intelligently understanding the basis of my faith leads to a deeper understanding of God’s purpose for every circumstance I face. He does not want me to accept blindly what comes; rather; He delights in my humble search to know Him and His plan for me. When I acknowledge and submit to His sovereign control, I discover how He uses my present circumstances to create in me the family likeness of His Son. He wishes to use even mundane events as opportunities for me to trust in His control.

Acts 16:19 : “And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers. “ When this woman that was possessed with the spirit of divination and was following Paul and Silas, nobody knew that she was an agent of other people. She was working for her masters who were the “brains” behind the operation of the spirit of divination. The Bible says that the masters were making great financial gains through her. This woman was under the bondage of the demon of divination.    But when the evil spirit operating through this lady was cast out, the woman was delivered, but her masters were angry. They had been operating behind the scenes before, but now they were forced to come out. However, they did not come out for peace. Their coming out was not to submit or to surrender. They came out to fight Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas ended up in jail but their imprisonment led to the fulfillment of God’s purpose and Paul’s mission in Macedonia.   What our enemies intend for evil God uses for good ( Genesis 50:20 ).   The revelation here is that when you pray for deliverance from evil, there may be a time that the real forces behind your affliction will begin to manifest. But this manifestation comes with even greater affliction, e.g., Paul and Silas were thrown in jail.  That is why some afflictions become greater when your prayer becomes severe and intense. This is what is happening  when some people complain that the more they pray, the more severe their problems become. But if we do not give up, our problems will give up because the masters and sponsors of our problems must surely receive shame and disgrace.   Here are two good prayers to pray: 1.) I pray that every power profiting from my affliction be consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit (2) Lord, expose and disgrace every “master” who is masterminding my affliction.   Most of the enemies that come against us in this life are mere agents. Heartfelt prayers will give us victory over them, and their real sponsors will come out to be put to shame. Then the purpose of God for your life will continue to be fulfilled.   So why do things get worse after they get bad?  God wants us to fight the good fight, God wants to expose evil, and God has a bigger plan.  In the midst of trials and tribulations, we must trust in God’s timing for deliverance and in His goodness more than ever!   Keep in mind Isaiah 49:4 that states, “I will contend with those who contend with you.”  When we are falsely accused, “the truth will out” (“The Merchant of Venice,” by Shakespeare).    One final word of encouragement: “God works all things together for good to them that love Him, who are called according to His purpose” ( Romans 8:28 ).   Adapted from the writings of Evangelist, Mangeni Mathias, 3/27/11.

Tom Lutz says that many people want “better sameness” which insulates us from any kind of change and leaves us ill-prepared for positive changes. Better sameness is simply a different face on the “status quo,” or you could call it “the same pig with lipstick.” Because continual changes are a part of life, Lutz helps us to navigate the “corridors of change” by defining several different kinds of change and suggesting strategies for navigating each kind. For example, we’ve all been through a “Blind Side” change. Lutz suggests the following actions: 1. Get on your knees and ask God to calm you. Don’t follow your emotions to run in panic. 2. Concentrate on where you are in the maze. Don’t focus on how you got there. 3. Stop and reflect. Is it the change that is causing your trauma or it the fact that you were surprised? (When you calm down, you may see the maze shrink because the change isn’t such a big deal.) 4. Look back over your experiences. Have you ever been faced with a change like this before? If so, can you remember what you did then? That experience can guide you to what you should or shouldn’t do to navigate now. 5. Call a Christ-follower friend. One you can trust to be objective and confidential. Take the time to describe the change. Ask the friend to help you distinguish between the mind and heart dimensions. Talk it through. He probably won’t be able to navigate for you, but it should help clean your windshield of extraneous bugs so you can see the maze corridors more clearly. 6. Look at yourself in the Change Capacity mirror. Determine whether you’ve allowed the change to shove you into territory where you don’t normally operate. If it has, get back to where you function the best. Remember Kodak film for our cameras? Now 80% of Kodak’s revenue comes from digital products. Kodak smartly navigated a change maze. Actually, this maze was a different kind of maze because Kodak could see the changes coming. Lutz has strategies to navigate these and several other kinds of mazes. He also suggests that people have basically four kinds of “change capacities”: Resistors, Slow Followers, Fast Followers, and New Idea People. For anyone who is called to be a “difference maker,” it’s important to know the change capacities of everyone on your team. Also, difference makers have a clear understanding of the “AS-IS” and a clear vision of the “TO-BE.” Lutz also defines “change fundamentals,” e.g., “Change abides by the law of inertia: If a body is at rest or moving at constant speed in a straight line, it will continue to do so unless it is acted upon by a force.” Other interesting points include a list of “Signs of Hitting the Wall,” along with actions to take. “To Change or Not Change” list. “Absolutes” list that will help to keep us focused and able to make good decisions. “Marks of Leadership” that help difference makers lead their team through change. And a list of different resistance forces to expect and how to handle them. Two of Lutz’s recommendations stand out: “Urge every member of your team to assess whether their faith is directing their behavior and their resolve” and “Never pass up an opportunity to communicate.” This advice flows from his principle that we cope with change better if we separate facts from emotions and if we let our spirits lead our responses to change: “Your response to change can be spearheaded by your heart, your mind, or your soul. If you let God inhabit your soul, the dominance of the Lord in your life can lead you to cope with the facts and emotions of a change more effectively.” Lutz was strongly influenced by the ministry of his personal friend, John Piper. For the last 20 years, Lutz’ business has been to consult, mentor, and coach business executives, church leaders, politicians, and many others. Lutz draws from his experience in several different careers, including his work with IBM (which he says stands for “I’ve Been Moved”), his own traumatic life events that caused him to “Run out of cope.” He also gives many biblical references of Bible characters that faced various change mazes and how they were transformed for the better by and through them. Our biblical heroes usually overcame a WIFM mentality (“What’s In It for Me?”) and learned to lean wholly on God. Lutz suggests that an important question to ask ourselves is this: “Is the change driven by spiritual values?” I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in navigating the corridors of their own change mazes more successfully. The book is filled with “Reality Cases that combine personal experiences and observations to reinforce the principles and approaches discussed.” As Lutz states, God allows all of us to at all times be in a change maze of some kind. Therefore, it would seem that we can all benefit from any wisdom that helps us to pass through these mazes successfully. Tom Lutz can be reached at Tom@LutzGroup.com.

Tips for parenting: 1. Watch your expectations, make sure they are positive and not negative! 2. Make sure your kids get enough Vitamin E (encouragement) and some very essential Vitamin N which is No! Remember, if you love your child, you will disciple them 3. Rules are important but not the only thing that is important, relationships matter most! 4. Have fun with your kids, laugh at yourself, use the words, “I am sorry” 5. Finally, to put it bluntly do not take any disrespectful act from your son or daughter without significant consequences! Kids have a need to please you. They don’t like it when Mom and Dad are unhappy. As important as relationships are with our kids, the more profound relationship is with your spouse! Now, realizing that many of you are single, stay with me because there are tips for you to come. For those of you who are married, here are some thoughts to make this year as close to stress-free as possible. Tips for your marriage: 1. Ladies, remember he is the SIMPLE one! As I have said many times, think of him as a four year old that shaves! His needs are simple. He needs to be needed and wanted by YOU! 2.Guys, understand that your wife majors in relationships and communication. She has the need to hear from you. She wants to know your feelings that you have about, well… almost everything in life! She needs to feel like your lovingly affectionate at all times! 3. We spend money on everything under the sun, I wonder how many of us invest our time and our money in our marriage? Want to do something for your family this year, take time to be a couple, enjoy a date night, consider joining next year’s Couples of Promise Cruise! Those kind of investments play dividends for generations. 4. Do your marriage a great favor and make sure that your spouse and your relationship take precedence. Tips for relationships (including those of you who are single!): 1. Don’t “should” on yourself — When you “should” on yourself, you are really putting down the masterpiece that God created in you. You truly are a one-of-a-kind! 2. If you have a critical eye– that is to say that you can spot a flaw, especially in the ones you love, in less than 10 seconds…. give it a rest! And rather than pull up the negatives, look for the positives and use the words, “Good job!” “Nice going” and “I bet that makes you feel good inside!” 3. One more thing, if you want to see a relationship with someone you love improve dramatically, in less than 48 hours, stop asking questions! It’s like magic. On that note, tuck the “why” word away and watch the relationship change before your eyes! Two of my favorite scriptures come from St. Paul — Where in Ephesians 6, he says “Children obey your parents, it is the right thing to do! Because God has placed them in authority over you.” And in the preceding chapter, Paul writes these profound words, for those of us who are married, “Honor Christ by submitting to one another.” These imperfect people that surround your life are God gifts for you! Handle these relationships with care. I have said many times that marriage and parenthood is not easy, but it is simple. God does have a simple plan for our marriages as well as for the journey of being a good parent.

Teach your children to encourage and inspire others with homemade prayer gifts at Christmastime. Here are some creative craft ideas that show children the true meaning of Christ, God’s greatest gift, coming to earth. Be sure your child delivers the gift personally, so he or she sees the joy and gratitude on the face of the recipient! A Huggable Prayer for Another Child. Things you need: A plain calico or cotton-covered toy such as a teddy bear. A fine-tipped permanent-ink fabric pen. Give a prayer that can be hugged! Purchase a plain pale-colored, firmly-stuffed soft toy. Write short prayers for the recipient on the bear or other toy and let your child sign his/her name at the end of the prayer. If your child is too young to write on the toy, have him/her compose the prayer and write the prayer on the toy for the child. Let the child wrap the gift with tinsel, bows, tissue paper or a box decorated by your son or daughter. Give the bear (toy) to a mother-to-be, a young child, someone in need of comfort and encouragement…even a student leaving home for the first time. “A time to embrace…” Ecclesiastes 3:5. Bible Promise Prayer Book. Things you need: Computer with a good graphics program and color printer, or pens and crayons. Christmas stickers may also be used. White paper (for a large book) or large white note cards (for a smaller child’s book.) Hole punch and Christmas ribbon. Create a booklet of promises that your child may want to pray for a friend or family member. You can use a Bible promise book (an easy-read Bible translation). Choose favorite Bible verses. Psalm verses can be meaningful choices for your child. Match lovely pictures from your computer graphics program, or use stickers to go with each verse. Be sure to personalize each verse by including the recipient’s name with the book. Treat each page of the card as a page in the book. Create an attractive cover and print this on card stock. The child may also make a collage of wrapping paper to make a cover for the prayer book. Hole-punch and use ribbon as the book binder. (You may also want to go to an office supply or print shop to laminate the book or simply use clear contact paper). “’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” Jeremiah 29:11. Ornament Prayer. Things you need: cardboard, a water glass for tracing, or tracing paper. A photo of your child. Glitter, stars, foil, or wrapping paper. A wire ornament hook or ribbon Create a two-sided ornament by tracing the ornament shape onto the cardboard. Cut the traced shape to make the ornament. Be sure the ornament is large enough to accommodate the photo and the name of the child. Glue the photo of your child in the center of the ornament. Write a short prayer for the recipient on the other side of the ornament. Be sure the name of your child is written at the end of the prayer. If your child is old enough, they will want to write the prayer. You may want to write the prayer on the paper if your child is younger. Go crazy. Let the child glue, color and glitter the ornament as much as they like! (You can always sweep up the mess later)! “You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful” Psalm 139:13-14. Bookmark Prayer. Things you need: Card cut into bookmark shape(s). Scissors, Rubber stamps, inks or markers, stickers and lace or other trim, hole punch, thin cloth ribbon. Create a bookmark to give to a friend. Use all kinds of craft materials to make simple bookmarks. Match the theme of the decorations to the theme of the prayer. Write a personalized prayer for your friend on the back of the bookmark. Punch a hole in the bookmark and knot a length of ribbon through the hole. Give the bookmark as a gift to go with an encouraging book. “Let the reader understand” Mark 13:14. Quilt Prayer. Things you need. Fabric (different colors and patterns) and fabric pens. Fusible webbing Sewing thread, Embroidery threads. Batting and binding for older children. Create a quilt for your child, or for the wall, as a prayer reminder. Design a quilt or a patchwork wall hanging with equal-sized squares. Add a half-inch to the finished size of the squares to allow for edging. Create designs for the squares that remind you of different things to pray about. Many of the traditional quilting designs lend themselves to being prayer reminders. For example: Angels: prayer for protection. Hearts: reminders of God’s amazing love. Flowers: thanks for God’s creation. Car: prayer for safe travel. House: prayer for the home and family. Birds: songs of praise to God. Hands and Hearts: prayer for God to use our hands to show love to others. Flags: prayer for our country. Gold Crown: praise to God. Appliqué or iron designs onto the squares using scrap fabrics and fusible webbing, or use a traditional appliqué method. You may find quilting books or tracing designs at your local craft store. Use fabric pens or embroidery for any words your wish to write on the quilt. Sew or iron the squares together. You may also buy a solid color quilt and iron the designs onto the fabric. Adapt this idea to suit the child’s skills and time frame. Use hem tape and trim for the edging. This could be a lovely gift for a mother-to-be, a baby or elderly person. “She makes coverings for her bed” Proverbs 31:22. Doorknob Prayer. Things you need: A blank doorknob sign or stiff cardboard to make your own sign. Markers, paints, transfers, stencils, etc. Create a prayer to hang on someone’s door. Write a prayer on the blank sign with fine permanent pens. Decorate the prayer in any way you like. Laminate or seal the sign with clear contact paper. Prayers for protection are especially appropriate for the door hangers. “Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” Deuteronomy 6:9. A Christmas Cookie Tin. Things you need: Sugar cookie ingredients or pre-made sugar cookie dough, a cookie tin. Plastic colored tissue paper, ribbon and trim, fabric glue, cardboard and art supplies to make the gift card for the tin. Photograph of your child. Bake sugar cookies from your favorite cookie recipe and cut them into rounds. Put Bible verse references on the cookies with tubes of icing or a piping bag. Write or type the corresponding verses onto the inside of the gift card. Include the photo of your child on the front of the card. Wrap the circumference of the tin with curly ribbon and tie the hole-punched card to the ribbon. Another variation is to put a single word on each cookie, like love, peace, joy and use a corresponding verse on the card using the key word. “How sweet are the taste of Your words, sweeter than honey” Psalm 119:103. Be creative this Christmas. Save time to “craft” with the little people who live in your house. Have your child make a prayer gift for someone who is hurting or in need (an elderly person, a sick person or someone in a homeless shelter). Take a picture of the recipient with your child on your phone or with your camera. Print the photo. Place the photo in your child’s Bible. Pray for the person who received the gift every night as a part of your little one’s bedtime prayers. Ideas included in this article are compiled with 100 Creative Prayer Ideas for Kids by Karen Holford. Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Publishing, 2003. Also written and edited by Julie Barrier.

Do all men leave? For the first ten years of my marriage, I struggled with the fear of abandonment. My father and my first pastor had both left their wives for younger women. Because of what I had experienced, I allowed fearful thoughts to linger unchecked in my mind. They didn’t yell; they whispered, Eventually all men leave. Don’t let them get too close. Then they can’t disappoint you. This kind of thinking caused me to even resist small displays of affection. When John hugged me, it wasn’t long before I’d start patting him so I could pull away. One day after one of my “pat-and-pull-aways,” John asked me point blank, “How long will we have to be together before you realize I’m not going to leave you? Are you going to wait until we’re seventy?” I was stunned. “I’ll wait as long as it takes,” he continued, “but we’re going to miss out on a lot of fun in the meantime.” I realized I was making John pay for the disappointments I had with other men. I thought, Why should John have to pay for their shortcomings? That’s not fair. In an effort to protect myself, I am sabotaging our relationship. My fear of losing John in the future was robbing both of us in the present. I decided then that I would rather love John completely, even at the risk of losing him, than love him halfway and look back with regrets on what might have been. Fear and distrust keep us from thriving in marriage, for fear tenaciously clings to the past while refusing to believe something better can arise in the future. If we want God to do a new thing in our marriages, we must choose to abandon fear and accept what love would forecast for our futures. Fear expects failure, while love ultimately can never fail. Fear is a spiritual force in direct opposition to God’s love and protection in our lives. It is the opposite of love, for both love and fear operate from believe in the unseen. Love challenges us to doubt what we see and believe for what we cannot. Fear urges us to believe what is seen and doubt the unseen. When faced with the fear of failure or the hope of love, we can choose to believe one or the other, but never both. Fear displaces love; love casts out fear. …Perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. ( 1 John 4:18–19 ) Love’s ability to transform is greater than fear’s ability to ensnare. The perfect love that expels fear is only found in the experience of God’s love. Through the power of His love, we can forsake concern for self, because we know that God will faithfully tend to our needs. But if we don’t spend time in God’s presence, we cannot have an intimate knowledge of His loving nature; for His faithfulness manifests in His presence. Without knowledge of God’s true nature, we will live in constant fear of abandonment by Him or by spouses, which is a twisted form of punishment. As we grow more and more secure in God’s love for us, we can become free from fear and offer selfless love to our spouses. …Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ( 1 John 4:7–8 ) The stronghold of fear is what causes us to say things like, “If my spouse ever cheats on me, I will never forgive him.” Such vows, which are intended to shield us in the future, keep us from embracing the power of God’s love today. We must learn to trust God to care for our hearts, even if a spouse wounds, rejects, or betrays us. God has asked us to surrender our fears to Him. Refusal to do so tells God we don’t believe He is capable of directing our lives. We cannot submit to Jesus’s lordship without surrendering our fears. What fears are you holding on to? Dear one, let them go and watch the love of God transform you from the inside out and free you to step into your destiny. On the other side of your fear, you will discover the life you so deeply long for. www.messengerinternational.com .

When the Scriptures refer to the “heavenly host,” we usually think of “choirs of angels.” The word “host” in the Bible meant “army” (Josh. 5:13–14). It is an important truth: the hosts of Heaven are worshiping armies. Indeed, no one can do warfare who is not first a worshiper of God. The Central Issue In Tribulation: Worship One does not have to penetrate deeply into the Revelation of John to discover that both God and the devil are seeking worshipers (see Rev. 7:11; 13:4; 14:7, 11). Time and time again the line is drawn between those who “worship the beast and his image” and those who worship God. In the last great battle before Jesus returns, the outcome of every man’s life shall be weighed upon a scale of worship: in the midst of warfare and conflict to whom will we bow, God or Satan? Yet, while this warfare shall culminate in the establishment of the Lord’s kingdom on earth (see Rev. 11:15), we must realize the essence of this battle is the central issue in our warfare today. Will we faithfully worship God during satanic assault and temptation? True worship must emerge in the context of our lives now. For no man will worship through the great battles of tomorrow who complains in the mere skirmishes of today. You will remember that the Lord’s call to the Israelites was a call to worship and serve Him in the wilderness (see Exod. 7:16). Indeed, when Moses first spoke of God’s loving concern, we read that the Hebrews “bowed low and worshiped” (Exod. 4:31). But when trials and pressures came, they fell quickly into murmuring, complaining and blatant rebellion. Their worship was superficial, self-serving and conditional—an outer form without an inner heart of worship. This same condition of shallow worship prevails in much of Christianity today. If a message is given that speaks of the Lord’s great care for His people, with eagerness do we bow low and worship. But as soon as the pressures of daily living arise or temptations come, how quickly we rebel against God and resist His dealings! The enemy has easy access to the soul that is not protected by true worship of the Almighty! Indeed, the Lord’s purpose with Israel in the wilderness was to perfect true worship, which is based upon the reality of God, not circumstances. The Lord knows that the heart that will worship Him in the wilderness of affliction will continue to worship in the promised land of plenty. Without true worship of God, there can be no victory in warfare. For what we bleed when we are wounded by satanic assault or difficult circumstances is the true measure of our worship. You see, what comes out of our hearts during times of pressure is in us, but hidden during times of ease. If you are a true worshiper, your spirit will exude worship to God no matter what battle you are fighting. In warfare, worship creates a wall of fire around the soul. Protecting Your Heart Through Worship Most of us understand the basic dynamics of the human soul. We have been taught, and rightly so, that the soul is the combination of the mind, will and emotions. Generally speaking, when the enemy comes against the church, he targets any of these three areas. We must see that the protection of these areas is of vital importance in our war against Satan. To further illuminate the nature of this battle, let us add that, in addition to the mind, the will and the emotions, the soul is made of events and how we responded to those events. Who we are today is the sum of what we have encountered in life and our subsequent reactions. Abuses and afflictions hammer us one way, encouragement and praise inflate us another. Our reaction to each event, whether that event was positive or negative, is poured into the creative marrow of our individuality, where it is blended into the nature of our character. What we call memory is actually our spirit gazing at the substance of our soul. With few exceptions, those events that we remember the most have also shaped us the most. Indeed, the reason our natural minds cannot forget certain incidents is because those events have literally become part of our nature. Our soul is shaped by how well or poorly we handled our past experiences. When Scripture commands us to not look back and to “forget . . . what lies behind” (Phil. 3:13; see Luke 9:62), it is saying we must undo the consequences that have come from our unchristlike reactions. With God, this is not impossible, for though the events of our lives are irreversible, our reactions to those events can still be changed. As our wrong reactions to the past change, we change. In other words, although we cannot alter the past, we can put our past upon the “altar” as an act of worship. A worshiping heart allows God to heal and restore the soul. All of us receive a portion of both good and evil in this world. But for life to be good, God, who is the essence of life, must reach into our experiences and redeem us from our negative reactions. The channel through which the Lord extends Himself, even into our past, is our love and worship of Him. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28). The key for the fulfillment of this verse is that we become lovers of God in our spirits. Bad things become good for “those who love God.” When we are given to loving Him, all that we have passed through in life is washed and redeemed in that love. Bad becomes good by the power of God. Therefore, it is essential to both the salvation of our souls and our protection in warfare that we be worshipers. The ship that safely carries us through the storms of adversity is worship. Psalm 84 expresses in praise to God the wonderful effect worship has upon the soul. “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca [weeping] they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings” (vv. 5–6). If you are “ever praising” God (Ps. 84:4), your worship of God will transform the negative assault of the enemy into “a spring” of sweet refreshing waters. No matter what befalls a worshiper, their “valley of weeping” always becomes a spring covered “with blessings.” You cannot successfully engage in warfare, nor pass safely through the wilderness of this life, without first becoming a worshiper of God. Worship: The Purpose Of Creation We were created for God’s pleasure. We were not created to live for ourselves but for Him. And while the Lord desires that we enjoy His gifts and His people, He would have us know we were created first for His pleasure. In these closing moments of this age, the Lord will have a people whose purpose for living is to please God with their lives. In them, God finds His own reward for creating man. They are His worshipers. They are on earth only to please God, and when He is pleased, they also are pleased. The Lord takes them further and through more pain and conflicts than other men. Outwardly, they often seem “smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4). Yet to God, they are His beloved. When they are crushed, like the petals of a flower, they exude a worship, the fragrance of which is so beautiful and rare that angels weep in quiet awe at their surrender. They are the Lord’s purpose for creation. One would think that God would protect them, guarding them in such a way that they would not be marred. Instead, they are marred more than others. Indeed, the Lord seems pleased to crush them, putting them to grief. For in the midst of their physical and emotional pain, their loyalty to Christ grows pure and perfect. And in the face of persecutions, their love and worship toward God become all-consuming. Would that all Christ’s servants were so perfectly surrendered. Yet God finds His pleasure in us all. But as the days of the Kingdom draw near and the warfare at the end of this age increases, those who have been created solely for the worship of God will come forth in the power and glory of the Son. With the high praises of God in their mouth, they will execute upon His enemies the judgment written (see Ps. 149). They will lead as generals in the Lord’s army of worshipers. Orginally titled “Army of Worshippers.” www.frangipane.org. Used by permission.