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Revolutionary Conversations

The conversations we have each day reveal what is most important to us.  The way we discuss matters with others shows our intentions, hurts, fears and ambitions.  

If I have a selfish ambition, my speech is partial towards me.

If I am fearful of something, my speech is protective.

If I am over-confident, my speech is boastful.

If I am desperate or unthoughtful, my speech is hypocritical.

If I need to be right, my speech is jealous towards my own views.

Our speech is important because is drives our lives and builds the world around us.  When we speak with fear the world around us is built with fear.  

Let's use another approach to our conversations.  Let our speech be pure, peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical.  

If you're frustrated with the world you live in, change your speech.  Ask God to help you speak purely and watch how your world changes as the fruit of your speech grows all around you.  You will not regret it!!

Stupid and Strong

I learned a saying in the Navy, "If you're going to be stupid, you better be strong!"  This prophecy came true over and over throughout my military career.  A hasty plan, or an unthoughtful approach, would always increase our labor.  

2500 years ago an author penned this:

"If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success." - Ecclesiastes 10:10

Make your effort count and gain wisdom.  Fearing the Lord is the beginning of discernment and wisdom and our stubbornness will keep us from wisdom.  

If you are working really hard but not seeing the benefits of your labor, pray that you will trust in the Lord and ask He provide you wisdom so you prosper.  I promise - you will not regret this decision!

 

Keep your footing

Solid footing provides wisdom and righteousness.  You can find people standing on solid ground by their humble and considerate actions.  It's true that sometimes humble people are not as prosperous at the outset as those driven by selfish ambition.

But the prosperity of selfish and arrogant people is tied to the whims of people. And their footing is their own words. Whim and talk do not make good footing!

Don't sacrifice the good footing of wisdom and righteousness for a quick win. People change with the wind and your words will ensnare you to your end.

Humility and consideration of others always place you in strategic positions and open doors arrogant talk cannot.

Your Dream is Real

You were created for a purpose and those things you are exceptional at are evidence your dream is real.

The purpose you were born with is inside of you and the talents you have are evidence of this purpose.  The lie people believe is they aren't good enough, or they need to manipulate to achieve their dream.  Another lie is you need to work hard and sacrifice all other aspects of life to achieve your dream.

The dream you have was deposited inside of you to help you and to make you prosper.  It's already in motion, you don't need to earn it, and the sacrifice has already been made.

If you're struggling to achieve your dreams and the people you look towards for inspiration are only causing frustration - turn to Jesus.  Sit still for a few moments and surrender all your work and craftiness to Him.  It's already yours.  The life everyone is searching for is in Him and ready for you.

God Hates This:

People who stir up conflict in the community (Proverbs 6:19).

The world around us has been, is, and will be driven by envy and selfish ambition to stir up conflict in our world, nation, cities and neighborhoods.  God hates it.  God hates it on every scale from stirring up disagreement with your neighbor to the atrocities in Syria.  

What's the response then?  We are surrounded by conflict on all sides and at all levels and we are witnessing everyday people of low-power and high-power conjure responses.  The wisdom now is to fight fire with fire, not be 'milquetoast'.  This is wrong.  It is folly. This response is driven by the same envy and selfish ambition that created the conflict.

The response has to come from humility.  Humility produces good deeds that are pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  

So don't just become another log on the fire by picking a side in this conflict.  Choose to approach the world with humility and you'll change it.

 

The Purpose of Freedom

Freedom isn't free.  We hear that a lot.  I served many years in the military and can witness - freedom is costly and it has a purpose.  It's not a trivial matter but one we should consider closely.

The purpose of freedom is to serve others with humility.  But that's not usually how we see freedom in action.  Here are some creative ways people use their freedom today:

• Sexual Immorality (#metoo)
• Idolatry and witchcraft.  This is literally worshipping dead things and the devil.
• Hatred.  Some folks love to use their freedom to hate.  It's plain u-g-l-y.
• Discord. Sowing discord is the worst abuse of freedom.
• Jealousy.  This life is hard work.  Jealousy is a tremendous waste of time, and a lie.  Just get to doing what you love.
• Fits of Rage.  These folks love their freedom and they expect everyone else to bow at their feet like slaves.     
• Selfish Ambition.  Truly the opposite expression of real freedom is serving oneself only.
• Dissensions.  This happens when personal opinions take precedent over serving others.  (#governmentshutdown)
• Factions and envy.  When dissension grows up and hits adolescence we have a Faction.  People in factions place the earth and all its inhabitants, past, present and future, on axis around their statement of opinion.
• Drunkenness.  Drinking starts off altering your reality and progressively destroys it.
• Orgies.  Freedom isn't a release from inhibition but the higher conduct of free people.

This list above was actually written around 1,960 years ago to Galatia in Modern Day Turkey by the Apostle Paul.  -Galatians 5:19

When free people use freedom for its purpose to serve others we will see an incredible avalanche of peace across our nation.  Here is what happens when freedom is used to humbly serve others: 

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Forbearance
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness and Self-Control

When we are slaves to our nature we aren't capable of true freedom.  True freedom comes through Jesus and the Holy Spirit literally living in you.  

If you want to walk in freedoms' purpose today, humbly ask God for forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.  Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and teach you true freedom.  If you're already a Christian and want this freedom, today ask God to teach you authentic freedom.

God will Train You

In one of the most famous battles in history David defeats Goliath and single-handedly saves his country's honor.  David, the young man, defeats Goliath, the trained warrior who was larger, better equipped, and better trained - at least by the rules of warfare in that day.

But in reality, there was a massive mismatch that people couldn't see because they saw the battle through their own understanding.  The armies on the battlefield were taught size, armor, shield bearers and heavy armor piercing spears won wars.  David didn't have any of those things, but he did have the ability to use a sling with such accuracy and force that he could kill lions and bears.  David's strength and skills were exactly what could defeat Goliath.  David saw this and he convinced Saul to let him represent Israel to defeat Goliath.  

There was another mismatch that is even more impressive in my opinion.  God had prepared David for this fight.  Leading up to this battle David had been anointed by Samuel and from that day forward David had the presence of the Lord with him always.  David also spent his time tending and protecting sheep in the wilderness.  Here he learned how to kill the lion and the bear, and protect what he is charged to watch over.  This time in the wilderness is also when David spent time with God and learned from God.

As the rest of the world saw a young man carrying bread and cheese to the battlefield, God and all the angels on heaven and earth watched the mightiest warrior of the day approach his biggest victory yet.

Can you imagine a sniper walking onto that battlefield with a .50 caliber that had just been zeroed to 3000 meters? That sniper would say, "Let me take the shot!!"  This is exactly what David asked Saul when he proclaimed, "your servant will go and fight him." -1 Samuel 17:32.  David was ahead of his time because the Lord trained him.

Today, we can all have access to the Lord through Jesus Christ.  Jesus himself will train you and lead you into your battles and keep you ahead of your enemies.  He will teach you things that your eyes have never read nor your ears ever heard.  He will lead you to victory through the everyday life you have before you.

If you're finding yourself continually behind the curve and unable to get ahead of your enemies, stop trying harder and spend more time with God.  He is good to train you and prepare you for victory.

Judging Others

We do like to judge others' actions, words, responses, and reactions.  Our judgements of others will always be off.  The only way to really know the truth about a persons life is to live it out with them.  By this standard the number of people we can judge is small, and there success is important to us.  

 

The Benefit of the Kingdom

We separate ourselves continually to become distinguished.  We go after awards, qualifications, certifications and titles to differentiate ourselves in the world.  Many of this separation is positioning, marketing, and competition.  It's a framework we've created to move ahead from the pack.  It's ruthless.  Some love it.  This competitive system has become one our most popular religions.  We learn the systems facets - how to enter, how to win, and how to exit.  

But don't confuse this religion with relationship.  The nature of mankind's religion is to separate ourselves and create an illusion, while God's nature is to reconcile and live in truth.  

The wisdom of the world's religion is based on merit and achievement.  The wisdom of the Kingdom of Heaven is based on relationship and love.  The world takes more than it gives.  The Kingdom just gives.  The world lies we need pedigree, degrees, race, ideology, and gender to have wisdom.  The Kingdom sais, "Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight." -Proverbs 9:6

God gives wisdom, peace, grace and many other good gifts to help us in our lives.  This is why it is said, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2 (NIV)

If the patterns of this world have you dismayed and unhappy, pray today that God will help you renew your mind and distinguish you from the world.

Eternity

What does it cost to live forever?  What great accomplishment brings never-ending life?

One way we try to live on forever is through legacy.   Our spectacular act or impact on the world may be remembered for the rest of time.  There are many heroes who have changed the course of time in our nation and in our homes.  People such as warriors going into combat, reformists changing our culture, and single moms raising a family.  These people become hero's in our memories.

Painfully, great acts, heroism and sacrifice don't bring eternal life.  Even being a good person doesn't open the doors to eternity.  No one on earth has the keys to living forever.  Our destiny is death.  The wise, the dumb, the rich, the poor, all will die and our great accomplishments will fade into time.

There is only one way to eternal life and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.  -John 14:6.

Since there is just one path to eternal life, don't let any person or situation on earth manipulate, steal, kill and destroy you for a ransom they cannot pay.  It's a lie.  No family member, no government official, no boss, and no other authority on earth is capable to either grant or revoke eternal life.  

If your surrounded by lies, regret, imprisonment, and shame, pray that God restore you and accept Jesus Christ as your savior.  He will restore you and lift you above the mess surrounding you today.