Rome did not fall because of war, but from boredom and avarice. Alexander the Great did not die in battle, but from boredom in a drunken stupor. We are not designed to live in the safe harbor, but on the high seas. The pastors and leaders of society that fall today do not do so in the effort and struggle to succeed, but in the boredom of their success. Do not allow the hardships you may face today to reveal a crybaby within you, but rise to the task at hand and discover the way to overcome.

The great businessmen of yesterday were not those who waited for retirement and watched a clock.  We don’t remember the great spiritual institutions of a different era, but we do remember and are inspired by the men and women who pioneered them in the heat of battle. There is no life marked solely by success, but by failures which rose to success.

Friends, do not dream of a safety net, but of a net that can catch fish. Your safety is in your courageous heart to pioneer new projects and new dreams. Some of you will be the tip of spear in the battle, and others will be the force behind the spear that gives it power to thrust forward. All the positions are important when you go to war.

Jesus did not pay a price for you to be weak.

Jesus did not become your substitute so you would fear.

Jesus did not fill you with His spirit for you to run from the battle.

This is your greatest hour. This is our time! Do not let the winds of adversity howl in your ears driving you to hide behind safe doors. The world is waiting to hear your voice speaking peace to the storm!

If I were to put a bunch of apple seeds into your hand, you would probably get a picture of what could be produced from them. The same is true if I filled your hands with turtle eggs.

If I were to put the seed of a human into your hand, try and think of the possibility!

We look at the Japanese bonsai tree and admire its artistically dwarfed size and shape. Most of humanity has gone through an unseen process much like the bonsai tree. Humans have been restricted, confined and twisted to a shape of another’s liking.

It may have been through religion, family criticism, personal inferiority and fears, or the example of others that you feel dwarfed and twisted, but Jesus came to set the captives free!

Each of us has an ability to dream of the possibilities in our future.  It is a risk to go beyond the parameters, but no one will ever know the height that you can grow to until you allow yourself to reach. God has put a future in you that reaches into eternity. Stretch for it today!

We are designed to fly! All our internal signals are like the cockpit of a plane equipped to give us lift in life and a sense of soaring over circumstances. All we need to do then, is release the weights that hold us.

Start with the first weight of your sin. We have the solution in the blood of Christ that speaks 24 hours a day. Sins past, sins present, and sins future are paid for by the sacrifice of the cross. That is true redemption!

As you begin to lift off you may feel the pull of other weights, like bondages, habits, and condemning thoughts. What frees you?

“For, though we are still living in the world, it is no worldly warfare that we are waging. The weapons with which we fight are not human weapons, but are mighty for God in overthrowing strong fortresses. For we overthrow arrogant ‘reckonings,’ and every stronghold that towers high in defiance of the knowledge of God, and we carry off every thought as if into slavery—into subjection to Christ” (Weymouth NT 2 Cor 10:4).

This battle to stay in flight is a battle in the thought life. Can strong thought patterns that have existed for years be removed? Can a strong tower be broken? Yes! One new thought, embraced and held fast, can transform a life!

Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

Your free flight is on the wings of truth. How do you keep lies from landing you? Satan is the ruler of darkness. He cannot operate in light. That’s why every society that has gone down a dark, evil road started with controlling the information given to its citizens. When you see a dark area in your life, don’t give it strength by trying to hide it, bring it to light.

Let truth set you free today—it’s time for take-off!

Several years ago while driving across the farmlands of Southern Ukraine we stopped to buy fuel. Our team leader decided to ignore the sticker that said our car required high-octane fuel, and proceeded to fill the car up with the cheaper gas. Fortunately for us our car had a special shut off valve, and after driving just a few miles the car shut down. We were grateful that our Russian team was familiar with syphoning gas, enabling us to transfer this fuel to another car and walk back to the station for a new container of high-octane gasoline. Reality set in for this team—there was no substitute for the real thing!

In our lives, let’s remember, time spent with God is time spent fueling your high-performance engine with the most efficient, cost effective, eco-friendly power source available! Lord, we ask you to inject us with your heavenly fuel today!

“The Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts… And we are conscious that all things are working together for good to those who have love for God, and have been marked out by his purpose” (Rom 8:26a, 28 BBE).

Did you know there are cars that actually increase in value over time? Some of them doubled in value from the moment they left the factory, like the Ferrari Enzo. Of course we might look at cars and say it does not happen very often.

What about people? Are people doomed to lose value over time?  I don’t think so. Like cars, people can lose value and rust, wear out, fade or stop functioning; but it doesn’t have to be that way. When we were in Cuba, I was delighted to drive around in many cars from the 1940’s. There was a pride of ownership and a special attention given to each car. At a car show in Florida, I saw that it was the old cars that had the most appeal and attention.

Friends, your best years are ahead of you if you will just keep yourself up! You are gathering valuable information. You have time tested experiences. You have evaluated mistakes and gathered information so you will not make those mistakes again. You are time tested and trusted. Rise up in expectation, you are ready for your greatest challenges today!

PEACE is not resignation, but RESILIENCY.  Psychological resilience is defined as an individual’s ability to properly adapt to stress and adversity. A scattered mind is, like the bible says, a wave tossed by the wind of the sea (James 1:6).

Where does life find you today? You may be in the midst of a hurricane or a financial storm—perhaps you are facing other issues. Remember, peace is not the absence of turmoil. Peace is the rudder of the soul that provides solitude in the midst of turmoil. God promises to keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3 NLT)!

Never stop growing!  When we stop growing spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally we begin dying.  If we get into a boat and just sit there in that stream or river, what is going to happen?  We might want to go upstream, but if we sit there with our oars inside the boat, we’re simply going to flow with wherever the current takes us.  If we really want to go somewhere new or different, we have to put the oars in the water and start rowing against the current!

Many times it is tempting to rely only on the spiritual.  “Wherever the spirit takes me…it’s so wonderful…” But then we have no idea where we might end up, and 20 years later realize that we’re still just floating around!

To accomplish something we have to set some goals…when we start rowing, we start growing!

Have you ever had the question arise in your heart of why something happened to you that you did not want or expect? Does God want our hearts to be broken or our energy diminished?  No, He does not. He said that in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, He has overcome this world. It is clear that the world with all its circumstances and people can throw unexpected curve balls at you, but be of good cheer!

All that you are is not based on all that you have. Your value is based on the image God has of you as His righteous, holy, empowered son or daughter. The great apostle Paul went through shipwreck, near drowning, and two weeks of being tossed like a ball on the ocean before he was finally delivered and made it to land. You would think angels would have started a chorus of praise as Paul arrived safely on the shore, but instead he gets a snake bite! What does he do? Should he get mad at God for adding insult to injury? No, he just shook it off! He had places to go and people to meet!

Whatever happens to you, SHAKE IT OFF!

As a young person my father would often take us on hikes into the forest. I was always intrigued by the difference in the landscape of a northern and southern exposure on a hill or mountain. How could it be that this same mountain had such different types of vegetation or such different climates? Hiking up the northern slope was complicated because the paths were laden with slippery moss and wet rocks while the southern side was typically dry and easy to maneuver. As a child, I remember that I couldn’t wait to crossover from the hot, dry, southern exposure to the lush, cool, green northern exposure. It was refreshing and provided an entirely different perspective.

Embarking on a new opportunity may be like navigating a slippery northern slope. It’s worth the climb, but it will take concerted effort to enjoy the journey. Today, are you willing to stretch beyond your comfort zone? Will you take a hike up a different side of the mountain? You may discover a new exposure that lies just ahead of you!

Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob was a dreamer. In his heart he carried a vision beyond what anyone could see. Joseph’s dream was a God given idea that would take many years and much perseverance to obtain.

Dreams clouded by life’s circumstances may look like storms on the horizon. A wise old Proverb says, “Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick.” Only the God-factor keeps hope alive in the heart. Hope, the picture of what could be!

The scripture tells us that the Lord was with Joseph and greatly blessed him! Whether Joseph was in a pit, a palace, a dungeon, or in charge of an entire nation, he found hope in the GOD FACTOR – the One who was with him!

Today, I pray with you my friend that“the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Rom 15:13 NIV