attributes of god

A Disciple on a Mission

Dr. Mike Journey in Christ , , , , , , , , , , ,

focused 2

If today someone deposited $86,400 dollars into your bank account with instructions that you either use it or lose it, what would you do?  If at the end of the day you still had $20,000 in the account, could you afford to waive it good-bye?

What if $86,400 was deposited into your bank account everyday hereafter under the same scenario?  Whatever you didn’t use would be taken away at the end of the day.  How would you plan your life thereafter?  Would you see to it that the entire $86,400 is used or invested each day instead of taken away at the end of the day?  Could you choose to either use it or lose it?

Coincidentally isn’t the time in our life just as valuable?  There is 86,400 seconds in a twenty-four hour day.  Are we not given this time each day to use and invest accordingly?  Whatever time we don’t use. we lose.  So this begs the question, how do we invest the time in our life?  Do we squander the time away?  Do we waste the time on unproductive projects?  Do we find ourselves working on unimportant assignments?

Somewhere in our lives, we were probably introduced to the 80/20 concept. Simply stated, we produce approximately eighty percent of the results in our life from twenty percent of the activities.  Likewise, with the remaining twenty percent of results, we produce with approximately the other eighty percent of the activities.  Understanding this principle, wouldn’t we try to focus on the first scenario?

Suppose we write out what is important in our life, including our personal mission statement, and then proceed to select which activities would give us the greatest payback to achieve the desired results we want.  Some people could have this exercise made over night and be living totally focused the next day.  Others however may take a few extra days of planning and prayer to start the journey.  Either way, after we start there is no going back.  When one becomes focus on purpose, one begins to use every resource at one’s disposal to accomplish their goals.  Typically, our mission takes on intense concentration, focus, and passion.  We can’t slow down if we wanted to because we have made the commitment to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.  We know God is with us.  We know our hearts and desires are true and pure.  We know our motivation  is godly.  We know whatever difficulties come our way, God will give us the inner peace and comfort through the Holy Spirit.  We won’t let up, because we are on Kingdom business.  We are disciples of His with a mission.  His missions don’t fail.  Ours may fail, but when aligned with God’s, look out!

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 9

Our Eternal Dad, thank you for creating us and preparing us for eternity!  Thank you for answering our prayers in regards to managing the time in our life.  Help us always to redeem each minute.  Help us to focus our attention on all the important areas of our life.  Help us to focus on you, our health, our family relationships, our time being productive at work without wasting the day away.

Our time is yours.  You have redeemed us.  You have redeemed our time.  Help us use each minute of every hour glorifying you through our actions, thoughts, and accomplishments.  Let your name be praised every minute of every day.

Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Coach, Consultant, and Encourager

Author of Great Business Emulates a Good God

What Shape Is Your Lawn In?

Dr. Mike Journey in Christ , , ,

It Takes Diligence to Have a Green Lawn

weeds

How does your lawn look? If you live in the rural country, it’s a moot question. However, if you live in the suburbs of America, than you know what I mean. Your neighbors keep you in line regarding the condition of your lawn. They don’t want the value of their real estate to become jeopardized because of an unkempt neighbor’s lawn. So, whenever your lawn doesn’t measure up to “their” standards, you feel the internal pressure to measure up. Again, this is ridiculous if you live out in the country, but in the city you have to meet the competition and do battle everyday with your lawn or else you will be defeated.

After living in our house for about five years, I decided to discharge our lawn spray service and fertilize the lawn myself. We weren’t happy with the results and decided to save ourselves some money in the process. Little did I know what we were asking for. The first year was no problem, I applied applications three times that year and thought that this was easy and I should have discharged the service earlier than I did. The second year though brought out the enemy in masses. I never saw so many weeds in my life in the same acreage. My lawn went from 90% grass to 90% weeds over night. (or though it seems). I was stunned. Someone must have sneaked over during when we were out of town and planted them? How could this be? Wasn’t fertilizing on a regular basis? What are we doing wrong? What did we have to change? This was serious. After seeking counsel from those who were wiser than me on this subject (those neighbors whose lawns belong on the cover of homes and gardens magazines), I implemented a three front immediate attack.

First, we covered the lawn with weed and feed application. Next, we sprayed each individual weed with chemical elimination. Then, we went and hunted each weed pulling it out by its root. After which, we covered the lawn with another application of weed and feed. Then we rested. One month later we started the process over again. This time though there were substantially less weeds to defeat. Afterward, we rested again. The next month we found way less weeds to contend with but followed the same process over again. We are happy to report that our weed episode is over but not yet complete. As long as we maintain a regular, scheduled lawn maintenance program, not letting up, but diligently applying the process above, we don ‘t have to worry about being overtaken by those lawn enemies, the weeds.

And isn’t this true of the spiritual weeds in our life? When we let up on spiritual disciplines in our life, are we not more easily overtaken by the sins and cares of this world? But when we are diligent and maintain an active walk with our Lord, the weeds are few and more manageable. By exercising, celebrating, and maintaining the spiritual disciplines of life, we find ourselves on the grassier side of the lawn. And isn’t that a more pleasant experience than rolling in the weeds?

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 8

Dear Lord, thank you for the weeds in our life. We know they help strengthen our walk with you. They make us come to you for help as you transform this lowly servant into your image. Help us to walk with you as you work with us to manage the weeds in our life.  Amen.

Dr. Mike

Who is Your Most Intimate Companion?

Dr. Mike Shaped By The WORD , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

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“…but I have called you friends,…”

John 15:15

When you walk with God, you have the ultimate companion. You have someone who is always there when you need them. Someone you always are able to depend on. Someone you know is your friend independent of the situation.

When you follow Christ though, you quickly come to realize that you are not the most popular person in the world. You are not a rock star, or basketball superstar, or a famous Hollywood movie star. You are unique. And your uniqueness turns many people away from you because you are not acceptable to world standards. Yes, the righteous will find you uncomfortable to walk with. The rich will find you a stumbling block. The powerful will find you threatening the status quo. The experts will question your credentials. The elders will find you rebellious. The sinner will accept you as one of them until they realize your abhorrence to sin. The naive will consider you their messiah until they find that you preach acceptance of personal responsibility for your actions. The minority will push their agendas on you until they realize you have no distinction between races, sexes, or political affiliations. The right wing will consider you a liberal while the left wing insists you’re a conservative. Your pastor thinks you are uncommitted. Your family says you’re a little strange. Your neighbors love you but can’t seem to accept you as you are. Your coworkers respect you but wonder when you are going to become normal. Your children honor you and accept your eccentricities as part of the aging process. And you wonder how come your companions are few?

Jesus selected twelve disciples that where the closest to him. Of the twelve, three where the most intimate with him, Peter, John and James. Jesus didn’t have a physical wife or children of His own. His companions consisted of those who walked with Him on Kingdom mission. He ministered to them while they ministered Him. His companions came to Him by His Dad to start the work that He was prophesied to complete. Not everyone was excited about the Kingdom of God. Only those people whose passion towards the Kingdom came alive did Jesus bring close to His bosom. and one of them was going to betray Him. Many of them didn’t even capture the real vision of the Kingdom during His ministry. Yet Jesus chose them, ministered to them, taught them, loved them, played with them, and worked with them, giving them the best years of His life including the ultimate, life itself.

The best companion we all have is Jesus and the friends He brings to us while sharing the gospel of His Kingdom. Our companions are few, but true.

Dr. Mike