Family

February 23, 2015

“The Doxology” Kimmie-Style

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Last week, I marveled as my daughter Kimberlyn praised the Lord with “The Doxology” on Tulsa morning news. Proverbs 18:16 reminds that a person’s gift opens doors. Wow, Kimmie. What a gift! What doors lie ahead? May you keep using your gifts to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. You go, Girl! Click the link if you would like to watch Kim Simon Doxology

September 29, 2014

PHONE HOME

Since August of this year, Patti and I are learning to live in an empty nest. While thankful our youngest daughter Kimberlyn began her time at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Patti shed quite a few tears as we drove back to Alabama. Okay, my eyes were wetter than normal.

I miss Kimberlyn. I miss her presence in our house. I miss her smiling/frowning face every morning. I particularly miss the sound of Kimmie’s voice, guitar, and piano filling our living room.

Before we left Kimberlyn in Tulsa, Patti reminded Kimberlyn to phone home – EVERY day. In fact, Patti gave Kimberlyn a small sign for her dorm room. The message? Call Your Mom!

Patti and I really do enjoy when our daughters phone home. I love them and I want to regularly chat with my daughters. Even when there is no good or bad news, we like hearing from our girls. Patti and I are bothered if we skip a day talking to our daughters. Neither girl called us on Saturday (last weekend); I know my girls were busy but I wasn’t too happy about it. I think Patti was a little mad.

Heavenly Father awaits your call, as surely as Patti anticipates Kimberlyn’s phone call. “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you . . .” (Isaiah 30:18a AMP) Your Heavenly Father wants you to phone home. No, you don’t need to grab your smart phone, but you do need to open your heart and communicate with Heavenly Father. Pray daily, frequently, continually. God is waiting to hear from you.

When Kimberlyn or Rozy are out of the country on a mission trip, I will organize by schedule and change my evening plans in order to be available for a phone call. A few summers ago, Rozy joined a mission team in Togo, West Africa. Rozy was out-of-connection for most of the time she was gone. Guess what? I was unhappy for several weeks. Every day, I hoped that she would phone home.

No matter what time of the day or night, a call from my child is appreciated and welcomed. Your call through prayer or worship is never an unwanted interruption for Heavenly Father. He awaits and welcomes your call. He enjoys communicating with you. He enjoys your presence. Heavenly Father truly cares for you.

Give attention to God’s Word: “He will CALL ON ME, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”(Psalm 91:14–16 NIV)

Have you called home today? It’s time. Phone home.

September 20, 2013

Promises Propel Purity

Have you seen the the Sister Carol Style clip (search youtube “Sister Carol Style Josh Laster) that was shown at the Valley Fellowship Christmas 2011 Banquet? Josh, Brock, and Jorge’s parody still makes me smile. At Kimberlyn’s sixteen birthday party, Mom joined in in the Wii room – but I don’t think she thought about all the phones with cameras. Mom is a “holy lady” whose lifestyle was certainly inspired by God’s Word.

God’s Word helped my mom and will help you, too. God’s promises offer you powerful tools to withstand temptation. Read the fourth chapter of Matthew and see how Jesus quoted Scripture – God’s promises – to win over satan’s temptation. In the wilderness, Jesus wasn’t carrying a scroll of the Book of Deuteronomy. How did He know the verses – the promises – that were needed for each challenge?

I bet He spent time memorizing God’s Word. His memorization and meditation before the battle equipped Jesus for victory. Notice that Jesus spoke the promise aloud. There is something significant about speaking God’s Word. We are strengthened by our confession and agreement with God’s promises.

Do you have enough Scripture stored within your heart and mind to be successful in the face of temptation, or fear, or rejection, or persecution, or hardship, or sickness, or what-ever-is-attacking-you? Do you have Scriptures hidden in your heart that bolster your faith to flee from sexual sin? Have you meditated God’s promises of His presence, His protection, and His provision to the point that when you are tested – you ace the test?

The apostle Paul reminds the readers of his letter to Corinth of several promises.

For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 6:16b-7:1 NIV)

God’s wonderful promises should motivate our forward pursuit. As we hold on to His promises, His Word pushes us toward Christlike holiness and purity.

More than three hundred fifty years ago, Puritan pastor Thomas Watson expounded upon 2 Corinthians 7:1 in an afternoon sermon (August 17, 1662), wisely advising believers:

Trade much in the promises. The promises are great supports to faith. Faith lives in a promise, as the fish lives in the water. The promises are both comforting and quickening …. The promises of God are bladders [flotation devices/lifesavers!] to keep us from sinking when we come to the waters of affliction. The promises are sweet clusters of grapes that grow upon Christ the true vine. O! trade much in the promises; there is no condition that you can be in, but you have a promise. (Farewell Sermons, p. 200)

Let God’s promises propel your purity.

September 17, 2013

God Doesn’t Lie

For their last gift on Christmas day 2008, Rozy and Kimberlyn opened a box with a mostly-empty Disney scrapbook with Mickey’s face on the cover. When the girls first opened the package, they looked a bit bewildered, because usually give the best gift LAST. Their faces seem to ask “What’s this?”

Our reservation information was attached on the first page of the book (along with a picture of our family taped to a picture of the Cinderella’s Castle), but the girls still didn’t get it. Still puzzled, Patti and I finally announced aloud, “Spring break, we are going to Disney World!” And, the shouting started! Rozy and Kimberlyn immediately started counting days. They had asked (many, many times) to go, and they joyfully anticipated that family vacation.

One of the reasons that felt free to express such joy is the fact that Patti and I do our best to NOT lie to our children. Because we have tried to be honest with them, Rozy and Kimberlyn believed what we said. I am not perfect; yes, I have misspoken and failed to deliver on a number of occasions, but my daughters trusted that Disney was on the way. Before that Christmas morning, Patti and I had followed through with what we had promised enough times, that the girls were quite sure they would soon be seeing Minnie Mouse.

Simple pictures cannot capture how happy Rozy and Kimberlyn were to enter the Magic Kingdom and actually see Cinderella’s castle.

One reason so many of us have such difficulty in trusting God’s promises is because of the pain we have all suffered from people who did not stay true to their word. Unfaithful spouses, backstabbing friends, lying politicians, misleading infomercials, too-busy parents, broken promises – all wound us. We don’t trust for we have learned not to trust. We witness heartbreak, hear disappointing stories, and expect broken promises.
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However, God always keeps His promises.“God is not a human being, and He will not lie.” (Numbers 23:19 NCV) God doesn’t lie, so we can certainly trust His promises. A promise is an assurance that one will do something or that something will happen, and what God has promised – He certainly will get done. We can read hundreds of promises that God has issued in the Bible. Some of the promises are specific to a particular circumstance or a particular individual, but many are available for any believer. Often promises are conditional – demanding an action or response by the individual in order to enjoy the promise. Many require nothing but a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. Some require nothing at all; God is faithful to Himself, so He will accomplish what He as spoken.

The importance of people trusting and acting God’s promise is an overarching theme of the Patriarchs of Genesis – Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and even Joseph. God’s promise kick-starts each of their stories. Their response to God’s promise is a decisive ingredient for success. The New Testament writers regularly lift up Abraham as an example of faith, faithfulness, and trust in God’s promise. Paul writes, “Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” (Romans 4:20-21 NIV)

“True faith is essentially reasonable because it trusts in the character and the promises of God. A believing Christian is one whose mind reflects and rests on these certitudes.” (John R.W. Stott)

The Psalmist enlightens us as to the reasons the Israelis of Exodus were unable to enter the Promised Land. Guess what makes the list? “They did not believe His promise” (Psalm 106:24b NIV) The great reformer Martin Luther pondered, “What greater rebellion, impiety, or insult to God can there be than not to believe His promises?”

I don’t want to insult God. I bet you don’t either! God doesn’t lie. It’s time for us to trust His promises.

September 16, 2013

God Keeps His Promises

I may have been young, but I truly meant the promise I made on June 20, 1987. The promise I made was significant. The promise I made was genuine. The promise I made I plan on keeping to Patti for all of my years to come.

More than twenty-six years ago, I made a marital promise to the most amazing woman in the world. When I consider my daughter Rozy’s age, I realize just how YOUNG I was when I knew that Patti was the ONE for me. (Rozy and Kimberlyn, you don’t need to rush!) But, marrying Patti is a decision I have never regretted and a promise that want to fulfill.

A promise is a pledge to fulfill a specified act. The Bible contains numerous promises. Some promises are made by God to a specific person. Some promises are given by God to His children (ex. John 14:13). Some are crafted by God to Jesus (ex. John 13:3–5). Some are composed by one individual to another (ex. Neh. 5:12), and some are spoken by a believer to God (ex. Eccl. 5:4–10).

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“God is the God of promise. He keeps His word, even when that seems impossible; even when the circumstances seem to point to the opposite.” (Colin Urquhart)

September 11, 2013

Kimberlyn’s Last Evaluation at St Jude’s

Patti and I traveled with Kimberlyn to St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. The doctor evaluated her, told us the good news from the x-rays, and announced, “I will see you again . . . . . . . never.” The picture below is just after he said she was released.

Praise the Lord! I am so thankful for God’s grace and for the excellent care my daughter received from the incredible staff at St. Jude’s. While Kimberlyn and Patti picked a last second gift from the gift shop, I found myself crying as I tried to thank one of ladies. I certainly will never forget that special place.
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I think I have fresh insight into Paul’s thankfulness and his words to Philemon: “I always thank my God when I remember you in my prayers” (Philemon 1:4 NIRV). I do thank the Lord for the knowledge, discernment, and wisdom that He has given to the doctors and staff at St. Jude’s. Thank you, Lord.

September 10, 2013

Nothing is Beyond God’s Healing Strength

My daughter Kimberlyn is about to have a follow-up appointment at St Jude’s in Memphis, TN, and I am praying for a good report. Oral Roberts regularly reminded his listeners that God’s healings can always stand up to a doctor’s review, so we are going into this one in faith. It has been a little over a year since her surgery and so this appointment is the big one that could bring Kimberlyn’s full release from the doctors. Check out what I wrote back in February at “Distressed?“. I am so thankful for God’s healing power. Praise the Lord! Jesus Christ hasn’t changed; He still heals today.

Finite humankind is unable to fully understand the awesome variety with which God operates. In the end the method is not important, but the healer Jesus Christ is!

Consider the variety of ways used by Jesus to administer healing to blind individuals. In Luke 18:35-43, Jesus speaks to the blind man for his sight to be restored. In Matthew 9:27-31, Jesus touches the eyes of two blind men. In John 9:1-7, Jesus makes mud from His own spit and places the mud on a blind man’s eyes. Then, Jesus commands the man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. After washing, the man goes home seeing. In most cases there is instant healing, but in Mark 8:22-25, a blind man from Bethsaida is healed gradually. Jesus initially spits on the blind man’s eyes, and then questions him to determine the extent of healing that has occurred. Because the sight is not complete, Jesus once more places His hands on the man’s eyes and the man’s sight is restored.

Often healing follows a “word” or a command. When asking Jesus to heal a servant, the Centurion of Luke 7:1-10 reveals insight into this method of healing and simply asks for Jesus to say the word. Peter speaks to the crippled Aeneas and Aeneas gets up (Acts 9:32-35). To another crippled beggar, Peter and John deliver the word for healing in the Name of Jesus (Acts 3:6-7). Similar miracles occur during Paul’s ministry at Lystra (Acts 14:8-10).

viagra properien greyandgrey.com However, it works for longer duration and helps achieve better and long lasting erections. Kamagra Oral Jelly has a fast, long and effective ED cure that order cialis from canada remains painless for you always. What the person needs when he achieved this phase stores for viagra of his life is a considerable measure for no less than two prior hours Yoga. The water in buy cialis viagra the body also can not be excreted, thus forming dropsy. Laying on of hands, touching a sick person with one’s hands and praying a prayer for healing, is one way of administering healing. In Mark 16:18, Jesus dictates that His disciples will place their hands on sick individuals and the sick will be healed. Anaias demonstrates this form of healing ministry when he places his hands upon Saul and prays for Saul. Immediately, something happens to his eyes and Saul can see (Acts 9:17-18; 22:12-13). Publius’ father is sick with fever and dysentery until Paul prays and places his hands upon him (Acts 28:8). Obviously, a physical touch can play an important role in releasing God’s healing power.

James 5:14 combines physically touching an individual with the anointing of oil. Oil is often a type or symbol of the Holy Spirit. The oil itself does not heal, but provides an excellent point of contact for an individual to release faith for healing. The anointing with the prayer of faith brings restoration.

Another means of administering healing is through contact with cloth or even a shadow. Touching the edge of Jesus’ garment is enough to bring healing to many formerly sick (Mark 6:56). One woman forces her way through a crowd in order to touch Jesus’ cloak. Following her healing, Jesus gives confidence, “Daughter, your faith has healed you (Mark 5: 28-34 NIV).” Faith is regularly tied to healing accounts in the New Testament. “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them (Acts 19:11-12 NIV).” Evidently, the healing strength of God can be imparted through various physical items but God’s miraculous power is not limited by physical connection. The Bible dramatically shares that as Peter’s shadow crosses over some ill individuals, they are healed (Acts 5:15-16).

Death is conceivably the greatest form of sickness known to man, but even death is no match for God’s healing power. The Gospel writers provide the most memorable example of God’s authority over death when attesting to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus demonstrates healing over death by restoring life to a young girl (Mark 5:35-42) and ordering Lazarus’ freedom from death (John 11:38-44). The book of Acts points out three people who are raised in spite of death’s grip. Paul is healed (9:40); Tabitha comes to life (14:20); Eutychus lives once more (20:9-12). Nothing is beyond the healing strength of the Lord.

September 8, 2013

Together

Amazing things happen when Christ-followers pull together to accomplish God’s purposes in the world. “Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, 1978, p. 30)

Coming together is beginning.

Together we receive a sense that God is also with us (2 or 3 gathered Matthew 18:20). Coming together affirms us and fills us with hope. God is good! “God richly gives us everything to enjoy.” (1 Tim 6:17b) The best way to enjoy a good thing is to share it with others.

We must open our hearts and lives to come together beyond social-economic backgrounds, racial stereotypes, political opinions, even favorite teams. Hey, I live in Alabama and understand a little of the grace needed for an Alabama Roll-Tide-r to reach across in love to an Auburn War-Eagle-r.

“I speak to you as I would speak to my own children. Please make room in your hearts for us.” (2 Corinthians 6:13 CEV)
“Make room for us in your hearts.” (2 Corinthians 7:2a NIV)
“May the Lord make your love grow. May it be like a rising flood. May your love for one another increase. May it also increase for everyone else. May it be just like our love for you.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIRV)

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Staying together is growth.

Small group settings are a great place for growth. Within the context of a group, we get to know each other on a deeper level and do life together. “We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 3:8 HCSB) Authentic, healthy relationships not only provide connection into church life, they are a source of strength, encouragement, and joy throughout life’s seasons.

Paul praised the household of Onesiphorus for showing “kindness and ministered to my needs, comforting and reviving and bracing me like fresh air”. (2 Timothy 1:16 AMP) We need to cultivate a life in common with other believers. “I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.” (1 Corinthians 1:10 MSG)

Together we allow spiritual gifts to be released. “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.” (1 Corinthians 14:26 NLT)

“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.” (Hebrews 13:1 NLT)

Laboring together is advancement.

Service and community small groups provide a place to serve, a place to shoulder Kingdom responsibilities, a place to see lives changed. Great things happen when people have “a heart and mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6 AMP).

“I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.” (Philippians 4:14 MSG)
You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it’s a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it’s only right that we give thanks. We’re so proud of you; you’re so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have come down on you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you. (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 MSG)

Worshipping together is success.

Several times, Scripture calls us to worship. The Psalmist cried out, “Praise the Lord’s greatness with me. Let us highly honor his name together.” (Psalm 34:3 GW) I would say that getting to heaven is the ultimate mark of success. Have you consider what the Book of Revelation reveals about the activity going on in heaven? Worship is a huge part of heaven. When we live such good lives before men and women, that they are inspired to glorify our Father in heaven – we are sharing in a measure of success. We release heaven’s worship on earth.

“We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ. What does this mean? It means, first, that a Christians needs others because of Jesus Christ. It means second, that a Christian comes to others only through Jesus Christ. It means, third, that in Jesus Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.” (Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p. 21)

September 4, 2013

Growing Champions

Tonight, Valley Fellowship Church was honored to have Dr. Chris Royael teaching on “GROWING CHAMPIONS: Parenting on Purpose.” Dr. Chris was inspirational and informative, and I want to share my notes and ideas from today.

Dr. Chris (M.Div and Doctorate of Education) spent 17 years at Oral Roberts University where he served in the Student Life Department as the Dean of Men mentoring young men and women. Since 2005, he has led Faith Academy, a K-12 school with 330 students in Victoria, Texas. Dr. Chris is a member of the ICAA Accreditation Commission and an accreditation site-team chairperson. An ordained minister at Faith Family Church (Victoria, TX), he speaks regularly.

God has a plan for every child. Parents, a battle is raging for the destinies of our children. A war rages for the hearts and minds of our children. Everyday our children are being molded and formed – spiritually, socially, academically, and even sexually. We cannot afford to skip our opportunity to grow champion children. If we step out, someone else will step into our role. God wants everyone of us to pull together and intentionally shape the next generation. We can impact destiny if we capture the hearts and minds of kids.

Raising Godly children who love the Lord and are serving Him takes a lot of work, grace, and strength from the Lord. Parents, we must focus on OUR opportunities, our responsibilities—the things we can control. With single-parent-families and families with two full-time jobs, too many parents are relinquishing their most important priority and expecting a school or a church group to fulfill the parenting responsibility. VFCA (Christian education and schools) are great partners for parents, but a school can never replace parenting by parents. We will not make excuses, but work to find solutions; we will not give away our influence or limit God’s power.

Young people will be shaped and molded. The question is: BY WHOM and FOR WHAT PURPOSE? It doesn’t matter if you feel overwhelmed or inadequate or disqualified by past mistakes, God entrusted that child to you for you to parent that child. The single greatest influence on a child’s life – more than peers, more than teachers – is still parents. What will your influence be?

You are the perfect parent for that child. God gave that child to you. Think of the example of Abraham. God “settled on him,” picked Abraham to be Isaac’s daddy.

Abraham is going to become a large & strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I’ve settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God’s way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him. (Genesis 18:18-19 MSG)

Abraham wasn’t perfect (no parent is) and he made plenty of mistakes, but Abraham managed to communicate that God was supremely important. Parents’ NUMBER ONE PRIORITY: Create a family environment where God is SUPREME. Sports, housework, watching tv, relationships, every part of living should all be saturated by God’s influence. Every day, every place, every opportunity is an ALTAR to encounter God & serve Him. “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:1b MSG).

Parents, we desperately need to:

TEACH our kids what a fully-devoted life looks like. Not just what, but why.
TRAIN them to follow God wholeheartedly. Not just why, but how.

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We teach and train our kids best when we INVOLVE them in our faith journey. There is a huge difference between talking about something and actually doing it. “Tell me; I’ll forget. Show me; I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” Are you taking your kids along with you in your faith journey? Hebrews chapter eleven highlights that Abraham journeyed forward not knowing where he was going, but willing to take the journey with God. Sometimes we aren’t sure of what we are doing, but God is with us on the way. Yes, Abraham made mistakes, but he did include his son on his faith journey.

#1 To grow champions, BE INTENTIONAL AND CONSISTENT.

Pray
Plan for growth
Persist

We need to form genuine relationships with our children, speak uplifting words, communicate we are for them, express care and personal interest, and call our children to a higher standard of excellence and maturity.

Paul likens discipleship to giving birth, “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives” (Galatians 4:19 NLT). There are joys and excitement when the baby kicks, but there are also nights when you can’t sleep, when the demands of that new child become inconvenient, uncomfortable, and work.

#2 To grow champions, use LIFE-ORIENTED discipleship.

Effective discipleship is life-oriented. If we want our children to follow God, we must make GOd a part of our everyday experiences. Kids need to see the big picture as they witness how God relates to every aspect of life – not just church-related life. We live in a real world with real issues and real concerns. Parenting includes preparing children for all the choices they will be making and ensuring that they are ready to handle them.

Seize the “teachable moments.” When you get in the minivan, pray on the way to school. When you get home, talk to your kids BEYOND yes and no answers. When you put your kids to bed, pray and talk and connect with them. Process life with your children.

Don’t ignore or sidestep the real questions of life. Tough questions don’t need to be avoided but can provide a wonderful opportunity to teach a Biblical worldview. If you don’t answer your child’s question, someone else will. Pause that show and talk about what you just saw. You don’t have to know all the answers. Admit you don’t know, but don’t let youtube give “the talk” to your kids. Process the hard questions; learn together if necessary; call a pastor or a Godly advisor.

Step time with your kids. Cultivation only happens when the gardener is with the garden.

Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got! Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 MSG)

#3 To grow champions, let your actions COMMUNICATE Godly values and beliefs.

Actions communicate values and beliefs. Our lives communicate values and validate beliefs. What we do more than anything else indicates what we believe. Kids follow the example of parents.

The apostle Paul understood the importance of example, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV). Our standard is based not on what others do or don’t do, not on the lowest common denominator with another family; our standard is Jesus Christ and His presence in our lives.

American humorist Will Rogers wisely quipped, “Peoples’ minds are changed through observation and not argument.” What are you kids seeing you do? What kind of faith-trail are you leaving for them to follow? Consider the following statistics:

89% of what we learn comes from what we SEE
10% from what we HEAR
1% through other senses

Follow the leader is not just a game that kids play. Following the leader is the way children embrace the values of people they trust (whether right or wrong). What are your children seeing you do? We don’t need to send mixed-messages to children. Everything you do and everything you are is the model for kids.

#4 To grow champions, work your spiritual CORE.

Have you developed your own spiritual life? Every athlete knows the importance of having a strong core, the source of your power and strength. Well, your core is the REAL you. Everything you do flows out of who you are. Your ability to influence others is directly related to the confidence people place in your credibility. We need to be disciplined in our own lives BEFORE we can be effective in others’ lives. WITHOUT a solid core, there is no compass, no consistency and no credibility. Core exercises include Bible reading, prayer, connecting, serving, giving, and sharing.

“What we live by we impart.” (Augustine)

August 30, 2013

HOLD ON

Don’t let go of what God has spoken to your heart. Hold on to God’s promise. Hold on to your vision from God. Don’t surrender your dream just yet – God isn’t finished! Don’t capitulate to the bombardment of noisy negatives.When God reveals His will, His plans, and His purpose to you, hold on to His promise. God does speak and prompt and reveal things to come, but we need to hold on.

Don’t live in a fantasy world, but don’t let go of what God has spoken to you. You can’t just wait and do nothing. You need to do what is required of you in your life – in your work life, in your family life, in your financial life, in every obligation of your daily life. But, don’t give up on the vision God has given you for your life. Don’t let go of what God has revealed to you.

Hold on. I am sure that it was difficult for Mary to understand how she could possibly give birth to the Messiah, but the angel encouraged her, “For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment” (Luke 1:37 AMP).” Mary trusted the word and humbly accepted the assignment. When Mary sought out her cousin, Elizabeth spoke over Mary, “She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!” (Luke 1:35 HCSB) At just the right moment in history, in the “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4), Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. Mary got to see what God revealed fulfilled.

Don’t quit; don’t you want to see what God revealed to you about your life fulfilled?

I do. I am still holding on for a fresh move of the Lord where I live. I am crying out for revival in my generation, awakening in my time, renewal in my area. I am inviting Holy Spirit outpouring that will make it hard to go to hell from Huntsville, Madison, and the Tennessee Valley. I was part of a group fervently praying this morning. We closed out early corporate prayer today singing the song “Holding On” by Generation Unleashed (Bryan Bettis © 2010 City Bible Music). You can find it online if you are interested. The chorus declares, “Holding on; Standing strong upon Your word. Holding on; All Your promises are sure.” Hold on!

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Your family will be blessed by your faithfulness to the end. Noah trusted the revelation God gave and prepared for a flood despite huge persecution. Noah’s family was saved because he didn’t grow faint halfway through the project and give up. Let’s learn from Noah’s example! “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9 NASB). Hold on.

Joseph went through many years of rejection, mistreatment, slavery, scandal, lies, and prison – BUT he held on to the dream God had given to him as a teenager. Joseph’s persistence open the way for the salvation of his entire family – even the brothers that had so horribly mistreated him. Thirteen plus years of delay and denial surely were not easy for Joseph to endure, but the story wasn’t finished.

It only took the Lord ONE day to move Joseph from an Egyptian prison to a royal palace, from overlooked victim to overseeing Prime Minister. In one day, total transformation occurred. Hold on. When the time of fulfillment arrives – look out! It doesn’t have to take long! It may take a while before you see everything lining up in place, but it really only takes the Lord a moment to change a life.

What God has spoken concerning your life is worth the struggle or delay. God will do what He desires. Even if your battle has been going on for a long, long time, don’t give up. Don’t let go; hold on.