The Secret To Winning Doug Morrell Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning is a habit and so is losing.’ God has a prosperous future for His children and each of us are to run the race set before us. The problem is that most of us don´t know or we forget that we´re in a race. The Apostle Paul tells us: “You´ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You´re after one that´s gold eternally. I don´t know about you, but I´m running hard for the finish line. I´m giving it everything I´ve got. No sloppy living for me! I´m staying alert and in top condition. I´m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27, The Message) It´s not luck – no such thing for those on the journey. The person who consistently does the right thing will eventually win. Winners have a better attitude than losers. A bad attitude is a choice. For instance, my day may not be going any better than yours. My debts may be greater than yours. But I can choose to have a positive outlook based on God´s redemptive nature (God can redeem our failures and mistakes). God truly wants nothing but the best for you. “For 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.’ (Jer. 29:11) Whatever you do, do it with excellence and in grace. Build to last. The destiny of the diligent will never be the company of the obscure and insignificant. The Bible says, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.’ (Prov. 22:29) One of the great enemies of God is a life-style that embraces mediocrity – in essence, an undisciplined life. The heart of being a disciple is being Holy Spirit self-controlled and disciplined. As a result, others see Christ demonstrated long before they hear Him preached. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Mth. 5:16) 1. Consistent winning is the key The Christian life was never promised as an easy way to live. We must have a purpose and a plan because times will be difficult and Satan will attack. But we never persevere without the promise of a final prize - a promise God will keep. Winners say: I have a plan. Winners say: Let me do it for you. Winners: See a solution for every problem. Winners: See a green around every sand trap. Winners: See a difficult situation, but see possibility. Winners say: Problem, look how big my God is. God wants to lead you into the promised land. Winning does not make the attitude - the attitude makes you a winner. Have a positive attitude. God will work everything out for those who are in His purpose: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) 2. Winners learn from their mistakes: 3. Winners compete with themselves: We are all different. If two of us are the same, one of us is not necessary. Set goals in your personal life, your business, your marriage, your ministry. Better yourself. If someone looks at you today, they should be able to see improvement over last year. Your success should never be based on another´s failure. Every person is valuable. When you compete with someone else, they control your life. Remember, we´re on a journey. Where I am on the journey is not where you are. There are people who lose in relationships consistently because of their sharp tongue, their critical spirit, their insecurity, their bitterness. These things can be corrected. Winners realize there´s not much difference between winning and losing: usually it´s measured in terms of inches, a point or two, or in milliseconds. Losers think it´s a huge difference. God tells us: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) God wants us to have life and blessing! Not death and curses. He wants us to succeed and prosper – to live life abundantly. It´s all about choice. Your choice. 4. Winners will always pay the price: In 1949, Jonas Salk wanted a cure for polio. He worked 16 hours a day, six days a week for five years and gave us the now-famous Salk Vaccine against polio. Jonas played to win. Lou Gehrig played 2,130 consecutive games. Every finger in both hands was broken as well as him having 17 additional fractures in his body. But he played nonetheless. Of all the players in baseball history, none possessed as much talent and humility as Lou Gehrig. His accomplishments on the field made him an authentic American hero, and his tragic early death made him a legend. He played to win. Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players in history, played the 1997 Championship Game against the Utah Jazz with the flu even when he could have stayed at home. 40 million dollars is not what kept him on the floor. Michael played to win. The principle: Pay now or pay later. If you pay now, you can play later. Losers play now and end up paying later. Winners pay now, so they can play later. Yes, it will be lonely, risky, sacrificial, and responsible. You must determine what you value and the price you are willing to pay. To get something you want you must give up something else. You can´t sacrifice unless you have a choice. I´m sure Jesus did not feel like going to the Cross so I could have redemption. I´m glad He did not base His decision on how He felt. Everyone wants authority without responsibility. The church is filled with people who want the benefits, the titles, the perks, but who don´t want responsibility. In God´s economy, there is no authority without responsibility. If you don´t take responsibility for your family, you don´t have authority over your family. In fact, the first mark of sin was failure to take responsibility. Adam said, “It´s not my fault ... you gave me the woman’ (Gen. 3:12). Our sin nature always wants to blame others. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY! If your marriage is failing, take responsibility and get help. If your business is failing, take responsibility and get help. If your ministry is failing, take responsibility and get help. You have a choice. You´re not a victim. Choose life and blessing. 5. Winners make hard decisions no one wants to make: How You Can Learn To Win: Feel responsible TO others and not FOR others. Invest your resources as the stepping-stone for others. Teach others to fish, don´t just give them fish. Realize the emotional reward you have as a giver. A generous person is fun to be around. Evaluate your life in terms of giving. Don´t ever base your life on what you accumulate. Leave behind a legacy of principles and character not just money and resource. Plant good seed. If you don´t like the crop that came up last year, plant something different today. What you give is what you really keep. Give because it´s right. If you give to someone who can´t repay you, you´re on the right road. Understand the reason for receiving (2 Cor. 9:10). God gives seed to those who sow. He gives bread to those who don´t sow. You can either sow or eat what´s given to you. Enjoy the rewards of being a giver. Have you ever noticed that the harder you work the “luckier’ you become? The true measure of a person is through giving. The reason we want to grow is not to just have more real estate, bigger homes or larger ministries ... it´s to be a blessing to many. You are blessed to be a blessing. Start blessing! Keep an eternal vision. Think global, act local. Benefit others. Bless someone today. Live Christ Deliberately! Doug Morrell http://coregroups.org/ Nothing Can Hinder My Work In Your Life Bill Hardaway Eye has not seen, hear has not heard, nor entered into the heart of man, the things I have prepared for you. Lean not on your own understanding, but come to Me and open your whole heart. Know this: nothing has been left to chance. I have directed and guided each step you have taken. Know that My plans and purposes for your life are more awesome than you can possibly imagine. Nothing can hinder My work in your life. Not even your own will and desires. I have called you and I have gone before you to prepare the path for you. It is because of My grace and power that you are held close to My heart. Nothing can destroy the peace I am about to bestow on you. It will be without measure and beyond your understanding. I have seen the desires of your heart and I am about to bring these things to pass. Wait on Me, be patient with others and yourself. I am about to release you to My Church and to the world. I will blaze a path before you. Nothing will stand before Me. Nothing will escape My judgement. But My mercy for My chosen ones will allow them to receive rewards instead of punishment for deeds done in their bodies. Rewards so great that they can not even be understood by you. Come to Me and I will refresh and restore what the locus has eaten. Come to Me and I will give you rest and peace beyond your ability to understand it. Again I have left nothing to chance. You are right where you should be. In the center of My will. So rejoice, I am about to display My power in your life as you have desired. Rejoice I have placed My mantle upon you. Wkent1954@aol.com New Mantle Russell Durose
Today the Lord lifted me up to see what He is doing. There is a transition of fire and a generational transfer of anointing coming. It is a governmental and prophetic anointing. This anointing will affect the destiny of nations and decision making. But the anointing shall be transmitted by vision. Many are saying that prophetic succession and transition is taking place, but not all who prophesy are qualified to partake. The Lord has an appointed time and an appointed day. The Spirit resounds with expectancy. Most of God's people will know it. You are appointed to partake of the succession. Many of you stuck by God's men and did not break rank. But your humiliation will make way for succession. Jordan is before you...but you must first pass Gilgal, which is the place of circumcision. Once here you can go to Betel. The house of God. There you must pass many tests. From there you must pass Jericho, the place where your faith and obedience is tested. The walls tumble and you come away moving in the realm of the impossible. Then you arrive at Jordan. The place of fullness, of moving into your destiny. God is taking His Body through these 4 places before the new mantle is thrown down. It is granted through vision, through seeking. Many are seeking the double portion. God is about to let it fall at your feet. But you must rend your own garment. You must forget your achievements. Then you can pick up the new. This is that season! Shalom Russell Durose Boundless Is My Love Toward You Stephen Hanson Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. Psalm 42:7
"Boundless is my love towards all my people. As the ocean is, as it is boundless, so is my never-ending love towards you. With each wave of the ocean comes a new truth of mine. For the waves of the ocean are continually coming towards the shoreline. These waves are forever pouring my love out towards you. They are like a chorus that is ever echoing my love. So let the waves roll over you. But don't let them lull you to sleep. For most of the world is being lulled to sleep. But I tell you that there are many in years past that have been swept to the bottom. They have let the current pull them down. They have been like those who have had a millstone tied around their neck; and they are there on the bottom looking up at the surface. Don't be swept away by the world's currents. For its waves will toss you against the rocks. But let the waves roll; let them come and roll over you. For they are my love to you, coming across to the shoreline."
Stephen Hanson tseyigai@yahoo.com How We Short-Circuit the Power of God J. Lee Grady We can't have New Testament power if we don't walk in New Testament love. The New Testament church was characterized by exciting miracles and supernatural anointing, but it was not immune to division. The earliest churches suffered splits—not only because of doctrine but also because of bitter personal disputes. Even the apostle Paul, who modeled Christian affection and implored his followers to preserve the bond of love, had an unfortunate disagreement with his close colleague, Barnabas, early in their ministry partnership. The exact nature of their argument is a mystery. We only know that Paul did not want to take John Mark, Barnabas' cousin, on his second missionary journey because the young disciple had deserted the team in Pamphylia. Acts 15:39 says: "And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus. (NASB)" “Many Christians nurse grudges for years; others collect offenses like packrats. Many people are wounded in one church and then move to another—carrying their resentment and bitterness with them.’ We can only speculate about what happened. We know that Mark was Peter's spiritual son (1 Pet. 5:13), and it is possible that Mark took sides with Peter in his awkward controversy with Paul over the practice of Jewish traditions. Whatever the case, Paul went one way from Antioch and Barnabas went another. For at least a season, an effective ministry team was fragmented. When we piece the entire story together, however, we discover that Paul and Mark eventually reconciled. In the letter to Philemon, Mark is mentioned as part of Paul's team (v. 24). In Colossians 4:10, Paul says of Mark: "If he comes to you, welcome him." And in Paul's last epistle, he tells Timothy: "Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service" (2 Tim. 4:11). To say that Mark was "useful" was an understatement. After all, it was Mark who, years after he disappointed Paul with his bad behavior, wrote the gospel that bears his name. Most scholars believe Mark based his account on Peter's firsthand experiences with Jesus. The story of Paul and Mark is a dramatic picture of forgiveness, redemption and second chances. An ugly conflict was resolved. A bitter dispute was reconciled. And a young man's ministry was restored after he made an embarrassing mistake. This is the way New Testament Christianity is supposed to work. Jesus constantly taught on the primacy of forgiveness, and the early apostles urged their disciples to keep short accounts. Paul, especially, asked his followers to soak their lives in love. He told the Colossians: "Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone... Beyond all these put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity" (Col. 3:12-14). That is the New Testament's gold standard, but what we practice today falls short. Too often, pastors who parted ways years ago still don't speak to each other. The necessity of forgiveness is rarely preached. Many Christians nurse grudges for years; others collect offenses like packrats. Many people are wounded in one church and then move to another—carrying their resentment and bitterness with them. What we don't realize is that unresolved conflict can short-circuit the power of God in our lives, and it makes the church weak and irrelevant. Many of us have prayed that the Holy Spirit would unleash a fresh wave of revival in our midst. But perhaps we need to ask these simple questions first: Am I carrying any personal resentment in my heart toward anyone? Am I still carrying around baggage from previous conflicts? Have I judged a person because of their mistakes, and determined in my heart that they can never change? If they are willing to repent, am I willing to release them? Has my love for people—especially other Christians—become cold, artificial and hypocritical, rather than warm and affectionate? If we want New Testament power, we must also pursue New Testament love. We cannot expect to reconcile sinners to God if we have not practiced reconciliation with each other.
prophetic@revivalschool.com
By Noam Chomsky The U.S. midterm elections register a level of anger, fear and disillusionment in the country like nothing I can recall in my lifetime. Since the Democrats are in power, they bear the brunt of the revulsion over our current socioeconomic and political situation. More than half the “mainstream Americans’ in a Rasmussen poll last month said they view the Tea Party movement favorably—a reflection of the spirit of disenchantment. The grievances are legitimate. For more than 30 years, real incomes for the majority of the population have stagnated or declined while work hours and insecurity have increased, along with debt. Wealth has accumulated, but in very few pockets, leading to unprecedented inequality. These consequences mainly spring from the financialization of the economy since the 1970s and the corresponding hollowing-out of domestic production. Spurring the process is the deregulation mania favored by Wall Street and supported by economists mesmerized by efficient-market myths. People see that the bankers who were largely responsible for the financial crisis and who were saved from bankruptcy by the public are now reveling in record profits and huge bonuses. Meanwhile official unemployment stays at about 10 percent. Manufacturing is at Depression levels: one in six out of work, with good jobs unlikely to return. People rightly want answers, and they are not getting them except from voices that tell tales that have some internal coherence—if you suspend disbelief and enter into their world of irrationality and deceit. Ridiculing Tea Party shenanigans is a serious error, however. It is far more appropriate to understand what lies behind the movement´s popular appeal, and to ask ourselves why justly angry people are being mobilized by the extreme right and not by the kind of constructive activism that rose during the Depression, like the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations). Now Tea Party sympathizers are hearing that every institution—government, corporations and the professions—is rotten, and that nothing works. Amid the joblessness and foreclosures, the Democrats can´t complain about the policies that led to the disaster. President Ronald Reagan and his Republican successors may have been the worst culprits, but the policies began with President Jimmy Carter and accelerated under President Bill Clinton. During the presidential election, Barack Obama´s primary constituency was financial institutions, which have gained remarkable dominance over the economy in the past generation. That incorrigible 18th-century radical Adam Smith, speaking of England, observed that the principal architects of power were the owners of the society—in his day the merchants and manufacturers—and they made sure that government policy would attend scrupulously to their interests, however “grievous’ the impact on the people of England; and worse, on the victims of “the savage injustice of the Europeans’ abroad. A modern and more sophisticated version of Smith´s maxim is political economist Thomas Ferguson´s “investment theory of politics,’ which sees elections as occasions when groups of investors coalesce in order to control the state by selecting the architects of policies who will serve their interests. Ferguson´s theory turns out to be a very good predictor of policy over long periods. That should hardly be surprising. Concentrations of economic power will naturally seek to extend their sway over any political process. The dynamic happens to be extreme in the U.S. Yet it can be said that the corporate high rollers have a valid defense against charges of “greed’ and disregard for the health of the society. Their task is to maximize profit and market share; in fact, that´s their legal obligation. If they don´t fulfill that mandate, they´ll be replaced by someone who will. They also ignore systemic risk: the likelihood that their transactions will harm the economy generally. Such “externalities’ are not their concern—not because they are bad people, but for institutional reasons. When the bubble bursts, the risk-takers can flee to the shelter of the nanny state. Bailouts—a kind of government insurance policy—are among many perverse incentives that magnify market inefficiencies. “There is growing recognition that our financial system is running a doomsday cycle,’ economists Peter Boone and Simon Johnson wrote in the Financial Times in January. “Whenever it fails, we rely on lax money and fiscal policies to bail it out. This response teaches the financial sector: Take large gambles to get paid handsomely, and don´t worry about the costs—they will be paid by taxpayers’ through bailouts and other devices, and the financial system “is thus resurrected to gamble again—and to fail again.’ The doomsday metaphor also applies outside the financial world. The American Petroleum Institute, backed by the Chamber of Commerce and the other business lobbies, has intensified its efforts to persuade the public to dismiss concerns about anthropogenic global warming—with considerable success, as polls indicate. Among Republican congressional candidates in the 2010 election, virtually all reject global warming. The executives behind the propaganda know that global warming is real, and our prospects grim. But the fate of the species is an externality that the executives must ignore, to the extent that market systems prevail. And the public won´t be able to ride to the rescue when the worst-case scenario unfolds. I am just old enough to remember those chilling and ominous days of Germany´s descent from decency to Nazi barbarism, to borrow the words of Fritz Stern, the distinguished scholar of German history. In a 2005 article, Stern indicates that he has the future of the United States in mind when he reviews “a historic process in which resentment against a disenchanted secular world found deliverance in the ecstatic escape of unreason.’ The world is too complex for history to repeat, but there are nevertheless lessons to keep in mind as we register the consequences of another election cycle. No shortage of tasks waits for those who seek to present an alternative to misguided rage and indignation, helping to organize the countless disaffected and to lead the way to a better future. ----------------- Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the author of dozens of books on U.S. foreign policy. He writes a monthly column for The New York Times News Service/Syndicate. http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/6615/outrage_misguided/ No limits! Amy Williams
Jesus is our example – He had no rights, no home, no possessions, and He was willing to let men revile Him. He was tempted like any other human being, but He never sinned – He had a willingness to let God´s will be all. Some of us have put limits on our lives. We must live all for Jesus, with no limits and no plans, yielded to Him – that´s how we win. One of the dangers of activity is shallowness – we don´t invest enough in our ‘inner life´. Press the pause button on your activities. Spend some time listening to the Holy Spirit, and ask Him what you might need to get rid of, to let His life flow in. Nothing will change without this cry. It´s what we are on the inside that counts. If there´s nothing on the inside, then don´t put a good face on it and pretend everything´s all right. Do what you´ve got to do with the Holy Spirit´s unction, not your natural strength. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.’ (Philemon 4:13) You´ll fall if you seek to do God´s work in your own strength. If you don´t have the Holy Spirit you can fill your life with thousands of things and activities but you´ll achieve nothing. amy.williams@jesus.org.uk
November 8th 2010
Winning a race requires purpose and discipline. Living Christ deliberately takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation. As disciples, we are running toward our heavenly reward. The essential disciplines of Bible study, fellowship, communion and prayer equip us to run with vigor and stamina. Don't watch from the grandstand; don't just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning. Get on the field and in the game and train diligently - your spiritual life depends upon it.
Losers say: I have an excuse.
Losers say: It´s not my job.
Losers: See a problem for every solution.
Losers: See 2 or 3 sand traps around every green.
Losers: See a possible situation, but it´s too difficult.
Losers say: God, look how big my problem is.
Tom Peters says, “Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast.’ Losers hate this philosophy because it causes them to plan, test and take responsibility. You must be able to evaluate, make adjustments, and change anything that isn´t producing Christ-likeness.
When George Patton was 29 years old serving as a tank commander colonel in World War I, he demonstrated a winning attitude. One particular morning, the fog was so dense no one could see to maneuver the tanks. He got out, walked 30 yards in front of the tanks and led them. What made him a winner was his desire to do whatever was necessary to win.
The value of your dream is determined by how much you are willing to pay for it. Michelangelo was not the best painter of his time. He had a bad back and a sinus condition. No one else was willing to do whatever it took to succeed. He laid on his back painting a ceiling for nearly 2 years and completed the Cystine Chapel. All the other “great’ painters of his day are forgotten in obscurity.
Most people don´t want to make tough decisions because they are afraid other people won´t like them anymore. So what? What made Esther great was her ability to make tough decisions. A whole nation survived because of her decisions. She risked it all and she did not have to. It´s been said, “When I´m tempted to not confront a difficult person or a difficult situation, I am guilty of embezzlement.’ If we don´t, we´re cheating God. Ultimately, the choices we make will be our responsibility before the Lord. It´s called accountability. If you´re waiting for the perfect church, the perfect marriage, the perfect business, you´ll be waiting a long, long time. Work with what´s in your hand today.
Start today with what you have. Be faithful in the little and never despise the day of small beginnings. Some of God´s greatest gifts came in small packages and changed the world forever.
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