HOW TO SUCCEED

HOW TO SUCCEED

First, if your idea of success is either fame or

fortune, you are totally deceived and on the 

road to self destruction.

This morning while reviewing the news on the 

internet I read of a man who gave millions to 

one thing or another.  He was only in his fifties,

but he jumped to his death from some building.

I guess that is the happy dance.

The other morning while reading my Bible and

in a mood of prayer, because I want to finish out 

what ever life I have left hand in hand with God,

and looking for answers to my remaining days

I was reading in Luke.  In chapter five where Christ

is calling his disciples I noted several things.

It is recommended that you read for yourself

this section of Scripture if you have a Bible,

that is, Luke chapter five verse 1 to 16.

However I noted for my self the following.

1.  The disciples had worked hard all night and 

caught nothing.  Now I can relate to that.  Doing

things the way I think they should be done and

accomplishing nothing.

2.  When they did the same thing the way Jesus

told them to do it, they were swamped with

success.

3. They left everything and followed Jesus.  How

often we try to drag "stuff" along in living for 

God.  It does not work well.

4. Even Jesus himself often would go away alone

to pray to the Father.  Now if Jesus needed to 

pray often, how do you think we are going to

make it without a lot of prayer.

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Don't worry about anything, instead pray

about everything.  Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done.  Then you

will experience God's peace, which exceeds

anything we can understand.  His peace will

guard your hearts and minds as you live in

Christ Jesus."  

(Philippians 4:6,7 NLT)

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"He who has learned to pray

has learned the greatest secret 

of a holy and happy life."  

-William Law

WORRIES AND CARES

It seems people have more worries and cares
than ever.  In this day and age I notice it so much
more than in past years.  There are worries from
work, or the lack of work.  Worries about relationships,
bills, safety etc, etc, etc.

If you think you are the only one with worries
turn to the social media and follow all the people
who are asking for prayer for one reason or another.
It also seems that a high percentage of the posters
are people with problems and they do nothing
but moan and grown about it meaning they are
still worrying about it, him, her etc.

Corrie Ten Boom said it so well when she said;

"Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's
strength - carrying two days at once.  It is moving
into tomorrow ahead of time.  Worrying doesn't
empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today
of its strength."

There are people who try and tell you to just
stop worrying and look on the bright side of
things.  The only problem here is - it don't work,
and it sure don't pay the bills.

Do you want to know something that does work?
Stick with me through a few points.

Jesus Christ said;

"So don't worry about these things, saying,
'What will we eat?  What will we drink?
What will we wear?  These things dominate
the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly
father already knows all about your needs.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else,
and live righteously, and he will give you
everything you need." 
(Matthew 6:31-33 NLT)

Did you see the conditions that Christ put in
there?

1.  Worry is something that should only be in
the domain of UNBELIEVERS.
2. "...our heavenly father..." God is not the
father of us all.  The Scriptures make it
clear that most of the people in the world
are children of the DEVIL, not of God.
So if you are not in relationship with God
Almighty you have lots and lots of reasons
to worry.
3. Your focus has to be on God and his Kingdom.
If you are focused on you and your little kingdom
God is not obligated to take care of you.

God does care about you, even if you belong to
the Devil.  He knows the number of the hairs on
your head, if you have any.  But to just live for
yourself and expect God to get you out of trouble
is like taking all your bills and throwing them in
the front yard of some banker or other and
expecting him to pay them for you.

Speaking to God fearing and loving Christians,

Saint Peter said;

"Give all your worries and cares to God,

for he cares about you."

(1 Peter 5:7 NLT)   

Let me tell you about a young man I worked
with many, many years ago.  He was what we
called a "worry wart" back then.  He worried
about every thing.  And if he did not have anything
to worry about - that worried him,

We of course had talked about his need for God
in his life.  So one night he called me on the phone
and told me he wanted to get right with God.
We went over the need to go to God and ask
him for forgiveness.  Then the need to submit
to Jesus Christ and ask Christ to come into his
life and take control etc.  So he said, "I going to
do that now."

Some time latter he called me and told me
"I did what you told me to." or something
to that effect.   I thought, "O, yea, sure, I
bet you did." or some such thought.

In a few days I began to notice something.
The boy did not worry anymore.

Saint Paul said;
"Don't worry about anything; instead,
pray about everything.  Tell God what
you need, and thank him for all he has
done.  Then you will experience God's
peace, which exceeds anything we can
understand.  His peace will guard your
hearts and minds as you live in Christ 
Jesus."
(Philippians 4:6,7 NLT) 

TODAY'S QUOTE

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"Many pray with their lips for that for

which their hearts have no desire."

- Jonathan Edwards  

TWO MEN WENT UP INTO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY

"Two men went up into the temple to pray;

the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican ...

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,

God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, ...

And the publican, standing afar off, would not

lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote

upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me,

a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house

justified rather than the other: for every one

that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he

that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

(Selections from Luke 18:10 -14 KJV)  

K.P. Yohannan said it so well when he said;

"Lack of humility is the proof of counterfeit

spirituality."

Which one are we??

DO YOU WANT WHAT YOU PRAYED FOR?

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Years ago I heard a song that said something like"

"... he got what he wanted . . . lost what he had."

It seemed to me that the idea was, he was worse
off for getting what he wanted.  That is not a new
thing.  At one time the nation of Israel faced a 
similar situation.  They complained to God for
something, BUT.

"he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them."
(Psalms 106:15 RSV)      

Looks like they lost out for wanting the wrong
thing.  I take that as a warning to myself about
what I want.  Would it be good for me, or bad
for me.

Another place we are told:

"You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you
ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
(James 4:2,3 RSV)

I do not know about you.  But I had better check
with God first about what I ask for.

THOUGHTS FROM ABOVE

"Turn to the Lord and pray to him,
now that he is near.
Let the wicked leave their way of life
and change their way of thinking.
Let them turn to the LORD, our God:
he is merciful and quick to forgive.
'My thoughts,' says the LORD,
'are not like yours,
and my ways are different from yours.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.'"
(Isaiah 55:6-9 TEV)

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