Get connected with God

by Christian Ongtangco

I got up earlier this morning and the first thing I did was to check who is that person who sent me an sms 6:00 in the morning.

That reminded me of the many things I needed to do for the day, So, I started writing my to-do list and several other tasks assigned to me like sending sms messages, emails etc. I was excited and but so glad to be reminded that I haven’t even prayed or read my bible.

I told myself , yes, technology can be helpful yet can be really distracting most of the time.

I use my phone to read , send and quote bible scriptures I listen to podcast of my favorite preachers, and if I want to listen again with my pastors message the previous sunday also listen to audio bible and worship songs while walking on my way to work.

But then, with all the technology surrounding us, we can hear thousands of messages every day. And that’s where the term continuos partial attention was coined to describe the constant distractions of email, instant messaging, cellphone, and other devices. and this means continuously we’re paying partial attention.

We all want to connect and be connected. That’s what Social media are here for. We want to effectively scan for opportunity and optimize for the best opportunities, activities, and contacts, in any given moment.

Too often we value all received messages equally. in God’s word, though is more precious and valuable than any other messages sent to us. The psalmist describes the God’s message as “pure words” that are like silver processed “seven times” in the furnace. The number seven signifies completion and perfection throughout the Scriptures. although 8 means infinity in Chinese. Otherwise, This means, God’s word is absolutely perfect and in alignment with the character of God. It is the supreme measure of truth, and it imparts light and life to those who treasure it.

Have you been in this same situation?

When we read and hear God’s word, let’s sit up and take notice. If we don’t understand it, we need to dig deeper until we find out what it means, or it relevance in our “everyday life”.

Let’s be encouraged to ask if we don’t understand. And when God uses His word to redirect our steps, we are to say, ” Yes, Lord. I’m listening.” God’s word directs us along God’s path, and that way is perfect for us each day.

To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge, to do the will of God is the greatest achievement.”

101 ways to Live Life to the Full

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“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs (101 Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time)

How do you feel about your life today? Are you living every day in exuberance? Do you love what you’re doing? Are you excited every single moment? Are you looking forward to what’s coming up next? Are you living your best life?

If your answer to any of the above is a no, maybe or not sure, that means you’re not living your life to the fullest. Which really shouldn’t be the case, because your life experience is up to you to create. Why settle for anything less than what you can get? You deserve nothing but the best. In the past years of my life, especially since after I pursued my passion in ’08, I’ve been living every day to the fullest, filled with joy, passion and rigor. It’s an amazing experience that I want you to experience that too.

This is a list of 101 timeless principles I use to live my best life, and I hope they’ll help you to do so too. As you live in alignment with them, you’ll find yourself becoming more conscious, more alive, and more importantly, experiencing life on a whole new level. Be sure to bookmark or even print out this page and refer to it daily to guide you to your best life.

Here are 101 ways to live your life to the fullest:

1. Live every day on a fresh new start.Don’t be held back by what happened yesterday, the day before, the week before, the year before, and so on.
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2. Be true to who you are. Stop trying to please other people or be someone else. It’s better to be an original version of yourself than an exact duplicate of someone else.
3. Quit complaining. Don’t be like the howling dog, always howling and never doing anything. Stop complaining about your problems and work on them instead.
4. Be proactive. Stop waiting for others around you to do something and take action yourself instead.
5. Rather than think “what if”, think “next time”. Don’t think about things you can’t change (namely what has happened and thoughts of other people) or unhappy things because these are disempowering. Instead focus on the things you can action upon. That’s the most constructive thing you can do in any situation.
6. Focus on WHAT vs. How. Focus on WHAT you want first, before you think about HOW to do it. Anything is possible, as long as you set your mind, heart and soul to it.
7. Create your own opportunities. You can wait for opportunities to drop in life. Or, you can go out there and create your own opportunities. The latter is definite and much more empowering.
8. Live more consciously each day. Stop sleepwalking through life. Your life is something to be experienced, not coasted through.
9. Be committed to your growth. In the Map of Consciousness, there are 17 levels of consciousness – from Shame to Enlightenment. The higher level of consciousness you are in, the richer your life experience. Achieving higher consciousness comes from your commitment to growth.
10. Know your inner self. This means knowing who you are and what you represent. Be clear of your personal identity.
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11. Discover your life purpose. Set the mission statement for your life; one that will drive you to life your life to the fullest.
12. Live in alignment with your purpose. What can you start doing immediately that will let you live 100% in alignment with your purpose? How can you live true to your purpose within every context/situation/environment you are in, every second of the day?
13. Set your life commandments. Define your personal commandments to live your best life. What adages and principles do you want to follow in your life?
14. Discover your values. Values are the essence of what makes you, you. Read article #11: Discover Your Values in Personal Excellence Book (Volume 1) on the importance of values, my values and how you can create your own.
15. Hold yourself to the highest conduct. Every one of us have our own set of ethics, principles and moral codes. Live true to them every day. Also, live in full alignment with your purpose (#11), commandments (#13) and values (#14).
16. Design your ideal life. What is your ideal life? Design it. First, assess your life at the moment via the life wheel. Then, ask yourself what it takes to live a 10/10 life (in all 10 areas – career, health, love, social, etc…). What is the life that will make you the best person you can ever be? Set your BHAGs – big, hairy and audacious goals! There are no limits in life – only those you set for yourself!
17. Stop putting life on hold. Are you putting any parts of your life on hold? What is one area of your life you have been putting off/avoiding/denying? Uncover it and start working on it.
18. Create your life handbook. Your life handbook is your life-long personal manual to live your best life – from your mission statement, your values, your long-term goals, short-term goals, personal strengths, blind spots to address, plans, among others. Create your book first then build on from there.
19. Set your goals. After you design your ideal life, set your 5-year, 3-year and 1-year goals. The more specific your goals, the better! Read the 10 principles on how to get winning goals.
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20. Take action on your goals and dreams. Create an action plan with your strategy, plan and immediate next steps. ESPER: 7-part Goal Achievement series is a great tool to get you started.
21. Create your bucket list, i.e. things to do before you die. Then, get out to achieve them.
22. Don’t do things for the sake of doing them. Always evaluate what you’re doing and only do it if there is meaning behind them. Don’t be afraid to quit the things that don’t serve your path.
23. Do the things you love, because life is too precious to spend it doing anything else. If you don’t enjoy something, then don’t do it. Spend your time and energy on things that bring you fulfillment and happiness.
24. Discover your passion in life. What sets you on fire? Go out there (and explore inward) to know what you love to do.
25. Make your passion a full-fledged career. Then, start pursuing it. Stop working in a job you are passionless towards. Quit your job when you are ready to do it full-time.
26. Turn your passion into a huge success. Turn your passion into a multi-million dollar business. Better yet, make it a multi-billion dollar one.
27. Learn from criticism. Be open to criticism but don’t be affected by it. Criticism is meant to help you be a better person. Learn from it.
28. Be positive. Is the glass half empty or half full? How about neither? It’s actually all-full – the bottom half is water, the top half is air. It’s all a matter of perception. Take on empowering perceptions, not those that bind you. If you can see the positive sides of every thing, you’ll be able to live a much richer life than others. Purge unnecessary negativityfrom your life.
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29. Don’t badmouth other people. If there’s anything you don’t like about someone, say it to him/her in the face – otherwise, don’t say it at all. It’s not nice to do that.
30. Be empathetic. If everyone only see life from his/her own perspective, we’ll forever be close-minded and insular. See things from others’ shoes.
31. Be a compassionate person. Show compassion and kindness to everyone around you
32. Develop 100% self-belief. Believe in yourself and your abilities.  Remove your limiting beliefs and replace them with empowering ones (In Day 25 of Live a Better Life in 30 Days Program, we delve deep into our underlying beliefs). If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you?
33. Let go of unhappy past. This means past grievances, heartbreaks, sadness, disappointments, etc.
34. Forgive those who may have done you wrong in the past. “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and realize it was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
35. Let go of attachments. Don’t fixate yourself with a certain status, fame, wealth or material possessions. These are impermanent and will ultimately disappear one day when you die. Focus on growing and living life to the fullest instead.
36. Let go of relationships that do not serve you. That means negative people, dishonest people, people who don’t respect you, people are overly critical and relationships that prevent you from growing.
37. Spend more time with people who enable you. Hang out with people who you compatible with, like-minded people, people who are positive, successful, strong achievers and positive for your growth. You are after all the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
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38. Build genuine, authentic connections with people around you – strangers, friends, family, colleagues, business partners, customers/clients, etc. Spend more time to know them better and foster stronger connections.
39. Connect with an old friend. There is no end to the number of friends you can have. Reach out to people from the past.
40. Do a kind deed a day. What is something you can do today that will make the world a better place? Go and do it.
41. Help other people who are in need. Voluntarism is one outlet. You can also start with your friends and family.
42. Help people when they least expect it, without reason. You don’t need any reason to help others. Do it because you want to. Share the love with everyone.
43. Go dating (if you’re single).
44. Fall in love ♥
45. Review your life. Set a weekly review session to assess how you are doing for your goals and your life. Review your purpose once every 3-6 months too so you know you’re on the right path.
46. Overcome procrastination. Procrastination is a huge waste of your time (and your life). Get rid of it once and for all.
47. 30 minutes a day. Set aside at least 30 minutes every day to work on a quadrant 2 goal that, when you achieve it, will bring about the biggest source of fulfillment and happiness in your life
48. Get out there and make new friends – whether in your workplace, online, friends’ friends, social groups, etc. Read: 10 Tips To Make New Friends
49. Make deeper connections. Beyond making new friends, aim to make deeper connections out of them. Read: How To Have More Best Friends in Life
50. Be your advisor (from the future). Imagine you’re the future you, 5 years later. How would you advise yourself? Write it down. Now, apply them. Check out Future Prediction Exercise article in Personal Excellence Book (Volume 1), which teaches you to predict your future, then learn from it.
51. Write a letter to your future self. Actually, write 3 letters – for yourself in 1, 3 and 5 years. The longer the letters, the better. Envision how you’ll be like in the future. Make each letter a minimum 2 pages long. Now, seal them and put them in a safe place. Set it in your calendar so you’ll know to open them when it’s time. This will inspire you to work your hardest and achieve your maximum results in the time period.
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52. Declutter. Start from your computer, then your table, your room, your bag/wallet, and your home. The more you throw the unwanted and old stuff away, the more room you’re creating for new things to enter.
53. Keep learning. There is something to learn from everything you see, hear and experience. This includes your mistakes and past misshaps (if any). Learn to interpret each event objectively. Focus on what you can learn from it so you can apply them moving forward.
54. Keep developing yourself. Equip yourself with a huge breadth of knowledge. Learn different skills, pick up different hobbies, study different fields.
55. Keep upgrading yourself. Equip yourself with a huge depth of knowledge. While you can usually only level up to 99 in video games, in real life you can level up to infinity. Go for further studies if need be. Develop your skills. Level up. Build your >10,000 hours in each skill.
56. Try new things. What’s something you’d normally not do? Get out of your comfort zone try something different. It can be something simple like taking a new bus route, trying a new food item, picking up a new hobby, or something bigger like studying a different field, picking a new skill, traveling to a country you’ll never visit, etc. You set your own limits.
57. Get yourself out there. This applies for everything. (a) Get out there geographically. Go out, travel and explore the world. Set sail into the sea. Go backpacking by yourself and visit as many countries as possible. Get on a road trip and visit the different places that come out. (B) Get out there situationally. Stop sticking to routines and comfort zones. Try something different. (c) Get out there in life. Stop watching TV and living vicariously through the TV characters. Go and live the life of your dreams.
58. Be the absolute best in what you do. Go for the #1 position in what you do. If you want to spend your time doing something, you might as well be the best in it. Strive for the best – you don’t deserve anything lesser than that.
59. Don’t settle. In the same lines as #58, don’t settle for less. Don’t settle for someone you don’t like as your partner. Don’t settle for a job you don’t like #25). Don’t settle for friends who make you feel like a lesser person (#37). Don’t settle for a weight you are unhappy with. Go for what you really want.
60. Stretch yourself. What are you doing now? How can you achieve more? Set bigger goals. Explore your limits and break them.
61. Embrace new ideas. Don’t mentally limit yourself; Let your mind be a breeding ground for new ideas. Read: 25 Brainstorming Techniques.
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62. Create your inspirational haven. Turn your room into a place you love. Do the same for your work desk. Get rid of things that make you unproductive. Surround it with things that inspire you and trigger you to action. Read more: How To Create An Inspiring Room
63. Behave as your ideal self will. All of us have an ideal vision of who we want to be. How is your ideal self like? How can you start to be that ideal self now?
64. Set your role models in life. With role models, you become much better than you can be by yourself. I personally am inspired by Tyra Banks (for her passion for helping women build their self-esteem and changing notions of beauty), Ivanka Trump (for her success, intellect and beauty), Donald Trump (for his success and drive in life), Oprah (for being who she is), Lady Gaga (for her talent and not being afraid to be different), and many more. Seeing them and what they do reminds me of what I can be and what I can do, so they drive me on to greater heights.
65. Get mentors and/or coaches. There’s no faster way to improve than to have someone work with you on your goals. Not only will they drive you to achieve more for yourself, they’ll also share with you important advice which you can use to create even more success for yourself. Many of my clients approach me to coach them and the net result: they achieve significantly more progress and results in their life than if they had worked alone.
66. Uncover your blind spots. The more you uncover, the more you grow, the better you become.
67. Increase your consciousness. The more conscious you are, the more evolved you become.
68. Ask for feedback. As much as we try to uncover our blind spots(#66), there will be areas we cannot identify. Asking for feedback gives us an additional perspective. Some people to approach will be friends, family, colleagues, boss, or even acquaintances, since they will have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively. Day 19 of Be a Better Me in 30 Days Challenge: Get Feedback From Others is about getting feedback from others so as to uncover our blind spots.
69. Generate passive income. Create passive income streams so your income is not tied to the time you spend on your work. Of course you’ll still continue to work, but only because you want to and not because you have to.
70. Help others live their best lives. There is no better way to grow than to help others grow. Ultimately, the world is one. We are all in this together.
71. Get married / Start your family / Have kids!
72. Improve the world. There are many things in the world that need your attention and help. Poverty. Disaster recovery. Illiteracy. Children in need. Depleting rainforests. Animal rescue. Endangered species. How can youdo your part?
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73. Spearhead a humanitarian cause/organization you are passionate about.
74. Give more value than you receive. There is so much unspeakable joy that comes from giving. And when you keep giving, you’ll find that you actually receive a lot more in return, in spades.
75. Be big picture focus. You can either set your eyes on the big things or get hung up by the nitty gritty details. The former will help you get a lot more out of life than the latter. Focus on the big rocks in life and put first things first (Quadrant 2 tasks). Practice the 80/20 rule – focus on the 20% things that give you the 80% fulfillment in life.
76. Be clear of your end objective. What is the end goal you seek? Is what you’re doing bringing you there? If not, put it aside. As long as you keep taking on things that meet your end goal, you’ll eventually reach there.
77. Go the 80/20 route. For every goal you have, there are different paths to achieve it. Pick out the 80/20 path, i.e. the most effective path that brings you there the fastest with least amount of effort.
78. Prioritize (80/20 actions). As you embark on the 80/20 path for your goals, focus on the important tasks and cut out the less important ones. That means do the 20% actions that give you the 80% results.
79. Live in the moment. Are your thoughts wandering around all the time? Calm your mind down. Be present. The only time you’re ever living is in this moment. Meditation helps to remove mental clutter.
80. Relish in the little moments. Snuggling under warm covers on a rainy day. Ice cream on a hot day. A kiss with your loved one. Being with your best friend. A walk by the park. The breeze on your face. Quiet, alone time. Watching the sun rise/set. Soak in all these little moments of life. They are what make up your life.
81. Take a break. Being the best also requires you to take breaks when needed. Make sure you rest when needed. Doing so lets you walk the longer mile ahead.
82. Stop wanting things a certain way. I wrote a 3-part series before on the downsides of perfectionism and how to overcome them. Be firm on your end goals (your objective goals) and your ideals, but let go of the fixation that things have to be a certain way. You’ll realize it’s by doing that that you achieve what you want.
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83. Focus on creation. Think about what you can bring to the world, and create that.
84. Don’t criticize or judge others. Respect others for who they are.
85. The only person you can change is yourself. Stop expecting others to behave in a certain way. Rather than demand that others around you change, focus on changing yourself. You’ll be happier and live a more fulfilling life this way.
86. Embrace gratitude. Be grateful for everything you have today, and everything you will get in the future.
87. Express gratitude. Let the people who’ve touched you know of your gratitude towards them. You’ll be surprised what a little act like this can do. If you don’t tell them, they’ll never know.
88. Let loose and have fun. Sing at the top of your lungs. Dance in the rain. Run barefoot and feel the ground underneath your feet. Release of your self-imposed shackles and be free .
89. Get into nature. Many of us live in concrete jungles. Soak in the beauty of nature.
90. You have a choice. Recognize you always have a choice in how to live your life.
91. Laugh more. Are you reading this with a straight face? Smile and have fun .
92. Embrace change. The only thing that’s constant is change. Change means growth. Rather than resist change, learn to versatile such that you can make the best out of the changes that come. In fact, become an agent of change.
93. Be more risk-inclined. Don’t be afraid to take risks. The bigger your risks, the bigger your return.
94. Embrace mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the faster you learn. Make sure to draw lessons so you can build on them. (#53)
95. Embrace disappointments. Many people try to avoid feeling disappointed. They develop a resistant relationship with disappointment. However, disappointment is part and parcel of being human – it reflects your real passions. Don’t resist it – instead, embrace it. Understand it, then channel into it to create more in life. Read: How To Overcome Disappointment (4-part series)
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96. Challenge your fears. All of us have fears. Fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, fear of risk… All our fears keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing. Rather than avoid your fears, recognize they are the compass for growth. Address and overcome them. Read: How To Overcome Fear (3-Part Series).
97. Maximize your mind, body, heart and soul. Living your best life requires you to maximize yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you’re highly successful, very materially abundant, have a big circle of friends, very spiritually aware but you neglect your physical health, that’s not living your life to the fullest. The same for other scenarios where a part of you is blocked off. Maximize all 4 aspects of you.
98. Be your best self. Essentially all the articles here at Personal Excellence are about being your best self and achieving your highest potential. It’s only through being the best we can be that we live our life to the fullest. This is why the motto of the site is “Be your best self, Live your best life“.
99. Love yourself. You are the person you have to live with for the rest with your life. Treasure and love yourself.
100. Love others. Be grateful for all the people around you because they help you to grow. They enrich your life experience. Without them, your life would not have been the same.
101. Last but not least: Love life. I always find living to be a fascinating experience. How we’re all on earth, with millions of species, 30,000 different life forms, over 7 billion people, and all thriving in its own way, existing, co-existing and in co-creation mode. There’s so much we don’t know out there, so much to be experienced in life, that it’s just wonderful.

Saw this post from Persona Excellence.co and they are really all interesting and very helpful for me personally . Thanks!

But let me just share this One, which I think the most important one is to trust and give your life to Jesus Christ. who loves us unconditionally and promised us to have life to the full. It’s Jesus + nothing = Everything.

Jesus said “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

This time we don’t have to do it. work for it, achieved it or qualify for it. We just have to RECEIVE HIM.

Humility that insults God

^“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”- 1 Cor. 15:10

 

      There are times when the way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. I was reminded of this while talking to a very kind Pastor and friend Larry Uy. I started talking about my mistakes and inadequacies and how at times we tend to focus on our weaknesses. After our conversation, I realized what I did could be an insult to our God. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us.

We must get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. We will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things like, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be clean, holy and blameless”; “I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified”; I’m not a saint. “No Lord, I think its impossible for you to save and cleanse me from the  many imperfections in my mind and body, No Lord it isn’t possible”. Those statements may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance (open or bold resistance to or disregard for authority, opposition, or power).

On the other hand, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified, cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior”. I believe this in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. For this means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. His promises are true. What he claims of himself are true.

We must stop worrying whether what we say sounds humble before others or not. And I’m not saying you’ll completely not care about what other people will start thinking of you. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all. (I’m speaking to myself here too).

Allow me to share this thoughts from a book I’ve read,

“There is only one relationship that really matters, and that your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that all costs , letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. “

If you like this post, please don’t hesitate to share, tweet, comment or subscribe to  our blog posts. We hope to hear from you too. Thanks and God bless you!

Revival

I’ve just finished reading a 60 year old book “The Calvary Road” (click to download for free), and I thought of sharing some of my notes from this wonderful book of Roy Hession about Revival (brokeness).

Revival is just the life of the lord Jesus  poured into human hearts. Jesus is always victorious. In heaven they are praising Him all the time for His victory.

Whatever may be our experience of failure and barrenness, He is never defeated. His power is boundless. And we, on our part, have only to get into a right relationship with Him and we shall see His power being demonstrated in our hearts and lives and service, and His victorious life will fill us and overflow through us to others. And that is revival in it’s essence.

If, however, we are to come into this right relationship with Him, the first thing we must learn is that our wills must be broken to His will. To be broken is the beginning of revival. It is painful , it is humiliating, but it is the only way. It is being “Not I, but Christ,” and a “C” is a bent “I”. The Lord Jesus cannot live in us fully and reveal Himself through us until the proud self within is us broken.

This simply means that the hard unyielding self, which justifies itself , wants it’s own way, stands up for it’s rights, and seeks it’s one glory, at last bows it’s head to God’s will, admits it’s wrong, gives up its own glory that the Lord Jesus might have it all and be all. In other words, it is dying to self and self-attitudes.

It’s self who is often doing Christian work. It is always self who gets irritable and envious and resentful and critical and worried. It is self who is hard and unyielding in it’s attitudes to others. It is self who is shy and self-conscious and reserved. No wonder we need breaking. As long as self is in control, God can do little with us, for the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) with which God longs to fill us is the complete antithesis of the hard, unbroken spirit within us.

Being broken is both God’s work and ours. He brings His pressure to bear, but we have to make the choice. If we are really open to conviction as we seek fellowship with God.

The willingness of Jesus to be broken for us is the all-compelling motive in our being broken too. We see Him, who is in the form of God, counting not equality with God a prize to be grasped at and hung on to, but letting it go for us and taking upon Him the form of a Servant- God’s Servant, man’s Servant.

We see Him willing to have no rights of His own, willing to let men revile Him and not revile again, willing to let men tread on Him and not retaliate or defend Himself. Above all, we see Him broken as He meekly goes to Calvary to become men’s scapegoat by bearing their sins in His own body on the Tree.

Lord bend that proud and stiff-necked I,
Help me to bow the head and die;
Beholding Him on Calvary,
Who bowed His head for me.

You see, the only life that pleases God and that can that be victorious is His life – never our life, no matter how hard we try. But inasmuch as our self-centered life is the exact opposite of His, we can never be filled with His life unless we are prepared for God to bring our life constantly to death. And that is what revival is.

If you like this post, please don’t hesitate to share, tweet, comment or subscribe to  our blog posts. We hope to hear from you too. Thanks and God bless you!

Brokeness

by Kris Belfils

Brokenness Is…

Brokenness is… The realization of who I am compared to God.
Brokenness is… A true humility and submissive heart to God.
Brokenness is… A heart’s cry of desperation to a loving God.
Brokenness is… Waiting on God’s time, not mine.
Brokenness is… Laying down my crowns and dreams for God’s.
Brokenness is… Not wanting my will, but God’s.
Brokenness is… Letting go of my control to God.
Brokenness is… A heart of obedience and thankfulness towards God.
Brokenness is… A realization of my self-righteous compared to God’s.
Brokenness is… A knowing that I’m lost without God.

10 Signs You’re Near a Ministry Burnout

God called us to do a lot of things for Him…but He did not call us to burn out or exchange our family for ministry.

My counselor shared a statistic with me two years ago that floored me…90% of the people entering ministry DO NOT RETIRE from ministry, they either quit or have some sort of moral/ethical failure that disqualifies them.

I’m not a rocket scientist…but I honestly do not believe that is what Jesus called us to OR what He wants for our lives.

AND yet so many of us (church leaders) struggle/wrestle with this (usually inwardly because if we said out loud that we are dying inside we fear that people may perceive us as weak!)

Here are ten signs that you are near a burnout and/or meltdown…

#1 – You are beginning to despise people and your compassion for them is continually decreasing rather than increasing.

#2 – You often think about doing something other than ministry…and your biggest desire isn’t to honor God and reach people but to simply find relief from the pressure that seems to be building daily inside of you.

#3 – You cannot remember the last time you simply had fun with family and friends…and joy is something you talk about but are not experiencing for yourself.

#4 – You are disconnected at home…when you get there you do not want to engage with your spouse or your children, you cannot enjoy being around them…you spend more time online than you do with your family…and you find yourself wanting to sleep all of the time.

#5 – You continually tell yourself and those you love that “this is just a really busy season and that you will slow down soon.”  (However, the truth is that you have been most likely “singing that same song” for years!)

#6 – You are continually becoming obsessed with what others say about you…and one negative comment from someone who does not like you can put you in an incredibly deep valley and cause you to feel hopeless.

#7 – You begin to make easy decisions rather than the right ones…because the right ones take too much work.

#8 – There is no hope in you…and, you actually despair life.  You have actually thought of death…and some have even entertained suicidal thoughts.

#9 – You are experiencing unexplained depression and/or anxiety.  You are even having panic attacks and you can’t explain it!

#10 – You are increasingly becoming withdrawn from family and friends.

“How did you come up with this list,” you ask…it’s quite simple: I went back to December 2007 until January of this past year and listed out the qualities that were the most prominent in my own life.  That’s right…my life!  I went through a trial of intense depression and anxiety during that time period and the best way I can describe my life would be “dark!”

However, through me swallowing my pride and asking for help, the support of an incredible wife, the support of great friends, and seeking out an incredible counselor—and the unbelievable mercy of God—I broke free from my darkness this past January.  Oh sure, I still struggle with it more often than I wish I would…but I cannot tell you the incredible feelings of freedom and joy I’ve had since January that I haven’t had in YEARS!

God called us to do a lot of things for Him…but He did not call us to flame out or drop out.  I want what Paul said in II Timothy 4:7 to be true of all of us!  I want us to finish well!

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PerryNoble.com

Perry Noble is the founding and senior pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, Greenville, Columbia, and Florence, South Carolina. At just nine years old, the church averages over 10,000 people during weekend services. Perry is convicted about speaking the truth as plainly as possible. A prolific blogger, he’s often a featured speaker at church leadership conferences.

What is Patience?

Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. God makes all things beautiful in His time.

It is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances. This can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties.

Some quotes about Patience;

Patience is the companion of wisdom.
- Saint Augustine (354 AD – 430 AD)

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew.
- Saint Francis de Sales

Patience is the greatest of all virtues.
- Cato the Elder (234 BC – 149 BC)

You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience.
Stanislaw J. Lec , “Unkempt Thoughts”

Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.
- Titus Maccius Plautus, Rudens

My prayer as I grow older

Lord as i grow older, i think I wanna be known as

Thoughtful rather than gifted
Loving versus quick or bright
Gentle over being powerful
a Listener  more than a a great communicator
Available rather than a hard worker
Sacrificial instead of successful
Reliable not famous
Content more than driven
Self controlled rather than exciting
Generous instead of rich
Compassionate more than competent

I want to be a foot washer
I’m still striving to become that person
I’m still making trades

Now more than ever I am aware that a person significant birthdays can either mark the passage of time or they can mark changes they have made in their lives.

To reach their potential and become the person they were created to be.

With each passing year I wanna make good choices that make me a better person.
Lord, help me become a better leader and make a positive impact on others that requires a willingness to keep making trades.

Because for everything We’ve gain, We have to give up something.

Treasures

Reflections on Exodus 19:5

By Christian Ongtangco

I know I got a lot of things to do today but I just can’t help myself but blog about this.

“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,” – Exodus 19:5

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant
Truly, sincerely, and heartily; is what I believe God meant here, that if we thoroughly and constantly yield a cheerful obedience to his commands: left to ourselves we won’t be able to fulfill the law, He wants us to accept and allow Him to call us His children. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”- John 1:12

and keep my covenant;
This consists of His promises of good things to be done to us on His part.

then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.

Can you imagine that we are highly valued by Him, and as carefully preserved as the richest treasure among men; even as the treasure of the richest people in the world, more than more than riches and fame, and everything that is valuable; and this has been proven and demonstrated to us, He has shown this to all of us who believed in His name. At the cross, His grace and mercy he redeemed us all out of bondage and slavery of sin, and has given us forgiveness, freedom and salvation showered us with His favors and blessings.

He owns everything yet of all of it. You are His treasured possession, highly valued, bought at a high price. a priority in His sight.

Although the whole earth is mine,
above all of creation, over everything in this world,  He still sees us differently and of great value and and granted us the privilege of being of special use and service. Though the whole world was his, and all that is in it, yet His special affection, and peculiar regard to us (His children), chosen, and esteemed as his portion and inheritance, his jewel, and peculiar treasure.

I don’t know about you but for me that’s just so overwhelming to know. Knocks me off to love Him more. This great love. Christ love compels me to give Him my best, my everything , my life. After all He’s the source of it all. We’re merely stewards.

P.S. If you want to know more about God, want to ask Him to come into your life please click here.

What Christian life is all about?

Is Christian life all about obeying commandments, memorizing rules,  reading the bible, attending prayer meetings and attending worship services?

Few days after returning here in our country, after being gone for  almost 3-years (mission trip) I immediately look for my old friends they would often ask me to share of things that I’ve learned in that almost 3 years.

And so there I am zealously sharing the “great stuff”,victories , accomplishments about our ministry there.

But the most important thing God taught me is that God is more concern of you that what you want to do for Him.

More than the things we want to attempt for Him , let’s set our eyes on the things that GOD is doing IN and THROUGH our our lives. His vision is bigger, His power is immeasurable , nothing is impossible for Him If we allow God to do his purposes and plan in and through our lives. It unlimited. unfathomable , incomprehensible.

Christian Life is not just about lists of “to-dos”/laws/rules/accomplishments for God. Please don’t get me wrong I’m not against them God has instructed us to be careful to obey them and promises us prosperity and success as we do so but we got to see things in the light of God’s love for us. (see Pastor Dennis’ blog about this)  He gave us His word, the bible to keep us from the lures of sin and prevents us from enjoying Him.

Romans 4:4 kind warns us ;

“Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.However ,to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith was credited as righteousness apart from work.”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”-Mark 10:27

Let’s not put God in the box and in the four corners of our worship services, don’t limit His power to heal, to save and to set people free. When ee stop performing or struggling, We’re asking Him to perform and display His power and love IN and THROUGH our lives. by TRUSTING and delighting in Him.