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someone smsed me this week asking am i recovering from the "valley"...
well.. guess i simply "gave up" trying...
trying to prove anything..
after all, the victory is not in proving i am right, or deserve better,
the victory is that at the end, i am a better man...
a better leader,
a better minister,
a better friend,
a better boyfriend.
somehow, i guess i have decided to let go.
letting go of my dreams.
letting go of my visions.
letting go of my plans.
letting go of my future.
but its not easy, since every sunday will be different now...
but if this is how God has planned for us, then who am i to stand against Him?
i am to encourage, not to pull down.
i am to support, not to weaken.
i am to motivate, not to limit.
yet...........
who is for me?
what lies ahead for myself?
can you tell me?
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Leader, before you Quit...
(read this article, and was so encouraged by it!)
Under the stress of the church situation, the pastor felt he had taken all he could stand.
So, he sat down and wrote a letter to every member of his congregation.
He didn't exactly resign, but came close to it.
"Perhaps my work here is finished," he confessed.
He printed out the letter and, against her better judgment, his wife helped him stuff the envelopes and apply the stamps.
He dropped them off at the post office and drove home.
Or so he thought.
The next day, every single one of those letters was back in his mail box.
The cost of postage had gone up that week and he had not put enough stamps on them.
The pastor stood there glaring at all those returned letters and recognized God had sent him a message.
"It ain't funny, Lord," he called out, just before breaking into laughter.
This is probably a good place to drop in a few words of counsel we give leaders in stressful, high-pressure situations who are thinking of throwing in the towel.
1) Stay on your knees.
Get alone with the Lord and don't leave until you've said everything on your mind and have remained in that position long enough to hear everything the Lord has to say.
Tell him something like this:
"Lord, you brought me here.
You knew about this church.
You knew these leaders.
And yet you chose me and sent me here.
But it's now out of my hands, Father. If you want it fixed, you're going to have to do it because I can't."
The next Sunday my pastor friend (who had spent much of that week on his knees in prayer) stood in the pulpit and reaffirmed to the congregation that God had brought him there as pastor and he was committed to staying until He said otherwise.
"You're stuck with me," he said to the joy of some and the befuddlement of some others.
I was been in that very situation just a dozen years ago.
When you make that announcement to the congregation, your supporters rejoice, the nay-sayers become angry, the devil rages, and the Lord Jesus Christ who alone is the Head of the Church is blessed and honored.
2) "It's not about you, pastor," is the second bit of counsel we pass along.
"I know you think they're not following you and that feels like you have failed.
But keep saying to yourself, 'It's not about me. It's about the Lord Jesus Christ and Him only.'"
In the words of John the Baptist: "He must increase; I must decrease."
Your career and how this will look on your resume' are irrelevant.
You should have dealt with that a long time ago.
When people respond enthusiastically to your ministry, quieten your ego, pastor; it's not about you.
And when they reject your ministry, when they criticize your preaching and undermine your staff and ignore your programs, it's not you they are rejecting.
You will recall God telling Samuel when Israel was clamoring for a king:
"They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me." (I Samuel 8:7)
We Americans tend to think everything has to be done democratically.
Furthermore, as Baptists who treasure our traditions of everyone having a voice and a vote, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture: the Church belongs to Christ, not to any man.
Not to the pastor, of course, but neither to the deacons nor to the biggest contributors and not even to the congregation as a whole.
"The church of God which He purchased with His own blood," it's called in Acts 20:28.
It's His church.
He died for it.
He is its Head.
He calls the shots.
The only question for a church member or a minister is the same prayer Saul voiced from the dust outside Damascus long ago, "What wilt thou have me do?" (Acts 22:10)
3) It's all about obedience, pastor. And that's the most important word of all.
Jesus had something critical to say for His followers who were feeling unappreciated and considering quitting.
"When a servant comes in from the field," He said, "the master does not say to him, 'Now, you poor thing. You've worked so hard. Go and get yourself something to eat and then you can take care of me.' No, the master says to the servant, 'Get cleaned up, put on some proper clothes, and prepare my evening meal. Then you can take care of yourself.' In fact, the master doesn't even thank the slave."
Jesus looked at His disciples and made the application:
"That's how it will be with you. When you have done your job, say to yourself, 'I am only an unworthy servant; I have simply done my duty.'" (My paraphrase of Luke 17:7-10)
Now, it's important to point out that our Lord did not say this is how the Heavenly Father feels about us and our service, and it's not how He feels.
It's how we should feel toward ourselves.
To see what the Father thinks of our faithful service, check out Luke 19:17.
Basic Christian discipleship is all about obeying the Lord who assigned you to this position.
Once you understand that, you can set about helping the congregation to understand it, too.
A cartoon shows the pastor addressing a committee of disgruntled church leaders who have surrounded his desk.
He says, "I'm sorry the church is unhappy with me.
But the Lord did not send me to make the church happy.
He sent me to make it healthy and Him happy."
Big distinction.
Under the stress of the church situation, the pastor felt he had taken all he could stand.
So, he sat down and wrote a letter to every member of his congregation.
He didn't exactly resign, but came close to it.
"Perhaps my work here is finished," he confessed.
He printed out the letter and, against her better judgment, his wife helped him stuff the envelopes and apply the stamps.
He dropped them off at the post office and drove home.
Or so he thought.
The next day, every single one of those letters was back in his mail box.
The cost of postage had gone up that week and he had not put enough stamps on them.
The pastor stood there glaring at all those returned letters and recognized God had sent him a message.
"It ain't funny, Lord," he called out, just before breaking into laughter.
This is probably a good place to drop in a few words of counsel we give leaders in stressful, high-pressure situations who are thinking of throwing in the towel.
1) Stay on your knees.
Get alone with the Lord and don't leave until you've said everything on your mind and have remained in that position long enough to hear everything the Lord has to say.
Tell him something like this:
"Lord, you brought me here.
You knew about this church.
You knew these leaders.
And yet you chose me and sent me here.
But it's now out of my hands, Father. If you want it fixed, you're going to have to do it because I can't."
The next Sunday my pastor friend (who had spent much of that week on his knees in prayer) stood in the pulpit and reaffirmed to the congregation that God had brought him there as pastor and he was committed to staying until He said otherwise.
"You're stuck with me," he said to the joy of some and the befuddlement of some others.
I was been in that very situation just a dozen years ago.
When you make that announcement to the congregation, your supporters rejoice, the nay-sayers become angry, the devil rages, and the Lord Jesus Christ who alone is the Head of the Church is blessed and honored.
2) "It's not about you, pastor," is the second bit of counsel we pass along.
"I know you think they're not following you and that feels like you have failed.
But keep saying to yourself, 'It's not about me. It's about the Lord Jesus Christ and Him only.'"
In the words of John the Baptist: "He must increase; I must decrease."
Your career and how this will look on your resume' are irrelevant.
You should have dealt with that a long time ago.
When people respond enthusiastically to your ministry, quieten your ego, pastor; it's not about you.
And when they reject your ministry, when they criticize your preaching and undermine your staff and ignore your programs, it's not you they are rejecting.
You will recall God telling Samuel when Israel was clamoring for a king:
"They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me." (I Samuel 8:7)
We Americans tend to think everything has to be done democratically.
Furthermore, as Baptists who treasure our traditions of everyone having a voice and a vote, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture: the Church belongs to Christ, not to any man.
Not to the pastor, of course, but neither to the deacons nor to the biggest contributors and not even to the congregation as a whole.
"The church of God which He purchased with His own blood," it's called in Acts 20:28.
It's His church.
He died for it.
He is its Head.
He calls the shots.
The only question for a church member or a minister is the same prayer Saul voiced from the dust outside Damascus long ago, "What wilt thou have me do?" (Acts 22:10)
3) It's all about obedience, pastor. And that's the most important word of all.
Jesus had something critical to say for His followers who were feeling unappreciated and considering quitting.
"When a servant comes in from the field," He said, "the master does not say to him, 'Now, you poor thing. You've worked so hard. Go and get yourself something to eat and then you can take care of me.' No, the master says to the servant, 'Get cleaned up, put on some proper clothes, and prepare my evening meal. Then you can take care of yourself.' In fact, the master doesn't even thank the slave."
Jesus looked at His disciples and made the application:
"That's how it will be with you. When you have done your job, say to yourself, 'I am only an unworthy servant; I have simply done my duty.'" (My paraphrase of Luke 17:7-10)
Now, it's important to point out that our Lord did not say this is how the Heavenly Father feels about us and our service, and it's not how He feels.
It's how we should feel toward ourselves.
To see what the Father thinks of our faithful service, check out Luke 19:17.
Basic Christian discipleship is all about obeying the Lord who assigned you to this position.
Once you understand that, you can set about helping the congregation to understand it, too.
A cartoon shows the pastor addressing a committee of disgruntled church leaders who have surrounded his desk.
He says, "I'm sorry the church is unhappy with me.
But the Lord did not send me to make the church happy.
He sent me to make it healthy and Him happy."
Big distinction.
4 Types of Friends Every Leader Needs
Friendship is a vital part of New Testament ministry and leadership.
Without quality, biblical friendships, we are modeling a flawed Christian lifestyle for our church members.
Every leader needs at least four types of friends:
1. The Developer
Your best friend will always be the person who brings out the very best in you.
According to Billy Graham, he wouldn’t have made it as an evangelist if he had to minister alone.
Over 53 years ago, Billy Graham met his staff and best friends: Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea, and Grady Wilson.
These three men protected him, strengthened him, counseled with their wisdom, and corrected him when he needed it.
He is convinced that without these friends he would have burned out within a few years after his first groundbreaking crusade in 1949
(Just as I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham, pp. 125-129).
Developer friends will bring the gift of encouragement to a pastor’s life and bring out the very best in him.
2. The Designer
We tend to think of mentors as a personal, hands-on coach.
The Latin and Greek define them more as “advisors” or “wise men.”
Jesus was a master mentor.
He ministered to thousands, trained hundreds, equipped twelve, and had an intimate friendship with three men.
The designer mentors us in our marriage, ministry, child-rearing, civic involvement, business acumen, or any area where we need a model.
Designer mentors may live near or far, be acquaintances or strangers, or may even be dead.
They “design” our lives through Scripture, books, tapes, articles, or seminars.
3. The Disturber
We need friends who will shake up our status quo.
Disturbers ask us difficult questions, forcing us to take a closer look at motivations and ambitions.
Disturbers know when we have retreated into our comfort zones, and they call us out to greater effectiveness.
God uses disturbers in our lives to become the object of greater force that breaks inertia and propels us to greater achievement.
A biblical picture of a disturber is in Deuteronomy 32:11.
In this passage the mother eagle tears up the soft nest to reveal sharp thorns that bring discomfort to the eaglets.
Because of discomfort, the eaglets leave the nest and learn to fly.
The mother develops her young by repeatedly pushing them out of the nest and catching them until they become skilled flyers.
Eagles were never meant to stay in the nest and neither were we.
The disturber pushes us to learn to fly.
4. The Discerner
In a lifetime of relationships, perhaps only a handful of people are willing to play this vital role because it requires mutual vulnerability.
More popularly known as accountability partners, discerners bring the gift of spiritual insight into our lives.
They know how to speak the truth in love.
They know how to exhort and rebuke, seeking to keep their friend on the right track.
They are also vulnerable—the true friends who will walk into the room of your life while everyone else is walking out.
Proverbs 27:6 reads, “The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.”
Always be slow in choosing your discerners and even slower in leaving them.
Without quality, biblical friendships, we are modeling a flawed Christian lifestyle for our church members.
Every leader needs at least four types of friends:
1. The Developer
Your best friend will always be the person who brings out the very best in you.
According to Billy Graham, he wouldn’t have made it as an evangelist if he had to minister alone.
Over 53 years ago, Billy Graham met his staff and best friends: Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea, and Grady Wilson.
These three men protected him, strengthened him, counseled with their wisdom, and corrected him when he needed it.
He is convinced that without these friends he would have burned out within a few years after his first groundbreaking crusade in 1949
(Just as I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham, pp. 125-129).
Developer friends will bring the gift of encouragement to a pastor’s life and bring out the very best in him.
2. The Designer
We tend to think of mentors as a personal, hands-on coach.
The Latin and Greek define them more as “advisors” or “wise men.”
Jesus was a master mentor.
He ministered to thousands, trained hundreds, equipped twelve, and had an intimate friendship with three men.
The designer mentors us in our marriage, ministry, child-rearing, civic involvement, business acumen, or any area where we need a model.
Designer mentors may live near or far, be acquaintances or strangers, or may even be dead.
They “design” our lives through Scripture, books, tapes, articles, or seminars.
3. The Disturber
We need friends who will shake up our status quo.
Disturbers ask us difficult questions, forcing us to take a closer look at motivations and ambitions.
Disturbers know when we have retreated into our comfort zones, and they call us out to greater effectiveness.
God uses disturbers in our lives to become the object of greater force that breaks inertia and propels us to greater achievement.
A biblical picture of a disturber is in Deuteronomy 32:11.
In this passage the mother eagle tears up the soft nest to reveal sharp thorns that bring discomfort to the eaglets.
Because of discomfort, the eaglets leave the nest and learn to fly.
The mother develops her young by repeatedly pushing them out of the nest and catching them until they become skilled flyers.
Eagles were never meant to stay in the nest and neither were we.
The disturber pushes us to learn to fly.
4. The Discerner
In a lifetime of relationships, perhaps only a handful of people are willing to play this vital role because it requires mutual vulnerability.
More popularly known as accountability partners, discerners bring the gift of spiritual insight into our lives.
They know how to speak the truth in love.
They know how to exhort and rebuke, seeking to keep their friend on the right track.
They are also vulnerable—the true friends who will walk into the room of your life while everyone else is walking out.
Proverbs 27:6 reads, “The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.”
Always be slow in choosing your discerners and even slower in leaving them.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Achievement
Your level of Achievement is completely dependent upon your inner self.
spoke to a few leaders over the weekend..
my "heart" almost failed.
in fact... it was hooked on to life support for a while...
spoke to 2 leaders, and even though their message was very wide ranging, 1 message rang loud..
"be confident in yourself."
"be confident in the fact you have done the best that you can."
"be self assured."
well......
R pointed out that there are 2 weakness that will always threaten to blind me from achieving my vision:
1. Impatience
2. too "D"
well.. have to agree with him...
i hate to wait.. for anything...
and if someone failed to deliver, he/she will be in for the "hair dryer treatment"
i have to change...
time to do a self check.
time to redraw my goals, and visions.
time to be a child again.
a child of God.
who just want to hear His Word, to do His Will, to please His heart..
spoke to a few leaders over the weekend..
my "heart" almost failed.
in fact... it was hooked on to life support for a while...
spoke to 2 leaders, and even though their message was very wide ranging, 1 message rang loud..
"be confident in yourself."
"be confident in the fact you have done the best that you can."
"be self assured."
well......
R pointed out that there are 2 weakness that will always threaten to blind me from achieving my vision:
1. Impatience
2. too "D"
well.. have to agree with him...
i hate to wait.. for anything...
and if someone failed to deliver, he/she will be in for the "hair dryer treatment"
i have to change...
time to do a self check.
time to redraw my goals, and visions.
time to be a child again.
a child of God.
who just want to hear His Word, to do His Will, to please His heart..
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
peace within myself?
spoke to a leader early in the morning...
and among the many things we discussed about, he mentioned that the most important area that i have to watch is the area of the heart...
whether do i have the peace to support the changes within the ministry...
well.. that was the reason why i tried to contact this leader...
(if you are a regular visitor here.. u know when i acknowledge someone as a leader.. he/she is more than a position holder, but someone i can trust and follow)
evaluating myself, i know i have done well in whatever areas entrusted to me..
but is there any blind spots that is limiting me?
leaders, speak up if you are listening.
the lack of direction, leadership and vision is.....
its killing me.
its cutting oxygen to my heart.
its turning my eyes foggy.
its making my legs weak.
its rejecting all foods into my body..
revive me.. before my heart fail..
do i have peace within myself now?
peace to support the changes?
ya.. i will support the changes, be proud of whoever are promoted...
continue to help them, assist them, challenge them,
continue to motivate the rest to better themselves..
continue to do whatever is entrusted to me..
but what about myself?
left alone?
somehow, as i write this, i am reminded of the "faith crisis" that mother Teresa went through..
and how it helped her to be a better minister..
maybe this is those "dark periods" that i must deeper my stakes in God.. and just trust Him "blindly"
but its not easy.
not matter how much you tell me that you can trust me to give your direction, it will never be easy to drive a 10 tonner blindfolded.
was listening to the advice of the leader,
and i was reminded of the song "God of my forever"..
maybe.. all i wan is to go home and listen to my Father saying "well done"..
30 days ago, Ps D shared Jer 15:19
the calling of God seem so afar...
can i still play catch up with Him?
and among the many things we discussed about, he mentioned that the most important area that i have to watch is the area of the heart...
whether do i have the peace to support the changes within the ministry...
well.. that was the reason why i tried to contact this leader...
(if you are a regular visitor here.. u know when i acknowledge someone as a leader.. he/she is more than a position holder, but someone i can trust and follow)
evaluating myself, i know i have done well in whatever areas entrusted to me..
but is there any blind spots that is limiting me?
leaders, speak up if you are listening.
the lack of direction, leadership and vision is.....
its killing me.
its cutting oxygen to my heart.
its turning my eyes foggy.
its making my legs weak.
its rejecting all foods into my body..
revive me.. before my heart fail..
do i have peace within myself now?
peace to support the changes?
ya.. i will support the changes, be proud of whoever are promoted...
continue to help them, assist them, challenge them,
continue to motivate the rest to better themselves..
continue to do whatever is entrusted to me..
but what about myself?
left alone?
somehow, as i write this, i am reminded of the "faith crisis" that mother Teresa went through..
and how it helped her to be a better minister..
maybe this is those "dark periods" that i must deeper my stakes in God.. and just trust Him "blindly"
but its not easy.
not matter how much you tell me that you can trust me to give your direction, it will never be easy to drive a 10 tonner blindfolded.
was listening to the advice of the leader,
and i was reminded of the song "God of my forever"..
maybe.. all i wan is to go home and listen to my Father saying "well done"..
30 days ago, Ps D shared Jer 15:19
the calling of God seem so afar...
can i still play catch up with Him?
Sunday, October 14, 2007
who is my Barnabas?
without the leadership, guidance and encouragement from Barnabas, will Saul be Paul?
in fact, lets bring it 1 step backward..
without the belief that Barnabas has for Saul and what Saul was able (and call) to do, will Saul ever have a chance to start his ministry?
Barnabas did not preach the gospel to the world..
his ministry records were not as impressive as Saul,
but without the support and encouragement and discipleship from Barnabas,
Saul will never be able to do all that he was doing.
in fact, Paul repeat Barnabas' role when he accept Timothy into his care.
so much so that 2 letters that he wrote to Timothy became part of the bible...
and why?
becoz God know the importance of encouragement and leadership...
one can expect many changes over the next 45 days as the church start to reshuffle to hold services with 2 locations..
members will change CGs,
ushers will change teams,
leaders will be given more responsibilities... and often, they are thrown into the sea without assuring that they will float..
and this is really where Barnabas"s" are needed, more than ever before..
don't just give the helpers more roles to take without your constant encouragement..
don't just expect the helpers to rise to the occasion, if you never provide guidance...
don't just demand results if you never lead his heart...
friends,
don't just tell me that i am doing more than anyone else..
don't just tell me that i have done well in most areas...
tell me how can i move on?
tell me how can i improve?
tell me what else can i contribute to?
failure to show a common vision mean there will never be unity..
failure to lead mean you are just an administrator..
failure to motivate mean you are simply a leader by tag, not by heart..
don't let my heart turn cold.
do not ever allow it to turn cold here.
the calling of God was never limited to ministries.
His calling was to go and be his minister of love to the unchurch, and apostle of faith to the church..
nothing else
not what ministries or the tag that you are wearing..
in fact, lets bring it 1 step backward..
without the belief that Barnabas has for Saul and what Saul was able (and call) to do, will Saul ever have a chance to start his ministry?
Barnabas did not preach the gospel to the world..
his ministry records were not as impressive as Saul,
but without the support and encouragement and discipleship from Barnabas,
Saul will never be able to do all that he was doing.
in fact, Paul repeat Barnabas' role when he accept Timothy into his care.
so much so that 2 letters that he wrote to Timothy became part of the bible...
and why?
becoz God know the importance of encouragement and leadership...
one can expect many changes over the next 45 days as the church start to reshuffle to hold services with 2 locations..
members will change CGs,
ushers will change teams,
leaders will be given more responsibilities... and often, they are thrown into the sea without assuring that they will float..
and this is really where Barnabas"s" are needed, more than ever before..
don't just give the helpers more roles to take without your constant encouragement..
don't just expect the helpers to rise to the occasion, if you never provide guidance...
don't just demand results if you never lead his heart...
friends,
don't just tell me that i am doing more than anyone else..
don't just tell me that i have done well in most areas...
tell me how can i move on?
tell me how can i improve?
tell me what else can i contribute to?
failure to show a common vision mean there will never be unity..
failure to lead mean you are just an administrator..
failure to motivate mean you are simply a leader by tag, not by heart..
don't let my heart turn cold.
do not ever allow it to turn cold here.
the calling of God was never limited to ministries.
His calling was to go and be his minister of love to the unchurch, and apostle of faith to the church..
nothing else
not what ministries or the tag that you are wearing..
finally.. its time to step out..
finally.. my first exhibition with Extract Living...
many cold leads.. a few warm.. 2 hot leads..
not bad for a "new guy", for the first day..
that is what everyone is telling me..
but how can i ever be content?
i have the most wonderful gal in this world to p_._ p_ _ _,
a house to build,
a family to lead...
really praying for more hot leads to come during the weekdays..
hope to close as many as i can..
to shine in the marketplace mean i have to step out of the comfort of the church walls,
and step into the lives of all these house owners,
to design the best house,
to cater to their needs, and often limitations,
to ensure that all the reno works are carried out without errors,
to pass the keys back to them, with a dream house that they can call their own..
to step into their dreams, and to make their dreams a reality...
just the thought of this mission motivate me to go that extra mile to talk to 1 more walk-ins..
thinking back, isn't this what God has called everyone of us to do?
to show every child of God the "overflowing life" that He has planned for them...
to encourage, challenge and guide each of the sheep entrusted to you...
the size of a leader's vision is determined by how many dreams it carried with it.
read it again.
read it again.
read it the 3rd time.
are you plannin how to help everyone under your care to grow and achieve their dreams?
or you are just plannin for your own advancement?
members follow leaders who have the ability to lead them to their destination,
not a watchdog, or someone who is simply doing the admin..
people don't care how good you are, until they know much you are interested and willing to step out of yourself to make their dreams come to pass...
are you that leader?
think about it...
time to step out..
i am stepping out..
are you?
many cold leads.. a few warm.. 2 hot leads..
not bad for a "new guy", for the first day..
that is what everyone is telling me..
but how can i ever be content?
i have the most wonderful gal in this world to p_._ p_ _ _,
a house to build,
a family to lead...
really praying for more hot leads to come during the weekdays..
hope to close as many as i can..
to shine in the marketplace mean i have to step out of the comfort of the church walls,
and step into the lives of all these house owners,
to design the best house,
to cater to their needs, and often limitations,
to ensure that all the reno works are carried out without errors,
to pass the keys back to them, with a dream house that they can call their own..
to step into their dreams, and to make their dreams a reality...
just the thought of this mission motivate me to go that extra mile to talk to 1 more walk-ins..
thinking back, isn't this what God has called everyone of us to do?
to show every child of God the "overflowing life" that He has planned for them...
to encourage, challenge and guide each of the sheep entrusted to you...
the size of a leader's vision is determined by how many dreams it carried with it.
read it again.
read it again.
read it the 3rd time.
are you plannin how to help everyone under your care to grow and achieve their dreams?
or you are just plannin for your own advancement?
members follow leaders who have the ability to lead them to their destination,
not a watchdog, or someone who is simply doing the admin..
people don't care how good you are, until they know much you are interested and willing to step out of yourself to make their dreams come to pass...
are you that leader?
think about it...
time to step out..
i am stepping out..
are you?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Dreams and Visions..
saw this "funny quote" at a shop..
"dreams are just dreams.
a vision is a dream with plans and deadlines"
how true...
so many people have dreams that is kingdom building..
but so few ever came close to fulfill their dreams..
so many people have the "desire" to do great things for Christ..
but yet.. so few could proudly say that they have achieved...
why?
not that they were not passionate enough,
nor didn't have the faith...
(after all, Jesus say we only need faith as small as the mustard seed)
many failed becoz they have no plans..
they didn't know how to get there..
they didn't plan their journey..
they thought: "as long as i trusted God, and keep confessing the dreams, it will come to pass..."
tell that to Ps and he will laugh..
or rather, he will tell u that it will never happen...
if you want to climb a mountain, you don't jus focus on the top and walk/climb blindly..
you plan out your journey..
you plan out your rest camp / base camps.. points in your life that tell you how far you have traveled, and how far more..
you plot out the danger areas.. issues that could distract you, so that you can avoid stepping onto thin ice..
you seek company.. people who have walked the journey, and are able to advise you...
you ensure you have enough oxygen tanks along the way.. the Holy Spirit to refresh and energize you throughout the way..
you ensure that more than enough batteries are carried.. the Word of God that consistently direct you to the right turns in life..
no one, no verse in the bible say that its easy to climb mountains..
that its easy to lead..
easy to breakthrough...
easy to shine for Him in the marketplace, and ministry...
but to those who are willing to take up the challenges, He will empower you, with wisdom and courage.. so that you will look beyond yourself, and plan wisely..
are you planning yours?
what are you planning to achieve by Dec 2007?
what are you planning to achieve by Dec 2008?
by Dec 2010?
by Dec 2020?
people who fail to plan, plans to fail.
its a principle that will never fail..
are you destined to fail?
or succeed?
"dreams are just dreams.
a vision is a dream with plans and deadlines"
how true...
so many people have dreams that is kingdom building..
but so few ever came close to fulfill their dreams..
so many people have the "desire" to do great things for Christ..
but yet.. so few could proudly say that they have achieved...
why?
not that they were not passionate enough,
nor didn't have the faith...
(after all, Jesus say we only need faith as small as the mustard seed)
many failed becoz they have no plans..
they didn't know how to get there..
they didn't plan their journey..
they thought: "as long as i trusted God, and keep confessing the dreams, it will come to pass..."
tell that to Ps and he will laugh..
or rather, he will tell u that it will never happen...
if you want to climb a mountain, you don't jus focus on the top and walk/climb blindly..
you plan out your journey..
you plan out your rest camp / base camps.. points in your life that tell you how far you have traveled, and how far more..
you plot out the danger areas.. issues that could distract you, so that you can avoid stepping onto thin ice..
you seek company.. people who have walked the journey, and are able to advise you...
you ensure you have enough oxygen tanks along the way.. the Holy Spirit to refresh and energize you throughout the way..
you ensure that more than enough batteries are carried.. the Word of God that consistently direct you to the right turns in life..
no one, no verse in the bible say that its easy to climb mountains..
that its easy to lead..
easy to breakthrough...
easy to shine for Him in the marketplace, and ministry...
but to those who are willing to take up the challenges, He will empower you, with wisdom and courage.. so that you will look beyond yourself, and plan wisely..
are you planning yours?
what are you planning to achieve by Dec 2007?
what are you planning to achieve by Dec 2008?
by Dec 2010?
by Dec 2020?
people who fail to plan, plans to fail.
its a principle that will never fail..
are you destined to fail?
or succeed?
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Late"ness" is the first step to destroy trust
Late"ness" is the first step to destroy trust..
read it again..
read it outloud again..
nothing in this world can be more frustrating than to wait for someone..
if you will not be late for class,
if you will not be late for work,
if you will not be late to meet clients,
if you will not be late to meet contractors,
if you will not be late to sign contracts,
if you will not be late to collect your pay,
if you will not be late for your first date,
if you will not be late to buy that dream house/car/watever,
WHY ARE YOU LATE WHEN YOU MEET YOUR FRIENDS?
(oops.. someone feeling very hot and bother..
don't worry.. this blog is not all abt u..)
its one thing that you have a valid reason to be late,
its another to be late becoz of your poor time management..
someone once say that your punctuality is the acid test of how important that "meeting" is..
are you early?
are you on time?
or are you late, all the time?
DD once said this: "if you are on time, you are already late!"
how true this is..
you are on time.. yes.. but have you prepare yourself?
i can go on and on and on about why someone shouldn't be late..
but i don't think its worth the effort..
but the bottom line is this:
"if you can't value my time and effort, i am not going to value yours too"
whether is it regarding our careers,
our ministries,
or just, our personal friendships...
i used to judge and be very angry towards helpers who came late for meetings..
and no reasons used to be valid...
and it is still the same..
valid reasons speak for itself, and people know the efforts that you put in to be there on time..
but trying to justify yourself..
i rather you don't try..
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,
MY QUESTION IS: "HOW CAN SOMEONE BE LATE FOR GOD,AND HIS MINISTRY?"
Until today, i can NEVER, NEVER, NEVER have the peace to come late for service..
and i just can't accept the reasons that people gave..
the bible asked if you will give the blind, the wounded, the deaf to your governor..
just wondering will those clowns be late when they are meeting their MPs?
or when you are suppose to Q for their children's primary school slot?
or just.. will these clowns be late for their movies?
read it again..
read it outloud again..
nothing in this world can be more frustrating than to wait for someone..
if you will not be late for class,
if you will not be late for work,
if you will not be late to meet clients,
if you will not be late to meet contractors,
if you will not be late to sign contracts,
if you will not be late to collect your pay,
if you will not be late for your first date,
if you will not be late to buy that dream house/car/watever,
WHY ARE YOU LATE WHEN YOU MEET YOUR FRIENDS?
(oops.. someone feeling very hot and bother..
don't worry.. this blog is not all abt u..)
its one thing that you have a valid reason to be late,
its another to be late becoz of your poor time management..
someone once say that your punctuality is the acid test of how important that "meeting" is..
are you early?
are you on time?
or are you late, all the time?
DD once said this: "if you are on time, you are already late!"
how true this is..
you are on time.. yes.. but have you prepare yourself?
i can go on and on and on about why someone shouldn't be late..
but i don't think its worth the effort..
but the bottom line is this:
"if you can't value my time and effort, i am not going to value yours too"
whether is it regarding our careers,
our ministries,
or just, our personal friendships...
i used to judge and be very angry towards helpers who came late for meetings..
and no reasons used to be valid...
and it is still the same..
valid reasons speak for itself, and people know the efforts that you put in to be there on time..
but trying to justify yourself..
i rather you don't try..
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,
MY QUESTION IS: "HOW CAN SOMEONE BE LATE FOR GOD,AND HIS MINISTRY?"
Until today, i can NEVER, NEVER, NEVER have the peace to come late for service..
and i just can't accept the reasons that people gave..
the bible asked if you will give the blind, the wounded, the deaf to your governor..
just wondering will those clowns be late when they are meeting their MPs?
or when you are suppose to Q for their children's primary school slot?
or just.. will these clowns be late for their movies?
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