Word of God #19

[letric]

When bad news comes don't allow it to panic you and cause you to act in haste. Stop, think rationally and
get the facts before you arrive at a conclusion or make a decision. Prayerfully ask, Lord, what can I do about
this situation? If you can do it for yourself, God won't do it for you.

His part we cannot do, our part He will not do.

Faced with a well-armed, vastly superior force there is nothing Hezekiah could do to save himself. So he went
to the house of God and spread out his need before the Lord. That's always a wise move. When you respond in faith, a crisis becomes an opportunity for God to demonstrate what He can do on your behalf. The truth is, when you've nothing left but God - you've got enough! Enough to handle the situation, enough to get through it and enough to bounce back. Ask yourself, I

Is this problem really mine?

Yes, we're supposed to to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) but you're not supposed to let everybody dump their problems on you. Sometimes in our eagerness to rescue others we get in God's way when He's dealing with them. And stop listening to round-the-clock news. If you do you'll begin to think negatively,

Things are bad everywhere, so I guess I can't expect any better.

What has God said about you and your situation? God doesn't respond to your need, He responds to your faith! So get into the Scriptures and discover what God has to say, then stand on it.
Peace.

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Overcoming the fear of loneliness requires understanding God's commitment to you. His
fatherhood isn't based upon mood, sentiment or emotion; it is based on His unchanging
character and reputation. Everything He is, and claims to be, stands or falls apart,
depending on His faithfulness to you.

For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject His people, because
the Lord was pleased to make you his own (1 Samuel 12:22 NIV)

.
Concern for His good name, and the pleasure He takes in being your Father, are why He
will never turn His back on you. Satan would love to convince you that. He will you that
you've failed God, or that God has failed you in order to make you feel unworthy, hopeless,
disowned by God and abandoned, No, generations of believers have sung through their
soul's dark night,
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father.
In your circumstances and suffering,
God's loyal love couldn't run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're
created new every morning. How great your faithfulness ... (Lamentations 3:22-23 TM).
Suffering and and adversity don't cancel His faithfulness, He's
the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV).
He can't love you once, and not love you always.
After you suffer for a short time, God who gives all grace, will make everything right,
He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling ... (1 Peter 5:10 NCV).
Today declare,
Nothing can ever separate me from God's love.
Peace

[letric]

Ever watch a food commercial on television and suddenly feel hungry? That's the power of
suggestion. Whatever can grab your attention can capture you. Simply repeating, I must
stop drinking, or smoking, or overeating, or lusting, doesn't work because it keeps you
thinking about what you don't want. Instead of trying to remove those thoughts, replace them.
Once your focus is on something good, evil begins to lose its grip. Only by reprogramming
your mind can you keep it centred on the right things. The Bible says:

Don't let evil get the upper hand but conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:21 TLB)

Satan can't get and keep your attention when your mind is given to something else. That's why Paul writes:

Fill your minds with ... good ...(Phillipians 4:8 GNT)

Fighting a thought is futile; it's only strengthens the connection between you and it. By dwelling on it you
actually reinforce it. Furthermore, you don't overcome temptation by fighting the feeling of it. The more you
fight a feeling, the more it engages and draws you. Your mind is where the battle is won or lost. The Bible says,

Your life is shaped by your thoughts.

The Psalmist prayed,

Keep me from paying attention to what is worthless ... (Psalm 119:37 GNT)

Is this easy to do? No, it takes discipline and practice. But with time , and God's grace, you
can the way you think and overcome temptation.
Peace.

[letric]

Some of us are like a closed book; people never get to know what's on the inside of us. Jesus was not afraid to be vulnerable. He wept openly at the grave of His friend Lazarus. So, can you show honest emotions? Do you talk of the trophies you have won but not the tears you have shed? When you speak only of your success but fail to share what you went through to achieve it, you leaver people feeling like they'll never be able to rise as high as you have. Is that what you want? Jesus was infuriated when the strong took advantage of the weak; it's why He threw the moneychangers out of the temple. Yet He wept over the people of Jerusalem because He knew what the consequences of their rejecting Him would be.

Now we're not talking about displays of uncontrolled temper, or dissolving into tears each time trouble comes. But unless you have the ability to show appropriate level of empathy and transparency, you will have no credibility. The Bible says:

For everything there is a season, a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NLT)

If you are able to be tough but not tender, people may admire your achievements and comply with your instructions, but they will keep you at a distance. And you will be lonely. But it's self-imposed loneliness brought on by your unwillingness to open up and let them in. Jesus showed honest emotion; you must too,
Peace

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The Bible says:

Above all else, guard your heart, for its the wellspring of life.

The position you hold in life may cause people to take notice of you, but only your integrity will cause them to respect you and be willing to follow you. And integrity is only established when it becomes clear to everyone that progress, financial reward and recognition are not your gods; that you value something more, something you refuse to give up for profit or popularity. With integrity comes influence. You can manager people without integrity but you can't influence them without it. Talking one way and living another will wound you. And depending on the time and circumstance, you may not be able to recover from it.

You say, How I conduct my private life is nobody else's business.

Wrong! When people see a difference between what you demand of others and what you demand of yourself, it'll erode their respect for you every time. Your position may make you secure, but your influence with others will always remain fragile. At any given time you are only one decision, one word or one action away from destroying what took years to build. Why is it important to keep this in mind? Because the fastest route from where you are today to where you will be tomorrow is not always the most honourable one. Leading and being the person you want to be doesn't come easy and doesn't always line up. It's in those moments, however, that you discover a great deal about yourself - you find out what you really stand for!
Peace.

[letric]

Protectiveness is part, of parenting. But unless you're careful you can shield them from the very things they need to mature.

Surrender them to God.
We think we control their futures, but most of the time they turn out differently than we planned.

Hannah said,

I prayed for this child ... Now I give him back to the Lord ... (vv.27-28 NCV).

Whether He chooses to send them to the jungles of Africa ... the inner city ... or a house around ther corner ,,, God knows best. Live with hope, not wishful thinking. Trust God to use them and guide them through life, even if He never reveals how or why. From the very perspective it's easier to accept that circumstances don't determine the final outcome, they're just tool God uses to shape character. Encourage responsibility. letting children experience consequence shows them what works and what doesn't.

For example, a tumble off a swing teaches them not to be reckless ... and that failure to study results in poor grades.

It is good for people to endure burden when they're young (Lamentations 3:27 GWT.

Children who learn responsibility and independence early are better equipped to succeed. Pray often and with purpose: Instead of praying for his spiritual children to be spared persecution,

Paul said:
...My prayer [is] that your love ... abound more and more in the knowledge and depth of insight, so ... you may be able to discern what is best and ... be pure and blameless until the day of Christ
(Phillipians 1:9-10 NIV).

Being a Christian doesn't mean life is always easy. But when you, the parent, demonstrate faith in God, your children learn to trust Him too.
Peace.

[letric]

Have you ever encountered a homeless person, given them some money, watch them shuffle away and wondered,
Have I just paid for the next drink or drug, or rewarded laziness? In some cases you may be right, in other cases
wrong. So what would you do? In Second Corinthians chapter God gives us a plan we can understand and follow.
The Macedonian church did it this way:


1) Both the well-off and the needy participated. They all gave, even those in
extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity ... and gave as much as they were able , and even beyond their ability (vv.2-3 NIV).

2) They gave gladly, not under pressure.
... Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing ... (vv.3-4)

3) Their giving flowed from their devotion to Christ.
They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us (v.5).

They didn't give to impress others, or for a tax deduction, or to get the preacher off their backs, or because they
felt bad for the needy. No, it was a natural response to being in love with Jesus.

4) The church leaders received, oversaw and distributed their collective giving. They didn't give naively, trusting
the integrity of the unknown and unproven. Their leader handled and distributed their gifts openly, consistently, and with accountability. They knew the finances were handled honestly ...
in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men (v.21).

Bottom line; you can give without loving, but you can't love without giving to those God loves.
Peace.

[letric]

Successful people do not spend the majority of their time thinking about what must be done.
Instead, they spend twice as much time reflecting on what they have already accomplished,
and how they are capable of accomplishing what they set out to do.

Things turn out best, for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

Pursuing a God-given dream is a bumpy ride, as every leader of the Bible found out. And
only those who think right succeed. The greatest gap between successful people and
unsuccessful is the thinking gap. This is especially so when it comes to failure. Successful
people see failure as a regular part of success, and they get over it.

As I look upon the experience of a colleague, everything that you do is, in a sense
succeeding. It's telling you what not to do as well as what to do. Not infrequently,
I go into a meeting and someone would say something did not work. And I say,
"Great, we've have made a great discovery!"

If you thought it was going to work, and it didn't work, that tells you as much as if it did.
So my attitude is not one of pitfalls; my attitude is one of challenges and

"what is nature telling?"

Such tenacity only comes from right thinking, and it is the hallmark of all successful people.
They keep trying, keep learning, and keep moving forward. They win the battle in their minds,
and then it overflows into what they do.
Peace.

[letric]

True revival begins with an honest recognition that we have become spiritually dull. dry even dead.
Ezekiel describes it this way:

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full, of bones ... and indeed they were very dry ... He said to me,

Prophesy to these bones, and say to them,

O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord!.

And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together ... and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, and exceedingly great army (Ezekiel 37:1-10 NKJV). Ezekiel's vision teaches us:

a) Revival begins with acknowledging we are not a healthy, connected, functioning body.
b) Our church services have become too formal and dry.
c) We must hunger for God's Word. Otherwise we live in denial, excusing and rationalising our spiritual condition.
God said to Israel,

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for its time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you (Hosea 10:12).

Notice the elements in a true revival: An emphasis on righteous living; showing mercy to one another;
recognising our careless and cavalier attitude toward sin; crying out to God is sustained, heartfelt prayer;

Revive us again, that your people may rejoice in You.

[letric]

Do you have a compulsive need to find a solution to every problem, and to control everything?
Do you always have a back-up plan in case thing don't go the way you think they should? Have
you noticed that the more you try to fix things, the more anxiety you experience?.

The Bible says

The mind of the flesh is death ... But the mind of the ... Spirit is life ... (Romans 8:6 AMP).

Fixing is the opposite of trusting. Now God doesn't want you to be mindless or helpless. He just wants
you to live by faith and not head knowledge. When you learn to trust God and operate in the mind of the
Spirit, you experience peace even when you're surrounded by tough circumstances. One of the pitfalls of
human reasoning is that it causes you to become double minded and stuck: A man of two minds is unstable
and unreliable and uncertain about everything. What frame of mind do you live in? Instead of always trying
to figure everything out, learn to be comfortable not knowing and trust the One who does. Decide each time
you feel anxious you'll stop and pray:

Lord, I'm not going to try to figure this out myself, I'm bringing it to You, trusting You for
the answer.

When you stop struggling with when's, why's and how's, you start experiencing God's peace in a way you never
have before. You also put yourself in a position where God can intervene on your behalf. So stop trying to
control everything.

Peace.



,

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Growing old gracefully should be one of your life's goals. You don't need to fear aging,
or try to gloss over your uneasiness about approaching it or attempt to cover up your
anxiety. The story's told of a lady buying a new hat. When she tried it on, her friend
said,

My, that hats makes you look ten years young younger.

Quickly she puts it back on the shelf and said,

I don't want that one. I'd hate to look ten years older every time I took it off!

Mother nature and Father time may have brought you backaches, baldness and bifocals, but
you don't have to think old. Instead of trying to add years to your life, try adding life to your years.
Instead of resenting the fact that you are getting old, think how much you would resent being denied
the privilege. If you're still alive at eighty-five! God kept you around for a reason. Find out what it is,
then pour every day and every ounce of energy you've left into it. You can be old at twenty-five and
young at eighty-five. You are only old when you feel old; or feel like you know all there is to know;
or find yourself saying, I'm too old to do that, or think that tomorrow holds no promise; or take no
interest in the activities of youth; or would rather talk than listen; or long for the good old days,
feeling the were the best.
Peace...

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Satan plan was to infect Adam with the virus of sin before his first son was born; that way he could get all the
rest of us. And it almost worked. Can, Adam's first son, murdered his brother Abel. But God wasn't finished

Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son named Seth,

For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel.

For everything you've loved or lost, God has something else. For everything that's been stolen from you, God
has something else. Your seed is your future, and God has another one in mind for you. The situation you
are in right now is not the end of the story; God wants to write a new chapter. The devil knew God had a plan
for you; that's why he tried so hard to wipe you out. He doesn't want you to live long enough to fulfil it. There's
something good just over the horizon - something for your life, your marriage, your family, your career. God has
an appointed task for you to accomplish, and appointed blessings for you to enjoy. He has called you with an
eternal purpose and He will bring it to pass.
Peace

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The Bible is concerned only incidentally with the history of Israel or a system of ethics. It's concerned primarily with the story of redemption as it is in Jesus Christ. If you read the Scriptures and miss the story of salvation, you have missed its message and meaning. There have been those who have gone through the Bible and traced the story of Jesus: In Genesis He is the seed of the woman. In Exodus He is the Passover Lamb. In Leviticus He is the Atoning Sacrifice. In Numbers He is the Smitten Rock. In Deuteronomy He is the Greatest Prophet. In Joshua he is the Captain of the Lord's Host. In Judges He is the Deliverer. In Kings He is the Promised King. In Nehemiah He is the Restorer of the Nation. In Esther He is the Advocate. In Job He is my Redeemer. In Psalm s he is my Shepherd. In Ecclesiaste
He is my Goal. In the Song of Solomon He is my Satisfier. In the Books of the Prophets He is my Coming Prince of Peace. In the Gospels He is he One whio came to seek and save us. In Acts he is our Risen Lord. In Epistles He is our Representative at the Father's right hand. In Revelation He is our Returning Lord.
In an age of pop psychology and eclectic theology, the bedrock of our faith is still Christ's virgin birth, His sinless life, His atoning death, His victorious resurrection, His mediatorial work, and His visible return as King of Kings.
Christ - there's no one like Him!
Peace ...

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It is always a lot easier to stand on the sidelines and take pot-shots than to get involved and try to help.
The Bible repeatedly warns us not to criticise, compare, or condemn one another. When you judge what
someone else is doing in sincere faith, you are on dangerous ground with God.

What right do you have to judge someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they
are doing right ... (Romans 14:4 CEV).

Since you are their lord. you need to exercise wisdom and restraint. Refuse to stand in judgement on
those whose opinions differ from yours. Paul weighs in:

Why ... then criticise your brother's actions? We shall all be judged one day, not by each other's
standards or even by our own. but by the judgement of God. (Romans 14:10-11PHPS).

Whenever you take it upon yourself to analyse, scrutinise, and categorise one of God's children, four things happen:

1) You upset their Father.
2) You display your ego and insecurity.
3) You set the standard by which you yourself will be judged.
4) You alienate people. When you get a reputation for being critical, people will avoid you like a plague. They
know that if you criticise others you will criticise them too.

The Bible says:

Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault (Romans:14:19 TM).

Someone said,

The largest room in the world is room for improvement.

If you doubt that, look at the disciples Christ picked and promoted - then look in the mirror.

Peace

[letric]

Greetings in the precious name of Jesus - Personal Testimony

There have been pinpoints of time in every man's life, which have governed his destiny.
Accepting Jesus has been mine.

I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
and gave Himself for me."

This is the embodiment of my testimony.

Throughout the annal of history there has been no greater evidence of love compared with giving
one's life for another. In this world, irrespective of the depth of love, such as an expectation would
be considered to be mental, fanatical, or sick. Yet, Jesus was accepted without such titles. He died
so that we would have life everlasting, with the only request being that we believe He is the Son
of God, and accept Him as our personal saviour.

The acceptance of Jesus in your life makes you a changed person with life assuming a deeper meaning,
wider horizons, you now have someone with whom you are able to relate and to whom you can take
your cares and burdens, sharing all things. Yet, we are not prepared to do this, as He would have us
do, we unconsciously refuse to accept His Word, we would eventually find ourselves accepting all the
isms and dogmas which are preached throughout this planet earth subsequently believing that the
very existence of the teachings are nothing short of myths. We must guard against this. We must
remain constantly vigilant, being consistently aware that with each let up, we would be giving the
enemy what he seeks.

Walking in God's path consistently does not happen by coincidence or accident; it evolves commitment
to Jesus being the Lord of our lives, and a discipline to live with daily priorities. The most important
time in the day is the time we spend alone with God, making sure we are on the right path, waiting
on Him for direction in our lives, maintaining and abiding relationship in our daily lives.

I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me, and I in Him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Be obedient to the Spirit
Peace and Love
Letric

[letric]

Too many of us stand on the dock waiting. We want the ship in place, the gangplank perfectly
positioned, the weather right, and an engraved invitation before we are willing to launch out.
It will never happen! Dreams don't move toward us, we have to move toward them.

It's is time to quit waiting for perfection, inspiration, permission, reassurance, someone
to change, the right person to come along, the kids to leave home, an absence of risk,
someone to discover you, a clear set of instructions, more self-confidence, or the pain to
go away. Instead of saying "We've never done it before" say, "We have the the opportunity
to ber first" Instead of saying "We don't have the resources" say,"Necessity fuels invention."
Instead of saying There's not enough time; say, We'll change how we work instead.
Instead of saying, We've already tried that, say, We've learned from experience.
Instead of saying I can't, say, By God's grace I can!
Peace

[letric]

When it comes to charitable giving some individuals say,

That's Old Testament doctrine. What's the New Testament teaching?

Jesus launched His ministry saying:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor ... (Luke 4:18 NIV).

The New Testament church carried out Christ's mission of mercy on a daily basis.
All the believers ... shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
As a result, they experienced great joy (Acts 2:44-46 NLT).
You say,
Won't that leave me financially strapped?
No. Because of their compassion and generosity:
There was not a needy person among them ... (Acts 4:34 NAS).

The giver and the receiver were both blessed. The rules of God's kingdom are:
Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24-25 NLT).
It seems counter-intuitive, especially when you are struggling financially, but God promises that the generous will prosper. Your giving initiates God's giving back to you. So look for someone in need, give and watch it come back to you.
The Bible says,

The Lord blesses everyone who freely gives food to the poor (Proverbs 22:9 CEV)

.
He who give to the poor will lack for nothing.
Try it. Next time God nudges you to show compassion and give, do it. Then when you have a need, pray,
Lord, I have honoured You, now I believe You will honour me.

[letric]

Focusing solely on what you can do, without first deciding what kind of person you should be is a mistake.
Your talent may make your name known, but your character will determine what people you associate
with it. Your talent may dictate your potential, but your character will determine your legacy. What is
character? It's the will to do what is right, even when it is not easy. It's deciding ahead of time what's truly
non-negotiable. Count on it, the day will come when so-called progress calls for compromising your
convictions. In that moment, what hangs in the balance is your moral authority. So you must be clear
about your convictions. You'll be tempted to believe that once you reach a certain level of success, these
challenges disappear. No, success doesn't make anything easier, it just raises the stakes. What was once
applauded is now simply expected. It's a lot easier to win the title than defend it. Furthermore, with success
comes the inclination to see yourself as the final authority on right and wrong. Look around you and you'll
see that it's not uncommon to find leaders playing by different set of rules. Everything really does look different
from the top! Once intoxicated by success you start to believe that the rules don't apply to you. And that can
be fatal. In the final analysis your reputation is how you're known before God.
You say,

But why cling to something that's outdated or has the potential to slow me down?

The Bible answers:

This is what [God] requires ... to do what is right.

Peace

[letric]

Prejudice is the product of a lazy mind. It's contempt, prior to investigation. Your first
impression of someone is incomplete and often inaccurate. Don't assume your intuition
is always right. Don't make lasting decisions based on limited in sights. Your success in
life will be adversely affected by prejudice, fear and any form of discrimination you allow
to colour your thinking. Jesus never determined a person's worth based on their race,
gender, financial status or appearance. He was comfortable in the presence of fishermen
and tax collectors. He was at ease with the rich and the poor. He knew that every person
He met had potential and He never looked down on them because of their past. Born to
a mother who conceived Him as a virgin. He knew what it meant to have a questionable
background and be subject to the rumour mill. But He rose above it. And He broke tradition.

The Samaritans were considered such a lower class of people that Jews wouldn't talk to
them. But Jesus did. In fact, He went out of His way to meet with a five-times-divorced
Samaritan woman, discussing the mysteries of worship with her and changing her life.
When Peter, who struggled with prejudice, was called to introduce the gospel to the first
group of Gentiles, he had to acknowledge,

I perceive that God is no respecter of pesons.

That day God dealt with some of Peter's deep-seated biases. And He will deal with yours
too! If
God so loved the world,
but you don't, how can yiou claim to be godly?

[letric]

The Bible says,

Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter, For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God ... (vv. 15-17 NKJV)

.

When Satan attacks you for doing God's will, it's both a compliment and a sign of respect. Clearly you're a high-
value target and you represent a threat to his kingdom. But when you suffer as a result of your own foolishness,
there's only one thing to do acknowledge it and repent. Don't say you're are being attacked for being a Christian
when you are really being attacked for being a busybody. Note the words murderer and busybody, and make
the connection! When you speak evil of someone and are persecuted for it, you're not suffering for the Lord,
you're suffering the consequences of your own behaviour. So what should you do? Go back and deal with it,
saying, I was wrong. Don't try to act spiritual and say, Well, I just don't understand why they don't like
me. Yes you do! You can't do what's wrong, try to vindicate yourself then claim God's promises. It doesn't work
that way. The time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God. It begins with you. God says,

If you fix yourself, I won't have to fix you. I only fix people who refuse to fix themselves,

Don't wait for consequences to bring you to your knees.
Peace ...

[letric]

The moment somebody starts to gossip stop them and ask,

Why do I need to know this? Have you talked to the person you're talking about?

People who gossip can't be trusted!! The Bible says that when you listen to gossip you are a trouble-
maker:

Troublemakers listen to troublemakers.

And Jude adds:

These people who divide you, people whose thoughts are only of this world ... (Jude v.19 NCV).

Those are serious charges. And the Internet has only made the problem worse because now you can
spread gossip faster and wider, and remain anonymous while you are doing it. Paul speaks about those who

devour one another ... (Galatians 5:15 AMP).

He says they should be avoided and disciplined. When was the last time you saw this happen in church?
Solomon said,

A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babble (Proverbs 20:19 NRS).

The quickest way to end gossip is to confront those who are spreading it. The church is not a tell all
television show where we expose people and hang out their dirty linen for all the world to see. Quite the
opposite:

Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and tensions disappear when gossip stops (Proverbs 26:20 TLB).

Jesus taught us how to deal with personal difficulties when they arise:

1) ... Work it out between the two of you
2) If he (she) won't listen, take one or two
3) If he (she) still won't listen, tell the church (leadership) (Mathew 18: 15-17 TM).

That's Christ's way, and it must be our way too,
Peace

[letric]

Jesus said,

... Here on earth you will have many trials ... (John 16:33 NLT)

You solve one problem, and another one comes along to take its place They are not all big, but they're all
necessary to your spiritual growth. How do you assess the strength of something? By testing it! The Bible
says,

,,, Don't be ... shocked that you are going through testing ... it will prepare you ...
(1 Peter 4: 12-13 CEV)

.

Some of your most life enriching experiences will come during your worst moments - when your heart is
broken, when you feel abandoned, when you're out of options, when your pain levels go through the roof -
and you turn to God. That's when you learn to pray heartfelt, honest -to-God prayers. When you're in pai
you don't have the energy for superficial ones. And that's when you discover,

The Lord is close to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18 NLT).

God could have kept Joseph out of prison, Daniel out of the lion's den, Jeremiah out of the slimy pit, and
Paul from being shipwrecked, but He didn't. As a result, each one of them was drawn closer to God and
depend on Him instead of yourself. This is especially hard on super achievers like Paul.

We ... saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything
into the hands of God, who alone could save us ... (2 Corinthians 1:9 TLB).

You'll never know what God can do until Go is all you've got. So place your needs into His capable, loving
hands, and watch what happens.

Try it ...

[letric]

To overcome the fear of loneliness you must:

1) Understand who you are. Let scientists argue about whether or not there was a big bang. If there was,
you were not the result of it! Nor did you descend from an amoeba in a pond. You are fearfully and wonderfully
made (Psalm 139:14). Made in His own image (Genesis 1:27). God didn't assign your creation to His most
powerful angels. You're a hands-on, made-to-order, one-of-a-kind product. As a redeemed child of God you are His

... workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works ... (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

Believe that and stand on it - regardless of your feelings or your social status.

2) Understand who God is. He calls Himself your Heavenly Father, not just your creator and designer. Your
creator and designer refer to what He does; your Father refers to who He is.

He will be called Wonderful Counsellor Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
(Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

.

These aren't His roles, they're His proper names. They are capitalised in Scripture because they are what you are to
call Him! When Jesus taught us to pray He didn't begin with

O, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.

Yes, He's all of those, but when it comes to us He wants to be recognised and called Father (Mathew 6:9). That's
how He thinks about us, and wants us to think and feel about Him. Father is meant to convey warmth, security,
acceptance, concern, provision, etc. He's your Father - when you grasp the truth of that you will begin to overcome
the fear of loneliness.
Trust me...

[letric]

As a leader you'll be called upon to make decisions regarding relationships, money, time, values
opportunities and disputes. And your decisions will shown up on the bottom line. There in the
clear light of day, your leadership will be judged. And there's something else you need to know;
in that realm it takes longer to recognise your brilliance or stupidity, because you're forced to
lead for long periods of time without the benefit of knowing if you made the right call. By the time
your crop starts coming in, it's too late to change your agricultural procedure. You have to wait
until the next season of planting. When it comes to leadership, uncertainty is a permanent part
of all progress; it never goes away! Furthermore, uncertainty isn't an indication of poor leadership,
it just underscores the need for it; it's the environment in which good leadership is most often
discovered. As a leader you may think you should always know what to do, but in reality there will
be few occasions when you are absolutely certain. It's why King Jehoshaphat prayed,

We do not know what to do, but we are constantly looking at you for help

.

Since you'll constantly be called on to make decisions with limited information, your goal should be
to eliminate uncertainty but to develop the ability to trust God and be courageous and clear in spite of
it. It's not your job to remove uncertainty; it's your job to inspire clarity, faith and progress in the
midst of it. When you can do that, you are learning to be a leader.
Peace ...

[letric]

In order to thrive in uncertain territory you must be able to do the following things:

1) Understand your certainty quotient. Think back to your last big decision that turned out right. How
certain were you? Eighty per cent? Fifty percent? If your best decisions are usually at the 75 percent
mark, that's your certainty quotient. When you reach that point, it's time to stop debating and start
moving.

2) Express your uncertainty with confidence. Never look at successful people and assume that single-
handedly and with no hesitation, they fearlessly navigated the currents of uncertainty. No, they just
understood that with each step, answers would be given. So instead of pretending to know more than
you do, begin to encourage a culture of transparency that fosters the free exchange of ideas. When you
don't know, just say, I don't know, but I'll try to find out.

3)Consult others. King Solomon wrote more about seeking counsel than any other writer in the Bible. Do
kings need good input? Yes, absolutely! And only those with the humility to acknowledge it ever prosper.

4) Measure your success by the scoreboard, not by the playbook. Every good coach goes into a game with
a game plan, but he is willing to change it in order to win. Pencil in your plans, but write your vision in ink!
Good leaders, like good coaches, are often forced to abandon or amend some of their plans in order to deliver
on the vision. The ones who do are the ones who reach their destination.
Peace...