Discover yourself in frustration.

NCC Sermon 28th Nov 2010

Text: Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Psa 88:9 blinded by tears of pain and frustration. I call to you, GOD; all day I call. I wring my hands, I plead for help. 10 Are the dead a live audience for your miracles? Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you? 11 Does your love make any difference in a graveyard? Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell? 12 Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark, your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory? 13 I'm standing my ground, GOD, shouting for help, at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak. 14 Why, GOD, do you turn a deaf ear? Why do you make yourself scarce? 15 For as long as I remember I've been hurting; I've taken the worst you can hand out, and I've had it (msg)

This passage reads like an extract from the pages of the book of most people’s lives. I know, I can recognize with so much of it.

The pain and frustration of rebellious children, the worry and anxiety about making ends meet, the loss of employment, the marriage that has fallen apart, the illness that eats away at life itself.

So many times we plead with God, asking Him to turn fate around, to take away the heartache and the tears and the concern, and when we wake up the next morning – same situation, nothing seems to be getting any better, as a matter of fact it seems to be getting worse.

Why? What’s up with this?

David experienced all of the above, running and hiding in caves like a wild animal fleeing from the hunter.

Yet, he continued in his faith in God. Yes he did say “For as long as I remember I've been hurting; I've taken the worst you can hand out, and I've had it”, but still, he did not give up, still he did not surrender to the depression and the fear.

Why not? Why did he continue?

Mic 7:9 I can take GOD's punishing rage. I deserve it--I sinned. But it's not forever. He's on my side and is going to get me out of this. He'll turn on the lights and show me his ways. I'll see the whole picture and how right he is. 10 And my enemy will see it, too, and be discredited--yes, disgraced! This enemy who kept taunting, "So where is this GOD of yours?" I'm going to see it with these, my own eyes-- my enemy disgraced, trash in the gutter. 11 Oh, that will be a day! A day for rebuilding your city, a day for stretching your arms, spreading your wings!

Maybe David did not know this prophet and maybe David did not have the promise of the New Testament and maybe he did not meet Jesus, but he knew, oh yes, he knew.

Ø He knew that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob made a covenant and he knew that God is not a man and that God does not lie and that God is faithful and true.

Ø David knew that this life and all the challenges form a small speck in the greater scheme of things. He knew that without faith it is impossible to please God and he knew that God will not leave us never forsake us.

For a time we may experience hardship and contention, but it will not last.

Jesus took the book of the prophet and read from it

Luk 4:17 he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, 18 God's Spirit is on me; he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, 19 to announce, "This is God's year to act!" 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. 21 Then he started in, "You've just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place."

Challenges and test and trials will come.

How do we learn to endure:

We need to go and find out who we are.

1 Rise up (rather be a wet water walker than a dry boatsitter) Abraham packed his belongings, Ruth followed her mother in law,

2 Discover your true identity (read the Word, Jesus did)

3 Face the challenge – allow God`s Spirit to lead you (David faced Goliath, Samson faced the crowd, Moses faced the people, Jesus faced the cross)

4 Be willing to make sacrifices – Pentecost was always honored but only after sacrifice the power of God became truly manifest (we need to lose to win)

5 Do not give up. (never, never, never surrender) Nehemiah called on God. Joseph stuck it out, Isaac wrestled with God.

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Jesus fulfilled the prophecy, He came to set us free from all of this. But, I believe the key lies in this:

Luk 4:20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent.

Ø Every eye should always and intentionally be “on Him”, never wavering, never turning away, always focused on the One who sets us free.

Maybe the cash flow won’t change, maybe the kids will remain rebellious, but I have a friend and a comforter, who helps me understand, who holds may hand, encouraging me telling me “you will make it”

Ø Holding on to His hand, I can walk on the waters of life, the stuff that wants to drown me. I have the worlds number one life-guard holding my hand, helping me to navigate it all.

Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Sort it out

Dr Joseph Fletcher, Dean of St Paul`s Cathedral in in Cincinnati, Ohio, wrote a book in the early 60`s entitled: Situation Ethics.

He says that "Love should be the only measure against which we should distinguish between right and wrong" If we fail - the result being natural ethical chaos. Everyone will then have their own values, which may change from situation to situation. To make matters worse, there is a tendency to always excuse oneself, we judge ourselves only with good intent - whilst we judge others against a stern measuring rod and based on their `bad behavior`. The person stealing stationary from the office, or who cheats on his income tax returns, expects to be treated fairly from the very same employer or the client he deals with.

It is so easy to condemn people whom we feel have acted unethically, especially if we have been on the receiving end. It`s way more difficult to make the ethically correct choice when it concerns ourselves. When you move on the edge of honesty, you need be acutely aware that you may slip and fall off at any moment. It may be possible to fool some people for a while, but eventually the dishonesty will surface. Honesty may for a while seem like a lost cause, however, double standards will eventually lead to a fall. Short-cuts and lies eventually overtakes.

Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

The sad part of acting in such a way is that in our attempts at validating ourselves and desire to make the other party seem `evil`, we lead those who want to listen to our woes, down a path of misery themselves.

They listen to our stories, agree with our diatribes without having all the facts at hand and they then themselves become involved in sin. They slander, they agree with our cries for vengeance, they accuse and yet........ they don`t even know the full truth.

Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

The Scriptures are so clear - if you have a problem with someone - take it up with him - do not go public and see how many people will agree with you before they know the truth. This may lead to your own embarrassment and humiliation - something that can and should be avoided, for your own sake.

Sadly we run to those who will lend an ear.

The other side of the same coin - we often listen to the woes and stories of our fellowman, and we are quick to agree with them and to raise an opinion, before having heard both sides of an event.

1Ti 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

Before we condemn and judge, we should ensure that we have all the facts and all the information, before we bring condemnation on ourselves, by standing in agreement with a false accuser.

As Christians we should always endeavour to walk in the lines of guidance, presented to us in Scripture.

Follow the Word of God and it`s instruction rather than the word of the accuser.

SELF-SABOTAGE

‘Before you can empower the reality of being fulfilled and complete, you have to stop empowering the reality that you are not …’ (Anonymous)

If you have the desire, skill and knowledge to achieve something but you are not achieving it, you are probably ’sabotaging‘ yourself. Subconscious beliefs that you are not good enough and that you don’t deserve what you set out to achieve will prevent you from being successful.

Breaking your diet, procrastination, failed relationships, and so on, are all typical symptoms of self-sabotage.

Jos 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous so that you may be careful to do according to all the Law which My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may act wisely wherever you go. 8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it by day and by night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall act wisely.

You destroy your confidence by your own behavior patterns when you start a project and give up after a while. The same thing happens when you think of many reasons why you can’t do something—for instance, go to gym on a particular day—because you find something ‘more urgent or more important’ to do instead. This type of behavior causes negative thoughts and self-talk such as ‘I’ll never be able to do this’ or ‘I’m so useless…’ Your motivation and self-esteem drop every time this happens.

Phi 4:8 Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.

We create our own experiences. When people treat you badly or constantly reject you, you need to ask yourself whether you are subconsciously asking to be treated that way ‘because you don’t deserve better’ or ‘because you’re not good enough.’ You ‘ask for it’ non-verbally and subconsciously. The fact is that people will treat you the way you subconsciously want to be treated. Encouraging others to treat you with disrespect so that you can be a victim is prime self-sabotaging behavior.

Gal 6:8 For he sowing to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh. But he sowing to the Spirit will reap life everlasting from the Spirit. 9 But we should not lose heart in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not faint.

Symptoms of self-sabotage:

Dissatisfaction with life
A desire for drama or crisis
Addictive behaviour
Weight loss with equal or more weight gain afterwards
Excessive worrying
Procrastination
Depression or mood swings
Putting yourself down
Lack of trust in people or in your own abilities
Inability to finish things
The need to be in an abusive relationship
Jeopardising or destroying good relationships, jobs, etc.

How to reverse or eliminate self-sabotaging behavior

You need to be completely honest with yourself about your behavior. Not admitting that you have a problem is also self-sabotage. You must intend to change your behavior.

But intending alone is not enough. Set goals—with detailed steps to be taken and diarised deadlines. Work with a coach or close friend who will hold you accountable and monitor your progress.

Our behavior is governed by our perceptions and beliefs.

Jer 29:11 For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

If you want to change your behavior, you need to change your beliefs regarding a situation or issue. If you don’t know how to uncover your beliefs - that drive the behaviors that do not serve you - you need to seek help from a good coach, counselor or therapist because they are trained to help people change their limiting perceptions and beliefs.

When we know better we do better!

Strategize Your Success

Jos 1:7 Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. 8 And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. 9 Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. GOD, your God, is with you every step you take."

An internet dictionary defines success as ‘an event that accomplishes its intended purpose’ and ‘a state of prosperity or fame’. What is your definition of success? Do you measure your success by your bank balance or the size of your house, or perhaps by the status you have managed to achieve?

Passion

The truth is that, even if you have all the material possessions anyone could possibly want but you are not a happy person, you have some more work to do. Life is too short to spend it merely going through the motions of making a living. You need to find a way of making enough money from doing what you love best—your passion. The resulting happiness, joy and boundless energy will affect every aspect of your life in a positive way.

Do you know what your passion is?
Passion is the limitless enthusiasm and profound excitement you feel when you ‘just know’ intuitively that you simply have to do a particular activity for the rest of your life because it was ‘meant for you’! Successful people are driven by the overwhelming flow of energy they get from living and experiencing their passion.

Mat 5:5 "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

Many successful people are successful because they found ways to turn their much-loved hobbies into highly successful businesses. Maybe you can turn your hobby into a business! When you do something that you are totally passionate about, you don’t need self-discipline to do it—you just want to spend most of your time doing it—and you want do it to the best of your ability. What an amazing recipe for success!

Plan your success

Successful people write their strategies down. Unless you have clearly defined long- and short-term goals, your efforts will be aimless. In fact, you may end up with dozens of uncompleted projects and feelings of total frustration. Writing your goals down helps you to organize your thoughts, and puts things in perspective. Once you have all the steps worked out and written down in the correct order, with diarised deadlines for each step, your plan will come together.

Hab 2:2 And then GOD answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. 3 This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming--it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time.

It is very important to remember that without diarised deadlines your strategy will forever remain just a strategy—a strategy which will have no results unless you take action. Taking action is the most important step of any strategy!

You need to identify and acknowledge all possible obstacles, in order to find the best way to overcome each of them. These obstacles may be internal or external: internal obstacles may be your own prejudices, your fears, a lack of support, low self-esteem, and so on, and external obstacles may be things like lack of resources, or training, or space.

Successful people align their words, thoughts and actions by picturing and experiencing their success through positive affirmation (see a following section for more detail on this), ‘self-talk’ (thoughts), and visualization techniques (imagining). You need to speak, think and act in unity to achieve your goals. If you say you want to lose weight but your self-talk is: ‘This is too hard’, and the picture you see in your mind is of a ‘fat failure’, you will not take the necessary action to lose weight. What you concentrate on you draw to you.

Successful people don’t just talk—they do. They take risks, and they don’t give up when they make mistakes—they simply do it better the next time. It is also true that most successful people have excellent time-management skills, which helps them prioritize all their activities, tasks, projects, meetings and events—whether planned or unplanned.

To ensure the successful accomplishment of your strategy and goals, follow these easy steps:

Decide what you want. Start with the end in mind—your ultimate goal.

Write down each goal as a significant future event or behavior. Be very specific about what you want. Say, for example: ‘I want a highly successful gardening service business (significant future event) that will provide me with an income of R60 000.00 per month by December 2011, so that in 2020 we will be able to afford to live comfortably and retire well.’

Your goals must be measurable. Be very specific. For instance, instead of: ‘I want to earn more money’, say: ‘I want to earn R80 000 per month by November 2007.’ This will help you to keep track of your progress.

Set deadlines for achieving your goals. Set deadlines for achieving your goals. Commit to specific dates. This way you will act with more urgency—and remember that the dates must be written down.

Always have a written-down strategy. Consider all the possible obstacles and write down steps for overcoming each one.

Plan your goals—step by step. Consider what, how, when, where, with whom and why, and write down your answers.

Create goals which you can control. Own your goals—they are yours.

Find the right support. Associate with other successful people.

Hire the services of a personal coach to whom you can be accountable.

Reward yourself. Write down rewards for yourself for every achieved step. It will inspire you to keep going and, besides, you will deserve it!

Missed deadlines

If a deadline comes and you haven’t reached your goal yet, you need to re?assess the situation. Sometimes things out of your control will happen and prevent you from moving forward, but usually you can see such a problem coming and can take timely action to prevent it from derailing your plans completely.

If you have not achieved your goal—or some step towards your goal—because you procrastinated, you need to examine your reasons for procrastinating (see Procrastination elsewhere in this book). Be completely honest with yourself and re?examine your desire to achieve the goal. Sometimes you will simply have changed your mind—and that is not a problem if you genuinely no longer want to achieve the goal.

If you changed your mind for any of the reasons mentioned in the Procrastination section of this book, then you need to treat it as an obstacle, and work out what steps to take in order to overcome it. This will help you to get the energy flowing again and get you back on track. Speak to someone you trust, or hire their services

Behavior of Leaders

Joh 21:15 Then when they broke fast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. 16 He said to him the second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My sheep. 17 He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him a third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things, You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.

Upon reading this passage of Scripture, it triggered the following thoughts for me.

Our behavior is governed by our beliefs. In other words, if you want to change someone’s behavior, you need to change his or her beliefs about the situation. Insight creates new perspectives – and different behavior. Once you know better – you do better.

The following are crucial elements of behavior needed to be a great leader. If you make an effort to understand the need for each of them it will change your experience as a leader:

Integrity

Integrity is the most important value of any leader. Without integrity everything else is for naught.

Jam 5:12 But before all things, my brothers, do not swear; neither by the heaven nor by the earth, nor any other oath. But let your yes be yes, and your no, no, lest you fall into condemnation.

Emotional maturity

Always remain in control of your emotions. Never shout or even raise your voice - even if you feel very upset or angry. An emotionally mature person will make every effort to remain in control of their thoughts, words and actions.

1Co 13:11 When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I thought as an infant, I reasoned as an infant. But when I became a man, I did away with the things of an infant.

Lead by example

One of the most effective techniques in the art of influencing others is to act in the way that you would like them to act. If you would like people to work harder, then you need to work harder. If you want people to be more professional, then you need to constantly display professional behavior.

Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

Lend a helping hand

Work with your staff when they need help. This behavior will gain you the respect you need as their leader.

Ecc 4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he does not have another to help him.

Fairness

Treat everyone equally well and on merit. Do not single people out unless they have truly earned it.

Psa 112:4 To the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious and full of pity and righteousness. 5 A good man shows favor, and lends; he will guide his business with fairness. 6 Surely he shall not be moved forever; the righteous shall be remembered forever.

Bad behavior

A great leader disapproves of unethical or unprofessional conduct and will not hesitate to take remedial action against someone should the circumstances require it.

Pro 10:13 In the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found; but a rod is for the back of him who is without understanding. 14 Wise ones store up knowledge; but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.

Listen

Great leaders listen to their staff before expressing their feelings or point of view. Listening requires that you make an effort to truly understand what the other person is saying before jumping to conclusions or taking action.

Pro 4:1 Sons, hear the instruction of a father, and listen in order to know understanding.

Responsibility and accountability

Always accept responsibility and blame for your team's mistakes. Never blame a team member or single anyone out when things go wrong. Take corrective action immediately and discuss it with the person who made the mistake afterwards without anger or blaming or shaming them.

Deu 30:19 I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live,

Praise and credit

Praise your staff when something was done well and always give credit to the team for your successes.

Rom 13:7 Therefore give to all their dues; to the one due tax, the tax; tribute to whom tribute is due, fear to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due.

Self-promotion

When your team does well, you will automatically get the credit higher up in the organization - it won’t be necessary to steal the thunder.

Pro 27:1 Do not boast yourself of tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another man praise you, and not your mouth; a stranger, and not your lips.

Support

Support your team constantly. Accept responsibility when things go wrong but never put anyone down. Make sure that the team member who caused a problem rectifies their mistake without taking steps against them. Obviously if mistakes are repeated or very serious mistakes happen, it should be addressed – clearly and firmly but with respect.

1Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brothers, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. 15 See that none gives evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue the good, both towards one another and towards all.

Be decisive

Great leaders are known for their fair and balanced decisions. Fear sometimes stops us from making decisions. If there is any hesitation you probably need more information in order to make the decision. An informed decision is always the best decision.

Pro 24:5 A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge increases strength. 6 For by wise counsel you shall make your war; and in a multitude of wise men there is safety.

Opinions

Ask for people's views, but remain neutral and objective.

Feedback

Giving constructive feedback is essential but be sensitive and compassionate when giving bad news or criticism.

Keep your promises

Always do what you say you will do.

Become competent

Work hard to become competent at what you do technically, and at understanding your staff’s technical abilities and challenges.

Motivate

Encourage your staff every step of the way to grow and learn at a pace that they can cope with.

Be positive

Always accentuate the positive. Use positive language. Say: “Do it like this” instead of “Don't do it like that”.

Be friendly and encourage others to be happy and enjoy themselves.

Relax - and give your staff and yourself time to get to know and respect each other.

Keep records

Take notes and keep good records.

Plan and prioritise

Manage your time well and help your staff to do the same.

Collaborate

Involve your staff in your thinking and decision-making processes - especially when managing change.

Self-development

Develop your self constantly. Read good books and take advice from good people to help develop an understanding of your own and other people’s weaknesses.

Strive to achieve the organisation’s goals and objectives

Make every effort to achieve your organisation’s goals and objectives but never at the cost of your integrity or the trust of your staff.

A Different road NCC sermon: 21 Nov 2010

Mat 2:11 And coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother. And they fell down and worshiped Him. And opening their treasures, they presented gifts to Him, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13 And when they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and His mother and flee into Egypt. And be there until I bring you word, for Herod is about to seek the child to destroy Him.

The followers of Christ travel by a different road.

The wise men traveled by a different road as they left Bethlehem because of a divine communication that came to them.

Wise men who come to Jesus Christ today travel a different road thereafter because of the divine gift of a new nature and because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, which is the gift of God to those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Gal 4:5 That he might make them free who were under the law, and that we might be given the place of sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, saying, Abba, Father. 7 So that you are no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, then the heritage of God is yours.)

The different road that the disciples are to follow as a result of letting Jesus Christ become Lord is demonstrated and clarified in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

He shows at least four different ways in which we are to walk.

We are to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Eph. 4:1). The apostle is affirming that belief in Jesus Christ as Lord should result in behavior that is worthy of one's new relationship to God.

Believers are to respond to the highest and best that is within them because they have received through the new-birth experience the new nature that comes from God.

This new nature is to be worked out in actual experi­ence and is to result in good works that magnify and glorify God (Phi 2:12 So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts; 13 For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure.)

We are to "walk in love" (Eph. 5:2).

The love of which Paul speaks is agape love, the God-kind of love that expresses itself in a persistent, unbreak­able spirit of goodwill toward others.

This kind of love can demonstrate kindness and helpfulness even toward the most unattractive.

This imperative does not call for an emotional attraction, but for a Christian response both to those inside the faith and to those outside the family of God.

We are to "walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8). Verse 9 explains what this means: "(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)" (NIV).

To walk in the light is to walk conscious of the fact that we are always in God's presence.

It means to walk in complete transparency. It means to walk differently from the ungodly world.

We are to walk in wisdom rather than in foolishness (v. 15).

Followers of Christ are to watch their step and not follow the ways of foolishness and stu­pidity that lead to self-destruction and to harmfulness to others.

To accomplish this we must continually seek to know the mind of God.

We can do this best by listening to the words of Jesus Christ and not only hear him, but heed him (Matt. 7:24-27).

Helen Keller wrote, "If we trust, if we relinquish our will and yield to the Divine will, then we find that we are afloat on a buoyant sea of peace and under us are the everlasting arms."

Moody said, "Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity." Luther gave a similar testimony when he said, "I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."

What do we still have in our lives, that would come between us and God, that would prevent us from walking in the fullness of His blessing, His presence in our daily walk?

Is there something that we need to lay aside, something to put away and out of our lives, to experience His power?

Unwillingness to forgive,

pride, arrogance,

the little `white lie`,

the doubt.

It is so easy to allow something, to creep in, to get a foothold, thereby preventing us to walk in His fullness.

7 Principles of an Eagle

1. Eagles fly alone at a high altitude and not with sparrows or mix with other smaller birds. Birds of a feather flock together. No other bird goes to the height of the eagle. Eagles fly with eagles. Never in a flock. Even when Moses (Old Testament Bible) went to commune with God on the mountain, he left the crowd at the foothills. Stay away from sparrows and ravens. Eagles fly with eagles.

2. Eagles have strong vision, which focuses up to 5 kilometers from the air. When an eagle sites prey- even a rodent from this distance, he narrows his focus on it and sets out to get it. No matter the obstacle, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it. Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle and you will succeed.

3. Eagles do not eat dead things. He feeds on fresh prey. Vultures eat dead animals but not eagles. Steer clear of outdated and old information. Do your research well always.

4. The Eagle is the only bird that loves the storm. When clouds gather, the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the wings of the storm to rise and is pushed up higher. Once it finds the wing of the storm, the eagle stops flapping and uses the pressure of the raging storm to soar the clouds and glide. This gives the eagle an opportunity to rest its wings. In the meantime all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees. We can use the storms of our lives (obstacles, trouble, etc) to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.

5. The Eagle tests before it trusts. When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate, she flies down to earth with the male pursing her and she picks a twig. She flies back into the air with the male pursuing her. Once she has reached a height high enough for her, she lets the twig fall to the ground and watches it as it falls. The male chases after the twig. The faster it falls, the faster he chases until he reaches it and has to catch it before it falls to the ground, then bring it back to the female eagle. The female eagle grabs the twig and flies to a much higher altitude pursued by the male until she perceives it high enough, and then drops the twig for the male to chase. This goes on for hours, with the height increasing until the female eagle is assured that the male eagle has mastered the art of picking the twig which shows commitment, then and only then, will she allow him to mate with her! Whether in private life or in business, one should test commitment of people intended for partnership.

6. Eagles prepare for training. When about to lay eggs, the female and male eagle identify a place very high on a cliff where no predators can reach; the male flies to earth and picks thorns and lays them on the crevice of the cliff, then flies to earth again to collect twigs which he lays in the intended nest. He flies back to earth picks thorns and lays them on top of the twigs. He flies back to earth and picks soft grass to cover the thorns, and then flies back to pick rugs to put on the grass. When this first layering is complete the male eagle runs back to earth and picks more thorns, lays them on the nest; runs back to get grass and rugs and lays them on top of the thorns, then plucks his feathers to complete the nest. The thorns on the outside of the nest protect it from possible intruders. Both male and female eagles participate in raising the eagle family. She lays the eggs and protects them; he builds the nest and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly, the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest and because they are scared, they jump into the nest again. Next, she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest, leaving the thorns bare. When the scared eaglets jump into the nest again, they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them. Next, mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air.

As they shriek in fear, father eagle flies out and picks them up on his back before they fall, and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly and not fall at such a fast rate.

The father and mother eagle supports them with their wings.

The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes;

The preparation for the family teaches us that active participation of both partners leads to success;

The being pricked by the thorns tells us that sometimes being too comfortable where we are may result into our not experiencing life, not progressing and not learning at all. The thorns of life come to teach us that we need to grow, get out of the nest and love on. We may not know it but the seemingly comfortable and safe haven may have thorns;

The people who love us do not let us languish in sloth but push us hard to grow and prosper. Even in their seemingly bad actions they have good intentions for us.

7. When the Eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as he should. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out. We occasionally need to shed off old habits & items that burden us without adding to our lives...

”As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:” -Deuteronomy 32:11

1Ki 8:56 Praise be to the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, as he gave them his word to do; every word of all his oath, which he gave by the hand of Moses his servant, has come true. 57 Now may the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; let him never go away from us or give us up; 58 Turning our hearts to himself, guiding us to go in all his ways, to keep his orders and his laws and his decisions, which he gave to our fathers.

Doubt and unbelief, will be eradicated from our lives, once we purposefully decide to follow the instruction of the Word.

This does not happen by itself, it is the result of a conscious decision.

Joh 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. 8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples. 9 As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.