WaR

It's an interesting thing to think about how the Bible say's that we do not war in the physical, but in the spiritual realm.  This brings me to the question, what hope is there without God? How does a man intend to fight off a demon without God? Here's something I don't understand, how is it that people can be engaged in spiritual warfare and not even know it? How is it that someone can say that there are demons, then turn around and say that there is no God?

Psalms 14 says that, "the fool has said in his heart there is no God",  now I understand this, however how could you possibly say that you don't believe when you are watching the war, when you can see the affects taking place in front of you? How can you explain good and evil for that matter without God? Where do they come from? There has to be moral absolutes in life, if not every atrocity is justified, because there is no difference between right and wrong, making it so Hitler did absolutely nothing wrong. Now that is completely insane, we all know that there is a difference between right and wrong, we all know that murder is wrong so obviously there are moral absolutes. So if there has to be a moral absolute, who set the bar?

So we know God exists, we know that he has power and dominion, but this brings up a whole new topic, why are Christians so afraid? You know I once heard a man say that fear is a shadow, that it can't actually hurt you. Now I love that, but fear can grip you, it can hold you back, it can cost you your future if you let it. There is so much power behind fear, that if you don't take control of it, it will master you, and can ultimately force you to become something you never wanted to be. It may be just a shadow, but that shadow can cripple you. Here's something to think about though, who places fear on you?

Did you ever think that maybe the devil is trying to keep you down because he knows that you are meant to do something great? Could it be that God has a plan so awesome for you, that it makes old lucy shiver in fear? If the Devil sees all that potential lying dormant inside of you, of coarse he is going to try to shut you up, I mean why wouldn't he, he doesn't want you to succeed. The Devil certainly doesn't want you to allow God to use you to do the impossible, so he tries to stop you, with a tool called fear. I would have to say that next to confusion, it would have to be one of his greatest tactics, because so many people fail to take control, which just allows fear to lye dormant in them, which is a door that the devil will use to speak doubt, confusion, distrust, anger, depression, and even hate into you. The list of things that the devil could try to bring in through that gate could go on, and on, but I'd rather not focus on the doom and gloom anymore, but instead, what does God say. 

What does the Bible say? Does it not say that, "He has placed all things under his(in reference to mankind's) feet"...

 Does it not say that, "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord"... or when it says that, "at the name of Jesus, every knee must bow" 

When reading throughout the Bible, you can see that God has given us authority, so why don't we use it? If your not pushing for God, who are you pushing for? If you have the authority to cast out fear, why would you live in it? If you have the authority to cast out any evil spirit in the name of Jesus, why would you let it(lust, hate, depression, etc)  have power over you?  

God loves you!!!!  He has given you all power and authority through his son Jesus Christ to take authority over evil spirits, over fear, over anything. In the name of Jesus... well the Bible says it best in Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength." and never forget John 8:36 "He who the son has set free, is free indeed." 

God Loves you!!!

Hope this spoke to you in some way. 

Be Blessed  

Dan Michno

Forgetting

Forgetting

It’s interesting to me to think about how quick people can forget. Someone has something great happen to them, like an amazing experience, something supernatural, and over time, they seem to just let it go. Everyone is so quick to bring up the Israelites, and how they were stuck in the desert for 40 years because of there doubting and complaining, are we much different?

So many times I see people go and have an authentic encounter, where there lives are impacted, and over time they grow numb to it. They seem to ignore what happened, or try to call it an emotional high. At the same time, you could look at how many people deceive themselves into thinking that they can claim, “I’m a Christian” and live like everyone else. Clearly ignoring 2nd Corinthians 6 where it says, “come out and be separate says the Lord”… how does this happen?

You know what’s interesting to think about, it was only 40 days. It was only 40 days from the time where the Israelites saw the mountain covered in smoke, saw the fire, heard the thunder and lighting because God was moving; to where they made a golden calf to be an idol. 40 days after seeing God work miracles, the Israelites forget what happened. You can read in Exodus 32 how Aaron, who was Moses’ right hand guy, was the man who molded the idol for the Israelites after only 40 days. How could that happen? In the same way, how is it we can go to a camp, and get radically touched, only to forget about it after a couple weeks? How can we go to church and get transformed on a Sunday, then go and smoke a joint on Monday? How can we take our eye off the prize so easily after seeing God move?

I think the biggest thing is we get distracted. It’s easy to get distracted, in fact, it’s natural to get distracted. Why is it natural to get distracted? Well lets think about this, there’s this dude, he hates you, wants the very worst for you, and he sees that you have caught something that will change your life, and make it worth something. Do you really think he’s going to want to sit back and watch you reach for the stars? No, of coarse not, he’s going to throw every curve ball he can at you. He will try to overcome your emotions, might even throw you into some weird situations, because he hates you. He wants you to loose so bad, that he will give you something that seems kind of good, just to keep you away from this amazing plan God has for your life. Unfortunately, the scar of the church today is too often, we give in. It’s crazy how your mess will mess up your identity. Think about how many people you know are insecure, could even be one of your weaknesses, and how it cripples them; it consumes there mind, you can see it through how they talk, and it determines how they live. Here’s a crazy thought, you don’t have to fall back. How about you turn your mess, into a message.

Satan is real folks, and guess what, he’s totally content with you being a silent, back row, Christian. Someone who likes to live decent on Sunday, then walks through, and lives like, hell for the rest of the week. That kind of person will never have a real affect on anything, so the devil really isn’t intimidated by that. But when little old satan sees some kid, with a fire in his eyes, the look like he wants to take over the world for Jesus. That kind of look makes the devil a little nervous. That’s why he tries to hit you so hard right after your experience, because he knows that he needs to get you to fall quickly, because if you can keep this fire going, you will be unshakable. So he does everything in his power to make you doubt, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, so you murmur and complain, preventing God from taking action. Sounds kind of like the Israelites, here's something to ponder on, easy doesn't make you happy...

It breaks my heart to watch people lower their convictions, for a piece of temporary pleasure that ends up haunting them for the rest of their life. It looked so good at that moment, what happened? How did you get to this point? Would you have ever done this during your encounter? How did you get distracted? It happened because you took your eye off the prize, and instead of focusing on things to come, you got stuck thinking about the now. You probably got kind of selfish, as you started to wonder if it was really worth the sacrifice, and you stopped reaching for the stars, and settled with crap. You can’t stop God, but you can miss him.

God has a purpose, and it is going to be fulfilled with, or without you. You have to commit, look back and remember what God has done in you. John 8:36 says, “He who the son has set free, is free indeed.” People get discouraged when looking at what is seen, focus on the unseen. Focus on the Promise! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts I have toward you says the Lord, Thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future, and a hope.” Don’t throw in the towel, you’ve just begun. God will give you all the strength you need.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Psalms 11 says, “In the Lord I place my trust…”

Psalms 27, “The Lord is the Strength of my life…”

And if you have screwed up, and you don’t know what to believe because you feel as if God’s plan has passed you by, don’t quit. It’s never to late to make everyday for the rest of your life count. Make it count, if God can use a man who used to lock people in church’s and burn them to the ground, surely he can use you. In fact, that guy wrote most the new testament, his name was Paul, just think about what God can use you to do. God never kicks us out of his will, we leave. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" James 4

CS Lewis put it like this, "Aim for heaven, and you will get heaven and Earth; aim for Earth, and you will get neither" Make your life count, allow God to be the strength of your life. The problem we often encounter isn't that God isn't speaking, the problem we face is that he is, and we aren't listening...

Draw near to God, and Remember what he has freed you from. Don't focus on your situation, or the circumstance you may be in, instead focus on the promise and Where God is taking you.


Be Blessed


Dan Michno

Hope

So I think it is interesting how something like hope, can make us ignore pain. It pushes us to limits we never thought we’d see, but keeps us from going insane. You ever see someone push until they get to their strongest point, just to watch them break. One minute it looks as if you are untouchable, now we can see that there are even things that strong men can’t take. I can see the hard truth when I read about lust in the bible, I see how it says that, “all of her victims were strong men…”

now you might have thought that this is story was over, but it’s only just begun

How is it, that people can get so caught up in life, that they take their eye off the prize? Why is it that after a little bit of resistance, people just give in? Last time I checked, the only way to get stronger is by adding resistance. Could it be that God allowed the temptation because he wanted to get you strong enough to take you to the next level? If you accept corruption, where does your faith lie?

How can someone call themselves a Christian, yet get so angry, fearful, and depressed? What part do any of those things have in Christ?

Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who trust in the Lord shall renew there strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Where does that say I can’t do it, where does that say that if opposition comes, quit.

Psalms 34:19 says, “Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous, but the Lord shall deliver him of them all.”

The Bible never says we won’t encounter problems, but it does say that God will see us through them, that He will protect us.

So here in lies the question, how do the strongest men fall?

The answer is actually simple, it’s the same as why someone would accept corruption, it’s because they put there hope in man. Rather it’s in another person, or yourself, doesn’t matter; whenever you fail to put your faith in God, be prepared to be let down. Be prepared to have some hard times, with no peace. The Bible does say that God will draw near to you, James 4, but the key thing is you have to take the first step.

Why do you call yourself a Christian? What was the defining moment in your life where you said, “God I want to live for you, I give my life to you” When you say “I’m a Christian” that’s saying God, I die to myself. Yet I see so many people who call themselves Christians throwing pity parties, getting depressed, getting angry, fighting with each other… What? I thought you were a Christian?

To be a Christian is to be Like Christ. But for some reason, everyone seems to think that they can live like hell all week, then put on a little grace Band-Aid come Sunday, and it’s all good. That’s crazy! 2nd Corinthians 6 says, “Come out form among them and be SEPARATE says the Lord…” yet we think we can be just like everyone else. As a Christian, when you find yourself getting angry, or depressed, or feeling insecure and not knowing what’s next, here’s what you need to start doing

1. Stop worrying
2. Start Reading the Bible and Praying
3. Praise God for what he’s given you

We always have a reason to rejoice, and to be thankful; but when you aren’t praying, when you aren’t reading your Bible, and you aren’t rejoicing, that’s a signal for the devil to try to get into your head and mess with you. It’s the battlefield of the mind. If the devil can consume your thoughts, he can control your life, take every thought captive.

Biggest thing is, where does your hope lie? If you put your hope in people, you will be let down. If you try to put your hope in yourself, well on your own, you can do nothing of eternal significance. Just think of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things with Christ who gives me strength” well just think of the opposite, without Christ, I can do nothing.

Commit

It’s not easy to be a Christian, but it’s worth it! Nothing worth having in life comes for free, and it’s the same with Christ. It will cost you your life, but you’ll get one better than anything you could of ever dreamed of. If you only knew what God wanted to do in and through your life, it would crush you. It’s so awesome, that just the idea would overwhelm you.



Yup, I could go on all day with this one, but I’ll end with a quote

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear” - Ambrose Redmoon

Be Fearless and Do the extraordinary, Live For Christ!!!

A Bump in the Road

A Bump in the Road

So this time around, I think I’m going to really dive into a subject which has been stuck on my mind for the last few days, hopefully I word it all right.

What is the one thing that takes place after a mountain top experience? After an experience where you were impacted undeniably, vision was birthed, and your life was changed in an instant; what is something you can expect to take place after it’s all over? It’s interesting how after you have one of those life changing experiences, how life seems to throw a curveball at you. One thing after another, until you begin to wonder, “what happened? Was it even real?” and when you come to that point, that’s a good sign to start pushing a little harder.

I once heard a man say that, “If you aren’t moving forward, you are drifting, and in order to drift for a while, you need to be going downhill” It’s crazy how once something amazing comes in our lives, how we’re willing to forget about what happened, after a little bit of resistance. Why is it that when we catch ourselves drifting, that we do nothing and expect to get pass the struggle the same way we always have; only hope for, maybe even expect, something different this time around? This is insane.

How can this happen? How is it that people can forget so fast what God has done in there lives? It kills me how some people just fail to realize that they can succeed. Some people feel as if they don’t have the strength, and that’s the problem, you’re not supposed to rely on your own strength.

The Bible says that, “The Lord is the Strength of my life” Psalms 27. Why would you try to do something on your own, when the creator of the universe desires to have a relationship with you, make you stronger, and guide you through any storm? In Psalms 11 it says that, “The Lord is my refuge” yet we act like money is everything, as if looks are everything, that our popularity… honestly, is it worth it? Is it really worth trading your destiny over something as little as popularity? Is it really worth letting go over something as stupid as wanting to satisfy the flesh? Do you really believe that money is the key to happiness? Which by the way, being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to live a poverty stricken life.

I truly believe that the greatest athletes, should be Christians. That the greatest minds, releasing the most mind boggling inventions should be men, or woman, of God. But we somehow get caught up on this mindset, that in order to be a Christian, you have to live some kind of boring life, and I’m tired of it. This deception runs ramped until eventually people say, “It’s not worth it” and throw in the towel.

The Bible I read says that, “I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13. I find this interesting because people come out and say, “there’s no way that can be done…” my response is simply, “Joker have you even read the Bible?”

You’re called to be the head, not the tail. The Word says we are more than conquerors, that you will do greater things, that the holy spirit gives us the words to say when we need them, and you’re trying to tell me that you can’t do it… ok, you’re right. On your own strength, you can’t do anything of eternal significance, that’s why we look to God, the author and finisher of our faith, who desires to help you, all you need to do is draw close to him. James 4 even says, “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”

Draw close to God, and he will supply all your needs; trust him, and he will take care of you. I was hit by a car yesterday while biking down Fairview, and jacked up my knee, hurting my ACL, MCL, and Meniscus. I know what it’s like to have obstacles come your way, the key thing is to see God in the midst. Never take your eye off the prize, and praise him for what he’s given us, despite of the trouble you might be facing. Sure I hurt my knee, but it could’ve ended a lot worse, like me lying on the ground dead…

Just something to think about

Never Give up

Jesus Loves you

and Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Deploy

Deploy

So this past week I was in a camp up at Quaker Hill, and God showed up.

I walked into the camp not knowing what to expect on Wednesday. That week changed my life.

How is it that God could care for me? Why would he Care what I’m going through, or doing? That’s pretty much what king David was saying in psalms chapter 8:4, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” I can’t understand it, but I’m so thankful for James 4 where it says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This is awesome, because no matter where you are in life, all you have to do is draw near to God, expect him to do something, and he will!!!! I watched as kids who had some of the hardest challenges in life walk in confused, and somewhat intimidated not knowing what’s next; to walking out with hope, with peace, feeling joy, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I watched as boys turned into men when they decided to pick up there cross and chase after God.

This past week was one of the greatest weeks of my life, and the greatest thing was seeing the fruit of my Sacrifice, guys that I’ve invested in chasing after God, and leaving everything else behind. It was powerful, and I’m so excited to see what is to come!

God is faithful!!!

If God can use a pathetic, Fat, depressed, kid who was addicted to pornography, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, who didn’t really know what love is, or how to show it, he could use anyone. I was Fat Dan, but now I am Daniel Michno. I’m a leader at Generation Church Boise, and I’m so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of the summer, and for GCB live.



John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Good Stealing Your Best

I Find it interesting, how sometimes something will come up that is awesome, just to distract you. Sometimes, something will come up that will make you think, "this is it, this is my chance" when really it is nothing more than a distraction.

Think about it like this, the Devil will give you something good, maybe even awesome, to keep you from the best plan that God has for your life.

I know I've encountered this problem a few times, and I haven't always made the right choice. For example, while I was an intern at Capital Christian Center, I lost a lot of weight, and everyone at the gym found it amazing. I ended up placing more effort, and focus in the gym, than I did in my internship. Now, the question isn't if I did anything good at the gym, I did many good things at the gym, the question is what could I have done had I not taken my eye off the prize? I went from being, "Big Dan" the man who stood on a table at his school and told everyone about Jesus, to being "Danno" the guy who loves to workout... what happened? I got distracted. I put more focus on my achievements at the gym, then I did the kids I was trying to lead, or the call that God had for that momment in my life.

Did I do anything good at the gym; Yes, without question. I helped a person loose 30 lbs, helped numerous people deal with their insecurities, taught a group of football players the value of endurance and balance with strength, and taught my good friend Mike how Christ is my foundation, and how I can do all things through him. So yes I did do good things at the gym, but it came at the cost of all the people I had influence on at Capital. I didn't even go on the intern camping trip because I wanted to train, which is insane when considering how much I love to go camping. It's amazing how you can push so hard, and at the same time be slowly getting off track, untill eventually you are running in the wrong direction. Now it is hard for me to even hold a conversation with a most of the people I did interns with.

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:3, "Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established." It is so easy to get caught up trying to chase after our own dreams, so much so that we completely forget that God has something better than anything you could ever dream of.
I once heard a man say it like this, "He's either Lord of all, or He's not Lord at all." This is huge! Yes, I said He was Lord, but did I give him every area of my life completely? Was I completely sold out for Christ, or was I trying to please myself?

It's easy to get sidetracked, that is why it is so important to pick up your cross, and die to yourself daily. You've got to die to your selfish desires, drop your pride, and choose to live for him. Once you come to that place in life, he will use you to do awesome things.

Who knows what God has in store for you, just know that it's better than anything you could do for yourself.

Galations 2:20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I Hope you enjoyed this...

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Being Led by Your Feelings

Being Led by Your Feelings

So, the other day I was looking at the Life of David, and I started wondering, what if David was lead by his feelings? I started thinking about feelings, and how often they change; what would have happened to David if he was lead by his feelings?

The problem with feelings is that they are always changing; sometimes you feel good, then for no good reason, you feel bad. Sometimes you feel up, then you feel down; sometimes you feel like a nut, other times you feel like the world is centered around you... It's dangerous to be lead by your feelings!!! You can't live out of what simply feels good, because doing what is right, usually doesn't feel all that good...

I once heard a man say that to achieve anything in life, you have to go through a process, and if you aren't willing to go through the process, you are not worthy of the prize. Just Think about a tree; for a tree to produce fruit, it must go through a process. First it has to grow/mature, this process takes time. While growing the tree has to be nurtured, if it doesn't get the nutrition it needs, water and sunshine, it will die. Then the last step, but just as important as the first, the tree has to be pruned, you have to cut some branches, so that you can produce good fruit. Now look your life, and compare it to that tree.

Some of you are saying, Danno this is common sense, then why is it so many people live their lives simply off of simply what feels good? I'm talking about people who are in the church, who call themselves Christians. It's not always easy to love, sometimes, loving your neighbor is really hard, but that's what we are called to do. Sometimes, being bitter towards your neighbor is much easier, and feels better than loving them, but that's wrong, and it needs to be addressed. There are times in life, where someone does something that hurts you, that hurts your reputation, that causes emotional, and possibly mental scars; and everything inside of you wants to hate this person, but that's not what we are called to do. We are called to love, but if you are guided by your emotions, that's the last thing you're going to want to do. You're emotions will make you bitter, a root that will choke out your soul.

I'm going to ride this thing till it breaks. If you are lead by your emotions, you won't be stable; if you are not a stable person, God won't use you. God can't use you if you are not discipline enough to take your thoughts captive, or if you can't ignore what your emotions tell you to do; You have to be discipline. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again, Discipline is Everything. If you don't have self control, if you lack discipline, you'll never achieve anything great in life... Think On That!!!

Christ calls us to be Holy, 1st 1st Peter 1:16, “For you must be holy, for I am Holy” NLT. Bitterness and Holiness don't mix, nor does hate, nor does envy, nor does strife, anger, malice, rage, etc... the Bible calls us to be separate. 2nd Corinthians 6:17-18, “Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” NLT.

The problem with your emotions is that they are centered around you. You want whatever makes you feel good, and if you don't get it, you get mad, angry, sad, depressed, and the list goes on... but here's something for you to think about, it's not all about you. We are called to love, and to serve, that's not the most popular thing to do, it's counter cultural. There's a huge shocker, you mean culture doesn't agree with the Bible, I would've never guessed that... You need to cut off that bad relationship that keeps bringing you back into the sin you are trying to get out of, or know you need to get out of; that's not just a boyfriend or a girlfriend, that's anyone that brings you down. Proverbs 13:20 puts it like this, “A man who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” NLT. Don't set yourself up for failure...

It's not easy to mature, or to overcome temptation, and it's not supposed to be, but it's necessary, you have to prune yourself, so that you can produce good fruit. Nothing worth having in life comes for free, you have to work for it. If everything you wanted in life was just given to you, you wouldn't appreciate anything...

Well I could go on with this all day, but I think you get the point.

I hope this made you think, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Be Blessed

The War Inside

The War Inside

I find it interesting how we can want to do what is right and what is wrong at the same time. How is it that we can try our hardest to do what we know is right, and at the same time crave what is wrong? You never see a fight between light and darkness, when light enters a room, darkness is forced to leave; or take gravity for example, you never see a falling rock choose to go the opposite way, defy gravity, and start rising up… so where does the fight inside of us come from?

When I watch TV, I see how culture, modern science, and Hollywood all try to scream out the same thing; that one thing being, that God doesn’t exist. Now I simply sit back and start thinking about how absurd that is, which raises many questions. If God doesn’t exist, where do Morals come from? If God doesn’t exist, why does everyone seem to think about eternity, and wonder what happens after death? And I guess the biggest question, if God doesn’t exist, and there isn’t a spiritual realm, then where does good and evil come from?

Let’s look at morals, if I were to show video footage to twenty people of some ten year old little girl being raped and murdered, all twenty would most definitely say its wrong and disgusting, most would be sick to their stomachs. So why is it disgusting? If there is no God, then there is no grounds for morals; there is no say on rather porn is totally fine, or if it is wrong. If we just live by the laws of nature, then there is no say on if drugs are wrong, if rape is wrong, or if murder is wrong. We are not animals!!! If nature as it exists is the standard for men to live by, cruelty becomes equal to non-cruelty.

This also pretty much knocks out good and evil. If there is no God, then there are no grounds for good or evil, because where would good or evil for that matter come from? No two people are the same, so how is it that thousands, even millions, can agree on one thing and say that it is right, or wrong, what is the standard they are coming from? What truths are they basing that off of if there are no morals?

Now when it comes down to Eternity, the Bible says God has placed eternity on our hearts, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).”

Man can’t fathom eternity, try to wrap your head around this, your falling, in a bottomless pit, when does it end? Or space for example, what’s at the end of it, is it a wall? If so, how thick is it? What is on the other side? Is it nothing? Wouldn’t that be a continuation of space?

We can’t understand Eternity, that’s why God didn’t put it on our minds; he placed it on our hearts, to remind us that there is more than just this life. It’s a fight.

It’s not supposed to be easy; do you really think that anything worth having comes for free? Even if it did, it would be worthless once you got it, because you didn’t have to earn it.

What are you pressing towards?

Who are you pushing for?

What is driving you?


I hope this made you think a little bit

Be Blessed

The Power of Words

The Power of Words

So over this past week, one thing that has completely consumed my mind is this, how much power do words have? How much can words do, what affect can they have, how much power truly is behind words?

I heard a quote Friday night which really only made me think about it all the more, Dick Iverson said that, “Your life, rather a success, or a failure, will be lead by your words.”

This was huge to me, because earlier in the week I was having a pretty good conversation with a friend about how our confession can determine the outcome of a situation, rather for good or bad. If we get into a circumstance in life and say, “Oh, I’m going to loose, it’s hopeless” you are probably going to loose, because you have a wrong mindset and are already putting out a statement of defeat; but when you declare that you are going to win, well that changes everything.

Why is it that so many people struggle to control what they say? I read in a book once that, “the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire” I love how they compare words to a forest fire, because that is how gossip tends to work.

Words have so much power! Take a look at the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Equal rights were finally given to a people because one man wasn’t afraid to stand and speak up; and on the other side of the table, take a look at World War 2, it was started over 1 mans rhetoric…

I know personally this is something that I’m working on; it is so easy to say something bad that can hurt people. You have no idea what your words can do to someone, that’s why it is so important to watch what you say. People already tend to have a problem with being insecure; you don’t need to add to that…

Well, I think I’ve said enough on that, so I’ll end it with this, a letter from James to, “the twelve tribes”

“Controlling the Tongue
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
True Wisdom Comes from God
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

Be Blessed!!!

Value

Value

So the other day I was thinking if I died today, if something happened and tomorrow didn’t come, would my life leave an impact? I started to think about all the things I do, and everything I’ve done, when I came to realize that the question isn’t if you’ll leave an impact, the real question is what kind of impact you will leave.

Everyday we make decisions that affect other people, but how often do we go out of our way t help people, even if it is inconvenient to us? How often do we give something that will actually cost us something? How often do we help people?

I know at Capital, and especially at the gym, I see people who are just barely holding on. They don’t know how much they have left, where to go, what to do, and everything inside of them is telling them to quit. When I see that, I take the initiative to go over, ask how they are doing, I’ll generally tell few jokes, hang out with them for a few seconds while trying my hardest to get them to laugh or smile, then wish them the best and say goodbye. I do this because I know what it feels like to feel like you’re all alone, and that none cares. It’s called being afraid and insecure.

Problem is, so many people are afraid, and even more are so insecure that if they don’t have someone beside them cheering them on, pushing them every step of the way, they will feel as if nothing really matters, and that they should just quit. You don’t need a huge fan club; all you really need is Jesus. Now as cheesy as that may sound, guess what, it’s the truth. You can have all the money in the world, all the fame, the cars, the house, everything this world has to offer, and still feel like nothing. Think on that for a second.

We live in a society that screams that if you don’t have everything, you’re nothing, when that isn’t true at all, it‘s absurd really. Do you really think that that car can make you happy? Do you really think that once you’re married, all your insecurities will just be a thing of the past? Not the case, you need to understand that if you don’t find your true worth, your identity, what gives you your value, you will never have peace. The reason why I do what I do is because want everyone to experience the peace, and the clearness of mind I have.

How can a man be at peace when he doesn’t have everything, or complete control? The man finds peace when he comes to the understanding that this life isn’t all about him; that he isn’t made to have control of everything, and that even if he wanted to, he could never have complete control. So he approaches every situation in life taking them as they come, and he doesn’t worry, or stress, because ultimately, neither change a situation. He does not care that he doesn’t have everything in life, because he understands that objects don’t bring happiness, or value, to a person. The most important thing for the man is this; he understands that he will not be remembered for what he had, but for what he gave; so everyday he makes it his main goal to serve people, and to honor the king.

Who is the king of your life?

I live for Christ, no secrets here…

Galatians 2:20
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I end with this, an old saying, “If a man doesn’t live for something, he will die for nothing.”

What are you living for?