Doing the Wrong Things Well

“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death”

(Proverbs 14:12, 16:25)

University president and ‘management guru’ Warren Bennis spent several years researching a book on leadership. He travelled around the country spending time with ninety of the most effective and successful leaders in the nation – sixty from corporations and thirty from the public sector. His goal was to find these leaders’ common traits. As first, he had trouble pinpointing any common traits, for the leaders were more diverse than he had expected.

But he later wrote in his book Why Leaders Can’t Lead: “I was finally able to come to some conclusions, of which perhaps the most important is the distinction between leaders and managers: Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right. Both role are crucial, but they differ profoundly. I often observe people in top positions doing the wrong thing well.” The same can be said for most people.

So, in your Christian life, conduct and service; are you doing the right thing according to His Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Or are you doing the wrong thing well according to your own flesh and desire? Both may achieve many good things for humankind and the world, but in God’s eyes doing the right thing is more important than simple doing thing that seems right for us, or worst – wrong thing well.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Be A Bible Bookworm

I once read a biography of Charles H. Spurgeon and felt in love with his passion and energy for the Word. I try to read as much as possible his sermons, books and other biographies that I my learn more of Christ and imitate his faith in Him. I want to be like him in that matter (though honestly he was a genius, a class by himself) and improving my prayer life and be diligent to the study of the Word. He is one of my heroes of faith. But do you know who inspired him? It wasn’t ‘him’ but ‘it.’ A worm inspired him! C.H. Spurgeon said he once saw a Bible through which a worm had bored its way, beginning at the Book of Genesis and ending with the Book of Revelation; and from that hour his desire was to be a Bible bookworm, eating through the Word, believing and digesting it all.

Be a Bible bookworm. That’s the way to read the Bible. “Read the Bible not as a newspaper, but as a letter from home,” write F.B. Meyer, an author and teacher. He continues, “If a promise lies on the page as a blank cheque, cash it. If a prayer is recorded, appropriate it and launch it as a feathered arrow from the bow of your desire. If an example of holiness gleams before you, ask God to do as much for you.” Bookworm read the Bible not only for the sake of reading it, but to study it to be wise, believe it to be changed and practise it to be holy. Our heart and mind, feeling and thinking, being and doing, must be involve in our reading of the Bible.

Bible bookworm understand that many books can inform,

but only the Bible can transform. D.L. Moody once said,
“I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

What to Say When You Stand Up for What is Right?

Christians must stand firm in their faith and stand up for what is right according to the Word of God and by their conscious. Most of us failed to stand up when face with temptation because we are afraid to say – No! Here I want to teach you how to say “No” more frequently for the glory of God. Questions that I want to deal here are two folds: How do you refuse to take part in an activity without putting down the person who asks you? How to be in the world and not of the world? There are a few things you should remember:

Most times, you can simply smile and refuse without going any deeper into it. If you are offered a smoke, drugs, or drink, simply say, “No thanks” – either “No, thanks. I don’t drink” or “No, thanks, I don’t use drugs.” Say it simply, sweetly, with a smile. Don’t put them down by some kind of looks or words in any way.

If they ask you why not, or press you, just give a straight short testimony for the Lord. That will almost always finish off all offers; and secretly, they may admire you for your stand. Just say, “Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve given my life to Jesus, and He owns my body. I don’t need… (drugs, cigarettes, drink, etc.)”. Or try to use my favourite reply, something like this, “I know you may think this is strange or over religious, but I’ve given my life to the Lord Jesus and things like that don’t matter to me anymore. To do this would violate my covenant with Him. I hope you will understand.”

If you are brave enough and want to go into witness mode, then use some of these replies: If they offer you to drink says, “No thanks. I have come across the most wonderful drink in the universe call ‘Living Water.’ Since I tasted it, all drink are tasteless to me.” If they offer you drugs says, “No thanks. I found something that is greater than the temporary trip and it never wears off. Once you start on it, you never want to use anything else.” If they offer you whatever that are harmful to you says, “No thanks! I can’t do it [fill in the blank], I’m dead!” (Read Romans 6:2, 3, 6, 8, 11).

If the not-yet-Christian guys want to take you girls out on a date says, “I’m honoured by your invitation, but I’m afraid I can’t accept it.” If he ask you, “Why not?” Then kindly say, “I’ve given my life to Jesus and have decided that the guys I date must love Him more, if not the same as I do.” If he want to persuade you and say, “How will you know that’s true if you don’t go out with me?” Say, “I’d be happy to have you come and meet some of my friends so that we could talk about it.” Then bring him to a meeting and meet your pastor and Christian friends.

One more thing, if you girls have been going with a guy (may it be someone who claim to be Christian for the matter of fact) who is bad for you, and you want to break up with him, use “I’m sorry I won’t be able to go out with you anymore. I’m married.” Now, is that telling lie? No! If you have just became a Christian, Jesus is your spiritual Husband (see Isaiah 54:5 and Ephesians 5:23).

Remember, the secret of standing up for what is right is to be God-ward positive in your personal testimony. Suggest alternatives if you are invited to go to some place that will compromise your faith in Jesus. For example, “I wouldn’t like to go there, but how about us going ………. Instead?” If you still get pressed, even after you have refused once and given your testimony, then have one further step. Tell them, “You don’t understand. I can’t do this because I would hurt God’s heart if I did. Jesus means more to me than anyone else in the world. It would be wrong and selfish for me to do this. I just can’t do it.” Turn and walk away. So long and good bye!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Read Biographies and Learn Persistence

I like to read books. That’s obvious, right? Perhaps my most favorite subject to read is biography (and autobiography) of heroes of faith. I prefer the old-dead heroes. Men such as John the Baptist, C.H. Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and recently John Wycliffe are my constant source of inspirations. Like Paul the apostle, they encourage me to stay focus on Christ, deepen my faith in Him and by their godly examples – yes, even their mistakes and failures – add with their inside-out persistence had bring great impact on my life. The Scriptures says, “[Paul] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, NIV). “Press on” or persistence, is the indispensable quality of a Christian to win the prize of life!

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence,” writes Calvin Coolidge. “Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

The English writer Samuel Crowther once wrote an article in which he examined the traits of many successful people. “The only common trait that can be discovered among them,” he wrote, “has to do with the capacity for sustained work in an emergency. Someone has said that the chief difference between a big man and a little man is that the little man quits when he is tired and sleepy, while that is the very time the big man presses on harder than ever.” Yes, since the day I became a new born Christian and from the day I read my first biography book until now, I’m fully convince that the difference between the average and the lukewarm and the serious follower of Christ, is – that persistence to keep the faith alive. First God is faithful and they are faithful. By persistence the heroes of old kept the faith. How about us now? Do we have that “press on” persistence?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Free Book: The Story of Jesus

From the Preface of The Story of Jesus

God. Lord. Messiah. Redeemer. Lamb of God. Bread of Life. Throughout the Bible, Jesus is called by many different names. And each one refers to important places that Jesus holds in God’s plan for the salvation of the humankind. The Story of Jesus provides you with an intimate look into the life, death, resurrection and everlasting glory of God’s Son.

Excerpted from The Story, the seven chapters in this book include the actual, God-breathed words of the Bible. Transitions, which appear in italic, were written to summarize omitted Scripture text in order to help the storyline read smoothly. Line spaces were added where text was omitted. The texts were chosen to retain the overall flow of the narrative, so that as you read, you will get a sense of the “big picture.”

The Scripture text used in The Story of Jesus is taken from the New International Version (NIV). Our goal was to make the Bible read smoothly and easily, so that you can read it just like you’d read a novel. But what you’re reading isn’t any ordinary story. You are reading a story that has the power to change who you are, what you think and how you view life. You are exposing yourself to deep, transforming truth.

So sit back and spend some time discovering The Story of Jesus.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

FREE BOOK ON THE MONTH

If you want a copy of this book for FREE, you can e-mail me your name and postal address to Adam_son_no7@hotmail.com. All information given is strictly for delivering the book only. For Malaysians ONLY. Thank you.

God is Making Violins, There Will Be Concert in Heaven

Do you know? The difference in the musical tone of a violin depends mostly on the quality of the wood it is made of, even more than how it is made. The best violin maker in the world cannot make a good instrument from poor material.

Once I read about a famous violinist who always made his own instruments because he wanted to choose a special kind of wood. He shunned the forest but went instead to the mountains. There at the top of the cliff exposed to all the storms he obtained his trees. He knew the severe weather conditions toughened the wood and produced a quality of grain and resiliency that could be developed in no other way. In fact, he used only the wood from the side of the tree facing the wind!

When I thought about what I've read, I understand that like the wood that will be used to make violin it is true also that we will become a “special kind of wood” when we went through adversities and troubles in life. By storm of adversity, our loving Father prepare in us the music of heaven. Not just in the making but in the tuning God is perfecting us into the likeness of His Son. “Men think God is destroying them because he is tuning them,” writes Henry Ward Beecher, “The violinist screws up the key till the tense cord sounds the concert pitch; but it is not to break it, but to use it tunefully, that he stretches the string upon the musical rock.” God will shape you, He will fine tune you, because He is preparing in you the music of heaven. I tell you, there will be concert in heaven!

Read Book of James Chapter 1 verse 1 to 13

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

What Jesus Does for You

What Jesus Does for You

By Frances Ure

Jesus takes the lone out of loneliness,

And puts the friend into friendship.

Jesus takes the fear out of fearful,

And puts trust into trusting.

Jesus takes the fright out of frightful,

And puts peace into peaceful.

Jesus takes the doubt out of doubting,

And puts believe into believing.

Jesus takes the hate out of hating,

And puts love into loving.

Jesus takes the curse out of cursing,

And puts bless into blessing.

Jesus takes the down out of downcast,

And puts lift into uplift.

Jesus takes the grief out of grieving,

And puts happy into happiness.

Jesus takes the sin out of sinful,

And puts forgive into forgiveness.

Jesus takes the sick out of sickness,

And puts health into healthy.

Jesus puts the gold into the Golden Rule – isn’t He wonderful!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.