I Admire Personal Growth Coaches and Inspirational Writers

Daily writing prompt
What profession do you admire most and why?

There’s so much unutilized potential for good in every human being. I admire people who recognize that and dedicate their life to helping other people see beyond the organization and ordinariness of the rut of daily routine.

I appreciate people who consistently try to encourage, inspire, and help others to see unseen possibilities. I look up to people who boldly and humbly speak the truth with kindness, not to prove a point, but to assist people in seeing beyond the blind spots that hold them back.

I admire personal growth coaches and inspirational writers who do those things, especially those who consistently and courageously direct people to biblical truth and to the risen Jesus Christ. My life has been touched and transformed by many people like that. My goal is to be that type of a person. That goal is deep in my heart.

A few people become famous and make a lot of money by encouraging and exhorting others. I most admire the many people who have a hard time getting paid well in that profession, but they do it anyway, volunteering to listen to people with an open heart and to compassionately walk along side of them.

That’s my purpose. That’s my vision. I don’t do it as a profession but as a Spirit-prompted passion, a gift from the living God that causes my heart to care about all people whether we agree or disagree about politics, religion, lifestyle, or any other issue. I hope my words assist you as you struggle through the troubles and trials in your life. Here are some words that came to me this morning:

The human heart was created to be a place of wholesomeness and inner pureness. The key to the transcendent happiness that you long for is to continually cultivate within you an ever-growing hunger and thirst for the righteousness that comes from the risen Jesus Christ. I want to celebrate people who demonstrate the kindness, compassion, and humility of Jesus, not the ones who display arrogance, anger, and self-righteousness.

If You Mentally Check Out, You’ll Miss Many Miracles!

It’s never too late
To go beyond
The usual
And to learn to flow
In the stream
Of God’s will.
Why check out
And wait to die?
Instead, eagerly
Wait for God
To prompt you.
Then let your heart fly
With the thrill
Of obeying
God’s Spirit.

Your best life
Isn’t enough,
Not now, or ever.
You need more than that.
You need “Christ in you.”

I love to let
God’s Spirit
Move my heart
Like the breeze
Moves the leaves
On the trees.

Posted in coaches, coaching, encouragement, inspirational, motivational speakers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Inner Peace for Sale (Without a Price)

Daily writing prompt
If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell?

This is beyond belief:

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” –Isaiah 55:1-2

If you learn reliance
On the living Jesus
And stay in alliance
With the reality
Of His daily presence
You’ll live in defiance
Of doubt, dread, and fear
Because you’ll know He’s here.

Too many Christians
Know a lot about
The life of Jesus
But they live without
Knowing His presence
Till love and faith sprout
Deep within their heart
And grow all out!
That’s why they can doubt,
Be burned out, act out,
And feel down and out.

Christ is constantly trying to communicate with people but if we quickly evacuate from His presence, we’ll not be able to hear Him. The sound of His voice is so sweet that it floods people with inner peace. Quiet your mind. Be still until you taste and see for free that the Lord is good, and His presence is real!

The price for your inner peace, your freedom from guilt and shame, was paid by Jesus when He shed His blood for you on the Cross. Come now to the risen Jesus and receive the gift that is so priceless that it was purchased without money.

Go Beyond Church as Usual

If the words
Of a preacher
Don’t feature
The living Jesus
A sermon is just
A religious
Procedure.

Christians are collectively called to be the Spirit-led body of Christ. For that to happen each Christ-follower needs to begin to individually listen to and obey His inner voice. Then the risen Jesus can personally coordinate and empower all of His followers to work in sync with His presence and His guidance.

The body of Christ in a city isn’t just the members of a particular church. It’s all the Christ-followers in that city. If we focus on one particular church as the gathered body of Christ, we’re overlooking many people who also belong to Jesus.

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I Carry . . .

Daily writing prompt
What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?

The most important thing that I carry with me is not a thing at all. I carry hope (both with me and within me). To be a bit more specific, I carry what the Bible calls: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

I want everyone to become a Christ-carrier! No one should miss out on such a glorious lifestyle! That kind of spiritual awakening depends on our full surrender to the living Jesus, not on passive sermon-hearing.

I love to see
Amazing grace
Gleam and shine
From someone’s face.

I love to see
People let
Jesus replace
Their self-focus
With His grace,
And watch Him erase
Their sadness and guilt.

I love to see
Christ’s joy shine
On people’s face
With no trace
Of human pride.
That happens when
They embrace
The risen Jesus
With all their heart.

I love to see
People surrender
To the presence and grace
Of “Christ in you,”
And go far beyond
Routine religion.

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Your life will begin to get better when you begin to do the things and think the thoughts that will make it better.

Your life will begin to get better when you begin to do the things and think the thoughts that will make it better.

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I Want My Blog to Focus People’s Attention on the Source of True Hope

Daily writing prompt
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?

The reason that I blog so consistently is because I want to point people to the source of true, long-lasting hope, healing, and inner peace. Many years ago, I found that source and it has been like a fountain of refreshing water continually springing up from within me.

God (the Source) is always communicating to people even if we neglect to notice. He often goads or prompts us trying to get our attention. Often, He warns us in order to protect us from danger. He frequently directs us so that we don’t wander aimlessly. He continually calls us to come closer to Him. Sometimes He will even knock us down (like He did Saul of Tarsus in the Bible) to get our attention.

If you train your heart to focus on God, you’ll become aware that He is trying to communicate with you. Then you can be “a witness of what you have seen and will see” Christ do within you, around you, and through you.

That’s why the Bible says: “Be still and know that I am God,” and “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” That’s why Jesus said, “You will be My witnesses.” That’s why Christ-followers can overcome the devil by “the word of their testimony.” That’s why Jesus wants you to testify to people about His presence, power, and present-day reality. That’s why He is “sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified (made pure and whole) by faith in Me.’” (See Acts 26:18.) That’s why Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.”

Circle up! Gather around Jesus face to face. Pastors and church leaders: Climb outside the same ole box! It’s time to break down the religious rows that keep people neatly lined up and confined to being stone-like Sunday spectators sitting still and looking at the backs of people’s heads — only seeing the same solitary face talking on and on up in the pulpit every single week. Make room for God’s people to freely listen to, follow, and obey what the risen Jesus has to say in their heart. Let them see the living Jesus shining through one another’s faces.

JD Walt wrote: “The Holy Spirit is at work in every person, witnessing to the reality of God, wooing faith into existence. Men and women everywhere are literally ‘kicking at the goads.’” It’s time to stop kicking and instead to surrender to God’s will and literally go and do whatever Jesus says within you! (Keep in mind that He won’t contradict the Bible or your conscience.) You can begin by forgiving everyone and by loving your enemies.

Is your back toward God? Perhaps it is time to turn around and look at Him. Go with God’s goads and inner promptings today. The longer you delay the harder your heart will become.

Too many Christians are afraid to follow God’s Spirit beyond the religious routine that has shut down the saints by repeatedly setting them in rows to silently sit through sermon after sermon. (Search for: Beyond Church Ekklesia.) Step up to follow the Spirit and be courageous!

Christianity isn’t about passively sitting for another sermon. It’s about boldly standing up for Jesus by actively demonstrating His love, power, and presence through what you say and how you live your daily life.

Christians are
Supposed to be
So much more than
Sunday row-sitters
Watching a show.
They’re supposed to grow
Beyond religion
Into Spirit-led
People of God.

Photo by Omotayo Tajudeen on Pexels.com
Posted in Christian spirituality, hopefullness, living water, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

An Alternative to the Modern Gods and Goddesses

Daily writing prompt
Describe your life in an alternate universe.

Ancient people had their mythological gods, but modern people (who proudly feel that they are so much more advanced than the ancients) have their mythological gods as well. Modern gods include:

  • Comfort,
  • Pleasure,
  • Convenience,
  • Personal desires,
  • Sexual freedom (which is really bondage)
  • Love of money,
  • Personal possessions,
  • Celebrities and heroes,
  • Drug or alcohol highs,
  • Music,
  • Academics,
  • Sports,
  • Titles and degrees,
  • Streaming,
  • Nationalism,
  • Efficiency,
  • Screens,
  • Routine religion,
  • Race,
  • Tattoos,
  • Consumerism,
  • Social media,
  • Popularity,
  • Pride,
  • Political power
  • Self-protection,
  • And I’m sure you can think of more (that maybe even inhabit your own heart).

Here’s a description of my life in God’s alternate universe. I’m for Jesus first, Jesus last, and Jesus forever!

People who are for Jesus frequently talk about Him and about the amazing things that He has done and is doing in their heart and in their life. They daily overcome the badness that is within them and the gods that are around them by continually relying on the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, by joyfully and excitedly sharing their testimony to glorify Jesus and point people to Him, and by freely embracing death to their self-interests and personal desires. (See Revelation 12:11.) People who are for Jesus keep Jesus first in their heart, first in their thoughts, first in their desires, first in their words, and first in their Spirit-led alternative way of life.

I live in Nashville, Tennessee where there is a full-size replica of the Athenian Parthenon and the goddess Athenia. That is a reminder that the ancient gods are not powerless and forgotten. They are still working in other forms to influence people to stay away for the living God, the Creator of all that exists.

Photo by Berta Raspall on Pexels.com
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A Write About Freedom

The freedom to ignore and disobey your conscience is the false freedom to self-destruct. That’s the freedom that is being promoted and embraced by our contemporary culture. It’s no surprise that the sadness of self-destruction surrounds us.

Here’s true freedom: Instead of passively letting your desires define and dominate you, you have the ability to define and dominate your desires.

The freedom to put individual subjectivity (feelings, desires, and compulsions) ahead of obvious physiology and to demand or bully people into public agreement, is a false freedom that leads a society into confusion and mental duress. True freedom allows people to openly make these observations: Abortion ends a human life. A person’s body declares his or her gender.

The freedom to insult and belittle people is another false freedom. It leads society into anger and bitterness. True freedom is the freedom to share our perspective with kindness and to respect other people’s right to disagree with us. People who think they know what they don’t know frequently get mad at and/or insult those who disagree with them. They are far from freedom. (The idea that you can make America great by continually insulting the Americans you disagree with is terribly misguided concept of freedom.)

If nothing produced everything it would mean that everything (including you and the entire human race) is nothing but a meaningless accident. It would mean that people are merely mechanism–machines that operate without free will. It would mean that freedom is only a myth. Fortunately, nothing has ever been shown to produce anything, so it’s impossible that nothing could have produced everything and made it all fit together and work together with intricate detail and precision. Someone has done an amazing job of designing your body and your mind!

Some racial insults
Are spoken with hate,
Some with ignorance,
Either way they won’t
Make America great.

Life is short.
Breathless bodies
Buried beneath
The dirt
Becoming dust
Bring to mind
My mortality
And make me grateful
For the blessing
Of every breath
And for the awareness
Of Christ in me.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com
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The Priceless Meal

Daily writing prompt
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?

When hope shuts down and fear closes in, it’s good to remember that there’s a meal that no money can buy. It is a gift of value that is beyond description. It is symbolized by bread and wine. It is the gift to be “partakers of the divine nature.”

At what is called The Last Supper, “Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'” (Matthew 20:26-27.)

That priceless meal was more than bread and wine. It was the offer to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” It proclaimed the gift of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Last night during a small gathering of Christ-followers (as I was pouring out my heart in adoration to Jesus) an image of Christ appeared in my consciousness. He was walking beside me. As we walked together, He got closer and closer to me until His shoulder was touching my shoulder. Then His shoulder began to literally merge into my shoulder and suddenly His entire body moved inside of mine.

I had never had that literal of a perspective of Christ in me before. The Scripture that says, “Christ in you,” isn’t just a religious teaching. It’s real. It’s experiential. It’s powerful. It’s glorious!

Faith is to wholeheartedly rely on and daily depend on the presence, activity, and reality of the risen Jesus working inside of you, instead of on your own efforts, abilities, or resources. Train yourself to continually rely on the resurrected Jesus. He’s the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” That is the ultimate dependability!

The gift of the manifestation and inspiration of Christ in you is more satisfying and longer lasting than any human pleasure. Receive the gift of His indwelling presence now!

Open the eyes
Of your heart
And behold
The glorious view
Of Christ in you.

Christianity’s not about the size of your train. It’s about staying on track with Jesus. Let Christ freely live and work inside of you!

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From “Blah, Blah, Blah,” to “Rah, Rah, Rah!”

Daily writing prompt
Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that.

There’s a story that many people find uninteresting because it is too often presented as “blah, blah, blah.” However, to me it is the most exciting series of events in history. That story powerfully impacts my life throughout each day. It’s account of Jesus and His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ongoing working in human hearts! Christ’s presence in me freely flows from my innermost being as living water.

“My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices.”
Christ is risen!
Church sometimes seems
Like “blah, blah, blah,”
But Christ in me
Is “Rah, Rah, Rah!”
Think outside
Your comfort box
Until you find
Hope that unlocks
God’s building blocks
And puts you on
The Cornerstone.
To raise you above
Life’s hard knocks–
“If then you were
Raised with Christ,
Seek those things
Which are above.”’

My wife, Ernie, and I love to bask in Christ’s living water that flows from deep within us:

Posted in Christ in you, Christian spirituality, Colossians 1:27, Resurrection Day | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

30 keys that unlock happiness

Daily writing prompt
List 30 things that make you happy.
  1. Love,
  2. Joy,
  3. Inner peace,
  4. Patience,
  5. Kindness,
  6. Goodness,
  7. Faithfulness,
  8. Gentleness,
  9. Self-control,
  10. Faith,
  11. Hope,
  12. Confession with repentance,
  13. The mercy and grace of forgiveness,
  14. Ongoing surrender to Jesus,
  15. Being Spirit-led,
  16. Flowing with the gifts of the Spirit,
  17. Encouraging people to obey Jesus,
  18. Praying out loud with people,
  19. Listening to the risen Jesus,
  20. Talking to Jesus,
  21. Walking with Jesus,
  22. Writing about Jesus,
  23. Posting about Jesus on social media,
  24. Keeping my attention on Jesus,”
  25. Obeying Jesus,
  26. Interacting with Spirit-led people,
  27. Rejoicing in the Lord,
  28. Praying in tongues,
  29. Spirit-led worship that passionately flows from the heart,
  30. Gathering with other Christ-followers as His Spirit-led town hall meeting (ekklesia).

Words about Jesus without a godly lifestyle are hypocritical. A godly lifestyle without words about Jesus makes people think you’re a good person. Don’t let people give you credit for what Christ is doing in you. Show and tell what Jesus has done and is doing in and through your life. Use actions and words to declare His glory. Both are necessary.”

Following Christ is about daily attentiveness to, obedience to, and reliance on the presence and power of the risen Jesus. Are you willing to humbly hear, obey, and rely on what Jesus has to say in your heart, even if it is something you don’t want to hear? Dare to let your heart be continually aware of and surrendered to the heart of Jesus. “Whatever He says to you, do it.” “He that has ears let him hear what the Spirit is saying . . .”

I can testify to this! Jesus said: “Therefore do not worry . . . but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Ever since I was 19, I’ve sought to follow and obey the risen King Jesus, and all these 30 things have been added unto me!

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