The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

“Love never fails.” 1Co 13:8 NKJV
THE REVIVAL WE NEED (4)

Fourth, a revival of love. The Bible says, “Love never fails.” Stop and think about that for
a moment. Just about everything else in life fails, but love doesn’t. There’s a cute story
about a lady who said to her husband, “Will you love me when I’m old?” He replied, “Yes,
dear.” She said, “But will you love me when my hair is gray?” He replied, “Yes, dear, I’ve
loved you through seven different shades already, why would I change my mind when
you’re gray?” You can score points for having high morals and have all your theological
ducks in a row, but if you don’t love people—in every circumstance of life—you’ve failed
where it counts most. Paul writes: “If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all
of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could
move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to
the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others, I
would have gained nothing…Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and
endures through every circumstance” (vv. 2-7 NLT). It took a lot of commitment to be a
Pharisee. Living according to the law of Moses demanded incredible discipline and dedication.
Why did Jesus condemn the Pharisees so often? Because they had light in their
heads but no love in their hearts! When we, the church, experience a revival of love we
won’t need to advertise; people will break down the doors to get in.

“This is what [God] requires…to do what is right.” Mic 6:8 NLT
ALWAYS DO WHAT’S RIGHT

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

“The Lord disciplines those He loves.” Heb 12:6 NLT
IS GOD DISCIPLINING YOU?

The Bible says: “Don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he
corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves…God is treating you as his own
children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t
discipline you…it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.
Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more
to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined
us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always
good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is
happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for
those who are trained in this way” (vv. 5-11 NLT).
Is God disciplining you? If He is: (1) Rejoice, it means you are truly His child and that
He has plans for your life. (2) Repent, and the season of your discipline will be shortened.
(3) Recognize that God’s discipline is for your good, and not to harm you. After he disobeyed
her, a little boy’s mother said to him, “I’m spanking you because I love you.” In
tears, he replied, “I wish I was big enough to return your love.” Don’t resent God’s discipline,
and don’t resist it. Recognize that it’s for your good. And one more thought: don’t
allow some well-meaning person to “rescue” you from God’s dealings. God’s goal for us
in discipline is “that we might share in His holiness.”

“There is death in the pot!” 2Ki 4:40 NKJV
GOD’S WORD IS THE ANSWER

The Bible says: “Elijah returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the
sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, ‘Put on the
large pot, and boil stew…So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild
vine, and gathered from it a lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot
of stew, though they did not know what they were. Then they served it to the men to eat.
Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, ‘Man of God,
there is death in the pot!’ And they could not eat it. So he said, ‘Then bring some flour.’
And he put it into the pot, and said, ‘Serve it to the people, that they may eat.’ And there
was nothing harmful in the pot” (vv.38-41 NKJV). Notice what they threw into the pot to
counteract the poison: “flour” which represents God’s Word, “the bread of life.” Instead of
letting your disappointments make you sour, reach for the Scriptures. Instead of letting
resentment infect your attitude, turn to the Scriptures and let God show you how to deal
with it. Don’t let bad experiences leave a bad taste in your mouth. Who was threatened
that day? “The sons of the prophets,” those with great potential, those God planned to
use. How can you keep your heart right and your future protected? Jesus answers, “[Now]
you are clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (Jn 15:3 NKJV).

“Great is your reward in heaven.” Lk 6:23 NIV
A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE

Read these three Scriptures carefully: “He shall reward every man according to his
works” (Mt16:27). “You will have treasure in heaven” (Mt19:21 NIV). “You will be repaid
at the resurrection” (Lk14:14 NIV). God is keeping track of what you do for Him each day.
You have more to gain by serving the Lord than you ever imagined. Yes, He will bless and
reward you in this life, but nothing by comparison to what awaits you in the next one.
When you know that, simple decisions such as how you spend your time, your money
and your energy suddenly become opportunities with great promise. Once you understand
that, you begin to live with an unshakable certainty that everything you do today—
matters forever. And that truth can change your life for the better! Jesus said: “Blessed are
you when men hate you…exclude you…and reject your name as evil…Rejoice in that day
and leap for joy” (Lk 6:22-23 NIV). Now Jesus didn’t mean that when you’re mistreated
on His behalf, you’ll be so happy you’ll want to dance an Irish jig. No, He said, “Great is
your reward in heaven.” Those six words reveal why you can rejoice in the worst of circumstances.
You see, there’s a direct connection between something you do for God on
earth, and something “great” He’s going to do for you in heaven. Jesus isn’t asking you
to enjoy misery on His behalf; that’s masochism. He’s saying that your rewards in
heaven, for certain actions on earth, will be so wonderful that simply knowing they’re
coming can transform how you live now. It can actually create spontaneous outbursts
of joy!

“That you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1Co1:10 NIV
SHARING YOUR DREAM (1)

To fulfill your dream you must know how to share it with others. And to do that successfully
you must be able to connect with them in four ways. First, you must connect
with them logically. What people don’t believe, they don’t buy into. So your first step is to
gain credibility. If you don’t, you will not be able to proceed any further. How do you do
that? By communicating a realistic understanding of the situation as it is today. Every time
you share your vision, one of the first things people will ask is “But what about…?” If they
don’t ask it out loud, they say it to themselves. And they will keep asking it until you
have addressed all their concerns. This requires being extremely thorough when sharing
your dream, and not dwelling on its positive benefits to the exclusion of the challenges.
Second, you must provide a sound strategy they can believe in. If a dream seems too large
and unattainable, people will become discouraged and quickly lose interest. When big
dreams are broken down into smaller pieces and different pieces are given to talented individuals,
the task seems more attainable and each person involved has an increased
sense of personal ownership and involvement. There is a real art to communicating all this
effectively, without getting bogged down in details or boring people. You have to give
enough information to satisfy most people, but not so much that you lose them. All this
takes skill, practice and God’s help. But to share your dream with others, you must learn
to do it.

“You…became my partners.” Php 4:15 TLB
SHARING YOUR DREAM (2)

Third, you must share your dream emotionally. Paul knew how to do this: “You Philippians
became my partners…what makes me happiest is the well-earned reward you
will have” (vv.15-17 TLB). Get people excited about the rewards. So show them the dream
from their perspective! Ralph Waldo Emerson struggled, trying to wrestle a young calf into
his barn. He was ready to give up when an Irish servant girl walked over to the calf, stuck
her finger in its mouth, and the calf, associating the sensation with its mother, followed
the girl into the barn. Pushing and prodding people doesn’t work. But if you help them to
feel that they will benefit personally, they’re likely to go along. People do things for their
own reasons, not yours, and their reasons are almost always tied to their emotions. Don’t
be afraid to show people your heart. People buy into the dreamer before they buy into the
dream. You may be able to communicate the idea of your dream in a few minutes, but it
will take a lot longer to convince people of where your heart is. It will require patience. Of
course you are enthusiastic, but you must adapt your stride to the slower pace of others.
If you run too far ahead, you will lose your power to influence them. Generally, people
have to hear an idea at least seven times before they embrace it and call it their own. Ten
percent of people are pioneers, 70 percent are settlers, and 20 percent are antagonists.
Make it your goal to win over the pioneers, to wait for the settlers, and to leave the antagonists
behind.

“Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” 2Ki 6:17 NIV
SHARING YOUR DREAM (3)

Fourth, you must share your dream visually. Only when people “see it,” will they buy
into it. People are in search of significance; they want to feel like they are part of something
bigger than themselves. Author Studs Terkel observed: “Most of us are looking for a
calling, not a job. Most of us…have jobs that are too small for our spirit.” When a dream
is truly great, it benefits everyone. Your job is to help people see what those benefits are.
You need to help them connect with the opportunities for achieving personal growth,
finding fulfillment, and increasing their self-esteem. You need to provide them with every
reason you have for joining. If you can’t offer them plenty of legitimate reasons for doing
so, then you have no business trying to recruit them in the first place. Will this be easy?
No, it never is. Even people who say they desire a dream often don’t want it. What they
want is the result of the dream, not the price required to achieve it. Look at all the TV commercials
for diets. People see before and after pictures, and they want the “after.” But if you
live your dream, practice integrity, and achieve a degree of success, people will see what
the dream has done for you and that will make them want it too. How will you know
when you have successfully shared your dream with someone else? Because they will
take ownership of it, add to it, and want to make it even bigger and better. When that
happens, your dream becomes bigger than you or your team.

“A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife.”
Mt 19:5 NLT
IN-LAWS OR OUT-LAWS!

After arguing for hours, a couple drove along in silence. Suddenly they passed a barnyard
filled with mules and jackasses. Sarcastically, the husband asked, “Relatives of
yours?” The wife replied, “Yes, in-laws.”
Marriage was God’s idea, and it was a good one. Picking up the theme, Jesus said,
“A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife.” In marriage, “two’s company,
three’s a crowd!” So here are ten commandments for being a good in-law: (1) Thou
shalt love, honor and respect the couple. (2) Thou shalt grant them independence, resisting
the urge to show them “a better way” of doing things. (3) Thou shalt be loyal and not
criticize them, for, “That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging” (Mt 7:2 TM). (4) Thou
shalt not find fault: “Don’t…jump on their failures…unless…you want the same treatment”
(Mt. 7:1 TM). (5) Thou shalt not outwear thy welcome, and always call before thou showest
up at their dwelling. “Don’t…show up at all hours…[they’ll]…get fed up” (Pr 25:17 TM).
(6) Thou shalt not expect them to visit thee too often. (7) Thou shalt refrain from giving
unsolicited advice: “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in” (Pr 29:11).
(8) Thou shalt not talk about how thou wantest grandchildren unless they are already on
the way. (9) Thou shalt respect their home decorating taste even when it differeth from
thine. (10) Thou shalt pray for them daily and without fail. If you are an in-law who
doesn’t want to be viewed as an out-law, live by these commandments!

“Above all else, guard your heart.” Pr 4:23 NIV
WHAT YOU TRULY STAND FOR

The Bible says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” The
position you hold in life may cause people to take notice of you, but only your integrity
will cause them to respect you and be willing to follow you. And integrity is only established
when it becomes clear to everyone that progress, financial reward and recognition
are not your gods; that you value something more, something you refuse to give up for
profit or popularity. With integrity comes influence. You can manage people without integrity
but you can’t influence them without it. Talking one way and living another will
wound you. And depending on time and circumstance, you may not be able to recover
from it. You say, “How I conduct my private life is nobody else’s business.” Wrong! When
people see a difference between what you demand of others and what you demand of
yourself, it’ll erode their respect for you every time. Your position may make you secure,
but your influence with others will always remain fragile. At any given time you are only
one decision, one word or one action away from destroying what it took years to build.
Why is it important to keep this in mind? Because the fastest route from where you are
today to where you will be tomorrow is not always the most honorable one. Leading and
being the person you want to be don’t come easy and don’t always line up. It’s in those
moments, however, that you discover a great deal about yourself—you find out what you
truly stand for!

“By my God I can leap over a wall.” 2Sa 22:30 NKJV
“BY MY GOD I CAN”

What “wall” stands between you and God’s blessing? Limited resources? Past failures?
Does the job look too big and you feel too small? Rise up and say, “For by You I
can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall.” Instead of accepting what your
sight and your senses tell you, stand on the promises God has given you in His Word. On
the other side of the wall there is victory for you. A.B. Simpson said, “You will never learn
faith in comfortable surroundings.” It was after the disciples came through the storm
that they asked, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey
Him?” (Mt 8:27). The One who commanded them to get into the boat knew there would
be a storm, yet He sent them into it. Why? To develop their faith!
A little boy was crossing the ocean with his father, who was captain of the ship, when
they ran into a terrible storm. The waves tossed them about like a cork and everyone was
sick with fear. But he sat unafraid, his eyes directed toward a certain spot. When someone
asked him why he was not afraid, he answered; “I have my eye on that little window.
Through it I can see the bridge, and on that bridge is my father. He’s the captain of this
ship. He has taken it through many storms and I know he will take it through this one too.”
Rejoice, you will make it through this storm and get to the other side. God has promised
it. Start saying, “By my God I can.”

“A wise person stays calm when insulted.” Pr 12:16 NLT
HANDLING CRITICISM CONSTRUCTIVELY (1)

How can you tell constructive criticism from destructive criticism? By practicing these
principles from God’s Word: (1) Resolve that whatever it is, you’ll handle it constructively.
“A wise person stays calm when insulted.” Angry responses only short-circuit rational
thinking and trigger emotion-driven reactions. “If you listen to constructive criticism, you
will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you
listen to correction, you grow in understanding” (Pr 15:31-32 NLT). Always ask yourself,
“Can I learn something here? (2) Consider the character of your critic. “An honest witness
tells the truth; a false witness tells lies. Some people make cutting remarks, but the words
of the wise bring healing” (Pr 12:17-18 NLT). Is your critic trustworthy? Are their words
meant to help you? If so, appreciate them and grow wiser. “Better to be criticized by a
wise person than to be praised by a fool” (Ecc 7:5 NLT). Are their words intended to demean
you and damage your self-worth? Words that humble you have a godly purpose,
but words that humiliate don’t; so reject them. (3) Check your conscience. Paul wrote: “My
conscience is clear…It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide” (1Co 4:3
NLT). If you’re in the clear, leave the outcome with God. He alone sees the whole picture.
(4) If you are criticized because of your faith, consider yourself blessed. “If you are insulted
because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on
you” (1Pe 4:14 NIV). Rejoice, your life is pleasing to God.

“If you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” Pr 15:32 NLT
HANDLING CRITICISM CONSTRUCTIVELY (2)

Saying the right thing the wrong way usually backfires. So here is “a word to the wise.”
If you cannot receive constructive criticism, don’t try to give it. Before you criticize, ask
yourself: (1) “Am I interested in this person’s good?” Or do you just need to look good, to
have all the answers, to control people, and to gain acceptance and prestige? You can’t help
others while you’re focused on your own ego needs. (2) “Am I blame-oriented and judgmental?”
If so, you’ll come across that way to others. “Let us stop passing judgment on
one another” (Ro 14:13 NIV). To avoid blaming and judging you have to stop talking
about why they did it, or who is to blame, or how stupid and selfish and crazy it was, or
what’s wrong with them, etc. That’s problem-focused and polarizing, and doesn’t help.
(3 )“Am I pointing the person toward solutions?” God is a God of solutions. When He found
us lost in sin He didn’t give us a critical reminder of our weakness. Instead, “When we
were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro 5:6 NIV). He didn’t give us an analysis
of our problem, but a remedy. So, prayerfully suggest, “I wonder if you might not get
a more satisfying result by…” then let God drive it home! (4) “Am I speaking truth in love?”
Even your sincerest ideas need to reflect that you care. “Speaking the truth in love”
(Eph 4:15 NKJV) opens their heart and prepares them to trust you. Love says, “Because I
value you, I’d like to offer a suggestion. Would that be all right?”

“Let us run…the race marked out for us.” Heb 12:1 NIV
KEEP RUNNING

Look what Jesus endured: (1) Temptation. We imagine the wilderness temptation as
three isolated events scattered over a forty-day period. No: “The devil tempted Jesus
for forty days” (Lk 4:2 NCV). Every step, whispering in His ear. Every turn of the path,
sowing doubt; forty days of non-stop temptation! When it was over Satan would flee,
angels would come and strengthen Him, and He would leave the wilderness to go out
and minister as no one ever has. But first He had to get through the temptation. So do you.
And the good news is, strengthened by God’s grace, you can. (2) Accusation. “Some said,
‘He is a good man.’ Others replied, ‘No, he deceives the people’” (Jn 7:12 NIV). “The Jews
then said, ‘That clinches it. We were right all along when we…said you were crazy—demon
possessed!’” (Jn 8:48 TM). They accused Him unfairly, but Jesus kept running. You must
too. (3) Rejection. His family thought He was mad. The neighbors treated Him badly.
When He returned to His home town they tried to throw Him off a cliff (See Lk 4:29). But
Jesus kept running. So must you. (4) Shame. At the cross He became “sin” personified
(2Co 5:21). Though He never stole, lied, or lusted, He bore the shame of every thief, liar,
and adulterer. How did Jesus do it? What kept Him going? The Bible answers: “Who for
the joy set before him endured” (Heb 12:2 NIV). Jesus had already lived in heaven, and
knowing what awaited Him enabled Him to endure and finish the race. And the same joy
awaits you too.

“He who heeds counsel is wise.” Pr 12:15 NKJV
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ADVISE!

When someone comes to you with a personal problem, ask them the following
questions: What do you think caused the problem? What have you done about
it? What Scriptures are you standing on? What do you think I might be able to do, that you
haven’t already done? These questions will help you weed out those who genuinely want
help from those who only want attention. Some people see prayer as a magic wand; they
think you can wave it over them and their problem will just go away, then they can go back
to living their lives the way they please.
Here’s another situation. Someone may say, “The doctor has suggested surgery. What
should I do?” Unless you’re a doctor, be very careful what you advise. If God has spoken
to someone and they have faith that He will heal them, don’t throw cold water on them.
So what should you do? Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything
that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Mt18:19 NKJV). The real
question is, are they standing on their faith or yours? You can teach people God’s Word,
but you can’t force them to come up to your level of faith until they’re ready. Sometimes
people may be ready and all they’re seeking is confirmation. The Bible says: “You have an
anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (1Jn 2:20 NKJV). But unless God
has let you “know,” be careful what you advise!