BETTER

Proverbs 3:14
For the profit of wisdom
is better than silver,
and her wages are
better than gold.



It storied that while Alexander the Great was conquering huge territories, his armies had taken such extreme spoils of treasures that it had actually become burdensome to transport the loot. Alexander had the men gather up the treasures and he ordered them to be burned. At first, the soldiers were angry, but later they realized the wisdom of their leader. They were able to move faster and proceeded to easily gain victory in their next war campaign. Wisdom is more valuable than any riches. So what's the best way to gain wisdom? The beginning of wisdom is in giving reverence to God. Are you giving reverence to God in all of your actions?

LIGHT THAT LEADS TO LIFE

John 8:12
Jesus said to the people,
"I am the light of the world.
If you follow me, you won't be
stumbling through the darkness,
because you will have the
light that leads to life."



It’s really tough to understand things about God because the world has blinded our eyes of Him. If we're not blinded of Him, we're given distorted and untrue images of Him. In this generation, you can talk about almost anything at a school or university – but God is likely off-limits. Throughout government institutions, the word “God” is being removed or has been removed from sight and from procedure. You can believe in Him, but you’ve got to confine it to yourself. When the very light of the world is being covered, darkness is given the opportunity to prevail. Don’t be bound by darkness or institutions. Know the Word and follow Jesus. He is the light that leads to life.

TRUTHFULNESS

Romans 9:1
In the presence of Christ,
I speak with utter truthfulness —
I do not lie — and my conscience and
the Holy Spirit confirm that
what I am saying is true.



We can share the Good News with people really easily if we have a good relationship with those persons because they'll easily know if we're telling the truth or not. They'll be able to tell if we're truly different or just the same old person we've always been. There’s a funny story about a woman talking about marriage counseling with her friends. This woman proudly shared, “My husband and I will never need counseling because we have an excellent relationship. My husband was a communications major in college and I majored in theater arts. He communicates really well and I just act like I am listening.” The only way people will believe your words about the Good News is when you speak and behave with sincere utter truthfulness. Other than that, you'll be living a lie that the people closest to you will be able to detect without any real problems. If you want your life to be a beacon for the Good News, make sure that your sincerity shines through.

BETRAYAL

Psalm 55:20
As for this friend of mine,
he betrayed me;
he broke his promises.



Even the best of friendships can end up in betrayal. It’s one of the hardest things in life to accept, but it’s a reality. The worst thing about a friend’s betrayal is that it’s caused by someone we love. Here’s a silly story to lighten the sobering mood. A few customers were at a bank while it was being robbed, when one of the robber’s masks fell off. The thief looked at a customer who was also caught in the holdup and asked him, “Did you see my face?” As the man responded, “Yes,” the robber shot him. Then he asked a nearby woman. “Did you see my face?” She responded, “No… but my husband over there did.” When given a choice between our comforts against others, would you betray your loved ones or would you choose an uncomfortable position? How you answer that question to yourself will unveil quite a bit about what kind of friend you are.

TREACHERY

Proverbs 11:6
The godliness of good people rescues them;
the ambition of treacherous people traps them.



Godliness is all about being just and fair. In the same vein, it's a Godly principle that the godliness of good people will always yield a positive result. The Gospel Herald once ran a story about a man who was arrested for selling marijuana to students. The accused easily beat the charges because he was able to prove that he was actually selling plain drinking tea to the students. His victory was short-lived, however, because he was convicted for defrauding the students he sold the tea leaves to. In the same way that godliness always yields a good result, there’s no escaping from the traps of one’s treachery. Sins will always find you out and corner you down, so be careful with your ambitions.

COMMITTING TO LOVE

John 13:34
So now I am giving you
a new commandment:
Love each other.
Just as I have loved you,
you should love each other.



Love takes a commitment and we have to be willing to assure each other of our love. The Guinness Book of World Records says that Lauren Lubeck Blair and David E. Hough Blair of Tennessee, USA, married each other for the 83rd time on August 16, 2004. When asked why, they responded, "We love telling each other that we love each other and looking into each other's eyes and saying our vows." Our love must always be expressed by words and implied by our actions. God did the same exact thing – He expressed his love in the Word and Jesus’ actions offer us eternal love.

AUTHORITIES

Romans 13:4
The authorities are sent by God to help you.
But if you are doing something wrong,
of course you should be afraid,
for you will be punished. The authorities are
established by God for that very purpose,
to punish those who do wrong.



The authorities are the institutional leaders that God has put in place. These institutions were established to provide a way to implement rules for disciplinary purposes. A person cannot be a disciple without understanding disciplines. I once read a story about a mother who went to court to pay a $55 traffic fine for her teen aged son. Before the judge, she then turned to face her son and delivered a loud resounding slap to his young face. The shocked judge quickly responded, “Madam, that calls for a $10 reduction in the fine.” The mother responded, “Oh that’s nothing, wait till I get him at home.” The cold hard truth is that when the authorities deliver discipline, the main purpose is to get people to behave properly and to live safely.

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

Isaiah 45:15
Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior,
you work in strange and mysterious ways.



It’s storied that William Cowper had intended to end his life at the age of 32 by throwing himself from a bridge after drinking opium-laced tea. His plan was to drive to a bridge where he would jump to his death; however, in his drugged state and in the fogginess of the night he drove around in circles ending up back at his own doorstep. The next day, he would fall upon a knife, only to have the blade break under his weight. He even tried hanging himself, but rescuers were able to cut him down while he was unconscious, yet still alive! Later on in life, he’d found a Bible and read verses that inspired his heart. Cowper would eventually become one of the most famous hymnists ever penning the aptly titled, "God Moves In A Mysterious Way." Cowper found out in many twists of irony that he was meant to live for something more than he could ever have envisioned. Are you letting God move in mysterious ways throughout your life?

FOR HIS PURPOSE

2 Timothy 2:20-21
In a wealthy home some utensils
are made of gold and silver,
and some are made of wood and clay.
The expensive utensils are used for
special occasions, and the
cheap ones are for everyday use.
If you keep yourself pure, you will be
a utensil God can use for his purpose.
Your life will be clean, and you will be ready
for the Master to use you for every good work.



This world is just a piece of the Kingdom of God. Every person who receives Jesus in their life through faith in Him becomes God’s servant. Our sins are then forgiven and the Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:10 “We neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” We are cleaned by the blood of Jesus Our Lord so that God the Father can use us for His sovereign purpose. Keep yourself pure and God will definitely use you for His purpose. Choose to keep yourself in your old sinful nature and you can be certain that His purpose for your life will likely go unfulfilled.

PRECIOUS TO GOD

1 Peter 3:3-4
Don't be concerned about the outward beauty
that depends on fancy hairstyles,
expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.
You should be known for the beauty
that comes from within, the unfading beauty
of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.



It’s amazing how much money is spent on clothes and other adornments to try to look good and to impress others. The Bible gives us what is precious to God, and what’s precious to God isn’t what’s visible to man, but what God can see in your heart – the real you. If we put more effort onto the outside by emphasizing our bodies, then we are focusing on the temporary part of us and not the eternal part of us. The real you isn’t the physical you, but rather it’s the spiritual you that is revived by Christ. Ecclesiastes 12:7 teaches us, “For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” Our spiritual life is what’s most precious to God. Is your spiritual life what's most precious to you?

THE DECEIVER

Revelations 12:9
This great dragon – the ancient serpent
called the Devil, or Satan,
the one deceiving the whole world –
was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.



Have you ever been deceived? Have you ever been led to believe something that you later found out was a lie? At the core of that deception sits Satan or one of his fallen angels. Fallen angels are spiritual beings that continuously manipulate people to lie and deceive. They'll even use people's faith in religions to try and implement their devilish schemes. Revelations 13:4 teaches, “They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they worshiped the beast. ‘Is there anyone as great as the beast?’ they exclaimed. ‘Who is able to fight against him?’” If you’ve come to believe that a way into heaven is through doing good deeds, through being a member of a church, or through not doing anything bad – then you’ve been deceived. Read the Word of God, you’ll easily find that Jesus is the only way.

FINISH THE WORK

Philippians 1:6
And I am sure that God,
who began the
good work within you,
will continue his work
until it is finally finished
on that day when Christ Jesus
comes back again.



Dale Carnegie once said that, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” As Christians, our hope is in God who promised that whatever He began in us, He would certainly finish. 2 Corinthians 3:18 teaches us, “And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” God’s goal for us as He completes and perfects us, is to have us become more and more like Christ.

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

Romans 6:13
Do not let any part of your body
become a tool of wickedness,
to be used for sinning.
Instead, give yourselves completely to
God since you have been given new life.
And use your whole body as a tool
to do what is right for the glory of God.



I had the privilege of working with the owner of a motel chain who was saved by the blood. Before he came to know Jesus as Savior, the motel chain that he owned was primarily used for prostitution and other assorted immoral activities. When he received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he converted the motel into a God honoring business and banned prostitution. The motel sign now says, “For The Glory of God.” Jesus changes lives. Jesus can change your life – if you let Him. Are you letting Him change you life today?

NO CRITICISM

Romans 9:20
No, don't say that. Who are you,
a mere human being, to criticize God?
Should the thing that was created
say to the one who made it,
"Why have you made me like this?"



How often do you spend time criticizing things and people? Criticism has become a normal topic of conversation and critics are a neverending source of sarcasm. I’d once read a story about a teenager who said, “I was thinking about my parents and how they messed things up and did such a terrible job with the world in their generation. And then it hit me. If they are all that bad, how come I’m such a wonderful guy?” I'm sure that we all have a lot of questions and comments about things that are happening. However, the best thing to do would be to thank God for all that you have and to get closer to Him so that He may unveil the answers to your questions. Hold your critical tongue and let your faith be strong.

EQUIPPED

Ephesians 4:12
Their responsibility is to
equip God's people to do his
work and build up the church,
the body of Christ.



Bob Zuver became an ordained minister after the former weightlifting champ built Zuver’s Gym and The Muscle Hall of Fame. What’s interesting about this gym is that all of the presentations are large in size. There’s a huge fearsome-looking fiberglass gorilla, a ten-foot tall superman and a fiberglass elephant lifting a barbell. The doors to the main gym weigh two tons and the drinking fountain is a fire hydrant. When Zuver was asked why everything in the Gym and Hall of Fame was made in large scale, he said, “It is to build fitness and strength, not only in the physical realm, but also in the mental and the spiritual realms.” Every Christian is part of the body of Christ, and the responsibility of everyone is to strengthen each other and work together to build a huge, fit body of Christ.

OUR BEST DEFENSE

1 John 2:1
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the
Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.



To whom are we supposed to confess? Priests? The Government? Each other? The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is the only person to whom we should confess our sins. He is the only righteous one able to bear the load of all of our sins because all other possibilities are filled by sinners. This is why the Word of God teaches us in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” When we give ourselves over to Jesus, the Son speaks to the Father on our behalf, in our defense. Christ is our defender and when God looks at us, He no longer sees us, but rather the Father sees His Son. Ultimately, there are no priests, governments, institutions or persons that can do that for you. Just Christ alone.

CHECK YOURSELF

Lamentations 3:40
Instead, let us test and examine our ways.
Let us turn again in repentance to the LORD.



Assessment is a vital aspect of successful business management. Constant assessing and reassessing of situations and performance is a sign of true vigilance. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong.” Whenever you find yourself in sin, immediately ask God for forgiveness, leave that place of failure and run to the center of God’s will. Remember what the Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” Always check your ways to assess whether or not you’re doing the right thing. If you do that constantly, you'll find yourself on the right track to success more often than not.

REPUTATIONS

1 Timothy 3:2
For an elder must be a man whose
life cannot be spoken against.
He must be faithful to his wife.
He must exhibit self-control,
live wisely, and have a good reputation.
He must enjoy having guests
in his home and must be able to teach.



In the past, I’ve received furious complaints from unsaved parents about their newly saved teenagers. Generally, these parents feel that their children became disobedient once they started going to church. The church, of course, became the main recipient of blame for their child’s new “disobedience.” At first, I used to become angry about the complaints. But after thinking it through, I would begin to feel pity for these parents. You see, whatever these people had come to believe about their child’s behavior was just something that their kids had probably learned from their parents. I've found that the real problem is more likely that parents are just not walking their talk. Jesus asked us in Matthew 7:3, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” A parent's life must be filled with integrity for them to successfully teach their children. If a reputation of integrity doesn't exist, you can expect failure and that failure is a reflection of the poor spirit of the teacher.

CONFUSED

1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not the author of confusion,
but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.



According to the Webster Dictionary, confusion is a state of being disoriented; and to be disoriented means that one has lost one’s bearings. The world will try to teach us different ways to reach God through different religions which can make things very confusing at times. The Bible says God is not the author of confusion, which is a key to understanding why He gave us only one way to bridge the gap between us and Him. That way can be found in John 14:6, as Jesus taught us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” You will never be confused in Jesus because He is the only way – no more, no less.

GREED DID IT

Proverbs 28:25
Greed causes fighting;
trusting the LORD leads to prosperity.



I once read a story about a powerful lion and a wild donkey that went hunting together. When they had caught their prey, the lion divided it into three shares and said, “I will take the first share because as king I hold the highest rank; and the second share is mine too, as your equal partner. You can have the third share if you want to be into serious trouble, or you can choose to scarce yourself.” People really aren't all that different now, are they? People like to have control, particularly over material goods because of human greed. However, it’s just not worth it in the long run. After all, you can't take it with you. Trust the Lord and venture along with Him because peace and prosperity come from Him.

GOOD ADVICE

Proverbs 10:21
The godly give good advice,
but fools are destroyed
by their lack of common sense.



Have you noticed that common sense just isn’t all that common? There’s a story about a man who went to see a doctor because of some pain he was experiencing on his left foot. After a thorough examination, the doctor concluded that he has Buerger’s disease. He was advised to give up smoking. He returned to the doctor 2 years later and admitted he had not entirely given up smoking. To make matters worse, his pain was more severe. Another year later at his third visit, his condition had not changed and he was now in serious danger of losing his foot. For several years after, the man made no appearances at his doctor’s office. From the fear, the man had finally chosen to stop smoking. He was healthy again with this arteries pulsating and a normal blood flow. The man had been cured without surgery or medication, but his lack of common sense to heed to wise advice had almost been his doom. Do you find yourself more receptive to good advice or enslaved by your sinful habits?

BUILD UP

1 Thessalonians 5:11
So encourage each other
and build each other up,
just as you are already doing.



Horatio Alger, Jr. was a 19th-century American author who wrote rags to riches stories about how down-and-out boys might be able to achieve their dreams through hard work, courage, determination, and concern for others. Alger had no idea that his writings would inspire a 15-year old admitted to Columbia University that would go on to receive his Master’s at 19, and at 21 would pass the Bar exam with high honors. Later, as an established figure, Justice Benjamin Cardozo would share his inspiration openly by saying, "My preparation for college was the work of Horatio Alger." In the same Christ-like way of inspiring, we need to keep encouraging people on to bigger and greater things. In doing so you can change people’s lives and best of all, you change the future.

A MATERIAL WORLD

Ecclesiastes 4:4
Then I observed that most people
are motivated to success by their
envy of their neighbors.
But this, too, is meaningless,
like chasing the wind.



People will always be mesmerized by new sports cars and beautiful homes. There’s nothing wrong with that stuff except for when it becomes your key motivation to achieve success. After material desires are obtained, you’ll find that they truly don't provide satisfaction. Chasing these types of desires makes you feel like you’re chasing the wind – never able to catch it. Solomon also wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:16, "This, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away." Live your life for God, for others and your life will be meaningful beyond your living days.

SEDUCED

Job 36:18
But watch out, or you
may be seduced with wealth.
Don't let yourself be bribed into sin.



Wealth isn't wrong and being wealthy isn't a bad thing. After all, God promised wealth to His people. However, there are only two ways by which we can derive wealth. The first (and best way) is through God’s provision. The second (and lesser way) is through man’s way. God’s way brings joy to the blessed, while man’s way leads to pride growing within the hearts of men. David asked in Psalm 49:5-6, “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?” James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” In the pursuit of wealth, one should relinquish their pride because God will oppose that which you do in your pride. More properly, become wealthy by letting God be the source of your riches. Have the foresight to not be seduced by the thought that you can be a self-made man with no consequences.

NAGGING

Romans 12:19
Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God.
For it is written, "I will take vengeance;
I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord.



It is a natural reaction to want to get even, to fight tooth for tooth and evil for evil. It reminds me of a a story about a wife nagging her husband. He had become so annoyed that he left their home and lived in the family tree house in the backyard. The wife wrote a letter to a local advice columnist saying, "My husband is living in the family tree house and he’s such an annoyance because he swings in a hammock on his porch, merrily chatting with passersby." The columnist responded with, “Quit being a nag.” Whenever you try to get something done in your own strength it never really works out properly. This goes not just for naggers, but also complainers and pushy people. Sometimes the struggles will just continue to linger on within a tit for tat situation. Just give it to God because His strength and timing are perfect.