ReDream

As we close out the year I think it's good to look back at the past year and recall your victories and accomplishments over the past 12 months. If you are like me I enjoy remembering my past successes but I don't always enjoy looking at what I failed to accomplish. However, sometimes it's good to look at both your successes and failures and learn from them.

While there were a lot of positive things this past year, everything I desired and dreamed of accomplishing did not come to past. Am I discouraged? No I'm not. Why? Because I have learned to redream when all of my dreams haven't become a reality yet. My challenge to everyone who reads this post is simply this, REDREAM.

Dreams are the substance of all accomplishment. Nothing great has ever been accomplished without a true heart-felt dream. It has been rightly said, “The world belongs to the dreamer.”

A dream is a vision of the future God desires for you. God desires to give you a future of peace, success, and purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

A dream is a mental picture of who you will become and what you will accomplish. It is a picture of how things can be not how they presently are.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” One translation says, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint.”

A dream from God becomes a magnificent obsession when you accept it and pursue it with all your heart.

• When the future looks dark and bleak, it’s time to re-dream.
• When the circumstances of life have bogged you down, it’s time to re-dream.
• When you’ve fallen on your face and can’t seem to get up, it’s time to re-dream.
• When you’ve tried and failed, it’s time to re-dream.
• When others say you’re finished, it’s time to re-dream.
• When everything around you is falling apart, it’s time to re-dream.
• When you’ve lost everything you own, it’s time to re-dream.
• When the going is tough and you feel like giving up, it’s time to re-dream.

The War on Christmas

As Christians today is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I just read a post by a friend of mine, Don Enevoldson. It is an eye opening thought provoking piece about Christmas and all the hoopla surrounding it in our society today. Thought you might enjoy it. Keep an open mind and gain a new perspective about Christmas.

The War on Christmas

Christmas, contrary to popular belief, is a relatively recent holiday. The birth of Jesus has been celebrated for a long time, of course, though not as universally as most modern Christians suppose. The early Protestants preached that it was a pagan celebration and completely inappropriate for followers of Jesus. Even as recently as the American Revolution, most Americans did not celebrate Christmas.

The holiday gained popularity in America in the early 1800s, interestingly at the same time as a great spiritual awakening that swept the nation. Christmas was established as a federal holiday only in 1870, motivated by a desire to find some means for bringing unity to a nation ravaged by the divisiveness of the Civil War.

It is ironic that an American holiday instituted to bring unity should be so controversial today. Opponents to the Gospel want to purge every reference to Christianity from this season. Christians proclaim that Jesus is the reason for the season.

I’ve heard more controversy on this subject this year than I can remember at any time in the past. It has prompted a few random thoughts on the holidays:

• When I say “Happy holidays,” I mean: “Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year.” I haven’t left Christmas out. I’ve just included the others.

• When someone says to me, “Happy holidays,” I choose to take it the same way I mean it when I say it.

• When I see “Xmas,” I read it as an abbreviation. I do not read the “X” as something intended to replace “Christ.” Rather the Greek word for Christ is Christos. The “Ch” is the Greek letter chi, which looks like an English “X.” Constantine used the “X” as a symbol of Christ. I choose to read “Xmas” as an abbreviation consistent with early Christian symbolism. I choose not to be offended by it.

• I acknowledge that the anti-Christmas people are generally right when they point out that a significant portion of Christmas traditions are from pagan origins. Feasting and the giving of presents was a part of the Saturnalia celebrations of ancient Rome. Yule logs came from northern Europe. Even the choice of December 25 was motivated by the fact that a pagan holiday was already celebrated on that day. We took a lot from the pagans. (The Christmas tree appears to be an exception.) Most of the early Christians did not observe Christmas. Origen wrote in the third century that only sinners like Herod and Pharaoh celebrated birthdays. He, like most believers in the first couple of centuries of the church thought it would be pointless to make a big deal over Christ’s birth, because they saw such celebrations as pagan, and besides, they anticipated Jesus returning any time anyway. Why spend time commemorating the past when they could look to the future with such great hope?

So, as we celebrate the birth of the world’s savior, it occurs to me that perhaps the early Christians had a good idea. Rather than participate in the confrontation, throwing the name “Christmas” in the face of those who do not believe in Christ in order to win an argument, let us remember that our mission is not to keep Christ in Christmas; it is to infuse Christ in everything, anticipating his immanent return. Look to the future more than the past. Let us celebrate the real reason for the birth, which was the cross, the resurrection and the return. Without those events, the birth is meaningless.

From Christina and from me, to all of our friends, Happy Holidays, by which I mean, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May we celebrate our anticipation of a year filled with impartation of the life of Christ, who came to this world to set us free.

Don Enevoldsen

Fear Not

In times of uncertainty it is important that we be reminded that as believers we have no need to be afraid or filled with fear. God has promised in His Word to take care of us, to protect us, to heal us, to provide for us, and to watch over us.

The word fear is defined as “A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger. A state or condition marked by this feeling. A feeling of disquiet or apprehension. A reason for dread or apprehension.” Someone has said that FEAR is “False Evidence Appearing Real!” I couldn’t agree more. The vast majority of time the fears we have are unfounded and never even become a reality in our lives. Fear is nothing more than a smoke screen from the enemy (satan) to try to shake our confidence in God and cause us to lose our focus and our momentum.

Here are some of my favorite scriptures regarding God’s instruction for us to not be controlled by fear.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:4,5)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3)

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. (Psalm 91:4-7)

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (Proverbs 3:25,26)

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)

“6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)

I’ve Got A Lot of Stuff, Am I A Success?

I think for the most part we have a skewed view of what true success really is. The common thought in our culture is that success is defined by what we have. Big houses, fancy cars, designer clothes, lots of money in the bank, community prestige, a big title after our name and so on. But is this really success? While having “stuff” is fine, I don’t believe that is what defines whether a person is successful or not. Jesus said, “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things he possesses.” Obviously Jesus had a different perception of success than most Americans, Christians included. It’s sad but most Christians have bought into the same “materialistic lie” the rest of the world has. Some of the most miserable people I’ve ever met have lots of stuff but are living unproductive, unfulfilled lives.

Perhaps the best definition of success I’ve ever come across is this. “Success is the progressive realization of a God-given goal and purpose.” In other words, success is living on intentionally. Success is not quitting when the going gets tough. It’s not giving up when everyone around you says you’re finished. It’s not living your life based on the opinions of others who have no idea what you’ve gone through; all they’ve seen is the outside stuff. It is getting up one more time than you get knocked down.

It’s funny to me how judgmental we are at times. Especially so called Christians. We are just as guilty of judging others by what we see on the outside as the rest of the world. If I am not mistaken the Bible says “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” I think He could care the less about the stuff others see when they look at you. He is only concerned with what’s in your heart. His only concern is are you doing what you were created you to do.

I know firsthand what it feels like to judge. I’ve done my share. I’ve had to repent. I’ve learned that regardless of what a person has done or experienced, if the Bible is correct, God is not through with them yet. He still loves them, He is still concerned about them, and He will go to the ends of the earth if necessary to redeem and restore them. The Apostle Paul wrote, “The gifts and callings of God are without repentance.” He never changes His mind as to what He has created you to do. He will never give up on you. So don’t give up on yourself.

I also understand what it feels like to be judged by others who don’t know the whole story. Maybe that’s why I have repented of judging others. Dr Edwin Louis Cole said something one time that rocked my world. He said, “We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions.” Nothing could be truer.

I’ll admit I’ve had my share of setbacks, who hasn’t? I’ve made my share of mistakes, who hasn’t? I’ve been knocked down and I’ve fallen down, sometimes because of stupid things I’ve done, other times because of stupid things others have done, who hasn’t? But in all of this I take the position the Apostle Paul took when he said, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are before, I press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” God never calls us downward. He always calls us upward. Micah of old wrote these words, “Rejoice not over O’ me my enemy. When I fall down I shall arise. When I sit in darkness the Lord shall cause His light to surround me.”

Success is not equated to never making a mistake or experiencing a failure. We would all say Thomas Edison was a success, yet he failed in over 10,000 attempts to develop a filament for the light bulb. He was a success because he refused to quit. Abraham Lincoln failed in starting his own business and in running for several political offices. Yet he didn’t quit. He tried again, this time for the highest office in the land. He won the election and became perhaps the greatest President our country has ever known. You might say he was a success.

I guess what I would like to get across in this posting is this; it’s easy to get the wrong perception of what is truly success. Don’t buy into the lies of the enemy, the skeptic, the fault finder, the critical, or the negaholic, as to what is true success. If you’ve been knocked down, get up. If you’ve failed try again. If you’ve made a mistake, get over it, and get back on track. Live your purpose. Follow your God-given dreams. If you are living on purpose, and making progress towards the goals God has given you, then in God’s eyes you are a success. And His opinion is the only one that matters!

Are You Settling?

On October 29, 1941, to the boys of Harrow School, Winston Churchill gave a speech in which he made this statement, “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Regardless of what you are facing or how great the enemy may seem that is coming against you, through Jesus Christ you are more than a conqueror. Just as Winston Churchill encouraged the nation of England to never give up and never give in to the enemy that wanted to destroy them, the Lord is telling us today to do the same. Don’t settle!

One of the easiest things to do when things are not going the way you had planned or believed for, is to settle for the way things are right now. Sadly most people, believers included, tend to give up when the going gets tough. They accept the status-quo as permanent and unchangeable. Maybe you have succumbed to the problems and difficulties you are experiencing today. Perhaps you have given in to sickness or pain, financial difficulties, or relationship challenges. Maybe you have adapted the mindset that things are never going to change. My challenge to you today is to not settle, to not give in, to not give up!

Scripture is full of stories of people who refused to settle. Abraham could have stayed in Ur and enjoyed his senior years surrounded by what was familiar to him. But, he didn’t. After an encounter with God he caught a vision of something so great that he left Ur and spent the rest of his life walking out a land that would someday become his descendents. It was through his faith and refusal to settle, that a new nation was born, and through his lineage Jesus came to this earth. Imagine how different things would be had he settled.

As a young man Joseph had a dream of someday being in a position of leadership and authority that even his own family would be blessed by. Even though he was sold into slavery, falsely accused of sexual misconduct with his bosses wife and ultimately wrongly imprisoned, he never settled for less than what God had promised him. Even in prison the Bible teaches us that God prospered him. With all of the negative setbacks that came his way it would have been easy to settle for the status-quo and give up on his dream. Bur he didn’t and ultimately he became the Prime Minister of a foreign country and was responsible for saving many lives, his families included, from a global famine.

Born as a Hebrew child Moses was raised in Pharaohs house as the son of an Egyptian princess. His first forty years of existence was one surrounded by opulence and abundance. He could have been content with his surroundings and his lifestyle, and settled for a life of luxury, but he didn’t. Deep in Moses’ heart he knew his life had more meaning and purpose than that. Somehow he knew he was born to be the deliverer of God’s people from the slavery of Egypt. Even though he had to spend the next forty years of his life tending sheep for his father-in-law on the backside of the desert, he never settled. After God spoke to him from a burning bush and answered his objections and excuses, he returned to Egypt and led the children of Israel out of bondage.

In the New Testament there is the story of Blind Bartimeus. Blind from birth, forced to beg for his sustenance, he never settled for living his whole life as a blind ma. One day when he heard Jesus of Nazareth was coming his way he began to cry out with a loud voice for Jesus to heal him. Even though those around him tried to quiet him down and to not trouble the master, they couldn’t do it. The Bible says he cried the more loudly. When Jesus heard his voice he stopped what he was doing and restored his sight. Had he settled for less than what was possible he would have lived the rest of his life as a blind beggar. But he didn’t settle!

Are you settling today for less than the best God has created you to enjoy? Have the troubles of life gotten the best of you? Are you on the verge of just giving up?

I have good news for you today. You don’t have to settle. You can by faith rise up and take possession of everything God has promised you in His word! God is no respecter of persons. If he has blessed just one other who refused to quit, He will bless you. There is nothing to hard for our God. He desires to do exceeding, abundantly, above all you can ask or think. And, He will if you will keep on fighting, keep on believing, and keep on obeying!

Whatever!

There is nothing like a good argument or disagreement to get the blood pressure up. If not dealt with immediately things can heat you up to the point that tempers flare up and things are said and done that you will later regret.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to disarm a volatile situation is with a soft answer. Don’t respond to the aggression of others with the same sort of aggression in return. A soft answer turns away wrath, king Solomon once said. And it is still true today.

The next time someone is bent on proving a point, even if it means picking a point, respond with, “Whatever,” and then walk away. You will surprised at how much better you feel. There are some fights that are just not worth fighting!