Putting down new roots

It’s not enough for you to simply cut off bad roots. New roots need to be put down because you do not only want to stop the bad fruit; you want a new life with good fruit. But this is only possible when you have a new root… one that is good.

How do we acquire this root? One step is to change the source of your trust.

How? God Himself explains this through the prophet Jeremiah (17.5-8):

Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. (By trusting in doctors, lawyers, the wise of this world, and in your own wisdom and abilities, you forget to trust in God. Notice that they will live under a curse — not simple bad luck or a bad period of time, but a constant state of negativity and suffering.)

For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, (abandoned, alone, isolated, rejected, despised) and shall not see when good comes, (Blinded by your own pride, you will miss opportunities; you may even have material possessions but you will not enjoy them — like many rich people in this world.) but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. (You will attract bad things, and will live in the worst situations)

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. (He makes Him his root, he trusts in Him, he only looks to Him for help)

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, (the Holy Spirit) which spreads out its roots by the river, (that flows from the throne of God) and will not fear when heat comes; (bad news, bad times) but its leaf will be green, (Your appearance does not change, as with many, who are like the moon and depend on external circumstances.) and will not be anxious (mental and emotional state) in the year of drought, (prolonged difficulties) nor will cease from yielding fruit. (Nothing can be used as an excuse for not bearing fruit because this tree continues to be fed by the rivers of water around the root.)

Changing your source of trust means that you recognize that Jesus is your Root. He is the single source of energy that you need for life. But to receive this energy, you have to connect to it, to become a receptor of it. In His own words: Apart from me, you can do nothing.

How can you apply this in your life?

Take back your trust of people, things, knowledge, in yourself, and place it completely in God. Keep on studying, going to the doctor, interacting with people — but don’t trust in these things. Understand that everything and everybody is limited and can disappoint.

Start to develop a dependence, a relationship with the true Root, Jesus. Talk to Him constantly. Meditate on what He says in the Bible. Go to His house with others of the same faith. Seek to please Him and to follow His counsel.

She annoyed me

I entered the store just to buy a shirt, maybe two. I’m the kind of customer who knows what he wants, so I come in, buy what I want, and leave.

But the badgering sales assistant kept asking me, "Don’t you want to take a pair of pants too?" No, thank you. "Maybe a pair of jeans?" No, no. "Let me show you these new shirts that arrived this week, they’re beautiful." I'm already taking two. "And shoes? Look at these shoes… And those socks..." Arrgh! Lord, grant me patience!

And when I made the mistake of mentioning that I travel a lot, she said: "Let me show you a suitcase..." I almost asked her if they sold “cluelessness” at the store too, as she showed plenty, but I thought she would not understand the question.

Don’t get me wrong, I admire the chutzpah. I also understand she needs the commission. But all she achieved through her insistence was making me think twice if I should ever go back there. She didn’t increase her commission today, and probably won’t get repeat sales from me in the future.

Jesus said: They assume that for their much speaking they will be heard. Matthew 6:7

Not even God can stand blabbermouths. Husbands can’t take wives who talk too much. Children cover their ears when their parents start lecturing. Employees get tired of management’s empty words.

If you want to be heard:

1. Make it short
2. Make it clear
3. Speak with conviction
4. Speak only when necessary

Then, when you open your mouth, you will command much more attention.

My favorite key

The key I like the most on my computer’s keyboard is, by far, the “delete” key. There’s no comparison to the others. In fact, what would be the use of the other keys without it? Those who struggled with typewriters know what I mean. To the more fortunate, younger readers, a brief background:

In the Stone Age of word processors, when you inserted a sheet of paper in a typewriter, you'd better be sure of what you were going to type before you pressed a key... That’s because there was practically no turning back. I mean, erasing even one letter was torture. The erase tape never worked right, and when it did, it would still leave a visible stain — the evidence that incriminated you as a mediocre typist. It would make you wonder if all that hard work was really worth it.

But today, thanks to IBM, inventors of the word processor, I can type away whatever comes to my mind as I write this blog without much worry because, if on a second reading I don’t like what I wrote, hallelujah! I have the delete key!

Even more useful is the "delete" key in your brain. Not so simple to access, and not always as fast as the one on your keyboard, the "delete" key in your brain is your ability to decide to delete something from your mind. You can delete evil thoughts, irrelevant people, destructive criticism, a hurtful past, and everything else that is just useless or too trashy to occupy your mind.

“But wait a minute”, you may say, “Not everything can be deleted from our mind”. That’s true. Sometimes it is engraved in our memory and we just can’t forget it. But we can decide to focus on something more productive, rather than on something worthless. The result is the same.

I probably wouldn’t write a daily blog if there weren’t a delete key on my keyboard. And living my life without a delete key in my brain, it’s just out of the question.



P.S. The delete key was used 27 times in this article.

I feel empty

Sadie wrote me this:

Everything is going well for me. I don’t have financial problems. I’m successful in my job. I’m not sick. I have a good family. But for some reason, I feel so empty. I spend my days trying to stay busy, always looking for something to occupy my mind. If I don’t, I get depressed. What is wrong with me?

Sadie, there is only one area of your life you failed to mention something about: your spiritual life. I suspect that’s where your problem is. In the body, soul, and spirit equation, the spirit is the foundation of one’s life. 

When our spirit is weak, our whole life is affected. You need to develop your spiritual life – to cultivate godly thoughts, devote a few minutes a day to prayer, feed on the Word of God, and ultimately start a relationship with Him. As a quick start, I suggest you read Psalm 42 in your Bible. If you don't already know a good church to get together with other people who are on the same journey, perhaps you could try this one at a location near you.

God's number

I promised to slip you God’s number so you could give Him a call. You do want to start a relationship with Him, don’t you? So here it is:

1-2-3.

These are the numbers to call. In this order:

1. Talk to God like you’re talking to your best friend. No beating around the bush. No code words, no rituals, no special posture to assume. Be sincere and open up. Hint: He answers within the first ring when you call in His Son's name.

2. Actually talk to Him. Don’t just think up a few words and keep them in your mind. In your room, by yourself, talk to God and tell Him what is on your mind.

3. Let Him talk to you. It goes both ways. But don’t expect Him to talk back to you in an audible voice. Listen for His voice answering you, communicating with you, in different ways, and not necessarily at the very same time you’re talking to Him. But if you’re tuned in, you will hear it and “get it”.

Now, do that regularly, and it will get you started.

The relationship

I started the conversation yesterday about the importance of having a relationship with God as an antidote to religion. Let’s delve into that a little bit more today.

What’s the first, most basic thing that must happen in order to start a relationship?

Some form of communication.

I cannot imagine any kind of relationship without it. If your best friend revealed to you his feelings for a girl, and how he wanted to get to know her, you’d probably tell him, “Well, what are you waiting for? Go talk to her!”

Exactly.

If you don’t have a relationship with God, the basic reason is because you haven’t been trying to communicate with Him — or knowing how to do it effectively.

So do you really, really want to get to know Him?

Be here tomorrow at about this time. I’ll slip you His number.

5 Things Religions Don’t Want You To Know (3)

Continued from the previous posts — here's the last one and here's the first.

4. They don’t want you to know God – because the day you know Him directly, you will realize they don’t. You see, religions live off people’s ignorance about God. That’s why it’s in their best interest to make Him as mysterious, unreachable and incomprehensible as possible.

5. They haven’t got a clue how to help you. Every religion has its own way of explaining suffering. Because people often turn to religion in time of pain in search of an answer and relief, religions have become very good at explaining why – but not so much at providing a solution and relief. To know that your suffering here will result in great joy in heaven will not help you a lot in the short term, will it?

You may be disillusioned by a religion that never brought you any results. You did what they told you. But you didn’t get out what you put in. Your perception and experience of religion make it the last place you’d go to find help for your suffering.

What you need to do is to have a relationship with God instead. You need to know Him as He is, not according to someone else. If you do what He says – not what people think He said – then, you will have a totally different experience with God.

Tomorrow we'll explore more this idea of having a relationship with God — what it is and how you can start it.

Finally, here’s food for thought: Religion is the result of faith without intelligence.

5 Things Religions Don’t Want You To Know (2)

Continued from the last post, which you can read here.

2. Religion is a product of the human mind. A dream, a vision, a special revelation, a self-proclaimed leader – these are the usual ways in which a religion starts. Minds think up a system to restrain people and get them into the loop. But God never started a religion. Religion is man complicating what God has made simple. It’s man putting up hoops and telling others to jump through them so they may find God on the other side — except they rarely do. Religions are man-made systems. God has nothing to do with them.

3. Religion separates you from God. The origin of the word ‘religion’ comes from the Latin ‘religare’, which means ‘to reconnect or bind’. That’s what religions set out to do in the first place: to reconnect man to God. But they achieve exactly the opposite: They put people off and turn them away from God. True reconnection with God has already been made through Jesus Christ. Faith in Him, not adherence to religious customs, is what connects you to God. Jesus has done away with the need for the middleman.

Two more to go. Click here for points 4 and 5 ...

Chick-fil-A: Faith as a business foundation

5 Things Religions Don’t Want You To Know (1)

What I am about to tell you won’t make your average priest, vicar, evangelist, mullah, or any other religious leader very happy. It won’t make me very popular with them either. These are the truths that religions will never admit about themselves. Yet I feel duty-bound to tell you why religions are failing their followers, society as a whole, and God Himself. And then I will show you the alternative.

I want to stress that I am not picking on any particular religion. I don’t need to, since what I will say applies to every kind of religion, big or small.

Why should you care? Why is it important you know? Because probably you have been disillusioned, put off by religion; or you are faithful to a religion yourself; in the very least, you like the idea of being affiliated to a religion, for conscience’s sake, even if you don’t practice it. But what are religions hiding from you?

Here are five things they don’t want you to know:

1. You don’t need them to get to God. Religions often portray themselves as the gatekeepers of heaven. ‘If you don’t come to us, you can’t get to God.’ Nothing is further from the truth. But this stance is not something new. When God Himself saw that religions were closing the gate to heaven, He sent His own Son to clear things up. “No one comes to the Father except by Me,” Jesus said. So what you need to get to God is a close relationship with Jesus. And that is not a religion.

Click here for part 2...

Making time

We all complain about the lack of time to do this or that. But whenever I want to do something that really matters, and all I hear in my mind is, "I don't have time for this", I ask myself:

"What would happen to my schedule in the next few days if something really tragic happened in my life, like the death of a loved one, or a horrible disease, or an ugly accident?"

Any such thing would ruin anybody's schedule for days, if not weeks. Suddenly, everything would have to wait. Time you didn't think you had will appear out of nothing, so you can dedicate your full attention to that new crisis.

The next question then is, Why would I need a tragedy to prove to me that I can make the time if I want to? Why not take control of my time right now?

We have all the time we want, to do anything we want. And no, I don't need any proof, thank you. Do you?

Stupid and lazy

When you say, "No way, that's very difficult, I can't do it. There's no point even trying" and things of this sort — is it because you think you are stupid or because you're just lazy?

Saying it's not possible because you think you're not able is the same as saying you think you're stupid.

Saying it's not possible because you just don't want to bother, that is just laziness.

If the desired goal is worthwhile, then you basically have only these two options: Either you believe you can and roll up your sleeves, or you believe you can't and/or are just too lazy to work for it.

What excuse have you been using not to pursue your goals?

Till death do us part

Many would have you believe that marriage nowadays is not for keeps. It's just not possible. 

Thank you Gordon and Norma, for proving it is.

1,000 for 1

Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has returned home after five years' captivity in Gaza. The price for his life? 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for Sgt Shalit. The ratio of 1,000 to 1 is staggering, to say the least.

Political reasons aside, this event that has dominated Middle East news in the last few days has also reminded me of a no less startling promise from God to His people, in Isaiah 43.3,4. Read it carefully:

For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 

Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 

Sgt Shalit, and indeed every Israeli soldier, must be feeling especially valuable right now, and for good reason. Their country has proven how much one of its soldier's life is worth.

But those who belong to Almighty God have all the more reasons to feel special. He will give the lives of thousands for His people, nations even. And if that's not enough, He has given His own Son for them.

And you still question your worth? Do you still hesitate giving Him your life?

Men must learn how to show love

One of the most unspoken problems I commonly find when I’m counseling couples or women is how terrible men are at showing affection.

It’s an underlying problem not often discussed. Women will confirm it if asked, men will usually deny it or be defensive about it. Typical reasons men give include "My wife knows I love her, I don’t need to say it to her every day" and "If I go soft, she’ll take advantage of me."

The truth is that most men either don’t understand women at all or completely patronize them.

If a man wants to be happy, he has to make his wife happy. And to do that, he has to know her, understand her needs, and meet them.

How to cheat death

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? 

— Jesus, in John 11:25,26

Before leaving this blog, would you dare answer His question, in all honesty?

Is tithing enough to prosper?

Let me explain why some tithers fail to prosper.

The big mistake many tithers make is to interpret the promise of God in Malachi 3.10 literally. When God says that He will “open the windows of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough to receive it” He is referring to the intensity of His blessings, not how they will literally happen. In other words, you will not see a window opening in the sky above you and see money pouring like rain till it fills up your backyard.

The role of tithing in your prosperity is two-fold. First, it enables God to rebuke the devourer in your life. That means you will be protected from undue losses. Second, it brings God’s favor upon the actions you take to conquer financial blessings. I stress “actions you take” – that is, in order to prosper, you need to take some practical steps besides tithing.

Here are three things you can do to start:

1. Adopt a no-borrowing principle. It is abundantly clear in God’s Word that His people should not borrow (Deut 28.12). You should get into God’s financial mindset, which is to be financially independent. The borrower is a slave to the lender. Always prefer to pay for things in full, and if you can’t afford it now, save enough money to buy it in one payment later. This way you will never pay interest, and you may even earn interest on your savings, depending on how you invest it.
2. Improve your earning sources. You may be stuck in a job that pays you the same salary year after year and there are no prospects of change. How can God prosper you when your earning source is limited? But before you think that looking for another job is the solution, consider if the problem lies with you. If you are not an employee who adds value, that is, you are not an indispensable, hard-to-find employee who helps the company to grow, why would your boss pay you more? Why would he bother to retain you when the average person can do what you do? Make sure you add value to your company before asking them to add dollars to your salary.
3. Have an entrepreneurial spirit. Nowadays, there are literally thousands of small business ideas to be explored and that could provide you with an extra income. If you limit yourself to a 9-to-5 job at a fixed salary, you know you can’t expect more than that. What are you really good at? Is it something people are willing to pay you for? If yes, you’re in business already! Do a bit of research into the idea, but most importantly, get started immediately and perfect the business as you go along. Action is the key. Don’t be afraid to take risks. 

God promised to bless the tithers but He can only bless the work of your hands. If you give Him nothing to bless, that is, if you take no action, He can’t help you.

The Chinese Bamboo

Bereavement: Learning to let go

There is no easy way to overcome the grief for the loss of a loved one. However, it is a situation we all must face at one point or another.

The next three steps should help you or a bereft friend to cope and rise above this challenge. As I said, there's no easy or simple way of dealing with this. However, the steps themselves are really simple and will help more than you can imagine. Just do them and see.

1. Stop playing the blame game. There is no point blaming yourself or anybody else for your relative’s death. Even if there is someone who truly is to blame, that person cannot bring your loved one back to life. So why the pointless aggravation? 
2. Manage your thoughts. Memories of the deceased may be controlling your thoughts and making you very emotional. Avoid this emotive rollercoaster. Put away photographs and other objects that remind you of the person. 
3. Resume usual activities. Life goes on. Pick up your regular duties as soon as possible.

We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love. — Madame de Stael

Death is the only certainty of life. Facing that fact before it faces you and preparing for it is the single smartest thing you can do while you live.

Tip for quarrelsome couples

If you argue with your partner and then stay mad or go quiet for a couple of hours or days, won’t you have to let it go and make up eventually?

Which one is better: Solving the problem right now or leaving it for later?

If you will have to solve it at some point anyway, why not do it there and then?

Save yourself the headache, the long face, and the cold shoulder. Deal with it already. Say what you have to say, hear what you have to hear, use your intelligence, and reach an agreement.

But make sure of two things: Don’t leave it for later, and when all is said and done, you’re hugging and kissing.

The ray of light

A ray of light heard of the existence of darkness. Determined to find her, the ray of light went searching all over the universe. He looked, looked, and looked but no sign of anything even slightly dark. He returned home disappointed...

It couldn't be any different! Wherever he went, darkness left just before he got there!

You are the light of the world ... So shine your light ... Matthew 5.14,16

Asking why

Sometimes asking why is just a useless, frustrating exercise. Why did my mom die so young? Why doesn’t he love me? Why is life so unfair? These “why” questions are more like whining and expressions of frustration than actual questions. They don’t help very much. Stop asking them.

But outside these questions that cannot be objectively answered, there are those that can really give us an insight into a problem and lead us to finding a solution.

The Japanese say that if you define a problem and keep asking why it’s happening, up to five times, you will likely find the root cause of that problem.

The house is cold. Why?

Because the heating system is broken. Why?

Because it wasn’t serviced regularly. Why?

Because I didn’t want to spend the money. Why?

Because I am very tightfisted and won’t spend unless I must. (Root of the problem)

The permanent solution to the house being cold then, is a change in my mindset in regards to the use of money. I need to readjust my thoughts and understand the fundamental concept of spending now to save more later. If I maintain the heating system regularly, I’ll spend some money but not as much as when it breaks down for lack of maintenance.

Of course I can just fix the problem now, and never worry about the root cause. In that case, I'll be complaining about the same problem some time in the future...

Asking intelligent “why’s” is a very good way to find the root of your problems.



P.S. If you answered the question “Why is the house cold?” by saying “Because it’s winter, and it’s cold outside”, you would have gone in the wrong direction, i.e. finding a root cause that you cannot change. (Unless of course you figure out a way of stopping winter…) Always focus on the root causes that you can change.

The only root that can’t be uprooted

It doesn’t matter how bad, how deep, or how old the root in your life may be, it can be uprooted. Childhood traumas. Painful memories. A difficult temper. Old habits from your upbringing. Rooted sins. Bad religion. Whatever. Everything can be uprooted and you can start your life from scratch.

The only root that cannot be uprooted is the one planted by God Himself:

Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Matthew 15.13

He clearly does not plant thorns and briers. He only plants what is good. Being planted by the Father means to be born of Him, to be transformed into another person, a God-made person. Whoever is planted by Him, is firm and unchangeable. Nothing and nobody can bring him down.

So let storms, thunder, and lightning come; bring on the hurricanes of persecutions, criticism, verbal attacks, and envy; let Lucifer rise and let angels come down to try to stop the one who is planted by the Father.

Good luck trying.

Hold that thought

Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass... (Isaiah 14.24)

That was God Himself speaking, by the way. In those few words He taught us one of the secrets to making things happen:

Have a thought, an image of what you want, and fix it on your mind. Tell your mind to figure out a way to make that image manifest in the real world. Add a little faith. And a little action every day.

Watch what happens.

P.S. 3,027 people reading this post will think this is too simple and could never work. That's the thought they'll decide to have, and that's what will happen to them. But way fewer people will say, "What the heck, let me just try it." They're the ones who'll be blown away — you of child-like faith!

The Story of the Lost Son

Why do we like stories so much? One reason is because we see ourselves in them. They're mirrors to our souls. We identify with a story's characters. Some we love, some we hate. Stories stick to our memories and help us remember important concepts and truths about life. No wonder the Bible is full of them. 

Here's one that I never tire to read. Who do you identify yourself with in this story? Who do you dislike? And why (to both answers)?

Told by none other than the Lord Jesus Himself — enjoy:

Then He said, "There was once a man who had two sons.

The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.

That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.'

He got right up and went home to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'

But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here-given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.

All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast–barbecued beef! – because he has him home safe and sound.'

The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'

His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours - but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!"

~~

From The Message Bible

Discerning Drinkers

Have you heard of "discerning drinkers"? It's usually said of people who know their wine so well that they can tell every ingredient it has and even what year the grapes were harvested.

They develop a taste for very fine wine and a dislike for anything less. But then they realize that the pursuit of the "best" wine is just like chasing the wind. They learn that every wine has at least something good in it and even if it's not what they like, someone else does. So they finally learn to just relax and enjoy a good drink with friends.

Early in my faith, I set out to be a "discerning drinker" of spiritual wine. I selected for myself spiritual "mentors", people I looked up to, who never knew they were mentoring me as I kept it private. It helped — for a while. But as time went by, some of them either disappointed me, did not meet my high expectations of them, moved out of my life, or all of the above. And that threatened my faith. Thoughts would come to me like:

"How could he do that?"

"If he failed, what about me?"

"I'd prefer not to have heard that about him."

"No one does it quite like him."

Eventually, it dawned on me that men are men, and if there is one thing you can count on men to do is to fail you. They can't help it.

So I decided from that point on I would always try to learn something from anything and anyone. I understood that God uses donkeys, ants, witchdoctors, unbelievers, even Satan himself to teach us lessons. He is the true Teacher. He uses who and what is around us as tools to teach us lessons, much like a teacher in a classroom uses different tools.

I learned to ask myself, "What can I learn from this person? What is God trying to teach me through him/her/this situation?"

Suddenly there were no more "preferred" people or unlikable people or situations — only lessons. Now I demand from myself to look for the lesson instead of expecting too much from people.

Believe me, it changes everything.

P.S. Now go and pour yourself a nice drink. Nothing too strong, hopefully! Fresh orange juice will do!

Different frames of reference

But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy… Ezra 3:12

When you get a chance (perhaps now?), check out this chapter in the Book of Ezra. It highlights an interesting truth for us today.

I think the case here is of different frames of reference. The older generation had known the former temple in all its glory and therefore could not help but be reminded of how low they had sunk. They were comparing their present situation to a much better one they’d experienced before. Therefore, they could not be completely happy as they knew God was capable of much more. Those, however, who'd never seen any better, the younger generation, had a much smaller frame of reference and therefore felt happy with the little they'd accomplished.

This also happens in life. When you get used to something bad, just about anything slightly better makes you happy. But when your standards are higher, you always hope to achieve them and are not satisfied until you do.

Next time you feel happy or unhappy about something, think about which frame of reference you’re viewing it from.

Steve Jobs dies

Only yesterday I was talking about it. We're all going to die but not all of us are ready for it. Who is?

Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and CEO until recently, has passed away at only 56. Was he ready for it? Not many people can answer that question. Did he desperately try to avert death? Like any of us would. But the best doctors and treatments his fortune could buy were not enough.

I was doubly sorry when I heard the news. First, as a Mac user since 1995, I know the world lost a brilliant man. But on that end, his legacy will live on, make no mistake about it. I have no reason to doubt that Apple will continue making great products.

But my greatest sorrow was for his soul. It's different when you hear that someone you know has died, and you know that person was ready for it. Spiritually ready. Heaven ready. I don't know that about Steve. I'm not judging him or suggesting he is burning in flames right now. I'm just saying I don't know.

The iMac. The iPod. The iPhone. The iPad. Great products. But there's still no "app" to get to heaven. I think if Steve came up with one, he would have presented it like this:

"It's a three-in-one app, and it's really cool. iSin. iRepent. iFollowHim. Awesome. You're going to love this."

I hope you figured that one out, Steve. Even if in your last moments. If you did, then you were more than ready.

You will be missed.


For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8.36

How long can you ignore what can’t be ignored…

…before it blows up in your face?

A doctor’s visit. An aching tooth. Your retirement plan. Your relationship growing distant. Your faith getting cold. The fact that you will die and are not ready for it.

Ignoring a problem doesn’t mean you’ll never have to face it. It only means it will be bigger, uglier, and maybe too late for you to do anything about it.

(Do I need to say you must act now?)

Starving the root

...I will kill your roots with famine, and the rest of you will die. Isaiah 14:30

Many have asked, "How can I cut off the root of my problem?" The verse above gives us a hint.

Every root feeds off nutrients from the soil. Without such nutrients, it dies. That’s why God says, "I will kill your roots with famine..."

Your question therefore should be, "What has been feeding this evil root in my life?"

Think. That evil root has been feeding off something. Discover what it is. Then cut it off. As a result, the root will die of famine and the rest of it (the problem) will die.

Cutting off the root by the energy of faith

This is an unusually long post — but shortening it would mean making it shallow. Can you invest 10 minutes in yourself?

No root develops without a seed. And no seed comes to life until it is dropped into and cared for in good soil. A seed has to be planted and embraced by the soil. Then the roots come.

So, there is a source and a receiver. The source is the seed, the receiver is the soil, and the result is the root, which gives rise to a tree and its fruit.

Without a transmitter and a receiver, nothing happens.

The light of the sun illuminates the planets and the stars, but space itself remains dark. Why is that? Because it has no physical body to act as a receiver of the sun’s light. Not that there is no light in space. In fact, the sun’s light reaches every corner of the galaxy — but it is only seen when the body of a receiver reflects it.

The same thing occurs with electricity, with radio waves, the Internet, a telephone, the wind, and every other form of energy and communication that exists. In order for them to work, there needs to be a receiver.

Right now, you can read this text only because a piece of paper or a computer screen produces an image with letters on it, and your eyes transmit this to your brain — which is the receiver of this message, and which gives you understanding.

If I speak, you only hear me because my vocal cords produce a sound. Your ears hear it and transmit it to your brain — which is the receiver of my voice and which makes sense of those sounds.

Energy is present all the time in every place — but it only has an effect when there is a connection between transmitter and receiver.

It’s no different in the spiritual world.

But the devil knows this. Sadly, he knows only too well how to sow his bad seed in human hearts — which, we might as well admit, are easy and willing receivers of all that is bad, and normally resistant to what is good.

Because of this, the devil has directed all types of negative energy toward mankind. He does this all the time — with you, with me, with everyone. Only those who learn to “unplug the receiver” and reject the negative energy of evil, are unaffected by it.

On one hand, evil emits its negative waves in the hope that someone will receive them, but on the other hand, Good also emits its positive energy. Faith is the receiver of the energy of God, transmitted by way of His Word. When His Word is spoken, those who believe (receive it) are blessed.

Look at this wonderful example:

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

Luke 17.5,6

When a blessing does not come, or when a prayer is not answered, we normally think it is because our faith was too small. But that’s wrong. The size of our faith does not affect anything. What does have an effect is whether or not our faith accepts the Word of God 100%!

This faith without doubt, 100% receiver of the Word of God, gives us authority to say to any problem, “Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the depths of hell!” — and it will be done!

Any and all bad roots in your life can be cut off by this faith. This energy of God penetrates where psychology cannot, where medicines cannot reach, and where human intelligence is not enough. It can do anything, because all things are possible for those who believe — to those who receive the Word of God without doubt!

Right now, there where you are, you can receive this energy that I am talking about!

From now on, you must be aware of this battle between these two sources of energy that are constantly being directed at you: the source of Good and the source of evil.

So, whenever a source of evil is sent your way by means of a transmitter ¾ be it a friend, a doubt in your mind, a voice, bad news, a letter, an e-mail, a religious person, an angel, a demon, or even me ¾ do not be a receiver of that negative energy!

Refuse it and order it to be planted in the depths of hell — far, far away from you.

This is how you should deal with your bad roots from now on ¾ grudges, pride, fear, and all the rest.

If you do you will see huge breakthroughs!

Next Sunday, we will start teaching you how to put down new roots. Don’t miss it. You will only be safe when there are new and good roots in your life.