JUN. 24, 2025

Called to overcome (1)

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things." Rev 21:7 NKJV

A pastor writes: "All of us want every day to be a good day. But if every day was a good day, there would be no 'good' days, because there wouldn't be any bad days to compare the good days to… Sickness helps us appreciate health. Failure helps us appreciate success. Debt helps us appreciate wealth. And the tough times help us appreciate the good times... Adversity is often the seedbed of opportunity [because it has] a way of bringing the best out of us... Adversity is often a blessing in disguise.

We dream of zero gravity. We imagine what life would be like without any problems or issues or challenges.

But from a biological perspective, zero gravity is hazardous to your health. Astronauts who spend any length of time in zero gravity experience serious medical complications.

Without any resistance, they lose muscle mass and bone density, they experience high pulse rates and heart palpitations, and they can barely walk after re-entering the earth's atmosphere.

We may dream of zero gravity, but what we really need is a healthy dose of adversity. The people God uses the most are often the people who have experienced the most adversity. This isn't necessarily...what you want to read, but it's true. Adversity can produce an increased capacity to serve God."

Why? Because adversity causes us to

• turn to God, lean on God, seek God,
• and get to know God in a way we otherwise wouldn't.

Some of God's greatest promises in Scripture begin with the words "to him who overcomes." The Bible says, "People who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Da 11:32 NKJV).

Called to overcome The tough times help us appreciate the good times.

Called to overcome. (2)

"This is the victory that has overcome the world -our faith." 1Jn 5:4 NKJV

A pastor encourages us: "Psychoanalyst

Alfred Adler conducted a fascinating research project that popularized the theory of compensation. He studied art students and discovered that seventy percent of them suffered from optical anomalies. He found degenerative traces in the ears of great composers like Mozart and Beethoven. And he cited numerous examples of other people who eventually became successful in the area of their greatest weakness. Adler believed that birth defects, poverty, illness, and negative circumstances often prove to be the springboard for success...God wants to recycle your adversity and turn it into a ministry. People go through a painful divorce or the death of a child or a destructive addiction, but God helps them climb out of the pit so they can help others in similar circumstances.

One of the most paralyzing mistakes we make is thinking that our problems somehow disqualify us from being used by God... No one rolls out the red carpet and invites tragedy into their life, but our greatest gifts and passions are often the byproduct of our worst tragedies and failures. Trials have a way of helping us rediscover our purpose in life."

The problems God has brought you through become a platform upon which you can stand and minister to others.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God" (2Co 1:3-4 NIV).

Called to overcome God wants to recycle your adversity

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JUL. 3, 2025

You have come too far to give up now!.

"He persevered." Heb 11:27 NIV

V. Raymond Edman said, "To be torn...by external forces, and still...preserve one's inward integrity, is to know the discipline that endures." So when you're faced with opposition, do you automatically throw in the towel, or like Moses, do you persevere? Chuck Swindoll characterizes Moses as a man "who hung tough, who refused to give in or give up, who decided that no amount of odds against him would cause him to surrender…

• He possessed the disciplines of durability.
• He endured the contempt of Pharaoh...the stubbornness of the Hebrews who grumbled, blamed, complained, and rebelled... the criticism of Miriam and Aaron, his own sister and brother.
• When ten of the twelve spies came back with their nay-sayings, Moses stood fast.
• When Korah and Dathan and Abiram led a conspiracy against him, Moses remained 'resolute.

"When you have fought to a standstill...stand your ground' (Eph 6:13 PHPS)...

• when the wicked appear to be winning...in times of crisis…
• when no one will know if you compromised...
• when big people act contemptibly small…
• when people demand authority they don't deserve. Stand firm...
• keep your head…
• stay true...endure!

You may be getting shaky...[or] begun to listen too closely to your critics. Maybe you've started giving in...in little areas...because you're tired.

Moses endured-even in his eighties. How? By focusing...on 'Him who is invisible.' He fixed his heart and soul on the One who, alone, judges righteously. He continually reminded himself that his sole purpose was to please, obey, and glorify Him and to gain His approval at all cost." Whatever you're facing, stand strong and don't give up!

You have come too far to give up now! Stand your ground.

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JUL. 2, 2025

Overcoming loneliness.

"Show deep love for each other." 1Pe 4:8 NLT

You don't have to be alone to be lonely. Some of us are married to emotionally unavailable spouses. Some of us put up with verbal and emotional abuse because we prefer anybody's company to our own. Some of the loneliest people you will meet are in crowded bars at "happy" hour.

They mingle, but they don't connect.

What is the answer?

(1) Get involved in a cause greater than self-interest.

After the Prodigal Son had spent his last penny partying with so-called friends, they forsook him, and he ended up alone in a hog pen. On the other hand, when the disciples were persecuted for their faith, the Bible says that "being let go, they went to their own company" (Ac 4:23). They had friends who shared their faith and their vision, who knew how to pray with them, strengthen them, and stand by them. And God has people like that who are waiting to become part of your life; you will find some of them in your local church.

(2) Practice being accepting of others. When you love and accept people as they are, they're drawn to you. "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins" (1Pe 4:8 NLT).

(3) Reach out. Begin nurturing your relationships by connecting more often with the people you know and value. Don't get sucked into the Facebook/email/text-message-only communication vacuum. The founder of Wired Magazine says that his favorite form of communication is face-to-face, his second is by phone, and his third is via internet. Take a leaf out of his book.

Overcoming loneliness You don't have to be alone to be lonely.

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JUN. 26, 2025

Called to overcome (3)

"In all these things we are more than conquerors." Ro 8:37 NKJV

Have you heard of the principle of supercompensation? A pastor explains: "When an athlete is pushed beyond the threshold of pain and exhaustion, the body overcompensates.

• The more a muscle is broken down, the more it builds back up…
• The two hundred and six bones in the body are constantly going through a process called remodeling.
• They are being broken down by osteoclasts and built back up by osteoblasts.
• The process of remodeling is intensified when a bone is broken. Extra osteoblasts help rebuild the bone.
• There is a period of weakness where the bone is more vulnerable to re-injury.
• That is why we wear casts. But eventually the bone ends up stronger than it was to begin with because the body overcompensates.
• Very rarely does a bone break in the same place twice because the bone is thicker and stronger than it was before the break.

Almost like a broken bone that needs to be reset, God breaks us where we need to be broken. He fractures the pride and lust and anger in our lives, but He does it to remodel us into His image. and once we heal, we end up stronger than we were to begin with. [Paul writes,] 'It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ...to suffer for him' [Php 1:29 NIV]. The word 'granted' comes from [a] Greek root...which literally means 'to grant a favor'...We tend to see suffering as a necessary evil at best, but Paul calls it a divine favor." So, maybe God is remodeling you. Perhaps the problem you thought you would never overcome will become your most effective ministry to others.

Called to overcome Remodeled into His image

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JUN. 24, 2025

Called to overcome (1)

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things." Rev 21:7 NKJV

A pastor writes: "All of us want every day to be a good day. But if every day was a good day, there would be no 'good' days, because there wouldn't be any bad days to compare the good days to…

• Sickness helps us appreciate health.
• Failure helps us appreciate success.
• Debt helps us appreciate wealth.
• And the tough times help us appreciate the good times...
• Adversity is often the seedbed of opportunity [because it has] a way of bringing the best out of us...
• Adversity is often a blessing in disguise.

We dream of zero gravity. We imagine what life would be like without any problems or issues or challenges.

But from a biological perspective, zero gravity is hazardous to your health. Astronauts who spend any length of time in zero gravity experience serious medical complications.

Without any resistance,

• they lose muscle mass and
• bone density,
• they experience high pulse rates
• and heart palpitations,
• and they can barely walk after re-entering the earth's atmosphere.

We may dream of zero gravity, but what we really need is a healthy dose of adversity. The people God uses the most are often the people who have experienced the most adversity. This isn't necessarily...what you want to read, but it's true. Adversity can produce an increased capacity to serve God."

Why? Because adversity causes us to

• turn to God,
• lean on God,
• seek God,
• and get to know God in a way we otherwise wouldn't.

Some of God's greatest promises in Scripture begin with the words "to him who overcomes." The Bible says, "People who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Da 11:32 NKJV).

Called to overcome

The tough times help us appreciate the good times.

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Wisdom for parenting teenagers.

"There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecc 3:1 NKJV

Why does a happy, cooperative twelve-year-old suddenly turn into a sullen, depressed thirteen-year-old? There are two powerful forces that account for some of the adolescent behavior that drives you crazy as a parent. The first is linked to social pressures common at that age. But there is a second source of disruption. It's related to hormonal changes that not only transform the physical body but also revolutionize how kids think.

For some (not all) adolescents, human chemistry is in a state of imbalance for a few years, causing flightiness, agitation, outbursts, and even depression. This upheaval can motivate a boy or girl to do things that make absolutely no sense to the adults who are watching anxiously on the sidelines. This hormonal firestorm can destabilize their self-concept and create a sense of foreboding. Parents often despair during the irrationality of this period.

Everything they have tried to teach their children seems to have misfired for a couple of years. Self-discipline, cleanliness, respect for authority, and common courtesy may give way to risk-taking and all-around goofiness. If that is where your child is today, there is good news-better days are coming! Your unpredictable teen can actually become a tower of strength and good judgment-if they don't do something destructive before their hormones settle down once more. What should you do as a parent?

First, don't draw long-term conclusions based on a short-term season. Second, let them know you love them, be patient, and pray for peace of mind.

"The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds" (Php 4:7 NKJV).

Wisdom for parenting teenagers The hormonal firestorm

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JUN. 10, 2025

The five crowns (3).

"There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness." 2Ti 4:8 NKJV

The third crown mentioned in Scripture is the crown of righteousness. Paul writes: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord...will give to me on that Day, and... also to all who have loved His appearing" (vv. 7-8 NKJV).

A pastor amplifies this: "The book of 2 Timothy represents the last known writing of the apostle Paul, and we have reason to believe he was beheaded shortly after writing these words.

• But rather than dreading death, he was looking forward to the Second Coming.
• He was...content with his record of service for the Master.
• Paul's use of the athletic metaphor here is especially descriptive of the life of the believer because it describes struggle, endurance, discipline, and final victory.

The Crown of Righteousness is reserved for those who have a longing for the Lord Jesus and who watch for Jesus to come back." Writing to Titus, Paul speaks of "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13 NKJV).

The pastor continues: "Psychologists tell us that anticipation...is an emotion with marvelous healing powers.

• People who are snowbound sustain their spirits by anticipating the longer days of spring and summer.
• Couples…separated by military deployment stay sane by anticipating their reunion…
• Brides and grooms are eager for their wedding day."

As a Christian, your best days are ahead of you, and you can anticipate all the glories of heaven and eternity. It should motivate you to be faithful to Jesus as you wait for His return.

The five crowns The crown of righteousness

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The five crowns (1).

"They do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." 1Co 9:25 NKJV

In describing our heavenly rewards, the Bible speaks of crowns. Let's look at each and see what we can learn. The first is the victor's crown. "Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (vv. 25-27 NKJV).

Paul points out that athletes who expect to win must actively train. And we, likewise, must retain self-control even in things that, although not inherently evil, can weaken our devotion to God. A pastor explains:

• Sometimes we have to turn off the television so we can study our Bibles.
• We have to get up earlier in the mornings to have our daily devotions.
• We have to exercise self-control in what comes into our minds.

We can't watch many of today's television programs or movies-much less the streaming material accessible on our phones and computers-without violating biblical standards of personal holiness.

We can't subject our bodies to drug or alcohol abuse or allow immorality to creep into our relationships. We've got to keep our tempers [and tongues] under the control of the Holy Spirit...and we have to depend on God to strengthen us in our resolutions to live disciplined lives."

The Bible says, "Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown"-the victor's crown.

The five crowns The victor's crown

The five crowns (2).

"What will be our...crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!" 1Th 2:19 NLT

The second crown mentioned in Scripture is the crown of rejoicing. It's given to those who take part in leading others to Christ. The background for this passage is written about in Acts 17, which tells the story of Paul arriving in the city of Thessalonica. He went into the synagogue, "and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining...that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ'" (vv. 2-3 NKJV).

Some of his hearers were converted, including a great multitude of devout Greeks and a number of prominent women. As a result, a church was built there. Writing to them later, Paul said that they would be his crown when Christ returned. We should all follow Bill Bright's example; he was one of the best soul winners of the twentieth century.

And he once disclosed his secret: "Although I have shared Christ personally with many thousands of people through the years, I am a rather reserved person and I do not always find it easy to witness. But I have made this my practice, and l urge you to do the same: Assume that whenever you are alone with another person for more than a few moments, you are there by divine appointment to explain...the love and forgiveness he [or she] can know through faith in Jesus Christ." When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone? Whenever you do, the Lord is fitting you for a crown of rejoicing.

The five crowns The crown of rejoicing

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