You are here: Home / Archives for Power

Are You Feeling Smashed? Time to Unleash Power?

March 10, 2017 by

Most everyone I know feels smashed.

We’re called the sandwich generation.  I’d call us the flat tire generation.  We have a crisis blowout concerning our kids and before we get it fixed another happens with our parents.

Friends have said, “We’ll get together when things settle down.”  Two years in we’re still waiting.

But it can leave you feeling crushed with no ounce of reserve left.

I was refreshed though last night when I read a favorite verse again.

Zechariah writes, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Wow!  All my chasing and crashing often accomplishes little more than stress.  But when I settle back into trusting that God will accomplish everything I need I find his power again.

No matter what crunch you’re facing right now, just take the time to give it back to God.   Settle down into the rest he wants to give you.

Then you’ll discover a peace in your heart and mind that will help you think clearly.  You’ll find renewed strength in your body.  And you’ll see God’s power enter into your pressure cooker life and release the steam.

Personally, I think I’ll go sailing.  I’m going to let God have his shift for a while.

*Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

Filed Under: Happiness, Health, Success Tagged With: ,

4 Keys to Staying Strong and Winning in the Battles of Life

October 29, 2015 by

I’ve seen way too often the tragic results of people who play around with spiritual power. I know that sounds kind of bizarre but stay with me here.

 

Soldier Returning from Afghanistan is Greeted by his Son

 

When I went to the church I pastored I met first thing in our home with the leadership committee. I discussed my plans to revitalize the church, grow it and see people’s lives changed.

That evening as we sat in a circle in our living room I said, “When we do this we’ll be declaring war on the evil one and entering into battle. So if you don’t want to take that seriously and keep yourself spiritually strong everyday then resign now. I don’t want responsibility for what may happen to you.”

From the beginning the church rapidly grew. We saw real miracles. Lives were transformed.

 

And a few of those leaders who I talked with that night and some other leaders who followed them imploded.

 

They wanted the leadership role. They wanted the excitement. But they didn’t take the warning seriously with devastating results.

Sadly, I’ve also watched this happen to pastors who had life changing ministries and eventually blew up.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Success Tagged With:

How to Unleash Power to Solve Your Impossible Problem

October 1, 2015 by

We all face seemingly unsolvable challenges at times don’t we?

 

Lightning Strike

 

Maybe a medical issue the doctors just can’t get a handle on and keeps growing worse?

Or a marriage struggle? You’ve been through counseling, hashed it out into the wee hours of the morning, gone away on romantic weekends, yet nothing seems to rekindle the love.

Or financial struggles? Maybe your credit cards are maxing out. It’s all coming due and you simply haven’t got enough.

Or emotional challenges? You wake up in the morning looking forward to a great day but by noon you’re dragging around depressed and functioning in a fog. You talk with a shrink regularly, maybe take meds, yet nothing seems to work.

In all of these challenges or whatever other impossibility we face we can finally just grow despondent and want to simply give up can’t we?

 

The problem is though it only gets worse.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Success Tagged With:

How to See Spiritual Super Power in Your Life

June 11, 2015 by

Do you ever listen to a preacher or read a spiritual blog and think, “Wow, I wish I had that kind of faith. I’d love to see that kind of power.”

Yeah, I do too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought, “Man, if I just had more faith. I could use a miracle right about now. What’s wrong with me?”

But the problem is at that point we can kind of give up. I mean I feel sometimes like the bar is set way too high and I can never clear it so why try.

 

Photo Credit: Library & Archives Canada

Photo Credit: Library & Archives Canada

 

Kind of like elementary school when we did the high jump. It was not my strong suit. My legs just don’t spring. So when I lined up they’d say, “Lower the bar. Here he comes.” And they’d put it down so I could almost hop over it.

 

Yet, when we stop expecting God to act in our lives we stop seeing him act.

 

Oh, he’s still blessing us but we aren’t looking for miracles so we don’t see them.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Heaven, Success Tagged With:

How to See God’s Power Unleashed in Your Problem

April 30, 2015 by

Number 51 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

Let’s be real, there are times we all face problems that are way beyond our power to fix.

We’re cruising along peacefully and suddenly, wham, we get blindsided.

And often it seems the more we try to solve it the worse things get.

 

Photo Credit: Gwenael Piaser

Photo Credit: Gwenael Piaser

 

So what do we naturally do?

Well I, way too often, find myself getting mad at God or someone else. Criticizing society or the government. Bemoaning some past failure. A whole array of less than constructive responses.

And frankly I find the help we get at church often not much better.

We may get the “super powers” response. “Just claim what you want. Jesus, because he’s in Heaven, has given us all power to get whatever we ask.”

Or the opposite “super saint” response. “Pray in the most general of terms and always end with, ‘But not my will but thine be done’.” You’ve got to pray in King James English you know or it doesn’t count.

 

Yet I find way too often little happens and I question why?

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Success Tagged With: ,

The Power to Overcome Our Everyday Battles

April 21, 2015 by

Number 48 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

When I went to the church I pastored I came with the understanding we were going to change things big time. The church had dwindled to a place it was either change or die.

 

Photo Credit: Ray Chang

Photo Credit: Ray Chang

 

I met early on with the Executive Board, a group of eight core leaders. One evening in our living room I said to them, “We have the opportunity to make a difference. We can change the direction of this church and see lives impacted eternally.”

All of them were excited about being a part of something that would make an eternal difference.

Then I said, “But realize we just declared war on the evil one. And it will be a real war. So you need to put on God’s armor every day. And trust in him to keep you safe and give you wisdom.”

Most took me seriously.

 

But within six months, one had a complete psychological breakdown. And within a year another had resigned.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Love, Significance, Success Tagged With: ,

When You Get to the End of Yourself

April 7, 2015 by

Number 44 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

I’m at my wits end with a problem. By all accounts it’s insignificant yet still important to me and perplexing.

We live in the country so through the years we’ve adopted many stray cats.

One we have now is very shy and yet my little buddy. As I write this in our sunroom, he’s laying on the sofa next to me so I can reach over and pet him.

A couple of weeks ago he seemed sick so we took him to the vet. She diagnosed diabetes. Ugh!

 

Photo Credit: Kristof Borkowski

Photo Credit: Kristof Borkowski

 

We’ve changed his diet and now I have to give him insulin shots twice a day. Let me tell you that brings new meaning to the word exciting.

Now he’s become more and more illusive. Yet, if I can’t give him his shots he dies.

I know this is pretty low on the importance scale compared to what each of us face at times and maybe what you’re facing right now. But I still find myself perplexed. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Health, Success Tagged With: ,

Power to Accomplish the Impossible

April 2, 2015 by

Number 43 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

I’ll tell you the day I quit attending church.

 

Photo Credit: Grand Canyon National Park

Photo Credit: Grand Canyon National Park

 

Our pastor was young, handsome, intelligent, successful with a beautiful family. He was one of the golden boys of our denomination. He had it made. And he was my friend.

He took a leave of absence and we were told by the staff he was working through some issues and not to contact him.

This went on for several months until one afternoon I received a phone call at my office from a friend. He told me our pastor had locked himself in his garage while his family was away and started the car.

 

I felt numb.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Health, Success Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #11: Seeing God Everyday

November 4, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

I was having lunch with an atheist friend a few weeks ago. He said, “I look around at our world and universe and I don’t see God.”

I replied, “I look around at our world and universe and don’t understand how someone can’t see God.”

 

Photo Credit: Steve Levi

Photo Credit: Steve Levi

 

I have friends who are Christians who talk about karma and luck. Then say, “I never see God act.”

Occasionally I’ve replied, “I don’t believe in karma or luck. And frankly I see God everyday when I’m looking.”

I’ve had people tell me, “I get along just fine without God.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Heaven, Love, Success Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #6: Discovering Power When You’re in a Crisis

October 16, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

Have you ever come simply to the end of yourself in the midst of a crisis? Maybe you’re there right now.

Perhaps your marriage is struggling. Or your finances have imploded. Or your health isn’t.

 

Photo by Ivana Vasilj

Photo by Ivana Vasilj

 

You’ve tried everything. You’ve gone through counseling. You’ve read books. You’ve taken the treatments. But nothing works. And you don’t know what else to do. And you can’t see the way forward.

 

So here you are at the end of yourself feeling defeated and frustrated and hopeless.

I’ve been there too–several times. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Heaven, Success Tagged With:
Next Page »