Jerry Edmon Ministries

Skeletons In Your Closet

Main Administrator — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Confronting Your Past

by Ashley Edmon

Have you ever heard that saying about the skeletons in your closet? "Don't talk about other people's problems because you have your very own skeletons in your closet!" That is the one I am talking about. I would often say this as a kid and teenager when I would see people in church stick up their noses and think badly on the body of Christ because one of their brothers/sisters in Christ had sinned. I would get angry with those people because I knew certain things about them that were far worse than anything they were judging. I myself was not letting those people live in forgiveness, because I was not willing to forget what they had done. I wanted to hold peoples feet to the fire and keep it over their head so that when they felt like accusing, I could deliver justice... I just happened to disguise this feeling in my life with the phrase and would remind them at the opportune moment about their "skeletons in the closet."

The skeletons in your closet can take the form of anything that has happened in your past. Past relationships... past mistakes... past regrets.... anything. But what these all have in common is the word PAST. These "skeletons" hide in the back of your brain and just when God starts taking you somewhere in your life and you begin to grow spiritually, you remember that your closet is full of these "skeletons" and that becomes a stronghold in your life. You blame everything on these skeletons.

Well I have news for you..... It's time to clean out the closet! Asking for forgiveness from Jesus Christ, who took the place of every sin that you committed and every skeleton that you have collected releases you from that stronghold. You don't have to live your life anymore with the remembrance of your sins, because Jesus took it instead. Every time that we admit that we sinned and ask for forgiveness, our closet is cleaned out. Jesus takes all the junk out, dusts, vacuum's, and even puts a new light in there. All things are new.

Let us not be so distracted by or focused on other people's sins so that we cannot forgive or forget what they have done. Let us lead them to Jesus so that they can continually get a "spring cleaning" in their closet and live the life that God has destined for them to live. Take the time today to think of your closet and allow Jesus to come inside and take the place of those skeletons, let God clean it out and restore it to its sinless state. Make your closet into a secret place where God would want to spend time with you, not be crowded by the sins that you refuse to let go. Let Him take you where you are meant to be...

Lord, thank you for this word that you have given us. I thank you that it is a timely word and that you are speaking to hearts and souls. I ask that you help every person reading this begin to clean out their closets. That they would be able to truly be forgiven from their past mistakes, regrets, failures... so that all is left is a secret place where you desire to spend time with them. Help us to not remind our brothers and sisters in Christ of their skeletons, but that we will truly begin to forgive and forget so that we will not be hindered from what you have for us. Amen

Ashley Edmon
http://forthisiwascreated.blogspot.com/

Galatians

Main Administrator — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

$20.00

Join us as we study the book of Galatians.

Question 48

Main Administrator — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Do you think every person has someone who is a match for them?

I was watching a really odd couple at the grocery store. Honestly this was one of the strangest most misplaced couples I have ever seen. The deeper thought hit me which was this. There is a need within us all to be loved. It's probably the greater need within us. To be accepted, acknowledged, needed and wanted. I looked at these two and wondered, “How did you ever find each other?” Every pot has a lid. No matter how bizarre the individual, there is someone who is a match.

Vetting or Cannibalism?

Main Administrator — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

I had a sense of excitement when the Presidential political season officially opened and the GOP candidates began to appear. It seemed like a breath of fresh air for a few moments. After the exchange of pleasantries the campaign season turned to cannibalism and they began the process of character assignation. They called it “vetting” and assured us that it was healthy for the system. After a few exchanges, substance and ideas are no longer the diet. A pound of flesh is now required. Idiots. The GOP is now eating their own. This “vetting” is no longer a search to purge out the unclean, it is a desperate attempt to try to make the other candidate look worse than you.

Obama said “Don’t compare me with the almighty, compare me to the alternative”. That is without a doubt the most desperate thing I have ever heard a political candidate say. He is so pitifully weak that the only thing he can say is, “At least I am not as bad as them”. What a great campaign slogan. Translation; His only hope of survival is in his ability throw mud. For all that he can gather, I don’t know if that is possible. In November of 2012, I fear that we will only be left with a bloody, muddy mess. I am sickened by the GOP campaign already. I can hardly stomach the thought of a year of venom and blame that lies ahead. No one eats flesh like the Dems.

In politics you hang on every word hoping there is a slip up to discredit someone’s character. At the end of the day ideas, passion and genuine honesty is squelched. All that we are left with is plastic, rehearsed sound bites on everything from Pakistan to toilet paper. Ron Paul has stayed in the race over the years because, love him or not, he at lease spoke about his passion. People are hungry for that. Gingrich has excelled because he is talking about ideas and appears to have passion. The others try to touch on hot issues but they lack something. They aren’t believable. You get the feeling that they dare not speak a word or use a phrase unless it has been polled in the field and at the end of the day their ideas aren’t their own. I understand the risk. Sometimes we forget the political field on both sides is littered with liars, cheats, manipulators, con men and thugs. It is an arena that brings the worst out of the worst. Washington looks like a storyline from “Night of the Living Dead”.

At the end of the day, little people talk about people. Big people talk about plans and ideas. My hope is that a giant will emerge from the political sea of dwarfs.

The fallacy of Predestination - The Oops of Calvinism

Main Administrator — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

The premise of predestination says that before you are out of your mother’s womb you are either eternally saved or you are eternally lost. Your life, decisions and self determination has nothing to do with it. It’s great if you are, and simply unfortunate if you aren’t.

If predestination is true, then the concept of choice is a cruel deception.

If predestination is true then the thought of being a free moral agent is only a pretense, and reaching out to fallen man is simply an exercise in religious recital.

If predestination is true, then why preach the gospel to anyone? We are only stirring up false hope. Why the masquerade unless it is just some misdirected sadistic tease to those who really can’t have it anyway?

Under the doctrine of predestination, the preaching of the gospel is cruel for it dangles a mirage of the river of life in front of those who are dying of thirst but can never partake of its stream.

John Calvin was wrong in his belief about this doctrine. He did many things right, but he was off track here. I have great respect about his beliefs that salvation was gained through faith alone and that he regarded the bible as the only source of religious truth. John Calvin had a logical, razor-sharp mind. His ideas had a profound effect on the direction of the Reformation.

Calvin was born in France and trained as a priest and lawyer. In 1536, Calvin published the Institutes of the Christian Religion. This book told of his religious beliefs. But somewhere during this time he began to entertain the thought of predestination, the idea that God had long ago determined who would gain salvation and who wouldn’t.

To Calvinists, the world was divided into two kinds of people, saints and sinners. A Calvinist tries to live like a saint, believing that only those who were saved could live true Christian lives. The performance of living a Christian life and keeping all of the rules flies in the face of his belief that salvation was gained through faith and grace alone. It is a sharp contradiction and a slippery slope. Galatians talks about that conflict. But that is another story.

There are only two significant passages that address this subject of predestination and that is Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:3-14. Both of them are taken out of context by the Calvinist doctrine.

Romans 8

29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed into the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he also called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified”.

Ephesians 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

These scriptures specifically refer to a people group, not to individual people. What we see here is that God determined that he was going to have a people for himself, a Body. It is preplanned and predestined to happen. But it is misguided to take from these passages to suggest that he had selected “individuals to be saved” and “individuals to be lost”. If predestination is true, then the term, “whosoever” from John 3:16 is a lie.

God determined beforehand that those who believe in Christ will be adopted into his family and conformed to his Son. I believe in predestination as a people group. We are all called, but not as an individual. Individual predestination is misguided. We must individually hear the gospel and believe its message. We must appreciate the true condition of the fallen state of man and the plan of redemption that God provided for us if we will receive His precious gift. While it is true that man cannot come to God except he be drawn, that man still has to exercise his own independent choice to receive God’s invitation.

This brings us to the big question. Does God know all things? Does he know that I am going to be saved or lost at the end of my days? It reminds me of the trick question kids asked in school about God. “Is God so great that he can create a rock that he can’t lift?” We smile at that but it is true that many people want to know what God knows. Does he know before I am born that I will accept him or reject him and thereby seal my eternal destination? And if he does know, doesn’t he share a little of the responsibility for it?

There are two schools of thought. The first is that God gave mankind the power to pro-create after his kind, which is based on the choice and stewardship of the creature and not God. And that God knew in advance, even though he is not responsible for the birth which direction the child would choose. But even in this case, the child is not predestined in either direction.

The second is based on the thought that Jesus knew what was in the heart of all men and thereby knows in advance whether a man will be saved or lost. It is true that He knows if there is or evil in my heart because he can search the heart. But independent choices don’t fall in that context. God will speak to us and has a plan for us. But the level of our creation puts us in an exclusive position. We are made in His image and His likeness. We are created in the God-Class; Psalms 8:5 (NKJV) “For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.” This translation should be “God” and not “Angels”. The angels were not crowned with glory and honor and God did not put all things under their feet. This is speaking of us. We are created in the image of God. We are the Body of Christ.

This puts us in the unique position of making a choice or decision that is creative and unplanned. Something out of the scope of God’s determined will. We can make choices that are in His will and out of His will. 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) said, “It’s not His will that any should parish but that all come to repentance,” but we know that they do parish.

So God doesn’t necessarily know across the board what man will do. He calls the human race to himself, and sends us as believers into the streets to compel the lost to come in. He stands at the door of every heart and knocks. If any man will open, he will come in and make his abode and sup with him. But we, being created in His image, hold the unique position of independent choice.

Routines - Finding your Rhythm

Main Administrator — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

We all have routines. Actually we are creatures of habit and routine. We find security in routines because it is predictable. We drive to work the same way, men start shaving at the same spot and in the same way, and usually at the same time. You have a routine where and how you brush your teeth. It is amazing how many things in our lives are already entrenched routines. But that’s alright. It keeps us productive and helps us stay organized.

There is a rhythm to your life that enables you to operate at your fullest potential. You know it when you hit your groove. Everything starts coming together. I recently got off track in my exercise routine and have not been able to find my way back. When I stopped my routine I lost my rhythm. It throws everything off. It is like I fall into neutral and cease to be productive. I function to my highest ability when I have routines because they help me find my rhythm.

This is especially important when you hit a low or non-productive season in your life. Like the surfer who is sitting on his board waiting for the right wave to come. He may appear to be uninvolved but in reality, he is positioned to catch the next opportunity. He can’t create the next wave, he just anticipates and prepared for it. Life happens whether you are ready for it or not. Routines keep you in line and provide an attitude that is positive and disciplined.

In other words, routines keep you positioned for what is in front of you. There are times in your life when you hit an idle spot in your journey, a time of waiting, a time of resting or pruning. Too often we don’t understand the seasons of our life and during those times, we become distracted, discouraged or confused. These times hold the greatest dangers for us because during those times we can get off track or take a wrong direction.

I have seen people get discouraged because it seemed that nothing was moving forward in their life. I have been guilty of that. I start thinking things like, “Maybe I am finished with my job here and I need to start looking for new opportunity elsewhere”. “It seems like nothing is happening in my life”. In the natural we have seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter. Your life is the same way. Routine keeps you in the game even when you feel like the game is not going on. It insulates you against discouragement and uncertainty.

Routings keep you in a productive mode.
It keeps you engaged.
It keeps you at a moment’s notice ready to take advantage of the next opportunity.
It settles you when you don’t see much progress because it gives you a sense of productivity and accomplishment.
It keeps a watermark in front of you as you go through your day.
It fights off discouragement. It gives you a track record so that you can see that you are doing something even when it feels like nothing is going on.

When a golfer’s swing gets out of whack, and sooner or later it will, he always goes back to his routine. That helps him see if he has picked up a bad habit. He has checkpoints in his swing that he can measure his results against. A person with no routines in his life will soon get off-track and not know it. He can’t see what he is doing wrong; he just knows that he can’t stay out of the woods.

I encourage you to develop a routine for your life. Set a routine in what time you get up in the morning, and what time you go to bed at night. Set a routine in your prayer and meditation time, or making your bed or jogging in the morning. Set routines for how you keep your possessions; how you keep your desk or sock drawer; how you keep your house clean or what do you do with your day of rest? Create routines when you celebrate holidays or have special events. It isn’t a rut; it is doing things on purpose and with intention. These things keep disarray from spreading into the opportunities that come your way. Most people miss opportunities because their life is too cluttered and they can’t see them.

We all have dreams and goals for our lives. But I promise you that those things don’t just happen. You need to ask yourself this question. “When it comes to my dreams and plans, what kind of structure do I need to help me get there? What kind of routines do I need to move me forward to my future?

Question 47

Main Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

What is the greatest thing that we can do for mankind?

The greatest gift we can give mankind is education. It is misguided to think that we can give man equality, but if we can educate, each man will have the opportunity to rise to his own mark.

The Fall of America

Main Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

It is easy to assume that America is unstoppable and beyond the reach of decay or collapse. I cannot help but look back through history at other empires that seemed invincible. Nations who elevated themselves to heights unimaginable and only after a time fell into the depths of obscurity. One day they held the title of Super power and the next they were gone. Whatever happened to the Assyrian Empire or the Babylonian Empire or the Roman Empire? You can find the fragments of what is left of them in museums. The Babylonian Empire totally conquered the Middle East, and the armies of Nebuchadnezzar were unstoppable. For 500 years the Roman Empire dominated the world and the thought of their demise was inconceivable. World War II saw the rise of the Third Reich across Europe and North Africa. Hitler's ambitions included conquest of the entire world, but he failed, and Allied armies pummeled Germany into a heap. And what of Britain, France, Prussia, Austria-Hungary and Russia? All super powers in their own right and time.

Now they are only remembered in that light in our history books.

Why do nations decline and fall? I think there is a common thread found in the pages of our history. Unfortunately it appears that we aren’t learning from those lessons. America is going down the same road. Like a series of dominoes, one leads to another and the chain reaction spreads like wild fire. The first domino is seen in a nation's moral condition which is the foundation for all that it becomes. The morality of a nation springs out of it spirituality. The weaker they are morally the weaker their character. All failure branches out from that. As these nations began to grow, they became obsessed with self. They became more liberal in their attitudes and began to compromise their core values. Their need for entertainment caused them to build coliseums where they tortured people in unimaginable ways simply for entertainment. Search it out. Luxury, superstition, a preoccupation with self. A party spirit. No restraint. A lack of sound moral judgment". Another domino falls and then another. Cultures come and go but that never changes. Although they try, mankind cannot resist the indulgence of their own fate. We are immersed in the addiction of self and we cannot keep from it. Anyone for a trip to the museum?

In his book “The tenth generation” George Mendenhall told of Dometrice, Captain of Rome, who said, “As long as they have bread and a circus, they will fall”. Doesn’t that sound like America with our sense of entitlement coupled with unrestrained need for entertainment and distractions. We are consumed by it. Our conditions worsen as liberalism spreads through our nation. Their obstinacy, over indulgence and hatred for all things Godly makes me afraid that our nation is in a downhill slide. The dominoes began to fall. Rome, Babylon, as we do what they did, we will become what they became and we suffer what they suffered.

In short, our future is predictable because the common denominator among the nations who have fallen before us, is, and has always been, greed, pride and moral impurity. These are heart issues. These are the things that have eroded our ethics and poisoned our sense of values. They cannot help but take us where we don’t want to go.

God is the only one who can change the heart. If our nation does not find God, then there is no hope. We cannot fix ourselves, but we can turn to God. We must shake ourselves and find our moral and spiritual compass.

Is it possible that the United States could be reduced to ashes like so many great nations that have gone before us? I am afraid we are already down the road on that. We must repent and turn our direction.

Question 46

Main Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

I was divorced a few years ago and find it difficult to trust anyone again. How do I restore trust?

I am sorry for the hurt you have gone through. I am glad to see you making steps in this direction. You are on your way to healing and restoration. I would like for you to look at trust from a different point of view. Trust is not “being able to predict what other people will do”. Trust is “knowing that I can handle what other people do”. I know that I am going to be ok and I can enter a relationship because I know what to do if something goes wrong. If you bring negative trust issues into a new relationship you will sow seeds of suspicion, fear and rejection into everything you do together. These things are toxic to you new relationship. Your new partner should not have to pay for what your last partner did to you. That’s really not fair.

Broken Cisterns

Main Administrator — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Irvin McCorkle

A cistern is an artificial reservoir for storing water. Specifically, it is an underground tank for catching and storing rainwater. For about half the year, rainfall in Palestine is scarce, falling mainly during the winter months. As a result, it was important that water be stored during the rainy months for the long dry season.

A cistern differs from a well in that a well is fed by underground water seepage, while a cistern stores runoff rainwater. In most cities, each house generally had its own cistern. Rain falling on the roof was collected and channeled to the cistern, usually situated beneath the house.

Most references to cisterns in the Bible are symbolic. In the writing of the peril of adultery, Proverbs 5:15 says, “Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well”- a cool, pure, natural spring. But Judah’s unfaithfulness amounted to “broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Empty cisterns are used as prisons. Joseph was cast into a “pit” or a cistern. Jeremiah was cast into one which was miry at the bottom, so deep that he had to be let down by cords. Cisterns yield only a limited supply of water, unlike an ever flowing spring. The stonework of these tanks often become broken, and the water leaks into the earth’ at best, the water is not fresh long.

While we were in Israel, my wife and I visited Masada, which was Herod’s mountain fortress located on the vast shore of the Dead Sea just south of Engedi. The magnificent view from that stronghold was incredible. One of the most fascinating characteristics of this location is the cisterns that were scattered through this hill to make sure the people had enough water to drink. One especially was very large. If my memory serves me right I believe it was at least fifty feet deep and seventy feet across.

The needs of the cisterns were because the people had no fresh water. There were no springs or streams from which to drink. It was a very dry and arid land and water was surely its greatest commodity. Even in the villages guards would be stationed at the wells by the gate. If an enemy found that the well was unsupervised, they would sabotage it and poison the waters.

Please listen to me with an opened spirit. I am going to be as transparent as possible. I have been privileged to have been in some great moves of God where it seemed the rain of heaven was unending. I have also witnessed times of great drought to the point of wondering if it would ever rain again. I have found that within my own ministry when it seemed the rain of God was falling I would hew out cisterns where I could store up what God was doing and then I would have something to draw from just in case God didn’t show up. I have files upon files of messages I have preached. Some were highly anointed of God and others, well, let’s leave it at that. We are continually trying to make things happen in the church to insure that God is operating on our behalf.

In times of weariness and frustration, I would find myself going to the cistern to draw rather that the well. I have considered “my cistern” a storehouse or a pantry where I could take from my reserve and feed the people. Besides, it was much quicker. Especially since we live in a “fast food” society. It came as no surprise when I found out that which I had placed in the cistern had lost what I had treasured most, “The anointing.”

In keeping with the environmentalists I would find myself recycling parts of old messages I had previously preached to bring the people something new. However, if it has been in the cistern long it has bacteria growing on it and it takes more than revision to remove it. No name no blame, but there are ministers who preach the same messages over and over again. I am aware we learn by being repetitious, but we have become ridiculous.

Man is born with the thirst because all men are in need of spiritual refreshment. We find ourselves trying to quench our thirst by the elements of this world. You and I know better, but we do it anyways. We involve ourselves with every project that comes down the pike, trying to fill the void that only Christ can fill. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. Let’s talk about the problems that arise when we forsake our God. We say “Oh, I would never forsake my God.” We just fail to visit with him.

When we cut off our supply of living water, we begin to dig out cisterns. We try to bring fulfillment to our lives by things and stuff. The greatest loss of the prodigal son was not the food which he craved but rather the father whom he had forsaken. God is the fountain of living water. His refreshing grace is ever flowing. There is no stagnation when the water flows directly from the Rock.

God makes the fresh stream and man makes the cistern. Cisterns have limited supply and God has a never ending supply. We try to satisfy our thirst with the offers of the world. What little water we have in our cisterns leaks away because they are made of earthen vessels.

God has placed a hunger and thirst in our nature. We have desires that we try to satisfy with the things of this world, yet only God can satisfy it.

I am rediscovering the value of going to the well rather that to the cistern and drawing out that which has become stagnant. Stagnant water becomes a breeding place for a critical spirit and a fault finding heart.

Our life and purpose fits like a puzzle

Main Administrator — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

Eph 2:18-21,
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the buildingfitly framed togethergrowthunto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. KJV

I was watching my daughter work a puzzle. She would study each piece. She would try one and search for another, try again and search … That is the way our life is.In light of the purpose of God, your life looks like a puzzle. And you have the single piece that represents you or at least a part of our life. It may not always make sense by itself, but remember that God has the lid to the box. He knows what the end product is going to look like.

1.Each piece is specific and unique in its assignment
No other piece can replace it. I always thought, “If I don’t do it, God can get someone else”. The fact is, most of the time He can’t. No one else fits. That is how unique you are in your design. Other pieces of the puzzle look very similar but they cannot lock into place. When you are not in your place, others suffer. Many times the assignment is lost.

2.Each piece has its own personality
You bring out a part of the picture like no other piece can. That is why it is so important to be true to your self. Authenticity is essential for you. We lose ourselves many times by looking at someone else’s beauty, someone else’s strengths. But the fact is you are the completion of the picture. You bring out a part of the story that no one else can tell.

What this means is that there are no unimportant pieces. Each piece has its own uniqueness. Don’t try to change who you are, or try to be like someone else. Celebrate the unique qualities that you alone have.

3.Your piece of the puzzle is like, yet unlike the others
As with all puzzles, there is a blend and flow that ties all of the pieces together to tell a story or show a picture. The cut of the pieces are very similar…of the same tribe and body... The bottom line is that you don’t fit with just any puzzle. Within each puzzle, there is a kindred of color, form, style and message. Did you know that you are geographically assigned to a group, a place and a mission? You have an assignment to the location or part of the country that you live. I have seen people try to fit into churches or groups that did not match their DNA or style. They are good people. They just don’t fit. The seem to look just like you and like some of the same things that you like. In the same way, you can hold two or three pieces up and cannot tell the difference, but when you try to plug them in, there is not a fit.

4.Its identity is discovered in others.
Only when the pieces come together do you see the big picture. You are only made complete in relationship with others. You make them complete and they make you complete. One of the greatest lessons that you will learn is that isolation is a trap.It is a mistake to stay away when you are hurt of discouraged. When people get out of joint or dismembered, you see swelling, pain, and lossof limb.Even though each member (body part) is individual, yet it is empowered by it’s coming together. There is strength and power that only comes from our connection. This is the danger of division. We lose ourselves as well as one another when we allow something to divide us. We need one another

Hebrews 10:25 Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.

5.It is an effortless fit.
Each connection causes you to be locked into place.You are what you are with no effort. I don’t struggle to be a pastor. That is my design. I am what I am by the grace of God.

Rom 12:3-8 … 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

(Let me interject here that the subject of this chapter is the many member body of Christ. You have been dealt THE measure of faith to be what you are called to be. )

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity (liberally); he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. KJV

So the bottom line that you have been given the measure of faith that you need to be everything that you are called to be. There is not struggle in just being yourself. Most all of our struggle comes when we forget who we are and strive to be someone we are not.

6.It is beautiful when it is in it’s place
When you are in your place, there is such beauty that manifests from your life. When you are in your place, your life says something. We must also remember that our life is not about us, rather our part contributes to something bigger than us. The story of the bible was not about Abraham and David and others. It is a story about God and His faithfulness. The bible is the menu but Jesus is the meal. When we all get together and find our place, the image we see is the love of God through Jesus Christ poured out in us.

7.What happens to a puzzle when pieces are lost?
This is when a person gets full of themselves. They lose their way and believe that it is all about them. You must remember that the blessing of Abraham was not that you would get a blessing but rather that you would be a blessing. When you stop hooking up and stop being a blessing, the whole picture suffers.

These are the instructions for us in relationship to the other pieces of the puzzle.

1 Corinthians 12:18-31
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
25 that there should be no schism (discord or dissension) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?
30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
NKJV

Incidentally, that more excellent way is in the next chapter. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that it is love.

Alive With Purpose

Main Administrator — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

Our very antique, very overweight cat took down a bird today...brought it in the house, let it go, re-caught it several times and finally sent it on to Glory. Moral of this story...NEVER UNDERESTIMATE ANYONE! When they are walking in what they were created to do they come alive.

The reality is that you can be more than you thought you could be. You can do more than you thought you could do. When you start walking in what you were meant to be, you will start being alive every moment. Your gifts will function to their highest potential. When you operate within your purpose, your life will bear fruit because it was designed to. A tree doesn’t struggle to bear fruit. There is not strain on the tree. It just happens because that is the way it was designed.

Isn’t that the problem with most people today? They are not doing what they were created to do. Somewhere they got off track. As a result, they are living very unfilled and fruitless lives. Maybe they have gone through divorce or tragedy of some kind. Maybe they started life without the education, but whatever the reason, they become convinced that this is just the way life is and they settle. As a result they struggle in their life. Nothing feels natural to them. It seems that they hate what they do for a living. They are going through the motions but they are not alive.

I have some good news for you. When you come to Christ, he helps guide you to your destiny. He knows what you were designed to be and he orchestrates your purpose through your relationships and your opportunities. In Christ you can truly find yourself. When you get comfortable in your own skin and stop trying to be someone else, you will start doing what you were created to do and you will come alive.

The Miracle of Hope

Main Administrator — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Patricia Smith

We all understand why God listed faith and charity as two of the three eternally divine qualities, but it seems a mystery to many people why Paul included “hope” in that trio. Let me share with you what I have learned about hope.

Not long ago I spoke to a man who told me that even though he had given his life to Christ and did not drink, he was an alcoholic and always would be. I shared the Word of God with him that says he is free indeed, and again, that he is a “new creation” and all the old things have passed away including the bondage of alcohol. The old man is “dead in Christ” and the new man is a begotten son of God.

God’s sons are not alcoholics, addicts, thieves, liars or anything else the old man was. You would think the man would be glad for this news, but instead, he was very upset with me. He thought I was sheer audacity that I suggest or even HOPE that he could be free! You see, he constantly imagined that if he were to lose his own self-control, just for an instant, he would be back in the same bondage. What he had done was to exchange one bondage for another. His whole life was one grueling struggle against alcohol and he expected it always would be. He never allowed himself to HOPE, even for a moment, that he could be as free from bondage as any other Christian. If he dares not HOPE for it, how can he ever exercise faith to receive it?

HOPE is an idea in our minds, the birth of a desire. We haven’t received it yet, we have spoken it yet, it is literally a spiritual imagination. This is one of the most important things a Christian can possess… a vivid imagination. What good does it do for all God’s faith to reside in us, if we dare not first imagine what we can obtain through that faith? Many Christians that love God with all their hearts remain bound in sin, sickness, and oppression because they have not dared to HOPE or spiritually imagine that it could be otherwise.

There was a certain man whose encounter with Jesus is recorded in John 5:1-16. His life had been monotonously the same for 38 years. He had a debilitating illness with no HOPE of a cure. He knew that at least one person would be healed “at a certain season” at a pool called Bethesda. But his speech revealed that he had no HOPE that the “one person” would be him! Even though he was in the right place at the right time, he had no hope of ever obtaining his health because he did not foresee or “hope that circumstances would ever change. Even when the son of God appeared before His eyes, coming into his life speaking words of power, all he could do was opine that he couldn’t receive the promise because “this is how it had always been with me.” Someone was always there first and that someone was never him. But he kept on routinely coming to the right place at the right time for the right reason. In His great mercy, Jesus birthed a miracle of HOPE in this man and he was made whole.

There is a lesson here for us. Many ministries are hopelessly bogged down in mediocrity because “this is how it has always been, and we expect it will always be this way.” Yes, we are preaching and teaching the right message at the right time in the right place with the same results. You see, we think (and the key word here is “think”) we can’t grow because of the area we are in, or the attitude of the people around us. We think we can’t change because this is how we were raised, this is how we were taught, this is the way we have always done it! We do not imagine that our ministries could radically change, could multiply in depth and worship and size. How many of us are lying at the proverbial pool of Bethesda, debilitated by past experiences, crushed by past defeats, bruised and broken by past failures, still preaching, still teaching, still waiting for the moving of the water, but never dreaming of a real difference! Charles Spurgeon told of a young minister who came to him sadly, confessing in the full year that he had been preaching he did not know of even bringing one convert to Christ. Spurgeon quickly snapped back, “young man, do you expect that every time YOU take the pulpit someone must be converted?” Taken aback that he must have sounded so presumptuous, he humbly replied “Oh no sir!” “Then,” said Spurgeon, “THAT is your problem!”

Take heart! Jesus has come! He is in your life, in your heart, still speaking words of power, still birthing miracles of HOPE into dead dreams and lost visions. He wants to take YOU to a higher plane; He wants to empower YOU as never before, He wants to use YOU in ways you have never envisioned. He wants to enlarge YOUR boundaries. He wants to use YOU to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cleanse lepers, to preach with power and demonstration, to reap the harvest of souls in these final days before His coming.

There is a concrete connection between HOPE and faith. Where there is no hope there will never be faith, so DARE TO HOPE! DARE TO IMAGINE! And remember, God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ASK OR THINK!

Patricia Smith

Covenant Treasures School
PO Box 667 Elgin, TX 78621

Email: covenant_treasure@yahoo.com
Phone: 512-229-6835
patriciasmith1234@hotmail.com

Emergency Response Plan

Main Administrator — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT

What is your emergency plan?

Matthew 7:24 tells of a house that was built on the sand and on the rock. The wind blew on both houses. The rain blew on both houses. One was established on something, One wasn’t. Most don’t have a plan. Whatever the direction of the wind is, that is the direction they go. Your heart is established in something: in fear or faith. Here are 5 things that helps boost your foundation when the storm blows against your house.

Inform an intercessor
Feed your faith
Guard your words
Replace fear with love
Trust God

Good news is on its way

Main Administrator — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Mark Maynard

Our family loves Chinese food. Perhaps like your family; at the end of our meal it is almost a ritual for us to amuse ourselves by breaking open the fortune cookies and reading the fortunes out loud. Today, as I was searching for something in my top desk drawer, I uncovered a small slip of paper which I recognized as a fortune from a fortune cookie. I don’t remember receiving this fortune or eating the fortune cookie; but the message was an unexpected delight. On the small slip of white paper were the words, “Good news is on its way.”

I don’t seek out horoscopes or for that matter put my faith in fortune cookies; but I was taken by this message. In my life time I have had a lot of fortune cookies, but I don’t remember saving other fortunes . . . why this one? Perhaps it is simply the hope that those simple words offered.

Everyone enjoys receiving hope. Everyone looks for hope. Maybe that is why we look forward to those fortune cookies. Today, maybe you need hope . . . maybe you need to hear the words, “Good news is on its way.” It is amazing how much power is released in our lives through hope. Our minds, bodies and even our spirits our strengthened and refreshed by the expectancy that hope brings.

I can offer more than a hand-me-down fortune from a fortune cookie. I can offer you words that were intended for you.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Never forget, God knows you by name and He loves you.

Good news is on its way!

Pastor Mark Maynard
mark-maynard@sbcglobal.net
pastor@gocalvarylife.com

Mark Maynard has been the Senior Pastor of Calvary Life Church in Granite City, Illinois since June, 1990. He is a lifelong resident of Granite City. He and his wife Jill were married in 1987 and have two daughters, Paige and Abbigail.

Pastor Mark stays involved in the community. He currently serves as the Director of the Pastoral Care Board at Anderson Hospital, and a member of the Board of Trustees. He is a Granite City Police Department chaplain, President Elect of the Granite City Rotary and the Vice President of the Coordinated Youth and Human Services board. In addition Pastor Mark is a member of the Guatemala Evangelistic Ministry board, and a regional representative for the Independent Assemblies.

Rev. Mark A. Maynard | Calvary Life Church 4650 Maryville Road, Granite City, Illinois 62040

Going for the Gold

Main Administrator — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Leo Calvin Price

Numbers 21:4-9(NKJV)
4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

It was a miraculous, glorious provision – and it worked. As a matter of fact, Jesus mentioned it as an example of what he would accomplish when he died on the cross. (John 3:14-15 kjv) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have eternal life.

But do you know what happened to that metallic snake? If you don’t, you’re in for a big surprise. In 2 kings 18:4 we read: He (King Hezekiah) removed the high places and broke down and sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah (Idol alters). He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.

This occurred about six century B.C. The Original event with the snakes took place much earlier-around 1450 B.C. For about eight centuries they had hung on to that bronze serpent. Can you believe that! They dragged it here and carried it there, preserved it, protected it, and polished it. Finally, they made an idol of it and even gave it a name. Nehushtan. That word simply means “a piece of bronze.”

William James said, “That which holds our attention determines our action.” Setting GOALS is important in life. GOALS determine direction and they eliminate an undisciplined life. I like the story out of the Dilbert comic strip I read some time ago that will put this particular point into perspective.

Pet dog to Dilbert, “I’m going to try my paw at being a career counselor. Insecure people will seek my advice and I’ll tell them to be more self- reliant.”

Dilbert responds to his pet, “That sounds lazy and unhelpful.”

Dog’s response, “Would you want a career advice from someone who has to work hard?”

GOAL setting is hard work.

Israel was willing to settle for the bronze rather than the gold. For centuries they prized the bronze when God was the gold. Nehushtan, wasn’t God’s best, it’s was God’s provision to arrive at His best. The bronze was just part of the process to get to the gold. For Christians the goals are more complex. Not only does the world set goals but many of them also have integrity, as we must.

However that makes the Christian goal more complex is the fact that we must allow God’s purposes to be inseparably linked to what we desire to achieve. One last observation I would like to make is that Israel allows circumstances and environment to condition them to settle for the bronze.

“He is also head of the body, the church,” wrote Paul, “and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead’ so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything” (Colossians 1:18)

Did you get that? First place in everything. Christ is the Gold. He is first place. At this point, I think you can figure the rest out for yourself.

Leo Calvin Price
priceleo@msn.com

Where is your Joshua?

Main Administrator — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Irvin McCorkle

It seems that God and man are constantly looking for leaders.

Daniel 2:21 (NKJV)
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings;

1 Samuel 13:14(NKJV)
The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people,

Jeremiah 5:1 (NKJV)
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her.

Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV)
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

Moses was a mighty man of God, but he had to ensure that God’s work would go on long after he was gone. In all probability, he was waiting for the right young man to come along with a heart for God.

Many are called or summoned, but few are actually chosen. Many hands are in the air saying, “Choose me, Choose me,” but God needs someone who has the ability to stand in the gap and face down the opposition.

I believe that God is aligning His church with new directions that come from a fresh anointing that must be handed down through the generations.

The bible declares that the iniquities of the fathers are handed down to the third and fourth generations.

I contended that the blessings of God are handed down through the generations, if He can only find a man to stand in the gap. I will be held absolutely accountable for doing all I can to ensure that the truth I know is passed along to others so that the Christian faith will continue into the next generation. God will not accept any excuses for my failure to complete that mission.

The world has brought about the feminization of the church by removing the father figure. Eighty to ninety percent of the inner city churches are run by women.

It’s the ladies that have carried the load and have been holding things together by taking care of the infant Christians who have just come to know the Lord. They have been holding the fort while the man is nowhere to be found.

We are very much aware what happens when a home is without a father. It’s the very same way in the church. When the father figure is gone, things are out of order.

However, God is in the process of bringing the father figure back into the church. Apostolic houses are coming fourth all around the world. God is setting up a apostolic leaders from every nation and every walk of life.

Moses is taking his rightful position. And when there is a real Moses, there will be a Joshua to stand by his side, ready to take the baton at any given time. Moses was a visionary. He knew that what God wanted to do, would take longer than his few years allotted on earth.

Don’t wait for someone else’s mantle to fall on you. God never intended for that to be the pattern. You may have to get yours the same way they got theirs. When you have obtained your own mantle, it will not be ill-fitted.

Your own mantle will resemble you. It will fix you, and it will even smell like you because it belongs to you and no other. The scars on the mantle will become memorials to you and those after you.

You will say, “I remember where this scar came from, it was when…But I won the battle. This one came with the victory over…,” in other words, this mantle comes with blood, sweat and tears, but Joshua can handle it.

You must be willing to be a Joshua before you can be a Moses.

BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND NOT YOUR OWN KINGDOM

The day will come when it’s time to pass the baton to another, but they must not be ill-equipped. The ministry that costs you nothing will accomplish nothing.

They must be battle-wise and accomplished in defeating the enemy. Moses wisely allowed Joshua to fight and win the battle, but he gave direction to secure the final victory. Moses was calling the plays from the sidelines.

Ministry is not a place for the insecure. That will eventually destroy you. Never permit yourself to be threatened by ministries that will come to you of people more talented than yourself.

The purpose of your ministry is to build the Kingdom of God and not your own kingdom.

Moses was able to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, but was unable to complete the vision and call that God had given him. Joshua had the privilege of leading God’s chosen people into the land of milk and honey. It is not a “one man” show. It is a Body ministry, a ministry where each member runs his own race.

Carl Lewis, an American athlete, ranks among the greatest sprinters and long jumpers in track and field history. Lewis twice set a world record in the 100-meter dash twice and the only man to repeats long jump champion winning four times.

During the Atlanta games, one question hung in the air. Would he, or wouldn’t he? Some said yes, mot said no. The debate raged in sports bars across America.

He was America’s fastest runner. But he didn’t practice with the team. He was our best hope for the gold medal.

But it wasn’t fair to the man he bumps off the team. Who cares? Just win baby. Wait a second; he’s already got nine gold medals. And so it went. In the end Carl Lewis didn’t run on the 4x100 relay team in those games. America came in second to Canada.

Replays showed that we lost the race in exchange between the second and third runners. For a micro-second they struggled to pass the baton. That little bit off hesitation slowed the down enough so that the Canadian runners were able to win the gold.

It wasn’t the running that mattered, but the passing of the baton. Our runners were easily as fast, if not faster than the Canadians. But in the end, that made no difference. When you fumble the baton, you lose the race.

Today Carl Lewis is in the process of coming out of retirement. He has already passed the baton to the next generation, and for him the competition may be over.

But the years ahead will prove more effective for those he is teaching and coaching. The passing of the baton is not the end of the race. Timing is everything.

One runner finishes his race. Another takes the baton and continues down the track. From Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph, and across the generations, the baton is passed.

To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. This is especially true when it comes to the life and seasons of our ministries. We must know when one ends and another begins.

Just because one season is over, does not mean that there is not another season ahead.

Regardless of where you have been, there is yet before you a lad to possess and a race to run. Go, pick up the next baton, and begin to run for you are well able to posses the land.

Dr. Irvin McCorkle
imccorkle@aol.com

Coming from a family where the apostolic and prophetic gifts had great influence, the ministry of Dr. Irvin McCorkle was birthed. He experienced as a young boy what it was like to live under the shadow of the miraculous. His early days and experiences in the Latter Rain movement planted the seed of what God wanted to do in the church. As he grew, the apostolic anointing began to emerge and over the years that apostolic gift has been instrumental in the change and development of many lives.

Dr. Irvin McCorkle serves as the President of Deliverance Temple International. Since 1952 this organization has worked to develop and provide the necessary tools needed by those who have felt a call to ministry. Many lives have been changed through the annual camp meeting of Deliverance Temple International. It is a taste of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

Brother McCorkle is a father in the body of Christ. His vision has been to touch those who have been through the battle of life, and feel as if they are empty and dry. He teaches that there is nothing more refreshing and satisfying than to experience the flow of the Spirit of God through our lives. It is in that experience that the Lord brings change to us. His down to earth approach will awaken your heart to the absolute authority of God's Word. Many lives have been changed through this ministry.

Question 45

Main Administrator — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Do you think we can talk ourselves into being happy?

I do believe that there are many situations that we encounter or experience that we actually help create. You might call it “self fulfilling prophesies”.

If we expect people to act a certain way, we tend to treat them in such a way that would draw out that behavior. There was an experiment where men were put on the telephone with women that they thought were beautiful and those men became more charming in their conversation. This led to the women being much warmer in their response. A wonderful environment was created out of a perception.

Another experiment led some university men to believe that a female student was attracted to them, while others were led to believe that they were not. Later conversations between them revealed a self fulfilling prophesy. When the man believed the woman found him more attractive, he responded to her in such a way that she was more likely to make her act as if she did. When you idealize someone it draws those responses out of them. Whereas when you criticize someone it has the same effect. This tells me that only a fool would criticize or degrade their spouse.

You might ask, “In long term relationships, does idealizing your partner set you up for later disappointment? No. Positive illusions about partners tend to be prophetic. Those who idealize their dating partners as having many virtues and few faults tend to have a more satisfying and long lasting relationships. These perceptions tend to be self fulfilling. People tend to accept their partners perceptions. I heard it said that love is not blind, rather, it helps to create the reality that it presumes.

In short, you need to be nicer to people. You need to treat your mate in such a way that you spark the reaction that you desire. Your action cannot help but draw a reaction. What you say has an impact. When you talk about happy things, you tend to draw people who have the same attitude. I will answer by saying that you can talk yourself into or out of just about anything.

The Difference Between Truth and Fact

Main Administrator — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Kerry Kirkwood

It was once said that perception is reality. It makes for a catchy slogan but in reality nothing could be farther from the Truth. When Jesus was before Pilate giving an explanation as to why He (Jesus) was called a King in John 18:36-38 Jesus said I have come into the world to bear witness of the truth and everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate then asks the proverbial question what is truth? Today the question is still in limbo for most people.

If we were to ask that same question I dare to say most would reply something like “ Truth is having the right information”. In certain contexts that would be correct, but from an eternal perspective truth is not about information but it is about a person. Jesus said you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free ( John 8:32). The Truth Jesus was referring to was not knowing doctrine or theology that would make you free but Truth is a person. John records in John 16:13 that when He the Spirit of Truth comes He will guide you into all the truth. Once we grasp the idea that Truth is Jesus the Way the Truth and the Life and the extension of Christ being the Holy Spirit of Truth then it is not about information. It is all about an intimate relationship with one who is True.

It is easy to get confused with truth and fact even though they seem to be the same. Let me explain the difference. When the twelve spies entered Canaan to explore and bring back a reconnaissance report they all saw the same things and all reported what they saw. When they gave their report ten of them said it is just like God told us but the giants make us feel like grasshoppers in our own eyes. Two gave a report like the others in what they saw but their report was different because they saw through the eyes of truth. Ten of them reported facts without truth. In Numbers 13:32 it was said they brought back an evil report even though the report they gave was factual in that they described what they saw. Can we conclude that it is possible to be factual in what we see and describe and still fall short of the truth?

Truth as a person says this is your land regardless of the circumstances. Facts are what appear to the natural senses but Truth is seen through the eyes of those who hear the promises of God in spite of what others may say or feel. People who only live life based on external circumstances and then decide the outcome based upon facts and not Truth they will miss the prophetic outcome that God intends for their life. Next time you are facing a seemingly giant of a problem shut your eyes and remember the promises of God and that He said He would never forsake or abandon us. When you open your eyes filter what you are seeing through the promises of God and you will be able to separate facts and Truth.

Kerry Kirkwood
kerry@trinityfellowship.com

Kerry Kirkwood, along with his wife Diane, are the founding pastors of the Trinity Fellowship Church in Tyler, Texas. The church was started in July of 1987. Pastor Kerry carries a strong prophetic anointing and speaks into the lives of individuals, churches, and regions. He is also a dynamic teacher and looked to by many as a pastor to pastors. As a man after God’s heart, he recognizes the absolute necessity of heartfelt and prophetic worship in the corporate setting and the life of the individual. In the last two decades, Pastor Kerry has journeyed simultaneously as senior pastor, worshipper, and prophetic voice and brings a wealth of wisdom and experience to the body of Christ.

ADHD, The False Epidemic

Main Administrator — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

It is troubling to me when I think of the willingness of the medical and educational systems to give a child drugs because he wiggles in his chair.

I was born in 1955. I remember so well as a child hearing of my many friends who had their tonsils removed. It was so frequent that I wondered why mine was never removed. If you coughed at the wrong time in the wrong place they hauled you off to the doctor for the tonsillectomy. It was very common.

Yet, if you were to survey teens today you would find that most of them still have their tonsils and their adenoids, with the exception of critical cases. But when I was young it was routine. It turned out to be a false epidemic, an overreaction that spread to an entire generation. That was then.

What this generation suffers from is a new form of false plague called “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD or AD/HD or ADD) which is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "lack of interest andhyperactivity”. Research shows us that ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder for kids in the United States, with millions among children under age 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, there are no neurological markers for ADHD (such as a blood test), and experts disagree on its prevalence.

I am not saying that there is no such thing as ADHD. It is a genuine condition. Doctors agree on that, just as “some people” needed their tonsils taken out. What I don’t agree with is that there is an epidemic. Think about it. "A child is thought to have ADHD if he is behaving poorly, if he's inattentive, if he can't sit still”. That describes almost every child that I ever attend school with, including myself. Researchers tell us that of the millions of children currently identified as having ADHD have been misdiagnosed. Although teachers cannot diagnose ADHD, their opinions are instrumental in decisions to send a child to be evaluated by a mental health professional,

One study said, "Many ADHD diagnoses may be driven by teachers' perceptions of poor behavior among the youngest children in a kindergarten classroom." "But these 'symptoms' may merely reflect emotional or intellectual immaturity among the youngest students."They are not as mature and developed as some of the others.

In the early 80’s only about a half a million kids were thought to have ADHD. But in this explosion of overreaction the current estimate is over eight million. Such inappropriate evaluation and treatment is particularly worrisome because of the unknown impacts of long-term stimulant use on children's health. There is another wrinkle in this story. It also wastes an estimated $320 million-$500 million a year on unnecessary medication -- some $80 million-$90 million of it is paid by Medicaid. This is serious cash for drug companies. Unfortunately there are too many inappropriate prescriptions being written and children who do not need the medication for behavioral issues continue to be medicated.

Why would there be this misconception? What is happening among our kids that would lead so many educators and even some doctors to medicate these millions of children? I think the answer is twofold. Neither of these are the fault of the children.

For one, kids are living in the most intense stimulating environment in the history of the earth; they deal with more information in a day than we dealt with in a year at their age. Their minds are moving a thousand miles an hour. This is going to have a physical effect. We attempt to pigeon hole our children in a lifeless environment, and then we penalize them for getting distracted from things that are boring. Our kids are not sick, they are bored. Rather than medicating them we need to make the educational program more interesting. But as a teacher it is easier to label the child as ADHD than it is to admit that you have no teaching skills and that it is more fun to watch paint dry than it is to listen to some educators regurgitate meaningless numbers or information that they themselves are bored with. The truth is that a student is launched by what his teacher is willing to see in him and the true educator is a miner of precious gems. He teaches according to the individual rather than just meaningless crunching of numbers.

Do you want to see children come alive? Get them in the right environments. Find their creativity gene and plug them in. Not all kids are scientist or mathematicians. Some are called to be artists or social workers. And math and science is a snoozer for them. They will never be good at it. How can they not be a bit bored? Again, I am not saying that there are not children today who suffer from ADHD. I am just saying that we cannot get a cookie cutter and label every child that is bored with this terrible disease.

Most of us take Einstein's name as synonymous with genius, but he didn't always show such promise. Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Eventually, he was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. It might have taken him a bit longer, but most people would agree that he caught on pretty well in the end, changing the face of modern physics. If he had lived in this day and time he would have probably been diagnosed as having ADHD and they would have quickly put him on medication.

Another problem that our kids are facing is a lack of activity. They sit in front of a television and computers for hour upon hour with no outlet for energy. Their bodies should be as active as their minds. This requires something from parents, however it is easier to let the television baby sit your children than it is to get involved in their life.

The Christmas Offering

Main Administrator — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

FREE

This Christmas collection is a peaceful reflection of Jesus and the offering he made. The sounds of this music will quiet your thoughts and bring a peaceful reflection of the Christmas spirit.

Question 44

Main Administrator — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

I want to get married but I am concerned that I find the kind of man who will be good to me and be the kind of husband and father that I need. Do you have any suggestions?

There is a lot of good material on the subject of finding a mate. I strongly suggest that you research what others have written and heed their counsel. Stay away from the bars, night clubs or places that suggest a compulsive or uncontrolled temperament or life style. That includes his compulsions about money. If they have all of that baggage when you meet them, they will most likely carry it into your marriage. His baggage becomes your baggage. Make sure that his core values match yours. Mostly listen to your heart and trust the counsel of your family. They will help you see things more clearly.

Someone sent me this funny quote and I cannot resist reposting it.

“For all you single ladies who are in such a hurry to get married, here's a quick piece of Biblical advice: Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz. While waiting on YOUR Boaz,don't settle for ANY of his relatives: Brokeaz, Poaz, Lyinaz, Cheatinaz, Dumbaz, Cheapaz, Lockedupaz, Goodfornothinaz, Lazyaz, or Marriedaz, and especially his third cousin Beatinyoaz. Please, wait on your Boaz & make sure he respects Yoaz.”

Question 43

Main Administrator — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

What is the difference between Christianity and all of the other religions?

Oh, I suppose I could draw up many conclusions that tell the differences. I think it is best summed up in that Christianity is the only religion where God pursues man instead of man pursuing God. I hear people in church talk about their new birth experience when they found the Lord. I always want to say, “You didn’t find him. He found you. He wasn’t lost, you were”. We weren’t capable of finding Him. He loved us when were yet sinners and were dead in our trespasses and sins. He died for us and in doing so he purchased us with the payment of his own blood. As my friend Grady Grandstaff puts it, “He is the hunter and we are the hunted”.

Buffet Church

Main Administrator — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Jean Grantham

We went to a restaurant this week with long tables that held green lettuce on one end to seasoned Meat Loaf at the other.  You know it, a “Buffet/All You Can Eat” establishment.  I walked seemingly a country mile around the rainbow of colored food for my choosing.  I carefully and methodically picked and chose while talking to myself (“Too many calories, too spicy, too sour, wow, what is that?”)  But I chose.

It was good, but one day I will forget that food and how it tasted.  So, what made the meal and the day?  It was the fellowship I had with family and friends at the table.  It was laughing “with” and “at” each other that soaked up the air in the room.  It was looking in the eyes of family and feeling the tears cloud my vision as I realized how much I cared for them and remembering the history we’ve had.

And it made me think of The Church (in general.)  It’s gotten a bad rap.  Some say “it’s too Commercial, too Business, too Entertainment, too Political” and so on.  Maybe, but I wonder, “Isn’t it the best establishment from the book of Acts to a fallen world that we have?”  If you think about it, it is sort of a Buffet, right or wrong.  I go, I look, and I choose.  I choose what is right according to the Word of God.  It is different flavors and different kinds in the Church.  I think of what Paul said,

Phil 1:18
18 What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. KJV

So what makes the Day, the Lord’s Day?  It is the choice of true Worship to our Lord and it’s the fellowship as Christians to one another to appreciate the history we’ve had together and the anticipation of the future we will have with each other.  Embrace and Appreciate the CHURCH.

Addiction to Approval and Acceptance

Main Administrator — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

Do I find myself saying “yes” because I need approval or acceptance? Can I say “no”?

There are many people today that have an addiction to approval and acceptance. They literally cannot say “no” to anything, or at least without a great deal of struggle. They avoid confrontation, shy away from uncomfortable engagements and pretty much become submissive or at least sheepishly hesitant in the face of most disagreements or conflicts. The thought of a face to face disagreement is very uncomfortable for them, especially if it feels hostile on any level. They many times delay returning telephone calls; they cringe at need to honk the horn, anything that might expose them to challenging other people. Yet the frustration that builds as a result of that causes them to lash out in rage when they are alone. Even if they are angry they cannot give themselves licenses to display that in front of anyone outside their immediate family. They put on a happy face but inwardly they are frustrated. This is a terrible conflict. They have difficulty making a decision or at least voicing that decision for fear of it being examined or rejected. They tend to defer to someone else about where they go, what they eat and what they do. Hesitance from anyone is taken personal and every nuance from their body language is over reacted to. They over-compensate by being over-friendly, over-aware of their actions and the people around them. They cannot be themselves. They are lost.

They weren’t born that way. Something has caused this. Somewhere a root of rejection has found its place in their subconscious. They build their agenda, conversation and actions around the acceptance of others. They shy away from situations that might make them unacceptable or put them in a bad light.

The problem is that we live in a world that is filled with people who demand that we please them. In exchange we get their approval and acceptance. As a result I must be approved by certain others to feel good about myself. We are ensnared by this lie in many subtle ways. When we believe this, it causes us to bow to peer pressure and in an effort to gain approval, we become approval addicts.

It works like this. Thirsty people need water, hungry people seek food, cold people seek warmth, and rejected people seek approval and acceptance.

A number of things could have caused this. Most likely, as a child there was a shock or rebuke that intimidated them to the point that they retreated into a defensive role where their boat is never rocked. They tend from time to time to show fits of anger but it is because of the pinned up frustration over their inability to face their fear.

My goal today is for you to understand that if you struggle with this addiction, that you most likely are chasing an unmet need to be liked or heard and to prove that you’re a good, worthy and deserving person.

Is this person you? Ask yourself the following questions:

Is it hard for you to express your feelings when they are different from someone you are with at the time?

When you are with a group of people and it is time to go someplace, do you have difficulty deciding or voicing where?

Are you usually concerned what other people think about you?

Are you afraid to rock the boat?

When you are talking to people, do you tend to lose your way in the conversation and feel inadequate?

Is it difficult to stand face to face with people and look them in the eye when you are speaking to them?

Is it difficult for you to know what you want?

Do you find yourself saying yes when you desperately want to say ‘no’?

Do you feel guilt or anxiety when someone does not approve of something you are doing?

Does your happiness depend on the approval of others?

Do you have fits of frustration or anger when you are alone because you feel you should have said something or spoke up earlier?

This suggests that you cannot function to your potential because you need the acceptance and approval of those around you. It is time to kick the approval addiction.

There are a few things that I call the ‘first steps:

Practice saying ‘no’. It is difficult at first because so much of yourself gets lost in what you think others want you to be, but it becomes easier. Don’t be defensive and don’t try to please another person’s every whim. Just speak up. Kindly tell people what you think.

I think the next thing is to discover your own core values and change your negative habits of addiction into positive nurturing habits. Find out what you really want and value in life? You have to take the time to discover what brings you pleasure. Allow yourself to have an opinion that matters. Find an accountability partner and ask for help. This is the path you must take to bring a solution this problem. Otherwise we never deal with the root of our problem which is fear.

Personal Identity

All issues in our life stem from identification. Your identity cannot be in what others might think about you. Your identity must be rooted in the understanding of who you are by birth or delegation. Other people’s acceptance of you must not be the source of your confidence or identity. The well of who we are must be deeper than the acceptance of others. Your identity must be a deep enough to go against the system. When self worth is only found in others acceptance, then our life becomes an acceptance-based performance. The erosion of our potential is there.

If your value is only determined by the applause of another, then all of your happiness will be in another’s keeping. The key is to understand who you are, and what others think won’t matter that much.

Do not judge your self-worth on the basis of possessions. To have or not to have does not determine your value. Greatness is in the heart of man and not in the position or possession that he holds.

Self image is a description of our self, while self esteem is an evaluation of our self. It is important to know the difference. You have value. Our fear of rejection will control us to the degree by which we base our self-worth on the opinions of others rather than on our relationship with God.

Indecision

I feel like I need to address indecision in this segment because it is the result of the need for approval. I find indecision to be one of the most frustrating things that I can experience. If you are not careful, you will just pick and choose because of the pressure of the moment.

Most of the time, indecision comes because you have not thought a situation through. The greatest cure for indecision is getting alone in a quiet place and listening to your heart. And next to that would be to seek the counsel from someone you trust.

Practice making decisions by asking yourself questions:

What happens if I don’t do this?

Which situation will have the greatest impact?

What do I like the most?

What would my mentor do?

One final thought. When it comes to the welfare of the people around you, take time to work through your decisions. Don’t let pressure force you into being impetuous. It is better to suffer the consequences for a short time of a late decision than dealing with the regret of a hasty, wrong decision. Once you have made your decision, be firm with it. Your opinion has as much value as anyone else’s.

I’m a Jerry’s Kid.

Main Administrator — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Tracy Hamlin

I crack up every time I think about exactly how I know the good reverend.It was a cold winters night, I was stuck on the side of an icy road with a flat tire, and a hungry crying baby in the backseat…. No no no, it was far less dramatic than that.Mr. Edmon was occupying the youth minister position at a church in Oklahoma City, and I walked straight into his office and said “You gonna finish that quiche?” … no, again, I regress… I told him quite simply “My name is Tracy Hamlin, and I am here to serve you and help you in any way you need.”Wiser words have been spoken, I can promise…. The next part is somewhat blurry, but it was essentially an hour long laundry list of things that needed to be done.Again, I kid, but in all reality, he was forthcoming with things that I could do to aid him personally, and to further the ministry.All (some) of which I was happy to take on.

Hundreds of youth services and events came and went, and a season was brought to a close.Many of those times were some of the most cherished memories a person could ask for.Jerry married my first wife and I (not like in a commune, he was the officiating minister), was there when my first daughter was born, and took me in many years later when my marriage was on the rails, and my life was falling apart.This isn’t intended to be a Jerry-fest where I blow big soapy bubbles and sing the theme to Barney, this is simply a plug for the fact that there are people that you can affect forever, and vice-versa, there’s people that effect you forever.

Jerry is a man, gifted and called by God, and still a man.So let’s get that point out of the way.The key here is to plug in names and faces that you have in your life, not to focus on the “who” but the “what” of this small rambling.When I said that I would do what I could to help, Jerry turned that right around and made it his point to serve me in all I needed.Encouragement, help, guidance, the occasional correction, the nudge to grow… all in the course of a life altering friendship.You have the same capacity within you to affect someone’s life.I just want to make sure the point is clear that people are not God, and they are not perfect (although he thinks he has Angie fooled, so shhhhh!!!)
The youth ministry was less than reverent the vast majority of the time, and deeply moving to those that were a part of it.One Christmas, as Jerry was dramatically and professionally reading the account of the manger scene, the youth leadership and some of the drama kids were acting it out… much to the chagrin of the deeply religious.It was not the shining moment of accuracy to the original texts…. There was screaming from Mary…and three not-so wise men.And yet, that stands out as a great moment.Humor was the mainstay of the ministry, and it broke down so many walls so that the true message could be introduced to a group of young people that desperately needed anything OTHER than religion.

Jerry allowed the triumphs and tragedies to simply happen, to take place in the lives of the youth and the leaders, and then took those events and showed us each God’s character, and applicable truth from the Word about how to deal with things, good and bad.

I made some hugely tragic choices in the years I’ve known Mr. Edmon, and the whole while, even in my darkest pit, I knew that he loved me, I knew that he would be there for me if I called, and when I did, he was.During the throws of my darkest hour, I stayed at the Edmon home for nearly a week.It was a strange time for sure.I was a mess, to say the least, and without even so much as a teeeeny tiny sliver of judgment, he loved me, and fed me and allowed me to stay in his home.I can’t tell you how big an impact that has had.Again, I am NOT trying to pump up a man, but simply giving you a living example of how Jesus’ love can and should be shown to those in need.I came to a church service, I believe it was a Wednesday night, and Jerry ministered to me, along with Pastor McCorkle, and he literally wept over me at the altar.The word that he spoke has rung in my ears ever since.I was not entirely receptive at that stage, because when you are in the heat of battle, all you can hear sometimes is the sound of your gun as you shoot yourself in the foot over and over.

I’ve made great strides in recent years, overcoming the stigma of wallowing in sin for a few years… and God has been faithful to heal and restore.I am married to a wonderful woman of God these days, and have a total of six awesome kids.(makes me a little tired to see that in print!)I have the best possible outcome from the worst possible circumstances in so many ways.My ex-wife is a friend, my kids are all well adjusted and seeking God, my family has watched my life be restored and more.I am a minister of the gospel, and owe a grand portion of my survival to a man that stood in the gap when not a single other “church person” would.I owe it to a man, yes, but more importantly, I owe it to the God within that man that would not give up on me.

So, how do I know Jerry?I know him like you should be known to those that know you.I know him like a father should be known to his children, a husband to his wife, a friend to a friend. Unashamed, open, honest, and willing to love at all times.When someone looks back on the place you held in their life, I hope they can say “I’m a Jerry’s Kid”… or whatever name is appropriate there.

Seeds of Life

Main Administrator — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT

$25.00

Jerry Edmon addresses over 500 topics in this book. From A to Z, passing through marriage and money, or navigating the murky waters of relationships and responsibility, He makes the principles of wisdom practically applicable for your life and the lives of your children. This book is especially useful for those needing the counsel of a father."

- Hardback
- Ebook

Question 42

Main Administrator — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT

What are your thoughts about Afghanistan and what is the biggest need there?

Afghanistan is a sink hole. I understand why we are there but we must understand that we cannot change them. It is a tactical error to attempt to tame or Americanize that part of the world. We can’t fix them. It is like herding cats. The best we can do is to make an attempt to contain them. Education is the key to helping the world. Iraq has an infrastructure and roads systems that are in place, but Afghanistan is like taking a trip into the past. They still operate mainly off of tribal leaders. They have no roads, no infrastructure to speak of. Their lack of education is what keeps them in the past and makes them vulnerable to the radical fringe like the Taliban. The best we can do in the present distress is to try to buy the allegiance of a few of the tribal leaders and let them do the fighting and maintain the peace. They have been doing that in those mountains for five thousand years. They are pretty good at it. In short, to fight radicalism you must produce economic opportunities and educate. They depend on the ignorant to keep their cause going.

A Life With No Rules?

Main Administrator — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT

by Jerry Edmon

We live with a “free spirit” in our country, almost a rebellious attitude that says, “I will make up my own rules as I go”. In many cases that rebel mentality has been idolized and admired. Its flash looks impressive for that “wow” moment, but it doesn’t help in the long haul. For example, one of the biggest hurdles in a gifted football or basketball player is for them to not “Hotdog” their way through the game. Because of their talent they have difficulties being disciplined within the game plan. I understand that you can get bogged down in the plan and sometimes you need a leader to help break out. But for the most part that mentality undermines the cohesiveness of the team and limits the growth of the player. You have to break him from this if the team is going to grow. You do this by giving him rules and boundaries.

We all need rules, rules in what we eat, what we watch, where we go and what we say. There are rules of ethics in how we treat one another. These rules position us. If you can learn to discipline yourself within the boundaries of the game of life, then not only you but everyone around you will benefit from your contribution.

How rules affect our children
I have been thinking a lot about the importance of setting rules within our families. What is expected? Most kids live by the trip wire method. They didn’t know the wire was there until it blew up on them. Rules for kids should not be made on the spot. It undermines our credibility and suggests that rules aren’t real but rather something we use to manipulate others.

Discuss in advance with your kids what is appropriate and inappropriate. Discuss logical consequences for each behavior. Explain to your kids that rules are not a bad thing. Do that by comparing their situation to a ball game with no rules, or a board game or a card game with no rules. When we play a game, the first thing that we establish is the rules. It helps us live life better.

Finding security in rules
I have found that all of us and especially our children gain great security in knowing there are boundaries and rules. Although they stomp and pout, they actually take comfort in knowing that they are not in charge. Why is that important? Because being in charge is too much responsibility for a child. Subconsciously they panic and throw greater tantrums trying to find their boundaries. Many of our strong willed children are actually insecure. They need security and they find it in the word, “no”. When their parents refuse to give them boundaries they spin out of control. The responsibility of being in charge is too much for them. Their screaming is actually saying, “Will someone take control because I am afraid”. For that child, their security is in their boundaries.

Our Role as Parents
As parents we are like referees with our kids. Referees give direction for players; they blow the whistle and on occasion administer consequences for the breech of rules. They are never seen screaming at the players. They simply blow the whistle. They never ridicule the players from the sidelines. They run alongside them on the field and are keenly involved in the play. Are you running on the field with your kids? Are you keenly involved in their play? Do you observe their moves in non intrusive ways? Another thing about referees, they all stand by the decision once it is made. They are consistent. We unfortunately change our minds on discipline and don’t follow through on the rules. That is confusing to your children. It almost always produces insecurity. I encourage you to call the shots as you see them. Stick to and follow through on your decisions. Believe it or not, your child will gain great comfort in that kind of security. When it comes to referees, they always respect and back up the call that was made. If referees disagreed in front of players, chaos would break out.

One final word of caution, rules before relationship can result in rebellion.

The fact is you are a great parent. Take your place in the role as a parent and enjoy the game.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Main Administrator — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Business Strategies by Dusty Farrell

I talk to people all the time about business. Sometimes the person is just beginning but most of my conversations are with those who want to bounce around some ideas. My personal experience with most business owners leaves me thinking they should be doing something else. Most of them are not mentally or emotionally capable to operate in the turmoil of today's business environment. So my first advice for people who want to start and operate their own business is an attempt to demonstrate the proper attitude.

The first question seems to always be why is becoming a business owner important to you? Most will agree with surveys and say they want more freedom, independence to be creative, be their own boss, etc.

The second question may be what are your goals? This answer can include making a unique product or service available, seeing a niche which is under-served or they may have the hope for more income.

Other questions can be added which appear logical but the important question seems to be missed. How secure are you in your own identity? Are you comfortable in your own skin?

Technology has changed everything in our world. Just over 30 years ago the people had little knowledge and few discussions about computers. But with technology businesspeople discovered a new asset class and they called it human capital. This concept deals with the discovery and development of ideas and talent. In this process insightful managers and business owners found people in their organization had tremendous ideas but were hesitant to talk about them because of shyness and insecurity. They realized an idea developed through technology could be capitalized upon in a very short time. Their problem was to convince their people to come forth without fear of being criticized.

Most people who want to start a business intend to work in the business themselves doing what they did for their former boss or something else they already know very well. They end up owning a job with much stress they used to leave at work. Their concept of wealth creation is related only to direct involvement and delivery of their product or service.

Someone should have told them value and wealth creation is vested in the organization created by the entrepreneur such that it will produce an exact experience for each customer every time.

Someone should have told them that money is like blood to the business and communication like the air we breathe. People who start a business must embark upon a process of discovery not only about their market etc. but about themselves. The owner’s vision is useless without constant clear communication.

Someone should have told them the business must be conceived, developed, managed and operated with an exit strategy in mind. A business owner who neglects planning for the exit is the same as being lost at sea without a compass.

Someone should have told them work is done during the day and wealth is created after hours. Success in business is about attitude or how we position ourselves and approach the task. The mechanical side of business is important but is fully supported by the culture of the people who operate the systems.

Dusty Farrell
Business Strategies A-Z
www.businessstrategiesa-z.com
wfarrell1@austin.rr.com