How Many Kings?

Happy Monday morning readers!

I wanted to share a song with you that is very quickly becoming one of my favorites. It is called How Many Kings by Downhere (you can download your copy HERE). Although it was released last year on their album Bethlehem Skyline, I am just hearing it now (late again, I know). It is being billed as a "CHRISTmas Song" because it speaks about the birth of my King but the message is timeless.

The chorus:
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

I have posted a fan's music video below. As you watch it, read the lyrics, and ask yourself that question... "How many kings?..."

God Bless!
Jason Jasper

The Gift of Failure

"The fact is everyone fails in life but it is a gift if you don’t give up and are willing to learn, improve, and grow because of it"

Good morning readers! I found another great one by Jon Gordon!
ENJOY!

God Bless,
Jason Jasper

The Gift of Failure

By Jon Gordon

Almost everyone knows that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. But most don't know that Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper for a lack of ideas and his first cartoon production company went bankrupt. Everyone loves Lucy but Lucille Ball was told that she had no talent and should leave Murray Anderson’s drama school. With all of Dustin Hoffman’s success it’s hard to believe he worked as a janitor and an attendant in a mental ward because he failed in his first attempt as an actor in New York.

Can you imagine Bob Dylan getting booed off the stage at his high school talent show? What would have happened if Dr. Seuss’s actually burned the manuscript of his first book, which he wanted to do after it was rejected by 27 publishers. It’s also hard to fathom Steven Spielberg not getting accepted to UCLA film school because of average grades. And it’s easy to forget that Steve Jobs was fired from Apple at thirty years old and Oprah Winfrey was once told she wasn’t fit for television and was fired as a news anchor. *Thanks to Joe Green, author of THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IS PAVED WITH FAILURE for these great examples.

The fact is everyone fails in life but it is a gift if you don’t give up and are willing to learn, improve, and grow because of it.

Failure often serves as a defining moment, a cross road on the journey of your life. It gives you a test designed to measure your courage, perseverance, commitment and dedication. Are you a pretender who gives up after a little adversity or a contender who keeps getting up after getting knocked down?

Failure provides you with a great opportunity to decide how much you really want something. Will you give up? Or will you dig deeper, commit more, work harder, learn and get better? If you know that this is what you truly want you will be willing to pay the price that greatness requires. You will be willing to fail again and again in order to succeed.

On the other hand, sometimes failure causes you take a different path that is better for you in the long run. When I lost my race for city council of Atlanta at the age of 26 I realized politics and all its negativity wasn’t for me. This set me on a new course and ultimately led me to move my family to Florida and find my purpose of writing and speaking. Sometimes we have to lose a goal to find our destiny. Sometimes a failure helps us see that we really don’t want it and we want something else.

Whatever path failure guides you towards, it is always meant to give you a big serving of humble pie that builds your character, gives you perspective, grows your faith, and makes you appreciate your success later on. If you didn’t fail you wouldn’t become the kind of person who ultimately succeeds.

So the next time you fail don’t let it keep you from the life you were born to live and the future you were meant to create. See failure as a test, a teacher, a detour to a better outcome and an event that builds a better you.

Failure is not meant to be final and fatal. It is not meant to define you. It is meant to refine you to be all that you are meant to be.

When you see failure as a blessing instead of a curse you will turn the gift of failure into a stepping stone that leads to the gift of success.

-Jon

Are You a REAL TEAM?

Good morning readers! I just came across a great article by Jon Gordon (best selling author of The Energy Bus and The No Complaining Rule) - he raises some excellent points that each of us should ponder. "Am I on a team or on a REAL TEAM?" Ask yourself...

God Bless,
Jason Jasper

Are You a Real Team?
By Jon Gordon

There’s a difference between being on a team and being a real team.

People who are on a team focus on their own goals.
People who are part of a real team focus on team goals first and their individual goals second.

Individuals on a team are committed to getting better and improving themselves.
Individuals who are part of a real team are not only committed to getting better they are also committed to each other and the team.

When you are on a team you think about how the team can serve your desires.
When you are part of a real team your desire is to serve the team.

When you are on a team communication isn’t a priority.
When you are a real team communication is essential to build trust, commitment and teamwork.

When you are on a team you care.
When you are a real team you care more.

On a team, your time is more important than your team.
A real team makes time with the team a priority.

On a team, trust, love and respect are not often discussed or cultivated.
A real team focuses on building trust, sharing love and showing respect and ingrain them into everything they do.

On a team people fight and the fighting hurts the team because they don’t have trust and love.
A real team also fights but the fighting makes the team stronger because they have trust and love. They grow from their disagreements.

On a team, not everyone is on the bus.
A real team has everyone on the bus with a shared vision, focus and purpose.

On a team, there’s a lack of leadership.
A real team has strong leaders who develop other leaders.

People on a team have an ego to want to be great.
People who are part of a real team also have an ego to want to be great but they give up their ego to serve their team and a bigger cause in order to be great.

So how about your team? Are you just on a team or are you a real team?


I encourage you to gather your team together, read this newsletter and honestly ask each member of the team what they think. Then discuss ways you can grow stronger as team.
- Jon

5 Tricks for Fitness Success

Good evening readers! 

While cleaning out my inbox I came across this great article in my Weight Watchers newsletter. It fits with Fitness in the 8Fs of LIFE, and it has many good nuggets that deal with dreams, goal setting, re-framing, etc. I hope it helps on your Fitness journey! ENJOY!

God Bless,

Jason Jasper

5 Tricks for Fitness Success

You can set small, achievable goals that make you feel great. Here's how.

Article By: Kimberly Dawn Neumann

What's your fitness goal? Power-walking around the block without feeling winded? Lifting more weight than you did last week? Running a marathon? Whether your athletic aspirations are lofty or not, finding the energy to get up and go can be a challenge.

Chris Carmichael knows a thing or two about motivation. An author as well as founder and chairman of Carmichael Training Systems, Carmichael has built a career on helping people reach amazing fitness goals. Here are some of his tips to ensure success on your fitness path.

1. Name a dream goal that you're passionate about. Dream goals define the ultimate achievement. The key to setting a goal is to find something you're passionate about. The passion you feel for your ultimate goal is the foundation that will give you the drive and commitment to stay on your journey.

2. Set realistic and challenging confidence-builder goals. Once you have a dream goal, it's time to work backward to determine the steps necessary to reach that goal. These steps determine the road map that ensures you stay on the right route. Confidence-builder goals provide the opportunity to see and recognize steady progress.

3. Focus on the process. Instead of concentrating only on results, try setting process-oriented goals. With weight loss, you can focus on outcome (losing 5 pounds, for instance) or process (such as making better decisions about food). Achieving process-oriented goals increases the likelihood of reaching your outcome goals because they focus on the steps needed to get you there.

4. Know the difference between a setback and derailment. A setback is a temporary detour from your planned route, such as a week when you don't stick to your regular exercise regimen. A derailment occurs when you abandon your goals completely because you think you've gone too far off track. Setbacks happen. The trick is to recognize a setback before it escalates into a full-scale derailment.

5. Recognize and celebrate your accomplishments. When you reach a goal, take credit for the work you've done. Congratulations, it's a big deal! Don't just shrug it off for the sake of being humble — be proud. Then turn your attention to the next goal, aiming for the day when you can again celebrate for completing another step toward your dream goal.

Hello, my name is...

Good morning readers!

On my drive in to the J.O.B. this morning I heard a song by Matthew West, for the first time. It was called "Hello, My Name Is". I was touched by the very powerful message that spoke about how this world assigns us names, but for those of us who are in Christ, we have been given a new name. Those of us who have accepted the FREE gift that Jesus offers us can truly say, "I've been saved, I've been changed' and I have been set free!... my name is child of the One True King!"

What names has this old world assigned to you? What names would you like? Have you been set free?

Think on those things this morning as you read the lyrics below.

God Bless!

Jason Jasper

(a.k.a. Child of the One True King)

Hello, My Name Is

Hello, my name is regret
I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I’m the whisper inside
Won’t let you forget

Hello, my name is defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief

These are the voices,
these are the lies
And I have believed them,
for the very last time

Hello, my name is child of the one true king
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free
Amazing grace is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true king

I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind
The one who makes all things new
Has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life

Hello, my name is child of the one true king
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free
Amazing grace is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true king

What a love the Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called his children
I am a child of the one true King

What a love the Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called his children

Hello, my name is child of the one true king
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free
Amazing grace is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true king

I am a child of the one true king

L.I.F.E. Testimony: Gordon & Janice Goetsch - Pastor, Professor, Entrepreneur

True faith is proven when God looks at our person and He sees the likeness of Jesus. When He breathes in our presence and smells the aroma of His Son. As a pastor, preaching professor, father of five and a respected community leader, under this examination I would have failed the test. There was a gaping disconnect between what I believed of myself and who I really was at the core. My thinking was broken and needed to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I had preached and taught that so many times in my life, but never realized the extent to which my own thinking needed transformation. I needed the kind of thinking that could demolish my perceived normal life… that would leave no room for any pride or ambition and would cause me to faint at the realization of how desperately short of His Glory I have fallen. How deep His grace must reach to bring me back to into His abiding and glorifying presence. Then, divinely we were introduced to a couple from Dallas, Kirk and Nicole Porter, who had gotten involved in “something” they wanted our opinion about. It seemed so prosaic and pathetic at the time. They were so “inexperienced” and had certainly not paid the price to be so opinionated that they could teach me anything new. I had paid my dues…a Ph.D. in theology, hundreds of post-grad hours in multiple disciplines, decades of personal business experience. But, that night something went right. “Somehow” they got me to commit and started investing into our lives. Systematically, over time, the old stinking thinking was chipped away and replaced by the liberating truth that was missing from my life for so long. I began to see why I had never learned the secret of true freedom. Always so busy, yet so broke. So many sermons, yet so little substance. So much activity yet so few accomplishments. So much fellowship yet so few friends. Stops and starts that came close to divorce for the first 20 years of marriage... Over the next three years transformation came through continued support and accountability through Reading, Listening, Associating and Implementing what I had learned. I realized I could become someone who is loved and admired by my family and friends and that I could leave a legacy of influence that would make the world a better place. In one year of influence we have impacted more people for Christ and a better life than in 7 years pastoring a city church. I have learned the importance of being a husband and dad first and pastor teacher second. I have found that true friendship is a priceless gift to be guarded and nurtured without compromise. I am truly thankful to my friends Kirk and Nicole Porter for introducing Janice and me to this incredible group of world class, caring individuals, and for their support and encouragement on this journey to freedom. With LIFE, life will never be the same. PTL!

___________________________________________

Know someone that could use LIFE? CLICK HERE! or CONTACT US for more details!

Could technology make most abortions unthinkable?

I came across this great article by La Shawn Barber. No matter what side of the aisle you are on this issue it is something to think about. I would like to encourage you, reader, to check out the links as well as watch the "180"Movie (posted below the article).

God Bless!
Jason Jasper


Could technology make most abortions unthinkable?

ABORTION

>>>The old medical practice of bleeding sick people was based on the ancient idea that the body contained four substances called “humors.” The doctor withdrew blood from the patient to restore the body’s balance. But advances in science and medicine have long since proven bloodletting to be wrongheaded and harmful. Looking back, I wonder how intelligent people could have thought that draining an already weak person’s lifeblood would cure him of his ailment.

I have hope that advances in medicine could cause future generations to view abortion in a way similar to bloodletting. For example, we now know that an unborn baby isn't just a “blob of tissue.” What if technology one day reveals that an unborn baby can feel pain much earlier than previously thought?

Such states as Alabama, Indiana, and Louisiana ban abortions after 20 weeks on the theory that an unborn child can feel pain at that stage (with the elusive danger-to-mother exception). Last week, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Arizona’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks. The court contended that U.S. Supreme Court precedents allow women to kill unborn babies if they can’t live outside the womb.

Some researchers say that babies in the womb can’t feel pain until the 24th week. Others say 28 weeks. Mary Spaulding Balch, who keeps track of state abortion legislation for National Right to Life, said a baby can feel pain earlier.

“By 20 weeks after fertilization, unborn children have pain receptors throughout their body, and nerves link these to the brain,” she said after Nebraska passed an abortion ban. “These unborn children recoil from painful stimulation, which also dramatically increases their release of stress hormones. Doctors performing fetal surgery at and after 20 weeks now routinely use fetal anesthesia.”

Can an unborn baby feel pain earlier than 20 weeks? In 1984, the formerly pro-abortion Dr. Bernard Nathanson created a video called “SilentScream,” in which a 12-week unborn child appeared to scream in pain as he was torn apart in the womb. Nonsense, critics said, pointing out that at that stage an unborn child can’t move purposefully or perceive danger. Abby Johnson, a former director of a Planned Parenthood facility, quit her job after watching an abortion of a 13-week-old unborn baby via ultrasound “trying to get away from the probe that the doctor was using.” Were his movements purposeful and perceptive?

Imagine that a baby perceives and recoils from danger, trapped, as it were, inside the womb with nowhere to go. He instinctively tries to avoid the needle or the probe. He feels the pain as the instrument of death enters his body. And there’s nothing he can do about it. What will future generations think of us if research reveals that first-trimester babies feel pain and we continued to allow their dismemberment simply because their mothers don’t want them?

Our society has rapidly and shamefully evolved to make killing the “non-viable” unborn a “right,” when the baby’s humanness should be the standard. Technological advances have revealed so much about fetal development. As they reveal even more about this miraculous process, could future generations liken us to the uniformed bloodletters of the past?

Reverse Generation

Give this one a listen. Read along and think about what she's saying. 

2013 Chart Topper Weekend!

Leaders from around North America have gathered in sunny Tampa, Florida to kick off the 2013 Chart Topper Weekend (refer to LIFE's compensation brochure for qualification details).

We are only half way through an amazing weekend and the Policy Council has not disappointed. We have had several "punch in the gut" talks (that I needed) along with many words of encouragement and some nuggets to take on our journey. Also, several exciting changes that will definitely help in making 2013 our best year, yet!

Sneak peek:

1. We finally have our Income Disclosure Statements! (download should available tonight-the numbers are AMAZING!)
2. Financial Fitness Pack launches at the June Major Leadership Convention
and possibly the most exciting of all...
3. 25% automatic customer compensation regardless of level!!!

More details to follow!

Don't wait to get your spot in the opportunity that WILL change your LIFE!

God Bless,
Jason Jasper

Post-Modern America is No Match for the Gospel

Found an excellent article from Jay Younts... enjoy!

God Bless,
Jason Jasper

Post-Modern America is No Match for the Gospel

Two thousand years ago Rome was solidly entrenched as the Western World’s dominant power. Christians in the first century were persecuted and hunted as criminals. Yet, the church grew and prospered. Mighty Rome was no match for the gospel. 

Similarly, post-modern America is no match for gospel. The Constitution can once again flourish and serve an electorate that honors God for who he is.  We can look at Executive Branch, the Congress, and the courts and say that biblical Christianity is doomed, and America with it. Or we can respond as the early Christians did and turn our country upside down. The strategy is not complicated. The early Christians were determined to live for God’s honor regardless of what the governing authorities threatened.  Christians today can do the same thing. We can become salt and light to a confused, dark world. 

Christians can do today what Israel failed to do 3,000 years ago. We can tell our children about the wonderful, powerful, unstoppable God that we serve. This is what fueled Christians in the first century. Christians stood out from their dark culture by honoring God with their lives and speaking about the power of the gospel to liberate the human heart from the bondage of sin.

If hearts can be won for Christ, the culture and the government will change as well.  Being amazed that God made the grass green, roses red, and trees covered with the pastel beauty of spring is one way to show the glory of God to your kids. Even more spectacularly, you can be blown away that your sins are no longer counted against you. Recognizing the greatness of God throughout each day as you return good for evil will cause the gospel to spread, just as it did in ancient Rome. 

Post-modern America has no answer for people who answer only to God. The gospel is the blueprint for the rescue and restoration of a country that has lost its way – that does what is right in its own eyes. 

Shepherd the hearts of your children toward Christ and his commandments. This is what the gates of hell fear most.

This is the blueprint for hope!

If you haven’t done so already I urge you to invest 90 minutes of your time and look at the movie Monumental with your children.  This film shows you what can happen when God is honored for who he is. Monumental is a blueprint for hope. Check it out here. 

Jay Younts

Jay Younts is the Shepherd Press blogger. He is the author of Everyday Talk and other materials on parenting. He has been teaching and speaking on parenting issues for 30 years. Jay and his wife, Ruth, live in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. He serves as a ruling elder at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Moore, South Carolina. He and Ruth have five adult children.

While reflecting on this morning's anniversary, I came across a great article posted on TownHall.com, and wanted to share it with you. It was written by Alan Sears who is a former federal prosecutor in the Reagan Administration, is president and CEO of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal alliance employing a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.

Please take a moment to read it, comment, and email the author to let him know what you think.

God bless you, and may God continue to bless America!

9/11 and a Shining City

On September 11, 2001, Americans were reminded of two things—the dangers of terrorism and the greatness of the United States.

The dangers of terrorism were evident in the phone calls various passengers made to their loved ones when they realized the very planes aboard which they were flying had been hijacked. The dangers were also evident in the twisted and smoking remains of the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in rural Pennsylvania.

In all these places, American lives were lost—nearly 3,000 in all—and the United States momentarily appeared vulnerable, if not weak.

But a strange thing happened on the way to cowering and surrendering in the days that followed the attacks: namely, Americans of almost all political stripes united and a sleeping giant was awakened for a time.

We went from staring at our televisions in disbelief to uniting on our core beliefs and sending our military to find those who had committed these acts against us.

This focus was exemplified by President George W. Bush in his famous bullhorn speech delivered on the rubble of the World Trade Center, just days after the attack: “I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear from all of us soon.”

In this, the greatness of the United States was shining through. And the world could see that terrorists might knock down our buildings and steal the lives of thousands of our citizens, yet they could not steal our ideals or our love for country.

America has always rested on something greater than the differences that exist between her various citizens, something which transcends the diversity of each particular generation, allowing them to shake hands across the decades: thus the motto, E Pluribus unum.

We forget this so easily that it took an unprecedented attack on our homeland in 2001 to remind us it’s true.

On this eleventh anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, we need to remember the Americans we lost—the fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters who perished aboard hijacked planes, or climbing stairwells in the World Trade Center, or sitting at their desks at the Pentagon. Yet as we remember these, we must also remember that America’s greatness, recovered for a time amidst the smoldering rubble, is not a thing of the past.

We need to search out again the aspects of our tangible foundation which transcend our personal or political differences, and upon finding them we need to cling to them tightly.

And while it shouldn’t take attacks that cost 3,000 American lives to remind us the United States is a shining city on a hill, the attacks are a reality. Therefore, part of our response to them needs to be a renewed and ongoing attempt to understand the foundations on which this “Shining City” rests.

May God bless the United State of America and the families of those who perished eleven years ago.

"Do unto others..." Does it work for business?

Hello readers!

I recently read a great article that was posted in Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership newsletter. In it, Dave's team talk about the secret of success. Enjoy!

God Bless,
Jason

The Right Stuff
Tips for Applying the Golden Rule

What's the secret of success? Philosophers, business tycoons and academics have argued this question since the first caveman wore a better bearskin than his neighbor. But for Dave and well-known businesspeople like Richard Branson, J.C. Penney, Mary Kay Ash and Southwest Airlines' Colleen Barrett and Herb Kelleher, it simply boils down to 10 little words written nearly 2,000 years ago: "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

These EntreLeaders believe that when you follow the Golden Rule, the rest will take care of itself, including their businesses. And it works for any organization, from a small enterprise to a Fortune 500 company. So how can you apply this timeless principle to your own company? Here are four practical ways to get started on your road to building a business you can be proud of.

Extend Grace
If there's one word in the dictionary that should be on the To-Do list of every employer, it's grace. Why? Because no one—including you—is perfect. At some point, everyone will mess up or have some personal problems to work through. Unless it could jeopardize your company or possibly harm someone, always err on the side of giving too much grace.

Avoid Micromanagement
Watching every step your team member takes or not trusting them to do a job has tons of negative consequences, including stifling creativity, reducing problem solving skills, and impeding growth and communication.

There is an exception to this rule though. You can't micromanage enough when someone first comes on board. But once they're trained, step back and let them fly.

Let Money Talk
Money may not be the prime motivator, but it sure is a great way to make someone feel like they are valued. On Dave's team, for example, a staff member helped close a huge sale, even though it wasn't part of his job. Dave paid that team member the commission even though he really wasn't obligated to do so. Why? It was the right thing to do, and it inspired that team member to do it again.

Treat Them With Dignity
At Dave's office, there is not a time clock to be found. He believes there is no dignity in just punching a clock to collect a check. Make it clear your team's work is important to you and your company. Team members play an integral role in your success and deserve your respect.

Although the concept is simple, the Golden Rule is anything but. It changes lives and relationships, and it can even transform your business. Start practicing it today and watch the magic begin.

L.I.F.E. Testimony: Jason & Erin Jasper - Manager/Pastor and Teacher (MFC Day 86)

We were recently challenged to write our personal testimonial for the L.I.F.E. web site, so we figured we would share it as our most recent update in the 90 Day Mental Fitness Challenge:

How do you put into words the absolute peace you receive when you know you are doing what God has called you to do? ...The best way we know how is to share our story.

We started our journey like most people our age. We were in SERIOUS debt, had a "pretty good" marriage, and thought we were doing what was best for our kids. We had a strong faith in God, and we thought we had it all figured out...then we were introduced to LIFE. WOW!!! We couldn't have been more wrong! LIFE challenged us to be the best that we could be in each of the "8 Fs" (FAITH, FAMILY, FINANCES, FITNESS, FREEDOM, FOLLOWING, FRIENDS, and FUN).

We have by no means finished our journey, but in just a short period of time, by applying the principles found in the LIFE system, we have completely paid off all of our debt outside of our home. We now have an AMAZING marriage (no quotations needed). We have also been able to witness our girls (ages 9 and 6) develop into young ladies who love to read and who have been able to solve relationship conflicts from which most adults would shy away. We now know that God has used the LIFE system to impact our lives so that we can, in turn, impact the lives of others. LIFE has made such an incredible difference for our family, and it our sincere desire that you would allow it to make the same difference in yours

A new tradition is born...

Today the Jasper family starts a new tradition-each July 4th we will set aside time as a family to read the Declaration of Independence. We will remind ourselves of how this greatest nation on God's green earth was started. We will remind ourselves why this nation was started, and we will keep in mind during our day the awesome sacrifice that was paid, and that continues to be paid, for the freedoms that we so often take for granted.
I encourage you and your family to do the same. You can download a FREE copy of the Declaration of Independence here:

http://www.hillsdale.edu/constitution/pdfs/00_Declaration_of_Independence.pdf

In closing, may I encourage you to take a moment to read Francis Scott Key's immortal words?

"Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

God Bless!
Jason Jasper

God is in Control

This week, while preparing my lesson for the adult Sunday school class at Liberty Baptist Church, I came across a lesson that touched my heart and that God used to speak to me regarding the subject of "letting go and letting God."

I have included it below and I hope and pray that you are blessed by it as well.

In Christ,
Jason Jasper

God is in Control

I want to start this message by saying “God is in control”

It doesn’t matter what is happening in the economy, and it doesn’t matter what is happening on a political level, or who’s in the white house.
It doesn’t matter what they do to social security, healthcare, or anything else.

God is in control.
It’s not the government or the president or anybody else. As a child of God your destiny is secure, God is your source and Heaven never has a shortage or needs a bail out.

Exodus 1:13-17 - And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 

Let’s start with Moses, the deliverer of God’s people (He was destined to bring God’s people out of Egyptian bondage). But from his birth the enemy was set on his destruction. That which the enemy had marked for destruction, God had marked for life, Moses grew up in the Pharaoh’s house, he had the best of everything in the land, (and the enemy paid the bill).

Because God had it under control.

Exodus 13:17-18 - 

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 

18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 

The children of Israel knew the area (after all, it had been their home for over 400 years! But God knew there was a battle going on in the land and He knew that if they saw it that they would lose hope and want to return to bondage.

There are many times in life that from our natural perspective there are easier and faster ways to do things, but God has a better viewpoint, plus God has a higher purpose. Too many times our only initiative is to just get through it, but God’s intention is that we not only GET through it but that we also GROW through it.

Exodus 14:1-3 - And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 

Here are the children of God from all visible evidence they are trapped, there is no way back, and there is no way forward, they are in that place no one ever wants to be.

The thing we have to fight is agreeing with the enemy. We must not agree with the Devil, because God has us in his control.

The devil knows the power of words, he knows the power of our self-talk (what we say to ourselves), and he wants you to line up your confession with your circumstances-he knows that if you focus on your circumstances that you will just get depressed. But God wants you to line up your confession with His Word.

Fear says: I can’t pay the bills.

Faith says: The LORD will provide!

Fear says: I am going to lose my job.

Faith says: The LORD will direct my family!

Fear says: It’s over, there’s no way out.
but…
Faith says: I don’t know what God is going to do and I don’t know how He’s going to do it…
but I know God has it all under control.

Exodus 14:4 - And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. 

Exodus 14:13-14 - 

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 

14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 

There is an enemy in your life, a battle that has been going on, it seems like you’ve got it under control, but you turn around and it’s there again, You pray and pray and you felt like you’ve got the victory but just when you start to make some progress there it is again.

God said: “The Egyptians whom you have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.”

You’ve done everything you know to do, you’re exhausted, you’re at the point of giving up… “what’s the use? it’s hopeless, I can’t do it.”

It’s when you get to that point that you’re finally in position for a miracle! You’re finally in a position for God Almighty to do what you could never do. He’s just been waiting for you to recognize YOUR weakness, and HIS strength. You’ll never know His strength till you recognize your weakness.

The Lord used the Apostle Paul to illustrate this point:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 - And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

Paul had to realize that God is in control.

He also used his twelve in the gospels of Matthew and Mark:
The Lord saw the disciples out on the sea fighting a violent storm, but Scripture says that He waited till the forth watch of the night to come to them on the water.
why?

#1 – Because they didn’t need him yet. Some of them were experienced fishermen who had no doubt been through a storm or two in their lives. They could handle a storm. So why did He wait? Because they still had strength, and as long as THEY had strength they didn’t need HIS strength.

The disciples had to realize that God is in control.

Also…
#2 – It is more than likely had they still had strength, they wouldn’t have received Him in the way that He came to them.

God may want to do something new and incredible in your life, but He can’t get it through to you until He gets you in a place where you can’t do anymore.

God wants to do something in your life that He has never done before, and to do that He has to bring you to a place you have never been before.

You and I have to realize that God is in control.

Exodus 14:21-22 - And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 

Notice how Moses acted on FAITH and God MOVED. Notice it was Moses’ hand outstretched and not God’s, but at the same time we can see that it wasn’t Moses’ strength that was used but God’s. Moses did everything he could do and then God did the rest.

Because Moses realized that God is in control.

Here is a lesson that I believe will change your life – God is certainly using it to change mine – if you don’t get anything else I am saying this morning, get this:

While many are sleeping, God works the night shift!
The greatest miracle of your life may be just one hour away. It always gets the darkest just before the dawn. When the light seems the farthest away, you can bet that it’s also just around the corner!

When the children of Israel were in their darkest hour they had mountains on either side, an Egyptian army on their heels and there was the Red Sea in front of them – but when God started to work, when they opened their eyes in the morning, there was no longer a Red Sea but an eight lane highway!

PRAISE GOD He is in control!

Exodus 14:29-31 - But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. 

The children of Israel saw with their physical eyes that God is in control!

And here is one of the most awesome things; they went through the midst of the Red Sea…
with dry feet.
Not only can God bring you out of trouble, but He can bring you out without even a trace of what you have been through.
Exodus 14:30-31 - Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. 

An excellent example of this is the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego. The fiery furnace was made so hot that it instantly killed the soldiers who were commanded to throw them into it, and yet when those three Hebrew boys WALKED out of it, not only did they not have even a single hair singed, but they didn’t even smell like smoke!

Listen church! I don’t know what you may be facing today, but the Lord told me to tell you, He’s got it all under control! And if you’ll just quit worrying, and complaining, and fretting, and fuming, and start trusting and praising Him, He’s going to turn it all around.

There are even some enemies that you have been fighting that you are not going to have to fight anymore.

Exodus 14:13-14 - And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 

and you don’t have to turn but…

2 Chronicles 20:17 says,

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

...Stand still church and see the salvation of the Lord!
…Stand still church and see that the Lord is in control!

The Word of the LORD is the same today as it was back then: God has it all under control.

It’s time to move over and let Him fight your battles.
If you’ll just stand there right where you are, and if you’ll just lift your voice and begin to praise him, the El-Elohim, Jehovah-Jireh, The Great I AM, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, God Almighty Himself, will step right between you and your enemies, and He is going to fight the battle for you.
Paul and Silas were locked up in prison, backs beaten and bleeding, cast into the inner prison, their feet held fast in stocks, couldn't go left, or right, couldn’t go forward or backward, but they knew a secret (God has it all under control, and God works the night shift). And so at midnight, when all the other prisoners had succumb to their fate, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. God heard their song, and sent an earthquake, shook the bands from off of their arms and feet, shook the doors off their hinges, and ended up saving the jailer and his entire house! 

Because God has it all under control.

Couldn't resist... here's one for the Fun "F" in LIFE!

Top 10 Chuck Norris Jokes:

# 10 - There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist.

# 9 - The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Chuck Norris out. It failed miserably.

# 8 - Chuck Norris has already been to Mars; that's why there are no signs of life there.

# 7 - Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas to bed.

# 6 - When the Boogieman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

# 5 - Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.

# 4 - If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

# 3 - Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.

# 2 - Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

# 1 - Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

And finally dear readers... I offer you amazing proof... Chuck Norris gets workout tips 

from The Incredible Hulk!!!

Chuck & The HULK!

What about you? What's your favorite Chuck Norris joke? Please share them in the comments below.

LIFE Business: Something Right

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L.I.F.E. Testimony: Steve and Beth Morgan - Electrician/Secretary

"The information that we have learned has changed everything in our lives. Its amazing that great information exists and most people will never even know about it. I love our mission here, to get truth to the public. As we set out on this journey we selfishly wanted only better finances and didn't care about the rest. Now I see how many more people like me are out there. Being free is better than I could ever describe. My recommendation is to give it a try yourself, with this vehicle you can do it. Be careful who you take advice from in the world, they may not have the results you are looking for."


BIO:

Steve and Beth Morgan are very honored to be Team members. They are a young couple who choose to be great students and huge dreamers to reach their goals. Prior to joining Team, Steve was an electrician and Beth was a secretary at a surveying/engineering firm. At a leadership convention they saw the power and potential of working with a team of people towards a common cause. Working hard, being part of great team, and utilizing a world class training system has allowed them both to be stay at home parents. They are privileged to raise three beautiful children Chloe, Ty and Claire. Beth has been job optional since April of 2003 at the age of 22. Steve has been job optional since May of 2004 at the age of 23. One of their ongoing goals is to help leaders on their teams reach their potential. With Orrin & Laurie Woodward as their mentors, Steve and Beth are always striving to become higher level leaders and to reach more people to make a difference.

DID YOU HEAR THAT? JOB OPTIONAL AT 23?! Who does that you ask? - LIFE does that.
CLICK HERE to see a video of Steve Morgan's last day on the job!

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