Mindset For Success

 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; remove the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the [Euphrates] River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The people answered, “Far be it from us to abandon (reject) the Lord to serve other gods;  for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs (miracles) in our sight and kept us safe all along the way that we went and among all the peoples among whom we passed.  The Lord drove all the peoples out from before us, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our ...

And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”  So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;  and ...

 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1:6-10 (ESV) In a world filled with opinions, likes, and expectations, it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to please everyone. But Paul's bold declaration reminds us that the approval that matters most is God's--not people's. He was confronting false gospels being taught to appease others. He wasn...

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.-Ephesians 4:29 (NASB) 1. "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth" Paul urges believers to guard their speech. The Greek word translated "unwholesome" refers to something rotten or decaying—like spoiled fruit. It includes not only profanity, but also gossip, slander, sarcasm, bitterness, and anything that tears others down. Words are leaves, the real fruit is in the heart. Be careful, then, that your speech reveals the grace that lives within. - Charles Spurgeon What kind of words are “proceeding” from my mouth? Are they healing or harmful? 2. "But only such a word as is good for edification" Christian speech should be constructive, not destructive. “Edification” means building up. Words should act like tools to encourage, strengthen, and support others in their walk with...