David understood one of the essential qualities of a leader, as we see in 2 Samuel 23:3. Anyone who wants to lead well must fear the Lord. When we talk about fearing God, we are not talking about a wrong kind of fear. We are talking about the reverential fear that causes us to bow in His presence and even to prostrate ourselves before Him and say, “My God, there is none like You; Whom shall I fear? If You are for me, what can man do to me?’

The apostle Paul wrote something in Galatians 1:10, He said, “Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).”

We know Satan firsthand uses rejection to prevent us from going forward with the call of God on our our lives. Have you ever been attacked with rejection? The devil uses this very effective tool to keep us from making progress.

How many of you have gone to the bank to get a loan for your business and were turned down? Wanted more money to expand? Wanted to hire a few more people? How many people were skeptical when you told them you were starting a business, or joining a partnership with someone, or told you all of the reasons why they failed in business and why you would too? It’s very difficult to go on when you are being rejected by someone you love and care about or others who have the power and ability to help but do not buy into your vision. I know what that feels like when you take the leap of faith and do what you believe you have been called to do. I shudder to think what I might have sacrificed had I bowed down to the pressure and the weight of rejection. Everywhere I went for help they told me no, or I didn’t qualify, but thank God I didn’t give up.

Have you ever been in a situation when the devil leveled an attack against you at the same time when God was trying to promote you into the next level of what he has for your life?

Anyone who is going to do the will of God must have more fear of God than of man. We all want acceptance and for others to support our dreams. It takes courage to live your dreams. And you have to be willing to lose everything to do it. What does that mean? The trials and storms of life will come. They must. Do you stay and fight for the dream and the desire that you believe God has placed on the inside of you, or do you turn in defeat because it’s just too hard?

Anyone who is going to do God’s will must remember what Jesus told His disciples: “A servant is not greater than his master…If they persecuted Me, they will also persecut you” (John 15:20). He was saying, “If they reject you, in effect they are rejecting Me.” I believe the Lord takes it personally when people reject you because you are trying to do the right thing. He knows how you feel about being rejected, because He felt the same thing. He is your Vindicator; your reward comes from Him, and you must reverentially fear and honor Him more than anything or anyone else.

As you have made the decision, for God I live, and for God I die, know that God is equally commited to the promise as well. Romans 8:31,32 “What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] [Ps. 118:6]

32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

God approved of you before anybody else ever got a chance to disapprove. Do not spend your time playing it safe in the illusion of a down economy (because millionaries are being made everyday, banks are still giving corporate execs million dollar bonuses) don’t buy into the hype! Safety is very comfortable, but it may keep you from God’s perfect plan for your life.  If we want to continue to succeed in this environment, our focus must be customer focus coupled with outstanding customer service. Not because it will keep your customer and repeat business, but if you never see them again, the honor and privilege is in being in a position to serve.

Trust His Word and keep your heart willing and ready to obey. Be willing to try new things, especially if it is something you have never done before. You will find throughout your life that God regularly calls us out of our comfort zones and into new places of faith and growth in Him.

On the way to your destination, enjoy the journey.

Linda Dillard

Founder/CEO & Relationship Strategist for Power In Progress, LLC & Creator of the “CEO Method”

How many of you are just like me, Class A+ Procrastinators?

Did you know having good intentions can still be a form of disobedience? Procrastination is very deceptive and Proverbs 3:27,28 instructs us not to do it. Often, we do not see putting things off as disobedience because we intend to obey God; it is just that we are going to do it when–when we have more money, when we are not so busy, as soon as Christmas is over, after we get the kids in school/college, when we return from vacation, after the snow is gone, etc. Remember, the best intentions do not produce results. Ask God to help you take action in a timely manner in every situtation.

So, what are some strategic solutions to helping Class A+ Procrastinators; Proverbs 4:5 instructs us to get “skillful and godly Wisdom,” and here are some of the results that you can expect as you apply wisdom in your life.

Wisdom will always lead you to God’s best. Wisdom teaches that you will not keep friends if you try to control and dominate everything that goes on in your life and theirs. You will not keep friends if you talk about them behind their backs or tell their secrets. Wisdom says, “Do not say things about others that you would not want people saying about you.”

Wisdom will guide you in money matters. You will not get into debt if you do not spend more money than you make. A lot of people never have fruitful ministries because they think they can run a ministry without good business principles. The Holy Spirit does not need to speak in an audible voice to tell us that we cannot have more money going out than we have coming in. Wisdom tells us that we will get in trouble if we do that.

Wisdom will not let us get overextended in our commitments if we listen to her. No matter how anxious we may be to accomplish things, wisdom says we need to take time and wait on God to give us peace about what we are to do and not do. It has been very difficult for me over the years to learn to say no to certain speaking opportunities, but I have learned that it is not wise to wear myself out trying do to so much that I end up not doing a quality job.

To God, quality is more important than quantity. Many times wisdom leads us to say no to things we would like to say yes to. Wisdom may also lead us to say yes to something to which we would like to say no. Having an opportunity that will stretch you outside of your comfort zone may cause you to say no, because you are afraid you might fail. But Wisdom may be telling you that you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you, and although you may have never done this or that, or tried this or that, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try. How do you ever grow beyond what you are capable of if you never put yourself in a situation where you know exactly what you are made of. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Wisdom is our friend; it helps us not to live in regret. I think one of the saddest things in the world would be to reach old age and look back at your life and feel nothing but regret about what you did or did not do. So many people are playing it safe. In case you haven’t noticed, “You can’t get out of life ALIVE!” It’s always more fun on the field than it is in the stands. Failure is merely feedback. The sorrow is not in the falling down, the tragedy is in never having tried in the first place. Wisdom helps us make choices now that we will be happy with later.

A word of advice to all my soon to be reformed Class A+ Procrastinators, don’t put off for tomorrow what you can to today, maximize your moment!

Be Encouraged. [Excerpts from Joyce Meyer Amplified Bible] 

Linda Dillard

Founder/CEO & Relationship Strategist for Power In Progress, LLC

Why does it always take a tragedy to wake us up out of our unconcious state of selfishness before we are willing to help one another? Apparently, Hurricane Katrina was not enough for us to sustain a long lasting commitment to love one another as we love ourselves.

The US has no Interest in Haiti

How unfortunate it is that it took a devastating Earthquake in Haiti before the world woke up. What amazes me is that Haiti has been an impoverished country for many years. The fact that the United States has no vested interest in Haiti in terms of what it can get from the people or country of Haiti is irrelevant. Why must God get our attention by allowing such mass destruction to occur?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

I have often wondered why bad things happen to good people? It’s sad to know that we have all contributed in some way due to our mass consciousness of caring about self only.

In 2 Corinthians 9:10-12 (amp), “And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifest istself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. [Isa. 55:10; Hos. 10:12]

11 Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.

12 For the service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply what is lacking to the saints (God’s people), but it also overflows in many [cries of] thanksgiving to God.”

God will provide us a seed to sow

In times like these, it’s easy to withhold seed because we are uncertain if we will have enough. But a seed can never multiply and bear fruit until it has been planted. Whenever we invest in God’s people at home or abroad, we can rest assure that God will continue to provide seed for us to sow, and those in whom we sow seed will cry out to God with thanksgiving.

I say to the many of you who were like me before I read this passage, there is so much money and aid needed for these hurting people, how will I know if my seed will be used for that which it was intended?

What’s your motive?

 Well, we can thank God that he does not judge our outward appearance but our heart and our motives. Whether our seed ever gets to where it is intended, God will still honor our heart to give and you will be blessed. For those who misuse the seed, and cause even more suffering because of their lack of integrity, God is in control of that as well. So give, so seed.

Our job and our responsibility is not to judge others for what they are or are not doing, our only responsibility is to make sure we are doing what we are suppose to do. We serve a God that never slumbers or sleep, and he is always on top of his game. Let our business be a reflection of how we are, not just who we are. Whether your are providing aid to Haiti, or giving your left over food from your resturant to a shelter, orphanage, or a parent who waits table and would welcome the extra food to feed their family, when you have a need, sow a seed.

So take heart my sister, my brother; Love thy neighbor as thyself (Mark 12:31).  In so doing, the recipient of this goodness, kindness, and charity will cry out to God in thanksgiving. 

Be Inspired,

Linda Dillard
Founder/CEO Power In Progress, LLC
Relationship Strategist

In a society where misery and sorrow lurks on every corner…I’m grateful for
the message God put down on the inside of me to share his peace that
surpasses all understanding. Obediently I picked up the phone to call
someone not even knowing what I was going to say. I got their answering
machine. While the message played I still had no idea what to say. I was
hurting and dealing with a lot of things…beep! The answering machine
stopped my thoughts. I began to sing a song. I continued, as I closed my
eyes I began to leave them a prayer. I was amazed at what they Holy Spirit
was speaking through me. When the spirit finished speaking I ended the
call. I hung up the phone, placed it in its cradle and collapsed in the floor
into tears. As I lay on my bathroom floor my face drenched with tears, my
throat in knots, talking to God with a froggy voice, the Holy Spirit spoke to
me that was for you too! The spirit must have its way. Don’t be
downtrodden as you go through test and trials. Keep your head up, don’t
regress, just trust in the Lord. His word says come unto me all who are
weary and burdened and I shall give you rest.

The Bible is full of stories where its characters were told not to fear. Some were told not to fear by God and doing so would only get disapproval by the Lord. But is the act or disposition of fear in a person deemed as a sin? There is no mention of fear in the 10 commandments. In many Bible passages we are commanded to fear God. Just what is fear in relation to sin?

There are Three Types of Fear in the Bible

You will find throughout the Bible that fear comes in basically three different categories. The first category is fear from a lack of trust in God, the second is reverent fear of God himself, and the third is an instinctive fear placed in us by our Creator to avoid danger. The first category of fear is the one we as Christians should not have.

Fear that is Healthy for You

We’re referring to the fear that is healthy for us to avoid danger. We don’t place our hands on a hot stove because we know we will be burned. We don’t walk too close to the edge of a cliff or bridge because we might fall. We don’t corner a stray dog because we might get attacked. This is fear that is wired into us by God’s design and is not sin at all.

When Healthy Fear Becomes Sin

In many instances the fear that God does not want you to have is also the same fear that God wired into us to protect ourselves. You might ask what kind of double-speak this is? But actually, it is the beauty of the power of God. He helps you overcome fear that naturally you should have.

For example, when Jesus wanted Peter to walk on the water, he wanted him not to have a natural fear that he was created with. That fear was the fear of drowning. But this is how God shows us he has conquered fear.

Fearless is Not Analogous to Insanity

Also understand that Peter knew exactly what Jesus was telling him to do. It was the same for many Bible characters where they were told by God to fear not. The point is that if you jump from a tall building thinking that God will save you just because you had no fear, you will probably die. God probably didn’t tell you to jump from the building.

Many differ on opinion here, but God gave you common sense too. Learn to discern when God is telling you to do something and when he is not. The key is asking for wisdom and guidance in decision making.

Fear is usually a Predecessor to Sin

Probably the biggest problem with fear that makes it closely-related to sin is that throughout the Bible, it is usually a predecessor to disobedience to God and therefore leads to sin. Take for example the Israelites when they thought Moses had died upon the mountain. They feared and then got involved in all sorts of idolatry and immorality. Yet it was not the fear but the lack of trust in God, idolatry and immorality that were the sins.

Fear is an Indicator of a Heart Problem

It could be said that fear is like a symptom of something serious going on in a person’s heart towards God. It is best described in 1 John 4:

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

So, is fear sin? No. Fear is more of a symptom or reaction to a heart problem in your relationship towards God. If you love God, and have childlike faith and trust in God, it should cast that fear out of you. Overtime, you should find yourself fearing less as God fills your heart with his love.

Suggested Reading:

Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There

Ruth Graham. Howard Books 2009, Hardcover, 288 pages, $5.88

Fearless

Max Lucado. Thomas Nelson 2009, Hardcover, 240 pages, $11.95

When you are a young adult, you more than likely have not experienced many of life’s difficult trials but you can be assured that you will get your chance. Too many, when they are hit by these trials, seek some sort of quick fix. When the Christian is hit by life’s trials, he or she seeks help from God but many times seeks instantaneous help only to find that it does not happen that way. But the Christian should learn that God is not someone that you can punch a few buttons and hit some sort of jackpot. Christians need to ask God for the most important thing: Wisdom. Getting wisdom is the thing that God will give you when you ask for it and it is an important tool in dealing with life’s trials.

What is Wisdom?

Wisdom is the ability to make the right decision and because of discernment. It can also be equated with common sense. If you have the trait of wisdom as a filter for making decision you have something that is very valuable. God placed wisdom as something so valuable that an entire book of the Bible was written on it: The Book of Proverbs. It is the one trait that God will give you if you ask:

James 1:5 – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Wisdom Gives you Discernment

I find that when I am faced with an impossible situation or I am trying to make a decision but not sure which way to go, wisdom helps me make a decision more quickly and be at more peace with it. Let’s put this in perspective a little.

For example, if I make a decision based on desperation, I end up not making the wisest choice but the first choice that comes along. This happens many times to those looking for someone to marry. They will choose the first person who comes along because of desperation instead of carefully analyzing if this person is right for you. Wisdom gives you the ability to discern what is right and wrong in choosing this person as a mate and to have thorough understanding of the potential consequences of your decision. Desperation does not produce this kind of discerning decision making.

So the next time you are faced with a difficult situation or decision, ask God to give you wisdom before anything else.

Suggested Reading:

The Leadership Wisdom of Jesus

Charles C Manz PH.D.. Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2005, Paperback, 190 pages, $4.77

God’s Wisdom For Your Every Need

Jack Countryman. Thomas Nelson 2009, Paperback, 272 pages, $1.96

As a Christian, attending church is more than likely very important to you. For many Christians, when they graduate from college and enter the work force, they may have to relocate to another city. After relocating, they will be faced with the challenge of finding a new church. But what should one look for when trying to find just the right church? Here are a few pointers.

Is Christ the Head of This Church?

You might reply, “Isn’t he the head of most churches?” The answer is, “You’d be surprised.” When you go into a new church and attend a few services, it will become apparent who is the head of it. The services (and in some cases the pastor) will exalt the pastor. Did I say, “Pastor exalts the pastor?” That’s what I said. It happens. Jesus Christ should be the one exalted in a church.

Is the Church Provided with Financial Reports?

Okay, I’m being a little direct here but you will find that there are basically two types of churches. There are churches where they truly care about people and are honest and open with them and there are churches were there seems to be hidden society operating within them along with an inner circle. The latter is usually the type of church where funds from member donations are not getting used properly and they usually never have a financial report disclosed to the general membership.

Does the Church help to improve its Community?

A good church should be a lighthouse to the community around it. That does not mean that the church tries to be like the community around it but it should be an organization that does things for others. There are churches that run donation programs to the local homeless shelter or provide assistance for families hit by disaster. Remember that we are supposed to be the salt of the earth as described in this scripture here:

Mathew 5:13 (KJV) – Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Does the Church help in a Christian’s Growth?

Too often you will find churches that are focused on getting in new converts and do little to help those new converts grow once they are in. Then, when the new converts quit attendance after a short time, they are quickly forgotten about and the church moves on to find more new coverts. This ought not to be. There should be programs in a church to help believers grow and become stronger Christians.

Your choice of a church is a very important decision. Take the time to evaluate everything.

Suggested Reading:

Finding a Church You Can Love and Loving the Church You’ve Found

Kevin G. Harney. Zondervan 2003, Paperback, 160 pages, $0.01

As it is said, the past is a canceled check, you can’t get it back yet so many of us, keep allowing it to keep us from our future. Why?

We are all afraid to unlock that little box that holds our family secrets and issues. All of us. For many years I pretended as if it didn’t exist. But finally I wanted liberation. I was so sick and tired of using my past as an excuse. If I had a nickel for every time I said, “But because of how I was raised, I do things this way.” I would be Oprah rich. The excuses, which are nothing more than the tools that incompetent, people use to keep them bound to the issues that they are defending got old. I realized that it was time to put on a pair of big girl panties and deal with my past.

After all, you cannot conquer what you refuse to confront. If you don’t deal with it, it lingers and festers. It starts to stink and when you have an odor, everyone knows. And usually, no one tells you so you just walk around thinking you are cute yet smelling a hot mess! And I don’t have to tell you, that is not cute or productive.

Bondage is not going to get you closer to the Incredible You. You have to free yourself.

We have all had things happen to us in the past. Big deal. It is over. You cannot change the past. In fact, the past is a canceled check. It is no longer worth anything of substance. Why allow it to keep you from getting to where you want to be? There is no good reason why.

It was years ago. Release it and trust that God will ease the pain in your heart. When you hold onto the issues of the past, you are the one who suffers. The one who wronged you is over it, if they are even aware that they hurt you at all. Let it go and walk into your future.

I love what II Timothy 2:21 says, If a man cleanses himself from the latter [the past], he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Need I say more?

Seriously though, when you get past what is behind you, you can be used for good things and be an example for others of the goodness of forward motion and thought can be. Dealing with my past brought me to a place of praise. It was my way of helping others to realize that there is a praise on the other side of your past. Life gets better when you let things go. In fact, life becomes Incredible! Your mind is clear and void of confusion and your heart is whole, absent of anger, contempt or defeat. When your mind is clear and your heart whole, Incredibleness is just around the corner and all you have to do is walk toward it.

When I think about the storms of my life, I get excited because they were all catalysts to my destiny! Had it not been for that betrayal, that abuse, that financial downfall, I would not be the Incredible person that I was born to be. I am able, by the grace of God to be excited about the things that I have been through. The trials and tribulations only made me stronger.

Think about Marvin Sapp’s Never Would Have Made it. He can only sing that song and you and I bob our heads and raise our hands in praise, if we let the past go. Think about it. If you are here and you are alive and healthy, you ought to be praising right now. You have already proved that you can make it through other life trials. So get excited that you will come out of the past stronger, wiser and better. So get excited and let it go.

I have decided to PRESS or to Persistently Run Expecting Supernatural Success. A woman in my church, Sheila, shared her testimony with us and said that she realized that in order to make it through, she had to PRESS and she created this amazing acronym. Sheila is amazing and through this acronym she will bless so many lives.

Pressing is moving forward regardless of what is coming your way. It is important that you press persistently. It means that you have decided that you will not give up. You will keep going no matter what comes your way. Running is about action versus standing still and letting this happen to you; running allows you to be proactive to change and stress. Standing still is the sign of completed work, where as running is about the realization that the work is not yet done but deciding that you will embrace the change and embrace it with a supernatural expectation.

Wow, if you are not empowered now, I don’t know what to tell you. Success will be yours when you decide to take action against the problems, trials and tribulations that come your way.

The Incredible You is just over the horizon from the past hurts, failures and strife that is already over. PRESS toward the future, PRESS toward the Incredible You. Don’t you want to meet the Incredible You?

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13,14

If You Understood My Past, You Would Understand My Praise

n/a (Illustrator). Incredible One Enterprises Publications 2008, Paperback, 238 pages, $12.39

One of the great things about being in a church among a group of believers is that many times there will be prayer groups that get together and pray for those they know in need, having a difficult time, or sick. If you are in a church that does not encourage prayer for those suffering you might want to seriously consider changing churches. But let’s just assume you are in a church with an organized prayer program. Typically what happens in these prayer meetings as they are called is a leader will have people share prayer requests and then everyone breaks off an prays. But did you know that if you are not careful, you could be actually be sharing gossip about someone in these meetings? We are told in the Bible not to gossip and not to be busybodies. Be careful how you present prayer requests because they could be gossip.

It’s Okay to Have an Unspoken Request

If making a prayer request would reveal too much embarrassing information about the subject of the prayer then present it to the group as an unspoken request.

Don’t Reveal Personal Information about a Subject

It’s okay to tell everyone that so and so is in the hospital after being in a serious automobile accident and they need prayer. It’s not okay to tell everyone that so-and-so is dealing with a drug or alcohol problem and needs prayer. You will destroy that person who is trying to overcome a bad habit for the better.

Don’t Talk About Your Kids’ Faults

Most every parent is going to have to deal with the rebellious child. It is a helpless feeling and naturally the Christian parent wants help for his or her child through prayer. But all too often we think because we are parents that we can air our dirty laundry about our kids with everyone. Don’t embarrass your children. It does not help to embarrass them.

The church should be a place known to care about people—not embarrass them so much that they never return. Everyone has problems and when you have problems you will certainly want the church to pray for you. But think about how you would feel if you confided in a Christian friend and this same friend gossips about your personal and private problems to everyone in the name of prayer. You wouldn’t like it much would you?