The Persecuted

~ The Persecuted ~Blessed Are the Persecuted ~ by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," Persecution! The very word can generate vivid images of hiding in terror of pursuing, implacable foes; of being found and resolutely facing the excruciating pain of torture meant to cause renunciation of cherished beliefs; and finally—hopefully— following faithful resistance to every agonizing constraint to deny the faith, of death. Others imagine a courtroom scene where one endures a penetrating inquisition before ecclesiastical or civil authorities. Some think of the Roman Coliseum filled with people raucously cheering as hungry lions chase down defenseless Christians; of people lashed to a stake as piled wood is lighted beneath them; or of a person chained in a dark, dank jail with rats scurrying about his feet. Each of these images can be a dreadful, unwanted result of our faith in God, yet Jesus calls those persecuted for righteousness' sake "blessed." Such people will be greatly rewarded! This seems far removed from God's multitudinous promises of peace, prosperity and deliverance. Some think it an enigma or contradictory that a God of endless love and limitless power can even say such things, let alone seem to do nothing while His innocent and faithful children are undeservedly, cruelly and painfully harassed, tormented and mocked. As unjust as this seems on the surface, it is part of God's Word and His way of life. In no way does it invalidate His love or negate His purpose or care of His children. The Bible records so much persecution of His servants that, understood in the right context, we can see that it serves a vital role in the outworking of His purpose. Strong's Concordance reveals that "persecute" (Greek dioko) means "to pursue, follow after or press toward." Vine's Expository Dictionary adds "to put to flight or drive away." Only within certain contexts does it take on the sense of oppression, ill treatment, abuse, tyranny and even martyrdom and murder. Persecution is aggressive and injurious behavior carried out in a hostile, antagonistic spirit, normally by a group, but occasionally by one individual toward another. It is often carried out with fiery zeal, as Paul remarks about his persecution of the church (Philippians 3:6), but the persecuted must always remember that the fiery zeal bent against them is, according to Romans 10:2, "not according to knowledge." Thus Jesus, while dying on the stake, asks His Father to forgive His persecutors, "for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Source and Focus In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, persecution is so pervasive that it is presented as a more or less expected terror. Jesus, the epitome of righteousness, is also the focal point of persecution. As such, He clearly reveals persecution's source. In John 8 the Pharisees challenge Jesus' assertion of who He was, and the ensuing discussion leads to revealing its source. The Jews claim to be Abraham's descendants and never in bondage to any man (though at the time they were subject to the Romans). Their statement is partly true. Jesus readily acknowledges they are physically Abraham's descendants, but He adds in verse 40, "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this." He implies that, if they were truly Abraham's children, their conduct would display his characteristics, and they would not be persecuting Him. He continues: You do the deeds of your father. . . . You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (verses 41, 44) Satan the Devil is the source of persecution of those bearing and living the truth of God. At times he undoubtedly works through people whom he has duped and inflamed to unrelenting anger toward God's people so that the persecution appears to be entirely of men. But the Bible reveals the reality of Satan as the source. Revelation 12:3-5, 13-17 confirms this: And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with

To Hunger and Thirst

~ To Hunger and Thirst ~What Does It Mean To Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). "If you do right, you won't get hungry or thirsty," says Zach, age 6. Actually, to be spiritually thirsty is something different, says Anna, 10: "It means that people who want righteousness thirst for it like water." Have you ever been thirsty? From my elevated campsite in the Arizona desert, the Colorado River looked like an easy 30-minute trek. The dry ravine I followed was anything but straight and made the trip much longer. After my canteen ran dry, I began to be thirsty like never before. God will quench the thirst of those who desire him as a man walking in the desert with a dry canteen craves water. There's nothing casual about this kind of thirst. It's desperate. "I think it means when Jesus was at the well and told the lady about everlasting water," says Lauren, 8, "she took the water and was satisfied." The woman at the well with whom Jesus spoke had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband, yet Jesus spoke to her about being thirsty (John 4:14). "If we try to gain transcendence through indulgence, soon enough familiarity breeds contempt and we are driven to search for mystery elsewhere," write authors Brent Curtis and John Eldredge in an amazing book titled "The Sacred Romance." "To thirst after righteousness means wanting to live according to God's will instead of the world's," says Kristen, 10. "This is the only way to be happy and filled. If you thirst after righteousness, God will bless you. "You are what you desire to eat! There's a God-shaped hole in all of us that only God can fill." Yes, God is in the filling business. In fact, the word "fill" means to be satisfied in the sense of being stuffed after a sumptuous meal. If you're eating the junk food of the self- centered life, you'll never be satisfied. The hungry and thirsty are the desperate of the previous Beatitudes (the poor in spirit, the mournful and the meek). "It means if you thirst after righteousness, you want to live a godly life," says Morgan, 10. "It also means you would act like God would want you to live." "There is only One Being who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ," wrote author Oswald Chambers. God doesn't ask us to deny our burning desire for intimacy, beauty and adventure. Religion does that. Jesus invites us to intimate communion with himself and his Father that satisfies the deepest longings of our souls. Jesus upset the religious system of his day by awakening the desires of people's hearts. Consider his statement: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9). It's whom you ask, where you seek and what door you knock on that makes all the difference. A journey into God himself makes every other adventure look dull. "Those who thirst after righteousness will be filled with it," says Nick, 10. "They will be blessed with love from God." Think about this: God will satisfy your deepest desires if you look to him for fulfillment. Memorize this truth: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Ask this question: Where are you looking to satisfy your deepest desires and longings?

The Beatitudes

~ The Beatitudes ~ Question: "What are the beatitudes?" Answer: The Beatitudes are the eight declarations of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5:3-12), each beginning with "Blessed are..." It is debated as to exactly how many beatitudes there are. Some speak of seven, nine, or ten beatitudes, but the number appears to be eight (verses 10-12 of Matthew 5 being one beatitude). The Greek word translated “blessed” means "spiritual well-being and prosperity." This refers to the deep joy of the soul. Those who experience the first aspect of a beatitude (poor, mourn, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will also experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of Heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of Heaven). The blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God, experiencing a foretaste of heaven. Another possible rendering of each beatitude is an exclamation of: "O the bliss [or blessedness] of..." The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both present and future. The person whom Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside the kingdom." As a literary form, the beatitude is also found often in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms (1:1; 34:8; 65:4; 128:1) and in the New Testament as well ( John 20:29; 14:22; James 1:12; Revelation 14:13).

The Merciful

~ The Merciful ~ Question: "What does ‘blessed are the merciful’ mean?" Answer: Jesus opens His Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, a series of statements describing the blessed life. The fifth Beatitude states, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” ( Matthew 5:7). First, the word translated “blessed” is one that has the general meaning of “happy” or “joyful.” It is a spiritual blessedness, a divine satisfaction that comes from a right relationship with God. To be merciful is to show forgiveness and compassion to those in need. Jesus frequently spoke of this trait. In the Lord’s Prayer, He says, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” ( Matthew 6:12). In Matthew 9:13 Jesus instructs the Pharisees, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” We are blessed if we are merciful because mercy is something God Himself displays. God’s mercy is the withholding of a just punishment. Deuteronomy 30:3 says, “The LORD your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you” (NLT). The psalmist writes, “Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy” ( Psalm 28:6). Jesus Himself often showed mercy, as we see in His healing of the man freed from demons: “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” ( Mark 5:19). We have received God’s mercy. Romans 11:30 notes, “You who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy.” Paul shared that his ministry was given to him by God’s mercy ( 2 Corinthians 4:1). He also saw his salvation as an act of God’s mercy: “I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief” ( 1 Timothy 1:13). Our salvation is also called an act of God’s mercy: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” ( Titus 3:5). As Peter expressed it, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” ( 1 Peter 1:3). God’s children reflect His mercy and are therefore merciful themselves. The merciful in this world are blessed in the sense that they know God’s joy. The person who is merciful will be eternally happy because he knows God’s mercy.

To Mourn

~ To Mourn ~ Question: "What does ‘blessed are those who mourn’ mean?" Answer: Matthew 5 records the part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes. Verse 4 says, "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." It is important to remember that this portion of Jesus’ teaching was directed toward His closest friends, not the general population (verse 2). We cannot pull one or two verses from the whole and build a theology around them. This sermon was a collection of truths designed to prepare His followers for His kingdom, which involved a lifestyle radically different from the world’s. In the Bible, blessed usually means "happy." But in the context of Matthew 5, blessed most likely indicates "an enviable state." When a person has acquired good fortune, we call him “blessed.” In the Beatitudes, Jesus calls some people “blessed” who appear to be quite the opposite. People who “mourn” don’t seem to be “blessed,” according to most other people. Jesus is contrasting the world’s idea of happiness with true blessedness—spiritual prosperity— which comes from a right relationship with God. The term mourn means “to experience deep grief.” In keeping with His theme of spiritual blessedness, Jesus seems to indicate that this mourning is due to grief over sin. The people who agree with God about the evil of their own hearts can attain an "enviable state of blessedness," due to the comfort they receive from communion with the Holy Spirit. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter ( John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 2 Corinthians 1:4). The Spirit comforts those who are honest about their own sin and humble enough to ask for forgiveness and healing. Those who hide their sin or try to justify it before God can never know the comfort that comes from a pure heart, as Jesus talks about in Matthew 5:8 (cf. Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 57:15). In the Beatitudes, Jesus reminds His disciples that they cannot seek happiness the way the world does. True joy is not found in selfish ambition, excuses, or self-justification. An enviable state of blessedness comes to those who mourn over their own sin. "These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word" ( Isaiah 66:2). When we agree with God about how bad our sin is, repent of it, and seek His power to walk away from it, Jesus promises comfort from the Holy Spirit. The kind of "mourning" that leads to repentance is truly blessed ( 2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance results in forgiveness and cleansing from God ( Psalm 30:5). When we have trusted in Jesus as our personal substitute for sin, we no longer stand condemned ( Romans 8:1). Rather than wallow in guilt and shame, we realize that we stand justified before God ( 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:24). Those who learn to mourn over their own sin find the heart of God. And intimate fellowship with God is the very foundation of true happiness.

The Meek

~ The Meek ~ Question: "What does ‘blessed are the meek’ mean?" Answer: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus opens with a series of statements known as the Beatitudes. The third Beatitude is “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” ( Matthew 5:5). Jesus’ words echo Psalm 37:11, which says, “The meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.” What does it mean that the meek are “blessed”? First, we must understand what it means to be blessed. The Greek word translated “blessed” in this verse can also be translated “happy.” The idea is that a person will have joy if he or she is meek. The blessedness is from God’s perspective, not our own. It is a spiritual prosperity, not necessarily an earthly happiness. Also, we must understand what “meek” means. The Greek word translated “meek” is praeis and refers to mildness, gentleness of spirit, or humility. Other forms of this Greek word are used elsewhere in the New Testament, including James 1:21 and James 3:13. Meekness is humility toward God and toward others. It is having the right or the power to do something but refraining for the benefit of someone else. Paul urged meekness when he told us “to live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” ( Ephesians 4:1–2). Meekness models the humility of Jesus Christ. As Philippians 2:6–8 says, “[Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death —even death on a cross!” Being “in the very nature God,” Jesus had the right to do whatever He wanted, but, for our sake, He submitted to “death on a cross.” That is the ultimate in meekness. Meekness was also demonstrated by godly leaders in the Old Testament. Numbers 12:3 says that Moses “was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (ESV). Believers are called to share the gospel message in gentleness and meekness. First Peter 3:15 instructs, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” The KJV translates the word for “gentleness” here as “meekness.” Someone who knows Christ as personal Savior will be growing in meekness. It may seem counterintuitive, but Jesus’ promise stands—a meek person will be happy or blessed. Living in humility and being willing to forego one’s rights for the benefit of someone else models the attitude of Jesus Christ. Meekness also helps us to more effectively share the gospel message with others. Striving for power and prestige is not the path to blessedness. Meekness is.

The PeaceMakers

~ The PeaceMakers ~ Question: "What does ‘blessed are the peacemakers’ mean?" Answer: Matthew 5:9 is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in which He says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." The Greek word translated "peacemaker" is used in only one other place in the New Testament, in a slightly different form. Colossians 1:20 says, "For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross." Jesus laid down His life to make peace between God and sinners, and when we can carry that message of peace to others, we are peacemakers. God delights in those who reconcile others to Himself—those who bring the gospel are “beautiful” (Isaiah 52:7). God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” ( 2 Corinthians 5:18). Those who bring reconciliation to broken relationships are carrying on the work of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Those who give of themselves as Jesus did in order that others may know God are called "blessed." There is no real peace apart from a relationship with God ( Romans 5:1). What may masquerade as worldly peace is merely a temporary lull in chaos ( John 14:27). True peace is found only in a restored relationship with God. “‘There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘for the wicked’” ( Isaiah 48:22). Only children of God can bring the peace of knowing God to others. A person must have a real relationship with God before he or she can help someone else know God. Those who witness for Christ, share their faith with their friends, and serve others in the name of Christ are the ambassadors for peace this verse identifies (see also Matthew 10:41-42). Those who bring the wonderful message of God's peace to the world are "peacemakers," and Jesus calls them the "children of God."

The Poor In Spirit

~ The Poor In Spirit ~ Question: "What does it mean to be poor in spirit?" Answer: In the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” ( Matthew 5:3). What exactly does it mean to be poor in spirit, and why does being poor in spirit result in the kingdom of heaven? Why is “poor in spirit” something God wants us to be? Why would God want us to be “poor” at anything? Some propose that Jesus is speaking of financial poverty, that He is advocating being poor so that riches and possession don’t come between us and God. While it is true that Jesus elsewhere warned against seeking riches ( Matthew 6:24), that does not seem to be Jesus’ point in Matthew 5:3. Jesus is speaking of being “poor in spirit”; i.e., being “spiritually poor.” In the beatitudes, Jesus is concerned with spiritual realities, not material possessions. What, then, does it mean to be spiritually poor? To be poor in spirit is to recognize your utter spiritual bankruptcy before God. It is understanding that you have absolutely nothing of worth to offer God. Being poor in spirit is admitting that, because of your sin, you are completely destitute spiritually and can do nothing to deliver yourself from your dire situation. Jesus is saying that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty before you can come to God in faith to receive the salvation He offers. Why and how does being poor in spirit result in the kingdom of heaven? While the phrase can be broad in meaning, “kingdom of heaven” essentially refers to salvation. The kingdom of heaven is both eternity in heaven with God after death (Romans 6:23) and the eternal quality of life with God before death ( John 10:10). God offers us salvation as a gift, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, the full payment for sin’s penalty. Before we can receive this gift, we must understand that we cannot make ourselves worthy of it. Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We must recognize our sinfulness before we can understand our need for a Savior. We must admit our spiritual poverty before we can receive the spiritual riches God offers ( Ephesians 1:3). We must, in short, be “poor in spirit.” When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” He is declaring that, before we can enter God’s kingdom, we must recognize the utter worthlessness of our own spiritual currency and the inability of our own works to save us.

The Pure In Heart

~ The Pure In Heart “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Jesus spoke this during His famous Sermon the Mount. So what did He mean by “pure in heart?” The Greek word for “pure” in Matthew 5:8 is katharos. It means to be “clean, blameless, unstained from guilt.” Interestingly, the word can refer specifically to that which is purified by fire or by pruning. John the Baptist told people that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire ( Matthew 3:11). Malachi speaks of the Messiah as being like a “refiner’s fire” ( Malachi 3:2). Jesus refers to believers as being the branches and to Himself as being the vine ( John 15:1-17). For a vine to produce fruit, it must be pruned. Those who are truly “pure,” then, are those who have been declared innocent because of the work of Jesus and who are being sanctified by His refining fire and His pruning. The Greek word for “heart” in Matthew 5:8 is kardeeah. This can be applied to the physical heart. But it also refers to the spiritual center of life. It is where thoughts, desires, sense of purpose, will, understanding, and character reside. So, to be pure in heart means to be blameless in who we actually are. Being pure in heart involves having a singleness of heart toward God. A pure heart has no hypocrisy, no guile, no hidden motives. The pure heart is marked by transparency and an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. It is more than an external purity of behavior; it is an internal purity of soul. The only way we can be truly pure in heart is to give our lives to Jesus and ask Him to do the cleansing work. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” God is the one who makes our hearts pure – by the sacrifice of His Son and through His sanctifying work in our lives (see also 1 John 3:1-3).

The Power of Sweet mothers

~Power Of Sweet Mothers ~She watches over her Household, Her Childern rise up and call her blessed, her husband also and he praises her,many daughter have done well, but you excel them all Proverb31:27-29 KJV #SweetMothers are Treasures #sweetMother who can compare? #Sweetmothers Are fullofGrace #Sweetmothers Are Prayerwarriors #Sweetmother Are GoodTeachers #sweetmother Are Healers #Sweetmother Are Pillars of Destiny #Sweetmothers are future of Nations #Godbless All Mothers #ILoveYouAll Happy Mothers Day

5 Steps to Move Forward

~ 5 Steps to Move Forward with Your Goals ~According to Lauren Mackler Feeling stuck or unable to accomplish your goals? Change can be difficult, and many people lose motivation to achieve their goals. When you slip up, just think of it as course-correcting. Welcome the challenge— it means that you’re taking charge of your life! Don’t judge yourself. Instead, treat yourself with compassion, and determine what’s needed to get back on course. Below are some pitfalls people encounter and practical strategies to overcome them. 1. Prioritize and focus. If you feel overwhelmed, you may be trying to achieve too much at once. Step back and look at your goals. If you’re doing too much, it’s time to re-prioritize. Maybe you need to work on two goals instead of three. Or maybe one of your goals requires a lot of steps, so it’s taking up all your energy. Identify the goals that are most important to you. If you need to, just focus on one goal at a time and don’t move on to the next one until the first one is complete. 2. Encourage yourself. People become discouraged when they listen to their “inner critic”—the voice that says: “You’ll never make it.” “It’s hopeless.” “This is too hard.” Whatever that voice is saying, articulate a response, drawing from the part of you that feels strong and confident. Be your own cheerleader. Review your accomplishments; remind yourself of what you’re capable of doing and being. Instead of focusing on the old voice that drags you down, actively support and listen to the part that believes you can achieve what you want. 3. Solicit support from others. You’re more likely to slip up when you’re trying to accomplish your goals by yourself. It may be that you don’t have an outer support system in place to help you maintain focus and provide the external encouragement everyone needs. Outer supports might include a trusted friend, a coach or therapist, or a support group. Avoid situations that trigger sabotaging patterns. For example, if you eat junk food when you’re feeling lonely, scheduling activities with others will help you bypass the old trigger and remain on-course. 4. Practice good self-care. Taking good care of yourself is key to achieving your goals. A lack of energy typically relates to a failure to sustain your inner support system, which provides the physical, emotional, and mental energy needed to achieve your goals. If you’re eating poorly, neglecting your health, or living a high-stress lifestyle, you’re depleting your inner resources. That will make it difficult to maintain the energy you need to participate fully and actively in your life. 5. Love and respect yourself. If you don’t have a loving relationship with yourself, it’s hard to sustain the motivation to take action and make good choices for yourself. Loving yourself compels you to make lifestyle choices that make you feel good and generate the results you want. If you feel unmotivated, revisit your relationship with yourself and make a conscious effort to treat yourself with respect, love, and compassion—just like you would treat a close and cherished friend ~ Stay motivated

Love and the Power of Love

Love AndThe Power Of Truth Pursue Love ,1Corinth14:1 NKJV * True Love goals with truth * Must I tell lies to prove my love? * Why tell lies in the name of love? * Most People Prefer and like to listen to sweet words, even when it is box of lies * Beware of sweet words * Truth In Love Is Not Always Sweet, but Lies is always sweet and milky * Truth In Love Is Firm And Unshaken but lies do! * Truth In Love Is Not Afraid of questions and investigation; but lies do! * Let People EarnTrust And Love, never give away your Love trust as gifts,Especially in Relationships! * Godbless you * ILoveYou *MahalKita *GodLovesYou *MahalKaNgDiyos

Ways to be Productive

~ 4 Simple Ways to Become More Productive ~ According to Osman H. Abraham Becoming productive is the first step to becoming successful. So if you truly desire success you have to begin by working on becoming a more productive person. These are the 4 methods to productivity which I found really helpful and hopefully they will help you too. 1. DON’T Multitask Multitasking is the absolute slaughterer of productivity. People think that if they can do 2 or 3 things at one time they are actually doing things faster. WRONG. Productivity is the amount of output per unit of input. So normally when you are focused on one task it’s pretty straightforward one unit in equals one unit out. But when you multitask it’s like putting 1 unit in and dividing the output by how many tasks you’re doing and giving that output to only one task. So in the end you don’t just build mental pressure but you end up getting no work done. 2. Sleep is King Sleep is the most important function of life and it plays a key role in whatever we do. So if you are able to master your sleep, you can master your life. Try to sleep early and wake up even earlier. Also try to find that optimum amount of rest, where you don’t just experience quantity but quality of sleep. Another bonus of adjusting your sleep cycle is that you can easily add 3 to 4 hours to your day; this automatically makes you more productive as you can do more things. 3. One Chunk at a Time People feel that if they set big goals they will get more done. The actual reality is, they are just wasting their time. Big goals only make you feel burdened and stressed. They dont help you get more things done and rather in reverse actually decease your productivity. This is why should always try to break your large projects or goals into smaller manageable chunks. These small chunks allow you to focus on one part of the large goal at a time and structurally get the job done. This also makes the large goal look less intimidating and makes the process almost stress free 4. Stay Focused 10 minutes of concentrated studying is a billion times better than 5 hours of unfocused studying. So whenever you do work, simply make a commitment and stay focused. Put your head down and just nuke it out. This is the method which works for me.

Time Management Tips

~ How To Organize Your Day For Success ~According to Lianne Martha, Maiquez Lroya Successful people are known to be great at practicing tips on time management. Chances are, if you want to be an extremely successful professional at your chosen field, you should also learn how to organize your day effectively. So now, you’re excited. You’re pumped. You can’t wait to get started and organize your day right away. There’s a tiny problem, though: Where should you start? With all the tips, techniques, and tricks scattered all over the Internet, which tips are really going to be effective and convenient for you to adapt? With all the stress and the expectations during your day, how can you even get started? The first thing that you should take note of is the definition of time. Simply put, time is an idea that’s relative, depending on how you define it. You may think that one hour spent on writing an article is a luxury, while other writers believe that you would need to spend at least two hours to do so. You may think that fifteen minutes spent on brainstorming your ideas is already enough, while some entrepreneurs even spend three days just to brainstorm. Also, you may believe that spending time with your loved ones should be done everyday, while some people simply think it’s a waste of time! You see, time is subjective. Your concept of time is different from other people’s idea of it. Therefore, everything that you read and learn about time management is irrelevant if you don’t believe that time needs to be managed. If you think that your time is worthless, if you’d rather watch TV all day than work on your personal growth, or if you’d rather spend all day in bed sleeping instead of trying to make a change in your life, organizing your day for success is not the answer. Focus on being inspired and pursuing your passion first. If you think that your time is valuable, on the other hand, here are five tips to help you organize it successfully: 1. Plan your day the night before. Before going to sleep, make sure that you’re going to start your day with a purpose. Whip up a journal or a planner and put your action plans for the next day in there. To give you a guideline, you should have at least four plans for everyday: one should be work-related, one should be for a personal activity like an errand, and two should be for accomplishing your life dreams. 2. Schedule for interruptions. Get frustration out of the picture by setting up time allowances in your plan. If you say that you’re going to write an article from 08:00 to 08:45 and then you’re going to write a blog post from 08:46 to 09:30, you’re just setting yourself up for trouble! Expect that not everything will go as planned. You will only be able to organize your day successfully if you plan for interruptions. 3. Start your day with accomplishing something big. When eating a meal, you start eating the food that you don’t like first so that you can focus on enjoying the rest of the meal, right? The same goes for your day. If you have a big thing that you need to accomplish, do it first. This way, even if you don’t accomplish anything else, you can still say that you did something productive at least. 4. Use a time-tracking application to help you stay on track. Of course you can still check on Facebook and Twitter — you just need to plan for it and track your time doing these activities so that you won’t get distracted. Toggl, SlimTimer, and RescueTime are nice tools to help you get started. 5. Accept the fact that you’re not going to be able to do it all in one day. You’re not Superman (or are you…?) so you can’t do everything in one day. Instead of working on a big project in one day and cramming it, arrange milestones instead. Don’t get frustrated if you weren’t able to finish everything you’ve planned. Remember, you still have next time. We hope that by that time, you’ll be wise enough to practice what you’ve read in this article and organize your day right.

Spirituality and Truth

~ SPIRITUALITY AND TRUTH  According to Don Whitney When it comes to spirituality, you do what you do because you believe what you believe. Regardless of the importance you consciously place upon it, theology drives and determines your spirituality. For example, you pray the way you do because of your theology. And there are certain ways you do not pray, more because of theology than tradition. Recognize, therefore, the connection between good theology and good spirituality. Don’t turn to people as models and teachers of spirituality if you could not also turn to them as mentors of theology and doctrine. For their spirituality is also connected to their theology. It’s very easy to be impressed by someone’s piety and think, “Surely anyone who is so pious, so devoted, and so committed to prayer, couldn’t be very wrong in his theology.” But I have seen more than one person come to reject biblical theology—even regarding the doctrine of salvation—after they became impressed with the spirituality of a particular writer or speaker who eventually led them astray. As Jesus said, “Take heed what you hear” (Mark 4:24). So, • If anyone makes experience authoritative over the revelation of God in Scripture—turn away from him. • If anyone adds another book or experience to the Bible, making it equal in authority to God’s Word— refuse to believe him. • If anyone teaches that God can be experienced directly, that is, without the mediation of Jesus Christ and the Bible—don’t listen to him. • If anyone says that there are many paths to God and that Jesus isn’t the only way to Heaven—avoid him. Each of us needs both sound theology and passionate spirituality, because theology is the fuel for spirituality’s fire. Theology provides the discernment to protect us from unbiblical or unhealthy spiritual practices (such as regularly seeking to experience God without the guidance or influence of Scripture). Theology can protect us from fads in spirituality. How do you pursue theology? Read and meditate on Scripture. Listen to biblical preaching and avail yourself of the opportunities for Christian education at your church. Read Christian books that teach, not just those that entertain. These include not only books about doctrine, but also biographies of those who were, like Apollos, “mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24). Theology is God’s truth. Don’t try to grow your soul or simplify your spiritual life without it. Taken from Simplify Your Spiritual Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2003), pages 59-60.