CARNIVAL Of COUNTERFEITS

".... The world is a carnival of counterfeits--counterfeit battles, counterfeit adventures, counterfeit beauties. Men should think of it as a corruption of their strength. Battle your way to the top, says the world, and you are a man. Why is it then that the men who get there are often the emptiest, most frightened, prideful posers around?....

The world offers a man a false sense of power and a false sense of security. Be brutally honest now--where does your own sense of power come from?....

If you want to know how the world really feels about you, just start living out of your true strength. Say what you think, stand up for the underdog, challenge foolish policies. They'll turn on you like sharks....

The world of posers is shaken by a real man. They'll do whatever it takes to get you back in line--threaten you, bribe you, seduce you, undermine you. They crucified Jesus. But it didn't work, did it? You must let your strength show up. Remember Christ in the Garden, the sheer force of his presence? Many of us have actually been afraid to let our strength show up because the world doesn't have a place for it. Fine. The world's screwed up. Let people feel the weight of who you are and let them deal with it."

(Excerpts from pp. 50-51 WILD AT HEART by John Eldredge, emphasis mine)
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To Purchase WILD AT HEART and other materials by John Eldredge, visit http://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=22

Money and God

Just like so many in our culture today, I was lured to take the bait of measuring my worth according to the size of my paycheck. I bought the popular notion that I could create my own wonderful life, a true paradise so to speak, if I just made enough money. Jumping full force into the success formula du jour and various new age notions became my method of operation to acquiring and holding onto money. To a large degree, I succeeded. The kids attended the best private schools, the wife wore baubles from Tiffany & Co., we built our dream house, and traveled first class to exotic destinations. I drove my dream cars and wore my multi-thousand dollar suits. Earnings topped $18,000.......... a week for quite some time. Life was good...but I wasn't. I was not truly happy. I was not fulfilled. I'd left my first love....subtly and over time.

You see, some 33 years ago I had a personal encounter with the Living God. That experience lead me to seek Him and make the choice to follow His plans for how to live my life. Along the way, I veered off the path. True enough, I was not a devout church attendee. I didn't much care for hanging out with the posers that I experienced in church (still don't). My life didn't resemble what was preached. I was sure that I did not want to be the kind of person I saw held up as the ideal Christian man.

Today, I am convinced that my True Father orchestrated things in my life to get me to return to Him. The Midas touch disappeared. My health failed. I came to a place where I could honestly take stock of what really matters. For me, I'd gotten the order all wrong. Money outranked God on my priority scale. That's not the relationship God nor I agreed on over 3 decades ago. I'm fortunate that He cares enough to come for me!

Don't get me wrong on this account. I strongly believe that God blesses His children financially. Abraham, Moses, Solomon, David, and Zaccheus were all very wealthy men and used as examples of the faithful! They also got the order right!

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Delight yourself in the Lord (not $$$ & luxuries); and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

True Father tells us in Proverbs 3:5-12 that our "barns will burst" and "wine vats will brim over" as we trust Him from the bottom of our hearts. We are commanded to "Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go." So, in this blog about WINNING, I would be remiss if I did not share what I've learned to be the ULTIMATE WINNING WAY and that is to follow God. Trust in the Lord. Run to Him.

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and I will restore your fortunes..."
Jeremiah 29:11-14a

Put God first and be restored.

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