Hangtough.com (Encouraging Christian Writings, Quotes And Poems by Max Lucado, T.D. Jakes, & More)

FAMILIAR FALSEHOODS

by Max Lucado WEBSITE

Several years ago, we were having Sunday lunch at the home of a fellow missionary family. It was after the meal, when our friends daughter, Beth Ann rushed in with a look of panic on her face. "Jenna (my two year old daughter) is in the pool!"

Paul was the first to arrive at the poolside. He went straight into the water. Denalyn was next to arrive. By the time I arrived, Paul had lifted her up out of the water to the extended hands of her mother. Jenna was simultaneously choking, crying, and coughing. She vomited a bellyful of water. I held her as she cried. Denalyn began to weep. I began to sweat.

For the rest of the day I couldn't hold her enough, nor could we thank little Beth Ann enough (we took her out for ice cream). I still can't thank God enough.

The stool was kicked out from under my feet and the rope jerked around my neck just long enough to remind me of what really matters. It was a divine slap, a gracious knock on the head, a severe mercy. Because of it I came face to face with one of the underground's slyest agents-the agent of familiarity.

He'd been on my trail for years and I never knew it. But I know it now. His goal is nothing less than to take what is most precious to us and make it appear most common.

To say that this agent of familiarity breeds contempt is to let him off easy. Contempt is just one of his offspring. He also sires broken hearts, wasted hours, and an insatiable desire for more. He's an expert in robbing the sparkle and replacing it with the drab. He invented the yawn and put the hum in the humdrum. And his strategy is deceptive.

He won't steal your salvation; he'll just make you forget what it was like to be lost. You'll grow accustomed to prayer and thereby not pray. Worship will become commonplace and study optional. With the passing of time he'll infiltrate your heart with boredom and cover the cross with dust so you'll be "safely" out of reach of change. Score one for the agent of familiarity.

Nor will he steal your home from you; he'll do something far worse. He'll paint it with a familiar coat of drabness.

He'll replace evening gowns with bathrobes, nights on the town with evenings in the recliner, and romance with routine. He'll scatter the dust of yesterday over the wedding pictures in the hallway until they become a memory of another couple in another time.

He won't take your children, he'll just make you too busy to notice them. His whispers to procrastinate are seductive. There is always next summer to coach the team, next month to go to the lake, and next week to teach Johnny how to pray. He'll make you forget that the faces around your table will soon be at tables of their own. Hence, books will go unread, games will go unplayed, hearts will go unnurtured, and opportunities will go ignored. All because the poison of the ordinary has deadened your senses to the magic of the moment.

Before you know it, the little face that brought tears to your eyes in the delivery room has become-perish the thought-common. A common kid sitting in the back seat of your van as you whiz down the fast lane of life. Unless something changes, unless someone wakes you up, that common kid will become a common stranger.

On a shelf above my desk is a picture of two little girls. They're holding hands and standing in front of a swimming pool, the same pool from which the younger of the two had been pulled only minutes before. I put the picture where I would see it daily so I would remember what God doesn't want me to forget.

from God Came Near
- Copyright 1987 Max Lucado



Absurdity In The Flesh

by Max Lucado
He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!

This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.

Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

Those who missed His Majesty's arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren't looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?

© Is Circled

The reason there is a circle, around the letter ©,
Is because there isn't one single copy, of another you or me

The circle represents God's love, and His Son He sent to save
He cared enough to let ©hrist die, for our sins in full He paid

And ©hrist remains inside the circle, God's right to claim us all
His desire that all will enter the circle, to follow His Father's call

We see the © everywhere we go, in books and magazines
So few know why the © is circled, and what it really means

It means ©hrist is in everything, He knows our every need
Our prayers go not unnoticed, as He hears each earnest plea

The reason there is and will remain, a circle around the ©
It shows the world how great ©hrist is, to work through you and me...

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The Label Gun

by Max Lucado
Labels. A fellow gave me one the other day. We got into a lively discussion about some ethical issues. Somewhere in our conversation he asked me what kind of work I was in. I told him I was a minister and he said, "Oh, I see," and grew silent.

I wanted to say, "No, you don't. Don't you put me in that box. I'm not a minister. I am Max-who-ministers. Don't you put me in that box with all those hucksters and hypocrites you may know. That's not fair." Labels. So convenient. Stick them on a person, and you know what pantry to use.

What if God did that with us? What if God judged us by our outward appearance? What if he judged us based on where we grew up? Or what we do for a living? Or the mistakes we made when we were young? He wouldn't do that, would he?

"Don't judge other people, or you will be judged. You will be judged in the same way you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you"

Be careful when you judge. That doesn't mean we shouldn't discern. That does mean we shouldn't pass the verdict. The amount of grace you give is the amount you get.

Jesus had another view of the man born blind. Rather than see him as an opportunity for discussion, he saw him as an opportunity for God. Why was he blind? "So God's power could be shown in him" (John 9:3). What a perspective! The man wasn't a victim of fate; he was a miracle waiting to happen. Jesus didn't label him. He helped him. Jesus was more concerned about the future than the past.

Who do you best relate to in this story? Some of you relate to the man born blind. You have been the topic of conversation. You have been left on the outside looking in. You've been labeled.

If so, learn what this man learned: When everyone else rejects you, Christ accepts you. When everyone else leaves you, Christ finds you. When no one else wants you, Christ claims you. When no one else will give you the time of day, Jesus will give you the words of eternity.

Others of you will relate to the observers. You've judged. You've labeled. You've slammed the gavel and proclaimed the guilt before knowing the facts. If that is you, go back to John 9:4 and understand what the work of God is: "While it is daytime we must continue doing the work of the One who sent me."

What is the work of God? Accepting people. Loving before judging. Caring before condemning.
Look before you label.

Paid In Full

The crowd hollered for Christ’s crucifixion for there was hell to pay. Jesus was jeered for breaking the law of legalists. Determined that justice would be served, the largest jury ever assembled gathered in Golgotha. Laughing soldiers and law-loving hypocrites cast lots for Christ’s clothing. The jury waited and watched while Jesus hanged on Calvary’s cross. Surely the law-loving masses would get God’s blessing for hanging a mere mortal. “Look at us, Lord? We know the truth and we know You’re glad we caught his lies!” they shouted.

As the crowd’s shouting neared its crescendo, all of Heaven went silent. Not silent in sadness. Hardly. Heavenly silence in awe of their Master’s merciful plan. Three days passed, Christ ascended, heaven rejoiced, and as for the crowd? They got no less than what they had asked for – God’s greatest Blessing. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the world’s Savior. The world couldn’t wait for the Messiah. But the Messiah who God sent looked like a common man. They loved Him for what He did, not for Who He was. Sound familiar? The Truth was simply too good to be true. Dead Lazarus lived again because of the Truth. Lame men jumped for joy because of the Truth. But the law that Moses gave was too hard to keep, yet had become too familiar to let go of in light of grace and truth. The mere mortal they jeered was, in fact, the Messiah that they would soon cheer. Cheering for Christ!

Start cheering!

B.G. Jett © 2004-5

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Why Worry?

by Bishop T.D. Jakes WEBSITE
You've been on my mind and heart. I see you struggling and planning, worrying and sweating, crying and running, at a furious pace. You're trying to move that mountain by yourself again, huh?

God asks that we cast all our cares on Him because he cares. Think about what your worrying says to God when you refuse to give things over to Him. When you worry about money, you're telling Him that He is unable to provide for His children . . . although He has riches beyond belief in heaven. He is too stingy to share them with you. When you worry that no one understands you, you're telling him that although He has been with you since before you were formed in the womb and has carved you into the palm of His hand, He doesn't know you. When you worry that you will not have enough food, you're telling Him that although He rained down bread from Heaven in the desert to feed His children, you are the one He's forgotten. When you worry that your enemies will have victory over you, you're telling God that although He has given you spiritual battle gear to defend yourself, that despite His track record of being a giant slayer, Red Sea divider, lion mouth closer and a furnace cooler, He can't handle your co-worker, your neighbor, or former friend.

When you worry that your children have decided to follow the world instead of your example, you're telling God that He doesn't keep his promises; that despite the fact that you have raised them up in the way they should go, they'll stray because basically He lied. When you worry because the doctors told you that children are impossible, that a cure is impossible, that healing is impossible, you're telling him that this world controls your fate. You're saying that prayer time with Him is merely something to pass the time. You're saying that although He can raise the dead, make a virgin conceive, open the womb of a woman well past eighty, heal a twelve year issue of blood, make the blind see and the lame walk, He can't help you.

When you worry that you won't be able to do enough to earn forgiveness, you're telling Him "that’s ok Lord, no need for Your Son to die, I can earn my own forgiveness." Let’s just act like Jesus never died, and tell Him never mind, that he doesn't need to go to the cross.

When you worry that no one will love you and that you'll be lonely for the rest of your life, you're telling Him that His love is insufficient, that He couldn't possibly love you enough to ward away loneliness. You're saying that although He has promised life more abundantly, He was lying despite the fact that He started off saying that it is not good that we be alone; He's changed His mind?

When you worry and refuse to give the problem over to Him, you're telling Him that although He could create the world, He can't handle what's happening in yours, so you will. You are saying that He won't work things out, that obstacles cannot be overcome, that mountains can't be climbed, that healing cannot occur, that what is lost will not be found, that joy does not come in the morning, that He is not the God of a second chance, that the promised land has been swallowed up by the desert along with His love and found to fall short of your needs.

Think about what you're saying to the One who loves you the most and Who has all the power, really think about it. Then open your hands and release what you've been holding onto. Bow down on your knees and ask Him to forgive you for doubting Him. Walk away with a peaceful heart and note the footsteps that go before you to make the crooked places straight, a way in the wilderness, and water springing forth in the desert.

Stand in a stream with waters around your ankles, the waters that pass by you at that moment, you will never see again, so it is with the misery that has challenged your life . . . let it go, let it pass away.

Quite an honor? No doubt. Quite humbling? I’m certain! I’m speaking of serving in the United States military. If you’ve served your country, buckle up and please bear with me. If you haven’t, I hope to paint a picture with prose so you’ll know. So you’ll know what? Who, what, when, where, and how? Perhaps, even why? These are just a few of the questions new recruits become painfully familiar with during the first few days of military customs and courtesies. I was at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The year was 1985 and the occasion was Basic Training and I signed up to get my goals properly geared. The first day you get all the required clothing and accoutrements, including a Garrison cap, for your six week stay in an environment tantamount to the Hilton Suites. Hardly, but you’ve got to laugh or you’ll cry. Speaking of which, I started my counseling career on that first memorable night in the barracks. A fair skinned fellow from Wisconsin got the bunk beside me. He was newly married and had pictures of his wife in his hands. “You okay? I asked. “Dude, I’m already homesick,” he replied with tears tickling his eyelashes. Pretty stupid question I suppose, but I felt nudged to ask.

If you’ve ever seen a lost child in a shopping mall, you’ve seen the fawning fear of a Basic Trainee. “My God,” the recalcitrant recruit with his hair just lopped off laments – to himself of course. “What was I thinking?” he’ll continue as his panicky palms slowly move over his porky pined noggin. What a sight but no hair to be held or behold! Drill Sergeants with personalities of armpits, giving you a glare similar to a rock with eyelids, and being up before the remotest inkling of the break of dawn can beat you down after a bit. But understand, that has been and will continue to be the intent of military Basic Training. In your face you see reddened faces, veins bulging about the neck and shoulders, and big brimmed hats butting your frightened forehead. Even now, I can faintly hear beloved Drill Sergeants and their syrupy sweet voices echoing in my mind. And I can hear one of them whimsically whispering to me even now. “Get moving moron! You’ve got the I.Q. of an earthworm and you don’t move much faster! You like it here don’t ya boy?”

“Sure thing sir!” I enthusiastically exclaim. Sweet mammy of misguided remarks! My word selection flat didn’t sit well with the Sergeant and I didn’t either for quite some time.

“Drop and give me 40 you Kentucky-fried clown!” he shouted.

Forlornly, I somehow knew he wasn’t finished. He continued his wrath because of that wicked word - Sir! How was I to know? I can only imagine what would have transpired if I had inadvertently let, “Ma’am” slip out! But in retrospect, the lesson the Sergeant was teaching me was one of humility. In the military, you just don’t call an enlisted soldier “Sir.”

Jesus wanted his disciples to be conscious of the same principle. When the Utmost High refers to Himself in what we often consider lowly language, we get a chance to look at ourselves differently. Jesus, a humble and gentle servant. Humble? Gentle? And what was that? A servant? Such a description goes against what we think deity should be all about. Servants give and masters take, right? Interestingly, Jesus Christ performed both the servant and master roles beautifully. Jesus asked John the Baptist to baptize Him – not the other way around! (Matthew 3:14)

Lesson One. Being humble never hurt anyone, even Jesus. Pride can be a painful pitfall and Jesus wants to order our steps if we’ll let Him. A lesson Christ lived out and we ought to follow His path. Despite what the world says, it leads to true prosperity.

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." –Matthew 11:28-30

“Sir? Do I look like an officer to you? Why you beach ball bald headed half-wit!” the Drill Sergeant screams. Mean thing to say much less shout, isn’t it? As I said before, that’s the intent. To beat you down and then slowly, oh so slowly, begin to bring you back up.

Hard bunks and horrific rations but you’re thankful, remarkably content, and you’re keeping your mouth shut. Knowing who to report, what you will do, when you will be there, where you shall be, and how to do it provides a sense of peace. Funny how it worked during Basic Training. If only I’d had something to provide such guidance when I was a hoodlum in High School. Well, I did and so did you perhaps. I hope you used yours and applied the truth in it – your Bible, the Word of God.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”1 Peter 4:12,13

Perhaps I wouldn’t have needed the discipline I was aware I truly wanted. Like most of us, when I was a teen, I knew I needed the truth and even owned a couple of Bibles. The deal was that I didn’t want to open it up for fear that my party plans might not prevail. So, I kept my Bible closed, made it to all the parties, but still sensed I had no purpose, much less a plan. Been there, done that? Just thought I’d ask and by the way, I’ve since learned how to do a spiritual “About Face!” A military maneuver taught to get one heading in the wrong direction in the right and opposite direction - immediately! It’s important that I remember this maneuver because I mess up routinely. It's comforting to know God's grace never gives up when we, in our frailities, give out! (Read: 2 Corinthians 12:9)

Lesson Two. Doing a 180 if even daily never hurt anyone, even the most disciplined of disciples! When I get to heaven, I want to ask the apostle Paul about his Damascus Road experience. We’ve all had such experiences. Maybe not quite as phenomenal, but we sure learned and will continue to by looking and turning in the right direction.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” –Revelations 3:19

Anyhow, after several days you learn that what you thought you knew the Drill Sergeants simply don’t want to know. It’s not important. They’ve got an agenda and you’d best remember the answers to the “who, what, when, where, and how” part of their program. A week into it and “why” you’re there is no longer important. Oh, it will be and might be as you read this, but not in the midst of confusion, tiredness and chaos endemic to military duty. You signed up and you are determined you won’t get booted out. The only thing on your mind is what’s on your Drill Sergeant’s mind. “Whatever you say, I’ll do it,” becomes your unspoken motto. I often think about where I’d be if I had made this my motto to my Maker long before? Like the guy from Wisconsin, you’re really getting homesick for some good food and familiar faces. You just want to do the duty, finish the course and head back home.

“Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” -1 Corinthians 9:26,27

And you eventually will, but you won’t come back the same man or woman you were when you left. And may I add, that was and remains a good thing! After all, nothing changes if nothing changes, right?

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” -2 Corinthians 5:17

The basics of the Bible are, in fact, pretty basic. Not hard to understand. If you find the Bible currently confusing, don’t be discouraged. The most discerning believers get beset with distractions and if you don’t already know, the Devil’s primary method of attacking is by distracting. He wants you to think about everything but getting better. Martha was too busy to get better, so she opted to get bitter. Mary’s attention to deity, not details, began to unnerve her.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things.” –Luke 10:40,41

Martha, a delightful soul, like so many of us found herself beating the air by being a busybody. Had Martha served in the military, she would have likely kept the tightest bunk, had the prettiest of polished boots, and had her Class A uniforms so far beyond blemish that she might have had the Commander-In-Chief blushing. You see, Martha failed to recognize that One much greater than the president was in her presence. I’ve been guilty of the same. She didn’t cause Christ to blush. Rather, He simply got her attention back to the basics and told her, in essence, to put a lid on it – the food and her mouthy complaints!

"Martha, Martha, you are worried (mind divided and distracted) and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." –Luke 40:41,42

The Marine Corps is known for their Latin phrase, “Semper Fidelis” which means “Always Faithful.” Can we begin to fathom He who is more faithful than the best of Drill Sergeants? I think we not only can, but most of us have! “Whatever You say, I’ll do it! Imagine for a moment, if you will, what truly motivated Christ during His walk to the “Place of a Skull.” A gruesome place was Golgotha.

“They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.” –John 19:17

Jesus defined the phrase “Semper Fidelis” well before any Marine or other military man or woman dared speak it! Always faithful, always fearless, always with you, always in you, always accessible – Always! Always consistent and constant! Unshakably unchanging! Can you say the same? Me neither.

Lesson Three. If we want to start feeling better, we must begin relying on Christ more. It’s a matter of faith, not fear, and we’d all be well served to be of service to others. Succinctly, Jesus Christ must be our focal point. When He’s out of sight, we start to lose our minds. He wants us to own sound minds and we can! (2 Timothy 1:7) Perfect love looks exactly like Jesus, and only perfect love allowed Him to be nailed to the cross for both of us! God is, indeed, very good! And too, Christ is the only One who perfects our faith – both in and through Him can we work effectively for others’ good but for His Glory.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” –Hebrews 13:8

Are you feeling alone, afraid, anxious, angry, bitter, burdened, critiqued, condemned, discouraged, guilty, negative, oppressed, suicidal or hopeless? Lots of adjectives, lots of people, lots of needs, but only one God that can help us get up, get through, and get on with our lives. If I may, can I ask you another question? Is there someone, just maybe, that you just can’t seem to forgive? Perhaps even yourself? I’ve heard it said that forgiveness can only be reached when we’ve forever given up the hope that our pasts will be different. Your past can’t be changed, but your present can be ruined by dwelling on it.

“And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.” –Acts 4:12

Are you still holding onto some pictures of your past like the fair skinned friend I met from Wisconsin? Only when we look over our shoulders are we most apt to run into obstacles. Did you know that whatever you are desperately holding on to, will hold you down? Are you willing to find peace no matter what? Then it’s time to give that motto we’ve read to your Maker. Go ahead, say it. “Whatever You say, I’ll do it! Christ has already responded so won’t you receive His peace? How, you ask? These two scriptures speak volumes so be sure you have the volume turned up. Remember them!

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:6,7

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” –John 14:27

Whether a maid in Manhattan or a medical doctor in Milwaukee – it’s about time. Gabriel’s trumpet might sound before revelry awakens some new recruits again at Lackland Air Force Base. And about that question of “Why,” Jesus Christ is the answer. Who, What, When, Where, and How? He’ll answer them too! Jesus Christ, our Semper Fidelis, Abba Father, Almighty God. God loves to reciprocate so remember that, "Whatever you ask in My name (Jesus Christ), that will I (Jesus Christ) do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son (Jesus Christ).” –John 14:13

When the role call is called, you want to be called by name. Spread the Word wherever you are. Whether in the fox hole or the Pentagon, your position might make you more or less money, but it doesn’t make you who you are in Christ Jesus. A Lieutenant General might have three stars, but there’s a lot to be said about being a Private First Class. Christ isn’t concerned about the rank on your shoulders. His only desire is that He be in your heart and on your mind! It’d be nice to hear this in heaven one day: “Sir, All Present And Accounted For.” And to hear God reply, “Well done my good and faithful servants.”

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” –John 10:3

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” –Luke 15:7

B.G. Jett © 2004

A Second Chance

by B. Jett
A fight between a married couple, words harsh and most unkind
A love so strong just years ago, this day they could not find

"I'm sick of picking up after you, everyday it's the same 'ol thing!"
"And I'm sick of you nagging me, it seems you constantly complain!"

The wife in a fury stomped out of the room, got in her car and quickly drove away
Her husband heard their little girl sobbing, "Will Mommy come back today?"

"Honey", he replied, "Of course she will! She probably drove around the block."
Two hours later and pacing the floor, they were startled by a knock

At the door stood an officer, "Sir, I have some news, please allow me to come in?"
His face turned pale as he told his daughter, "Honey, go and play in the den."

The officer entered and told the husband, "I have bad news about your wife."
"Oh God!" the husband shouted, "Please tell me that she's alright!"

"Sir, I wish I could but I can't, she lost control and hit a tree
She was going too fast on a two-lane road, and she was killed instantly."

The husband crumpled to his knees, "Dear God tell me it's not true!
I never got the chance to apologize, or tell her, 'I love you...'"

The officer knelt to his side and asked, "Do you believe in God?"
And through tears, his body shaking, he gave an affirmative nod

"My friend, I've got good news," the husband gave a surprising glance
"My best friend died 2000 years ago, so that you’d have your second chance...

B.G. Jett © 1999
Thanks to Marlene at Motivativing Moments for her love and support over the past several years!

The Christ Of Lost Causes

Tired? Tired of trying to find someone, anyone who will listen long enough to understand you for who you are and not what you’ve done? Pretty tall order for the best of waitresses and waiters. Hard to find help that’s not in a hurry, isn’t it? Ever feel like people (both in and outside the church) don’t recognize you as a person worth the wait?

So did Catherine. Catherine was more than a client and, after several weeks, she finally became convinced of it. Not because of anything I did. It wasn't another therapist she wanted. She was desperate to find a way to fan the flame of love she had once known for and from her Heavenly Father just prior to a particular denominational doctrine fanned the fires of hell with a mom-sized dose of guilt to go! Per Catherine, after several scary church services, she never experienced God's love quite the same. And to know her whole story, very few will ever find fault for her abrupt change of childhood feelings disfigured by a man who claimed to be heaven-sent yet who consistently preached his message that was clearly hell-bent. After her mother got back legal custody of Catherine, she heard more about hell than heaven and, unwittingly, the pastor of her mother's bucolic church appeared to have more faith in the first – hell. Sad? Yes, but regularly and routinely true.

In and out of therapist’s offices since age 12, she saw herself as a problem to be solved by secular reasoning. Yeap. The mental health professionals would surely figure her out with all of their scientific research. But the science that sought to help her became the fiction that attempted to frustrate her faith. She wanted a new approach, but all I had was the old one that society had long since discarded.

She almost jerked back when I first mentioned Jesus. First time any man had made mention of Him since her childhood. The man with the hell-bent halo harkened up memories she couldn't hold down. She remarked that her mother was fanatically religious and her father was faithfully indifferent. The seeds of cynicism and uncertainty were bred into her head while she was but just a babe. I mused, “Lord, what do I do and how do I help her?” God’s response was not startling as it was simply scriptural.

“Be still and know that I am God.” –Psalm 46:10

He spoke this for my benefit. I'm sure of it.

There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.” -1 John 4:18

I truly believe He spoke this for Catherine’s benefit. I’m sure of it.

In the fifth chapter of Mark, you’ll read of a man gone mad. Rejected by family and friends, he was shackled down and bound up in a cave for the mentally depraved. He liked to cut his own flesh with stones as a form of release and self-soothing. Society called him stupid. A cute, clever, and convenient label was enough for the psychologists of this man’s day to put him away. But Jesus? Jesus did not see him as the intellectually enlightened had for so many years. You see, there is little light to be found in being intellectual. Only a heart bent towards heaven has humble enough a mind so as to be molded by the Master Potter. A host of facts about someone tells but only a ghost of a story. And such was the case with Catherine. She wasn’t punished by cave confinement but by scientists who saw her as a class assignment. Jesus saw His beloved little boy despite the fact he was a grown man. And Jesus saw His little girl, Catherine, and even called her by name.
“Catherine? You’re worth the wait and you can call me Abba.”

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! -1 John 3:1

Where crowds felt contempt, Christ felt compassion. Where passersby saw insanity, Christ saw opportunity. Where family responded to him with mutiny, Christ embraced the man with mercy.

And even now, where today’s culture sees a lost cause or an incurable dead-beat with a disturbing diagnosis, Christ sees His child for whom He paid a high price.

As for the madman in the cave, Christ set him free from the destructive force of demons that had haunted him. Unworthy, dirty, unclean, abused, accused, misused, alcoholic, addict, gossip, glutton, a glutton for punishment and finally . . . the lost cause of that era? When so-called lost causes suddenly find Christ Jesus, things radically change.

And you? Unworthy, dirty, unclean, abused, accused, misused, alcoholic, addict, gossip, glutton, a glutton for punishment and finally . . . the lost cause of this era? Let’s let God have the final answer!

And he came to her and said, "Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you." –Luke 1:28

They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!" Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more." -John 8:7-11

So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free. –John 8:36

But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds. –Isaiah 53:5

B.G. Jett–© 2004

Eternal Instants

by Max Lucado

An eternal instant.

A moment that reminds you of the treasures surrounding you. Your home. Your peace of mind. Your health. A moment that tenderly rebukes you for spending so much time on temporal preoccupations such as savings accounts, houses, and punctuality. A moment that can bring a mist to the manliest of eyes and perspective to the darkest life.

Eternal instants have dotted history.

It was an eternal instant when the Creator smiled and said, "It is good." It was a timeless moment when Abraham pleaded for mercy from the God of mercy, "But if there are just ten faithful." It was a moment without time when Noah pushed open the rain-soaked hatch and breathed in the clean air. And it was a moment in the "fullness of time" when a carpenter, some smelly shepherds, and an exhausted young mother stood in silent awe at the sight of the infant in the manger.

Eternal instants. You've had them. We all have.

Sharing a porch swing on a summer evening with your grandchild.

Seeing her face in the glow of a candle.

Putting your arm into your husband's as you stroll through the golden leaves and breathe the brisk autumn air.

Listening to your six-year-old thank God for everything from goldfish to Grandma.

Such moments are necessary because they remind us that everything is okay. The King is still on the throne and life is still worth living. Eternal instants remind us that love is still the greatest possession and the future is nothing to fear.

The next time an instant in your life begins to be eternal, let it. Put your head back on the pillow and soak it in. Resist the urge to cut it short. Don't interrupt the silence or shatter the solemnity. You are, in a very special way, on holy ground.

My Christmas Dream

"I had a dream the other night, that the world was full of peace
That people of all creeds and colors, let all hatred cease

That every child in their mother's womb, would have a chance at life
That people would be healed to walk, hear and have sight

That the news we read everyday, would be good and never bad
That all people would recognize, the talents that they have

That every person had a job, and slept in a warm bed
That people in all parts of the world would have food and be fed

That greed, jealousy and envy, would be a thing of the past
That every marriage would be a happy one, and would forever last

That every little girl and boy had a gift under the tree
That the world knew Christ and His love and shared it endlessly

But like all things my dream ended, and I felt a sense of loss
So I prayed the dream would become reality, like Jesus and the Cross. . ."

Brian G. Jett © 1996

~BE Singing A Happy Song~

(Verse 1)
A broken heart, where do you start, love found and lost again
There you go, your tears start to flow, dreams buried beneath the sand
No one can see, you're lost at sea, does anyone really care?
It seems you'll never find, that peace of mind, so full of such despair

(Chorus 1)
My friend remember one thing, as you face another dawn
There's hope around the bend, you'll be singing a happy song
And the tune will be light, and the burdens will be all gone
So please hear me when I say, you'll be singing a happy song...

(Bridge)
Your eyes are filled with many tears
You wish right now that one was near
But please know that Mr. Right will be
Soon in your life, hold on, just wait and see
Oh believe this, and reject your many doubts
Through God so good, it's gonna work itself out...

(Break--Instrumental Improv)


(Verse 2)
A mended heart, you're torn not apart, by what could or might have been
You're starting to see, you're not lost at sea, that there's hope around the bend
There are many who care, pulled from despair, you're finding that peace of mind
No tears in your eyes, you're starting to fly, above the clouds you will find....

(Chorus 2)
That there's love beyond compare, as you embrace a brand new dawn
And that your heart is now free, and you're singing that happy song
The love you lost is another found, you're in the arms where you belong
That he's more than you hoped for, and you're both singing a happy song...
B. Jett -C- 1998

Egg-headed Egos

Humpty Dumpty. Remember him? You know - the big egg that had an even bigger ego? A high-sensation seeker to say the least. Indeed! The celebrated headstrong rube of one of America’s most beloved childhood nursery rhymes. Legend obviously has it that he liked living on the edge (or ledge as it were) as many macho men still do. As a child, I knew the rhyme better than most of us manly men remember Valentine’s Day. Perhaps you did too. To forget to validate my mate on Valentine’s Day has never sat well with my wife.

Speaking of sitting, Humpty Dumpty sat perfectly fine on his favorite wall for some time. But here is where it got sticky and, might I add, messy on one memorable day. Surely, a couple of the King’s horses and perhaps a few of the King’s men had to have seen Humpty’s cockiness spinning out of control. In any event, they certainly were witnesses to a big one. They simply watched Humpty spin the Wheel of Misfortune one last time. They then and we now seem to take pleasure in observing the overly cocky crumble. A walking and talking egomaniacal egg? A major crack up will do. His fragile nature should have nudged him to stop before his break.

“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.” –Proverbs 26:11(NLT)

Good ‘ol common horse sense knows pride comes before the fall. Eggs with egos generally don’t because of the brevity of their existence. And so it is with macho men. Headstrong and stoic on the surface, but as delicate as domesticated deer on the inside. Tough men in public; tearful toddlers in private. As transparent as glass, many overly mannish men foolishly think they have the world fooled. Not a chance. The world’s wildly ways have been making fools of men since the first Adam (1 Corinthians 1:27). As see-through as Saran Wrap! Humpty learned humility the hard way yet proud men around the world fall fatally to making impressions daily.

“Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” –Proverbs 16:18(NLT)

Whether man or woman, a doctor or ditch digger, we’ve all experienced the elevated pride just prior to the God-engineered fall. From Humpty’s wall to Wall Street, when we push the limits we lose. Wonder what would happen if we were more concerned about leaving impressions than merely making them? Wonder how things might change if we placed others first and feared not finishing last?

“He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, ‘Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else’."-Mark 9:35(NLT)

More importantly, who’d be changed if we longed to be last because we refused to be spiritually short-sighted?

“But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, and so I speak." We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. All of these things are for your benefit. And as God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.” -2 Corinthians 4:13-15(NLT)

People. More people. The world doesn’t take too well to preachers. But come to think about it, Christ never asked permission to speak before He offended the Pharisees of His day. Read what Christ said: And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed." -Matthew 11:6

It's never a wise thing to stifle the Holy Spirit by being silent because cynical secularists attempt to scare us out of speaking up! Indeed! As Christians, we answer and obey, literally, a much higher calling by standing steadfast in both Word and Deed as mouth pieces for The Messiah - Jesus Christ.
(Romans 10:14-17)

Oh, it is much easier to be a "walking bible", but God forbid we inoffensively become bronzed-images fully full of ourselves. Don’t read me wrong; silence is far greater than all the gold to be found at Fort Knox.

“A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.” -Proverbs 17:27,28 (NLT)

Yet, if we aren't giving away the grace so graciously given to us by God through both Word and Deed, than we might be acting in selfishness. Walking in Spirit and Truth sometimes requires that those of us professing our Christian faith must speak of it!

From “What Led Me To My Ledge?” B.G. Jett- © 2004

What Might Have Been?

I promised my children just the other day
I’d slow my rush, my hurried pace

That I’d talk more to him and her each night
And sing some songs and play pillow fights

Neither her first recital, nor his first ball game
Too busy for both for my mind to reclaim

The dances she danced, the pitches he caught
A proud parent’s face, I’m sure they’d sought

The time flew by, the years went fast
Empty promises, yellowed photographs

She asked for so little, both asked for less
My promised vows failed stand the test

And so now I’m older, my children both grown
The clock kept ticking into what’s unknown

The four saddest words of tongue or pen
I think to myself, “What might have been?”

B.G. Jett© 2003

God Guide My Pen

I ask of You my dear Father, that You will guide my pen
So the words provided me through You, will help another friend

I am so uncertain, of what my pen will write
My prayer, my God so faithful, is that You will lend me sight

The clear and unquestionable vision, to give me guidance when
I begin to write the things You want, as I start to use my pen

I ask that Your words work through me, a co-author I merely am
As You merit ALL the good I share, through prose I write and send

For what is mine is Yours I know, all gifts You've given me
Let me share not mine but Yours, and do so with humility

My petition I earnestly bring to You, all words I'll write this day
May they come from You who gave me life, please guide my pen I pray

B.G. Jett– © 1998

Big Mouth And Battered Ears!

I really like to talk. No. That’s simply not truthful. I have a bent towards bending my wife’s ears to the point of tears. Bless her heart. She is painfully longsuffering when my mouth begins its unremitting mutterings. My wife, Tanya, will tell you that I talk her ear off. One night when I was wired and she was weary, she reached for a butter knife in an attempt to stop the madness. She got my attention with her hopeless hacking with the thankfully dull butter knife blade. Sweet mother of relentless rapid ramblings! I knew I’d pulled her last pin as I watched her revive and rehearse the part of Vincent Van Gogh. She still has both ears. Some mornings one or the other ear is more swollen than usual, but you’ve got to remember she’s survived another 12 rounds of verbal boxing with no chance of landing a counterpunch. Oh, but she has.

Tanya likes to listen. No doubt, she has the gift of gab but her real bailiwick is evidenced by way of her ears. Like my mouth, her ears are rather large. The weighty earrings she wears perhaps. Some things she can’t explain. But I can whether or not it makes sense or not. In all fairness, my mouth resembles that of a mule eating briars through a picket fence when I get wordy in a frenzied way. Anyway, back to the subject which is subject to change, she has a heart of gold and the patience of Job. Don’t think I haven’t observed her legitimately listening to one of her girlfriends who needs a caring ear. I’ve urged her to give one of her more fluent friends a photograph of her ear. It could be my three year old daughter’s ear. It wouldn’t matter. Just pull the picture out when feeling panicky. Directions included.

Have you ever looked at someone’s ear? Closely, intently? Just take a good gander at any passing ear the next time you are out. A friend’s ear will do. At first glance, the wing nuts attached our heads are rather revolting. Speaking of which, this is how God designed us – perfect in our perceived imperfection. Truly, hearing is a gift but how we perceive it is how we receive it. Some might think their protuberances are impossible to live with, but they couldn’t function well without them. But in the big picture, God had the grandest plan.

It’s easy to laugh at ourselves when we’re not carrying around a heavy load. My wife has taught and continues to teach me to listen more than I speak. It’s a daily thing. We all need to be reminded of something. We help each other and we enjoy the knowledge that God enjoys our levity. Despite our differences, we all have our loving Christ we share in common.

-© 2004 (Living Life In Levity)

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. -Hebrews 12:1,2

~Jack In The Box~

OUGHT. SHOULD. MUST. Three small words with perilously explosive potential. “Handle with care” should have been as plain to see as a gorilla gone ballistic at a children’s petting zoo. Frightened friends feigned the warnings. Fragile. Do Not Drop. A bitter boss caused the warnings. Beware Of Dog. No Trespassing. And Jack? Jack awakened one morning in a box that belonged to an authentic litigation attorney. A square peg with wrong motives in someone else’s round hole.

Overworked and underpaid. Fed up with punishing put downs by the firm’s senior partner that some summer intern nicknamed Ned. Ned had been dead from the heart down 20 years or more. Jack had been born again since he was 19. Ned flirted with the King’s English like King David flirted with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3). Everyone that knew Jack knew something was wrong – really wrong. Fearing he might respond poorly, his friends kept their distance. At home, Jack felt like a Jewish prisoner and his home had Auswisch written in sign language all over it. Sentenced to death by silence. The silence stilled his faith and stifled his spirit. Prayer had become painful. Forgiveness felt like asphalt.

Five years ago, Jack flew into enemy air space and Ned had a good shot. Anxious to devour the newest associate, he fired ground-to-air missiles with deadly precision. Jack fought the good fight both in and out of the office for almost four years. During his fifth year with the firm, his faith began to fade and the good ‘ol boys from the Bible Study walked away.

Could he and should he have picked up the shattered pieces of the man that still existed from better days he’d lived before? Good question and maybe you know the answer. Understand that months of unyielding pressure had impaired his eyesight. Understand that when we question another man’s character we better have some answers to explain our own. Jack did what we’ve all done. He did what you might be doing now. He let the sun go down on his anger one time too many (Ephesians 4:26). He cracked open the door of doubt and devilish discouragement made a mad dash for it and ushered guilt in to act as the assassin of his faith. You see, Jack never planned to become an attorney after he completed his undergraduate work. His real passion wasn’t a real job. Not his words, but those of his father. Painting was God’s gift and calling and he knew it in his heart, not just his head (Romans 11:29). Yet, acquiring his father’s acceptance won out over his passion as well as his sense of purpose.

Married to his high school honey as well as a high monthly mortgage payment didn’t make quitting an appealing option. Already the proud father of one with one on the way added to his financial insecurities and so he opted to stay the course and put up with Ned’s oral lashings.

Another day came and Ned’s neurosis sought to fool around with Jack’s self-worth. But this time he went for Jack’s jugular. The tiny soft tissue of Jack’s heart that refused to harden; the joy that still remained. Jack’s remaining joy had run to greet him every evening without fail and sat on his lap and uttered, “It’s okay daddy”. Jack’s remaining joy hadn’t yet imagined a love that walked away without a kiss goodnight. Jack’s remaining joy said, “daddy,” but saw Superman. Jack’s remaining joy was his four year old boy, Jacob. Jacob, unlike Jack’s busy wife and hushed friends, broke the silence and the code of conduct that so insidiously crept into their household.

Ned began to speak: “Should have got it right the first time, Jack. You ought to know by now that I expect perfection. Oh, and in case you forgot, it must be done today! If you want to act like Mr. Daddy-Do-Good before that bratty kid of yours goes to bed, you’d best get busy. Hope the boy has his mother’s brains! Jack, I should have fired you a long time ago and saved the both of us a lot of heartache!”

Jack listened as his lips tightened. His blood pressure rose, his fists clinched. He closed his eyes and imagined Jacob’s smile. He said nothing to Ned as he was blinded by the stack of bills he’d seen on the kitchen table before he left for work four hours earlier. Jack walked out in silence. He’d grown wearily used to it. He sat down as his face felt unusually tingly. He ignored it. He began to prepare his mind for a long night. A long night it would be for everyone but Jack. You see, Jack’s drive to meet the deadline caused his heart to flat line. Jack died in the box that belonged to an authentic litigation attorney. Dead at 35 from a massive heart attack. Found in his office chair the next morning by none other than Ned.

Jack’s joy remained. His little boy and God’s miraculous creation. Jacob, like his daddy’s friends, knew something was wrong. Jacob’s love endured. Jacob’s love stepped in when fear-wrought men walked out. He fell asleep where his daddy slept the night before. Daddy didn’t come home to announce his departure or to plant a farewell kiss on his son’s cherished cheek. Jesus walked in soon after Jacob had fallen asleep, and whispered in his tiny ear, “Your daddy’s Home with Me.”

Rather depressing story isn’t it? But, the way you perceive it is the way you will receive it. Feeling like Jack? Jammed into a job that’s joyless? You read the story and allow me to add that if you can relate, you are but one of millions. Jesus knew His disciples before hand. Matthew made nothing more than money before Jesus came along. Tax collector? Omnipotence knows our potential, His purpose, plan and specific calling for our lives.

A Jack in the box. As children, an amusing toy. Turn the crank, listen to the cheap composition, and eventually Jack pops up for a breath of fresh air. As adults, being a Jack (or Jill) in the box has been and continues to be a claustrophobic nightmare. May I encourage you to read Romans 11:29 and then Jeremiah 29:11?

"For God's gifts and His call can never be withdrawn." -Romans 11:29 (NLT)

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." -Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Soon after reading our familiar friend, Max Lucado’s book, “It’s Not About Me,” I felt strongly nudged to write something and the above story is what flowed out. May we all purpose ourselves to act as God’s Son Reflectors and find our place in His Son and our planned position for His good pleasure and to His Glory. God’s gifts and calling for each of us if ignored makes us all rather dull lights that surely don’t reflect and evidence God’s Glory.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." -Psalm 127:1

B.G. Jett © 2004

Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt

My brother’s an attorney but don’t prematurely form an opinion of him based on his professional title. Not yet anyway. That’s my brother’s job. Not to form an opinion of himself, but to get the unlucky lad being cross-examined hung up on what he’s trying to get out. “What was that, Sir?” my brother questions. The guy in the hot seat starts to steam and becomes increasingly cross. Being examined by a temperamental trial lawyer wearing a costly tie and blowing bad breath isn’t exactly fun, but I’m not going to form an opinion as to what the reader defines as fun. That’s your job.

What do you do for kicks? Hiking in the woods is relaxing unless the greater indoors with a TV remote in hand is your take on the greater outdoors. Traversing the mall in search of a sale rocks my wife’s boat, but has me swimming for shore. The disciples might have opted to do the same on one stormy night if Christ hadn’t spoken up and calmed the sea when He did!

“And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them: but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” -Mark 6:48-50

Back to my brother’s job for a moment. He works long hours trying to anticipate the other side’s argument as he plans to win a case. His goal is to prove a client’s innocence to be “beyond a shadow of a doubt.” Or his goal is to prove a perceived adversary’s guilt to be “beyond a shadow of doubt.” In either case, his sense of duty is to diminish this whole idea of doubt. He wants you on his side - particularly if you’ve been sitting on the jury! Jesus does too and to a much greater degree for one primary reason - LOVE! My brother is a good defense attorney, but Jesus didn’t need a quick witted lawyer then or now. He came to be our defense attorney because He knew we'd desperately need one -- The One! The Utmost High! Christ came to our defense because of our past and future offenses. As a humorous aside, my brother is still practicing what Christ perfected. The case has been over for some time, but there are still many that would like to debate it. What exactly? I have no earthly idea but I do know that a heart bent towards heaven has a mind of its own. Christ did the unthinkable humanly speaking. He didn’t say a word about His case! Why would He? He is the case and the cure for the sins of all men and women. The Creator doesn’t need His creation, but He wants them, all of them. This includes you!

“Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.” -Luke 20:38

“And he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.” -2 Corinthians 5:15

Jesus had a job to do and he had the power to have literally hung the jury, but He didn’t come to judge or condemn - just tell the world the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Only the Son of Man, the Son of God can truly convey the whole truth anyway. A man named Pilate played the patsy, and had many of us been alive at that time, we’d likely have demanded our rightful roles as both judge and jury. Have you ever judged another? I have and to this extent, I’ve as much as said, “Crucify Him.”

“And Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, Crucify Him.” -Mark 15:14

Despite the truth we still want to avoid it. It messes with our minds and fouls up our futures - or so we too often think. Maybe we’d be better off leaving the future in the hands of the man who calmed the sea?

This same man hung to a Cross by His hands and our sins put Him there. Do you know Him? Do you want to know Him better? Do any of us feel even a bit guilty? Perhaps some of us do; Pilate surely did. He wanted to wash his hands of it - the blood of Christ that is.

“So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye [to it].” -Matthew 27:24

Some of us feel we don’t deserve forgiveness. As odd as this sounds, too many of us feel that only a fool could forgive us. Not a nice name to call God, but that’s what we do when we refuse the gift of grace. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but does it make me one? I don’t think so either. I know the feeling all too well of feeling guilty, but does that make me unforgivable? Not at all! My feelings have nothing to do with the facts, or my faith! Yours either! You see, only a faith that knows no fear can know no doubt. Faith or fear? Each morning we wake up to one or the other.

“And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” -Luke 5:20

The facts are all about and around us.

I’ve heard it said that one will not find an atheist aboard a plane doomed to crash. Death tends to do that to even the most certain men and women of considerable cerebral certitude. Nonetheless, it’s easier just to deny the fact that death is at our doorstep, or is it? Kind of like the alcoholic that thinks he or she will drink again without the same devastating results. The alcoholic doesn’t have so much of a problem, but rather a decision to make. The same holds true for the man or woman who has yet to settle this death issue with his or her Creator. What we resist will persist, right? Why not just settle the case once and for all? A good attorney worth his salt (a fine ingredient indeed) would settle this one in short order, so why wouldn’t we if we haven’t already? The case was closed when Christ said, “It’s Finished.”

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished : and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.” -John 19:30

It’s a no-brainer, a win-win for crying out loud! Let’s face it, not run from it.

Fear is having more faith in evil than in God. How do you stand or do you? The jury is out, and none of us can play the part of Pilate. We’ve read too much, we’ve heard too much, we hate to admit that we know too much, but we do. Since birth, we’ve all had a hunch that this whole notion of eternity was put in motion by some One much greater than ourselves.

“And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this [cometh] judgment.” -Hebrews 9:27

With Jesus as our defense attorney, there will be no cross-examination, no condemnation, no jury to judge, no summary execution. In summary, the Cross of The Christ has been examined and it speaks two things very clearly: Firstly, that it represents the worst of man and secondly, the very best of God! With this in mind, making up our minds should be as easy as choosing faith over fear. It’s truly that easy my friend.

“But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't be afraid and don't worry. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” -1 Peter 3:14,15

“God Himself has said, "I will not fail you or desert you," and so we can say with confidence, "With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing." (Jerusalem Bible) –Hebrews 13:5

B.G. Jett – © 2004

Patience, Power, or Peace?

 Been standing too much lately? Me too. We stand in a litany of lines. Many folks enter a public restroom just to stand, wait, and at last lighten their load. Hardly a restroom! Not sure about you, but I sometimes get restless in these so called restrooms.

“Honey, I must go take care of a little personal business. I’ll be right back in about an hour or so, okay?” I ask my wife.

“Sure thing sweetheart! So thoughtful of you to ask,” she replies.

She understands. She’s stood. Yes, in everlasting lines just to get to a pot to pee in. Bladders on the verge of bursting and intestinal tracks tightening even as I write and you read. Indeed! The list goes on. Movie theaters, grocery stores, shopping malls (ask my wife about this one), amusement parks, and at mornings break in homes with two or more kids and one bathroom from Clearwater, Florida to Clearwater, Washington. Where you’ll find plenty of people, you’ll find public restrooms. And let’s not forget the many outside gatherings with those horribly painted Porta-Potties. "Hurry up!" we holler. The “Porta-Potty” -- ripe for picking and pushing! Not that I’ve ever done it, but a good shove would tip one of those loosely colored lavatories right over while some fellow postures and positions himself. What a mess that’d be! About as ugly as a wave on a slop jar! But that’s what we do when we become emotionally weak. Venomous, fuming, livid, mad, furious, angry. Vengeance is ours saith the emotionally vulnerable. Not very scriptural is it? Maybe we’re not either sometimes (John 5:39,40). A willingness to wait works wonders but we’ve all fallen short in having too short a fuse! If only God was moving the line like we’d like - faster! We just don’t like to wait or stand. Oh, but what have we been so excitedly standing for as of late?

“And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?” -1 Corinthians 15:30

The apostle Paul asked a good question to those who started anxiously looking about them. A little doubt about their eternal destiny just about did them in. Paul didn't dig their mind-dividing doubt. "I want it my way God, or I'm hitting the Highway!" they groaned then and we do now. Many have impatiently hit it, and now find themselves hitching a ride. "Lord, you win! I'm ready to come back home now," we beg (Luke 15:9). Fair weathered friends to Jesus, but that’s nothing new. The apostle was explaining the unseen so that by faith, they’d settle down and quit looking for it (John 20:29).

“But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come? Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind; but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.” -1 Corinthians 15:35,38

And if we back up a bit, Paul had already planted a powerful truth that none of us can discount. “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.” -1 Corinthians 15:33

In fact, who we choose to hang around can hang us up! And so it is in today’s culture and politically correct climate. Hearts turned as cold as ice and muddled minds split by secularly seeded suspicion. Cynicism – a conveniently lazy way of thinking. Let’s face it, two truths thoroughly confuse everyone and the Devil’s favorite form of math is division - division of peoples’ minds. It equals out to the word, Worry! About what? The co-worker who didn’t speak, the one who did, a friend’s furrowed brow, diseases, the fact that we don’t have one yet, financial windfalls that went the wrong way, feeling good as it’s too good to be true, the dog’s limp, the cat’s lethargy, and maybe even our own. Like the burdensome lines outside bathrooms, the list or worries continues. Frightful feelings of being out of control because we’ve forgotten Who is and, might I add, has always been in control. Truthfully, it boils down to our not trusting up! Remember Paul’s question? Are you anxiously looking about you? The only way out is up and it’s important to remember that after the risen Christ arose that He ascended. Looking down in doubt is a dis-ease too many of us decide upon because we’ve lost sight of Who to rely upon. It’s not why we are depressed that’s the question; it’s how we stay depressed (Philippians 4:8). We need not dwell on what we know gets us down. Darned silly if we dwell on it!

“There’s got to be more,” we muse. “Hurry up and let’s get disappointed!” we cheer like egomaniacs with inferiority complexes. Like those in Paul’s time, time is a major issue with us now. We are increasingly becoming one big convenient store and all the world is its stage. Shakespeare’s plays are typically accompanied by symphonies. Life, as we too often act it out, is accompanied by cacophonies! Ouch! Like fingernails scraped across chalkboards! Many of us playing the wrong instrument because we refuse to accept the right one God gave us. Are you wasting your potential because you don’t trust what God has given to you and, as importantly, what He’ll do through you?

“Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.” –Philippians 1:6

“Where’s my sheet music?” someone yells. “Don’t look at me!” another blasts back with great belligerence. Affixing blame is the name of the game and we’ve all done it.

Guess who else did it the night before Christ would go to the cross? Peter? Judas Iscariot? All of Christ’s disciples? Who turned up the heat and in such a hurry without as much as having to ask a question? Christ stated a fact, and His disciples starting asking questions.

“But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. For the Son of man indeed goeth, as it hath been determined: but woe unto that man through whom he is betrayed!” ‘And they began to question among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. And there arose also a contention among them, which of them was accounted to be greatest.” –Luke 22:21-24

Contemptuous contention. Which one of the disciples was determined to be deemed “Top Dog” in the eyes of Christ that memorable night? No. Not Peter, although he would deny knowing Christ three times. Judas? No. Jesus saw his disingenuous kiss coming. Omniscience knows such as this. That night, every one of His disciples switched into “fear gear” and started pointing fingers and casting accusations. Ones’ true character is most transparent when placed in a position of power. The problem during a brief period of the Passover was that everyone in the room, except Jesus, forgot who’d had and would continue to have the power. (Read all of Luke 22 please).

Jesus knew He had the power and His Father who gave it to Him. Speaking of power, I recently wished that I’d passed over a particular appreciation luncheon. Not really. I learned a powerful lesson. Perfectly set tables and plenty of small talk. A great grip and grin session and the best dog and pony show I’ve seen since I’ve been out of the military. The lunch started with a guy singing, “Praise the Lord.” He finishes and I clap and stand – alone! I felt kind of foolish at first, but I knew that I was standing for the Creator, not His creation. Moments later a wealthy woman spoke. Not only financially loaded, but a laudatorier too! After an avalanche of accolades for another lady, the loaded one paused. Worse than the best of weddings, the whole room stood for the bride but no one said any vows. No exchanging of rings, just a woman with wealth palavering over her pal. Funny what we stand for isn’t it?

The Word of God is the truth and the Person of Jesus Christ who spoke it and evidenced it repeatedly. Jesus Christ’s spoken truth messed with the multitudes then and continues to today. Why? The question can be found in what geared the disciple’s fear during a brief period of the Passover. It is what gears the vast majority of our fears today because we all have wanted just a piece of it. Some of us are struggling with it, perhaps, more so than others at this very moment. Control? Close. Prominence? Again close.

“Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " –Matthew 4:10

What did Satan want while tempting Christ in the desert? Christ had it, and the Devil wanted it! Power? Bulls-eye!

Patience, power, or peace? Which of these three do you want the most? All three? Good answer and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting them. But do we want God’s patience, power, and peace or that which the world has to offer? Being eaten up and spit out isn’t much an offer. The world has eaten many of us up and spit even more of us out. Thrown up and tossed about. Tired of the knot in your stomach? Been worrying too much while standing in lines, or maybe even sitting alone? I heard someone recently say that they never imagined that their greatest accomplishment would be a peace of mind. That is truly quite an accomplishment!

When whatever we’ve built our foundation on begins to crumble, we start fumbling for the Heavenly Father. Fickle faith folks but Christ foreknew us. When power becomes our priority, we lose our purpose. None of us wants to take a stand only when it is convenient, do we? Good question and only you know your answer. God isn’t about convenience, but His covenant. And only God has the all-inclusive power to stick to His promises. As hard as we try, we can’t get away from Him. Getting tired of running from the very Person who can set you free? Tired of complicating life by fighting it? Christ is the solution and He’s been softening many a hardened heart for years. And when we change subjects to get the focus off Him, He knows that we are subject to change. He’s patient. He knows. He’s suffered. He’s faithful when we’re not. He thinks we’re worthy – it cost Him His life and He lives and He wants us to live abundantly as well.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”-John 10:10

He knows that we have a decision to make, not a problem to ignore. Tired of filling your life with people and possessions that hold no promise? Does the following sound familiar: God isn’t about convenience, but His covenant. And only God has the all-inclusive power to stick to His promises. There is a reason for redundancy and may I ask a huge favor of you? Read the below scriptures a few times, meditate on them, and accept Christ as your personal Savior if you haven't already. God (not the author) has led you to it, so He will unquestionably and unshakably lead you through it. (Read 1 Peter 5:10)

“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9 (NLT)

"I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life." -John 5:24 (NLT)

""You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me so that I can give you this eternal life." -John 5:39,40 (NLT)

Are you willing? Excellent. That’s the perfect place to start. God can take our willingness to lean hard on Him and take us a very long way and that’s real good news! “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” –Proverbs 3:5,6


B.G. Jett © 2003


Some Pithy Quotes!

"Many are those who can make impressions; few are those who leave them." -B.G. Jett

"Harbors were built for ships, not resentments." -B.G. Jett

"Whosoever, whatsoever be the foes that should force a godly man to his knees I purpose more so to be friends; no better position has so perfectly fitted him for fervent and unfeigned prayer." -B.G. Jett

“A penny’s worth of hope has kept multitudes from spiritual bankruptcy." —B.G. Jett

"It is easy to find character in a crisis. It is the remaining 90 percent of our time we struggle to find it." -B.G. Jett

“I should never be smugly impolite to the poor or partially affectionate to the affluent; for neither can advance nor hinder what only I shall be answerable before Christ.” –B.G. Jett

"In order to grow along spiritual lines, we must also begin to read them." –B.G. Jett

"When all is said and done, the unselfish acts of what we have done without asking for anything in return, will have said it all." -Brian G. Jett

"Be careful around those individuals who have bought into negativity, because they have the uncanny ability of selling it as well." -Brian G. Jett

“The most absurd imaginings have historically been brought to fruition by men and women who refused to be conquered by frequent encounters with failure.” –Brian G. Jett

"A man defines his character with verbs, not nouns." -Brian G. Jett

"Ones' true character is most transparent when placed in a position of power." -Brian G. Jett

"The decisions that I’ve made while in an emotional frenzy, would be the thickheaded equivalent to a man’s purposefully capturing a wild gorilla for use at a children’s petting zoo.” -B.G. Jett

"May I be bold in belief, consistent in character, lavishing in love, determined in discipline, faithful in friendship, honest in humility, committed in courage, thoughtful in thankfulness, clear in conviction, real in repentance, forthright in forgiving, firm in faithfulness, purposeful in praise and above all else, forever grateful to God for His goodness and grace." –Brian G. Jett

"Don't delay what God is doing by trying to do what only God can do." -B.G. Jett

“A worrywart is a person who deliberately pretends to be in control of the future and, more disturbing, the very God who has and will continue to hold it.” –Brian G. Jett

“A man whose brain substantially lacks a hale and hearty dose of moral fiber is fated to be ill with cerebral constipation.” –Brian G. Jett

"If your vocation isn't your vacation, before long you will desperately need one." - B.G. Jett

"If you've learned from losing, it wasn't a loss." -Brian G. Jett

“Bravely stare that fear in the face, and watch how swiftly the coward flees.” –B.G. Jett

“God did not use fear to force me into heaven; He used His unplumbed love to lift me out of hell.” –B.G. Jett

“Silence is as necessary for our souls, as tender hugs are to our hearts.” –Brian G. Jett

"The only condition love has is that there never be one." -Brian G. Jett

"We aren't as afraid of dying as much as we are the fear that we will never fully learn how to joyfully live." -Brian G. Jett

"Never give up, just know Who to give it up to!" -Brian G. Jett

"When one figures out that who gets the credit is NOT key, he or she will have discovered it." -Brian G. Jett

"If you think that someone else thinks that they are better than you, perhaps it is you who thinks they are better than you." -Brian G. Jett

“The reason most goals are never met, is because so few are ever set! Set many - increase your odds!" -Brian G. Jett

"A true leader is one who can praise often, rejoice in his or her subordinate's victories, and do both earnestly without fear of losing the spotlight." -B.G. Jett

"What we eventually discover we treasure the most is not found in a chest, but rather in our chests." -B.G. Jett

“Experiencing anxiety about things we cannot change, is as pointless as trying to discern the time using a sundial in the shade.”—B.G. Jett

“Whatever wears off isn’t worth it.” –B.G. Jett

“The best way to forgive another’s idiocy is to remember our own countless episodes of it.” –B.G. Jett

"To live in regret is to merely exist in a time warp." -B.G. Jett

“Imminent death convicts men to honesty more quickly than any other one thing.” -B.G. Jett

“We don't have a problem with waiting, as much as we have an almost obsessively morose preoccupation with wondering why we have to do so!” –B.G. Jett

"Guilt generally originates far from where the conscience attempts to hold it captive." -B.G. Jett

"God has given me my share of mountains and His grace sufficient unto each to reflectively and rightly be perceived as moe-hills." -B.G. Jett

"We separate ourselves from ourselves by simply not being ourselves." -B.G. Jett

“We often mistake success with the act of doing, but rarely consider that what we don’t do is as equally important in achieving it." -B.G. Jett

"Never give up, just know Who to give it up to." -B.G. Jett

"What keeps many awake at night is a direct result of what they did or did not do during the day."-B.G. Jett

"The only thing greater than a great idea is its rightful source of origin - Jesus, The Christ." -B.G. Jett (James 1:17, Colossians 1:16 & 17)

"If we're counting down the hours we are not making each hour count." -B.G. Jett

"Resiliency is the art of learning to repeatedly refuse to do anything else other than rise again after any and all set-backs." -B.G. Jett

"Make your life's end an exclamation mark, not an explanation mark." -B.G. Jett

"Worry is atheism if you did not know, for you are saying to God, 'You are not in control'." -B.G. Jett

”I’ve met many earthly angels, and the majority of them have been nurturing mothers.” -B.G. Jett

"It takes but a few moments to be kind and only a few moments to wish we would have been." -B.G. Jett

“It is terribly hard to hold down a person who God has wired up.” –B.G. Jett

“To think that we can get ahead financially without hard work is about as possible as bowling a strike using a beach ball.” –Brian G. Jett

“Assuming ownership of a mistake is more of an opportunity than a responsibility.” –B.G. Jett

“The tears of today may be just enough eye water to cleanse and clear my vision for seeing a tremendously joyous tomorrow. “ –Brian G. Jett

“Don't complain of an unlevel playing field if you're still seated in the stands.” –Brian G. Jett

“Could and should does nothing more than produce more can't and won't.” –B.G. Jett

“Even in our darkest hour, God is with us; He made the moon to prove it.” –B.G. Jett

“God's pruning our dying limbs or branches bearing little if any good fruit is His way of applying the pressure in our respective lives so that through desperation or divine inspiration, we will in earnest want a change. At this point, He has softened the hardened heart and lovingly forced a compelling desire within us to seek His will and thus, turn all of our burdens of baggage over to Him.” –Brian G. Jett

“Happiness can be as elusive as a fluttering butterfly but as easily attainable as a crawling caterpillar. Put aside the net and let it happen.” –Brian G. Jett

A Window To Look Through

She watches through her window,
her little girl at play
Memories flood back to her childhood,
of her yesterdays

As she tucks her gift into bed,
and kisses her precious face
She says a prayer of protection,
"Lord keep my child safe."

And as days turn months into years,
she sees her little girl grow
She begins to realize that a time will come,
the time when she must let go.

Suddenly she hears a gentle voice - saying,
"No greater love is this,
Than what you've done for your little girl,
go seal it with a kiss."

"Honey I want to kiss your face,
but I know I can't by phone
While looking through your bedroom window,
I began to feel alone."

"So many days through this very window,
I'd watch you laugh and play
And I can almost see you tucked in bed,
on those nights we'd talk and pray."

"Mom," her daughter uttered,
"There's something I want to say...
You may not know how many times,
I saw you watch me play."

"That window that you're looking through,
is the same one God looked in
He saw you by my bed each night,
when you'd tenderly tuck me in."

"So mom please don't feel all alone,
you know I'll always be there...
Just like God is with you now,
no matter the time, or place or where."

Her mother paused and then replied,
"Sweetheart I know you're right...
You're grown, married and have a child,
that you now tuck in at night."
"Mom, I better go now,
I have some things I better do."
Her mom replied, "I know it dear,
you've got a window to look through."

Brian G. Jett © -1999

"If we chose our friends as impulsively as we did our foes, we'd likely have fewer of both." –Brian G. Jett

"Success begins to chase us when we begin chasing our passions." -Brian G. Jett

"You cannot reach your goals unless you first stretch your imagination." -Brian G. Jett

"The reason most individuals run into obstacles, is because they continue to focus on what is behind them." -Brian G. Jett

"Before we begin questioning another's character, we better have some answers to explain our own." -Brian G. Jett

“If anger is your most frequently used outlet, try unplugging it for awhile." -Brian G. Jett

"The surest way to kill fear is to take action in spite of it." -Brian G. Jett

"Winners choose the highest summits and see the sun prior to cresting them. There are no limits for those with expectant attitudes." -Brian G. Jett

"We think good ideas to death, when we should be acting them to life." -Brian G. Jett

“If the ‘sky is the limit’ then how did man make it to the moon?” –Brian G. Jett

"Squeeze every bit of love you can out of life, and life will HUG you back like never before." -Brian G. Jett

“A compliment is kith and kin to confidence insofar as we can accurately appraise a man’s affable disposition; yet if he is incapable of the first, he has dreadfully little of the second.” –Brian G. Jett

"Don't just kick a bad habit, beat the thing to death." -Brian G. Jett

"The interest of being positive today will determine the incredible returns that await you tomorrow." -Brian G. Jett

"The greatest possession we have costs nothing; it's known as love." -Brian G. Jett

"Life is full of obstacles. Viewing life as an obstacle course eliminates the obstacles and centers our focus on creatively finding a way under, over, around or through them." -Brian G. Jett

"If you've learned from losing, it wasn't a loss!" -Brian G. Jett

"To not fully EMBRACE life, is to fully DISGRACE life." -Brian G. Jett

“So often we ask, ’What purpose do I serve?’ yet rarely recognize that the answer is manifestly evident in this very question.” –B.G. Jett

"Those who consciously purpose themselves in doing nothing less than exceeding the mark, never have to question whether or not they will meet the mark." -B.G. Jett

“Silence is as necessary for our souls, as tender hugs are to our hearts.” –B.G. Jett

"The only condition love has is that there never be one." -B.G. Jett

“The deliberate choice to choose faith over fear is the first step to true freedom.” –B.G. Jett

"A true leader is one who can praise often, rejoice in his or her subordinate's victories, and do both earnestly without fear of losing the spotlight." -B.G. Jett

"It is in caring and sharing that we discover that we are not only helping those dear to us, but bettering who we are and opening the gates fully to that which we can become." -Brian G. Jett

"The greatest possession we have costs nothing;it's known as love." -Brian G. Jett

"When fools rush in, rush out." -Brian G. Jett

"In every pain there is tremendous opportunity for overwhelming gain; use it to your advantage!" -Brian G. Jett

"It's easy to figure out who isn't a team player. They'll constantly remind the coach just how good they are." -B.G. Jett


What Matters Most

I'd watched this old man for many months, with tattered clothes most worn
I'd seen the look on many a face, as each looked at him with scorn

He did not hold a sign up, on the corner where he stood
Begging for food or money, like others like him would

And each day that I'd see him, I'd glimpse into his eyes
He'd catch my gaze and look away, and I'd often wonder why

I began to think to myself, what life he'd lived before
A beggar not was this man I saw, was he rich or feigned be poor?

One day I noticed he wasn't there, that corner, his familiar place
And I vowed that if I saw him again, I'd speak to him face to face

As days went by I forgot this man, this man who'd seen much hate
He must have been just another bum, another corner would be his fate

One day I walked past his spot, on my way to meet a friend
And saw him right in front of me, my vow this day I'd spend

"Sir, I vowed I'd talk to you, if ever I saw you here.
And ask you what your life had been, throughout your many years."

"Son", he said, "I know you, I've seen your face before
I'm not a bum as you probably think, I'm rich and not poor."

"If rich why do you dress this way, can you explain this to me?
The rich own cars and have big homes, they stand not on the street."

He reached into his pocket, and showed me a picture of
His wife who'd died one year ago, the one he dearly loved

"It matters not how big the home, I have everything I need
What matters most in life my son, is that which we can't see."

Copyright © 1998

"You can make almost anything happen, if you happen to believe almost anything can." –Brian G. Jett

"Those who gossip a great deal have much on their minds, but absolutely nothing in them." –Brian G. Jett

"One quality endemic to every victorious person is their learned ability to take desperation and, nonetheless, turn it into celebration.” –Brian G. Jett

"I stalwartly accept as true, that one of our greatest strengths is our ingenuous awareness of our own greatest weakness." –Brian G. Jett

“We can’t right a wrong if we don’t know the difference between the two.” –Brian G. Jett

"Think about what you're thinking, as whatever is on your mind will eventually get in it." –Brian G. Jett

”Children can go no farther from home than the memories they left there.” –Brian G. Jett

“Hard work is more of a secret than success has ever been.” –Brian G. Jett

“The only excuse that’s worked well for me has been, very simply, that I didn’t have one.” -B.G. Jett

"Sitting on our dreams as hand-me-downs from a once silly and youthful zeal is unadulterated stupidity! -B.G. Jett

"The tears of today may be just enough eye water to cleanse and clear my vision for seeing a tremendously joyous tomorrow." –Brian G. Jett

"There is a vast difference between feeling like a failure, and actually being one." -Brian G. Jett

"What befalls a man aren't his weaknesses, but his prideful refusal to depend upon God in the midst of them.” –Brian G. Jett

“Always be prepared to give your most noble thoughts, as a minimum, global shot.” –Brian G. Jett

“So sorrowfully, it too often requires the nauseatingly aseptic atmosphere of dowdy hospital hallways full of death beds to convert aged and formerly self-assured atheists into persons whom could have enjoyed an entire life span as joyful disciples of Jesus Christ.” –Brian G. Jett

"A Christian who believes in the over-emphasizing of grace surprisingly underestimates the sole purpose of it." -Brian G. Jett

“Think sensibly, behave wisely, speak kindly, listen genuinely, and sleep soundly.” –Brian G. Jett

"If we only desire a small piece of God in our lives, we will similarly have only that same measure of His peace in them." -Brian G. Jett

"It is my contention that we most often judge when we believe there is reason that we ought too, be judged." -Brian G. Jett

"I have yet to understand how an individual could possibly lose their patience if they never had any to begin with!" –Brian G. Jett

"When we allow men's creations to hold right of way before our Creator, at that very moment we have, perhaps, unwittingly become naturalists." -Brian G. Jett

"It's easy to figure out who isn't a team player. They'll constantly remind the coach just how good they are." -Brian G. Jett

"Another type of hypocrite uses his own sin to justify being out of church, yet has the knavery to point out the sins of those in it." -Brian G. Jett

"It wasn't easier said than done if you did it faster than it took you to explain what you needed to do." -Brian G. Jett

"You can determine how confident a person truly is by listening to what they don’t say about themselves." -Brian G. Jett

"Don't focus on changing someone's mind, but love them unconditionally and you'll likely change their heart. This is your only requirement as the heart guides the way." -Brian G. Jett

“Simple honesty makes life less complex.” –Brian G. Jett

"I have discovered that those who constantly complain will in their very circumstances constantly remain." –Brian G. Jett

“Don't get stuck in the pipe portion of your dreams.” -B.G. Jett

"Some people have the ability to literally drive us crazy, and some can even shorten the drive." -B.G. Jett

"Protect trust as it is the last thing to come, yet the very first thing to go." –Brian G. Jett

"Courage can be best defined at which point a man’s willful self-denial demands priority in the face of foreknown and dreadful duty.” –Brian G. Jett

"The first step towards wisdom is our awareness and acceptance that God has forever been and will continue to be its unchanging origin." –Brian G. Jett

“Confidence is the author of compliments.” –Brian G. Jett

"You can determine whether or not a person has a point by merely observing how long it takes them to get to it." –Brian G. Jett

"As a culture, we would be well served in associating 'Parental Guidance' beyond the realms of television programming." -Brian G. Jett

"It is in caring and sharing that we discover that we are not only helping those dear to us, but bettering who we are and opening the gates fully to that which we can become." –Brian G. Jett

“Recognize that gossip is the lazy thinkers way of communicating.” -B.G. Jett

"Be acutely aware of your non-verbal behaviors; body language has an unlimited vocabulary." -Brian G. Jett

"Hating is tantamount to eating briars through a barbed wire fence." -B.G. Jett

“It's much easier to face adversity when our backs are not turned to it." -Brian Jett

"The depth of our faith determines the height of our joy." -Brian Jett

"People who define themselves primarily by what they do, will one day awaken and wonder what they actually did." -Brian G. Jett

“Every employee has a valuable position to play, and every facet of management and leadership has the responsibility of providing each of them with the way to execute it.” -Brian G. Jett

"If you believe in luck, you're flat out of it." -Brian G. Jett

“Atheism collapses in notion and by self-imposed knavery insofar as its fundamental dispute is determined to resolve the nonexistence of anything or anyone greater than man as its source of conviction. However, if the source of an atheist’s conviction does not exist, than something greater than mere man must exist as birthed from atheistically cynical necessity for there to remain any semblance of dispute to resolve or any appearance of a source of conviction.” –B.G. Jett

"To not fully EMBRACE life, is to fully DISGRACE life." -Brian G. Jett

"Atheists have continued to predictably wax philosophical concerning their intellectually self-sufficient certainties of God's nonexistence. However, the ease of their perilously lazy cynicism will become increasingly thorny as they age and are forced to acknowledge that their previously chosen stance as atheists must, as a matter of course, empirically and ultimately bear out that they were neither overly intellectual nor self-sufficient; neither unpredictable in opinion nor genuinely philosophic to originality; neither competent in certainties nor cerebrally capable of explaining creation without stumbling over the necessity of a Creator; neither convicted atheists excluded from eternal questions nor naturalists undaunted by morose preoccupations for ethereal answers; and lastly, neither authentically acceptant of a life without end nor having ever been secure in trusting their facts based on science in lieu of who or what made their science possible." -B.G. Jett

“We lose the vast majority of our creature battles not because we’re always wrong, but due to our ravenously disturbing approaches in exacting, at any cost, our rightness.” –Brian G. Jett

Positive Quotes And Messages As Food For Thought

Whosoever, whatsoever be the foes that should force a godly man to his knees I purpose more so to be friends; no better position has so perfectly fitted him for fervent and unfeigned prayer.

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