How creative do you get in providing? Have you asked the Lord to provide and show you His will for your life? Have you asked Him to guide you in your work? Has there been some risk involved?
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Expect great things. Live hospitably even on those occasions when you don't feel like it.
Yesterday I was asked about how I view this. Paused and then I responded with...
"For me luxury in the hospitality/travel arena is still about living others-oriented rather than inverted (overly self-minded), seeing their world through their eyes and working instinctively. It’s about making friends while showing utmost respect, yes it’s courteous relationship-building in an elegant, uplifting, professional sort of manner. It's about closing the loop with straightforward follow-up until you know the guest is 100% satisfied, then improving from there because that is keeping our promise to them! Yes, it has a lot to do with regularly listening well, asking appropriate questions, reading the room accurately, anticipating and addressing multiple needs at once while quickly prioritizing. Luxury today is knowing the guests’ preferences even before someone needs to ask for anything. As a concierge in today’s US culture, I never stop networking (our watchword: service through friendship), seeking to master this trade of hospitality. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing with excellence! It’s the consistency, genuine care, and going beyond what’s ‘high-end normal’ that garners their respect. Yes, it’s about the team working well together for their sake. We earn this by pushing the boundaries to impart ‘better than magic’ service with classy panache into their everyday Dallas experience. Vigilant concierges know it starts with ears, with affectionately-attentive hearts and generous minds towards people from all walks of life – I’ve made this my life-purpose!” Kv
Has serving always been as easy as rolling off a log? Nope, probably like in your life.
Have you had some things gone NOT the way you had planned? Has life gone pretty tough on you and it's hard to remain nice to people?
Even if you feel like you are, guess what.. you are not living in God's Plan B for your life, believer.
Joseph’s life and experience certainly weren't near perfect but in jail, was Joseph living God's Plan B out.. or did he feel like he was living God's plan B?
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Gen. 50:50
God worked it all for good in his life. Even his career had a resurrection huh.
I say, expect great things from our living God as you serve.
If you leave out the Cross of Calvary event, you have killed thee belief system of Jesus for all people. Atonement by the blood of Jesus along with His physical bodily resurrection (1 Cor. 15:12-19) are not 'a few arms of Christian truth'; they are the heart of it! Jesus, coming out of that borrowed tomb is the very Capstone in the arch of our historic faith. This truth is an Essential of all Essentials. If so-called Christians don't believe in Christ's resurrection guess what.. they need to get saved. They've been misled. Heading towards perdition is not a good option for you or anyone. Grab your Bible. Re-check out the evidence.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
"Blessed are the flexible, adaptable and vigilant for they shall not be broken or run down most of the time ..at least not too much." ~ KvS
Yikes, sometimes it is what it is. And sometimes you ought not to even hang out or work in a particular location right? Just sayin'.
For God gave us a spirit not of stupidity, fear, vanity, folly or futility. Hey, sometimes there's a fear that's real healthy to obtain. i.e., Fear of God (respectful awe). His Spirit is smart -- with a first name, Holy.Choose wisely. "Love.. it does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.."
This is a portrait of Jesus! "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Cor 13:4-8
Blessed are those who pray not demanding their own way, for they intentionally won't get in the way ..of the Spirit's last days biblical work among us.
Do you try to do God’s will for your life stubbornly your own way or with meekness His way.. with his timing, tone and tact in the strength and wisdom that He gives to you? Please know that and victory come via repentance, faith and simply walking close following Christ. Can't buy it! KnowGod.org .. and around the world make Him known.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” 2 Timothy 1:7
Q: Does your real estate, off-duty-time or business environment around you periodically or constantly call for some adjustment, some attentive quick adaptation, some vigilance, or flexibility? Lord, we need Your insight, discernment and wisdom.
Do only what's right and smart with excellence. "The new environment dictates two rules: first, everything happens faster; second, anything that can be done will be done, if not by you, then by someone else, somewhere." ~ Andy Grove
Chin up, look up, eyes open, awake, obedient and wise. “So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is goin' on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective..” Col. 3:1-2
Request: Lord, please give me wisdom today where you've planted me, or where you're sending me to make an impact. Use me. Help me to be flexible, aware with keenness of mind, faithful, growing, fruitful, spiritually-adjustable so as not to get in Your way, and not to get in the way of any healthy Christian churches doing your will, Your way, for Your glory.
Would you Meditate Upon Paul's Bible Words: "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Phil. 4:12-13
See Psalm 23:1-6, 119:1-10; Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 2:15-17
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Become lit and shine please. No, I don't mean drunk or buzzed. "For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry." 1 Peter 4:3 esv
When John spoke of the Incarnation, he was basically echoing the creation account. "God is light" (1 John 1:5, light is a common metaphor in the Bible. See Proverbs 4:18, it symbolizes righteousness as the “morning sun.” And Philippians 2:15 likens God’s children who are “blameless and pure” to shining stars in the sky. Jesus used light as a picture of good works: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16). Psalm 76:4 says of God, “You are radiant with light.”).
The Bible tells us that the life of Christ serves as a light to all people. That life is the light of truth—the message of Christ’s salvation and eternal life with God: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11). The brilliance of Christ’s life and truth shine like a light into the darkness of this world.
1. Ephesians 5:11-12 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.2. Psalm 94:16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand for me against those who practice iniquity?
3. John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
4. Titus 1:10-13 - For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.
5. 1 Corinthians 6:2 - Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
6. James 5:20 - let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
7. Galatians 6:1 - Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
8. Matthew 18:15-17 - If your brother sins against you, go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two others with you so that ‘every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector.
Sometimes remaining silent can be a sin. Duh. Bonhoeffer didn't keep quiet and the Nazis killed him.
9. Ezekiel 3:18-19 - If I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
10. Isaiah 5:20 - Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
11. James 4:4 - You adulterers! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.
12. 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 - No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
13. 1 John 2:15 - Stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father’s love is not in him.
14. John 3:20 - Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
15. John 4: 1 - Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
16. Matthew 7:21-23 - Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
17. Matthew 12:34 - You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
18. Matthew 3:7 - But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
19. Acts 13:9-10 - Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?”
20. 1 Corinthians 3:1 - Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly–mere infants in Christ.
21. 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 - It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
22. Galatians 2:11-14 - But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”