Category Archives: Personal Development

Posted on

Is there not a cause?

By Dennis Petersen

“Is There not a cause?” asked the shepherd David in Israel 3,000 years ago, when he witnessed the fear of Goliath among his fellow countrymen.

It’s bad enough when the enemies of your own life overwhelm you with fear.  But when the enemies of your whole culture, indeed of the very kingdom of your God, are openly hostile to the absolute values and objectives of life itself, do you think we might possibly be encouraged by this memorable ancient landmark recorded so specifically for us in our Bible? (more…)

Posted on

Godly Success Knows No Excuses

By Dennis Petersen

The Scriptures give us many emphatic directions on how to achieve success with God’s help in our daily lives

Everybody’s heard Proverbs 3:5-6

“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 straight your paths.”

…but the first part is equally important and perhaps especially needed when motivation is waning because of the many discouraging conditions around us.  Here’s what it says: (more…)

Posted on

Keys to True Success in Challenging Times of Change

By Dennis Petersen, Adapted from: True Success in Times of Change By Tom Morris Nightingale-Conant Corporation

The Bible teaches followers of Jesus Christ to ask God for wisdom when you realize that you lack it, and trust that He will give it to you. How do you think that wisdom is found?   Can we really believe that there is practical wisdom available for the way forward from where we are right now?  When the seemingly overwhelming crises of the world are swirling around us, how can we find a well-lighted path into some sort of sustainable future that we all want? (more…)

Posted on

The Legacy of A Stress-free Life

By Brian Shilhavey

David, the second Jewish king lived a thousand years before Christ.  He was a man who faced tremendous stress in his life. Few of us today will face the kind of anxiety David experienced for more than 10 years of his life when he was constantly on the run from his enemies who were trying to kill him.  His psalms reveal keys that unlock powerful solutions even for today’s high stress world.

“Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest—I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”

Psalm 55:1-8

One of the realities of life that our current physical science-based medical system has had to admit in recent years is that there are non-physical causes to poor health and disease. (more…)

Posted on

The Ant Philosophy… let’s teach our kids

I heard about how Jim Rohn, the well-known business trainer, taught about a very simple yet powerful concept – the ant philosophy.

The Bible teaches the wisdom of observing the humble ant and learning her ways.  Maybe we should all talk with each other from time to time about the characteristics of ants that should apply to our own lives as humans.

Do we value success?  Survival?  Community?  Progress?  Accomplishment?  Overcoming obstacles?  Endurance?  Resourcefulness?

What other values can you think of and why everybody should study ants? (more…)

Posted on

12 Ways to stay optimistic in challenging circumstances

How can you be optimistic when half the population seems whacked out?

With all the bad new we hear around our affluent culture today, it’s easy to fall into pessimism and a rather grim expectation for the future.

It can seem like the time of the judges in the Bible when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

Judges 1-2 stresses that Israel’s tribes failed to obey God in driving out all of the abominable pagan Canaanites from the land.

  • They disobeyed the true and living God and allowed lewd idolatrous gods to become a trap to them.
  • After Joshua’s death a younger generation arose that did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.  Why not?
  • They did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.
  • They ignored the Godly ways of their fathers and played the harlot after false gods, turning aside from obeying the commandments of the Lord.

For anyone who is aware of his current world, there is no doubt that there are some pretty scary physical omens of…

Problems ahead

  1. The HoneyBee colony collapse syndrome could quickly result in massive crop failures and widespread global famine.
  2. Even though mankind’s influence is miniscule, the prospect of severe changes in the climate could affect the choices that many humans have to make in coming decades.
  3. Whether a rogue nation detonates a high altitude bomb to cause an EMP or it happens naturally from solar storms on the sun, the fear of the collapse of much of our electronic technology could result in the death of 90% of the highly dependent population.
  4. The failure of pharmaceutical-based medicine to prevent the rise of Super bugs (diseases) raises the potential of large-scale epidemics like the plagues and pestilences of both the ancient past and even the major epidemics of modern times.
  5. The Muslim immigration to Western Countries predicts the total transformation of many cultural norms in the next two decades.
  6. The continuation of the ‘me’ generation, notably given to Abortion means the inevitable loss of population growth in western Christian culture.
  7. The unwillingness of governments to manage finances conservatively will inevitably lead to Economic collapse, inflation and depression.
  8. The Irrational delusion of leftist secular philosophy is overtaking the masses who have no self restraint. They are being manipulated by ‘mountains’ of influence that the church has failed to reclaim for the kingdom of Christ.

What do the facts say about what’s happening in our world?

Check out: World Revival Network Blog – “Why you have been duped into believing that the world is getting worse and worse.” http://worldrevivalnetwork.blogspot.com/2015/08/why-you-have-been-duped-into-believing.html

“Based on social media and television news reports, multitudes are convinced that the world is growing worse and worse. Yet, there’s absolutely no evidence of this. By every measurable standard, life is improving around the globe. Darkness is fading and the goodness of God’s Kingdom is truly taking root.”

War and Violence have been going down.

There has never been a time in world history where the masses have been escaping poverty like they have in our present generation.

In 1720 the average man in England only lived to be about thirty years of age. Currently most are living past the age of eighty.

The number of those who claim to be Christians around the world has nearly quadrupled in the last century, from about 600 million in 1910 to more than 2.3 billion as of 2011.

There is greater prosperity, peace, and health than ever before in recorded history. The Kingdom of God is boldly advancing and it’s transforming everything in its wake.
We need to let go of our pessimistic, “doom and gloom” worldview and truly embrace the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of God.  As Jesus promised, His Holy Spirit is working through His people to bring blessing and life to a world that has been ravaged by darkness.

What can change the World? What is the reason for True Hope?

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living.”

Psalm 27:13

Is it possible that God is raising up a generation to repent and reform a culture, guiding a new generation to God?

How must we live?  Think?  Act?  Are we willing to think beyond ourselves and prepare to equip the “next generation” in Reclaiming their legacy?

 

1 Be grateful for what you have

  1. Focus on positive things you have.
  2. Write down 10 things you’re thankful for.
  3. Post that list and read it often.

2. Set Goals – both short term and long term

  1. Aimlessness brews frustration.
  2. Make a daily to-do list and check things off as they are done.
  3. Write where you want to be in a year and beyond.

3. Take care of your physical body

  1. Be deliberate about eating nourishing foods the build up.
  2. Thoughtfully avoid toxic substances you know destroy your health.
  3. Make a quest of finding things that enhance your wellness.

4. Take your focus off yourself

  1. Do 5 nice acts of kindness daily for others.
  2. Love the blessing of giving without expecting payback.
  3. Remember that what goes around comes around.

5. Put a guard on your mouth

  1. Consciously monitor your words to edify others.
  2. Your thoughts don’t all need to be spoken.
  3. Be careful about what you think about to guide what you say.

6. See yourself as who you want to grow into

  1. Find admirable role models to watch how they behave.
  2. Daily work on learning and doing the things that will improve you.
  3. Be patient with yourself as you would with a child you are coaching.

7. Express your creative self in some way each day

  1. Feelings of satisfaction with yourself improve when you create
  2. Do little creative acts with your appearance or your home environment.
  3. Be creative with how you treat other people.

8. Refuse the fear of failure.

  1. Embrace the fact that success is always built on multiple failures.
  2. Draw encouragement from life stories of others who overcame difficulty.
  3. Do uncomfortable things first, not just things in your comfort zone.

9. Do Not condemn yourself or labor your negative past or present.

  1. Think about what your Creator has done for your advantage.
  2. If it’s to be it’s up to me, always remembering you live by God’s grace.
  3. Think: If others can achieve it, why not me and why not now? Just get to work.

10. Stay in the moment

  1. When your thoughts drift to past hurts, decide you’re going to refocus on what you do now.
  2. Rather than worrying about future problems that might happen ask what you can do now.
  3. Look for things you can change for better outcomes in the short term.

11. Being happy is a deliberate pursuit.

  1. Smile more.  You can give one without losing yours.
  2. Find others who are joyful and learn from them.
  3. Laugh often when you have the slightest reason.

12. Recharge your emotional energy daily.

  1. Find 5 minutes of quiet time several times a day.
  2. Optimism requires refocusing on happy thoughts.
  3. Deliberately praise others and especially God.

 

“For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.”

Psalm 112:6-8

 

“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace (prosperity).”
Psalm 37:8-11

 

Posted on

Integrity – Will we embrace our choice to live in Integrity?

By Dennis Petersen

Whether we are employed or not, the challenges facing us in today’s world require us to make choices that produce prosperity for more than ourselves.

We face so many crises today, but the one issue rarely identified as a real crisis is at the root of practically all the problems. It’s a crisis in integrity.

So many problems would be greatly diminished or perhaps even disappear if people had acted with integrity and honor.  Before we take a look at how we individually can make the best choices for the challenges of the future, we need to recognize the serious reality of what all of us are facing.

 

Just think of some of the society-wide problems that are happening today.  We choose how we deal with them. Hiding our faces doesn’t make the problems go away.

Physical problems: environmental toxicity issues; chronic degenerative health conditions; shortages; dangers and side effects from natural disasters.

Social problems: political corruption; public policy decisions; civil unrest; conflicts of world views.

Financial problems: Debt; Inflation; unemployment.

Personal problems: fear of the future; peace of mind; relational problems.

So, what do we do to maintain a sense of stability in such a swirling confusion of negative woes?

Trusting God must be the foundation of our plans and actions.

Read Psalm 37:1-11  “Fret not yourselves because of evil doers… trust in the Lord and do good.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

Integrity must be what we determine to maintain no matter what.

What are the Marks of Integrity?

An article by Charles R. Swindoll focused on a vital concept found in 1 Cor. 11:28, 31.

“But let a man examine himself…”
“..If we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.”

Integrity is a very personal matter of our individual willingness to be accountable to the truths and values to which we have committed ourselves.

What are the marks of integrity that God wants in our lives.  Do you have these marks of integrity?

  • An excellent attitude
  • Faithfulness and diligence at work
  • Personal purity of the highest caliber
  • Consistency in your walk with God

A reminder: Only you can do the surgery on your soul.  Only you!  No one else can know the truth. You can cover up, twist the facts in your mind, rationalize, and ignore . . . and no one will know the difference but you. But if you really value integrity, you will come to terms with the whole truth, regardless of the consequences. Daniel refused to compromise and consequently was thrown into the lions’ den. Look what God did. He honored Daniel’s faithfulness. He’ll do the same for you.

Integrity is a matter of consistency in living out your values

Conformity leads to compromise. Compromise leads to mediocrity. Mediocrity leads to sin and a wasted life. Finally, a wasted life leads to a lost legacy.  Dennis Rainey

No position in life can be secure, and no achievement can be permanent unless built upon truth and justice.  Napoleon Hill

You see, we are successful when we are steadily becoming the unique person God intends us to become and when we are doing what he asks us to do.  Pamela Heim

Discipline is the price you pay for freedom…Discipline restores your freedom of choice.
Norman Vincent Peale

Now if it is true that God is both Truth and Love it will be readily seen that the greatest sins will be unreality, hypocrisy, deceit, lying, or whatever we choose to call sins against truth, and self-love which makes fellowship with other people and their proper treatment impossible.  J.B. Phillips

It is better to fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed, than to succeed in a cause that will ultimately fail.  Peter Marshall

Christians must seek to behave among men in a way that brings praise to their Father in heaven.  J.I. Packer

HOW TO CULTIVATE INTEGRITY

Cultivating integrity is not easy.  It is developed on a daily basis, moment by moment, decision by decision, test by test.

Psalms 26:11 – David saw it as a walk: “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity…” It is something we do, a step at a time.

We cultivate our integrity as we respond to the circumstances we face every day.  It doesn’t matter if the circumstances are big or little.  They are equally effective in testing our core honesty. Some pass these tests better than others. Abraham failed such a test, yielding to the fear of man rather than the promises of God. He didn’t lie outright, but he told only part of the truth, acting as if he were Sarah’s brother. It nearly cost him his inheritance. When the pagan king learned that something was wrong because he took Sarah, he told the Lord, “In the integrity of my heart I have done this. I did not know she was this man’s wife, or I would never have taken her.” The Lord replied, “Yes, I know, and it was because of your integrity that I stopped you from sinning against me.” (Genesis 20:1-7)

David did not wait for circumstances to test him. He had the courage to invite God to test him. He had what some call aggressive integrity, insisting that God sift his heart and examine him: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; (24) and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  (Psalms 139:23, 24)

Pray like David: Psalm 26:2: “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.”

HAVING OUR INTEGRITY TESTED

The Biblical account of Job is really a story about a good man who had his integrity tested.  It’s evident by the question God asked Satan at the start of the Book:

“Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3)

People have tried to fit other interpretations for the “why” behind this story, but this is the only reason God gave. What is otherwise a difficult book to read becomes more relevant to our lives when read in light of how God will allow our integrity to be tested. Job’s wife certainly saw this as the issue, when she said, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”  Even his friends raised the question of integrity: “Is not your fear of God your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?”

Sometimes hanging on to our integrity is our only hope for recovery. Job held fast to his, saying,

“Far be it from me that I should say you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.”

In the end, all he could say was:

“Let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity.”

When we come to the end of our difficult circumstances, sort through all the accusations thrown at us, examine the differences in beliefs and practices which threaten to divide us, or look at all the personality conflicts we face, they can be seen as the tests which assess the depth and development of our integrity.

When we recognize that those trials bring our integrity to bear, will we stand fast.

Integrity means ‘singleness.’  Will we maintain singleness of mind and purpose in our work and in our personal lives?  God is challenging us to have integrity to shine brightly to make a true difference in the world around us.  He is looking for the men and women of integrity.  Will we stand in the face of challenges to do His will, no matter what?  Let’s dedicate our lives to reclaim the legacy of integrity.  May God give specific direction in how He will fulfill his purpose in your life.

 

Posted on

What is the most important thing you have ever learned?

the miraculous quality of childlike meekness - By Dennis Petersen

When you think about taking a proactive change of direction to reclaim your legacy, what do you think is the most important thing that you have personally learned in your lifetime so far?  With your focus on making a positive influence on your children and grandchildren – your next generation – what truth or idea have you discovered that is such a powerful influence on your own life that you would have to include it among the very top dozen or so important things that you have ever learned in your life?

Who is the one man to influence generations for God’s kingdom?

I recently read a sermon delivered by a gospel preacher who lived over 250 years ago before America became a nation.  He was born in Gloucester, England, in 1714 and is often referred to as the greatest English preacher who ever lived.  In both England and the American Colonies, he passionately gave himself to proclaiming Christ mostly in open air outdoor meetings heard by thousands of people at a time.  One historian estimated that he preached a thousand sermons a year for 30 years.  He was perhaps the most influential single person God used to create the society-transforming phenomenon of the middle 1700s called “the Great Awakening.”  He became an early example of modern evangelists acquainted with the notable English pastor, John Wesley, who became best friends with one of the most influential men in the founding of America – Benjamin Franklin.  Who was this unique man? (more…)

Posted on

How Can A Society Drift into Rejecting God?

Never Reject the Love of the Truth! by Dennis Petersen

free-choice-not-consequencesYou might wonder why a whole society seems to drift into a hardened rejection of the knowledge of God.  Why do people who resist God seem to fall prey to deeper and deeper deceptions in so many areas of life?

What do you want?

  • Confidence in your purpose in life?
  • To be pleasing to your Creator?
  • Victory over destructive influences in life?
  • Character qualities that glorify God?
  • Greater insight for success in your own journey?
  • Optimal physical well being and health?
  • Freedom to use your gifts most effectively?
  • Greater impact and influence on the world around you?

A wise man will hear and increase in learning and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:5, 7

One of my best lessons I ever learned…

“My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge.”

Hosea 4:6

“Through knowledge the righteous are delivered.”

Proverbs 11:9

“… if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

James 1:5

What is the primary way that God gives His wisdom to those who ask of Him?

(more…)