Jesus: The Only Way to Heaven

From the In Touch devotionals (www.intouch.org):


John 10:1-11

'While there are many religions, there is only one way to heaven. Jesus clearly states that "no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). He used several picturesque descriptions to emphasize this point—He called Himself the way (14:6), the door (10:9), the living bread (6:51), and the good shepherd (10:11).

God does not expect people to follow a ritual to make Jesus Lord of their lives—you can use any words you'd like. However, some biblical elements are essential when beginning a relationship with Him:

1) Confess your sin and admit your need for a Savior (1 John 1:9).

2) Place your trust in Jesus Christ as the only possible Savior, acknowledging that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:3-4).

3) Believe that your sins are forgiven and your name is written in the Lamb's book of life (1 John 5:11-13).

Every person has a choice to make. Death is inevitable, but we can decide whether, on exiting this world, we will enter God's presence or eternal torment. Let me make this very clear: What a person believes about heaven and hell won't influence God in the slightest. People will be judged not by their attitudes but by the truth of His Word.

The Bible declares that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. His gospel is a straight path from the pit of sin to the glory of heaven—with the promise 

of an abundant life in between. What we must do is go through the Door and follow the Way to taste the Living Bread.'

---------------------------------------------------------------------
***

This is the last entry of The Winning Wei blog for the near future. Many thanks to those that have consistently tuned in to read my blog. I hope the inspirational and motivational entries that I've shared have been useful and a blessing for you. Best Wishes to one and all, Bill.


***

See the Big Picture

From the book Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy & Wise, by David Niven:


'We often let one frustration block out our vision of everything else. When you feel defeated by a problem, step back from the situation and look at your life with a longer-range perspective....


...It's easy to get caught up in every problem you have - to race from one thing to the next and never really see where you are going....


...habit undermines our ability to persevere: It becomes so much easier to think "It's impossible"....


...emphasize the importance of thinking big. Everybody knows how to make decisions that instantly please them; what's important is to learn to think beyond that. When you learn to balance your natural tendency to live for today with a long-term vision, you can start really planning for what you want.


Satisfaction with life is nine times more strongly affected by a feeling of general life quality than by specific events or challenges in life.'

More Winning Quotes

"Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles."
   -  Helen Keller


"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."
   -  Winston Churchill


"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome."
   -  Booker T. Washington

A Gift for Every Believer

From the In Touch devotionals (www.intouch.org):

'Even though the Bible clearly states that every believer receives a spiritual gift, some people nevertheless think they were overlooked. So these men and women mosey through life refusing opportunities to serve. Other folks are so busy wishing they had a different ability that they do not use the one bestowed by the Holy Spirit. Both of these attitudes are sinful.

God has a specific purpose and ministry for every Christian. Our spiritual gifts help us to fulfill His plan. We learn which one (or ones) we possess by getting involved in the life of the church. In other words, a believer will know his divinely appointed abilities when he begins to exercise them.


Moreover, God has a general purpose for handing out spiritual gifts. Christians exercise their special skills for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7). Everyone profits when believers do God's work though the power of the Holy Spirit. We're to use our gifts for equipping, edifying, and encouraging one another (Eph. 4:11-13). To appreciate how this works, we may have to broaden our understanding of words like evangelist, prophet, and teacher. Biblically, these terms describe co-laborers who share Christ, spiritual mentors who explain biblical truths to new believers, friends who uplift the discouraged, and others doing similar work.


Every member of the Christian fellowship is important, and each one has a work to do. There are no excuses for bypassing God's will. Where He has gifted us and opened doors of opportunity for ministry, He also provides the strength and courage to exercise our abilities.'

Achievement

From the book Minute Motivators for Leaders, by Stan Toler:


"The most effective way to achieve right relationships is to look for the best in every person, and then help that best into its fullest expression."
   -  Allen J. Boone


'A leader, by definition, is out in front of others. The leader is the person who rises above the crowd, pointing the way to worthwhile goals. It's the leader who dreams big dreams and makes them come true. It's the leader who points to the mountaintop and takes others there. 


Leaders are achievers who soar to new heights, who accomplish great things. They are not afraid to go where no one else has gone. They're willing to abandon the nest, to catch the current no matter where it may take them, to risk everything for a higher purpose. The wind in their face doesn't hamper them; rather it causes them to climb even higher. 


It's the leader who has the faith to envision the world as being different than it is and the fortitude to make it so. Leaders are not content with mediocrity. Through eyes of faith, they see a world free from the problems they believe they can solve, and their vision is contagious. 


Leaders aren't afraid to take the leap.'


Winners soar like eagles.

Habit Busting

From the book 365 Inspirations for a Great Life, by Lynda Field:


'Revitalize yourself by stopping your energy-zapping habits and reclaiming your balance and creativity.

• Take time each day to stop all activity and savor the silence.
• Stop saying "yes" to everything.
• Think things through before you agree to do something. Say "no" if you want to. 
• Let yourself be human, ask for help and express your needs. You are not Superwoman or Superman, and people do like to do things for each other.
• Get your life in balance. All work and no play wrecks us physically and emotionally. Fun and relaxation are powerful energy boosters.'

Recalibrate Route!

From the Today God Is First devotionals (www.todaygodisfirst.com):

"The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth" (Luke 3:5).

'I love the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in the new cars. A voice comes on and tells me how far I have to go and when to turn. However, sometimes I get off course and the voice says: "Recalculating route." The GPS is telling me I have gone off course and it is now recalculating the route based on my wrong turn. Sometimes we can make wrong turns in our spiritual lives. We think we are going the right direction only to discover it was never God's will to enter that relationship, make that business deal, hire that person - the examples are limitless.


There is an amazing thing about God. He can make our crooked places straight. He has an ability to make whatever blunder you make turn out right. It may mean there might be some consequences to those decisions, but He will always allow your actions to work together for good for those called according to His purposes if we repent and seek Him fully to make things right. These lessons can even contribute to greater wisdom in our lives if we learn from our mistakes.


God's omnipotence is always one step ahead of our incompetence. Do you think He knew you would make that misstep? Absolutely. Do you think your life was planned even with that misstep figured in? Absolutely.


Isn't it comforting to know you cannot plan God out of the equation no matter how bad you mess up? He will always turn crooked places into straight places for those who are humble and contrite.


Do you need a crooked place straightened out today? Ask Him to straighten the course so you can flow in His perfect will for your life.'

Be a Servant

From the book The Management Methods of Jesus, by Bob Briner:


'...The reality is that the surest way to success for a business executive is to put his employees and his customers first - in effect, to become a servant to them, meeting their needs. The annals of business are full of success stories in which the model of "others first" was a surefire formula for success. 


The mystery is that so few "get it." So few are willing to learn from either Jesus or from contemporary organizational examples.


Now it is important to point out that being a servant to your employees and your customers does not mean "giving away the store" or going soft-headed and namby-pamby. Not at all. That's no way to serve your employees or your customers. To meet your employees' and customers' needs, your company must be successful. Only successful companies survive to serve.


This kind of servanthood does require an attitude that asks, "How can I best take care of the needs of my employees and customers in the context of a growing, thriving business?" It certainly does not mean you sell your products below cost or put all potential profits into salaries and bonuses. That would be ridiculous, self-defeating, and ultimately threatening to your organization.


In business, the opposite of the servanthood model is the one that, if articulated, would be, "Let's pay these guys as little as possible and charge our customers as much as possible for the products we make as cheaply as possible so we can make as much as possible." This is not a pathway to success. 


To succeed, use the Jesus model. Take good care of your employees and your customers. When Jesus said in Matthew 23:11, "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant," He made a statement by which any business can live and thrive.'

Stay in Control

From the book Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy & Wise, by David Niven:


'Your life is the consequence of your decisions. Regardless of your life situation, you have to see that your decisions matter. While accountability and responsibility are heavy burdens, the most important thing that accompanies a belief in consequences is freedom.


"The number one thing I tell kids - and it doesn't matter what context we're talking about - is that their decision matters....You don't want to study - that decision matters. You go out when you should be home - decision matters. You goof off during practice instead of working hard - that decision matters. You have to be able to see cause and effect. Otherwise, even if you want the right effect, you won't know how to cause it."


Feeling that their lives were beyond their control reduced the likelihood of life satisfaction by 40 percent and contributed to feelings of despondency in eight out of ten people surveyed.'

More Winning Quotes

"The ambitious climbs high and perilous stairs and never cares how to come down; the desire of rising hath swallowed up his fear of a fall."
   -  Thomas Adams


"Failure is only postponed success as long as courage 'coaches' ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory."
   -  Herbert Kaufman


"Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear, and obstacles vanish into air."
   -  John Quincy Adams

Our Greatest Treasure

From the In Touch devotionals (www.intouch.org):


Matthew 8:5-13

'What do you consider your most prized possession? A house, car, boat, or cash would likely be high on most folks' list. But even treasures and luxuries won't bring lasting satisfaction—why else do so many men and women keep trading up and adding to their collection? Sadly, in the race to have "better" and "more," a lot of people overlook the most valuable asset of all: faith.


Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"—and this corresponds to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. Faith isn't something we can work to obtain; rather, it is a gift from the Lord.


Consider the power that God makes available. Jesus said that faith as small as a mustard seed—one of the smallest seeds in existence—enables us to do miraculous deeds (Matt. 17:20). In the book of Acts, for example, we see that the apostles' belief led to numerous healings (3:1-8; 5:16). And Matthew's gospel tells us that through a Canaanite woman's faith, her daughter was freed from demonic possession (15:22-28).


Trust in Christ is even more than an avenue to miracles; it is the way to salvation. The Bible states that there is nothing we can do to achieve eternal security in God's kingdom; we are saved only by His grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).


The best way to move forward is by first receiving life's greatest gift—faith in the Savior. Romans 10:9 says to "confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, [and] you will be saved." Salvation and abundant life are found nowhere else.'

Humility

From the book Minute Motivators for Leaders, by Stan Toler:


'A leader who is looking for credit will soon be a solo performer. No team will truly follow a selfish leader. The best leaders display that seldom-seen virtue - humility. They discover real worth in terms of their ability to generate team excellence.


They don't care who gets the praise, as long as the job gets done. Actions take precedence over accolades. Goals are more important than gold. Ribbons are incidental to right behavior. Great leaders don't draw attention to themselves. They express their appreciation for the contributions of others. 


They're willing to put the mission ahead of their own desires. They've discovered the greater joy of giving their lives for something worthwhile. The purpose, mission, and objectives of the organization are paramount, while the personalities and personal achievements of the leader are secondary. What they have done as individuals is far less important than what they have done to help others succeed.


The bigger the leader, the smaller the ego!


Leaders are unselfish.'

Be Popular

From the book 365 Inspirations for a Great Life, by Lynda Field:


'Become the friend that you would most like to have. If you would like to be popular and attract new people into your circle, then use the following skills.

• Extend your interests - and your personal network will develop
• Empathize with others and show them that you understand
• Listen well. Give people your undivided attention and they will feel valued and respected
• Develop your ability to make small-talk; find out what interests the other person. People feel more able to relax when the tone is light-hearted

As you become recognized as a person who is non-threatening and supportive, you will attract new relationships.'

What's Your Brand?

From the Today God Is First devotionals (www.todaygodisfirst.com):

'Coca-Cola is the number one "brand" in the world. Companies spend millions of dollars making their brands known in business. They want you to recognize their brand. When you think of their brand they hope you will have positive thoughts in hopes it will influence your next purchasing decision.

Every individual has a personal "brand" whether you want it or not. Cultures have a brand. Ethnic groups have a brand. Your brand is defined by your conduct. If you are always late, you'll soon develop a brand or reputation for being late. Others will even show up late because they know you will be late. If you are a person who exaggerates the truth, others will soon fail to take you serious.


However, the opposite can also be true. Your brand can be incredibly positive. By being a man or woman of your word, who is consistent in dealing fairly and honestly with others, your brand becomes known as someone who is faithful in all aspects of life.


One of God's most important characteristics is His faithfulness. Faithfulness means one is true to fulfilling their promises to others in the time which was committed. God is faithful to fulfill all His promises to His children.


What is your brand among your peers? Is it a positive brand or does it need improvement? Allowing the Lord to make us more like Jesus is the only way our brand becomes trustworthy.
Ask the Lord today to make you a faithful brand in which others can trust.'

Prepare for Tough Times

From the book The Management Methods of Jesus, by Bob Briner:


'There is one thing you can count on in business and in life - tough times will come. The wise manager prepares for them. 


Jesus continually prepared His followers for the tough times. Over and over He warned them that the trials would come, both to Him and to them. Some of His sternest rebukes were issued when the disciples refused to heed His warnings about the difficult days ahead. 


...All economies are cyclical. There will be downturns, recessions, and maybe even depressions. Financial reserves and an orderly plan for downsizing during these times are often keys to survival. 


...Jesus, showing His great wisdom, invested a great deal of His most precious time in teaching and planning for the tough times. So should you.


The high-flying front-runners without reserves and without a plan for the tough times do not survive.'

Get a Good Night's Sleep

From the book Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy & Wise, by David Niven:


'When there are only so many hours in the day, and so much to do, the loser often ends up being sleep. But sleep is a crucial factor in your ability to function. It is food for your brain. You can sacrifice sleep to gain extra time, but ultimately  you are sacrificing your ability to use your time with purpose and efficiency.


Most Americans have been sleepy at their job, and two in five report making errors because of sleepiness. Inadequate sleep reduces innovative thinking by 60 percent and flexibility in decision making by 39 percent.'

More Winning Quotes

"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."
   -  Frank Lloyd Wright


"Success follows doing what you want to do. There is no other way to be successful."
   -  Malcolm Forbes


"Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success."
   -  Dale Carnegie

Why Good Works Aren't Enough

From the In Touch devotionals (www.intouch.org):


Romans 3:10-12

'Some people believe that good works are like a "get out of hell free" card. What these folks do not realize is that an individual isn't condemned by the Lord because of the things he does. He is condemned because of what he is—a person with a spirit bent away from God. We choose to sin because it is our nature to do so.


To find proof that mankind does not naturally obey, all one has to do is observe any two-year-old child. Why does a toddler tug on the lamp cord after his mom says, "Don't touch!"? His impulse to do what he wants is greater than his desire to please Mother.


Complying with authority is a choice that we learn to make. In the meantime, we all have a rebellious nature. Not one single person is good enough or wise enough to remain sinless and pleasing before the Lord. Therefore, we have all sinned and are under a death sentence (Rom. 3:23; 6:23).


The Word of God says that until the moment of salvation, we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). This means that although the body has not yet undergone physical death, the spirit is lifeless apart from the Lord. We are helpless to save ourselves.


We are a people in need of rescue. The instant we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, our spirit is brought to life and our heart undergoes transformation. In the moment that God saves you, He makes you into a new creature—one with a nature surrendered to Him and His will.'

Creativity

From the book Minute Motivators for Leaders, by Stan Toler:


"Imagination is the beginning of creativity."
   -  George Bernard Shaw


'Leaders don't just think outside the box. They live outside the box!


If there is a conventional way to approach a problem, a great leader will think of that last. What's new? What's different? What hasn't been done? These are the questions a leader asks.


Leaders are creative people. They see things that don't exist and bring them to life. They are content to work in fresh soil. They don't need the tried and tested. They are willing to go where no one else has gone before. They are moon walkers. 


Creative leaders are willing to sacrifice the immediate for the cause of tomorrow. No price is too great to see the birth of their dreams. They're willing to work under the heat of the sun to plant seeds of promise. Clouds and rain don't deter them. 


Creative leaders are willing to use methods that haven't been proven. They delight in merging new ideas and principles with people in a fresh coalescence to achieve their goals.


Leaders look at life through the binoculars of possibility.'

Be An Inspiration

From the book 365 Inspirations for a Great Life, by Lynda Field:


'One of the best ways to give yourself hope is to be an inspiration for another person.

• Think of someone who gave you encouragement.
• What did they say to you?
• What did they do?

Now, do the same for someone else. Help someone to bring out their very best  and you will find something quite amazing - when you inspire another person you feel inspired yourself.

We are all here to help each other; let this belief lie at the heart of all your relationships.'

One Call, Many Jobs

From the Today God Is First devotionals (www.todaygodisfirst.com):



'Most of us will have many jobs over our lifetime. 

With each of our jobs, God is building something in us that will be used for His purposes now and in the future. Oswald Chambers says "In the beginning we do not train for God, we train for work, for our own aims; but as we go on with God we lose all our own aims and are trained into God's purpose. Unless practical work is appointed by God, it will prove a curse."

Jesus was prepared for His ultimate calling by working with His father in his carpentry shop until He was thirty years old. More than 54% of Jesus' teaching arose out of issues in daily life experience. Joseph was prepared to be head of a nation by serving prison time and being a slave in Potiphar's house. Moses was prepared to lead a nation out of slavery by serving in Pharoah's house and later working forty years as a shepherd.


Do not despise the small jobs-for they are stepping stones to a greater purpose in God's plan for your life and for God's preparation for your ultimate destiny. Some of these jobs are necessary for the message He is forming in you.


Pray that God accomplishes His intended outcome in you through the work you are doing today.'

Don't Try to Serve Two Masters

From the book The Management Methods of Jesus, by Bob Briner:


'When considering the various jobs to be done and the available personnel to do them, executives are often tempted to "split up" an individual by assigning him or her to two or more supervisors as well as two or more job tasks. 


This is easy to do on an organizational chart. The reality is, however, that such an arrangement almost never works and almost always results in bruised feelings and poor performances. No one is happy. The job is done poorly - if at all. 


In Matthew 6:24 Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other."'

Negotiate With Confidence, or Don't

From the book Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy & Wise, by David Niven:


'You will face many negotiations in your life - whether for a pay raise or over the terms of a car purchase. Ultimately, your willingness to continue negotiations is based on your own level of self-confidence.


No matter what your other advantages might be, you will end negotiations faster if you lack confidence, which means you'll settle for a less advantageous resolution.


...If you're saying, "Well, I don't know. Maybe. What do you think?" that's not helping. You have to be able to say what you believe, in an unaggressive and uncontentious way. You have to believe it; then, negotiate as if it were true.


Lower self-worth translates into 37 percent less willingness to negotiate and using 11 percent fewer negotiation strategies. Increased self-worth correlates with greater willingness to incur the risks of prolonged negotiation and greater adaptability. In short, the less confidence you have in yourself, the faster you will give up trying to get what you want.'

More Winning Quotes

"Progress results only from the fact that there are some men and women who refuse to believe that what they know to be right cannot be done."
   -  Russell W. Davenport


"To always be intending to live a new life, but never to find time to set about it; this is as if a man should put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day and night to another, till he is starved and destroyed."
   -  John Tillotson


"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe."
   -  Anatole France

The Purpose of Life

From the In Touch devotionals (www.intouch.org):

'Why am I here on earth? No doubt this question crosses everybody's mind at some point.

Unscriptural theories of evolution suggest that we are merely taking up space and will return to nothingness when we die. Cultural propaganda says that we choose our own destiny—in other words, we can live for any cause we choose. But that is absolutely untrue! The Lord has placed you on earth to fulfill His purpose.


Our heavenly Father has a unique plan for every person's life, but He means for us all to share one goal: to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. The process of perfecting our moral, spiritual, and physical selves begins here on earth and is finished in heaven. Much of the work the Lord does in our earthly lives centers on our character. He shows us how to be as loving, kind, and peaceful as Jesus. 


One would think that being like God's Son must require a lot of effort. But the truth is, we are not called to work at it. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer and then lives the life of Christ through him or her. Christians have the responsibility to be submissive to His guidance. That means we respond to every circumstance and event with this question: "How can You use this to make me more like Jesus?" 


The sovereign Lord is behind everything that happens to you—either He directly instigates the situation or He allows it to take place. Both trials and triumphs are engineered to fulfill God's great purpose: crafting a life that reflects His love and glory to the world.'

Action

From the book Minute Motivators for Leaders, by Stan Toler:


'Leaders put actions to their ideas.


Leaders who can think may be good analysts, but they will never be effective until they learn to enact their ideas. Action moves theory from the niceties of the page to the needs of the people.


Effective leaders understand the importance of timing. They act prudently. Their actions are based on their knowledge of available resources. They refuse to commit their team to a cause that has no obvious means of support.


They act courageously. Effective leaders are not afraid to wield the machete in the jungle. They are willing to carve out new paths, to go where no one else has dared to go. 


A leader's actions speak louder than words.'