Leader Servant: Wisdom

If the most people understand and agree with virtually everything you or I say, then you and I probably speak with the wisdom of man instead of the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). We receive and communicate with the Wisdom of God through persistent, diligent prayer, Bible study and associating with spiritually mature Christians.

Serve with Godly Wisdom. Seeking, Receiving and Communicating God's Wisdom will attract the people, opportunities and challenges that God desires in our lives. Growth mandates challenges! Receive God's challenges in your life with Prayer, Gratitude (Thankfulness) and Joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ's Wisdom!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Seek First His Kingdom and Wisdom

The United States of America and the World suffer from much economic, cultural, relational, and spiritual anxiety. Does the Bible give us answers to resolving these anxieties? Challenges will always exist, yet the removal of anxiety provides inner-PEACE despite outward challenges.

The Cure for Anxiety 
  

     "^aFor this reason I say to you, ¹do not be ^bworried about your ²life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and

the body more than clothing? "^aLook at the birds of the ¹air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than

they?

"And who of you by being ^aworried can ^badd a single ¹hour to his ²life? "And why are you ^aworried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even ^aSolomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. "But if God so clothes the ^agrass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?


^bYou of little faith! "Do not ^aworry then, saying,
'What will we eat?' or
'What will we drink?' or
'What will we wear for clothing?'

"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for ^ayour heavenly Father knows that you

need all these things.

 

"But ¹seek first ²His kingdom and His righteousness, and ^aall these things will be ³added to you.

 

"So do not ^aworry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will ¹care for itself. ²Each day has

enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25–34 NASB95)

Solomon Seeks First the Kingdom of God, Asking only for Wisdom!

Solomon's Prayer

    6    Then Solomon said, "^aYou have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, ^baccording as he walked before You in ¹truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and ^cYou have ²reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. "Now, O Lord my God, ^aYou have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet ^bI am but a little child; ^cI do not know how to go out or come in.

 

"^aYour servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, ^ba great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. "So ^agive Your servant ¹an understanding heart to judge

Your people ^bto discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this ²great people of Yours?"

God's Answer

¹It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have ^anot asked for yourself ¹long life, nor

have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself ²discernment to understand justice, behold, ^aI have done according to your words.

 

Behold, ^bI have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. "^aI have also given you what you have not asked,

both ^briches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.

 

"^aIf you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will ^bprolong your days." Then ^aSolomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

 

And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and ^bmade a feast for all his servants.

"But ¹seek first ²His kingdom and His righteousness, and ^aall these things will be ³added to you. Are you asking for wisdom? Are you praying for Godly wisdom for the President of the United States of America or the leader of your nation?

 

Leaders indwelled by the Holy Spirit desire, plead and welcome your prayers that they may receive wisdom from God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Conversely, any leader offended by such prayers lives in opposition to God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ by Seeking First His Kingdom, His Wisdom!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

 

^a Matt 6:25–33: Luke 12:22–31

¹ Or stop being worried

^b Matt 6:27, 28, 31, 34; Luke 10:41; 12:11, 22; Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7
² Lit soul

^a Job 35:11; 38:41; Ps 104:27, 28; Matt 10:29ff; Luke 12:24
¹ Lit heaven

^a Matt 6:25, 28, 31, 34; Luke 10:41; 12:11, 22; Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7
^b Ps 39:5
¹ Lit cubit (approx 18")
² Or height

^a Matt 6:25, 27, 31, 34; Luke 10:41; 12:11, 22; Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7
^a 1 Kin 10:4–7; 2 Chr 9:4–6, 20–22
^a James 1:10, 11; 1 Pet 1:24
^b Matt 8:26; 14:31; 16:8
^a Matt 6:25, 27, 28, 34; Luke 10:41; 12:11, 22; Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7
^a Matt 6:8; Phil 4:19
¹ Or continually seek

² Or the kingdom

^a Matt 19:28; Mark 10:29f; Luke 18:29f; 1 Tim 4:8
³ Or provided

^a Matt 6:25, 27, 28, 31; Luke 10:41; 12:11, 22; Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7
¹ Lit worry about itself

² Lit Sufficient for the day is its evils


New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 6:25–34.
^a 2 Sam 7:8–17; 2 Chr 1:8
^b 1 Kin 9:4
¹ Or faithfulness

^c 1 Kin 1:48
² Lit kept

^a 1 Chr 22:9–13
^b 1 Chr 29:1; Jer 1:6, 7
^c Num 27:17
^a Ex 19:6; Deut 7:6
^b Gen 15:5; 22:17
^a 2 Chr 1:10; Ps 72:1, 2; Prov 2:3–9; James 1:5
¹ Lit a hearing

^b 2 Sam 14:17; Heb 5:14
² Lit heavy

¹ Lit the thing

^a James 4:3
¹ Lit many days

² Lit hearing

^a 1 John 5:14, 15
^b 1 Kin 4:29–31; 5:12; 10:23, 24; Eccl 1:16
^a 1 Kin 4:21–24; 10:23, 27; Matt 6:33; Eph 3:20
^b Prov 3:16
^a 1 Kin 3:6
^b Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2
^a Gen 41:7
^b 1 Kin 8:65

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 1 Ki 3:6–15.
¹ Or continually seek

² Or the kingdom

^a Matt 19:28; Mark 10:29f; Luke 18:29f; 1 Tim 4:8
³ Or provided

 

Leader Servant: Air Filters and Desert Sand

"The engines run faster when we remove the air filters."

 

My dad consulted Saudi Arabia royalty in raising wheat with center pivots in the desert in December 1984 thru July 1985. They complained that the engines powering the pumps quickly failed, blaming the manufacturer and everyone else. Upon driving to the site, Dad quickly identified the cause of engine failure.

 

They removed the cover over the air filter so that incoming air to the engine by-passed the filter.

 

Stating the obvious, sand's abrasive properties quickly ruin even the best-designed and highly tuned engines. Eventually, Dad convinced and demonstrated the increase of efficiency, yield and profit through the necessity of the air filter removing pollutants, including sand, before the air entered the engine.

 

This scenario parallels my life when I try to remove the filter of the Bible, Prayer, and the wisdom of Godly associates in my thoughts and actions. I too sometimes try blaming the Creator for the problems, despite my ignoring the Owner's Manual.

 

The abrasive secular wisdom, secular logic, secular pleasure entering my heart, mind and soul with the filters, destroys my productivity, relationships and impact.

 

Only the filter provides restoration. Once I force thoughts and actions through the filter of the Bible, Prayer and wisdom of Spiritually Mature associates, efficiency, yield and profit increase.

 

For clarity, profit includes relationships and impact on the lives of others, including my relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

 

Dad received word of this position from our neighbor at the time in Manhattan, Kansas, Gordon Hibbard. Gordon now serves as the President/CEO of the Kansas 4-H Foundation, Inc. He epitomizes the Leader Servant who filters all through God's Word, prayer, and associations with the spiritually mature.

 

Today, I seek to assure all input to my heart, mind and soul—thoughts and actions—pass through the filter of God's Word, Prayer—communication with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, Godly associates. Removing the filter may allow me to initially run faster, make money and impress more people, yet eventually leads to unavoidable destruction.

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

 

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickEMeyer.com

 

 

Leader Servant: Poor in Spirit

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-3)

    ^aWhen Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on ^bthe ¹mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. ^aHe opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, "^1aBlessed are the ²poor in spirit, for ^btheirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I complete nighttime prayers, I consider watching an online thirty-minute television program. However, an instant, non-audible, distinct voice permeated my conscious mind, "Which do you consider a better investment of your time, television or time in the Bible and prayer with the omniscience, sovereign, triune God (Father, the Son, Lord Jesus Chris, and the Holy Spirit) who created everything (Jn 1:3)—including you, Rick, and reigns above all?"

The necessity of frequent, in-depth conversations with God through reading the Bible and prayer struck like lightning.

This searing lightning obliterates my pride, arrogance, and self-reliance.

Conversely, God's love, mercy, and power provide a poor in spirit heart that recognizes our complete dependence on God and the forgiveness of sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Additionally, internalizing the Bible and prayer help reveal God's will in every aspect of your life.

We instinctively pray continuously throughout the day as a result of our relationship with God and our poor in spirit heart. Additionally, God's wisdom leads us to also engage in specific times of only prayer.

The specific responsibilities of each person's daily service to God, vary. Yet, the Great Commission (Mt 28:16-20) applies to each follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. My current responsibilities include diligently studying the Bible word while attaining my Masters of Art in Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, TX. What do your current responsibilities entail?

My daily responsibility of serving God includes reading thousands of pages, writing hundreds of pages, and committing hundreds of Bible verses to memory every semester. Additionally, I serve God in my business through in speaking across the United States and writing to a global audience, along with competitive distance running.

The latter mandates continual weight loss because excess weight significantly slows one down. In life and running, wisdom suggests we remove excess physical, emotional and spiritual weight to perform at our highest capacities which enable us to serve God to the best of our abilities.

As my parents frequently said throughout my life, "Just do your best." Their command requires great effort and faith. As does my dad's last command, "Always trust God. Remember that son. Trust God Always!

Are you and I achieving our best from watching television or from reading the Bible and praying? Does always trusting God lead us to watch television for thirty minutes or read the Bible and pray for thirty minutes?

I wrapped up a phone conversation this past week asking my mentor what I should focus on this next week.

Charles responded, "Ask, 'Am I anchored in God in every area of my life?'"

These commands, questions, and acknowledging my poor spirit before God, perpetually direct each of my thoughts, words, and actions. How do they affect you? This leads to regularly internalize the Bible and prayer instead of watching an unnecessary sitcom.

Yes, I probably will watch television again. During my twenties, I lived without a television for three or four years while pursuing my running prime. One should never take my choices and messages of tonight as a law or life rule.

Instead, consider your thoughts, actions, and choices in your relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Let your love of God (1Jn 4:19) inspire your desire to serve and please Him to the best of your ability.

Do you trust God enough to seek His wisdom for every area of your life?
Is every area of your life anchored in Christ?
Your response to these inquiries reveals whether your heart is poor in spirit before God.

"When Luther’s puppy [n. 116, Luther's dog Tölpel is mentioned again and again in the Table Talk.] happened to be at the table, looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes, he [Martin Luther] said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish, or hope.'"

Luther’s Works, Volume 54, Table Talk (Philadelphia: 1967), pp. 37, 38. May 18, 1532

"^1aBlessed are the ²poor in spirit, for ^btheirs is the kingdom of heaven."

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ by possessing a poor, humble spirit!
Rick

Rick E. Meyer
Running on Faith Ministry, Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

^a Matt ch 5–7; Luke 6:20–49

^b Mark 3:13; Luke 6:17; 9:28; John 6:3, 15
¹ Or hill
^a Matt 13:35; Acts 8:35; 10:34; 18:14
¹ I.e. fortunate or prosperous, and so thr v 11
^a Matt 5:3–12; Luke 6:20–23
² I.e. those who are not spiritually arrogant
^b Matt 5:10; 19:14; 25:34; Mark 10:14; Luke 6:20; 22:29f
^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 5:1–3.
¹ I.e. fortunate or prosperous, and so thr v 11
^a Matt 5:3–12; Luke 6:20–23
² I.e. those who are not spiritually arrogant
^b Matt 5:10; 19:14; 25:34; Mark 10:14; Luke 6:20; 22:29f

Learning

Personally I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught. ~ Winston Churchill
 

The man who is too old to learn, was probably always too old to learn.
~ Henry Haskins

A young man came to Socrates one day and said, in substance: "Mr. Socrates, I have come 1,500 miles to gain wisdom and learning. I want learning, so I come to you."

Socrates said, "Come, follow me." He led the way down to the seashore. They waded out into the water until they were up to their waists, and then Socrates seized his companion and forced his head under the water. In spite of his struggles, Socrates held him under.

Finally, when most of his resistance was gone Socrates laid him out on the shore and returned to the marketplace. When the visitor had regained his strength, he returned to Socrates to learn the reason for this behavior.

Socrates said to him, "When you were under the water, what was the one thing you wanted more than anything else?"

"I wanted air."

Then Socrates said, "When you want knowledge and understanding as badly as you wanted air, you won't have to ask anyone to give it to you."

—Sterling W. Sill

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

1 Corinthians Argument 1:4 – 2:16

Thanksgiving 1:4-9

An old saying states, People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care (love). This passage informs the Corinthian church of Paul sharing Christ's love for them, which opens the audience's heart and mind to the message. Paul dwells on the God's eternal faithfulness, praising God for using those in the Corinthian church. He instructs the church of amazing gifts of grace resulting from dwelling in Christ. This grace is comprised of at least three factors defined by Dr. Gene Getz, first, God's Favor in Salvation, "called as saints" (Eph. 2:8-9). Second, A Divine Source of Strength, in each greeting of Paul's thirteen letters, he uses "grace" and "peace" (1Cor. 1:3) and Paul requested God to provide strength to all believers in their daily lives. 3) The Grace—Freely given gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 1:4-7; 12:11). The Corinthians needed reassurance of the power available to them from God to overcome the temptations. Prudence also mandated understanding among the Corinthian church that these gifts resulted in God's goodness as opposed to any perceived human goodness.

Divisions in the Church 1:10-17

Paul proverbially grabs the church by the ear saying, get your act together as there is only one Christ, follow Him as a unified church body. Paul quickly acknowledges Chloe as his source of information, a significant factor for credibility in any repudiation. The church errantly divided over which of Christ's servants to follow, Paul, Apollos, Peter—most likely one of his disciples or members of Christ's party—probably Judaizers, those falsely claiming to be Christians. Division destroys (Mk. 3:24-26) relationships, organizations and structures. Conversely unification enhances strength (Ec. 4:12). Additionally, "I thank God that I baptized none of you" strongly illustrates salvation's independence of baptism—especially human wisdom,
rather salvation's complete dependence on the gospel of Christ.

Christ's Wisdom and God's Power 1:18-2:5

Corinth residents pontificated on human wisdom, this arrogance infiltrated the church. Soil saturation measures the volume of water in relation to the soil's total volume (θ = V_w /V_t). Conversely, salvation relies 100 percent of one's belief and acceptance of the "message of the cross." Any dependence on any human wisdom fully negates salvation in Christ. Salvation = Belief in Christ / Christ's deity and humanity multiplied by Christ's death and resurrection. Denying Belief in Christ or any factor of the denominator equates to zero salvation. This principle decimates credibility from boasting about human wisdom. Philosophers elevate humanity's thoughts and actions with human wisdom.


Paul, a well-educated man, counters this by negating an attempt of "excellency of speech or of wisdom" with Greek philosophy, rather speaks solely with gospel philosophy. For example, the Greek's human wisdom comprised denying Christ's resurrection. When shooting a rifle with a mounted scope, the true hunter avoids observing and describing the rifle or scope in attempting to bag his trophy buck. Firing the gun while externally observing the scope will result in missing the target at best, or injuring or killing an unintended target at worst. Human wisdom interacts with religion and Christianity as the above described gun handler. Two primary reasons for observing the scope instead of using the scope reside in ignorance and arrogance. The ignorant fail to understand the power of the scope, or lack cognizance of the scopes optic components. Arrogance believes one can see as well as, or perhaps better, on one's own than with the optics.

Spirit's Wisdom 2:6-16

Spiritual wisdom causes one to evaluate religion and Christianity first through the scope of scriptural truth, placing one's spiritual eye in line with the lens of creation (Gen. 1:25-26), the fall, the seed of the serpent, and the seed of woman (Gen. 3:1-16) all the way through the scope to the book of Revelation. Only the Holy Spirit's optics of spiritual wisdom enable placing the cross-hairs of salvation firmly and solely on Jesus Christ. Paul explains that those who externally observe the scope lack comprehending the clarity, magnification and cross-hairs viewed within and through the scope of the Holy Spirit to recognize Christ.


Gun scopes offer various magnifications, each level increases clarity and precision. Many details undistinguishable with the naked eye appear magnificently through the scope. Moreover, spiritual maturity increases our scopes magnification. This scope enables the understanding of such things as Christ's congruent deity and humanity, as well as his death and resurrection. Spiritual wisdom utterly befuddles those—like the Corinthians—relying on human wisdom. Paul informs the Corinthian church that as Christians they have the Holy Spirit's scope, they simply must look through it to properly understand the world and the resurrection of Christ and the saved, and avoid confusion. He acknowledges the development of some Corinth church members' development into spiritual maturity.




See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc. www.rickemeyer.com



(Getz 2011, 1566)
² (Toussaint 2012, Class Notes)
³ (Radmacher, Allen and House 1999, 1460)
⁴ (Hillel 1982, 11)
     ⁵
(Coffman 1984, 27)

Blessing vs. Curse

Food for Thought:

 

Often times the acquisition and application of Godly wisdom demarcates blessings and curses.

 

In other words, how we use or learn from something determines whether we receive a blessing or a curse from the interaction. This truth applies to the tangible and intangible.

 

For example, driving a NASCAR race car appears to result in a great deal of fun—a blessing. However, without first learning how to drive a car followed by driving sixty miles-per hour, followed by one-hundred and on up to near 200 mph, one would severely wreck with probable severe injuries—a curse.

 

Frequently we hear of professional athletes and others quickly acquiring millions of dollars yet they money becomes a curse because they failed to first acquire Godly wisdom. This truth permeates even some—certainly not all—who maintain their perceived success, as they use their success—a blessing—as leverage to engage in a plethora immoral behavior—a curse. To clarify, the root cause of failure and immorality stems from one's heart—lacking Godly wisdom.

 

Blessings rarely equates to easy or comfort, rather an internal peace and hope despite outward circumstances. Blessings benefit to receive long-term. The Bible instructs us to Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all else will be added unto you (Mt. 6:33). Obedience to this passage results in achieving the necessary wisdom before the blessing, receiving the driving instructions before driving the racecar.

 

Receive blessings in everything, including business and personal relationship. Seek and request God's wisdom in everything—always!

 

Too much of anything becomes too much when we love and trust man and creation instead of God (Matthew 22:37; Proverbs 3:5; Psalm 118:8; Romans 1:20-32). Conversely, any amount fully submitted to God—thus correlating with His word—remains below excessive.

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickemeyer.com

Time Management

Morning Ponderings: As I am about to depart for a full day of classes at Dallas Theological Seminary, I reflect upon the vast papers, asssignments and exams due this semester, along with speaking obligations.
I, like you with your responsibilities, ponder on how to successfully achieve each of these responsibilities. Time management equates with thought management, this includes directing our thoughts to seeking God's wisdom and gumption (Light of Christ).

Update: Yesterday, I prepared for my first quiz of the semester. Dr. Tousaint, who has taught at DTS since 1960, warned us to prepare for this quiz as if preparing for a final exam. I did. However, quizes and exams have been difficult for me in the past.
I typically receive high marks on papers and and essay questions, while receiving lower scores on regular exams.
Every time I diligently studied for this exam, I prayed for wisdom. Immediately before the quiz, I prayed for wisdom. Consequently, one of the few times in my life I received a 100% on a quiz.

Later in the day, I sat in Old Testament History--a redundant title :)--struggling to follow the professors use of literary terminology. Vocabulary such as Setting, Protagonist, etc rarely enter my thoughts or exit my mouth as sound waves. Even though we discussed them in school years ago, my mind requires extensive processing of these terms before their clear meaning is understood.

Suddenly in the middle of the lecture, I am reminded to expectantly ask for wisdom (James 1:5-8). Upon asking, as if sent as sharp lightning striking my brain, clarity of these terms appeared.

Please know this same James passage also states that we attain wisdom through trials of many forms, testing our faith. When we seek wisdom, prudence suggest we prepare for trials, however we welcome these with pure joy for their increased yields.

Proverbs states the value of wisdom exceeds the value of gold. Pray for, and expect wisdom! For increased time management, open your thoughts to God's Wisdom, glorifying God the Father, Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Metaphor ?

Recently a friend and I engaged in a phone conversation with our normal strategy of discussion thoughts and ideas.

This discussion included the pondering, "Does the Bible contain metaphors?" For example, whenever God's word states a concept beyond the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of some, we cry "Metaphor!"
Perhaps the Bible does contain metaphors. If so, how does one differentiate between true beyond our understanding versus a metaphore. Can non-believers claim Jesus really did not die on the cross, rather the biblical description serves as a metaphor for inclusive salvation, regardless of beliefs--such as the Unitarians.


Rather than proclaiming, "Metaphor" to account for biblical wisdom exceeding our own, let's first seek first God's Kingdom and his righteousness as advised in Matthew 6:33. His kingdom and righteousness includes his wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

In contrast to claiming, "This cannot be interpreted literal," ask the God of truth to increase your wisdom, knowledge and understanding, correlating with his wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Consider three of Jesus' descriptions that instantly correlate with one another. He is the Light of the World, as well as the well from which we never again thirst--water--and "I am the Bread of Life."

Entry level biology teaches that photosynthesis derives from light, and wheat which produces bread from photosynthesis and water.

The light, water, bread, etc on earth exists as small subsets compared to God's description and definition on the eternal scale.

We claim, "Metaphor!" when attempting to restrain God's description and definition of things such as life, bread and water to the human understanding of the earthly subset.

As a simplistic example, imagine someone who has only knew of motorized vehicles through the year 1905. How would they respond to hearing about today's automobiles, airplanes, agricultural and construction equipment? If someone spoke of capability of the latter, while simply referring to these amazing mechanical and technilogical advancements as "motorized vehicles" they too would most likely cry "Metaphor."

Yet, those of us who have seen and are familiar with today's advancements would reply, "You don't understand. Today's capabilities of motorized vehicles are beyond your comprehension based on 1905 wisdom, knowledge and understanding."

Do God's advancements in the heavenly realm far exceed man's technological advancements since 1905.

As a teaser, consider Dr. Gerald Schroeder's 2004 book, The Hidden Face of God, where he suggests each cell contains a "mind."

Seek wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Think Inside the Bible.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com

Finish Line of Greatness

The finish line of Greatness lies beyond an inescapable cement wall. Faith, Wisdom, Hope, Desire, Vision and Love enable passage through the wall.

The wall's thickness and density are proportional to the awaiting Greatness.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Your Second Wind is Just the Beginning

How many times have you felt on the brink of collapse from physical or mental exhaustion? Are you relieved upon receiving your second wind, your second burst of energy? I, like you, have experienced this numerous times over the years, whether during physical work, office work, or running.

The body becomes queasy, the legs and arms feel as if they will collapse at any moment; strength is absent. Fatigue blurs our thinking, disguising obvious choices and solutions.

Suddenly, as described by lyrics of an old Billy Joel song, your “second wind” comes along. Physical invigoration and clarity of thoughts resumes.

Four or five times during a long run Sunday, I desired quitting. Fatigue quickly generates justifications for ending the workout, such as the wind, boredom, fatigue, age, minor aches and pains. Fortunately, experience quickly disintegrates these temptations of complacency, a new “wind” provides physical and mental restoration for continued running.

Many encourage us to persevere until we attain our “second wind”. Unfortunately, we frequently stop at the end our “second wind”.

Greatness occurs beyond the “second wind”, rather the sixth, eighth, or tenth “wind”. Stamina enables a multitude of “winds”, numerous mental and physical rejuvenations. Champions develop physical and mental 'staying power' to endure through as many “winds”, rejuvenations, as necessary to achieve the desired goals and dreams.

My staying power on Sunday derived from experience, including faith. Trials and patience yield wisdom, wisdom yields staying power. The roots of my physical and mental stamina perpetually deepen in the fertile soils of scripture. The Bible assures we attain strength in Christ; all things are possible through Him. He restores our energy, and clarity.

Does exhaustion from life’s battles cause you to question your staying power? Does your mind blur from fatigue? Hang in there, Christ provides your “second wind”; as well as an eighth “wind” or as many “winds” as necessary for achieving His will for your life.

You may feel on the brink of collapse, Christ will restore your energy. Receive His restoration through reading the Bible, prayer, fellowship, associations and enduring life’s trials.

Faith continues beyond your second wind! Faith generated wisdom increases emotional, physical and spiritual staying power.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
http://www.rickemeyer.com/