Archive for February, 2007
“Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the markets; :21 She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
:22 How long , O simple one [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge?
:23 If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.[Isa. 11:2; Eph. 1:17-20.]
:24 Because I have called and you have refused [to answer], have stretched out my hand and no man has heeded it, [Isa. 65:11-12; 66:4; Jer. 7:13-14; Zech. 7:11-13.]
:25 And you treated as nothing all my counsel and would accept none of my reproof,
:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when the thing comes that shall cause you terror and panic –
:27 When your panic comes as a storm and desolation and your calamity comes on as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
:28 Then will they call upon me [Wisdom] but I will not answer; they will seek me early and diligently but they will not find me. [Job 27:9; 35:12-13; Isa. 1:15-16; Jer. 11:11; Micah 3:4; James 4:3.]
:29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord, [Prov. 8:13.]
:30 Would accept none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,
:31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.
:32 For the backsliding of the simple [open to evil] shall slay them and the careless ease of the [self-confident] fools shall destroy them. [Isa. 32:6.]
:33 But whoso hearkens me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.”
The Amplified Bible
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February 28th, 2007
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In an earlier post, I posed the thought-provoking question, “When Does Knowledge Become Powerful?” Here’s one reason why I suggested that knowledge is not power.
“Theory Without Practice Is Powerless.”
May this brief quote continue to challenge each of us to shift our paradigm about a popular phrase that we’ve heard systematically propagated and charismatically articulated by powerful, persuasive people in prominent positions of influence until we honestly believed it. Click on the word, paradigm, to view various definitions and explanations about this term. Our generational, traditional beliefs may or may not be totally true. The truth that makes people free when mixed with the lie that enslaves free people becomes a “true lie.” What is the true lie that’s still hindering our God-given ability to overcome the persuasive power of our slave mentality? Think about it.
A true lie contains just enough truth for it to appear to become believable. Nevertheless, upon first glance, looks can be deceiving. A true lie became the persuasive tool the “original down low brother” employed to deceive Adam’s most valuable resource, Eve, until both began to doubt the veracity of God’s infallible word. The father of lies also used the power of persuasion to set the perpetual force of yet another true lie in motion that separated generations of women and men who hated to love each other for more than one night. Think about it.
It’s my honest belief that the “deceitful prince of darkness” still appears to all God’s children as a “beautiful angel of light.” What do you believe? According to the great fall of the first family as recorded in Chapter 3 of Genesis, it was Adam’s responsibility, not Eve’s, to obey God’s word. Click on the highlighted word “Genesis” for another insightful person’s perspective that amply illustrates the eternal consequences of our “choices.” As evidenced by the first family’s defiant act of disobedience, Adam’s lack of leadership skills and Eve’s unwise choice made both vulnerable to the persuasive power of a true lie that fed their slave mentality. After your great fall, what true lie did you hear that birthed your deepest fear during all those “dark days and lonely nights when all appears lost?” As you now know, looks can be deceiving.
Quick question before we close this meeting of our critically thinking minds today. What’s the difference, if any, between a “first impression” and a “prejudicial presumption” based upon a false belief? I suggest that there is no discernible difference. Why? Minus the persuasive empirical evidence needed to verify the veracity of our hasty judgments, neither can accurately determine the content or the strength of one’s character. Do you agree or disagree? Think about it.
In the meantime, challenge yourself to take a closer look at the truth that can make great people like us with great weaknesses like ours free from the persuasive power of our self-defeating slave mentalities. Can it be that yet another true lie is responsible for driving the wedge that emotionally divided the blended, extended family members of humanity’s culturally diverse global village from within instead of from without? Think about it. Test your faith in what you believe is the truth by practicing the theory that God’s perfect love will empower your insightful soul to overcome your deepest fears long enough to conquer the persuasive power of hate.
Oh! Before you leave, make sure you know what your deepest fears are so no persuasive person can deceive you today. If time permits, let me know if you agree, or disagree, with the content of today’s post. May the peace of God be with each of you today as you reach out and teach someone how to fish for a lifetime instead of just giving away a fresh fish everyday.
Copyright © by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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February 27th, 2007
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While studying THE 8TH HABIT, I discovered today’s quote from the best-selling business book, EXECUTION: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, by Mr. Ram Charan and Mr. Larry Bossidy. How many of the leaders in our galvanized group still lack what it takes to make our big dreams comes true as we aspire to achieve great things? I’m not ashamed to admit that I do.
It’s my heart’s desire that discovering the “missing link” that helps to bridge the gap between Failure and Success will inspire the great people — who honestly believe we’re destined to achieve greatness — to join our 8TH HABIT study group.
“Leadership without the discipline of execution is incomplete and ineffective. Without the ability to execute, all other attributes of leadership become hollow.
No company can deliver on its commitments or adapt well to change unless all leaders practice the discipline of execution at all levels. Execution has to be part of a company strategy in its goals. It is the missing link between aspirations and results.”
If you’ve already analyzed and synthesized the contents of Mr. Stephen Covey’s book, you’ll notice that our group discussions don’t follow the insightful material in the same order as it’s presented in the book. Both THE 7 HABITS and THE 8TH HABIT can be ordered through the Book Store link by clicking on the highlighted titles. As we proceed, the reasons why will become evident. Please feel to jump in and comment at any time. I’m just the facilitator who’s always willing to listen and learn all I can while I can. Your “G-rated” comments will always be respected and deeply appreciated.
If you’ve missed any of the previous posts, I’ll be creating and updating a category for the 8TH HABIT. God willing, by December 31, 2007, each of our insightful souls will have what we need to complete our thought-provoking, paradigm shifting journey “From Effectiveness To Greatness.” It makes me smile to know you care enough about our eclectic group to share some link love with the rest of the blended, extended family members of humanity’s culturally diverse global village.
I thank each of you for the gift of your time.
© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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February 26th, 2007
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“Working Together For Good” is the title of Chapter One of my first reality-based novel bearing the same title as this site. Clicking on the highlighted words, Chapter One, will take you to page 1 of Chapter 1. Choosing that particular title was done to set the tone for the rest of the story. Here are two lines from, “The Belly Of An Ant,” that were written during my extended season of sunny-side-down days before I honestly believed that all things will work together for good if I didn’t give up too soon and quit.
Have you ever felt so low that you could “reach up” and tickle the belly of an ant? I have. How do you respond when all your ears hear are words like “no,” “never,” “impossible,” and “can’t”?
After meeting the greatness of God’s faithfulness, I revised that poem and changed the name from “The Belly Of An Ant” to “It’s Time To Fly.” One of the many reasons I write is to empower, encourage, and inspire unity between those of us — who publicly profess to love God and claim that we are called according to His eternal purpose — to respond by faith when Adversity strikes. Since God is not a respecter of people, Time and Chance happens to us all. Have you ever noticed that Trouble always moves faster than bad news in a hurry to happen during tough times?
Remember what happened to Humpty Dumpty after his great fall. Nobody could put that egghead back together again. As a kid, I recall wondering if Humpty asked God to do what nobody else could. How many of you have ever experienced a great fall? I have. After my great fall, my spiritually-blinded eyes couldn’t see the light coming from the truth that still makes people free. So I believed the same lie that still persuading one too many of God’s children to comtemplate give up, quit, or commit suicide. Been There. Done That. Suicide is not an option. Here’s why?
By killing the pain that’s afflicting you, you will also end up killing yourself. So, don’t you go there and try to die like that before you cry out for help by asking God to save you from yourself. I did. But by grace still go I. After my great fall, Ridicule and Rejection stalked me daily until I lost confidence in myself. Without confidence, I lost respect for myself. I also became insecure and stopped believing that I still had the God-given ability to achieve Greatness. But God still loved me enough to find a way to re-assure me and remind me that Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One, will win in the end after all’s been read, said, and done.
How many times have we quoted Romans 8:28 but fail to do so in the context of the verses preceding and following verse 28 of Chapter 8. Imagine how many great things our generation can achieve once all God’s children begin to honestly believe we can work together for the greater good. Imagine the eternal implications that this verse will have on our generation’s God-given ability to achieve greatness? I was also one of those Bible thumpin’ church folk who made the same mistake many times before I knew better. But when we know better, we do better. If nobody else does so, love yourself enough to begin meditating on Romans 8:28-39.
After my great fall, the lie I heard made me forget the reasons why all things were divinely destined to work together for good. How many times have you heard the lie that nobody loves a loser? We’ve probably have heard this true lie frequently enough to honestly believe it’s the truth. But it’s not. Grab your Bible and look at Chapter 8 of Romans again. But this time, pay particularly close attention to the thought-provoking, paradigm shifting question found in verse 35,
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
Surprised? But wait before you run and tell your friends what you saw for the first time this year. Exam the weapons of mass distraction our antagonistic spiritual enemies will try to employ to destroy the eternal gift God placed deep inside the cluttered seat of your soul. Since I honestly believe all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose, then why do
“religions divide what only our relationships with God can unite?”
If you’re an emerging etymologist, you probably already know that the word, “destroy,” means to be “rendered utterly useless.” If you forgot to bring your dictionary today, feel free to click on the highlighted word destroy” to review the source employed to verify the veracity of my definition. As always, study to show yourself “approved” so that you let no man, or woman, easily deceive you during such a divisive season as this. Maybe then, you’ll also learn to respect the power of God’s love like I did.
Matters not what happens next, please don’t give up, quit, or try to commit suicide. God isn’t the only one who loves you and needs you to survive. Besides, what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger the longer you live. Believe that!
© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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February 25th, 2007
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It’s crunch time for me as I prepare to meet a rapidly approaching deadline. Since Time waits for no one, I just want to ask each of you a quick question for now. How many of you have heard the following quote that infers something to the effect that,
“He who controls the image of God shall control the world?”
© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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February 24th, 2007
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On day 54 of this unpredictable “year of firsts,” please give any person you consider to be a loyal, trustworthy friend a big hug and kiss if appropriate. If they don’t live close by, take the time to pick up your phone, or Blackberry, to personally thank your compassionate champion for loving you enough to speak the truth to you in the spirit of God’s love openly and honestly.
While living in Los Angeles, God gifted my soul with the honor of experiencing Ms. Sheila Walsh, speaker, singer, and former co-host of the 700 Club and author of the book HONESTLY. All I can say to describe the experience of personally meeting such a great woman who courageously stood “naked and unashamed” while honestly sharing her great weaknesses is unforgettable!
Only God knows all the reasons why “Time and Chance” happens to all who dwell under the sun. It’s only by the grace and mercy of the Almighty that I’m still alive today. Only God knows all of the eternal reasons why I’m still living to see another day when so many of the great people I knew in high school are dead now. For reasons now known, my heart’s desire today is to breathe life into somebody’s emaciated soul today because you never know who needs to hear the truth that God isn’t the only one who still loves you and still needs you to live instead of choosing to die high for nothing. Before Time and Chance happens to any of you, ask yourself the following question,
“Who loves you and needs you to live to see another day?”
I’ll be the first to admit that the media’s insensitive coverage of both Ms. Britney Spear’s and Ms. Anna Nicole Smith’s tragic dark night of the soul appears disingenuous, self-serving, and motivated by a need for ratings. Yet and still, is God using their cries for help to speak to us and give a second chance to get it right after our country’s leadership failed to respond to the cries for help after the levy’s protecting New Orleans broke? As evidenced by the deplorable conditions still in existence along America’s storm ravaged Gulf coast, our nation’s leadership is still failing its Ethics and Political Science classes. Only God knows how long it wil take before the bad wind that’s blowing in America will change directions.
Nevertheless, can it be that the God is still speaking to us and attempting to get America’s undivided attention by using the ”apparent” emotional, spiritual, and mental meltdown of Ms. Britney Spears for the good of us all? How many of America’s political leaders act like they honestly love all the hurting mothers whose children also need them to keep living long enough to see another day? If subjected to a slightly altered doll test than the one Ms. Kiri Davis chronicled in her insightful documentary film, A Girl Like Me, how many of our country leaders will choose to save the “white dolls” by sacrificing the “black dolls” if only given the choice to save one? Who would you choose to save?
Can it be that God still speaks in a diversity of unexpected ways out of the mouths of the little children birthed by imperfect, culturally diverse people? As evidenced by our government’s repeated failure to love all God’s children, only a few, if any, of our national leaders are choosing to effectively respond in a meaningful manner at a meaningful time to our desperate cries for help. What if God answers our prayers with somebody else’s desperate cry for help? How many of us will recognize God’s voice and respond by letting the person who’s crying out for help know somebody still loves them and still needs them to live?
Imagine how many of us are still too busy dealing with the daily distractions of life to hear God’s speaking through another person’s cry for help until after too soon becomes too late? How many great people besides the celebrities make a fear-based decision to “give up, give out, give in to the pain, quit, and commit suicide?” How many of us have survived a spiritual darkness so thick that our spiritually illuminated eyes have the God-given ability to recognize the early warning signs of Despair before hopelessness manifest can manifest itself as Depression?
Are you one who honestly believes that listening to God is such a critical and crucial part of the prayer process that extends long after we end our quiet talks with God on bended knee? Yet another celebrity mother appears too sick to care whether she will live for her children or die for nothing? Is anybody except God listening to the elderly and the poor whenever they cry out for for help? Can it be that God is still trying to get our attention by using the same frenzied celebrities and wealthy public figures the paparazzi stalk for the love of the money they’ll make for capturing the stolen photograph they’ll take without first asking for permission to do so?
As evidenced by the personal testimonies of award winning singers, Ms. Mary J. Blige and Ms. Whitney Houston, and all God’s children have share many of the same great weaknesses. No wonder so many of us can also share each other’s painful moments until Wisdom and Understanding enable each of us to transform our life experiences meaningful moments. Can it be that God is using the widely publicized lives of heart-broken, heart-breaking celebrities — who suffer a great fall — for the greater good of us all and not for the lesser evils of the few who appear to control the entertainment industry? It saddens me that we still have to wonder if the non-stop, national media coverage afforded to two wealthy person with blonde hair and blue eyes would be as extensive for a poor person with dark hair, brown eyes, and skin that’s darker than a brown paper bag.
Have many of you have experienced the joy of listening to the Gospel song, “I Need You To Survive,” by Pastor Hezekiah Walker? There are dark days and lonely nights when all God’s children need to be reminded that God loves us just because, despite our great weaknesses. Matters not what happens next, please know that God needs you to survive and thrive. To ensure that you will survive, I’ll pray for you. Please pray for me. Why? Because I love you, too. All God’s children need you to survive. We love you. We also need you to survive. Matters not the colour of your beautiful skin.
As a writer and image-maker, I’ve learned to respect the power of the ”two most powerful forms of communication we know — the written word and visual images. In the song “I Need You To Survive,” Mr. Hezekiah Walker says, “I won’t harm you with words from my mouth.” Neither will I. Why? I love you. I need you to survive.” I’ve loosely paraphrased Pastor Walker’s wise words to inspire those of you who may just need some encouragement on what started out as a “sunny-side-down” day. God isn’t the only one who loves you and needs you to survive. Matters not the color of the doll your child is hugging.
If any of you honestly believe I’ve harmed you with words from my mouth, please don’t hesitate challenge me to see if I need to check myself before I wreck an opportunity for us to reconcile. I can’t fix what I don’t know is broken. Can you? But if I meant to harm you with my words today, maybe it’s because the truth still hurts. Better the wounds of a friend who loves you and needs you to live than the kisses from an enemy who hates you and needs to see you die. For reasons now known, you know at least one person who still loves you enough to tell you the truth because I’m not the only person who still needs you to help us all live to see another “sunny-side-up” day.
© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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