mouthfruit

Have you ever made New Year’s resolutions, started them off with all the excitement and gusto that you could muster, and then fallen flat on your face, not accomplishing the goals you desire? I know I have.

One of the main reasons I think we fail is that we try to accomplish too many goals. Most of the people who teach us how to set goals suggest that we set goals for various areas in our lives, such as spiritual, family, financial, health, career, etc. We then plan and try to tackle all of these areas by setting goals in each one, and with our busy schedules it becomes next to impossible!

So should we set goals? I heard someone say on stage a few years ago at church that he had set goals in the past and didn’t achieve them, so that year he was just going to follow “the Lord’s will”. That was just frustration speaking. The Bible talks about the need to set goals. Check out Luke 14:28-30, which speaks to being sure of your commitment as a disciple of Jesus, but also to goal setting (Isn’t Scripture so wonderful and mult-faceted?).

Another place where goal-setting is discussed, and this may be our answer to how to set goals and to stick with it, is in Philippians:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV)

The Apostle Paul says “…this one thing I do…” So should we first focus on the one long-term thing that God has given us to focus on? What is your “high calling of God in Christ Jesus?” Paul knew his (see Romans 15:15-17).

Then focus on smaller medium-term goals, and narrow it down to even smaller short-term goals that act as what I call “feeder goals” or “linked goals”, and in line with that day-to-day goals or “good habits”.

For instance, suppose your “high calling” is to be to minister to married people. You might set a goal to have an international marriage ministry in five years. Then, your medium-term goals might be something like to have a website where you minister to people, and that it has lots of traffic. One short-term goal might be in the health area, believe it or not. Maybe you’re overweight and lack energy, so how are you going to have all the energy it would take to accomplish this? So you set the habit of walking, seeking to do one mile three times a week. Then maybe in six months, once you’ve acquired that habit, of changing your eating habits, and so on.

Then maybe you begin to set out to acquire habits in another area, like family or career, and so on. See how it works.

So what are your “resolutions” or goals for the new year/decade (That’s right, we’re going into a new decade.), and how do you plan to accomplish them?

Holla back by clicking on and/or writing in “Comments” below…and A HAPPY, SUPER-BLESSED NEW YEAR!!!

Got your Christmas shopping done? What about your New Year’s shopping? Something(s) for you, your Purpose, Promise and Destiny? After all, you’re a “mouthfruiter”, and in order to produce the mouthfruit that God has assigned you to produce, you have to be filled with a knowledge of His word, right? And in order to do that, you have to study, right?

So let’s have some fun!

Let’s say I gave you $500 (yeah, this is imaginary) to spend for you to get ready for 2010 and your Destiny. You may spend it at Christianbook.com or at amazon.com in any combination that you desire.

“Buy the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”
- Proverbs 23:23 (KJV)

I’m curious, just what books, etc. would you buy?

Okay, I know we’re just coming off of Thanksgiving, and a lot of us are getting ready for Christmas, but I’m beginning to think about the new year. I’ve run into some new concepts and ideas, and I think the Lord is changing/refining/expanding my vision.

I’ll be sharing some of these things with you in the next few weeks, so be sure to subscribe (free) by submitting your e-mail address or rss in the upper-right-hand corner of this page, if you haven’t done so already.

Let’s not forget Proverbs 29:18 (KJV):

” Where [there is] no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy [is] he.”

And, no, this is not a picture of me. ;o)

What are you doing regarding your vision and planning for next year?

It’s great that people just want to express themselves, but if I can’t understand you, or don’t comprehend what you intended for me to comprehend, have you expressed yourself?

We are butchering the English language, misspelling words or using the wrong ones, using bad grammar and syntax, and the wrong punctuation - and expect people to understand us. Please don’t get upset if I don’t understand you if you didn’t write it correctly!

As writers, ministers, preachers, pastors and other people who say we want to communicate, we need to learn more about the English language, look up words, become fascinated with their origins (etymology), and find other ways to communicate better. We need to communicate better, whether it’s by writing or speaking; books, Twitter or Facebook; in conversation or in church.

And if you want to market something to me, can I be confident in what you’re marketing, if your “approach” or proposal is replete with errors?

We need to proofread our stuff!

Don’t you agree?

Probably THE most important thing for your blog to have is great content. What do I mean by great content? Content that will interest, serve or help your readers. Great content helps you to get another important thing for your blog: traffic.

How do you write great content? I’m still working on it (heh-heh), but I think I’ve learned some things:

1. Write what you’re passionate about, and what you know. Find out what your vein is, and “produce” from that.

2. Write what will help your readers, not just as a self-serving exercise.

3. Write in a way that will keep them coming back for more (more about this later).

Yes, great content is one of the “pillars” that helps to build a great blog.

Have you started to blog yet? Tell us where your blog is so we can check it out!

Since the last time I talked about Twitter and how Christians are using it, I figured I’d discuss here how Christians are using Facebook.

There are some who are using it to glorify the Lord, but others, who claim they are Christians, are using it in very surprising ways. I remember reading on one young lady’s (if I can call her that) wall that one of the top things that she wanted to do before she died was to pose nude in a men’s magazine! I went back to her Facebook (FB) page to check to see if she claimed to be a Christian!

Then there are many references (sometimes even pictures) of those who claim they are Christians who drink and talk about it as a way to relieve stress and solve their problems. When Michael Jackson died, one so-called Christian said she was upset and going to drink some wine. When I commented on her wall that she should pray instead of drink wine, she replied that she was then going to “…then drink wine and pray!”

The fact is that a lot of people call themselves Christians and yet they aren’t born again (John 3:3-7), do not read and study the Bible (Mark 12:24; 2Tim. 2:15), and really have no idea about how a Christian is supposed to live. It’s just that they’ve grown up in a Judeo-Christian society and/or go to church and therefore think that makes them a Christian.

Are we Christians who are on FB and know how us Christians are supposed to live exempted from commenting and, “gasp,” admonishing because we’re in the context of Facebook and don’t want to turn anyone off? I get the sense that sometimes because Christians are on Facebook that they want to on some occasions “fit in,” on some occasions “act like the boys (girls),” and on some occasions “not ruffle any feathers.”

Do we have any obligation on FB, or anywhere else, to exemplify Christ and what it is to be a Christian (John 13:15)?

I’m reminded of a line in the movie “Chariots of Fire” where it was said, “Compromise is the language of the devil.” What do you think?

I was on one of my Twitter accounts the other day, and I was looking for some well-known Christians to “follow”. I was somewhat amazed at the number of them who were following non-Christians, unbelievers. Thoughts of Scripture materialized in my mind, such as, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2), and “Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm 1:2).

So why are some of us following non-Christians? Some might say that we are in the world, so we need to associate with them: “When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or who are greedy or are swindlers or idol worshipers. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian [fn] yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Don’t even eat with such people.” (1 Cor. 5:9-11); or maybe that we need to know the times, the generation, that we’re in. “And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…”(1Chr.12:32)

What’s your take on it? Should we follow non-Christians on Twitter?

What is it that God has called you to study, to write about, to teach or maybe even to preach about? Bishop David G. Evans calls this “finding your vein.”

The vein in mining terms is that rich part of the mine where most of the gold is. Sometimes you have to dig really deep to find that vein of Gold. It takes a lot of work, diligence and sacrifice, but it’s worth it when you find it.

So it is with the vein that God has called us to tell and teach people about. It’s taken taking me a while, lots of work, diligence and sacrifice, but a lot of it was even fun! Why? I suppose it was is that the Holy Spirit was is directing me to my true calling: to study, write about, teach and preach about purpose and entrepreneurshp (It’s a continuous process, you see).

But enough about me…what’s yours? Have you found it?

Next time…How to find your vein…Subscribe (free) by putting your rss or e-mail address in the upper-right-hand corner of this page to make sure you don’t miss anything!

Now really, enough about me…what’s yours or have you found it? Leave a comment and let us know where you are in the process.

He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing [shall be] upon the head of him that selleth [it]. - Proverbs 11:26

Christians are out there selling their corn and being blessed for it! They aren’t giving their corn away, because that’s not what the above scripture says to do…It says to sell it.

Some of the more well-known Christians who are selling their corn are Joyce Meyer, T.D. Jakes, John Maxwell, and my own beloved pastor, Bishop David Evans!

What’s wrong with doing this? Nothing! This scripture tells us that there are people out there who need what we have, our gifts that God has given us for the body, and that there’s nothing wrong with selling (the byproducts of) them: books, courses, videos, etc. It’s when we withhold our corn (gifts) that the people curse us!

What is your corn? Do you know what it is? If you do, are you witholding it? Why? This is the time to do it! Joseph sold grain (corn) in the famine so that he and Egypt could survive! Subscribe to mouthfruit in the upper right-hand corner of this page, so that you can learn how to and be blessed for selling your corn!

Before you sign up with one of the blogging platforms we talked about last time, you need to realize that it’s probably better to get your own domain name and purchase your own web hosting.

If you were to sign up with one of the blogging platforms, you would have the name of your blog attached to the name of the platform, which means that your blog is on their servers. The prevailing wisdom is that since you are on their servers, you are at “their mercy”. For instance, if they were to make any changes you didn’t like, you can’t take your blog very easily and move elsewhere. Also, some feel it looks more “professional” and you look more “serious” if you have your blog under your own independent domain name. However, some well-known bloggers, like Seth Godin, are content with using the existing blogging platforms without getting their own domain name and web hosting.

Now being with one of the blogging platforms is free, but having your own domain means you’re going to have to purchase your domain name and then pay for your own web hosting on a monthly basis. The web hosting usually isn’t much, something like $5 to $20 per month, and a lot of the web hosting companies have package deals that include the domain name.

I use Yahoo Web Hosting, which has such a domain name/web hosting package, though I wouldn’t recommend them, as I have had problems with their customer service. You might want to start looking at the web hosting services that the blogging platforms recommend. Wordpress, the blogging platform that this blog uses, has these recommendations. I’ve also heard mostly good things about Go Daddy.

So check it out, and let me know if you have any questions or something to add. And if you haven’t yet subscribed, do so using rss or your e-mail address on the upper-right hand corner of this page. You don’t want to miss this (and other ;o) ) posts!