LEADERSHIP TIPS FROM P G VARGIS

[PG Vargis]

A leader is like a river. Starts as a small stream. But gathers on the way other streams and becomes a mighty river – feeding people, cattle and agricultural lands and nourishing forests. It never stops working – day and night. A river exists for others and then vanishes.  You can be a Pampa river of Kerala or Ganges of India or Amazon. The choice is yours.

P G Vargis

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Leadership note. Grow with me.

And share this with others. Let the world grow.

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          PART I      DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE (COPIED)

Psalm 46:10 (KJV) Be still, and know that I am God;...

INTRODUCTION

   I spent much of my life chasing the American Dream. I started working eight-hour days when I was seventeen, and by the time I was forty, I was working fifteen hours a day. I was spending more time at the office, hotels, and airports than I was with my family. The corporate world had taken over my life. It happened so gradually that it was hard to notice at first. But just when I thought I was on top of the world, it was all taken away. God had to pull me from that life kicking and screaming.

   In the midst of corporate mergers and decisions of my own, I found myself jobless. After twenty-seven years of chasing the dream, I had nothing. Then, on a quiet morning, I heard it. I heard him.

Jesus spoke to my heart, "Be still, and know that I am God!" No screaming. No kicking. Just peace in his presence. It didn't take me long to realize that I had been missing everything of lasting significance. I had been so wrapped up in my own life, I never heard his voice. At first, it was difficult to recognize because everything I was chasing added to the noise - distractions, voices of the world, the next career move. God had been speaking to me, trying to show me his path for me, but I was too busy to listen.

   I now spend my days listening and praying to hear God's voice unceasingly. Day by day, his words are getting more distinct, more personal, and even more challenging. Pursuing his will, giving him glory, and finishing the race well have given me a brand-new kind of chase.

   Michael Garrett is the founder of Faith Cycle Ministries, an organization that helps Christians with their next step in faith. [The One Year Bible Live Verse Devotional]

COMMENTARY

   The Holy Spirit seeks to bring us around to accepting God's guidance for our lives. "All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons"

(Rm 8:14). 

   This is a stage in life which many Christians never attain--they are not Spirit-led Christians. They are led by self-interest, physical impulses, or by the opinions of others. They have not put themselves at the disposal of the Spirit to be led of Him in the details of their lives. Hence they lack direction and, therefore, a goal. 

   When Christians say to me, "The Spirit never seems to guide me," I usually reply, "How well do you listen?" The problem we face over guidance is not because the Spirit fails to lead us, but because we are not listening. We must be prepared to stop talking and wait before Him so that He can talk to us. 

   In this frenzied age many Christians have lost the art of listening. They are willing to spend time in prayer talking to God, but are not willing to spend very much of the time listening to God. We must stop, wait, and tune ourselves in to the Holy Spirit's wavelength if we are to hear His voice in our hearts and feel His gentle impressions. 

   A Quaker woman inquired of a young man, "Hast thou heard God speak lately?" "No," said the young man. "Then thou hast forgotten to be still," said the woman. "Stop . . . and know . . . " says the Scripture (Ps 46:10). Be restless and you will not know. God guides everyone who wants to be guided. 

   O Spirit of the living God, help me tune my heart so that I can hear Your voice, for without Your guidance my life lacks mission and direction. Take the reins of my life and guide me. For Jesus'

Sake, I pray. Amen. [Every Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional]

   Studies have shown that prayer improves attention and planning, reduces depression and anxiety, decreases sleepiness, and protects the brain from cognitive decline associated with normal aging.

Making requests of God is one important form of prayer - he says to keep on asking and you shall receive (Luke 11:9).

   Another essential type of prayer is to quiet yourself and focus your thoughts on the greatness and power of God. He is God. He is all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving. He is here with you right now, waiting for you to become aware of his presence. He knows all your needs, and there's nothing you need more than him.

   Be still and meditate on these truths about him. Let your body relax into that awareness. Rest in his presence. Slow down your breathing. Exalt him. He is God. 

   If you have trouble just sitting in his presence, try repeating a verse of Scripture in your mind. Start with Psalm 46:10. In the stillness, you will find rest and God will rejuvenate your heart and soul. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]

 

The Lord calls us to silence and inactivity if we want to know Him intimately. If it were not necessary, He would not admonish us to do it. The language is so simple and direct and yet we continue to rattle off non-stop chatter as we rush along the fast-track going our own way!  Why do we do that? It takes self discipline and the help of the Holy Spirit to be silent.  Even if we close our mouths, our minds race from one thing to another:  the unexpected meetings; the unending errands; the unwritten letters; and the unreturned phone calls. When is the last time you set aside everything else to be still before God?  If you sincerely want to know Him intimately, you will schedule some time soon!  How about today?  [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]

 

Too often when we speak to God in prayer, that is all it is, our speaking.  We must discipline ourselves to make our words few, and take time to listen! A definition in Scripture of a fool is that the fool speaks too much.  Sometimes in prayer, we make promises to God, as though we can barter with our actions to gain something from God we don't think He would otherwise give us. Don't play the fool.  God wants to give us every good thing.  If we don't have the good things we want, we need to look at why. There could be many reasons. But we have no right to try and bargain with God. He deserves our right actions and obedience, completely.  Besides, we have nothing to bargain with. Believers are slaves, and God holds all their rights!  If you are in the habit of bargaining with God, raise your view of Him and cease the practice. And if you don't listen to Him when you pray, begin to do so, today. [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]

 

Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ's loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher.

With their burdens they return to their work. These workers can never attain the highest success until they learn the secret of strength.

They must give themselves time to think, to pray, to wait upon God for a renewal of physical, mental, and spiritual power. They need the uplifting influence of His Spirit. Receiving this, they will be quickened by fresh life. The wearied frame and tired brain will be refreshed, the burdened heart will be lightened..... Not a pause for a moment in His presence, but personal contact with Christ, to sit down in companionship with Him--this is our need.  ED260, 261

We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, "Be still, and know that I am God."[2 PS. 46:10.] Here alone can true rest be found.  And this is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. 

PART II

Vajpayee, Kalam and Modi have proved that if there is no disturbance from wife in life, even a poet, scientist or a chai wala can lead a nation !

Mayawathi, Sonia, Mamta, Uma & Jayalalitha have proved that if there is no husband at home to disturb, a woman can disturb an entire nation.!!!

 Avoid Those Who Disrespect Your Chosen Focus. The Only Reason Men Fail Is Broken Focus. Satan dreads your total concentration on God’s Assignment in your life. When he wants to destroy you, he sends a person into your life. Delilah broke Samson’s concentration. Broken focus made him a slave. Those Who Hear You Should Be The Only Ones Near You.

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners,” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

 

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Have a day of growth for the glory of God

p g vargis

www.pgv.com

 

[PG Vargis]

A leader is like a river. Starts as a small stream. But gathers on the way other streams and becomes a mighty river – feeding people, cattle and agricultural lands and nourishing forests. It never stops working – day and night. A river exists for others and then vanishes.  You can be a Pampa river of Kerala or Ganges of India or Amazon. The choice is yours.

P G Vargis

=====================================================

Leadership note. Grow with me.

And share this with others. Let the world grow.

============================

PART I      DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE (COPIED)

Joshua 1:9 - Courage in Calamity: The Dynamics.

Joshua 1:9 (NIV) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9 (NLT) This is my command - be strong and courageous!

Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." 

God made some extravagant promises to Joshua. He knew that Joshua would face fierce enemies and overwhelming obstacles and therefore would need to remember these assurances in tough times. We need to be able to hang on to God's promises as well. Praying Scripture back to God is a valuable tool to assist us in our spiritual growth - "reminding" him of his promises, as it's sometimes called. Repeating the assurances of God's Word in prayer elevates and guides our requests. By praying God's words back to him, we have assurance that we are praying effectively. [NIV Once A Day Bible re Jos. 1:1-9]

Have you ever read this verse and tried to be stronger and more courageous? The key to deep and lasting change isn't trying harder. Pastor Rick Warren says, "God specializes in miracle makeovers."

Try to imagine what good changes could happen in your life if you depended on God's infinite power instead of your own willpower. 

Effort is necessary, but it's effort fueled by the power of God's Holy Spirit. The Bible says, "Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure" (Philippians 2:12, 13 MSG). 

God loves you so much that he freely puts his power to work in your life. He wants to be the one who is shown to be victorious.

That's why he works so powerfully in the lives of weak and humble people. For what do you need his power today? Bring all of your weaknesses to God and receive from him the power to be strong and courageous. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional re Jos. 1:6]

Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged, for I will be with you wherever you go. You can choose to be strong and courageous even when you are feeling very weak. However, the weaker you feel, the more effort it takes to choose to be strong. It all depends on where you look. If you gaze at yourself and your problems, your courage will melt away. The choice to be bold rests on your confidence that I am with you and for you. Through eyes of faith, see Me on the path before you, beckoning you on, one step at a time. Looking to Me consistently will increase your strength and valor. 

When everything seems to be going wrong, refuse to get discouraged. Remember that I am a God of surprises: I am not limited by the way things are or by the paltry possibilities you can see. I am infinitely creative and powerful. With Me all things are possible! The longer you wait for your prayers to be answered, the closer you are to a breakthrough. Meanwhile, waiting for Me - aware of My loving Presence - is a blessed way to live. I am good to those who wait for Me.

(Jos. 1:9; Mat. 19:26; Lam. 3:25, 26) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]

Come to Me, and rest in My loving Presence. You know that this day will bring difficulties, and you are trying to think your way through those trials. As you anticipate what is ahead of you, you forget that I am with you - now and always. Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, whereas you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur. Do not multiply your suffering in this way! Instead, come to Me, and relax in My Peace. I will strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into confident trust. (Mat. 11:28-30; Jos. 1:5, 9) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]

Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Hear Me saying Peace, be still to your restless heart. No matter what happens, I will never leave you or forsake you. Let this assurance soak into your mind and heart, until you overflow with Joy. Though the earth give way and the

mountains fall into the heart of the sea, you need not fear!  

The media relentlessly proclaim bad news: for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A steady diet of their fare will sicken you. Instead of focusing on fickle, ever-changing news broadcasts, tune in to the living Word - the One who is always the same. Let Scripture saturate your mind and heart, and you will walk steadily along the path of Life. Even though you don't know what will happen tomorrow, you can be absolutely sure of your ultimate destination. I hold you by your right hand, and afterward I will take you into Glory.  (Mark 4:39; Deu. 31:6; Psa. 46:2; 73:23, 24)

PART II

This is what I got for my breakfast this morning. I thought I must share it with you.

Enjoy the attached plate of advice.