First Cause
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Reveration Blog

12/22/2021 3 Comments

Four Things God Hates

Picture
​St. Augustine wrote in Augustine Confessions: 
"Thus they hate the truth for the sake of that other thing which they love because they take it for truth. They love truth when it enlightens them, they hate truth when it accuses them. Because they do not wish to be deceived and do wish to deceive, they love truth when it reveals itself, and hate it when it reveals them."
We like genuineness when it suits or helps us, but not so much when it exposes us or shows our wrong motives or conduct. Perhaps that is why there is a Jewish parable that says, “Truth is heavy, so few men carry it.”


Read More...
3 Comments

10/20/2021 0 Comments

Virtue Above Values

Picture
         Dr. Gary Bredfeldt, author of Great Leader, Great Teacher, has some poignant observations to share about the character of leaders.[1] He notes that values are valuable as principles, qualities or standards. Values represent leader beliefs that come from heartfelt commitment—that indicate emotional investment. They can be morally neutral and subjective and, as society increasingly becomes relativistic, values (which are not moral absolutes) gain greater favor. Values can be personalized and tied to race, gender or class.  ​

Read More...
0 Comments

10/11/2021 0 Comments

Triangulation

Picture
Meditation
Proverbs 26:20--Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down

Dr. Henry Cloud shares a concept called triangulation in his book The Power Of The Other. Triangulation sets up what he calls the victim-persecutor-rescuer (VPR) triad.  I’m A and you are B and someone else is C. If I’m bothered by something you, B, have done, disagree with you or somehow feel victimized by you, this makes you the persecutor.  Rather than go to you and share my concerns I go to C and share making C the rescuer. I want C’s support. This then becomes triangulation and it is always wrong despite the many reasons Christians contrive to justify this behavior.

Read More...
0 Comments

9/14/2021 0 Comments

Disruptive Innovation

Picture
Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, coined the term disruptive innovation.[1]  Essentially it describes how a product or service begins at market bottom and then inexorably rises in the market until it at some point, displaces well-established competitors.  A small, new company that is weak on resources successfully overcomes proven incumbent businesses by offering what the incumbents overlook in providing their more established clientele. An example of this is Microsoft and Apple moving into the computer industry and turning it upside down by providing affordable desktop and laptop computers.

Read More...
0 Comments

8/16/2021 0 Comments

Blameless

Picture
​Meditation
Deuteronomy 18:13—You must be blameless before the LORD your God. ​

Read More...
0 Comments

7/31/2020 0 Comments

I & II Samuel

Picture
If you want to read great books on leadership, read 1st and 2nd Samuel. Early tradition suggests that 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book in scripture so I will do my best to examine the combined 55 chapters and share key leadership lessons.  No author is named for these books but scholars largely credit the prophets Samuel, Nathan and Gad. Based on 1 Sa. 27:6, the writing may not have been completed until about 930 B.C.[1]

Read More...
0 Comments

1/29/2020 0 Comments

Civil Disobedience

Picture
Meditation
Exodus 1:15-17--Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.”  The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.

Read More...
0 Comments

6/14/2019 0 Comments

Psalm 15--Unmovable

Picture
​Have you ever wondered, What do I have to do to live a stable life, to not be twisted with every fierce wind of opposition or pulled from what is right to what is ultimately degrading?  How can I have the kind of healthy fellowship with God that will bring joy and fulfillment?


Read More...
0 Comments

4/2/2019 0 Comments

Living an Honorable Life

Picture
The Denver West Point Society hosted its first Leadership and Ethics Conference for high school juniors in Colorado.  It was entitled “Living an Honorable Life.” General (ret) George Casey served as the keynote speaker.  I had the privilege of hosting at my table six juniors—Amaya, Grace, Elias, Sandra, Caleb and Haley representing three different high schools and towns.   We studied vignettes that featured moral/ethical dilemmas with the students working through ethical decision-making models to reach wise solutions.


Read More...
0 Comments

6/16/2014 0 Comments

She Carried His Suitcase

Marianne got up out of the driver’s seat and left our van.  I wondered where she was going and was amazed at what I saw. She walked about fifty feet away to a man pulling luggage out of his car.  She grabbed his suitcase rolled it to the van and lugged it up the stairs before depositing it in the luggage rack.  His bag was huge and she was probably in her sixties.  When he climbed into the vehicle with the rest of his gear, he seemed embarrassed that this slight, gray-haired woman carried his heaviest suitcase.  

Read More...
0 Comments

1/21/2013

Turmoil

​Meditation
2 Corinthians 7:5—In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest.  Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts on the outside, fears inside.
 
There is an old proverb, “Misery loves company.”  No one wants to suffer alone unless it is with a heightened knowledge that others are spared.  Understanding that we are not alone when we traverse tough times can in many ways bolster our morale.  This is yet another reason why Scripture is so powerful.  It gives us hope when we are discouraged.

Read More...

12/23/2012 0 Comments

First to Kill

​Meditation
1 Chronicles 11:6—David said, “Whoever is the first to kill a Jebusite will become chief commander.”  Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became the chief.
 
Words definitely matter.   So do our actions.  On the surface, it appears that King David made a pretty smart decision.  He needed to defeat the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem who had a successful history of repelling would-be conquerors. In fact, they told David, “You will never get in here” (vs. 5).  David needed a general to lead Israel’s army so he issued the challenge in our verse for meditation.  The king got what he wanted.  Zeruiah’s three sons, Joab, Abishai and Asahel were all warriors and Joab seized the opportunity afforded by David’s challenge, and killed the first Jebusite.

Read More...
0 Comments

6/11/2011 0 Comments

Turning Away

​I can imagine what happened.  She had lived there too long.  Over time, she grew increasingly used to the sleaze to the point where the vices probably no longer shocked her.  No doubt she and her friends gossiped about the bizarre and strange conduct of the city’s inhabitants.  Perhaps she was close to the two men soon to marry her daughters.  Even her husband hesitated—unsure about leaving.  In the end when the persistent angels grabbed their hands and pulled the four of them outside the city warning them to run and not look back, she didn’t get far before she turned away just once to see what should not be seen.  That turning away made her a pillar of salt. (Gen. 19)

Read More...
0 Comments

8/25/2008 0 Comments

Ethics

A home improvement con artist swindled a 100 year-old blind woman. He rang the woman's bell, unsolicited, to offer to do any repair work needed. The woman told him that for years she had struggled with a door that was difficult to open because it rubbed against the rug. To fix the problem, she agreed to pay the man $8,000, to jack up her house.[1]
​

Read More...
0 Comments

8/18/2006

Defects

​Recently, I was talking to John, one of our attendees at The Road Home who works at Gunderson, a manufacturing and assembly plant that makes cast steel parts.  John shared how he and a team of workers had to travel to China to investigate why the parts they were receiving from the foundry in China were breaking.  What they discovered was profound.  

Read More...

11/16/2005

Impressionable

​Nine young men sat on the hardwood court as I read to them a short sport story and then gave two applications.  They listened attentively to the lesson on courage.  After sharing I handed them each a copy to put in their notebooks.  The practice was over but one player lingered to read the story on his own.  Another stood silent as his dad animatedly discussed the paper with him.  One of the mothers came and commented on how much she appreciated the character lessons.  

Read More...

4/18/2003 0 Comments

Gentleness

​We must have looked funny to the children and women watching us.  Here we were, six men—each of us incapable of separating two plastic buckets.  We tried twisting and pulling to no avail.  One man used his pocket knife.  I tried dropping the buckets on the floor.  We could bend the plastic but we could not get one orange pail free from the other.  It was like someone had super glued each set of buckets together.  It felt like our manhood was on the line—this was getting embarrassing!

Read More...
0 Comments

11/16/2001

Pastors

Meditation
Acts 20:28--Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

Read More...

8/18/2001 0 Comments

Fruit Trees

​In my backyard are several fruit trees.  Each one is shielded to some degree from the traversing sun by fir, cedar and maple that are older and tower above them.  What is fascinating is how the apple, cherry, plum and apricot contort their branches in the best direction possible to capture maximum sunlight.  
 

Read More...
0 Comments

11/30/2000 0 Comments

Tundra

​Five men camped along the Tulik River in the remote tundra of the Arctic Circle near the Brooks Range.  Our intent was to hunt caribou and ptarmigan and fish for grayling.  For many men, few things exceed the thrill of hunting.  It is a great test of wit, skill, perseverance, and careful planning which, if executed properly, results in the successful acquisition of food.  It was a time of camaraderie and challenge.

Read More...
0 Comments

<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    Abiding
    Accountability
    Accusations
    Action
    Adaptable
    Adversity
    Advice
    Agreement
    Alert
    Alliance
    Ambition
    Angels
    Anger
    Anointing
    Arguing
    Aspiration
    Assumptions
    Attitude
    Authority
    Available
    Balance
    Baptism
    Belief
    Betrayal
    Bible
    Bitterness
    Blessings
    Blood
    Bold
    Boundaries
    Bribery
    Burn Out
    Busyness
    Calling
    Calm
    Causes
    Challenges
    Change
    Character
    Choices
    Christmas
    Comfort
    Commitment
    Communication
    Communion
    Community
    Comparison
    Compassion
    Complacency
    Complaining
    Compromise
    Concern
    Conduct
    Confession
    Confrontation
    Confusion
    Conscience
    Consent
    Considerate
    Contentment
    Context
    Corruption
    Courage
    Craving
    Creation
    Creativity
    Criticism
    Curiosity
    Dark
    Death
    Deception
    Decision Making
    Dedication
    Deliverance
    Demons
    Depression
    Despair
    Discernment
    Discipleship
    Discipline
    Discouragement
    Dishonesty
    Disobedience
    Disrespect
    Divine Appointment
    Divisive
    Dogmatic
    Doubt
    Duty
    Easter
    Edify
    Empathy
    Encouragement
    Endurance
    Envy
    Eternity
    Ethics
    Evangelism
    Evolution
    Example
    Excuses
    Experience
    Failure
    Faith
    Faithful
    Fasting
    Fathers
    Favor
    Fear
    Feedback
    Fellowship
    Flesh
    Focus
    Follow
    Foolishness
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Friendly
    Friendship
    Fruit
    Gentle
    Giving
    Glory
    Goals
    God
    God Fearing
    Godly
    Gods Love
    Gods Promises
    Good Friday
    Gossip
    Government
    Grace
    Grumbling
    Guidance
    Habit
    Happiness
    Healing
    Healthy
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hell
    Help
    Heresy
    Heroism
    History
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Honor
    Hope
    Humility
    Hypocrisy
    Idolatry
    Image
    Immorality
    Incompetent
    Inconsistent
    Ingratitude
    Inheritance
    Initiative
    Inspiration
    Integrity
    Interference
    Isolation
    Israel
    Jealousy
    Jesus
    Joy
    Judgment
    Justice
    Justification
    Kindness
    Knowledge
    Language
    Laughter
    Law
    Lazy
    Leadership
    Learning
    Legalism
    Life
    Light
    Listening
    Lonely
    Love
    Loyalty
    Lying
    Marriage
    Meaning
    Meditation
    Memorial
    Mercy
    Mind
    Ministry
    Miracles
    Money
    Music
    Name
    Obedient
    Observation
    Opportunity
    Opposition
    Pain
    Parables
    Parenting
    Passion
    Patience
    Peace
    Perseverance
    Philosophies
    Plan
    Poem
    Possessions
    Power
    Praise
    Prayer
    Prayer For Leaders
    Prejudice
    Preparation
    Pride
    Priorities
    Profiles
    Promises
    Protection
    Providence
    Provision
    Prudence
    Psalms
    Punishment
    Purpose
    Questions
    Rebellious
    Recognition
    Reconcilation
    Redemption
    Relativism
    Relevance
    Religion
    Repentance
    Reputation
    Respect
    Responsible
    Rest
    Restoration
    Revenge
    Revival
    Righteous
    Role
    Sacrifice
    Safety
    Salvation
    Satan
    Security
    Selection
    Self
    Sensitive
    Serving
    Sickness
    Silence
    Sin
    Sincerity
    Sorrow
    Soul
    Speech
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spiritual Gifts
    Spiritual Growth
    Spiritual Warfare
    Status
    Stewardship
    Strategy
    Strengths
    Stress
    Stubborn
    Submission
    Success
    Suffering
    Suicide
    Teaching
    Team
    Temptation
    Testimony
    Testing
    Thankful
    Theology
    Thinking
    Thoughtful
    Time
    Tradition
    Training
    Travel
    Trinity
    Trouble
    Trust
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unequal
    Unity
    Values
    Victory
    Virtue
    Vision
    Warning
    Weakness
    Will
    Wisdom
    Witness
    Work
    Worry
    Worship
    Zeal

Picture

Contacts

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Photo used under Creative Commons from Rachel Maxey Miles