Reveration Blog
Pound for pound Manny Pacquiao may be the best boxer ever. Born December 17, 1978, Manny is not just a Filipino fighter; he is also a politician, musician and actor. Given his popularity, he may be his country’s president someday. Manny is the first boxer to become an eight-division world champion. He won six world titles and is the first man to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes—an astounding accomplishment. The Boxing Writers Association of America named Manny the “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s.[1]
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8/18/2011 0 Comments UnflappableAdmiral Yi Sun-Shin (1545–98)is one of the most famous military heroes in Korean history. He was born into a poor family but through hard work and effort rose to become a brilliant strategist and Admiral. At the age of 28 he took the government examination to become an officer but during the practical portion fell off his horse and failed. Shamed by his failure he worked harder and four years later he retook the exam and passed. Eventually his persistence and wisdom convinced his superiors to give him command of a naval station in Cholla province.
11/6/2010 0 Comments EgotismIn his book, Follow Me, Pastor Jan Hettinga wrote, “Has your ‘right to yourself’ felt the ax? That’s what salvation is designed to accomplish. True repentance and faith ego-proof us. Our independent self-rule is broken at the cross.” Humility can be measured by the air we exhale. Self-focused leaders constantly inflate their glory balloons. If they are not puffing up, they blow away any who might disagree or question them. Their need for grandeur is always tethered to insecurity.
10/30/2010 0 Comments LovemicChip and Dan Heath wrote a terrific book called Switch, subtitled, How to Change Things When Change is Hard. If you are a leader or a worker in an organization undergoing change, this is necessary read. Chip and Dan make a point that self-control is an exhaustible resource. They share an experiment that proves the point. Researchers divided college students into two groups and placed them in a room with two bowls: one contained chocolate and chocolate-chip cookies while the other contained radishes. One group could only eat the cookies; the other group could only eat the radishes. The researchers then left the room to induce temptation. Fortunately, all the participants followed the rules. Next each group received a series of unsolvable puzzles. The group that ate the chocolate spent nineteen minutes on the task making 34 attempts to solve the challenge. The radish eaters gave up after only eight minutes and 19 solution attempts. Why did this latter group quit so quickly? They used up self-control by not eating the chocolate!
1/14/2010 0 Comments Giving WiselyI just finished reading the best book I ever read concerning Biblical principles on giving wisely. The author is Jonathan Martin and the title of his book is Giving Wisely? You can find and purchase it from www.amazon.com.
11/10/2009 VeteransMeditation
Isaiah 42:13—The LORD advances like a warrior; He stirs up His zeal like a soldier. He shouts, He roars aloud, He prevails over His enemies. For those who believe the military is an evil profession or who decry the wearing of a uniform and the responsibility that comes with it, please consider these thoughts. 8/20/2009 EldersAs the Apostle Peter neared the end of his life he wrote powerful words of instruction to those who were leaders of God’s people. Coming alongside special men, Peter urged them to shepherd God’s flock. Then he carefully defined what their motives and attitudes should look like. Those same penetrating words of truth ring applicable to us today.
8/14/2009 0 Comments SavonarolaRoman Catholic monk Girolamo Savonarola, (September 21, 1452 – May 23, 1498), was shocked by the immorality in Italy and by the corruption he observed within the church. As a teenager, he walked beside the River Po where he sang to God and wept over the condition of the people. At the age of 22, he wrote “Contempt of the World,” comparing the sins of his time to Sodom and Gomorrah. Years later, while praying, the Holy Spirit gave him a vision in which he was told to announce to the people that hard times were coming to the church.
8/7/2009 0 Comments FlyingHe pulled out a large, black Bible, a beautifully gold tabbed one, and grabbed a pen. I watched from a row behind and to the left of him. Twice on our flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta, he pulled out his Bible and read—not just a cursory reading, I could tell he was intent on what he was studying. He wore neatly pressed tan slacks and a polo shirt—I would guess by his age he is in his fifties.
4/10/2009 0 Comments RevealersWill was getting concerned. He had not received a response from the church where we were scheduled to bring a concert in Tracy, California. Finally, the night before we were to sing and share, he received a call from one of the pastors. An eight year-old girl from one of the families in the church was kidnapped and her body was discovered in a suitcase. Understandably, a broken-hearted church needed to cancel our appearance and meet the needs of a grieving family. Pastor Tim, our host in Sonoma, with only 20 hours notice, scheduled us to minister in his church. We had a fantastic evening of ministry and with the Sonoma church we spent quality time praying for our brothers and sisters in Tracy.
2/14/2009 0 Comments Valentines DayWhen it comes to romance, maybe the wise thing for us to remember is that one day cannot offset 364 days. How we love the rest of the year speaks infinitely louder than the most creative gifts given on February 14.
I believe there are four keys to making a marriage prosper and endure and guys if we don’t get this, we are doomed to a lot of hardship. (Apologies to the unmarried and to gals, but this Reveration is for married men or those engaged to be married). 10/17/2008 0 Comments Prayer Walk ReportMeditation
Ephesians 6:18—Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Dear Readers, This Reveration I want to share something special—instead of a devotional, below is a first hand report written by David Joel, our Nigerian brother and recently appointed international leader for our Prayer Walks. I believe you will be blessed by his sharing just as our team is blessed. 10/2/2008 0 Comments Spiritual TrainerMeet Manasseh Wakawa. He is one of the most fruitful men I have ever met and his heart for the Lord is expansive. He is a powerful example of why spiritual trainers are so vital to the Kingdom of God.
9/12/2008 0 Comments LengkatRiding from Abuja to Jos, Nigeria, David Joel, pastor of Agape Communion Church, shared with me an amazing story. There was a military coup in Nigeria in February 1976. Jurbe, a Captain in the Nigerian Army, was implicated in the coup. Despite his innocence, the authorities tried and executed him. Paul Wakkies, his younger brother, took his death hard. But on November 5, 1976, his wife, Kurnyang, bore him a daughter. They named her Lengkat, which means, “Don’t Worry!” Paul took solace in the fact that although God allowed the death of his brother, He provided new life.
8/25/2008 0 Comments EthicsA 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]
8/12/2008 0 Comments SlappedJoan did everything they asked her. She studied the courses her managers recommended she take. She volunteered for the hard jobs and endured great stress because her leaders believed in her. She won awards for her speaking skills and was recognized by her peers as a superior performer with dynamic people skills. Besides loyalty to her organization, Joan invested much personal time and resources to make the company’s work environment better. When it finally came time for a new human resources manager to be hired, she was sure the company would promote her to the position. But Joan didn’t know that one of the applicants was the owner’s niece.
8/12/2008 0 Comments StewardshipMeditation
Luke 16:10-12—Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own? 6/18/2008 0 Comments IronmanOn the plane from Atlanta to Portland, I sat next to a salesman and a lawyer. We had a great time sharing stories, food and funny video clips during our five hour flight. Matt shared with us that he was headed to Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho to compete in the Ironman competition. On Sunday, his goal is to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles in 12 hours! We pumped him with questions and he shared his training regimen, thrills and spills in past competitions. And then he told us the secret to his perseverance.
4/26/2008 0 Comments DeliveredMeditation
Psalm 34:4--I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. At the age of one month he was dedicated to be a witch doctor and to one day replace his grandfather. But as a ten-year-old he ran away mad because the ancestral spirits wanted him to start practicing divination. Consequently, this young boy grew up rejected by both his paternal and maternal family. 3/21/2008 0 Comments Service III was driving behind a Metro bus on my way north on Interstate 5. On the back of it a neon sign flashed, Not in Service. The thought crossed my mind, “I wonder how many times I have communicated Not in Service to God or to people.”
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Photo from Rachel Maxey Miles