Who will be next C.E.O……….?

Who will be next C.E.O……….?

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next C.E.O. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next C.E.O." One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the C.E.O. for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. He took his empty pot to the boardroom. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him! When the C.E.O. arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the C.E.O. "Today one of you will be appointed the next C.E.O.!" All of a sudden, the C.E.O. spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The C.E.O. knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the C.E.O. asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The C.E.O. asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new C.E.O.?" the others said. Then the C.E.O. said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!" Proverbs 4:18; The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Show God What Is In Your Heart Today

Show God What Is In Your Heart Today

 

"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:3-4, How many people do you know who truly give just for the sake of giving because they know it is good and right to do? How many folks do you know who offer their services, time and emotions, simply because they have a real heart to help a fellow man? I wish I could say I knew many such people, but, the reality is, few individuals I know give out of a cheerful and loving heart expecting nothing from man or God in return. Even in my own life, while my heart may be acting in love, a small subtle part of me sometimes hopes that God will offer me something in return, such as a prayer answered. Unfortunately, God does not work this way. When a prayer is answered or a blessing bestowed, our Creator does not issue it as some sort of reward system or trophy for a job well done. No, my friends, God is above such juvenile behavior, and when the Lord gives, He gives because it is good and right to do so. The next time you are moved to reach out and give to someone, whether it be volunteering some time to help feed the homeless, work with cancer patients, or offering a supportive shoulder to a friend in need, do so expecting nothing in return, and the simple yet profound joy of knowing you did the right thing because it was the godly thing to do, and not because you would receive earthy recognition, will be all the reward you will need! God knows, not only our every word and deed, but He knows our true motives behind our actions. Show God what is in YOUR heart today!

God is at work in our lives……..!

God is at work in our lives……..!

 

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. When we are in the point of asking, "God, how can you do this to me?" we can find the answer in prayer. Like Job we need to turn to God and speak to Him. Let us recommend ourselves to God for His mercy and compassion. We may not understand what's happening to us right now, but let us believe God knows what is best for us. Helen Steiner Rice once said, "Whenever we are troubled, and when everything goes wrong, it is just God working in us to make our spirits strong." Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.

Strategies for Getting Promoted……….!(Must Read)

Strategies for Getting Promoted……….!

 

Paul desired a career in the building industry. Early in his career, he was working with a large ministry to help direct several of their construction projects. As the projects were completed, Paul was asked to stay on for future projects. To keep him busy he was given a number of jobs - one of which was cleaning toilets. He recalls getting down on his knees each day and complaining to the Lord, "Lord, I'm a college graduate!" Discouraged, Paul told the Lord, "I will not leave here until You promote me. Please give me contentment with my circumstance." Paul felt totally forgotten by God. A few months later, Paul received a phone call from a man in the Midwest who owned five successful businesses who wanted to interview Paul for a job. This came as a total surprise to Paul. As he drove to the interview, he told the Lord, "I only want your will in my life, nothing else. I am content to remain obscure for the rest of my life if I have You. You must override my lack of experience for me to get this job." The owner of the company asked Paul a surprising question: "If I asked you to clean a toilet, what would you do?" Paul sat there, stunned. He wanted to burst out laughing. Paul assured him that he would simply pick up a sponge and start cleaning. Amazingly, Paul was hired even though other candidates were more qualified. After several months of success Paul asked his boss why he hired him. His boss replied, "Paul, I still have a large stack of applications from people who wanted this job. Do you remember the first question I asked you in the interview? I asked each one the same question. You were the only one who said he would clean the toilet. Paul, I am a wealthy man, but I grew up dirt poor. I clean my own toilets at home. I can't have people running my businesses who are too proud to clean a toilet." Sometimes God places us in situations to see if we will be faithful in those before He is willing to promote us to greater things.

 

A HEALTHY HEART......!

A HEALTHY HEART………!

 

You may be reading this tonight, worried about some health problem. Maybe you are overweight, or your blood pressure is too high, or the doctor is warning you that you are a likely candidate for a heart attack. Well, as serious as those matters might be, God is leading me to share with you now an important question... a question that could be the very root cause of your physical illness. Ask yourself tonight, "How's my heart?" I'm referring not to your physical heart, but your spiritual one...the one that determines how you respond to the world around you. If this heart is ailing, then often other problems, such as high blood pressure, lack of energy, etc. Manifest themselves. Here is God's prescription for a healthy heart: "As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience" (Colossians 3:12, NIV). Let that Word speak to your spirit tonight. Take your mind off your physical problems as you start to sleep tonight, and instead prayerfully ask God to give you the healthy heart mentioned in Colossians 3:12. You will have sweet dreams tonight, and a much healthier day...tomorrow.

57 Cents That Made History

57 Cents That Made History

Friends this is a true story, this story made me to cry and increased my burden to take the love of God to the ends of the world. A little girl sobbing stood near a small church. She was sobbing because she was been turned away from the church as the church was too small to accommodate many. "I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship God. Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor apartment building and the parents called for the kind-hearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribble in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school." For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for a 57 cent payment. Church members made large subscriptions. Checks came from everywhere. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00 - a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, PA, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday school building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside at Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind Pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds."

Look for God’s Handwriting

Look for God's Handwriting

 

This story has touched me a lot; I encourage everyone to take time to read this one and share with everyone. Missionaries Dick and Margaret Hillis found themselves caught in China during the Japanese invasion. The couple lived with their two children in the inland town of Shenkiu. The village was tense with fear, for every day brought terrifying reports of the Japanese advance. At the worst possible time, Dick developed appendicitis, and he knew his life depended on making the long journey to the hospital. On January 15, 1941, with deep foreboding, Margaret watched him leave. Soon the Chinese colonel came with the news. The enemy was near and townspeople must evacuate. Margaret shivered, knowing that one-year-old Johnny and two-month-old Margaret Anne would never survive as refugees. So she stayed put. Early next morning she tore the page from the wall calendar and read the new day's Scripture. It was Psalm 56:3 — What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. The town emptied during the day, and the next morning Margaret arose, feeling abandoned. The new verse on the calendar was Psalm 9:10 — Thou, Lord, has not forsaken them that seek thee. The next morning she arose to distant sounds of gunfire and worried about food and her children. The calendar verse was Genesis 50:21 — I will nourish you and your little ones. An old woman suddenly popped in with a pail of steaming goat's milk, and another straggler arrived with a basket of eggs. Through the day, sounds of warfare grew louder, and during the night Margaret prayed for deliverance. The next morning she tore the page from the calendar to read Psalm 56:9 — When I cry unto Thee, then shall my enemies turn back. The battle was looming closer, and Margaret didn't go to bed that night. Invasion seemed imminent. But the next morning, all was quiet. Suddenly, villagers began returning to their homes, and the colonel knocked on her door. For some reason, he told her, the Japanese had withdrawn their troops. No one could understand it, but the danger had passed. They were safe. Margaret glanced at her wall calendar and felt she had been reading the handwriting of God. God's handwriting is all around us but so often in the midst of the wars we face, we neglect to take notice. Let's make an effort to see His merciful hand at work in our lives today. He cares for us more than we can imagine!

Showing God's Love

Showing God's Love

 

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and brief-cases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of baskets of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach theplane in time for their nearly missed boarding. All but one, He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved goodbye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping, and no one to care for her plight. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them into the baskets, and helped set the display up once more. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $20 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly." As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She just said thanks for showing "God's Love" stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with those words burning and bouncing in his soul.

Perfect Pot & Poor Cracked Pot……….!

 

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." Each of us has our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway. Out boldly, know that in our weakness we find His strength, and that "In Him every one of God's promises is a Yes". But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV)

Character always counts……..!

Character always counts……..!

 

Bobby Jones was one of the greatest golfers to ever compete, uniquely known for winning the "Grand Slam" of golf winning all four major tournaments in the U.S. and Britain in a single year. In 1925, early in his career, having reached the final playoff in the U.S. Open, at a certain point in the match, Jones was setting up to strike his ball which was in the rough just off the fairway. His iron accidentally touched the ball. He immediately became angry with himself, turned to the marshals, and called a penalty on himself. But the marshals had not seen the ball move, so they left the decision to Jones, whether to invoke the penalty — a two-stroke penalty. Bobby called the penalty on himself, not knowing that he would lose the tournament by a single stroke. When praised for his honesty, he replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank!" Jones may have lost the tournament, but his character was legendary and today the United States Golf Association's award for sportsmanship is known as the "Bobby Jones Award." It's been said, "Character is what you do when nobody is watching. Character is how you treat people who can do absolutely nothing for you. Character is how you react when the pressure is on. Character is deciding beforehand that you are going to do the right thing." Every day we're faced with decisions — many of which are made when no one is watching, at least no one we can see. But let's purpose in our hearts to do the right thing — because character truly counts. We may not see the dividends immediately — but be assured that God is keeping track of our decisions, and He will make good on every one! Proverbs 11:3; The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of t

Rabbit's Ph.D. Thesis………!

Rabbit's Ph.D. Thesis………!

 

It was a fine sunny day in the forest, and a rabbit was sitting outside his burrow, tippy-tapping on his typewriter. Along comes a fox, out for a walk. "What are you working on?" questions Fox. "My thesis..." Answers Rabbit. "Hmmm. What's it about?" says Fox. Rabbit replies "Oh, I'm writing about how rabbits eat foxes." (Incredulous pause) Fox says, "That's ridiculous! Any fool knows that rabbits don't eat foxes." Rabbit "Sure they do, and I can prove it. Come with me." They both disappear into the rabbit's burrow. After a few minutes, the rabbit returns, alone, to his typewriter and resumes typing. Soon, a wolf comes along and stops to watch the hardworking rabbit. Wolf "What's that you're writing?" Rabbit "I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat wolves." (Loud guffaws) Wolf "You don't expect to get such rubbish published, do you?" Rabbit "No problem. Do you want to see why?" The rabbit and the wolf go into the burrow, and again the rabbit returns by himself, after a few minutes, and goes back to typing. Scene: inside the rabbit's burrow. In one corner, there is a pile of fox bones and the other corner, a pile of wolf bones. On the other side of the room, a huge lion is belching and picking his teeth. Similarly if we stay unaware of Satan's unseen dangerous plan, he will start using the unguarded pieces of life; each little area that we fail to guard, Satan grabs, reconfigures for evil against us and makes another base to attack us. If you have Jesus Christ in your life, you have the power to overcome the plans of Satan. He destroyed death, and through the Good News He showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed. 2 Timothy 1:10 (New Century Version)

Never give up when you face storm's....!

Never give up when you face storm's………!

 

A lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, what should I do?" He said "keep driving".  Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse. "What should I do?" The young lady asked? "Keep driving, her father replied.

On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead.  It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!" Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!" Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out. Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out." She said "But why now?" He said "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm, because you never gave up and your storm is now over. This is a testimony for anyone who is going through "hard times". Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up. You don't have to...if you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the sun will shine upon your face again. This story touched me! I hope it touched you! Feel free to pass it on to some people you know. Tell them never give up, because GOD will never give up on them. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me! Philippians 4:13.

Lesson from Grand pa...!

Lesson from Grand pa……….!

 

An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grand pa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his BIBLE. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, ' Grand pa! I try to read the BIBLE just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the BIBLE do? The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, 'Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.' The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, 'You'll have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, 'See Grand pa, it's useless!' 'So you think it is useless?' The old man said, 'Look at the basket.' The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out. 'Son, that's what happens when you read the BIBLE. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Jesus in our lives.

Love your Job.....!

Love your job…….!

 

Pressures from work can weigh on your soul in the middle of the night like a wet blanket. Has your work become dreary? Is it taking you twice as long to do things as it used to? Has the striving to get somewhere become too much? One dark, stormy night, the twelve apostles were together in the same boat. There they were, out on the Sea of Galilee trying to get to Capernaum, but Jesus was not with them. They were left to struggle with the storms of nature on their own, and quite frankly, they were not getting very far. Suddenly an amazing thing happened: "...they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they willingly received Him into the boat... and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going" (John 6:19-21, NKJV). When Jesus, the God of love, joined the endeavour, they immediately got to their destination! This story gives us a major insight as to what love can do for any project. When love is involved, time flies; work is accomplished with grace and ease. Pray for love of your work! Pray for Jesus, the power of Love Himself, to get into your "boat" and lead you through success.