It’s ‘WHO’ You Know [v271]

SEPTEMBER 2021

It is said that “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” So, are some ‘WHO’s’ more important than others?

INTRODUCTION
I’ve got to believe that you have heard the axiom, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It seems that this ‘rings true’ in daily life. WHO you know might matter more, or at least be just as important as WHAT you know in getting professional opportunities. Knowing someone who can get your ‘foot in the door’ can be VERY helpful—especially for getting your first ‘substantial’ job.

Most would like to think that competence is the most important determinant of professional success, but if it is, it seems that it is only so over the long run. One need not be an expert to become president of this or that corporation or an ‘authority’ who is interviewed on television on a variety of topics.

Now, don’t get me wrong, ‘WHAT’ we know is still very important. The more we learn in school and through our experiences, the better equipped we are to handle new challenges and experiences. Our skills and knowledge will be our ‘gateway’ to earning more in our future careers. It has been found that those that pursue post-secondary education will, on average, earn around $200,000 more in a lifetime than those who do not have that education.

Our schooling and experiences will always be valuable and, for the most part, these things will determine what jobs we get and with what companies. If you don’t know the answers to some main questions employers ask in an interview setting, you probably won’t get the job. HOWEVER, you may never get the interview in the first place if you don’t know the right people. (Sometimes, if you know someone, they might not even care about your skills or education.)

[ VIDEO: “It’s Who You Know | How To Get the Interview” ]

_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
<<< SUMMARY >>>
The following is a collection of ‘snippets’ from the post that aims to give you the overall ‘jest’ of this post. [ 10-15 Minute Read ].
_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

GETTING ‘FAVOR’
Now, for those who think that skills are more important than connections, consider a situation in which two undergraduates are hoping to get the last spot in a specific graduate school program. The first person has better grades than the second, but the second is best friends with the dean of admission’s son. Who do you think will get that last spot? (Now, it might be ‘unfair’, but it seems to be ‘reality’ today.)

According to a study done by “CareerXroads,” referrals are the number one source of new hires, and almost 30% of new hires come from employee referrals. So, in professional environments, the right ‘connections’ can make ALL THE ‘DIFFERENCE’!

So, competency is simply not enough any longer. You can be the most competent person in your line of work, but be relatively unknown. So, a new way to frame the reality of the workplace may be summed up with the slightly ‘refined’ statement, “It’s what you know, and who knows you.”

Both are needed. Being competent, and also having those in authority know of your abilities. If this is the case, it means you do need to be the most competent professional you can be, but you also need to get your name in front of certain people. But how? That’s where “NETWORKING” comes in.

BUSINESS ‘NETWORKING’
The traditional way to a high-paying career was to go to school, get a Master’s or Doctorate, then eventually came the great rewards—20-30 years down the ‘road’. However, today’s reality is that having a vast ‘NETWORK’ is FAR MORE helpful in doing this today. If a job opening comes up, the first thing a company will do is ask, “Do we have someone that can do this?” or “Who do you know?”

Mark Granovetter of Johns Hopkins University published a paper called “The Strength of Weak Ties,” and his research found that “weak contacts,” even distant acquaintances, are often more powerful sources in our network than close friends. According to the study, in more than 80% of the time, people found jobs through “weak connections.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of jobs are found through networking, and that means more than posting a good resume on Indeed, Monster, GlassDoor, ZipRecruiter, The Ladders, LinkedIn or others.

Being a good networker and establishing the right connections is a ‘VITAL’ component to unlocking career opportunities. Remember picking teams for dodge ball in high school? Team captains made sure their friends were always chosen first, leaving the less popular kids to be picked by default at the end. Well, that still happens in the business world.

Internationally-acclaimed entrepreneur and Fortune 500 mentor Janine Garner points out that one needs to move from “‘ineffective’ networking to ‘exponential’ networking.”

TRANSACTIONAL vs. TRANSFORMATIONAL

Networking = Transaction = Business growth
Network = Transform = Personal growth

SO, RIGHT NOW just might be the time to ‘transform’ your network!

‘BUILDING’ A NETWORK
Janine Garner says that one needs to “network, connect, collaborate, and then one will succeed.”

Networking is all about connecting, yet the way we are going about it now is all wrong! Most of our connections are superficial and transactional, and this will get one nowhere in their personal or professional life.

‘INGREDIENTS’ OF A POWERFUL NETWORK
Anyone can build a “who they know” network as long as they can communicate with other people in one way or another. From the moment we begin to be ‘integrated’ into society, we are given multiple opportunities to build our networks. Sadly, we are not taught to focus on building and maintaining these relationships in school, so many of us don’t maximize these opportunities to their full potential.

So, one needs to have:

– Board of advisers that brings out the best in you
– Intelligence bank that sustains you over the long term
– Marketing machine that champions you and your cause

NETWORKING ‘ONLINE’
These days we are bombarded by multiple networking groups, industry-specific events, and meet-ups through friends and colleagues via Linkedln, Facebook, Twitter and assorted other channels. Then there’s “speed networking” (designed along the lines of speed dating), an event formal in which you have a brief set time span to strike up a ‘connection’ before you have to move on to the next person.

NETWORKING ‘IN-PERSON’
The technology that was supposed to connect us and bring us closer together (online networking), has actually seemed to be having the reverse effect. With the increase in this kind of ‘connection’, has come a parallel increase in ‘disconnection’.

All that to say, primarily, be ‘GENUINE’. People do business with those they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST and CREATE ‘VALUE’.

FOR ‘ENTREPRENEURS’
Now, networking skills are important for any industry, but even more so for entrepreneurs. “Who you know” is even MORE IMPORTANT for them.

Alice Heimen, the author of “Connecting Your Way To New Business,” supports the importance of entrepreneurs building “who they know,” saying that “building a network will help entrepreneurs get their product out in the market and get the right people in place.”

NETWORKING ‘GOALS’
There are 8 objectives for an effective networking or informational meeting:

– Put yourself in front of as many people as possible.
– Give your 1-2 minute “Statement of Purpose” (i.e., tell them what you do or what you did most recently and what you want to do going forward).
– Get advice.
– Exchange and gather information.
– Get a few names.
– Make a friend.
– Ask what you can do for them.
– Leave a resume.

Remember: the ‘goal’ of networking is to ‘BUILD’ your network—meet new people, maintain connections, create opportunities, and ‘do’ something for somebody.

‘RULES’ OF ENGAGEMENT
To meet new people, there are ‘rules of engagement’. Networking is NOT about ‘strong-arming’ people into talking with you or collecting as many business cards as you can. Is involves being a good conversationalist.

EXPECTATIONS
Many people expect immediate results when they network and it just doesn’t work that way. Just showing up to events doesn’t guarantee anything. It takes time to build relationships. Instead of being discouraged by saying, “I didn’t meet anyone worthwhile,” you should ask yourself, “What did my contacts gain from meeting me?”

FOLLOW UP
Now, in order to develop a worthwhile connection with someone, you need ongoing follow-up. This can be done by adding them to your Linkedin or other social networking profile, or by continuing to go to similar events. Follow-up is a slow and steady process—a lot of patience is required. It’s not something you can ‘force’.

‘HELPING’ OTHERS
Helping people is the fastest path to success. Author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said that “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

‘YOUR’ NETWORK
Networking matters but it is ‘YOUR’ network that matters the most. Now, what do I mean by this? Well, networking as we know it, is a means to an end.

The thing is, we have got to get out there and ‘build’ and ‘develop’ contacts. It is all about being ‘surrounded’ by some key people that are helping you achieve your dreams. It’s not about quantity, it’s about ‘QUALITY’. It’s not about the shallowness of a discussion, it’s about ‘DEPTH’ of conversation.

You have to put yourself ‘out there’. Go meet people. Network. Find ways you can socialize with others. Think about how you can meet people who are working at the highest level and go out there and connect with them.

The larger your network, the more access to opportunities you will have!

RELATIONSHIPS
Networking is just a ‘fancy’ word for relationships. We become like the people we spend time with.

The German poet Goethe observed, “The greatest genius will nor be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources.” Author David Simpson said, “You make your friends, then your friends make you.”

THE ‘DYNAMICS’ OF RELATIONSHIPS
Author Peter Stein, in his report on men and their friends, concludes that a sense of “reciprocity appeared crucial in sustaining friendships.” Essential ingredients are acceptance, openness and commitment. All three develop in a reciprocal fashion.

– Reciprocal Acceptance
– Reciprocal Disclosure
– Reciprocal Commitment

I remember reading an ‘equation’ that illustrated authentic relationships:
Involvement + Willingness + Time = Commitment

FINDING A MENTOR
Essayist and lecturer Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “One chief want is someone who will make us what we know we can become.” Well, that’s just like taking an iron poker and sticking it into a fire. It will ‘absorb’ the heat from the fire and eventually it will become red hot. That same principle holds true in the social realm. If we spend our time around people who are “on fire” they, in turn, may ignite our passion—our passion for life, for people, for family, and for work. These people are called “mentors.”

BEING A MENTOR
There is an ancient saying that goes, “If you are planting for a year, plant grain. If you are planting for a decade, plant trees. If you are planting for a century, plant people.” This illustrates why EVERYONE ‘needs’ a mentor.

‘SPIRITUAL’ MENTOR
The thing is, even though most say one’s ‘spirituality’ is important, today’s society would frown on the previous message. We are told to look out for ourselves first and to hoard our resources. But Jesus had a different agenda. In describing the mentoring style of Jesus, Ted Engstrom (Leader of World Vision International) writes…

Jesus’ life highlighted one of the paradoxes of life: That true significance is found not in self-centered living, but in making a difference in the lives of others.

In many respects bringing order to our relational world requires that we cultivate the relationship that impacts all others in our relational constellation—our relationship with Jesus. In essence, it is this relationship that becomes the ‘compass’ that enables us to navigate the complexities of life and to keep our relational world in ‘balance’.

CULTIVATING ‘INTIMACY’ WITH GOD/JESUS
God is a relational being. He desires communion with the individuals of His creation (Revelation 3:20). As poet Tim Hansel put it…

The truest model of spiritual direction is found in the ministry of Jesus. There are several instances of people seeking an audience with Jesus to discuss matters pertaining to the soul. A “ruler of the Jews” (a Pharisee), Nicodemus, came to Jesus at night to discover spiritual matters on a one-to-one basis. Nicodemus was a ‘seeker’—someone pursuing truth. He acknowledged that Jesus was a “Rabbi,” (a ‘guide’ in helping people understand God and His ways in the world). That is exactly what Jesus did. He ‘mentored’ Nicodemus.

Accountability is not just for religious ‘leaders’. It is the ‘key’ to maturity and character growth in the life of EVERY believer.

So, it really comes down to ‘priorities’—and managing them. The connection between work and nonwork spheres of our lives is not a conflict over time but over ‘PRIORITIES’.

[ FYI: For more details about managing your priorities, view last month’s “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-really-matters-v270/ ].

Again, in the book of Proverbs, it recognizes the potential of mentoring when it says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one individual sharpens another” [ Proverbs 27:17 ].

SPIRITUALLY, JESUS IS THE ‘WHO’
So, because of ‘who’ they know, there are those in life who have obtained positions of privilege and prestige largely because of who they know or to whom they are related to. The world is filled with people who ride the ‘COATTAILS’ of others to success. However, there is no substitute for hard work and determination, and the successes gained through self-motivated effort will usually prove to be more rewarding than those received by favors and good fortune.

HOWEVER, when it comes to one’s ‘spiritual’ life, the opposite is true. In the spiritual realm, the best way and, the ONLY ‘WAY’ to succeed is to know the RIGHT ‘Person’—JESUS!

Now, naturally, the better you know someone, the deeper your willingness to go out of your way to try to help. Sometimes it is important who you know as well as HOW ‘WELL’ you know them (and how well they know you!).

One of the most ‘dire’ verses in the Bible is, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” [ Matthew 7:21-23 ].

There are professing Christians who WILL NOT be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because they REALLY DON’T ‘KNOW’ Jesus! This he said to not just ‘run-of-the-mill’ believers either, but some involved in ‘substantial’ ministries! Can you imagine? There will be those who perform miracles that WILL ‘MISS’ Heaven! All because He DOESN’T ‘KNOW’ them.

[ To read more about how you can ‘know’, for sure, that you are a ‘child’ of God, read this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/knowing-assurance-v243/ ].

DO YOU ‘KNOW’ JESUS?
Human communication is an amazing thing. It’s been said that communication is probably only 10% ‘WHAT’ we say and all the rest is ‘HOW’ we say it—in volume, facial expression, body language, and, most of all, ’TONE’.

To prove the power of how you say things is more than what you say, here are four different ways to say a sentence made up of four simple words: “I love my family.” If we put the emphasis on each of these words, one at a time, what the sentence conveys is significantly different each time.

So, say these sentences out loud, emphasizing the bolded word each time: “I love my family.” “I love my family” “I love my family.” “I love my family.” What can you take away from being asked the question differently each time? Do the implications change?

[ Note: For sake of my bottom line point, I have taken them out of consecutive order. Hopefully, you will understand why. ]

However, it’s NOT TOO LATE! (since you are reading this). You can start RIGHT NOW, working towards making your answer an absolute “Yes!” to this question!

It may be just a question of semantics, but hopefully, this type of exercise can help each of us evaluate and improve where we are in regard to Jesus being one’s Lord and Savior—the propitiation for all of one’s sins and their ‘gateway’ to Heaven!

‘WHO’ JESUS IS
Jesus’ last name IS NOT “Christ.” Christ is His ‘title’. It means “anointed one” or “messiah.”

The Old Testament had prophesied a messiah for centuries, and the Jewish people have been anxiously waiting for the fulfillment of these promises. They were anticipating a political leader who would overthrow the oppressive Romans, however, Jesus rejected their ‘advances’ to make Him their earthly king. He was after something bigger—something more ‘spiritual’ and ‘eternal’.

Despite His crystal-clear teaching and all the miracles He performed, the Jews were still confused. If He was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophesies—as He said—why didn’t He take on the characteristics of a military general or political deliverer? Well, then just ‘WHO’ is Jesus?

[ VIDEO: “There’s Something About That Name” – Bill and Gloria Gaither ]

Jesus Himself announced, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me” [ John 14:6 ]. Jesus said, many times, that He was uniquely God, and the ONLY ‘mediator’ between God and man.

One day we will all ‘stand’ before Jesus, either as our Savior or our Judge. I don’t know about you, but I AM ‘READY’ to face the One who is owed all the glory and honor, and the One who bears the name—Jesus! I PRAY you are ‘ready’, too!!!

‘ALLUSIONS’ TO JESUS
From beginning to end, the Bible relates to Jesus, and there are many ‘allusions’ to who He is.

[ Note: Refer to pastor Michael Youseff’s sermon snippet “Jesus In Every Book of the Bible” in the “Articles” section below ].

Jesus has been alluded to as the “Ark,” the “Rock,” “Living Water,” the “Bread,” the “Bronzed Serpent,” the “Tabernacle,” the “Suffering Servant,” the “High Priest,” the “Bridegroom,” and the great “I AM.”

JESUS’ ‘CHARACTERISTICS’

– Jesus is superior to everyone and everything (Hebrews 1:1-3)
– Since Jesus serves as our High Priest, we have access to God (Hebrews 8:1)
– Man cannot discover God on his own; God must reveal Himself to man (Hebrews 1:1-2)
– Jesus not only brought but in fact was God‘s full and final revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2)
– Since Jesus is the Son of God, He is the air of all that God possesses (Hebrews 1:2)
– Jesus is the agent through whom God created the world (Hebrews 1:2)
– Jesus is both God manifest and God in substance (Hebrews 1:3)
– Jesus, by His almighty power, hold together all creation (Hebrews 1:3)
– Jesus offered one sacrifice for all sins of mankind, then sat down with the Father once He had accomplished it (Hebrews 1:3)
– Jesus is God, and He created the angels (Hebrews 1:7-8)
– Jesus existed before the beginning of the world; thus, He is without beginning (Hebrews 1:10-12)
– The destiny of Jesus is that ultimately everything in the universe will be subject to Him (Hebrews 1:13-14)
– God confirmed the truth of the Gospel preached through Jesus with many miracles (Hebrews 4:3-4)
– Jesus was born to die as a Substitute (Hebrews 2:9)
– Through Jesus’ death, He became the perfect leader for His people (Hebrews 2:10)
– Jesus came to break the power of Satan, which He did by conquering death (Hebrews 2:14-15)
– Jesus came to sympathize with us, so He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:16-8)

WRAP UP
Just like the certified trainer Michelle Marchand Canseco presented in her video in the introduction of this post, someone with ‘pull’ or ‘privilege’ picks up their cell phone and calls someone to get you tickets to a concert that was “sold out,” gets a “backstage pass” (or a ‘pit pass’ for the Indy 500), or is THE recommendation that gets you the job (when, maybe, you weren’t the then ‘primary’ candidate). So, there are people in whom their ‘POSITION’ becomes your ‘PRIVILEGE’—and it is REALLY GOOD to ‘know’ those kinds of people!

So, again, it’s NOT ‘WHAT’ you know, it’s ‘WHO’ you know. Sometimes the connections with people end up being an incredible ‘blessing’!

So, I’ve been trying to tell you that there is ‘SOMEONE’ you absolutely MUST ‘know’—because ‘WHO’ they are WILL make all the difference in the world for you—and for eternity! His name is JESUS!

Hopefully, a question that Jesus Himself asked His disciples will help you to know ‘Who’ He is: “Who do people say that I am?” [ Mark 8:27 ].

I’m thinking that THE ‘MOST’ IMPORTANT ‘question’ that a person could EVER be asked in their lifetime—since it will ‘DETERMINE’ YOUR ETERNITY—would be: “Who do you say that Jesus is?”

Well, Peter, the self-appointed ‘spokesman’ of the group, stands up and says to Jesus, “You are the ‘Christ’!” Now, let me just say that this answer does not ‘fall’ on our ears in the same way that it did on the disciples’ ears. It was a ‘PROFOUND’ answer!

[ FYI: For more details about God’s coming ‘wrath’, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ].

Sadly, when Jesus was physically on earth most people DID NOT know who He really was. So, back to Jesus again…

Then, by God’s stipulation, sin requires a ’payment’—similar to what one is responsible for in court to ‘pay’ for a judgment that has been levied upon them. However, with sin being so ’noxious’ to God, the penalty for sin is MUCH GREATER than any penalty a judge can levy on one here on earth—it requires death: “For the wages of sin is death” [ Romans 6:23a ]. Yes, this is ‘physical’ death, but it then ‘separates’ us from God by a “great chasm that is fixed” (Luke 16:19-31). This is talking about Hell… FOR ETERNITY!

The WORST ‘NEWS’ is that we can’t ‘fix’ this ourselves. There is NO ‘immunization’ to solve the problem! We are like the ‘celebrated’ heart surgeon with a heart condition. He needed a ‘transplant’ and had all the ‘knowledge’ to do it, BUT he couldn’t perform the surgery upon himself—he needed someone else to do the surgery on him. (Jesus can be our sin ‘Surgeon’).

[ FYI: For more details about how Jesus is the ‘only’ One to solve the sin problem, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/two-choices-one-way-v254/ ].

In fact, Jesus’ first ‘sermon’ was in the synagogue to people who didn’t yet know who He was. So, He stands up and says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” [ Luke 4:18-19 ]. Jesus was all but saying that He was the Anointed One that they had been searching for! (Yes, He said that to them then, but He was also ‘speaking’ to you, today!).

Then, with all the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him, He said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” [ Luke 4:21 ]. (Again, yes, He said that to them then, but He was also ‘speaking’ to you, now!).

[ However, sadly, when they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath and they drove Him out of the town and tried to kill Him—as we do by not believing ‘in’ Him today! ].

So again, let me ask YOU how do you answer the question that Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Mere opinion or even popular public belief doesn’t really matter right now. This is a VERY ‘PERSONAL’ question for you to answer. Again, in my ‘eyes’, THE ‘ULTIMATE’ question YOU WILL EVER ANSWER!

Now, since you are reading this, you just might be getting an ‘invitation’ from Jesus Himself RIGHT NOW! SO, PLEASE don’t ‘squander’ it since none of us knows what will happen to us in the next year, month, week, day, hour, or even the next minute!

[ FYI: To consider how ‘urgent’ things are, read this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/ ].

The Bible says that when a person trusts ‘in’ Jesus, humbly repenting of their sins and believe, by faith, that Jesus will remove the penalty for those sins, and Jesus will become their Messiah!

So then, when one ‘knows’ Jesus, they receive the ‘privileges’ that Jesus can offer: Joy in the midst of troubles and an indescribable peace in a world that is anything but (Philippians 4:6-7), AND the hope for a Kingdom that is still to come!

[ VIDEO: “Perfect Peace” – Laura Story ].

All this to say that IT IS “WHO” you know, and that HE ‘KNOWS’ YOU! Jesus has the ‘POSITION’ to talk to God the Father and for it to become your ‘PRIVILEGE’ to get a ‘ticket’ to Heaven!

SO, CAN you answer the question, “Who do you think Jesus is?” in the ‘affirmative’? That you ‘KNOW’ Him as ‘YOUR’ “MESSIAH”?

‘KNOWING’ JESUS
When people speak of “knowing” Jesus, they refer to having a ‘relationship’ with Him. Being a Christian is more than knowing ‘about’ Jesus; being a Christian is knowing Him ‘intimately’. Jesus spoke of the need to ‘know’ Him when He prayed during what is called His “High Priestly Prayer”: “This is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

‘WHOSE’ YOU ARE
Because the world is crazy and ‘upside-down’, the believer sometimes forgets ‘WHOSE’ they are—and when one feels like they don’t know whose they are, it’s because that they have forgotten what Jesus said: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” [ John 15:5 ].

The believer is God’s “child,” and He has given His children the warning of an enemy’s attack and what to do in such a moment: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” [ 1 Peter 5:6-7 ].

SO, for the believer, they must remember ‘WHOSE’ they are! Don’t allow yourself to be the Devil’s next ‘triumph’! Remember the Devil will flee when one resists him and submits themselves to God. Again, remember ‘whose’ you are!:

[ For more details on one’s ‘identity’ in Jesus, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/new-identity-v220/ ].

‘RIDING SOMEONE’S COATTAILS’
To “ride on someone’s coattails” is a metaphor that refers to one who achieves some level of success or notability primarily through association with someone else. This can often be used as a generic phrase for anyone that ‘hangs onto’ another person as he or she forges ahead, without any effort from the ‘hanger-on’, and is usually considered unable to attain success on their own.

That’s why this expression primarily refers to situations where one person gets a free ride from another. If a father gives his son a job, the son might be accused of riding his dad’s coattails. This suggests the son doesn’t deserve the job, and he only has it because of the family connection.

The doors and opportunities were created by the first person—they ‘earned’ everything—but the second person just followed along and benefited from their hard work. So, when one os on the coattails of someone else, they are enjoying success because of the ‘ASSOCIATION’.

Now, perhaps you might think it’s a bit strange about what I am going to say, but I take a great deal of satisfaction in having been a ‘humble’ “coattail rider” of Jesus, AND, in addition to that, being one who has a few people riding on my ‘coattails’ as a ‘disciple’ of Jesus spreading the message of His love and forgiveness—worldwide! (The reason I keep doing these monthly posts). [ The ‘true’ believer goes out to find someone to ‘lead’/disciple (Matthew 28:19-20) ].

THE ‘CONSEQUENCES’ OF UNBELIEF
Many people think that rejecting Jesus is a choice without ‘consequences’. Although they don’t mind others following Jesus, they seem to be doing just fine without Him. HOWEVER, they fail to consider both the present and the eternal consequences of their unbelief.

Since God’s judgment is often seen as a future event, the urgency of salvation may be lost on people who want to enjoy the pleasures of earthly life, and feel no need for a ‘Savior’.

However, Jesus said that those who do not believe in Him have already been judged because they love ‘darkness’ and don’t want their sins ‘exposed’ by His ‘Light’. In other words, they love their sin and are unwilling to ‘turn’ from it. Living this way seems comfortable and allows them to ‘rule’ their own life according to their desires.

There are also those who claim to believe ‘in’ Jesus while still loving their sin—and also trying to hide from Jesus’ ‘Light’. But, attempts to have it both ways WON’T WORK, and such people remain in ‘darkness’, and are en route to Hell!

The pleasure of sin, however, is temporary (Hebrews 11:25). The ‘wise’ are those who truly believe in Jesus, and are ‘EAGER’ to be ‘in the Light’—they want nothing more to do with a ‘godless’ lifestyle. HOWEVER, it’s NEVER TOO LATE for one to ‘come’ to Jesus!

[ VIDEO: “In The Light” – DC Talk ]

IT’S ‘WHO’ YOU KNOW
In conclusion, one’s ‘association’ with Jesus CAN ‘develop’ into a relationship that leads to ‘favor’ and ‘opportunity’, if one is ‘committed’ to developing it (with involvement + willingness + time).

Jesus WILL BE your ‘mentor’ if you are ‘responsive’ to Him and ‘give it all’ to Him to provide the ‘water’ you will need when you are ‘parched’ (Remember the man at the water well?) [ See Luke 14:33 and Matthew 16:24 ].

Jesus IS the MOST IMPORTANT ‘WHO’ you NEED TO ‘KNOW’ such that He can be the ‘WHO’ that ‘knows’ you, be a ‘MENTOR’ to you for your life here on earth, and provide you the ULTIMATE ‘connection’, ’opportunity’, and ‘favor’—a place with Him in Heaven… FOREVER!

<<< END OF SUMMARY >>>

_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
ALL THE ‘DETAILS’
The following is a comprehensive presentation of the topic that follows the ‘headings’ laid out in the Summary.
_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

How about a situation where there is a new job position opening up at a prestigious company, and two final candidates remain? Although one candidate may have a better educational background and slightly more relevant work experience, let’s say the other candidate knows someone who is respected within the company. Also, what if that specific respected person personally referred and recommended the second candidate, giving them a valuable ‘vote of confidence’. Who do you think has a better chance of getting the job? It’s VERY likely that the second person has a better chance.

These days, jobs are being taken before they are even advertised. So, it behooves the ‘serious’ business person to build a powerful network, and it is incredibly important to ensure that one remains relevant.

The great thing is, we can ‘connect’ more than ever before—and easier through numerous social media channels.

Hiring is a huge burden to a lot of companies with no guarantees of what you are going to get. A familiar face who is already ensconced in the company is much more likely to get that job than ‘Joe Blow’ with his new ‘duds’ and a big smile.

That is why networking is so important these days. The larger your network, the more access to opportunities you have.

The truth is, the adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has more weight now than ever. Today, ‘busy’ is a status update and everyone is your ‘friend’, so it’s WAY harder to make connections that REALLY ‘COUNT’, beyond adding to the number of followers on your Twitter or Facebook account.

Job vacancies are filled before they are advertised, and previously unthought-of collaborations appear out of nowhere to create new and competitive markets and steal market share. Add to this the constant pressure of coming up with new ideas to help us remain relevant and influential in a saturated business landscape, and it is no wonder most of us hide behind our computers and feel paralyzed with fear. (BUT, not you, right?!)

Sure, networking still matters, but ‘YOUR’ NETWORK matters more.

There is no doubt that building a sales lead generation list is critical for the growth of many a business endeavor, and the explosion of social media has made finding particular networks easier but has it made your network any better?

There is much more to networking than collecting likes, friends, connections, or old-school business cards. To realty succeed, and break out beyond the online realm, you must become the master of your network both at work and in life generally.

The right network is about having the right people and the right relationships in your professional and personal life.

Without any network at all opportunities are missed, new possibilities are spoiled, your thinking stagnates, and the dreams and career aspirations you once had become unreachable.

Author and leadership consultant Dr. John C. Maxwell said that “Those closest to you determine your level of success, so choosing the right companions as partners in pursuit of your vision is an important decision. My advice is to surround yourself with talented people who will challenge you, help you grow and inspire you to maximize your potential.”

One must be in the ‘center’ of critical connections with real influence and real impact—connections capable of transforming one’s thinking challenging their behavior and working collectively to build positioning, elevated one’s profile, and pushing one to achieve more.

In his book “Highly Effective Networking,” Orville Pearson writes, “When the economy is good, networking is important. In tough times or tough job markets, networking is essential.” One must build strategic connections around themselves, assembling a select group of people who open them up to quality thinking and new perspectives.

Building a network that works is both an art and a science. It is an art in that it requires basic human skills in communication, connection, authenticity, and the ability to be “in the present” and engaged with people in conversations.

It is a science in that building your network strategically requires ongoing analysis and audit of your network, and a sustained curiosity around whether you are leveraging your network in the best way you can. It’s about seeing the lines that connect people, and ideas and create opportunity.

This means stripping away all the ‘junk’, reworking the way we network and connect to others on a personal level with authenticity, meaning and value. It is time to start connecting with the right people in the right way, to learn how to build quality relationships.

Surround yourself with the right people, people who will guide and mentor you and cheer you on, people who will help shape the person you eventually become. It is up to you to choose your network wisely.

Internationally-acclaimed entrepreneur and Fortune 500 mentor Janine Garner points out that one needs to move from “‘ineffective’ networking to ‘exponential’ networking.”

STAGE1: Ineffective
Activity: Dabble and Procrastinate > Result: Show up and Defer Action

STAGE 2: Effective
Activity: Expand and Transact > Result: Strategic Growth and Make Contact

STAGE 3: Exponential
Activity: Transform and Diversify > Inspiring Connections > Leverage Contribution

As networking master Keith Ferrazzi puts it: “Your network is your destiny… we are the people we interact with.”

As we have just explored, rethinking your network starts with one moving way from ‘transactional’ networking, the traditional type of networking, and towards a ‘transformational’ form of networking.

TRANSACTIONAL vs. TRANSFORMATIONAL

PURPOSE
Transact: Business Building > Transform: Personal Growth

FOCUS
Transact: Quantity > Transform: Quality

DEPTH OF CONNECTION
Transact: Shallow > Transform: Deep

LOCATION
Transact: Closed and Same > Open and Diverse

BEHAVIOR
Transact: Stable > Transform: Leverage

ENGAGEMENT
Transact: Give and Take > Mutual Value Exchange

OWNERSHIP
Transact: Out of Control > Transform: In Control

RESULT
Transact: Operational > Transform: Strategic and Operational

Networking = Transaction = Business growth
Network = Transform = Personal growth

SO, RIGHT NOW just might be the time to ‘transform’ your network!

To progress from a transactional network to a strategic and transformational one, you have to assess your network—and this requires some ‘sorting’. So, one must identify exactly ‘who’ is in your network right now, assess the true ‘diversity’ and integration of your network, and highlight any ‘gaps’ that may exist.

A more open and diverse network often means that individuals in your network often do not know one another and may have different values and beliefs. This greater diversity can have a profound, far-reaching impact.

In sport, every successful team consolidates vision, talent, ideas, and action across the four key roles of owner, manager, coach, and captain. In “The Making of a Corporate Athlete” (HBR, January 2001), Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz propose that an individual optimizes their talents and skills through the balance of four key areas: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Janie Garner suggests the one must start with their “Core Four” (Promoter, Pit Crew, Teacher, and Butt-kicker):

– “Promoter”: Makes noise about potential possibilities and inspires you to dream big.

– “Pit Crew”: Keeps you on track, nurtures you, and prevents untoward emotions from getting the better of you.

– “Teacher”: Helps you develop knowledge, wisdom, and foresight.

– “Butt-kicker”: Accelerates your journey, pushes you to do more, and holds you accountable for your actions.

Garner then suggests that one’s first priority to find their “Core Four” will be to discover the people in your network who can fill ALL four roles. To do this, you will need to get clear on what you are looking for and why. What are your current goals and aspirations? Who can help you achieve them? Who do you need to help promote you, leach you, support you, or just plain ‘kick your butt’?

THEN, one experiences real ‘momentum’ towards their goals when they expand their “Nexus” to incorporate 12 key people and personalities (Three additional ‘sub categories’ for each of the Core Four areas):

PROMOTERS (Help you to BECOME more)
– Cheerleader”
Your Cheerleader is the CEO of Your personal cheer club, promoting you whenever they can, sponsoring your growth, creating opportunities for you to shine, pushing you to do more because they believe in you.

– Explorer
Your Explorer will question why, who, what, where, when, and how. They will disrupt your present situation to introduce you to a new future.

– Inspirer
They are ambitious, big-picture, out-of-the-box thinkers who never give in to “I can’t” thinking, but Instead believe you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

PIT CREW (Help you to CARE more)
– Lover
Your Lover puts you and your needs first to help you become the best you can be in times of hardship as well as in times of success.

– Connector
Your Connector opens doors for you, whether to other people or to information.

– Balancer
The key word for a Balancer is self-care. They understand that any kind of success relics on a healthy balance between personal and professional goals.

TEACHERS (Help you to KNOW more)
– Influencer
Your Influencer will up the ante, give you focus and aid in your decision-making.

– Professor
Your Professor will, and should, constantly push you to think better, think deeper, and think differently.

– Architect
Your Architect is methodical, astute, and financially savvy, good at identifying potential gains, challenges, and risks, and at laying the stepping-stones to guide you along your path.

BUTT-KICKERS (Help you to DO more)
– Truth Sayer
Your Truth Sayer will challenge your integrity, your honesty, and your truth even if this flies in the face of conventional wisdom and the norm.

– Accelerator
Your Accelerator grabs procrastination by its ankles and hurls it out of the window. They push you and prod you to make decisions, to stick to plans, to do what you said you were going to do.

– Mentor
Whether in a formal or an informal arrangement, mentors are crucial to your growth and success. They guide and inspire your career choices, providing wisdom to keep you on track and inspired.

So then, Garner cites that one needs to work through three key stages: Choosing, connecting, and cultivating.

– CHOOSING:
What are your goals and why are you networking?
(Build network/Exchange value)

– CONNECTING:
How do you connect in the right way?
(Build network/Create opportunity)

– CULTIVATING:
What value can you offer others?
(Create opportunity/Exchange value)

So, since networking is a ‘shared’ experience—that is based on an exchange of mutual ‘value’—CULTIVATING one’s relationships takes one to the ‘tipping point’ between networking that is mildly effective and networking that works exponentially, it is the MOST IMPORTANT. When one networks with conviction—sure of who you are and what you know, and willingly shares information and insights that matter to others—the following happens:

– Opportunities are created.
– Value is exchanged.
– Influence is increased.
– Connections become transformational.

So, when it comes to cultivating your connections, the question to ask yourself is, “Who am I, and what am I really giving?” You then should ask the following questions of yourself:

– Are you bringing your full self to the conversation or hiding parts of yourself?
– Are you entering into a conversation with a genuine interest in who you are meeting and what you can do for them?
– What are you offering in exchange?

The thing is, there are 10 ‘secrets’ to cultivating your connections for successful networking:

– First impressions count.
– Confidence mailers.
– Speak up to be heard.
– Listen to be present.
– Become an action taker.
– Exchange value.
– Identify yourself.
– Be memorable.
– Follow your energy.
– Keep your network alive.

So, only when we network in the right way by choosing, connecting, and cultivating our relationships are we able to build networks that matter and that work.

Your network will fast-track your success, will transform you from the present to your future, will enable you to maximize your impact and drive your influence with those around you.
The ‘power’ is in WHO YOU KNOW, so that means surrounding yourself with a small but strong and strategic network—a network that works WITH you and FOR you!

So, Janine Garner says: “Go on—get off your butt and go and build your network. It is time to find out ‘WHO’ YOU KNOW!”

‘BUILDING’ A NETWORK
Janine Garner says that one needs to “network, connect, collaborate, and then one will succeed.”

What matters most is to invest the time, energy, and commitment into strategically building a small but ‘smart’ network. Connecting with a group of people who work with you, alongside you, ahead of you, and behind you, will help ensure you have the right information and make the right decisions at the right time.

We are all ‘time poor’, so it’s crucial that we select those we invite into our small ‘circle’ carefully and strategically.

Building a network that works requires understanding the connections we ‘must’ make, as opposed to those we ‘are’ making. We have to let go of our obsession with quantity and learn the art of ‘quality’ strategic networking.

So, one needs to have:

– Board of advisers that brings out the best in you
– Intelligence bank that sustains you over the long term
– Marketing machine that champions you and your cause

Another important aspect of building a network is to find similarities. The notion of homophily is more commonly thought of as “Birds of a feather flock together.” It is a proven fact that people are more likely to trust others who they perceive to be similar to them.

The explosion of social media has turned the world of face-to-face interactions upside down, opening up previously unimagined opportunities and ways of connecting with our friends, peers, existing and future clients, and complete strangers worldwide—all at the touch of a button. We are more connected than ever before through our Smartphone, the Internet, instant messaging, and social media.

According to Statsita.com, “The power of social networking is such that the number of worldwide users is expected to reach some 2.95 billion by 2020, around a third of the earth’s entire population.” New social networking sites are popping up every minute. LinkedIn” is growing at the rate of two new members per second (in 2017).

“LinkedIn” is the most prominent professional social networking website where individuals can put their resumes in front of many recruiters, and “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.” really takes off by allowing you to personally connect with millions of professionals all around the world.

Discovering second-degree connections of a close friend, reconnecting with a former colleague or classmate is another perk should you later need a referral or an introduction.

In addition to these, or those who are a bit too shy to meet new people in person, LinkedIn also allows you to connect to other professionals in a similar field of work by simply messaging them, even if you have never spoken to that person before.

Although LinkedIn is a great place to build one’s “what I know” network. LinkedIn is full of ways to build “who you know.” (Many other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter enable you to build a list of possibly valuable connections, even if the site is more about socializing than networking.) After all, the Internet was designed to make it easier to connect with other people, BUT

In her book “Alone Together,” social psychologist Sherry Turkle argues that our relentless connection to the digital world is actually driving isolation. On the whole, she says, we are now “more lonely and distant from one another… This is not only changing the way we interact online, it’s straining our personal relationships, as well.”

Social media encourages ‘ONE-WAY’ communication. Status updates and ’shout-outs’, overloading, and oversharing of personal information and hashtags—#bestdayever, #foodenvy, #grateful, and #inspired—make us look ’good’ but feel ‘bad’, and add very little of actual value to our lives. In reality, our actual conversations tend to be brief, fleeting, and superficial.

For those of you who may not be as comfortable building relationships via the Internet, or may just prefer meeting people in person, there are still many opportunities to do so. Ultimately, a face-to-face connection is STILL MORE ‘POWERFUL’ in today’s digital world. All you need to do is get out there.

From classes to clubs, to sports and special events that are designed specifically for people to come together and network, the opportunities out there are endless. A simple search—even for a straightforward networking event—is all it takes. All you have to do is be brave enough to introduce yourself to new people, and be disciplined enough to put the effort into building and maintaining the right relationships. Some of these relationships may already exist in your network, so don’t forget to also consider who you already know! You never know who you’ll meet next that just might give you your next ‘big break’!

Being a good networker involves being a good conversationalist.

You don’t always have to talk about business—ask questions and demonstrate an interest in the other person. This will develop a good rapport and may allow you to learn something new.

Be interesting, have things to talk about, stay up to date with current events, be a good listener. (Essentially, be the type of person that you would want to meet at a party or event.)

All that to say, primarily, be ‘GENUINE’. People do business with those they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST and CREATE ‘VALUE’.

FOR ‘ENTREPRENEURS’
Now, networking skills are important for any industry, but even more so for entrepreneurs. “Who you know” is even MORE IMPORTANT for them.

The right connections can help entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level in many different ways—from understanding all the legal issues, startup costs, and marketing. Connections help entrepreneurs in big ways. Author and “serial disrupter” Jay Samit once said: “Entrepreneurs need to remember to spend as much time working on their business as they do in their business.”

NETWORKING ‘GOALS’
There are 8 objectives for an effective networking or informational meeting:

People will usually take time from their busy schedules to meet with you for several reasons:

– Someone they know has referred you to them.
– People feel good about sharing their expertise.
– People love to give advice.
– They have been through a job loss themselves.

A few other things one should keep these things in mind are:

Who are your networking resources? Virtually everyone. It’s always better to put yourself in front of as many people as possible. Put together a list of possible networking contacts. You’ll want to list everyone you know personally, professionally, or even casually. Do not leave anyone out.

– Do not be reluctant to ask for a networking or informational meeting. Mention first who you are, who referred you, (if this was a referral), and then say you are exploring career options (never say you are looking for a job) and you would appreciate a brief meeting to get some information and advice. (Never use the word help). Tell them you will not take more than 15 minutes or so.

– Networking should always be done in person; people remember face-to-face meetings much more than telephone conversations. However, if long-distance is an issue, you can still network over the telephone, although it’s not nearly as effective.

– Always dress professionally—even though this is an informal meeting. You want to be remembered as very professional.

– Open the meeting by giving your 1-2 minute Statement of Purpose which is an overview of you, your industry, a definition of your job, and most importantly your goals and objectives going forward. You should rehearse your Statement of Purpose until it becomes second nature. After you conclude, ask for advice. e.g., what advice do you have, or what do you see going on?

– Obtain 3 names and/or referrals. Remember, this is a critical part of the networking process. You must get names! You’re not just looking to speak with people in your industry; you’re looking to talk to people who might be well connected in any industry. Good leads could come from public officials, clergy, small business owners, accountants, lawyers, Rotarians, contacts from trade organizations, nonprofits, etc.

– Bring copies of your resume, but never present a copy at the outset. You don’t want them reading your resume while you’re speaking. You can leave a copy at the end of the conversation.

– You must always present yourself as enthusiastic, confident, and upbeat. Ask how you may be able to help them. Always offer to give back. Always get a business card and follow up with a “thank you” note. (Email is appropriate, although a handwritten “thank you” adds a special touch.)

Remember: the ‘goal’ of networking is to ‘BUILD’ your network—meet new people, maintain connections, create opportunities, and ‘do’ something for somebody.

One must not always have to talk about business—ask questions and demonstrate an interest in the other person. This will develop a good rapport and may allow you to learn something new.

Be interesting, have things to talk about. Have opinions on things. Stay up to date with current events. Be a good listener. Essentially, be the type of person that YOU would want to meet at a party or event. Selling yourself does not mean that you just talk about yourself and boast about your achievements. This will actually do more damage than good!

So, one needs a good ‘introduction’ that establishes your credentials and tells others what makes you or your company interesting or unique. Keep it short, simple, and memorable—20-30 seconds max!

Then, address people by their name. This not only allows you to remember it, but it also creates a positive, friendly feeling. When someone remembers and says our name, we feel flattered. (If you cannot remember someone’s name, the best thing to do is confess, say something like, “I’m sorry, could you please tell me your name again.”)

Also, be genuine. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. (Being genuine helps to develop a rapport.)

The thing is, holidays are a good way to follow-up with someone. It’s a ‘permission to follow-up’ occasion.

If you immediately hit it off with someone, you don’t have to wait for the next function to see them again. Invite them out to lunch. If you’ve initiated the invitation, it is customary to pay. This is also a way future engagements happen – the other person will likely want to treat you next time.

Also, don’t beat a ‘dead horse’. If your follow up e-mail goes un-replied to, don’t continue to harass them. Before sending a communication to a budding acquaintance, ask yourself, “Is what I am about to send going to add any value to this busy person’s life?”

‘YOUR’ NETWORK
Networking matters but it is ‘YOUR’ network that matters the most. Now, what do I mean by this? Well, networking as we know it, is a means to an end.

The larger your network, the more access to opportunities you will have!

RELATIONSHIPS
Networking is just a ‘fancy’ word for relationships. We become like the people we spend time with.

We all need to align ourselves with people who can enhance our ability to grow, and we cannot underestimate the need to intentionally cultivate a network of meaningful and supportive relationships.

When heads of government take office, one of their first duties is to select people for a cabinet. They recognize that without a support group they will never be able to realize their vision. So, it is ‘IMPERATIVE’ that one surrounding oneself with the right people. It is as critical for you as it is for any political leader. Having positive, mutually edifying relationships is vital to your advancement in work AND in your personal development.

HOWEVER, relationships can be a two-edged ‘sword’. Our alliances can simulate and empower us or they can discourage and weaken us.

When a relationship has a positive influence on a person’s life—helping you achieve your fullest potential—we call it “relational empowerment.”

Relational empowerment is the enhancing and ‘sharpening’ of one individual via another.

Remember, Dr. John C. Maxwell said that, “Those closest to the leader will determine the level of success for that leader.” According to a study, great achievers can usually identify three to ten people who have made significant contributions to their development and ongoing effectiveness.

Relationships DO Make a Difference! Author and motivational speaker Charlie “T” (“Tremendous”) Jones once said, “You are the same today as you will be five years from now, except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet.”

The thing is, relationships DO NOT just happen—they need to be ‘DEVELOPED’. So, if you want to succeed beyond your own abilities, is ‘CRUCIAL’ that you develop your “relational network.”

Perhaps the best place to begin understanding relational networking and the social dynamic of connecting is by understanding what relational networking is not. There are four major misconceptions about our personal associations.

– “I don’t need anyone else’s assistance”
– “Networking is a form of manipulation”
– “High-achievers succeed through talent and technical skill”
– “Highly effective people eventually outgrow their need for support”

As was shown previously, ’networking’ is the way that most things happen in business today.

Even though it is a relatively new term, it is an old idea, once generally associated with the business community. Great achievers have always understood the necessity of “organized assistance” according to John Naisbitt, author of the bestseller “Megatrends” (originally published in 1982): “Networks are people talking to each other, sharing ideas, information, and resources.”

A relational network is essentially a cluster of relationships with people you know and have contact with. For some this network is small and limited, for others, it is large and expansive.

Our relationships have the potential to influence us either positively, through relational empowerment, or negatively, through peer pressure or “toxic relationships.” What counts is not the quantity of people in our constellation, but rather the ‘QUALITY’ of the relationships we have cultivated. A concept called “Relational Constellation” illustrates the kinds of relationships we need to develop:

– Spouse
– Family
– Spiritual Director
– Faith Community
– Mentor
– Peers
– Friends
– Protégé

Of course, the number of people that perform these roles may vary and may change over the course of your life.

So, to build your relational network, the first step in developing a relational network is to take out your daily calendar and evaluate your use of time. Who are the people you have spent more than ten minutes with over the course of the last three weeks? Are they the people you want to be spending your time with? What counts is not whether we have a network (everybody does) but rather what kind of network we have.

It takes more than motivation to cultivate valuable relationships, you will need a procedure to follow.

– List all the people who make up your present network of relationships—the people with whom you interact on a regular basis.

– Then ask yourself two questions about each of your associations: “What kind of ‘leader’ am I becoming as a result of this relationship?” and “What kind of ‘person’ am I becoming as a result of this relationship?”

You may discover that some of your friends exert a negative influence on you and that you, therefore, need to REALLY consider decreasing the time spent associating with them. Or, in some cases, you may need to break the ’tie’ to them completely.

Choose rather to spend time with those who inspire you, stimulate your thinking, restore your vision, and strengthen your competency.

Research shows that friends can have a very positive influence on our enjoyment of life, personal growth, and personal change. University of Chicago psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (studying the psychology of optimal human experience), indicates that more than anything else “the quality of life depends on two factors: how we experience work, and our relationships with other people.”

– Reciprocal Acceptance
When we communicate acceptance to another person it involves accepting that person for who he or she is—not what we want that person to become. Carl Rogers says, “True friendship cannot be built until we destroy the idea of what the other person should be.” Acceptance is foundational to building a lasting friendship.

– Reciprocal Disclosure
Most men acknowledge having Other men in their network of relationships with whom they enjoy playing golf or talking politics. They enjoy a degree of companionship with colleagues and work buddies. As long as the conversation doesn’t get too personal, they feel at ease.

There are five levels of communication that people can experience. The five levels are presented in inverse order, with five being the lowest level of meaningful communication and one being the highest. By understanding these leads you can begin to evaluate the quality of your relationships.

– Level five is the cliché conversation level.
– Level four is reporting facts.
– Level three includes our personal ideas and judgments.
– Level two is our feelings and emotions.
– Level one is complete and ‘intimate’ communication.

Looking over these five levels, it is obvious that we can’t relate at level one all the time or with everyone. There are people that we only relate to at levels four and five. But it is imperative that we have individuals within our circle of friends with whom we enjoy greater levels of intimacy. Every man needs an intimate friend with whom he can share his true self, not simply talk about his job and his family.

– Reciprocal Commitment
There is a prevalent assumption that friendship happens naturally. During adolescence and young adulthood, when so many interests are shared with others and one has great stretches of free time, making friends might seem like a spontaneous process. )I have found that having friendships in my adult years requires more intentionality on my part.)

Commitment, like acceptance and disclosure, does not occur instantaneously but arc cultivated over a long period of lime, Commitment is the ‘glue’ that keeps the relationship together. Our society has a disposable mentality regarding relationships—they are only valuable as long as they are useful. Once they have outlived their usefulness they are quickly discarded. Authentic friendships do not thrive in that kind of environment.

I remember reading an ‘equation’ that illustrated authentic relationships:
Involvement + Willingness + Time = Commitment

Barbra Streisand became famous for singing, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” Making friends and enjoying friendships are not indicators of one’s luck, but indicative of sufficient effort. Intimate friends can also be significant contributors to your financial success, happiness, and, in the end, your fulfillment in life!

Mentoring is a buzzword in business, the arts, and education. It has been described as “the best thing and worst thing that can happen to one’s career.” Increasingly, people are discovering that mentors can help them achieve their professional goals and enhance their personal effectiveness. Bobb Biehl, president of “Masterplanning Group International,” identifies two primary benefits of having a mentor. First, you get to do most things faster if you have a mentor who will tell you where to go to find a certain resource or show you how to do something. It’s a lot easier to learn when you’ve got a friend who wants you to develop skills and is teaching you on a one-to-one basis. Second, you have available to you the network of the mentor. One of the greatest roles a mentor can play is to introduce a protégé to the right person at the right time.

Contrary to popular opinion, mentoring is not a new idea. The term “mentor” is derived from the name of a character in Homer’s “The Odyssey.” In this ancient Greek tale, King Odysseus entrusts his only son Telemachus to the care and training of his wise friend, Mentor, while he himself goes off to war.

Classical mentoring encompasses the idea of older, more experienced people sharing their knowledge, skills, and resources with younger, less experienced people. Indeed, mentoring was the only means of transmitting values, skills, and character qualities from one generation to the next. Finding and making use of the right mentor is one of the most critical steps you will ever take.

Authors of “Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life,” Paul D. Stanley and J. Robert Clinton say that “Mentoring is a relational process between mentor, who knows or has experienced something (resources of wisdom, information, experience, confidence, insight, relationships, status, etc.) to a mentoree, at an appropriate time and manner, so that it facilitates development or empowerment.”

Bobb Biehl has a similar concept in mind when he defines mentoring as “making the mentor’s personal strengths, resources and network (friendships/contacts) available to help the protégé reach his or her goals.”

Mentors can play a variety of supportive roles in our lives. Among them, advisors, coaches, and role models.

Author and inventor Roger Von Oech, in his offbeat-titled book “A Whack to the Side of the Head,” tells the story of an old Zen master named Nan-ln, who lived in nineteenth-century Japan. Nan-In invited one of his students over to his house for afternoon tea. They visited for a while, and then the old man said, “May I serve you some tea?”

“Yes, thank you,” the student replied as he seated himself on the ground across a low table from the Zen Master.

Nan-ln set a cup before the student and began pouring tea. He talked as he poured, fixing his gaze on the eyes of his visitor. The student was so intent on what Nan-In was saying that is was several moments before he glanced down and saw that the teacup was overflowing and Nan-In was still pouring.

Finally, the student shouted, “Stop, you overfilled the cup!”

Nan-ln smiled and stopped pouring. “Yes, my friend, the cup is overfull. You are like this cup, so full of your own ideas and opinions. How can I teach you any wisdom until you first empty the cup?”

That story illustrates that RESPONSIVENESS is ‘critical’ to the protégé!

There is a legend of a man who was lost in the desert. He stumbled on, dying of thirst, until he came to an abandoned house. Outside the dilapidated, windowless, weather-beaten, deserted shack was a pump. He lurched forward and began pumping furiously, but no water came from the well. Then he noticed a small jug with a cork at the top and a note written on the side: “You have to prime the pump with the water, my friend. P.S. Fill the jug again before you leave.” He pulled out the cork and saw that the jug was full of water.

Should he pour it down the pump? What if it didn’t work? All of the water would be gone. If he drank the water from the jug, he could be sure he would not die of thirst. But to pour it down the rusty pump on the flimsy instruction written on the outside of the jug?

Something told him to follow the advice and choose the risky decision. He proceeded to pour the whole jug of water down the rusty old pump and furiously pumped up and down. Sure enough, the water gushed out! He had all he needed to drink. He filled the jug again, corked it, and added his own words beneath the instructions on the jug: “Believe me, it realty works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back!”

“Unlike mentors who are considered successful today, Jesus did not organize His team in order to be served. He never asked them to make him look good. They were never required to wait on Him. Just the opposite was true: He served them. The Master built them up, encouraged them, corrected them, and stretched them as they struggled to receive the truth and obey the will of God. ‘Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,’ He taught in Mark 10:43-45) ‘and whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ In John 13:15, He said in the upper room after washing their feet, ‘I have set for you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’”

Jesus’ life highlighted one of the paradoxes of life: That true significance is found not in self-centered living, but in making a difference in the lives of others.

According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, only seven percent of one’s message is communicated through their actual words, with the bulk of their message, 93 percent, being communicated through nonverbal cues such as tone of voice, body positioning, and attitudes. So, if we have high regard for people, it will be communicated, and if we possess a low opinion of others, it too will become clear, whether we intend so or not!

The Bible contains many examples of mentoring, but one of the most outstanding is that of Barnabas, who mentored both Paul and John Mark.

Shortly after Paul’s radical transformation on the road to Damascus, Paul went to Jerusalem to find the Christian brothers. Barnabas was one of the first to see the potential in Saul (who later became known as Paul), when other Christians were afraid to have anything to do with their former persecutor. “But Barnabas took him [Saul] and brought him to the apostles” [ Acts 9:27 ]. Barnabas must have encouraged and taught Saul during those early days and patiently stayed with him, knowing that time and experience would soon temper and mature this gifted young leader. Barnabas was one Christian leader in the Bible who believed that God is in the business of changing people’s lives.

The underlining theme in the book of Proverbs is that those in pursuit of truth must have an attitude of receptivity to the truth. Solomon tells us, “Wisdom is found in those who take advice” [ Proverbs 13:10 ] and, “He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored” [ Proverbs 13:18 ].

CULTIVATING ‘INTIMACY’ WITH GOD/JESUS
God is a relational being. He desires communion with the individuals of His creation (Revelation 3:20). As poet Tim Hansel put it…

“I wasted an hour one morning beside a mountain stream.
I seized a cloud from the sky above and fashioned myself a dream.
In the hush of early twilight, far from the haunts of men,
I wasted a summer evening and fashioned my dream again.

“Wasted? Perhaps.
People say who have never walked with God. . ..
When lanes are purple with lilacs or yellow with goldenrod.
But I have found strength for my labors in the one short evening hour.
I have found joy and contentment,
I have found peace and power.
My dreaming has left me a treasure,
A hope that is strong and true.
From wasted hours I have built my life and found my faith anew.”

Another example of Jesus as a spiritual director is found in the exchange of the “rich young ruler” (Luke 18:18-29). He comes to Jesus with a spiritual question, and Jesus gives him a spiritual answer. Much of being involved in the spiritual direction process is vocalizing our thoughts or struggles with someone who is “more mature” in the faith. In this case, the man wanted to know the pathway to eternal life. Jesus outlined the biblical teaching and the young ruler assured Jesus that he had fulfilled Scripture. Jesus, recognizing there was a major impediment to this man’s ‘walk’ with God, challenged him to put his security in God and not in his accumulated wealth. It was guidance the young man sadly refused.

Sometimes a spiritual director, if they have the courage, may ‘challenge’ us to be more honest with ourselves. Our initial reaction may be, “Who do you think you are?” But, if we perceive this person has our best interests at heart, we can be thankful for their input, and learn from them.

The thing is, every person, at some point in their lives, has to make a ‘personal decision’ whether or not to ‘embrace’ God or to ‘reject’ Him.

If you choose to embrace God, you begin a ‘pilgrimage’ of growing in your knowledge of Him through a ‘personal relationship’. Now, while that relationship is intensely personal—since no one else can make that decision for you—many believers have experienced the benefit of being aided through the guidance and direction of a spiritual director.

Accountability is not just for religious ‘leaders’. It is the ‘key’ to maturity and character growth in the life of EVERY believer.

Few, if any, of the ‘really’ valuable things in life happen by chance. People make them a priority and focus their time and energy to make them happen.

Author Peter Senge (author of “The Fifth Discipline”) makes the following suggestions for enhancing one’s ‘nonwork’ spheres:

– Identify what is truly important to you.
– Make a choice (commitment).
– Be truthful with those around you regarding your choice.
– Do not try to manipulate them into an agreement or superficial support.

So, it really comes down to ‘priorities’—and managing them. The connection between work and nonwork spheres of our lives is not a conflict over time but over ‘PRIORITIES’.

[ FYI: For more details about managing your priorities, view last month’s “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-really-matters-v270/ ].

Again, in the book of Proverbs, it recognizes the potential of mentoring when it says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one individual sharpens another” [ Proverbs 27:17 ].

HOWEVER, when it comes to one’s ‘spiritual’ life, the opposite is true. In the spiritual realm, the best way and, the ONLY ‘WAY’ to succeed is to know the RIGHT ‘Person’—JESUS!

Humanly speaking, it is more impressive to gain success through good, old-fashioned hard work. “Self-made men and women,” as we call them, are highly regarded in our society. Yet, when it comes to the spiritual life, all the effort in the world will get you nowhere without Jesus at your side to open the ‘doors’ of success (Heaven!).

Spiritual ‘victory’, which the Bible refers to as “eternal life,” is a gift obtained solely by grace and not by merit. Indeed, the only way we can receive such an incredible gift is by first GIVING UP all claims to it ourselves! The single greatest stumbling block that keeps people from receiving the gift of eternal life is ‘PRIDE’. The pride of men and women everywhere is just too strong to allow them to believe that they can get something as valuable as eternal life for free.

The “rich, young ruler” (in Matthew 19:16) had this problem. He thought that his behavior (which he described as being perfect) was impeccable enough to get him into the Kingdom. But, Jesus quickly cut to the heart of the matter by reminding him that he lacked the one thing necessary to gain entrance: an abandonment of self-trust in exchange for faith in the Savior, Himself. When it comes to eternal life it is not who you are or what you do. It is ‘WHO’ YOU KNOW!

A Chief Financial Officer of a large hospital (with several thousand employees and generating over $100 million per year in earnings) is often approached by people asking him to “intervene” on their behalf. They contact him requesting jobs, professional references, the opportunity to sell products or services to his hospital or provide introductions to other key leaders, just to name a few. On occasion, he is able to ‘pay it forward’ by helping someone else out when it makes sense. Frequently, however, he has to say that he cannot help them, no matter how well he knows them.

So let me ask you, DO YOU ‘KNOW’ Jesus? I mean ‘REALLY’ know Him? Do you have a deep personal relationship with God through Jesus?

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” [ John 14:6 ]. At the end of the ages, it is going to be PARAMOUNT, ‘WHO’ you know. When you’re ‘standing’ before God on judgment day, it WILL NOT be important who you knew on earth, but it WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT ‘WHO’ you know in Heaven! Do you know Jesus?

If you are not absolutely sure you really ‘know’ Jesus, PLEASE read this previous post that will help you with this:

The Apostle Paul considered knowing Jesus his most important task: “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him” [ Philippians 3:8-9 ]. So, how does one ‘know’ Jesus? Well, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” [ Romans 10:9 ].

One may know LOTS of facts ‘about’ Jesus, they may go to church all the time, and they may even be very familiar with the Bible. HOWEVER, the only way to ‘know’ Jesus is to repent of one’s sins and accept His free ‘gift’ of salvation. Jesus the “WHO” one needs to know if they want to get to Heaven!

[ Note: For sake of my bottom line point, I have taken them out of consecutive order. Hopefully, you will understand why. ]

DO you know Jesus?
With the emphasis on “DO,” the question seems to ask, “You say you do, but do you REALLY mean it?” This might be asked to someone who ‘professes’ Jesus but doesn’t really live it—and it shows. At best, the question reflects concern about where your priorities are because you seem to focus on your ‘fleshly’ desires, not the Holy Spirit. At worst, it makes others wonder what you really believe, or even if you really believe it. The question can be asked like this: “Are you a ‘disciple’ of Jesus and not just an ‘admirer’?”

Actually, it is better to ask yourself this question than to ask someone else. Believers need to keep themselves ‘in check’ first and foremost. [ “Self-control” is a fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:23a ].

Do you know JESUS?
Put this way, the question now becomes: “Is it truly ‘JESUS’ that you know, or is it a false god or a ‘counterfeit’ Jesus?” This question may arise out of the things a person says that reflect, not mere lack of knowledge such as a new ‘convert’ might have, but a real contradiction to or rejection of the Jesus of the Bible and the ‘essentials’ of the Christian faith concerning Him—that Jesus is Messiah, the Second Person of the Trinity, the only true God, manifested in the flesh, who took the penalty for our sins on the Cross, rose again the third day just like He said He would, and Who is coming again. He is not fictional, the object of someone’s creative fantasy, or the result of some group’s elaborate conspiracy. He is not a created being, not just a prophet, not just a “good man,” and not just a ‘revolutionary’.

Do you KNOW Jesus?
The question could now be asking, “How much do you ‘KNOW’ about Jesus your supposed Lord and Savior?” Have you accepted Him as your Savior—and it truly is the Jesus of the Bible speaks of that you believe in? So, are you “growing in grace and in the knowledge” of Him? Are you zealous for the things of Jesus in your life—to grasp the depths of His loving grace, power, holiness, wisdom, comfort, and even wrath? How deep and pure is your worship of Him, even though your trials and tribulations? Do you know Him enough to serve Him even if no one else will? Do you read His Word daily? Do you pray and trust Him as your Living God? Is He in your every thought, or more often just an after-thought?

Do YOU know Jesus?
Now the crux of the question is really on “YOU”: “Do you have a ‘relationship’ with Jesus?” Do you believe ‘in’ Jesus? Is He your Lord and your Savior?

It also can be asked this way: Does Jesus know you? When death comes to your door and Jesus opens the ‘books’ on Judgment Day, will He find your name written in His Book of Life? OR, will He say, with tears pouring down His most holy face, “I’m sorry, but we don’t know each other. You never accepted My invitations to become friends forever. You chose your works to save you instead of choosing My grace. And now, after all those ‘second’ chances which you rejected time and time again, it’s too late. You can’t come in.”

However, it’s NOT TOO LATE! (since you are reading this). You can start RIGHT NOW, working towards making your answer an absolute “Yes!” to this question!

‘WHO’ JESUS IS
Jesus’ last name IS NOT “Christ.” Christ is His ‘title’. It means “anointed one” or “messiah.”

Well, again, He made it pretty clear to the Jewish high priest by answering his “Are You the Christ” question with, “I Am” (Mark 14:6). [ The high priest tore his clothes (a public expression of tremendous grief and mourning) and then condemned Him to death ]. But, since the Jews did not have the power to carry out the execution, he sent Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate, for him to do ‘the deed’ for him.

Pilate then asked Jesus, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “It is as you say” [ Luke 23:3c ].

The thing is, how could the ‘experts’ in the Old Testament Scriptures not know that Jesus was the ‘FULFILLMENT’ of HUNDREDS of Old Testament prophesies—especially when He told them with His words and showed them with His miracles? Hmmm.

Historian Phillip Schaff described the overwhelming influence that Jesus had and the subsequent history and culture of the world:

“Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of school, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.”

One of the great military geniuses of all time, Napoleon I, wrote:

“I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a man. Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires, and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is between Christianity and whatever other religions the distance of infinity… Everything in Christ astonishes me… I search in vain in history to find the similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the Gospel. Neither history, nor humanity, nor the ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it.”

C.S. Lewis, the renowned British thinker and writer—and one of history‘s greatest defenders of the Christian faith—wrote:

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a Demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

The Apostle Paul expressed this well when he wrote to the Christians at Colosse:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in Heaven, making peace by the blood of His Cross”
[ Colossians 1:15-20 ].

The writer to the Hebrews referred to the preeminence of Jesus when he wrote:

“In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven”
[ Hebrews 1:1-3 ].

The Apostle Paul, in one affectionate note to some old friends in another city, wrote joyfully about why the name of Jesus reigns above all others:

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
[ Philippians 2:8-11 ].

Bill and Gloria Gaither, years ago, penned words that say it so well:

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
There’s just something about that name
Master, Savior, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain…
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let all heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away
But there’s something about that name.

Jesus, the mere mention of His name can calm the storm, heal the broken, raise the dead.

At the name of Jesus, I’ve seen sin hardened men melted, derelicts transformed.

The lights of hope put in the eyes of a hopeless child.
At the name of Jesus, hatred and bitterness turn to love and forgiveness, arguments cease.

I’ve heard a mother softly breathe His name at the bedside of a child delirious from fever, and watched as that little body grew quiet, and fevered brow cooled.

I’ve sat the side of a dying Saint. Her body wracked with pain, who in those final fleeting seconds summoned her last ounce of ebbing strength, just to whisper Earth’s sweetest name…Jesus, Jesus.

Emperors have tried to destroy it; Philosophies have tried to stamp it out.
Tyrants have tried to wash it from the face of the earth with the very blood of those who claimed it. Yet, it still stands.

And there shall be that final day when every voice that has ever uttered a sound, every voice of Adam’s race, shall raise in one mighty chorus to proclaim the name of Jesus.

For in that day, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is truly Lord!

So, you see, it was not mere chance that caused the angel one night, long ago, to say to a virgin maiden: His name, His name shall be called Jesus. Jesus. Sweet Jesus.

Oh, there is something, something about that name.

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away
But there’s something about that name.”

[ VIDEO: “There’s Something About That Name” – Bill and Gloria Gaither ]

‘ALLUSIONS’ TO JESUS
From beginning to end, the Bible relates to Jesus, and there are many ‘allusions’ to who He is.

[ Note: Refer to pastor Michael Youseff’s sermon snippet “Jesus In Every Book of the Bible” in the “Articles” section below ].

THE “ARK”
Because of Adam, all of us are conceived ‘in’ sin (Psalm 51:5), are born in sin, and we continually sin throughout our lifetime—and we all must face God in His ‘courthouse’ to mete out His ‘JUSTICE’ for our sins (and God tells us, in the Bible, that the ‘wages’ of sin is death). HOWEVER, thankfully, God has another characteristic: His ‘LOVE’ for us, and that He really ‘values’ us.

So, how much does God love us? Well, He sent His Son, Jesus, to the Cross, on your behalf, such that your sins would be forgiven. Wow! Jesus’ death on the Cross is God’s cleats demonstration of His justice and love.

The Apostle Peter tells us that Jesus is kind of like Noah’s ark in three ways, just more so:

– Noah’s ark saved people from God’s judgment (the Flood); Jesus saves people from God’s judgment (because of their sins).
– Those who were on Noah’s ark were spared from death (drowning); Those who are ‘in’ Jesus are spared from eternal destruction (Hell).
– The ark saved eight people. Jesus save multitudes!

The Bible says this about God’s love for us: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” [ 1 John 4:10 ].

Just as Noah’s ark had only one door, Jesus is the ONLY ‘door’ to eternal life—Heaven. There ARE NOT multiple ‘doors’ and you cannot create your own ‘door’. Sincerity in other ‘doors’ (religions) WILL NOT help you on the Day of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). One MUST already be ‘in the ark’—Jesus—to be safe from God’s judgment.

So, instead of experiencing God’s ‘wrath’ for your sins—sending us to Hell eternally—He put all of His wrath ‘on’ Jesus, paying the ‘debt’ we owe for our sins. God has provided a way out of our ‘predicament’—Jesus.

God says to us to “Run to the Ark! Run through its Door. True in Jesus to be saved from the wrath to come!”

THE “ROCK”
About 1,500 years after Moses “struck the rock” to supply water to the multiple millions of Israelites in the desert on their way to the “Promise Land.” The Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, tells us ‘who’ the Rock is:

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” [ 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 ].

So, Jesus is the “Rock.” He ‘stands’ in the place of guilty people—you and me—and receives the punishment we deserve. Jesus ’stands’ in place of the guilty (us) that we might be found innocent. Jesus was treated as if He was unjust so the ‘real’ unjust ones (us) can be made just.

Just was placed on ‘trial’ by guilty people (all humanity), was ‘sentenced’ by guilty people, executed by guilty people, all to redeem these guilty people. The ‘trial’ at Meribah (where Mosses struck the rock), was an allusion of the trial that Jesus actually went through:

– God was falsely accused; Jesus was falsely accused.
– God ’stood’ on trial before men; Jesus stood on trial before men.
– God ‘stood’ in the place of men; Jesus stood in the place of men.
– God was ’stricken’; Jesus was stricken, smitten, and afflicted.
– God, the innocent, paid the ‘fine’ for the guilty; Jesus, who knew no sin, was made to be sin that we [humanity] might be made the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“LIVING WATER”
Not only was Jesus the “Rock” who stood in our place to take the punishment we deserve, He is also the life-giving ‘water’ the flowed from the ‘rock’.

When Jesus met the Samaritan women at the well, He told her about how He was “Living Water”: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” [ John 4:13-14 ]. (Jesus was alluding to what the prophet Jeremiah said 600 years earlier in Jeremiah 2:13).

So, what was Jesus saying here? Well, one must stop trying to ‘quench’ your spiritual thirst with one’s broken, man-made efforts that cannot satisfy. Instead, one should come to Jesus for free, living water, which one then will never ‘thirst’ (never die)!

Jesus offered Himself as the living water who grants everlasting life—at no cost…for FREE!

THE “BREAD”
Jesus has just graciously fed 5,000 men (plus women and children) near the Sea of Galilee, and they responded: “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” [ John 6:30-31 ].

Hmmm… Jesus had just provided a free ‘lunch’ to 10,000+ people and they are not satisfied—and want a “miracle”! So, being the gracious person He is, Jesus said to them: “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” [ John 6:32-33 ].

They then—like the Samaritan women at the well—said that wanted Him to give them ‘this’ bread. Jesus then said to them:

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst” [ John 6:35 ].

The ‘bread’ that God provided the Jews in the wilderness was actual bread (“manna”), but it was also a picture of a better ‘bread’—Jesus, the “Bread of Life.”

Talk about amazing grace! The wandering Jews complained and God gave them manna. We complain and He provided us with spiritual ‘Bread’, His own beloved Son.

Jesus, the Bread of Life, is offered freely to complainers who deserve an eternity of hunger ‘pains’. Jesus offers Himself as Living Bread so that we will never hunger in Hell! (John 6:47-51).

If you have not yet partaken of this ‘Bread’, what are you waiting for? Why would you want to ’starve’ to death? “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him” [ Psalm 34:8 ].

THE “BRONZE SERPENT”
The Israelites were wandering about in the wilderness waiting for God to give them the ‘green light’ to go into the “Promised Land.” Because of their constant complaining, “fiery serpents” were ‘allowed’ to be among them and also bit them with many dying from the bites (Numbers 21:6).

So, the people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us” [ Numbers 21:7 ]. So Moses prayed for the people.

They learned their lesson fast, but they still needed an antidote for the poisonous sting of the cursed serpents.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived” [ Numbers 21:8-9 ].

Once again, God provided forgiveness and provision for sinners. God made a way for sinful man to live—to avoid death by snakebite, the Jews were to look toward the “Bronze Serpent.”

Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” [ John 3:14-15 ].

Jesus, God’s perfect ‘sacrifice’ for sin, IS the “Bronze Serpent” in the wilderness for us:

– Just as the Bronze Serpent was lifted up on a pole, Jesus was lifted up on a Cross.
– Just as the Bronze Serpent represented the ‘Curse’, Jesus became the curse for us.
– Just as those who would look to the Bronze Serpent and live, if one will look to Jesus, they too will live—for eternity!

THE “TABERNACLE”
The Old Testament details a number of “covenants”: Noah, Abrahamic, David, and mostly the Mosaic covenant. This is the covenant we typically call the “Old Covenant” or “The Law.” the Mosaic Covenant was given by God to Moses while he and the Jews were forced to wander around in the wilderness.

Primarily, the Old Covenant provided a sacrificial system for the atonement for sins. The thing is, this system did not ‘actually’ provide forgiveness. The blood of lambs cannot forgive sins. They were forgiven “on credit” until the “Lamb of God” (Jesus) came to shed His blood for the forgiveness of the sins of everyone that believe ‘in’ Him.

Now, according to “Strong’s Concordance,” the Old Testament Hebrew word for “tabernacle/tent” is “Mishkan.” It is derived from two words: “Mish,” which means the place where something happens, and “shkan,” which means to dwell. So, Mishkan was used to describe where God ‘dwelled’.

The New Testament was written in the Greek language, and the word for “dwelt” meant “tabernacled” and referred to Jesus being our “Tabernacle”: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth” [ John 1:14 ].

Now, just as God’s “shekinah glory” tabernacled with the Israelites, Jesus tabernacled with us when He came to earth. So, the tabernacle in the Old Testament was a shadowy ‘picture’ of Jesus (and the writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is a BETTER ‘Covenant’, a BETTER ‘Tabernacle’).

THE “SUFFERING SERVANT”
“The Suffering Servant” is a famous passage from Isaiah 53, which Christians claim is a messianic prophecy about Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus quotes from this passage and suggests it’s about Him:

“For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment” [ Luke 22:37 ].

The Gospel writers and other New Testament authors quoted from this passage several times, explaining that Jesus fulfilled the various prophecies contained within it. If you look at the whole passage about the “Suffering Servant,” it becomes clear why this cannot be about anyone else but Jesus.

God alone has the authority—and ability—to forgive sins. In fact, that’s one of the reasons the Pharisees and religious leaders had such a problem with Jesus: He claimed He had the authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:1-8).

While the Suffering Servant doesn’t give us a picture of someone forgiving sins themselves, it does tell us that the servant: “Suffered in our place” (Isaiah 53:4),
“bore the punishment for our sins and even the sin itself” (Isaiah 53:5, 11-12), and “interceded on our behalf” (Isaiah 53:12)

So much of this poetic passage seems to describe Jesus’ life—so take a look at how New Testament writers saw this passage in light of the life of Jesus.

THE “HIGH PRIEST”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book “Christ is the Center,” says that in Christian living we often place too much emphasis on ‘HOW’ and too little emphasis on ‘WHO’. He says that by giving priority to ‘HOW’ we place ourselves at the center, and Christ on the periphery. Bonhoeffer suggests that by first answering “WHO” we get to the ‘HOW’.

For the New Testament, it is clear that the “WHO” is Jesus. Just listen to the Apostle Paul: “For me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21), and “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Or, listen to Jesus Himself: “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (John 14:20), and “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). Focusing on the ‘WHO’ in our lives opens up wondrous and exciting possibilities!

We see Jesus in Scripture as THE “WHO” acting for us as our great “High Priest” who represents us to God and God to us. Christ appears “on our behalf” in the very presence of God. (“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” – Hebrews 9:24).

Jesus is vividly symbolized in Old Testament typology on the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”). On that highest and holiest day, the high priest symbolically gathered all the sacrifices and worship of the people, carrying them into the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies, he presented the worship and prayers of the people. By that, the high priest acted as God’s designated ‘representative’ of the people, ministering on their behalf. His representative role was symbolized by the names of the 12 tribes emblazoned on his breastplate. He entered the presence of God to act on behalf of the people. As he entered the Holy of Holies, God was accepting in him all the prayers and worship of the people.

The New Testament looks at the high priest on the Day of Atonement as the ‘foreshadowing’ of Jesus as our great High Priest, taking our place and representing us before God. Jesus did not offer up a lamb or goat for a sacrifice, but offered up HIS VERY LIFE! Acting on our behalf—in our place—He presented to God the perfect obedience we could NEVER offer. So now, Jesus takes our prayer, worship, and service, and presents it to God as perfect!

Theologian John Calvin writes about Jesus as our High Priest—as our “WHO” acting on our behalf:

“For the high priest entered the holy of holies, not in his own name only, but also in that of the people, inasmuch as he bare in a manner the twelve tribes on his breast and on his shoulders…so that in the person of one man all entered into the sanctuary together. Rightly then does the Apostle speak, when he reminds them that our high priest entered into heaven; for he has not only entered for himself, but also for us.”

So, if Jesus is the “WHO” of Christian living, what is the “HOW”? In the same Book of Hebrews, I’ve been referring to, answers the ‘HOW’: “Looking to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Looking to Jesus, keeping our eyes fixed on Him, is the ‘HOW’ of Christian living. He IS the One who gets us going in faith and THE One who will see us ‘home’—Heaven!

THE “BRIDEGROOM”
When Britain’s Queen Victoria married in 1840, she started a tradition that continues, in the West, to this day: the white wedding dress. As queen, her choice started a trend that became a custom. Gradually, the white wedding gown came to symbolize fidelity and purity.

HOWEVER, a grander wedding ‘ceremony’ is coming: the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” The ‘Groom’ will be Jesus Himself, and the ‘Bride’ will be His Church. As the Apostle John saw this scene in Heaven, he saw that the “Bride of Christ” was dressed in “fine linen, clean and bright” which symbolized “the righteous acts of the saints.” No white wedding dress on earth can make a bride pure and righteous on her wedding day, but nothing less than clean, bright linen will do for the saints-made-holy when they meet Jesus to be united forever.

When the “New Jerusalem” comes out of Heaven (after the “Millenium”), “it will be prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Jesus) [ Revelation 21:2 ].

The imagery and symbolism of marriage are applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the Church. The Church is comprised of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. Jesus, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the Church to be His bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ (the Church) separate from her Bridegroom during the church age. ‘Her’ responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful to Him (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:24). At the Rapture, the Church will be united with the Bridegroom and the official “wedding ceremony” will take place and, with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-2).

In the “eternal state,” believers will have access to the heavenly city known as New Jerusalem, also called “the holy city” (Revelation 21:2, 10). The New Jerusalem is not the Church, but it takes on some of the Church’s characteristics. In his vision of the end of the age, the Apostle John sees the city coming down from Heaven adorned “as a bride”—meaning that the city will be gloriously radiant and the inhabitants of the city, the redeemed of the Lord, will be holy and pure, wearing white garments of holiness and righteousness.

Are you prepared for the ‘wedding’ in Heaven? Do you anticipate being made completely pure and righteous in Heaven? The thing is, if you just repent of your sins and believe ‘in’ Jesus, your ‘garment’ of righteousness will be waiting for you!

THE GREAT “I AM”
In the Old Testament, Moses asked God how he should respond to the Israelites when they asked, “What is His name?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” God then said, “You shall say that ‘I AM’ has sent me to you” [ Exodus 3:14 ].

So, when Jesus—preaching in and around the Temple a few different times—said that He was the “I AM” (John 8:24; John 8:28; John 8:58), the Jews were SO ‘INFURIATED’ that He equated Himself with God, that they tried to ‘stone’ Him (John 8:59). Jesus’ hearers were NOT ‘CONFUSED’ at all that Jesus was claiming to be God in the flesh—and ultimately crucified Him for “claiming to be God” (Matthew 26:63-66).

The God of the Old Testament claimed to be the ONLY ‘TRUE’ and living God. Jesus, in the New Testament, equated Himself with the God of the Old Testament [ FYI: Including the Holy Spirit, this describes the “Trinity” – Matthew 28:19 ].

This is a VERY ‘EXCLUSIVE’ claim. So, I ask you, what are you going to do with this knowledge?

ADDITIONAL ‘ALLUSIONS’
Author and syndicated talk radio host Todd Friel added a few more ‘allusions’ to the one I just discussed. He answered the question, “Who is Jesus?”:

“He is our better Adam.
His blood speaks to us of better things than the blood of Abel.
He is a better priest in the order of Melchizedek.
His ‘actual’ sacrifice is better than the ‘almost’ sacrifice of Jacob.
His three days in the belly of the earth are better than Jonah’s three days in the belly of the whale.
He is the perfect Prophet.
He is the highest High Priest.
He is the mightiest King.
He is the bronze serpent raised up for us, that whoever looks at Him will live—eternally.
He is the ark of our salvation that saves us from the wrath that is to come.
He is the only door whereby we can enter Heaven.
He is the ladder who takes us to Heaven.
He is our city of refuge.
He is our surety, our Sabbath rest and our better Festival.
He is the Bread of Life.
He is the Living Water.
He is our Bridegroom.
He is our Rock, our Fortress, and our Deliverer.
He is our Savior and our ransom.
He is the Tabernacle come down from Heaven.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
He is the Great I AM.
He is the way, the truth, and the life.
He is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
He is the One who commands you this day to repent and trust Him.
That is who Jesus is.”

[ NOTE: Be sure to view the “That’s My King! Do You Know Him?” video by S.M Lockridge in the “Articles” section below! ].

JESUS’ ‘CHARACTERISTICS’

Jesus is superior to everyone and everything (Hebrews 1:1-3)
The author of Hebrews’ goal was to demonstrate Jesus‘s superiority over everyone and everything that preceded Him, whether Old Testament persons, institutions, rituals, or sacrifices. He specifically contrasted Jesus with angels, Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and His priesthood, the Old Covenant, and the sacrificial system.

Those who were intellectually convinced but spiritually uncommitted needed to be warned not to stop at that point but to go all the way to saving faith. They were in danger of committing of the greatest sin any person can commit: rejecting Jesus Savior and Lord.

Since Jesus serves as our High Priest, we have access to God (Hebrews 8:1)
Jesus is priesthood is permanent and perpetual: “Because He abides forever, He holds His priesthood permanently. Hence also He is able to say forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” [ Hebrews 7:24-25 ]. That IS the ‘central’ message of the book of Hebrews.

It wasn’t easy for the Jewish people to accept the need for a new covenant. Most rejected Jesus Outreach. Similarly, many people today reject His priesthood, supposing they can gain access to God on their own terms. But, they are tragically mistaken. Jesus Himself said, “No one comes to the father, but through me” [ John 14:6 ].

Man cannot discover God on his own; God must reveal Himself to man (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Talking about Jesus, the Apostle Paul said, “The word became flesh, and while among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth… No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” [ John 1:14, 18 ].

Jesus not only brought but in fact was God‘s full and final revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2)
God fully expressed Himself and His son. That is why the Apostle John said, “The word became flesh, and while among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth… No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bottom of the Father, He has explained Him” [ John 1:14, 18 ]. The Apostle Paul added that in Jesus, “All the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form” [ Colossians 2:9 ].

Since Jesus is the Son of God, He is the air of all that God possesses (Hebrews 1:2)
As the son of God, Jesus is the air of all that God possesses. The Apostle Paul explains that all things not only were created by Jesus but also for Him (Colossians 1:16). Everything that exists will find its true meaning only when it comes under the final control of Jesus.

Jesus is the agent through whom God created the world (Hebrews 1:2)
The Apostle John said that, “All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” [ John 1:3 ]. Jesus has the ability to create something out of nothing (Romans 4:17), and that He is apart from His creatures. Only God can create like that; humans cannot.

The ability to create ex nihilo (out of nothing) belongs to God alone, and in fact that Jesus creates like that indicates he is God and establishes His absolute superiority over everything.

Jesus is responsible for creating not only the physical earth, but also time, space, energy, and matter. Jesus is the creator of the entire universe and of existence itself. And he made it all without any effort.

Jesus is both God manifest and God in substance (Hebrews 1:3)
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” [ John 8:12 ]. How’s the radiance of God’s glory, Jesus can transmit that light into your life, so you can radiate the glory of God into a dark world.

How wonderful to realize that Jesus, who is both the full expression of God in the exact reproduction of God‘s nature in human history, can come into one’s life and give them light to say and to know God! His light is the source of our spiritual life. And His life gives us purpose, meaning, happiness, peace, joy, fellowship, everything—for all eternity.

Jesus, by His almighty power, hold together all creation (Hebrews 1:3)
If Jesus suspended the laws of gravity for only a brief moment, everything would cease to exist. The reason the universe is a cosmos instead of chaos—and ordered and reliable system instead of an erratic and unpredictable model—is the upholding power of Jesus.

The entire universe hangs on the arm of Jesus. Is unsearchable wisdom and boundless power are manifested in governing the universe. Jesus upholds it all by “the word of His power.” The key to the Genesis creation is seen in two words: “God said.” God spoke, and it happened.

Jesus offered one sacrifice for all sins of mankind, then sat down with the Father once He had accomplished it (Hebrews 1:3)
The Bible makes it perfectly clear that “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Jesus went to the Cross, date of death we deserved, and consequently freed us from the penalty of sin by our faith in Him.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that Jesus, “Does not need daily, like those old covenant high priest, to offer up the sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once and for all when He offered up Himself” [ Hebrews 7:27 ].

When Jesus’ sacrifice was complete, “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” [ Hebrews 1:3 ]. That is significant because the Old Testament priests never sat down; there were no seats in the sanctuary because they offered sacrifices day in and day out. But, Jesus offered one sacrifice, finished it, and then went to the father and sat down. What the Old Testament sacrifices could not accomplish, Jesus did for all time.

So, don’t ever forget what Jesus accomplished for us—and what He still does for us: “If anyone sends, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” [ 1 John 2:1b ]. Jesus is the Mediator of a better covenant.

Jesus is God, and He created the angels (Hebrews 1:7-8)
People today who claimed that Jesus was just a man, an angel, a profit, or some inferior God are in error and bring upon themselves the curse of God. The Bible, and especially the writer of Hebrews, are clear about who Jesus is.

The antecedent of “who” is Jesus. Therefore, it is obvious that Jesus created the Angels.

The angels are also Jesus’ possession—“His angel.” They are His created servants who do not operate on their own initiative but at the direction of Jesus.

But, the greatest difference between the nature of angels and of Jesus is that he is the eternal God. The father says to the son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” [ Hebrews 1:8 ]. That is one of the most powerful, clear, emphatic, and irrefutable proofs of the deity of Jesus in Scripture.

Jesus existed before the beginning of the world; thus, He is without beginning (Hebrews 1:10-12)
Jesus, being able to lay the foundation of the earth and create the heavens in the beginning, implies that He must have existed before the beginning.

One day, what looks so permanent, will go away. Jesus will discard the heavens and the earth, just as we were a useless garment.

But, we can be confident that although creation will perish, Jesus does not, and he will create a new heaven and a new earth.

The destiny of Jesus is that ultimately everything in the universe will be subject to Him (Hebrews 1:13-14)
“So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth” [ Philippians 2:10 ]. This great promise confirms that Jesus is destined to be the Ruler of the universe.

Jesus’ eternal destiny is to rain over the new heaven and a new earth.

God confirmed the truth of the Gospel preached through Jesus with many miracles (Hebrews 4:3-4)
When Jesus preach the Gospel, He perform miracles that made what He said believable. He said, “Though you do you not believe Me, believe the works” [ John 10:38 ]. Jesus claim to be from God, then made it obvious He really was from God.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “No one can do the signs that you do unless God is with Him” [ John 3:2 ].

Today, God attests to the Gospel with the miracle of His written Word. Let it not be said that you neglected Jesus. Neglecting Jesus’ salvation will cost you eternal blessings and joy, and will bring you damnation in Hell! Do not allow yourself to ‘drive past’ God’s grace!

Jesus was born to die as a Substitute (Hebrews 2:9)
Jesus died to remove the curse so we could regain the dominion over the earth that God originally planned. But to do that, He had to come as a man. Even though in doing so, He temporarily became lower than the angels. He accomplished something no angel could. Provide humanity’s restoration.

The first and foremost reason for the incarnation is that Jesus might taste death on behalf of every human. He came to die in our place—to be our Substitute. God had two options: either let us die and pay for our own sins, or allow a substitute to take our punishment and die in our place. He mercifully chose the latter. It is vital that we are firm in the fact of Jesus’ substitutionary death.

As a result, Jesus freed us to live for and with God. Rejoice that the Creator of angels, the Lord of hosts, was willing to become lower than His creation for our sin.

Through Jesus’ death, He became the perfect leader for His people (Hebrews 2:10)
To bring “many sons the glory,” God had “to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” The Greek word translated “author” (“archegos”) means “pioneer” or “leader.” It was commonly used by a pioneer who blaze a trail for others to follow. The “archegos” never stood at the rear giving orders; he was always out front ‘blazing the trail’. As the supreme “Archegos,” Jesus has gone before us—He is our ‘trailblazer’.

Only the perfect ‘Pioneer’ could lead us out of the dominion of death, and into the presence of the Father. All you have to do is to put your hand in His nail-scarred hands and He will lead you from one side of the deck to the other. Then, you can say with the Apostle Paul, “Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?” [ 1 Corinthians 15:55 ].

Jesus came to break the power of Satan, which He did by conquering death (Hebrews 2:14-15)
To rest the power of death from Satan’s hand, God sent Jesus into the world. If you have a greater weapon than your enemy, his weapon is useless. You can’t fight a machine gun with a bow and arrow. Satan’s weapon is death, but eternal life is God’s ‘weapon’, and with Jesus destroyed death.

How was he able to do it? He rose again, proving He had conquered death. That’s why He said, “Because I live, you shall live also” [ John 14:19 ]. His resurrection provides the believer with eternal life.

Nothing terrifies people more than the fear of death. But, when we receive Jesus, death, in reality, holds no more fear for us since it simply releases us into the presence of Jesus. We can say with the apostle Paul, “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” [ Philippians 1:21 ]. So, rejoice that you have placed your hand in the hand of the Conqueror of death, who will lead you through death and out the other side.

Jesus came to sympathize with us, so He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:16-8)
Jesus came not only to save us but also to sympathize with us. He experience what we experience, so he could be a “Merciful and faithful High Priest.” After all, “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” [ Hebrews 4:15 ].

Jesus felt everything we will ever feel—and more. Most of us will never know the full degree of any given temptation because we usually succumb long before we reach it. But, since Jesus never send, he took the full measure of every temptation.

Ours is not a cosmic God who is powerful and holy but indifferent. He knows when we hurt, where we are weak, and how we are tempted. Jesus is not only our Savior but our loving Lord who sympathizes with us. Rejoice in the greatness of His love for you!

So, again, it’s NOT ‘WHAT’ you know, it’s ‘WHO’ you know. Sometimes the connections with people end up being an incredible ‘blessing’!

Hopefully, a question that Jesus Himself asked His disciples will help you to know ‘Who’ He is: “Who do people say that I am?” [ Mark 8:27 ].

Now, before I tell you how they answered, I want to give you some ‘background’ about what happened before this—how Jesus was making Himself to be ‘known’ to the people in the area Jesus was in:

– He opened the eyes of the blind
– He opened the ears of the deaf
– He healed the lame
– Her cast out demons
– He made the sick well
– He calmed a storm
– He walked on water
– He fed over 5,000 people with just a few provisions

[ Jesus was the “trending topic” on the ‘social media’ of His day! ;^D ].

These were just some of the things that the disciples had experienced when Jesus asked them the question.

So, Jesus was wanting to know what was the ‘word on the street’ and the disciples responded: “They told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets” [ Mark 8:28 ].

Everybody had an opinion about who Jesus was then, just like today. If you went out on the street today and took a survey about who people thought that Jesus was, you would find that if you asked 10 people, you would get 10 different answers about what people think about Jesus.

The thing is, 92% of Americans believe that Jesus was a ‘real’ person, but there’s very little consensus about what ‘KIND’ of person that Jesus was. Some think that He was a prophet. Others think that He was a political revolutionary. Some believe that He was a philosopher, and others say that He was a humble humanitarian. Even others would say that He was a great teacher.

There are such widely different opinions about Jesus, but what is the ‘real’ truth? Well, consider this: There is the belief that George Washington had wooden teeth, but that’s not true—he did not. [ https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/wooden-teeth-myth/ ]. There is the belief that sugar causes hyperactivity in children, but it doesn’t. [ https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/does-sugar-really-make-kids-hyper ]. There is the belief that one should not go swimming just after eating because it will cause one to ‘cramp up’—it doesn’t. [ https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-should-you-wait-30-minutes-to-swim-after-eating/ ]. There is the belief that Adam and Eve ate an “apple” in the Garden of Eden—but they didn’t. [ The Bible just says that it was a “fruit” (Genesis 3:6) ].

Now, there are all kinds of beliefs that people have grabbed hold of and think are really true, but are really not true at all. However, what’s most important is not the ‘beliefs’ that people have about this thing or that thing, or this person or that person, but what is ‘ACTUALLY’ TRUE.

So, back to Jesus. Wanting the disciples, that are closest to Him, to really understand what was true, Jesus shifted the conversation away from what is the common beliefs of people ‘on a street’, to them: “What do y’all think? It doesn’t really matter what everybody else thinks—their opinions and their beliefs. I’m asking YOU about who do you say that I am?”

Well, I’m thinking that this is the ‘ULTIMATE’ question. I can’t think of any other question in life that has such IMMENSE ‘personal implications’ for someone than this question. It is more important than what are you going to be when you grow up. It is more important than whether you should marry this person or that person. It is more important than where you should go to college, what career you should pursue, what job you should take, or where you should you retire. It even more important than even what’s the meaning of life.

Well, Peter, the self-appointed ‘spokesman’ of the group, stands up and says to Jesus, “You are the ‘Christ’!” Now, let me just say that this answer does not ‘fall’ on our ears in the same way that it did on the disciples’ ears. It was a ‘PROFOUND’ answer!

The thing is, “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. It is an actual ‘title’, in the Greek, for “Messiah” (“Anointed One”). You see, all throughout the Old Testament, God made a promise to His people Israel that He was going to send the Messiah Who would come and ‘deliver’ His people. This was “good news” because, throughout much of Israel’s history, they lived under the ‘thumb’ of oppression of their enemies—captive slaves in Egypt; Exiled to Assyria; Exiled to Babylon; Then lorded over by the Persians, Greeks, and finally the Romans—living most of their history under foreign rulership.

Israelites were like the citizens of Gotham City, sending up a “bat signal” into the ‘heavens’ hoping that there would be some kind of ’super hero’ at would swoop in and save them from the ‘bad guys’. So, Israelites have been spending centuries looking for the promised Messiah—the ‘Anointed One’—Who will come to rescue and liberate them from their enemies.

The thing is, God had given MANY ‘CLUES’ throughout the Old Testament so that His people would know Who to look for. Here are a few of those clues:

– The Messiah will be born a Jew.
– To the tribe of Judah.
– Born under supernatural circumstances to a virgin.
– Will be born in the obscure town of Bethlehem.
– He will preach with incredible authority.
– He will live a life of spotless integrity.
– He will serve the needs of the oppressed.
– He will upset the religious leaders.
– He will be betrayed by His friends.
– He will be ‘sold’ for 30 pieces of silver.
– He will be crucified on a cross.
– He will be buried in a rich man’s tomb.
– He will rise from the dead.

Wow! Sound like any one of your family members or friend? Well, not mine. So, when Peter said, “You are the Christ,” (Matthew 16:16b), he was saying that he didn’t just believe Jesus was a prophet—which would have been important—he was saying that Jesus was THE ‘Messiah’, THE One that God had been telling the Jews about. THE One they had been waiting for. THE One that had come to liberate and ‘save’ His people.

WOW!!! That was UNBELIEVABLE what Peter said! Now, that was FANTASTIC ‘news’ then, but it is GREAT ‘NEWS’ that has become EVEN BETTER! Jesus was not ONLY the promised Messiah for the Israelites, He can be a ‘personal’ Messiah FOR YOU!

Now, you might be asking yourself why I am saying that it would be important for you to have your own personal ‘Messiah’. Well, let me explain. Jesus is that ‘Super Hero’ that will swoop down from Heaven and come to save people from their ‘enemies’. Yes, plural—the Devil himself and God’s coming ‘wrath’.

[ FYI: For more details about God’s coming ‘wrath’, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ].

Sadly, when Jesus was physically on earth most people DID NOT know who He really was. So, back to Jesus again.

Jesus answered Peter: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven” [ Matthew 16:17 ].

Jesus was a normal man of flesh and blood, born of the seed of David (Romans 1:3). He was an unremarkable and unattractive man (Isaiah 53:2). His own disciples didn’t even understand who He was. They had not yet understood that Jesus had overcome all sin to which He was tempted (Acts 3:21; Hebrews 4:15).

Peter received a ‘revelation’ from ‘heaven’ although it was still ‘hidden’ for the others. He understood that this Man was the Son of the living God, the promised Messiah. Jesus called Peter “blessed” after this revelation. (This can happen to YOU, too!)

Peter was uneducated—not one of the ‘scribes’ (Acts 4:13)—and very different than the Apostle Paul, who was a first-rate Pharisee. But Paul later said that he received the Gospel of God because it pleased God to reveal His Son in him. He writes further that he “did not immediately confer with flesh and blood” [ Galatians 1:16 ]. It makes no difference whether a person is educated or uneducated. Without revelation from our heavenly Father, Jesus will remain unknown to us, even though we might have grown up in a Christian home and have much knowledge about Jesus.

So, why are there so many varied and incorrect opinions regarding Jesus, and who receives revelation from God in Heaven?

Well, one of Jesus’ disciples once asked, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” [ John 14:22 ]. Jesus answered him: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” [ John 14:23 ].

Jesus does not reveal Himself to the ‘world’, even if people call themselves “religious” and go to church. Those who do their utmost to keep Jesus’ commandments out of a love for Him—those who really love Him—do not ‘belong’ to the world and will then receive ‘revelation’ from Jesus.

Let me take you back for just a bit, to when God created the world. The Bible tells us that it was created perfect. However, Satan, a fallen angel, came into Paradise and began to contaminate and infiltrate and corrupt the world with sin. [ Sin is kind of like that toxic gas that the supervillain “Mr. Toxic” that Penguin used against Batman to contaminate everything. ]

The thing is, EVERYONE has been ‘infected’ by that original sin by Adam and Eve by eating the fruit that God said not to eat—and ‘everything’ has been impacted by that sin. [ Even the creation “groans” (Romans 8:22) ].

The Apostle Paul tells us that, “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God” [ Romans 3:23 ]. This means all of us are ‘corrupted’ and ‘contaminated’—all ‘messed up’.

Now, the thing is, God has always had a plan to send a ’Surgeon’ to solve the sin issue—just continue reading the Romans 6:23 verse: “…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Were this a ‘political’ problem, God would have sent a diplomat. Were this an ‘intellectual’ problem, God would have sent a professor. Were this an ‘economic’ problem, God would have sent a financial advisor. Were this a ‘legal’ problem, God would have sent a lawyer. But, because this is a ‘spiritual’ problem, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be humanity’s ‘Deliverer’—and He is the ONLY ONE that God accepts to solve the sin problem!

[ However, sadly, when they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath and they drove Him out of the town and tried to kill Him—as we do by not believing ‘in’ Him today! ].

Now, at that time, there were only three people who were ‘anointed’: Prophets, priests, and kings. The prophet’s responsibility was to bring God’s Word ‘from’ Him to the people—to be God’s ‘spokesman’, and help bring the people closer to Him.

The priest’s job was to bring the people ‘to’ God—to be a ‘mediator’. They would go into the Temple and perform sacrifices for the people’s sins and ask God for forgiveness so that they could, once again, be ‘right’ with Him.

The king then had the responsibility to lead God’s people through the establishment of a kingdom.

So, when Jesus arrived, He came to fulfill these ‘appointments’. He came first as a ‘prophet’, to live among His people and speak and live the truth. Secondly, He came as a ‘priest’ to mediate between sinful people and God the Father. (He did this not by ‘offering’ sacrifices but ‘becoming’ THE sacrifice Himself on the Cross to pay for the sins of the elect and remove the separation with God.) He also came as a King who came to lead His people and establish a kingdom not of this world, but the Kingdom of Heaven, which is to come.

So again, let me ask YOU how do you answer the question that Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Mere opinion or even popular public belief doesn’t really matter right now. This is a VERY ‘PERSONAL’ question for you to answer. Again, in my ‘eyes’, THE ‘ULTIMATE’ question YOU WILL EVER ANSWER!

[ FYI: To consider how ‘urgent’ things are, read this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/ ].

The Bible says that when a person trusts ‘in’ Jesus, humbly repenting of their sins and believe, by faith, that Jesus will remove the penalty for those sins, and Jesus will become their Messiah!

[ VIDEO: “Perfect Peace” – Laura Story ].

SO, CAN you answer the question, “Who do you think Jesus is?” in the ‘affirmative’? That you ‘KNOW’ Him as ‘YOUR’ “MESSIAH”?

The Apostle Paul considered knowing Jesus his most important task: “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him” [ Philippians 3:8-9 ]. And how do we know Jesus? “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” [ Romans 10:9 ].

We may know ‘facts’ about Jesus, we may go to church, and we may even be familiar with the Bible. BUT, the only way to ‘know’ Jesus as Savior is to accept His free gift of salvation. He’s the WHO ‘YOU’ need to know!

It is one thing to know ‘about’ a sports hero, and quite another thing to be a ‘friend’ of that athlete. You can read every news article on your hero, memorize every stat, and collect every piece of memorabilia, yet never really ‘know’ the athlete himself. To truly know a sports hero, you would have to do more than watch him play. You would have to have a ‘relationship’ with him, based on time spent together and regular conversation. When a person truly ‘knows’ Jesus, it is on the basis of a relationship—they spend time together and talk regularly. Then, when one knows Jesus, they also know God. “We know… that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true” [ 1 John 5:20 ].

So, how can you ‘know’ Jesus? Well, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” [ Romans 10:9 ]. You must believe that Jesus is Lord that He has risen from the dead, and the reason He died was to pay for YOUR SIN (1 Peter 2:24).

When you trust in Jesus, you become a part of His family (John 1:12). In addition to that, you have been given eternal life: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” [ John 3:16 ]. This life includes eternity with Jesus in Heaven and is available to you and to anyone who believes in Him.

The Apostle Paul also explained how salvation is the result of God’s goodness: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” [ Ephesians 2:8-9 ]. Salvation is not based on what we ‘do’, it’s just based on one’s ‘faith’ in Jesus.

There is no special prayer you must pray to know Jesus and believe in Him. However, the following prayer can be used right now to express your decision to place your faith in Jesus Christ.

As has been mentioned, in business there is an axiom that says, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Well, in Christianity, that sentiment also holds true. Religion won’t matter much if you don’t have a ‘relationship’ with Jesus. Facts are useless without faith.

That is what the Apostle Paul came to understand: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” [ Philippians 3:8 ]. “Know” in this verse is a ‘relational’ word that indicates personal knowledge, not simply ‘intellectual’ knowledge. The word know used in reference to the knowledge of Jesus conveys the idea of a dynamic, intimate relationship with Him. Knowing Jesus is an intimate day-to-day relationship based on personal experience that lasts a lifetime.

The Apostle Paul had a ‘RELATIONSHIP’ with Jesus and it transformed his life. After his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, Paul boldly proclaimed the message of Jesus, helping the spread of Christianity while writing one-third of the New Testament.

He experienced the great benefits of knowing Jesus:

– Those who know Jesus have great energy for God (“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” – Philippians 3:10). The promise of knowing Jesus is the display of great strength and energy. The word of power, “dunamis,” in the Greek, is the root of our word “dynamite.” Jesus wants to give us ‘dynamite’ power, the power to change our lives.

– Those who know Jesus experience a constant fellowship with God. While we will experience pain and adversity, we will have a companion, a partner, a confidant that will walk with us.

– Those who know Jesus receive eternal life (“That by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” – Philippians 3:11). Deep within our being is the wonderment of living forever. Religion may increase your knowledge while here on earth, however, it does little for future gain. Knowing Jesus, on the flip side, comes with the promise and the certainty of eternal life.

So, HOW CAN you know? Well, this exciting and dynamic relationship with Jesus is ‘AVAILABLE’ TO EVERYONE that will repent of their sins and believe in Him. Here’s how:

– One enters a relationship with Jesus by a step of faith (“And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Jesus, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” – Philippians 3:9). This relationship cannot be attained through human endeavors. Now, while religion is of the ‘head’, a relationship is of the ‘heart’ that requires faith.

– One continues the relationship with Jesus by a ‘walk’ of fellowship. (Any relationship is not achieved in one meeting, but rather through many hours of drawing together.)

The Apostle Paul did not merely exchange one religion for another. He didn’t ‘swap’ one system of rites and rituals for another system. He came to realize that knowledge is power—the power to change their lives and to give them a future home in heaven. The ‘power source’, however, was NOT in ’WHAT’ he knew; it was in ‘WHO’ he knew—Jesus!

– You have the breath of the Almighty (Job 33:4)
– Are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
– The apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8)
– You are lavished in His love (1 John 3:1)
– In Christ, you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
– You belong (Romans 8:9)
– You are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
– You are loved (Romans 8:38-39)
– You are His (Colossians 3:9-10; 1 Peter 2:9)
– You are a child of God (John 1:12)

[ For more details on one’s ‘identity’ in Jesus, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/new-identity-v220/ ].

The Apostle Paul tells us how this all ‘works’: “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory” [ Romans 8:17 ].

So, using the ‘arithmetic’ of planet earth, if multiple heirs receive an equal share of an inheritance, then each heir only gets a certain fraction of the whole amount. However, Heaven’s arithmetic is different. Every adopted child of God receives the FULL inheritance of the full estate! No one is left out and nothing is left out. Everything Jesus gets we get, and Jesus gets everything!

Jesus has always been the heir of all things: “In these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things” [ Hebrews 1:2 ]. Because we have been adopted into God’s family, we are now co-heirs with Christ. This is the epitome of ‘GRACE’! Not only does God save us, but He also lavishes us with Jesus’ inheritance!

So then, back to ‘WHO’ ARE YOU? Well, you are either a ‘child’ of God or you are not. If you ARE a believer, you are not ‘your own’—you belong to God. You are not ‘alone’—the Holy Spirit will ‘lead’ you.

HOWEVER, if you are NOT a believer, God is ‘standing’ at the ready for you to sign your ‘adoption’ papers. God is ready to free you from your sin and take you as His own child if you will just repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

Most of the time these days, it is celebrities that ‘ride the coattails’ of their famous siblings to their own success—using their sibling’s notoriety as a platform to get their own names out there. However, sometimes they do end up creating their own ‘brand’ and finally do their ‘own thing’. Janet Jackson just might be the ‘poster child’ for first gaining celebrity off of her famous brother, Michael, but actually did create her own massive following and success later on.

In addition to that, many genuinely talented people have to fight against the accusations of ‘coat tail-riding’. This is especially a problem in the acting industry and has led a lot of actors and actresses to actually change their family names in order to ‘hide’ from the stigma. Examples include Emilio Estevez (born Ramón Estévez), who uses his real name professionally so people do not associate him with his more famous father Martin Sheen, as well as his brother Charlie Sheen (who was born Carlos Estévez).

Now, as a general rule, movie sequels try to ride the coattails of their past success. However, only a VERY FEW are able to recreate ‘magic’ of the first film (i.e. The Matrix, Die Hard, Back to the Future, Batman, Indiana Jones, The Godfather, Aliens, Star Wars, Toy Story, and Lord of the Rings).

[ In VERY rare situations, the sequel was better than the first movie: Toy Story 2, Aliens, Terminator 2, The Dark Knight, The Empire Sticks Back, The Bourne Supremacy, Superman II, Star Trek II, Mad Max 2, Batman Returns, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, Jurassic World, Spider-Man 2, Back To The Future II, Paddington 2, Mission Impossible: Fallout, X-Men United, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Shrek 2, Lethal Weapon 2, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, From Russia With Love, Grease 2, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. (Just remember, there have been MULTI MILLIONS of movies!) ]

The reality of all this is that NO ONE succeeds on their own. It takes MANY people to make one person’s success a reality.

If you look at a majority of successful individuals you will see that none of them made it to the top exclusively by themselves.

One of my favorite examples is of the PayPal business ‘tree’. The founders and employees of PayPal would go on to start YouTube, Tesla, LinkedIn, and Yelp among others. They also helped fund other successful startups including Facebook, Last.fm, and Digg. When you start looking to the top of business trees, you will find that it is actually endless and someone is always mentoring another.

There are thousands of entrepreneurs who all have the potential to be the next Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Mark Cuban, Jack Ma, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and even Henry Ford. The only way to reach that level is to build strategic relationships with other individuals with more means to help you reach your goals.

Now, ultimately no one will carry you to the top and set you down there. In fact, if you count on that you may miss the opportunity altogether. The people that successfully ride the coattails of others are people, have talent, passion, and a drive to build their own success (like Janet Jackson).

So, here is a ‘blueprint’ on how to ‘properly’ ride someone’s coattails:

Step 1: Identify where the majority of businesses for your industry are located. For many, this will mean relocating to a different location.

Step 2: Find where those key players within those businesses live, hang out, network, and work. Although this may seem a bit like stalking, it’s necessary to spend your time most effectively.

Step 3: Build a ‘REAL’ relationship. So you’ve done all the hard work of finding the people that can help take you to the top, now you have to build a relationship with them and build trust. People do business with others they like and feel comfortable with and this process is not a sales call.

Step 4: Show off your skills. After building a relationship you will uncover opportunities to show your skills. This is the make-or-break part of the process. You have to be able to do what you said you could do. Don’t over promise and under deliver; if anything under-promise and over-deliver.

Step 5: Ride the coattails. After you have proven yourself, and you have built a trusted relationship you can now ask for help. Now, don’t expect your mentor to automatically say yes; in fact, it’s most likely they will say no. However, don’t be discouraged if they say no because as long as you continue to build relationships you will eventually find where the situation makes sense for both parties.

Step 6: Repeat until you are content with your career. As long as you are successfully showing your skills to people with more means to make things happen you will find yourself climbing up the success ladder.

Now, with any dream, you are chasing it is important to analyze your current path and see if you are on the right path. If you love computers and you are working in a restaurant in Toledo, you are wasting your time. But if you love computers and work in Silicon Valley at a restaurant that a lot of tech business owners go to for lunch, it may make sense to be there.

A lot of this is also like training for a sport. If you really want to become a better athlete you must train with people that are better, stronger, faster, and more talented than you. That is the only way that you will be able to push your limits to reach your true potential.

Ultimately, you may have to make tough sacrifices to follow your dream. Sometimes being close to family, staying in a certain city, or another personal reason is more important than building your career, and that is totally OKAY. Only you will be able to prioritize your desires in life.

It is still, however, up to the individual to walk through those ‘doors’ and to realize their full potential.

I see nothing wrong with using a spouse’s or a friend’s contacts—it is a smart thing to do, especially if you are creating something valid and original and the contact is used as a ‘foot-in-the-door’—and once there, you prove yourself. How else do you get your capabilities out into the public if not by using contacts and information available to you?

In the ‘tech’ world, many start-ups make their money by identifying other companies’ biggest hits and develop complementary products for them. They have an idea for how to make a wildly popular product better, and they make a business out of accentuating the ‘primary’ product. There are many examples in the computer peripherals, aftermarket automotive products, or mobile device accessories markets.

One recent example is “Olloclip,” the original patented attachable lens system for smartphones, tablets, and laptops, simply clipping onto the device. It’s the epitome of a product that would not be around were it not for another device that people love.

[ Note: A year and a half after Founder Patrick O’Neill launched the company, the Olloclip is now on shelves in every Apple store around the world, not to mention being sold at major retailers such as Best Buy, Target, and Bloomingdales! ]

Another business example of this is Michael Cahill, who started his working life at Ernst & Young. He mentions that he was 100% riding on the coattails of others for the first few years there. However, as his responsibilities increased over time, he was still riding one ‘SOME’ people’s coattails, but not as many as when he started. Then, at the same time, others started to ride on his coattails. (He ended up being the number two position in the company.)

He says that if “one is ‘truly’ leading someone else who will make a difference and become a true leader themselves, they are really not riding on your coattails. They are following you because they believe in what you are doing, saying, and creating, but they are doing this through independent thought and action. These are the followers you want, not those that ride whatever coattail looks the most attractive at the time.”

General Norman Schwarzkopf also said it well: “A leader is not someone who leads a bunch of hungry men into the mess hall. It is the person who is able to get them to follow him to a place they would rather not be. Value those who are walking beside you, and behind you because they believe in what you believe. Try and not have too many folks just riding your coattails, and most of all, have the courage to spend as little time on someone else’s coattails, as possible.”

Although most people often use the phrase “riding on someone’s coattails” in a negative sense, Michael Cahill’s story, just above, shows that when used ‘properly’, it can benefit many more people along the way!

Since God’s judgment is often seen as a future event, the urgency of salvation may be lost on people who want to enjoy the pleasures of earthly life, and feel no need for a ‘Savior’.

[ VIDEO: “In The Light” – DC Talk ]

[ Excerpts by: Timothy Ewest; Matthew Moran; Julie Freeland; Mahnaz Charania; Zanri Der Merwe; Ken Sundheim; Janie Garner; Robert Kanaat; Edward Mullen; Fredric Neuman M.D., Rick Ezell; J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.; Thomas Wharton; Edward Mullen; Jaap G. Littooij; Jim Leamon; Dave Branon; Franklin Graham; Lysa TerKeurst; Wikipedia; John MacArthur; Eric Bandholz; Shay Moser; Michael Cahill; Timothy Smith; Rick Ezell; James Merritt; Dave Branson; Got Questions; Michael Cahill; Charles Stanley ]

RELATED POSTS:

“What Really ‘Matters’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-really-matters-v270/

“A Sense Of ‘Urgency’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-sense-of-urgency-v269/

“Gaining A Deep ‘Understanding’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/gaining-a-deep-understanding-v264/

“Learning To ‘T.R.U.S.T.’”
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/learning-to-t-r-u-s-t-v263/

“Persistently ‘P.U.S.H.’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/persistently-p-u-s-h-v261/

“Love ‘Letter’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/love-letter-v258/

“Two ‘Choices’, One Way”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/two-choices-one-way-v254/

“The Only ‘Way’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/

“‘Benefits’ Of Assurance”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/benefits-of-assurance-v244/

“Knowing ‘Assurance’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/knowing-assurance-v243/

“It Will ‘Cost’ You”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/it-will-cost-you-v233/

“One’s ‘Last Words’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/ones-last-words-v232/

“The Greatest ‘Gift’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-greatest-gift-v226/

“A ‘Place’ To Retire”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/a-place-to-retire-v221/

“New ‘Identity’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/new-identity-v220/

“‘Saved’ From Death”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/saved-from-death-v219/

“Greatest ‘Comeback’ Ever”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/greatest-comeback-ever-v217/

“Are You ‘Prepared’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/are-you-prepared-v210/

“‘Communication’ With God”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/%e2%80%98communication%e2%80%99-with-god-v152/

“Be a ‘Light’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/be-a-light-v190/

“In His ‘Grip’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/in-his-grip-v161/

‘PRAYER’ OF REPENTANCE
In the Bible, there is a parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying the the Temple. He notes that the tax collector didn’t even dare to lift his eyes toward Heaven as he prayed. Instead he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’”—and Jesus said that the tax collector “went home justified,” he had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ by God. (Luke 18:9-14).

If you are ‘sensing’ something like that right now, let me strongly encourage you to HUMBLE YOURSELF, CRY OUT to God, and PLEAD for Him to mercifully ‘SAVE’ YOU! None of us have a ‘claim’ on our salvation, nor do we have any ‘works’ that would cause us to deserve it or earn it—it is purely a gift of Divine grace—and all any of us can do is ask. So, CONFESS YOUR SINS and acknowledge to God that you have no hope for Heaven apart from what He provides through Jesus. [ See Psalm 51 ].

There is no ‘formula’ or certain words for this. So just talk to God, in your own words—He knows your ‘heart’. If you are genuinely sincere, and God does respond to your plea, one will usually have a sense of joy and peace.

Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will not cast out” [ John 6:37 ].

[ FYI: This is a great sermon on the “Call to Repentance” by John MacArthur from his book “The Gospel According to Jesus”: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-22/the-call-to-repentance (Transcript: http://www.spiritedesign.com/TheCallToRepentance-JohnMacArthur(Jul-27-2019).pdf) ].

[ NOTE: If you have ‘tasted the kindness of the Lord’, please e-mail me—I would love to CELEBRATE with you, and help you get started on your ‘journey’ with Jesus! ].

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
RESOURCES
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

“It’s Who You Know: How a Network of 12 Key People Can Fast-track Your Success”
By: Janine Garner

Meet the twelve people that can accelerate your success – in business and in life

It’s Who You Know is the long-awaited handbook to effective, productive and influential networking. Having the right relationships is more important than ever before, but digital connectivity and social media has changed the landscape. Social media has made networking easy, but has it made it better? In an age of digital disconnect, having the right relationships is more important than ever before with more and more of us reporting we feel disconnected from social media. Networking is no longer about collecting business cards and meeting thousands of people online or offline; it’s about knowing the right people, and nurturing those relationships. You only need 12 – or even just four. Approached strategically, this comparatively small network will provide the strength, diversity and opportunities to help you achieve your personal and professional goals. This book shows you who you need to know, how to get to know them and how to make value a two-way street. Action plans, checklists and an online diagnostic tool help you start taking steps right away, and the emphasis on “doing” over endless planning gives you the motivation you need to get up and go.

The old adage “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know” has never been more applicable than it is today. The problem is that many of us “know” thousands of people across social networks, but how many of those people truly know you and how many of them are truly connected to you? It’s time to clear out the network clutter and identify those who actually add value to your professional and personal development.

– Master the art of real and influential strategic networking in a noisy and disconnected online world
– Learn who you need in your circle, and how to find them
– Nurture and maintain your professional relationships
– Leverage your power network to accelerate your career

Today, jobs are filled before they’re advertised and previously unthought-of collaborations appear out of nowhere. Networking has become a critical factor for success. It’s Who You Know brings networking into the modern era, and shows you a strategic approach to making it work for you.

Network Diagnostic: https://janinegarner.com.au/nexus

Resources: https://janinegarner.com.au/resources

—————-
“It’s Who You Know: Winning with People”
By: Dr. David Simpson

The professional world calls it networking. The Christian world calls it bonding and mentoring. Regardless of what you call it, the easy-to-use strategies in this book will show you how you can have a greater impact for God when you strengthen and deepen relationships.

—————-
“It’s Who You Know: The Magic of Networking in Person and on the Internet”
By: Cynthia Chin-Lee

With pages full of ideas, recommendations, anecdotes and reliable tips on how to harvest the best results from the Internet, It’s Who You Know reveals the proven methods of marketing your product or service that reap rewards beyond expectation.

Written by well-known networking consultant Cynthia Chin-Lee, this remarkable book can increase your ability to produce a great income.

—————-
“It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows YOU! A Practical Business Guide to Raising Your Profits By Raising Your Profile”
By: David Avrin

Raise your profile and get the attention you deserve — or your business, your brand, or yourself!
Almost everyone who runs a business recognizes the value of generating high-profile attention for their company, product, or service. Unfortunately, the high cost of hiring an outside marketing or PR firm can put these kinds of efforts out of reach for many small businesses and individual professionals. In his new book It’s Not Who You Know–It’s Who Knows You!, noted speaker and “visibility expert” David Avrin shows you how to craft, build, and promote your own brand and win the eyes and ears of the marketplace.

—————-
“It’s Not Just Who You Know: Transform Your Life (and Your Organization) by Turning Colleagues and Contacts into Lasting, Genuine Relationships”
By: Tommy Spaulding

In It’s Not Just Who You Know, Tommy Spaulding—the former CEO of Up With People—has written the new How to Win Friends and Influence People for the twenty-fist century. Success—in business and in life—is all about relationships. In this powerful guide to reaching out to others, Spaulding takes Dale Carnegie’s classic philosophy to the next level—how to create lasting relationships that go well beyond mere superficial contacts and “second floor” relationships.

Tommy Spaulding learned at a very young age that he was not destined to be an academic star. He may have gotten a 4.0, but only if he added his high school and college GPAs together. The reason he found academics so challenging, he discovered later, is that Tommy is dyslexic. But his dyslexia didn’t hold him back—in fact, it helped him to develop the talents he did have. For Tommy is a natural leader; he realized early on that he had a unique ability to connect with others, whatever their age or background. As a teenager, he was given a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People by his father, and it quickly became his bible. He became a national finalist for the DECA Entrepreneurial Business competition in high school, and ran successfully for senior class president. He went on to become the CEO of Up With People, one of the largest nonprofit international leadership organizations in the world.

At every step, Tommy learned that the secret to getting ahead was reaching out for the support and insight and influence of others. None of us achieve great success alone. We need the help of other people.

In this candid, revealing book, Tommy expands upon the principles that Dale Carnegie outlined 75 years ago, and shows us how to take them one step further to accomplish the impossible in our lives and careers. To invite others to be genuine partners in our lives and success, Tommy explains, you have to first be interested in other people. It’s not just who you know, or what they can do for you, but what you can do for them. Motives matter. Establishing a deeper connection is about authenticity, not manipulation. Reciprocity, not selfishness. Every relationship is a two-way street; we never know when a chance encounter can change the direction of our life.

In the bestselling tradition of Dale Carnegie’s classic, It’s Not Just Who You Know shows how each and every one of us can use the power of netgiving—of helping others—to expand our world and achieve our goals, and make a difference in our job, our career, and our community.

—————-
“It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who You Are: Life Lessons from Winners”
By: Pat Williams

We live in a culture obsessed with celebrity. When we’re not trying to make a name for ourselves, we’re following the big names on Twitter, liking them on Facebook, and taking selfies with them if we are lucky enough to run into them in real life. We love winners and we want to be winners. But take it from a man who knows more famous people than most of us will ever meet–it’s not who you know that’s important, it’s who you are inside.

With short, story-driven readings, Pat Williams draws from over fifty years of brushing shoulders with the greats, offering readers motivation to do their best, be themselves, and continually strive to be the people God made them to be. He shows that being a “winner” is more about character, attitudes, values, and faith than it is about coming out on top. Stories from legendary sports figures, leaders, and fascinating people from all walks of life help readers develop true character that speaks for itself.

—————-
“Be Connected: Strategies to Attract the Right Opportunities, Connections and Clients Through Effective Networking”
By: Terry Bean

Your network is the most underrated asset you have, but it is the most important. In Be Connected, Terry Bean draws on his experiences as a business consultant and his first-hand observations of others to show you how to enhance the value of your network and make any and every connection work for you. This book, when practiced and really considered, will change how business happens for you.

—————-
“The Universal Guide To Business Networking”
By: Terry Bean

Foreward by Chris Brogan Terry Bean knows networking. We met a few years ago, and within moments, I felt that I knew Terry, knew what mattered to him, believed from the bottom of my heart that he loved people, and was well on my way to connecting to people he thought mattered. And now, we have it all in a book. The first point I picked out of his thoughtful book was about one’s AQ, your Awareness Quotient. This nugget is exactly the phrase I have needed for a while to explain how some folks can be so clueless. Go a little further and you see that Terry and I agree that all business is relationship business. He’s proven this to me in person, online, and everywhere that Terry’s spent his incredible value. Terry’s first rule of networking is maybe why you have this book in your hand: SHOW UP. If you’re thinking about networking, then you’ve done the first right move by putting this information in front of your eyes. You know, Terry’s made quite a career from building via networking. And now that you’ve shown up, he can help you. What Julien Smith and I discovered through writing Trust Agents was that the network was the most underrated part of most people’s business assets. Undervalued, too. What Terry’s done here is really brought out the best of what to do with regards to building that most vital piece of your business assets. One last point: Terry’s spent years developing this material. It’s worth more than a glance as you rush through your litany of what you need to do to improve. This book, when PRACTICED and really considered, will change how business happens for you. Are you ready? Can you feel it? I’m there already and I’ve got shivers. From online to off, Terry’s got us covered. Let’s use it, shall we?

—————-
“Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life”
By: Paul D. Stanley and J. Robert Clinton

We are all interdependent on each other, which is why connecting with others plays such an indispensable role in healthy development. Having access to the wisdom, experience, vision, and direction of others can put you years ahead of where you’d be on your own.

Mentoring relationships can be key to effective discipleship and evangelism. This book shows you how to do it effectively.

—————-
“Mentoring: How to Find a Mentor and How to Become One”
By: Bobb Biehl

A mentoring relationship can easily add a feeling of 30-50% extra life / leadership horsepower to any person. Without a mentor, a person often feels underpowered, as if not living up to her or his true potential.

—————-
“Total Life Management”
By: Bob Shank

—————-
“Winning With People: Building Lifelong Professional and Personal Success through the Supporting Cast Principle”
By: Michael G. Zey

The author encourages readers to surround themselves with loyal allies, simultaneously serving their own needs and the needs of others through cooperation

—————-
“You and Your Network: 8 Vital Links to an Exciting Life”
By: Fred Smith

—————-
“Sunrise Networking Group” (SNG)

SNG is the premiere business networking group in metro Detroit.
We are a local business network of Michigan business professionals similar to a chamber of commerce. The Sunrise Networking Group has networking groups all over Southeast Michigan. Business development in the modern small business world is based upon referrals, so join us and network after work.

At SNG, we discovered early on that networking events are only as valuable as the crowds they attract. So we mix in activities that are fun, too. Our events bring together hundreds of hard-working business professionals who share the same goal—to grow their companies, and help others do the same.

SNG has nearly 300 members businesses committed to helping each other grow. Browse our directory to see who you can connect with.

Home

—————-
“Local Business Network” (LBN)

Local Business Network is Michigan’s most powerful business referral organization, because we are truly committed to maximizing referrals for our members and because we have the experience and systems necessary to achieve that goal. Over twelve years of experience in building, training and supporting business referral groups has resulted in a referral generation program superior to that offered by any of our competitors.

https://www.locbusnet.com/

—————-
“Motor City Connect” (MCC)

Competitive advantages are fleeting. Solid business relationships are the difference between success and second place. Give yourself an unfair advantage. Join MCC+.

This is your opportunity to open more doors and close more business. Join this exclusive inner circle of business professionals and accelerate your business growth. Become a member of MCC+ and advance to the next level of networking. It’s time to fire up your business development.

http://motorcityconnect.com/plus/

—————-
“Business Networking International” (BNI)

We are the world’s leading business referral organization with over 280,000 Members in over 10,000 BNI Chapters worldwide. In 2020 alone, BNI Members shared over 11.5 million valuable new client referrals and generated over $16.2B (USD) in revenue.

Many BNI Chapters are currently meeting using BNI Online™, a powerful and convenient platform that enables Members to continue sharing new client referrals. BNI Members are actively supported by regional, national, and global BNI staff that provide the training, structure and the technology needed for the continued success of BNI Members.

Home

—————-
“A Whack on the Side of the Head: How To Unlock Your Mind For Innovation”
By: Roger von Oech

Over the years, A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD has been praised by business people, educators, scientists, homemakers, artists, youth leaders, and many more. The book has been stimulating creativity in millions of readers, translated into eleven languages, and used in seminars around the world.

Now Roger von Oech’s fully illustrated and updated volume is filled with even more provocative puzzles, anecdotes, exercises, metaphors, cartoons, questions, quotations, stories, and tips designed to systematically break through your mental blocks and unlock your mind for creative thinking. This new edition will attract an entire new generation of readers with updated and mind-stretching material.

This is the 25th anniversary edition of the creativity classic.

—————-
“Innovative Whack Pack Cards”
By: Roger Von Oech

Inspiring creative thought by Roger von Oech

—————-
“A Kick in the Seat of the Pants: Using Your Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior to Be More Creative”
By: Roger Von Oech

When was the last time you had a creative idea? This morning? Last month? Last year? Sometimes you need A Kick in the Seat of the Pants to get your thinking going. This book does just that by taking you on a guided tour through the four roles of the creative process-Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior.

– When it’s time to seek out new information, adopt the mindset of an Explorer. Get off the beaten path, poke around in outside areas, and pay attention to unusual patterns.
– When you need to create a new idea, let the Artist in you come out. Ask what-if questions and look for hidden analogies. Break the rules and look at things backwards. Add something and take something away. Ultimately, you’ll come up with an original idea.
– When it’s time to decide if your idea is worth implementing, see yourself as a Judge. Ask what’s wrong and if the timing’s right. Question your assumptions and make a decision.
– And when you carry your idea into action, be a Warrior. Put a fire in your belly, eliminate your excuses, and do what’s necessary to reach your objective.

Kick provides exercises, stories, tips, and Roger von Oech’s proven techniques to help you strengthen each of your own creative roles.

—————-
“X-Ball”
By: Roger von Oech

—————-
“Y-Ball”
By: Roger von Oech

A great companion product to the popular X-Ball and Ball of Whacks! The inspiration for the Y-Ball is the skeletal truncated icosahedron, an orb-like geometric figure long admired for its beauty, more commonly referred to as a soccer ball. Here are a few popular ways to use it: Design and create new shapes Use it in a creativity workshop Use it as a meditation aid to free your mind Just PLAY with it!

—————-
“Eureka Ball”
By: Roger Von Oech

A new creative game consisting of 12 red magnetic design piecesin the tradition of the bestselling Ball of Whacks.

—————-
“Star Ball”
By: Roger Von Oech

Connect the five-legged stars to the 3 legged “tri” pieces to create the full Star-Ball shape

—————-
“Big Ball of Whacks: 6-Color Edition”
By: Roger Von Oech

36 magnetic design pieces in six colors in the tradition of the original Ball of Whacks.

—————-
Expect the Unexpected (Or You Won’t Find It): A Creativity Tool Based on the Ancient Wisdom of Heraclitus”
By: Roger Von Oech

Dipping deeply into the well of Western thought and history, the author recovers the 2,500-year-old philosophy of Heraclitus for modern users–particularly business executives–using his wisdom to help readers jump-start their own creativity.

—————-
“The Creative Contrarian: 20 “Wise Fool” Strategies to Boost Creativity and Curb Groupthink”
By: Roger von Oech

Tackle your thorniest problems using the Wise Fool’s savvy Strategies!

The Wise Fool is the archetypal contrarian known for his creativity, irreverence, and humor. He looks at life in unorthodox ways and pushes back against the status quo. Throughout history, powerful decision-makers (Egyptian pharaohs, Chinese emperors, Persian sultans, and European kings) consulted Wise Fools to question the assumptions that kept them mired in stale and obsolete solutions.

In The Creative Contrarian, best-selling author (A Whack on the Side of the Head), speaker, and toy designer (Ball of Whacks) Dr. Roger von Oech provides readers with a fully-illustrated “Wise Fool Guide” to challenge established procedures and engage in creative thinking.

Roger shows how to gain the confidence to speak up in “groupthink” situations ― and boldly present a different perspective. From laughing at your most beloved ideas to test their validity to adding constraints to problems to reveal new solutions, he offers a framework for creativity that works in business, design, education, and anywhere new ideas are required ― and appreciated!

Employing a wealth of stories and examples, The Creative Contrarian presents 20 Wise Fool Strategies:

– Some offer ideas to enhance your creativity (“Reverse Your Perspective,” “Look for Ambiguity,” and “Kiss a Favorite Idea Goodbye”)
– Some provide tips on how to break away from the herd (“Buck the Crowd,” “Flex Your Risk Muscle,” and “Seek Other Right Answers”)
– And still others convey prudent warnings in an unpredictable world (“Exercise Humility,” “Imagine Unintended Outcomes,” and “Develop a Thick Skin”)

Together, these jewels of insight will help you see things from the Wise Fool’s perspective! As the Wise Fool puts it: “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it’s the only one you have”; and “Every ‘right’ idea eventually becomes the ‘wrong’ one.”

The Creative Contrarian: 20 “Wise Fool” Strategies to Boost Creativity and Curb Group think is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking fresh solutions to common problems at the office, in the classroom, or at home.

—————-
“Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives”
By: John Naisbitt

Identifies and explores ten basic trends that are now restructuring and redirecting American life, optimistically defining the ways in which America is changing–socially, economically, politically, and spiritually

—————-
“Jesus Unmasked: The Truth Will Shock You”
By: Todd Friel

Jesus Unmasked reveals over thirty Old Testament stories that point to Jesus Christ Himself. What were once shadowy pictures of redemption in the Old Testament became a vivid reality when Jesus Christ was born.

Friel presents Jesus as the scarlet thread weaving the Old and New Testaments together beautifully bringing the gospel to life for unbelievers, new believers, and mature believers pursuing spiritual growth. Hear Jesus tell us who He is in the gospels. See Him in the historical events and prophecies of our ancient biblical history. Only God could write one story through dozens of authors over thousands of years about one man without a single contradiction.

Todd Friel, popular Christian radio host and podcaster, is known for delivering profound theological insights in easy to understand and even humorous sound bites. Jesus Unmasked delivers wonder, hope, and the unmatched power of the Gospel. This Bible study tool is also a perfect evangelical resource effectively silencing Bible critics and inspiring those who have been apathetic toward religion and discipleship.

Couples are reading Jesus Unmasked together and recommending it to their churches for evangelism and Bible study. Imagine how it could transform your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, your family and your community.

—————-
“Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World”
By: Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

Equip yourself to present and defend the claims of the Christian faith.

The truth of the Bible doesn’t change, but its critics do. Now with his son Sean McDowell, Josh McDowell has updated and expanded the modern apologetics classic for a new generation. Evidence That Demands a Verdict provides expansive defense of Christianity’s core truths and thoughtful responses to the Bible’s most difficult and extraordinary passages. It invites readers to bring their doubts and doesn’t shy away from the tough questions.

Topics and questions are covered in four parts:

Evidence for the Bible
Evidence for Jesus
Evidence for the Old Testament
Evidence for Truth
Serving as a go-to reference for even the toughest questions, Evidence that Demands a Verdict continues to encourage and strengthen millions by providing Christians the answers they need to defend their faith against the harshest critics and skeptics.

Evidence That Demands a Verdict was the winner of the 2018 ECPA Christian Book award for Bible Reference Works.

—————-
“Mere Christianity”
By: C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis first expressed the content of ‘Mere Christianity’ in a series of radio broadcasts during World War II and later as three separate books. In this work, Lewis argues for the truths common to all religions through Christianity without preaching for his or any other particular denomination.

—————-

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SPECIAL ‘GENERAL’ RESOURCE

“ApologetiX Songbook”
(An interactive PDF)

It features the lyrics to every song on every CD and every “download” from 1993-2020

Special features:
– indexed by title, original song, original artist, subject, and Bible verse
– each song’s page has icons showing what albums it appears on
– each song’s page has a commentary from lyricist J. Jackson
– each album’s page includes liner notes and track listing
– print any pages you like or use for slides in church
– photos from ApologetiX’s debut concert in 1992
– discography of out-of-print cassettes
– downloadable in PDF format

New features in this edition:
– all song commentaries from J. Jackson updated and expanded
– also indexed by year when original song spoofed was a hit
– J.’s original handwritten rough lyrics to 40 ApX classics
– scads of photos from ApX 25th-anniversary concerts
– list of 40 ApX parodies most likely to be redone
– over 200 new parodies and journal entries
– list of the first ApX concerts in each state
– six new full-length feature articles
– DVD discography and synopses
– never-before-seen rare photos
– lyrics for over 700 parodies
– over 1000 pages!

Interactive features:
– click on any page number in indexes or TOC to go to that page
– click on any album icon to go to its liner notes and track listings
– click on any song title on an album page to go to that song

Note: This e-book is a download-only and doesn’t include sheet music.

The songbook is available for a donation of $50 or more. After we receive your donation, we’ll send you a follow-up email with the link.

Get the Songbook for a donation:
http://www.apologetix.com/store/store.php#songbook

Songbook Demo Video: https://rumble.com/vfazhl-apologetix-songbook-2020-demo.html

—————-

*****************************
*****************************

“THE SEARCH FOR MEANING” WEBSITE

This site presents discussions on the 12 most commonly asked questions about the Christian faith.

The 12 discussions are accessed by the “tabs” at the bottom of the page. The tabs are numbered 1-12. Roll your mouse over them and you will see the question displayed at the right. Click on the number to select that question.

Within each question (i.e. tabs 1-12), there are subtopics (or dialogues) to select that appear as smaller tabs underneath the numbered tabs. Roll your mouse over them and the title of these topics is also displayed to the right. Click on the open rectangle to select that dialogue.

For each question (1-12), a link to related resources and an optional flowchart is provided. To access this material, click on the respective words, “Related Resources” or “Options Flowchart.”

To play a more detailed discussion of the subject, between two people, select the desired dialogue and click on “Play Audio Dialogue.”

In the upper right-hand corner of the page, there is an icon that looks like binoculars looking at a question mark. Click on this icon to return to the homepage.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Related Resources” page, there is an icon that looks like some books. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the resources for all of the questions. There also are additional “appendices” for most of the questions.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Flowchart” page, there is an icon that looks like an Org chart. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the flowcharts.

http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q1_d1_1of10.html

[ Content by: Bill Kraftson and Lamar Smith; Website by Mark Besh ]

*****************************
*****************************

“FRUITS OF THE BEATITUDES” WEB SITE
(The ATTITUDES of Jesus that produce the CHARACTER of Jesus)

CLICK ON THE LINK to view:
http://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/

FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/FruitsOfTheBeatitudes/

[ Mark Besh ]

***************************** *****************************

[ P.S.: If you would like to investigate further what it means to “believe,” visit the following link:
http://www.4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q10_d4_1of10.html ].

 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

ARTICLES
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

“It’s Who You Know”

Networking still maters, but your network matters more. It’s Who You Know can help you learn to connect with those who will add real value to your professional and personal development. Find out how a network of 12 key people can fast-track your success.

[ Janine Garner ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-ibHqy6LpU

*****************************
“It’s Who You Know”

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. T.J. Duane explores the power of a personal network and offers strategies for leveraging those key relationships. Duane tells us that it is the relationships we build that determine much of our success.

[ T.J. Duane ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzpYBTeZdWw

*****************************
“The phrase, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, is wrong!”

Matthew Moran, author of Building Your IT Career and numerous articles on professional development, speaking to a university about careers in information technology.

In this segment, he discusses the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” and why that is short-sighted, cynical, and incorrect.

He offers a more accurate interpretation that places you in control. You must have talent and people need to know that. Both are critical.

[ Matthew Moran ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1_5DJEyA5I

*****************************
“It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know”

To Ryan Ireland, there aren’t many things in this life more important than relationships. You have to know what you’re doing and continue to learn, but relationships are a key to being successful in farming and life.

[ Ryan Ireland ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDUPS1oehXY

*****************************
“Don’t Just Network—Build Your ‘Meaningful Network’ to Maximize Your Impact”

Mike Steib is one of those larger than life figures — equipped with preternatural social savvy that makes one assume he must have been born with it. He manages to be boisterous but not overbearing, professionally polished to a high sheen, and magnetic in conversation. Which is why it’s shocking to hear him say that none of this comes easy to him.

He’s an introvert who readily admits that he feels the same awkwardness, anxiety and uncertainty that many of us experience when it comes to meeting new people and intentional networking. Yet, he’s meticulously built an approach to it that’s propelled him upward through leadership roles at NBC and Google at an enviously young age. Today, he’s CEO of XO Group, known for blockbuster milestone brands like The Knot and The Bump. And he’s got a new book coming out next Wednesday, The Career Manifesto. Diving directly into the nitty gritty of how anyone can create an extraordinary life and career, it’s the most tactically detailed book we’ve come across on these topics — ideal for entrepreneurs.

Leafing through an advance copy, we were struck by the sheer depth of the networking advice Steib provides. Here, we’re excited to excerpt a chapter that puts a unique and illuminating spin on the whole concept, why most of us fail to do it well, and what it really takes to forge meaningful, mutually-beneficial relationships. (If you enjoyed Chris Fralic’s piece How to Become Insanely Well-Connected, this is a worthy sequel.)

Read on for Steib’s detailed take on how to turn the strangers who populate our lives every day into valuable and cherished connections.

What ‘Meaningful Networks’ Look Like
Who are the people you personally care about, who in turn care about you? That’s your network. All opportunities for impact in your life will spring from the strength of those relationships. But, if you’re like most well-adjusted people, the word “networking” evokes images of awkward meet and greets, uninvited solicitations, and disingenuous interactions.

The way many people do it is gross. They get in touch out of nowhere in order to work an angle or ask for something under the guise of friendship. Too many people visualize their “network” as a list of names they can utilize to achieve an end goal. This is a mistake. You can do it differently — and when you do, you’ll have a powerful advantage.

If you want to build an effective network, you must focus on what you can do for other people, not what they can offer you. The way I think about it, everyone has four types of networks: Unfamiliar, Familiar, Intimate, and Meaningful. They’re nested concentric circles:

Your Unfamiliar and Familiar Networks are straightforward enough — people you don’t know at all and acquaintances you know a little, respectively. Your Intimate Network includes people you’ve gotten to know quite well. But your Meaningful Network is your true personal network of deep relationships and friendships. It’s your Meaningful Network that will make it possible for you to have the impact with your career and life that you desire.

There are three steps to welcoming more people into your Meaningful Network:

Bringing people from your Unfamiliar Network into your Familiar Network by making initial contact and forming a connection.

Bringing people from your Familiar Network into your Intimate Network by getting to know them well, understanding your commonalities, and finding ways you can be helpful to them.

Bringing people from your Intimate Network into your Meaningful Network by investing in making their life better in an important way.

Your success at building a network is founded on one very important mindset: that you’re doing it based on your desire to know, appreciate, and help other people.

This is the only way to build real and lasting relationships. The help you provide others defines your impact and your life. When you take this approach, something fascinating happens: the relationships you build germinate over the years and come back to help you in unexpected, often life-changing ways. Here’s how to get started.

Unfamiliar → Familiar
This section is for people like me who find chatting up a stranger to be one of the most unnatural and uncomfortable acts in the world. Sadly, I spent years encountering people with fascinating and enriching knowledge, insights and experiences… and failing to get to know them. I have worked for years to develop a set of simple tools for connecting with others.

To make the giant leap with someone from Unfamiliar Network to Familiar Network, rely on these three acts:

1. Appear warm and friendly. Albert Mehrabian, professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA, identified in a study that human communication is over 55% visual (appearance, body language), 38% vocal (tone, volume, cadence of voice) and 7% verbal (what you actually say). So, to initiate contact and welcome someone in from your Unfamiliar Network, greet them properly:

Use open body language – uncross your arms, stand tall, widen your shoulders, don’t block your heart.

Bring warmth to your face – lift your chin, make and maintain eye contact, smile.

Stretch your right hand forward – warmly, not aggressively. (If you claim the top position in a handshake, that subconsciously communicates your superiority or dominance in a newly-formed relationship. If you do this, you are a douchebag.)

Speak in a confident voice – “Hi! I’m Mike Steib! I work down the hall in corporate overhead.”

I know this sounds basic, but most people — especially introverts — get this wrong, physically closing off their body, pasting on a slightly pained-looking smile, darting their eyes around, offering a hesitant handshake. If you don’t believe me, spend a few minutes paying attention to initial greetings when they happen. Most people are modestly afraid of coming into contact with each other.

If all of this makes you nervous, it’s really effective to work on this proper greeting technique in the mirror. Repetition will help make it feel natural. In particular, maintaining eye contact can be uncomfortable and take rehearsal. Practice on strangers on the sidewalk or people stopped next to you in traffic. If you make eye contact and smile warmly at people, they instinctively smile back.

2. Initiate a brief but enjoyable conversation. If you just say, “Hi,” a person will just say it back. If you say, “Hi, I’m Mike Steib, I live in apartment three — I’m the one with the two little kids always tearing down the hallway,” they will say back, “Hi, I’m Joe Carlon. I live in apartment six — my girlfriend and I have the boxer terrier that’s always barking.” Elicit more information, and then use that to turn the interaction into a quick conversation: “It’s nice to meet you, Joe. Have you always had dogs?” Keep it positive and simple.

Without practice, ending a conversation can be just as awkward as starting one. A local politician with 30 years of service once told me that the key to success in politics is saying hello to each person for 30 seconds, and then making “the slip” — off to another voter for another 30 seconds. So, following an exchange of one or two questions and answers, after your new acquaintance finishes a sentence, you can simply stretch out your hand again, smile and say, “I’m so glad to meet you, Joe. I hope to see you and your dog around here again soon.”

(For more tips on the art of making acquaintances in particular, I encourage you to read the seminal How to Win Friends and Influence People, the obscure but fascinating It’s Not All About ‘Me’ and the very fun How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less.)

3. Remember the person’s name. I am terrible at this. It takes a ton of practice to get half-right, so I can — at least — tell you where we all go wrong. First, in the adrenaline of a new encounter, we just don’t hear the name; the person says it but it doesn’t register. You have to make a habit of listening for it. If you miss it, you have to ask — “I’m sorry, can you say your name again?” There are three tactics I use now to remember names:

Repetition. In the course of conversation, repeat the person’s name, “It’s nice to meet you Joe.” “And tell me, Joe, is owning a dog in the city difficult?” Just don’t overdo it.

Visualization. If you’re a visual learner, imagine the person’s name written on her forehead or on an imaginary name tag.

Associative memory. The human mind doesn’t function like a filing cabinet. It uses associations to retain information. So to remember Joe and his dog Roosevelt, you might think: Neighbor Joe has a thick head of hair. Like Joseph Stalin. Joe Stalin. Kind of a bad guy. But Teddy Roosevelt protected American workers from unfair labor practices. Good guy. That sticks. (People who compete in memory championships say they use similar methods.)

With these techniques, you can break down the uncomfortable barriers that separate you from everyone around you — hundreds of potential acquaintances and future friends who pass through your life each day. Once someone is in your Familiar Network, you’re in a position to turn it into more.

Familiar → Intimate
You now have a strategy for exuding friendliness, overcoming awkwardness, and making people comfortable. The more you do this, the easier it will become. Next, you have the opportunity to really get to know a subset of people with whom you’d like to have a closer connection.

Just about everyone gets this next part wrong. When faced with an interesting new person in our Familiar Network, we tend to make one of two fundamental mistakes. First, we talk about ourselves. We go into overdrive to convince them that we’re interesting and likable, too. Most of us have developed the ability to pivot any conversation back to ourselves. After 5-10 minutes of conversation, we know very little about our new friend.

We make this mistake because it feels good. There’s an innate human desire to be appreciated. When we do all the talking, we rob our new friend of the opportunity to perform this essential act. How did you feel the last time someone you just met kept talking about how wonderful and successful he is? You likely developed, at minimum, a low-grade envy and dislike for this person. What a sad missed opportunity. We expend all this energy trying to get someone to like us, when all she really wants is the opportunity to get us to like her.

So don’t talk about yourself. From now on, use every interaction as a chance to appreciate someone else by investigating their work and interests. “How long have you been doing CrossFit? What are the results? As a vegetarian, is it hard to get enough protein to support all that weight lifting?”

Approach conversations with the mindset of a batting practice pitcher in your new friend’s home run derby of personal greatness.

Avoid temptations to talk about yourself. Pivote their questions about you back to them. Watch how eagerly this person takes the chance to tell you more about his or her passions. As famous adman David Ogilvy said, “If you want to be interesting, be interested.”

The second mistake we all make is conversational cowardice. We keep discussions safe and limited to the surface. Small talk is a fine way to break the ice with your Unfamiliar Network, but you’ll never get to know someone until you move into conversations of substance. Consider the difference between these two interactions with the same person:

Exhibit A

“Have you enjoyed the event?” “Oh, yes, it’s very nice.” “Do you go to many events, Margaret?” “Three or four a year.” “How nice.” “Yes, it’s nice.”

Exhibit B

“So did you hear anything at the event relevant to your work, Margaret?” “The piece about consumer drone tech was interesting.” “Do I remember right that you work for a defense contractor? How do small drones fit into the broader national security picture?” “Oh, it’s a big deal. Imagine a network of internet connected drones…”

With the first approach, we learned that we both thought the event was nice; in the second we got to learn all about cutting-edge new technology. We are often afraid to have deeper conversations because we don’t want to look ignorant about things we don’t know about.

“Todd, you said you work at a Swiss bank — what do you do there?” “Debt capital markets.” “Oh, cool.”

And then you spend the rest of your life not knowing what debt capital markets are and what your new friend does for a living because you’re too afraid to ask. But if Todd is worth getting to know, he won’t care that you’re not familiar with his work. He will probably take your silence to mean you’re not interested in him. So why should he bother getting to know you? Liberating yourself from this fear will open the door to thousands of fascinating conversations.

Here’s a set of questions that are always applicable to someone’s work, and that will encourage them to open up more:

Tell me about the business model — who pays whom and who is delivering value to whom?

What advantage do you offer over your competitors that get customers to choose you?

What drew you to work in this particular industry?

How big a piece of the overall business is your division?

Are there new technologies affecting your business?

It sounds like you’ve been successful? What makes someone unsuccessful in the role?

What’s your favorite part of your job and why?

Now that you’ve gotten into mutually fulfilling conversations, each subsequent time you connect, you can get more detail and ask more insightful questions: “How have you been, Todd? I just read in the Financial Times that bond prices have been erratic, did that affect you in any way?”

There’s another hidden benefit of this approach: you become more knowledgeable and interesting to other people based on all the fascinating things you’re learning from your new friends, and you never know where the knowledge you glean might come in handy.

Intimate → Meaningful
As you get to know people better, you can decide where you want to build lasting relationships. There is only one way I know of to bring someone into your Meaningful Network: You’re going to do something important for them.

Bringing someone into your Meaningful Network requires effort and genuine caring for that person. You need to take personal interest in their success. I’d like to suggest three ways you can help others, and in the process grow your Meaningful Network:

1. Share knowledge. Find areas of overlap in your sets of expertise and opportunities to share things you know another person will find illuminating. It can be as simple as relating an interesting and relevant insight that you know, emailing an article, or sending a book with a note. But it’s only useful when you’ve thought hard about it, and you’re sharing something that will be important to the other person. Here’s how this looks:

“Todd, I just read this great white paper on bitcoin and blockchain, I feel like you’d get a lot out of this…”

“Judith, congrats on the new job. Enclosed please find a copy of the best book I’ve read on starting a new job, The First 90 Days. Call me if you want to compare notes.”

“Jordan, I just got an invite to a private class at this new gym but can’t go. You mentioned you love Crossfit — want my ticket?”

And so on. When your knowledge can help other individuals you know be more successful, they’re going to value their relationship with you more.

Over time, that sharing becomes mutual, as they have the urge to repay the favor. Don’t overdo it. Keep it casual, occasional, and commensurate with how well you know them.

Social media can also be a valuable tool for sharing interesting things you know that others don’t — analysis of what’s going on in the news; book recommendations; things that inspire you; insightful articles; etc. If you’re going to invest time in social media, use it to enrich the lives of your connections.

2. Make connections. One of the best ways to help others in your network is to expand their respective networks. Put two people together who end up doing business or being friends and your impact compounds.

Early in your career, your network is relatively weak and requires effort to get started. Seek to get to know and be useful to folks who sit at important network center points.

Recruiters are a great example. Find out who the headhunters are who fill roles around your level in your industry and reach out to them. Tell them you know a bunch of great folks who are always asking you for career advice, and you want to be able to help the recruiter fill rolls when she needs an assist. Each time you connect a recruiter to a good candidate, you’ve helped two people in your network. That recruiter will call you again, creating more opportunities to help.

Other key people who can help jumpstart your network:

The people who run the alumni network for your alma mater; they can intro you to other graduates with similar interests and skills.

Trade magazine journalists who tend to know key people across the industry. They are often happy to meet off the record if you have interesting insights to share.

Consultants, bankers and advisers who serve your industry. They know key decision makers, trends and opportunities at countless companies. They are always looking for angles to develop new business.

Social connectors who run clubs or affinity groups that draw impactful people.

3. Offer support and friendship. When you get a new job, a promotion, a big win or major recognition, you’re at your most popular. Emails and tweets pour in congratulating you. Some are happy for you; others see your success as a possible opportunity for themselves. When things break the other way and you get passed over or have a failure, your inbox gets a lot quieter and you only hear from your true friends.

Make the decision now to be one of those true friends for others. People in your network need you when they’re struggling. Examples:

“Johnny, I heard you just left the company. I doubt you need it, but I’m sending you the info for three headhunters I’ve found to be most useful. Feel free to tell them I sent you…”

“Martina, I know you wanted that job. You should have gotten it. Want to grab a drink this week?”

Remember that you’re building a network of people you really like and want to see succeed. The more you contribute to interactions, the more people will look forward to them, and the more likely they are to think of you when they need advice, help and so on. This is all basic stuff the average second grader knows, but somehow we all forget it.

One last anecdote to bring this all together: A couple summers ago, my wife and I took an outdoor high-intensity interval training class we really enjoyed. After the first class, I exchanged pleasantries with the instructor. Introduced myself, remembered his name (Adam) and asked him a bit about his business as a trainer. He turned out to be an entrepreneur and we had enough in common in our work that we talked again after the following class.

After a few interactions, one of us suggested that we get a drink with our significant others that night before dinner. Turns out my new friend had just launched a production company and sold his new book. A couple of weeks later, I found myself in need of a production company for a small video project and called Adam. Mutual benefit. Soon after, he called me with a business idea relevant to both of our work. His book was about to come out, and I was able to organize an event at work with colleagues who’d be interested in his approach to fitness.

We found ourselves proactively looking for ways to help each other, which brought him into my Meaningful Network. If Adam called to ask for a favor, I’d do it with no hesitation. Eventually, we were hanging out one night and I was giving him advice, and he asked why I hadn’t written a book. He offered to introduce me to his agent. Now here we are, and the book is coming out next week.

This same approach has given me the privilege of countless friendships, business deals, career opportunities, social invitations, and even a reception with the president at the White House. All because I was willing to invest in getting to know and helping people I already liked, without any express expectation of getting something in return. Think about it.

[ Mike Steib ]

*****************************
“RELATIONSHIPS AREN’T JUST ABOUT ROMANCE: A GUIDE TO NETWORKING”

Whether it’s a first date or a first zoom meeting, forging new relationships can be tough… especially during a pandemic. Here are some fresh tips to build and maintain your professional network.

Networking is key to creating long-term relationships with mutual benefits, and it should be a central piece of your career development. It’s an opportunity to exchange ideas, expand your creative arsenal, and develop ties to other professionals. Here are some ways to grow your network in our new normal.

1. Join online groups and communities
Find out if area chambers of commerce or industry groups are offering virtual meetings or events, which can help you meet new people or networking with your existing contacts. One of my favorites in the capital region is the Times Union’s Women@Work. A Facebook survey found that over half of all Facebook users are members in at least five active groups. With many industry groups now operating virtually during the pandemic, these online communities are thriving, and there’s no better time to get involved.

2. Reconnect with old acquaintances
Staying in touch with your contacts is key to maintaining professional relationships — which is just as important as building new ones. And if there’s ever a time to check in on someone, it’s during a global pandemic. Many people have more flexibility in their schedules, and it’s easier to schedule a 15-minute phone call or video chat than the extra pressure and time commitment of meeting up for coffee or lunch. Go through your contacts in your phone, inbox, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. and use any spare time you might have to touch base with an old colleague or acquaintance.

3. Be consistent
Like any new habit, success requires consistency. Try to set a schedule and get into a weekly or monthly routine of checking in with your current contacts and reaching out to new ones. Keep in mind, it’s much harder to call an old acquaintance and ask for something if you haven’t been in touch for ages. It’s not too late for another New Year’s resolution: Add “building my network” to your list of goals for 2021.

4. Engage with content and start conversations
Nearly a year into the pandemic, people are still turning to virtual platforms to stay informed and connected. LinkedIn continues to see record levels of engagement, according to their most recent earnings call in October. Don’t miss out: Seize the opportunity to engage with content that others are publishing, or consider posting your own. Social media and online forums are an easy way to strike up conversations and start building relationships.

(By the way: Don’t worry if you’re not a writer. Your content does not always need to be strictly work-related. You could write about your favorite hobby you’ve picked up during the pandemic, or a great recipe you’ve recently discovered. It’s an easy way to keep your name in front of contacts and help them engage you in conversation.)

5. Listen up, and follow up
Like any relationship, networking is a two-way street. Connecting with other people requires being an active listener. Many people focus more on looking like they’re listening while they’re really just waiting for a pause in the conversation to jump in. Active listening is the art of paying attention to what a person is saying and being present while they are speaking to you. You’ll get much more out of the conversation. Finally, don’t forget to follow up after an event or conversation. A friendly follow-up is a great way to solidify new relationships that you just made and lay the groundwork for future conversations.

Wrapping it up

From business to social settings, networking is one of the most important tools to develop. All people search for connections, and connections in a professional setting can help you grow in your career or even lead to new clients. It might not be love at first sight, or first zoom, but keep putting in the effort and you’ll succeed in building your network.

[ Minda Conroe ]

*****************************
“11 Simple Ways to Build a Relationship (Not Just a Rolodex) When Networking”

One of the most popular questions I receive as a career coach is, “How do I develop an ongoing relationship with a new contact?”
It’s a valid question because a “one and done” approach isn’t really networking, even though many approach it that way and then wonder why they’re not seeing results.
The primary goal of an initial meeting or introduction to a new person when networking should always be to get a second meeting. While you may also receive helpful guidance, valuable feedback or even an introduction to another contact, those are secondary to building the relationship. A great tip or piece of advice might help in the short-term, but the true value of networking (to both parties) comes over the long-term, so don’t be shortsighted in your approach.
Here are 11 ways to build lasting relationships when networking:
Invest in them. A common error people make when reaching out to a new contact is not investing in them first by learning about their career, achievements, publications and other public information that contributes to their success. If you expect someone to hop on a 20-minute call with you, you need to invest at least that much time researching them. Ideally, you’ll have followed them on social media for a bit, read their articles or listened to their podcast appearances. Why this works: Investing in a new contact demonstrates you’re committed to building a relationship, not just having a tactical conversation with the hopes of getting something from them. As you continue to follow their work, “like” or share their content and reach out occasionally to comment on something you’ve noticed or read to remain top of mind.
Get an introduction. Although not always possible, an introduction increases your odds of getting a response from a stranger because there is already a level of trust built with the mutual contact. Why this works: When you share a contact in common, it creates a triangle relationship, which means there is an increased likelihood of running into the new contact in other contexts and a shared commonality that will keep the connection warm. A related strategy is introducing your network to others who may be mutually beneficial to create more triangle relationships that expand over time.
Have an agenda. If you don’t have a plan or clear direction for the informational meeting, it will seem like you’re wasting the contact’s time. Investing in the contact prior helps with this step. Your goal should be to ask questions your contact is uniquely qualified to answer and you can’t find answers to on Google. I like this format as a strategy, because it both inspires interesting conversation and relays some strengths you bring to the table. Why it works: You’ll me more memorable if you are organized, thoughtful and confident. Most professionals are happy to help others, especially if they are impressed by your initiative and preparation.
Follow their advice. Even if subtle, most times you’ll walk away from a network conversation with some potential next steps, so listen for these tidbits as they can be both helpful to your career, and also to building the next step of the relationship. Perhaps your contact mentions an association they belong to, or a favorite book or thought leader they follow. Even if not directly recommended, take these ideas and run with them. Why it works: If you take something you’ve learned in your brief interaction and implement it, your contact will immediately feel valued because they were able to help you. Follow up after a few weeks to let them know what next steps you took based on their advice and specifically how it helped you. They may offer additional advice, which creates yet another opportunity to follow up and continue the conversation.
Have an ask. You know not to ask for a job in an initial networking meeting, but you should ask for something, whether advice, a recommendation on a next step or potentially even an introduction if the conversation goes really well. Some contacts may offer this outright, but if not, you can ask in a non-threatening manner such as, “You mentioned that your former colleague Jim had a similar career trajectory as me. Would you be open to introducing us?” Why this works: You’re more likely to get help from your network if you ask them for something they can easily provide with little time investment or risk to their reputation. If they hedge or hesitate, it’s likely they don’t feel comfortable, so don’t push it. But if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.
Keep track. When you’re networking regularly, it can be easy to forget who introduced you to whom, what the common experience was, or specifics you learned in the meeting. Keep a journal, spreadsheet or other record of when and how you met, any advice they shared, personal details they mentioned (e.g., favorites, children’s names, pets, etc.) and their contact information. Why this works: Most people are impressed when you can recall specific details about a conversation or about them personally. Remembering things that are important to your contact shows you value the relationship and will help to build trust over time.
Send a thank you. This one should be obvious, as should sending a personalized note to connect on LinkedIn. However, since I’ve seen many overlook this step, I’m including it. Not only is it the courteous action to take after someone offers you their time, but it’s also an easy second contact point. Use your message wisely by including something personal or particularly helpful from your conversation to show you were paying close attention and reiterate how valuable the interaction was for you. Why this works: Mostly this establishes you as an emotionally intelligent human who respects the cultural norms of being gracious. However, it can also create a follow up if you include something like, “And I plan to read the book you mentioned and will let you know my feedback after.” Then be sure to follow up in a few weeks to establish you’re someone who keeps your word.
Tee up a next meeting. Getting permission to follow up always makes the next outreach easier. While the opportunity may not always present itself, take advantage of it when it does. For example, “I’d love to reconnect with you after I officially finish my program in a few months” or “Your recommendations have been very helpful and I’d love to keep you updated on my progress in this area.” Then, be sure to follow through with a brief update, not another ask. Why this works: It’s rare that a contact will refuse a request to stay in touch in the initial meeting, and sharing how you’ve implemented their ideas confirms that their time and advice was valued.
Use technology. Advances in social media and other technology platforms have made staying connected as easy as clicking a button. While not the best way to establish a new relationship, social media can be a tool to support your network and remind them you’re out there. Create a workable strategy that fits your lifestyle such as spending 15 minutes scrolling through your LinkedIn feed each morning and commenting on or sharing your network contacts’’ content or posts. Send birthday wishes or anniversary congrats when the opportunity pops up. Why it works: It’s a simple technique to create brief touch points between more meaningful interactions. Also, it keeps you informed and may inspire additional reasons for future meetings.
Make it a habit. While most think of formal networking when building professional relationships, you may be surprised at how many helpful contacts you can meet through everyday life. Consider social gatherings you attend, community events, friend of friends or family, sports activities and other personal interests and hobbies. Ask questions, be curious and remember that everyone has something of value to offer, including access to their own network. Why this works: It’s easier to build relationships in casual situations or when enjoying a shared hobby since there isn’t that awkward elephant in the room. Plus, if you have a common interest, it’s likely you’ll have opportunities to continue to connect, which is how relationships are cultivated.
Ask how you can help. Again, this may not be possible in the moment, but it’s a nice gesture and one that your new contact may take up at a later date. Perhaps you’ve heard something that gives you clues to how you might reciprocate, but if not, don’t make it awkward. A simple thank you note after your meeting can go a long way, as does taking your contact’s advice and letting them know. Why it’s helpful: Simply offering to help in the future should the opportunity arise adds the context that you’re viewing this interaction as developing into an ongoing relationship versus a transactional meeting.
And lastly, here are a few actions to avoid when networking:

Don’t force it. You won’t build a relationship with everyone. Some people won’t respond, others will feel like their obligation is complete after the initial meeting, and you won’t click with everyone you meet. It’s just a reality, so don’t take a blanket approach to networking. Evaluate each potential relationship individually and don’t force it if you sense the connection isn’t there. Being forgettable with an influential contact can often be better than leaving a strong negative impression.
Don’t bring your resume. Giving someone your resume automatically creates a transactional experience, so leave it at home. However, know that a new contact will likely view your LinkedIn profile prior to meeting, so ensure your brand and market value are clearly communicated there. Unless there is a specific job opening your contact can refer you to directly, it’s best to keep a resume out of it initially and focus on building the relationship.
Even if you find it difficult to network, you’ll see it begins to feel more natural the more you practice. And when you build in a follow-up plan before the initial outreach, you’ll start to see how simple it is to create repeated contact points that have the potential to develop into long-term connections.
Happy hunting!

[ Dawn Graham ]

*****************************
“How to Network the Right Way”

If you’re like millions of people in corporate America, making a career move boils down to one thing: networking.

Networking means interacting with people to exchange information or services, specifically with the purpose of forming business relationships.

Relationships—isn’t it funny how that part of the definition seems to be missing from most networking events? That’s because people who attend networking events are almost always looking out for themselves.

Here’s a crazy thought for you: Never again attend another boring, stuffy networking event in your life. It’s a complete waste of time. I’m going to show you how to network the right way. And the key is to focus on genuine connection with people: building new relationships and strengthening existing ones.

1. Make a list of people you know.
Once you get clear on your dream job, make a list of people doing the things you want to do in the places you want to do them. Even if several degrees of separation stand in your way, write down any name you can think of. Get active! Turn over every rock and stir things up.

You know more people than you think. Review these circles to get started:

People from previous jobs
People in professional groups
Church
Social media (especially LinkedIn)
Phone contacts
Friend groups
Hobbies
Start with who you know now—especially anyone who has connections to the industry or career path where you’re headed. Jot down any and every name that comes to mind.

2. Ask your friends for more connections.
The next step is to get in touch with the people you have relationships with to create connections to other people. When it comes to landing your dream job, it’s not just about who you know, it’s also about who they know. Ask your current friends and colleagues if they can connect you to anyone who can help you get one step closer to your dream job.

Get Everything You Need to Land the Job You Love!

During this phase, I want you to be smiling and dialing! Call up your immediate friends, and their friends, and their friends. Say to them, “Here’s the deal, I’m looking for ____. Who do you know that you could connect me to?”

There’s an important term in sociology called weak ties. It refers to people who aren’t in your immediate circle—but they’re connected to the people you do know. Think of these people as your future allies on your job hunt. Weak ties are great for helping you find your next move because they open you up to opportunities that you don’t currently have.

Be aggressive—but not obnoxious—with this process. You might feel like an inconvenience to someone when you ask for connections. But put yourself in their shoes. If someone that you cared about came to you asking for help, you’d do everything in your power to make connections! Set aside your pride and just ask.

3. Spend time with your connections.
We’ve already established that formal networking events are a waste of time. That’s because they’re not a great place to build relationships. You don’t need to chat up a room full of several dozen people. Instead, focus on quality time and genuine conversation that will benefit both you and your new acquaintance.

Here are a few practical tips:

Go to lunch.
Yes, that means you’re buying! You need to get ready to share lots of food with your new network. During this phase, I want you to connect with as many people as possible. You need to go to everything from coffee, to lunch, to afternoon tea, to dinner. Do whatever it takes and make as many quality connections as possible.

Volunteer.
Find ways to volunteer in the fields that interest you. Spending even just a few hours volunteering can leave a lasting impression on valuable connections.

Shadow.
Ask your new connections if it would be possible for you to visit their workplace or shadow them for a day. This is a great way for you to test-drive your dream job and see how much you actually enjoy it!

4. Adopt a learning mindset.
Creating a web of connections is all about having a learning mindset. When you’re eager to learn, you’ll make genuine impressions on people you’re meeting with. Ditch the traditional networking tips you’ve learned and try these instead:

Come with questions.
Yup—I want you to grab a pencil and a notebook and write down some questions. When you show up prepared, you’re telling the person you’re meeting with that you value their time and you’re ready to learn.

Here are a few examples of questions you could ask:

How did you get your job?
Did you need a degree, or did you learn on the job?
What advice do you have to land a job like yours?
What does it look like to be successful in your role?
What are your favorite and least favorite things about your position?
Is there anyone else you recommend I meet?
Be humble.
These folks deserve your respect and thanks—they don’t need to hear about how great you are. This is not a time to flaunt your abilities and accomplishments. Listen twice as much as you talk and approach your connections with humility and gratitude.

Add value.
Even though you’re asking this person for their time and input, don’t just be a taker. If you aren’t able to volunteer or contribute in a tangible way, you can still add value by listening well and helping people feel heard and appreciated. Avoid focusing on your goals, and instead focus on the person you’re with as a source of knowledge and experience.

5. Follow up.
No one is sitting around wondering how they can help you get your dream job. It’s up to you to follow up and make things happen. Keep investing in the relationship by staying in touch using these practical tips:

Send an email, text or note.
Within 24 hours of your meeting, send a follow-up note thanking your new connection for their time and advice. Gratitude goes a long way in making this process enjoyable—both for you and for your connection.

Check back in later.
Your new connections are busy and driven people, so you need to put yourself back on their radar when you slip off. If you haven’t heard anything after a few weeks or months (depending on your situation), send a text or email to check in. But remember: The goal is to connect on a relational level without expecting anything in return.

Send your resumé.
A resumé without a relationship is worthless. As you build relationships, you’re creating opportunities for your resumé to actually make an impact. So, focus on the relationship, and the opportunities to share your resumé will be even more impactful. And if you haven’t upgraded your resumé since you graduated high school, then you need to download my resumé guide. It’s going to walk you through how to write and format a resumé that actually gets noticed.

It’s time to rethink everything you know about writing a resumé. Follow this simple guide and get noticed before you even walk in the door.

Enter your email

6. Be patient.
Building a web of connections takes time. But I guarantee that if you’re persistent with the process I’ve laid out for you, it will work.

Think of it this way: Your dream job is behind a door of opportunity. You can’t force the door open, but you can knock. Keep knocking and the right door will open in just the right moment.

It took me nine years to get to my dream job. And one of my favorite moments on the journey came through a very weak tie. You see, I was looking to get connected in the radio industry, but cold-calling wasn’t working for me. As I racked my brain thinking of people who could help me, I remembered a lady named Elizabeth. I’d met with her a few months before as a favor to a friend (she was looking for advice on running her nonprofit). I remembered her mentioning that her brother worked in radio. I called Elizabeth up, and it turned out that her brother was the CEO of a radio station I’d been cold-calling! She was happy to connect us, and that meeting led to the very first version of The Ken Coleman Show.

Hear me on this: That story took months to unfold. I had no idea that my connection with Elizabeth would lead me to launching my dream career. I was just taking the next step, building relationships, adding value, and creating an impression that stayed with people.

You can do the same. You do matter, and you have what it takes!

Network the Right Way Using the Proximity Principle
Building a web of connections is an important step on your way to your dream job. But it’s not the only step on the journey! Check out my book The Proximity Principle to learn even more about how to build connections and find meaningful work.

[ Ken Coleman ]

*****************************
“7 reasons why building connections is (much) better than networking”

You may be a CEO who says, “I don’t have time to go to events and network.” Other CEOs may say, “What’s the real value to me to make time and effort to do so?”

Before we answer these questions, let’s first establish that there is a big difference between making connections versus networking.

The definition of networking is interacting with other people to exchange information and develop contacts, especially to further one’s career. Networking is an activity. It is an activity that can be acted upon with great or little success.

The definition of a connection, however, is a relationship in which a person, thing or idea is linked or associated with something else. A connection is a relationship that occurs as a result of successful networking, and its primary goal.

Here are the top reasons why building connections is so important:

1. New connections can lead to new business

If you are a CEO who also acts as a rainmaker to your firm, or wants to impact the bottom line, making new connections can mean new prospects and ultimately new clients. Many individuals want to do business with the CEO, president or owner of the company because it brings a sense of being an “insider” or “VIP” to being a customer of your firm.

RECOMMENDED
MEDIA & MARKETING
What to do when you’re asked to fundraise for charity

MEDIA & MARKETING
Creative ways to engage with prospects and clients

CAREER & WORKPLACE
Are you helping your employer as an employee?

2. New connections can result in new referrals

Connections look out for each other and make appropriate introductions to each other because they believe in each other and like to help one another.

3. New connections open doors for you

They also give you advantages you might otherwise not have access to. Imagine being connected with the owner of the top new restaurant in town with a several month wait list, and you want to celebrate your spouse’s birthday there the following week? Calling the owner and getting a table is an example of a connection paying dividends.

4. New connections may advise you on best practices

They also might give you tips for running your company more effectively, managing your employees, or making financial decisions. These are especially true if they are peer CEOs or advisors to CEOs.

5. New connections may become strategic partners, investors, and acquisition or merger candidates

The vast majority of new partnerships, capital infusion and merger candidates come from connections and referrals. Having a vast network only improves your options and access.

6. New connections introduce you to new vendors, key advisors and business specialists to help your company

Have you wondered whether you have outgrown your bank relationship? Considering whether outsourcing your HR may make sense for your company? Trusted connections can not only share there experience about what you have yet to do, but also introduce you to new connections to help you evaluate and execute.

7. New connections can lead to lasting friendships and business alliances

What’s the value of a trusted friend? Trusted adviser?

[ Steve Abramowitz ]

*****************************
“Networking your way into your next job opportunity”

Seventy percent of professionals get hired at companies where they have a connection. Find out how to tap your connections to network your way

Article: https://news.linkedin.com/2017/6/eighty-percent-of-professionals-consider-networking-important-to-career-success

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOi5bb8m8No

*****************************
“Networking: It’s Not Just What You Know, It’s Who You Know”

Megan Houchin, Lean Six Super Sigma Manager for the Y-12 National Security Complex, spoke to the crowd at WomEngineers Day 2019 about Networking and how to apply these concepts at interviews.

[ Megan Houchin ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA0cFxugOPQ

*****************************
“It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you”

Ryan Estis has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. As the former chief strategy officer for the McCann Worldgroup advertising agency NAS, he brings a fresh perspective to business events. Known for his innovative ideas on leading change, improving sales effectiveness, and preparing for the future of work, Ryan was recently recognized as one of “the best keynote speakers ever heard” by Meetings & Conventions magazine alongside Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, Colin Powell, and Mike Ditka.

[ Ryan Estis ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RahKjw8fYkU

*****************************
“It’s Who Knows You – The importance of building your network within client organisations”

UK business networking strategist Andy Lopata explores why your network within client organisations is so important and, in particular, what people within those organisations say about you.

[ Andy Lopata ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9HBXIO2TmA&t=35s

*****************************
“It’s Who You Know: Networking vs. Informational Interviewing”

[ UC Berkley ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAtRHpAcCHw

*****************************
“It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you! Networking for business success”

The new year should hold promise, right? Why does it sometimes feel like the promise of ruin? For Eileen and me, during the early months of 2014, the future looked as bleak as those dark February nights when I began to wake up in a cold sweat. We had just come off a year of record profits, photographed two weddings in Europe, won awards, appeared on CreativeLive and were preparing talks for conferences, including ShutterFest. I should have felt on top of the world. Instead, engagement season came and went, and we had only three weddings on the books.

Not 23, as expected. Three. Worse yet, we’d just poured our lifesavings into a beautiful house-studio combo, with an extra bedroom intended for a son; we had finally begun our adoption. Suddenly, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to feed the two daughters we already had. On those nights, I would migrate from the clammy sheets and onto my knees beside the bed, looking for direction and grace. For a while, it seemed I just got humility. I think God knew that’s what I needed.

Looking for world-class free online photography training by the best photographers in the business?
Quality online photography training and education is priceless in today’s competitive landscape. Shutter Magazine was created by photographers for photographers in order to help raise the bar of professional photography industry. This free online photography training and education resource is sure to help all professional and amateur photographers with how-to tips, including all the facets of being a photographer regardless of whether you are a professional or amateur.

Training topics will include photography lighting techniques, photography off-camera flash tips, photography posing guides, photography business concepts and marketing strategies, Facebook for photographers, boudoir and glamour photography training, high-school senior photography concepts, photography selling strategies, family photography, lightroom how-to, photoshop how-to, and much much more.

[ Lori Nordstrom ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiOr6agG2qA

*****************************
“How to build LinkedIn profile 2021| Tips and tricks for an irresistible profile”

If LinkedIn is important in the marketing strategy of your business in 2021 – And honestly, it should be! – You need to hear now how to have a good LinkedIn profile. Make sure to follow these simple profile setup tips before starting with LinkedIn automation. Our tips and tricks will make it easy to have a great headline, profile picture summary and more. Ivan will guide you through the most important points and you can always count on Expandi.io when it comes to LinkedIn

[ Ivan spas ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=071NsRvbUUc

*****************************
“How to Make Your LinkedIn Invites Irresistible!”

One of the biggest mistakes I still see people making on LinkedIn is not taking the time to send a personalized invitation. Just trying to bang through the generic “I’d like to add you to my professional network” LinkedIn invites is not only ineffective, but it can also lead to you getting flagged as a spammer, which then restricts your ability to send people invites in the future.

Here’s a simple way to personalize an invite that takes just a few seconds to execute. Open up the profile of the person you want to connect with in a new tab, and scan his or her profile. Look for something personal and non-work-related to mention in your invitation. Where did he or she go to college? What city does this person live in? Does he or she have any hobbies or volunteer organizations or causes listed?

I love mentioning something NOT related to work in my LinkedIn invites. First, people aren’t expecting it, and it makes my invite stand out because it’s so different. Second, when I ask someone about his or her hobbies, passions and interests outside of work, it helps build a relationship and context around something important to them, which again helps me stand out in their memory. It also paves the way for future messages as a friendly, non-work theme I can weave into each one.

At the end of the day, we are still human creatures. We still gravitate toward choosing people we know, like and trust to do business with. Even if they don’t have the flashiest product or the best pricing, there is a relationship there. Also, it’s much harder to stop doing business with someone you consider a friend than it is with a cell phone company that routes you to a call center in a foreign country every time you need customer service.

Relationships matter. And I can’t think of a faster and easier way to scale that 1-to-1, humanized marketing approach than on LinkedIn. Getting to know my clients, and actually caring about them as human beings is not only good for business, but it’s also the right way to live my life. Wouldn’t you agree?

3 Keys to a Successful LinkedIn Invitation
As I’ve already mentioned, you will want to personalize your invites every time. Plus, remember these three keys to a successful LinkedIn invite:

1. How I Found You. This is really easy if you’re connecting through LinkedIn Groups – it gives you an option to choose “Groups” as the way you know this person. That immediately gives them context as to how you found them. You can also mention a professional connection you both have in common, or a company you’ve both worked at in the past, a school you both attended or something similar.

2. Why We Should Connect. What’s in it for the other person? Why should they connect with you? What do you have to offer them? What problems can you solve or headaches can you make go away?

3. The Ask. The final part of your invitation should help move your soon-to-be connection into a deeper online relationship. Do you have a LinkedIn Group that would be perfect for them to join? Do you publish content on LinkedIn that you think they’ll find interesting and useful? Include that in your invitation!

Here’s a sample invite I might use if I wanted to collect with a small business owner:

“Hi Joe – Would love to connect + invite you to my new LinkedIn Group on Small Business Marketing Tips. Think you’ll find the posts/info really helpful, plus we’d LOVE to have your insights and input to add to the mix. Thanks! – John Nemo”

Note that a little flattery doesn’t hurt, either! Also in the sample invite above I used some shorthand and symbols. That’s because LinkedIn limits how long invites can be. Every character is precious, so cut the fluff and get to the good stuff!

Let’s take this invite a step further, and add a personalized tone. Say “Joe” lives and works in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Pretty much everyone who lives in Wisconsin worships that state’s professional football team, the Green Bay Packers.

(Just writing that last sentence makes me want to puke. I live in Minnesota and hate the Packers. Our state’s professional football team, the Minnesota Vikings, are bitter rivals with the Packers, and the only thing I like better than seeing the Vikings win is seeing the Packers lose!)

Again, tapping into my passion for sports, I’m going to personalize “Joe’s” invite based on the fact that he lives in Green Bay.

Here’s a more personalized invite:

“Joe – Against my better professional judgment, I’m going to reach out even though I suspect you’re likely a Packers fan! On the non-NFL front, I’d love to connect + invite you to my new LinkedIn Group on Small Business Marketing Tips. I think you’d find the posts/discussions valuable to helping grow your company, and I know our members would benefit from your insight and input as well. Thanks! – John Nemo”

See what I did there? Sure, I don’t really know if Joe is a huge Packers fan, but I guarantee you that living in Green Bay means he has an opinion – one way or another – on the Packers. I’ve immediately made my invite stand out from all the others he gets, and tweaked his curiosity to think, “Who the heck is this guy?” I promise you that Joe is going to go look at my profile right away to figure out what my deal is. And once he lands there, he’ll see how I’m all about helping (in this example) small businesses like his add more revenue and grow their business.

Not only is he likely to accept my invite, but he’s also very likely to join my LinkedIn Group as well. In the span of a few seconds, Joe went from stranger to connection to member of my LinkedIn Group, where he’ll see me repeatedly sharing valuable content and insights that ensure I’m somebody he wants to pay attention to.

Final Thoughts
This is why I love LinkedIn: It literally does our job for us as marketers and sales people. In the past, I would have had to meet you in person and start asking you a bunch of questions: “Where are you from? Are you a big fan of the Packers? Where did you go to college? Are you a big fan of golf? Where do you like to volunteer?”

Worse, I’d have to remember it all! I’d have to take notes on each person I met at that networking event or mixer, and try to remember ways to do personal engagement the next time I had a reason to talk with them.

Instead, LinkedIn literally does it all for me: Here’s Joe. Here’s where he works. Here’s where he lives. Here’s where he went to college. Here are his hobbies and interests. Here are people you have in common and both ‘know’ via LinkedIn.

That’s why LinkedIn remains the best online platform I’ve found for quickly and efficiently engaging in the type of personalized, 1-on-1 engagement marketing that works so well on social media.

Your Turn: Are you starting to sense the power this network can provide you when it comes to engaging with your ideal clients and customers? Have you taken a similar approach in personalizing your LinkedIn invitations to connect? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

[ John Nemo ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK6LWN1gLgc

*****************************
“The Secret Formula For Irresistible LinkedIn Connection Requests”

How do you get more people to connect with you and your brand on LinkedIn? Columnist Larry Kim has some tips for how marketers can quickly expand their LinkedIn networks.

What are the most boring 11 words in the English language?

“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

OK, maybe that’s a bit of stretch, but not much.

Aside from using a ridiculously bad LinkedIn profile photo, using the default connection request message is one of the biggest mistakes you can make on LinkedIn.

Less people will accept your requests. Worse yet, your account could be banned!

Don’t let this happen.

So what’s the key to getting people to connect with you and your brand on LinkedIn? The secret is all in writing an irresistible connection request.

Before we discuss that formula, let’s quickly look at the three methods marketers can use grow your LinkedIn network.

1. Connect With People You Know
Connecting with people you already know is a good way to start.

This step is insanely easy. Tons of people you already know are using LinkedIn.

Navigate your way to LinkedIn’s Add Connections page. It’s here that LinkedIn will ask you for an email address and start the process of importing contacts from your personal email account. (Even if you’ve used this feature once or twice before, you may discover a surprising number of new contacts you haven’t yet connected to.)

After you go through this process, LinkedIn will let you select from dozens or maybe even hundreds of people you know but haven’t yet connected to.

But hold on! Don’t hit the “Add X Selected connection(s)” button yet.

Why?

If you send invitations from this screen, LinkedIn will send that boring, impersonal invitation message.

Wait until after you’ve read this entire post so you can use my successful formula for LinkedIn requests.

Will some people you know accept the basic LinkedIn message? Sure.

But you want to write an irresistible LinkedIn connection for people you know, but maybe don’t know as well as others.

If you’ve only communicated with someone via email once or twice, they might not remember you or be convinced they should commit to something as serious as accepting a LinkedIn connection request. They could delete your request — or even worse, report you as spam.

2. Connect With People You WANT to Know
Connecting with tons of random people is the worst thing you can do. Repeatedly clicking the connect button on an algorithmically generated list of people LinkedIn thinks you may know is a recipe for mediocrity.

Also, there is a danger of sending generic requests to random people.

If enough people who receive your connection request mark you as spam, then you could be banned. Only LinkedIn knows the exact threshold, but there is a real risk of your account being suspended if you get too many spam reports.

Look, networking means reaching out to people you don’t yet know. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you would like to know.

Just make sure you have a strategy. My connection request formula, which I’ll share in just a bit, will definitely help you connect with the people you want to know.

3. Get People To Send Connection Requests To You
If people send you connection requests, then it’s up to you whether to accept or decline, and you don’t have to worry about being marked as spam.

At the basic level, you need to make sure you have a visible, killer LinkedIn profile. Make sure your profile tells people who find your page through a search exactly who you are, what you do, and why you’d be a valuable addition to their network.

A more advanced trick for attracting lots of connection requests is to set up an autoresponder. Here’s a real example of an email you could send to people who share their email address with your company (e.g., in order to receive a newsletter, download a whitepaper, or attend a webinar):

autoresponder

By doing this, you’ll be asking people to send you the connection request. Note that I even used the same font and colors used by LinkedIn, so it looks like it came from LinkedIn, even though it doesn’t.

While you will get tons of requests this way, you shouldn’t accept every connection. After all, LinkedIn limits you to 40,000 connections.

Prioritize requests from people who live in countries where you do business. Also, before accepting anyone’s request, make sure the accounts are real — you don’t want to waste time with recruiters or people trying to sell you stuff you have zero interest in.

linkedin request meme

How To Write Connection Requests That Will Never Get Declined
OK, it’s time to reveal the formula for a type of connection request that gets accepted almost 100 percent of the time.

The blueprint for writing thoughtful LinkedIn connection requests comes down to five Ps. Your request must be:

Polite.
Pertinent.
Personalized.
Professional.
Praiseful.

Let me show you what I mean:

write thoughtful connection requests

So why is this formula so successful?

Let’s translate it to the real world. You’re at a cocktail party or networking event. A guy you’ve never met comes up to you, politely introduces himself, knows exactly who you are, shares some nice words about how you or your business helped him, and asks for nothing else but to shake your hand.

Would you shake his hand?

Of course!

Think of your LinkedIn connection request as your way to get that virtual handshake.

Even if someone doesn’t accept your request, which is unlikely, by using this formula, he or she most certainly won’t report your request as spam.

Summary
LinkedIn offers a huge opportunity to connect with a massive professional population. Don’t limit yourself. Spend a few thoughtful moments writing irresistible LinkedIn connection requests, and you’ll start quickly building up your network!

[ Larry Kim ]

*****************************
“Looking For a Job? It’s All About Who You Know!”

As we enter 2013, many employed Americans are beginning to look for their next job, another sign that our economy is strengthening. While this is great news for job seekers, there are some things you’ll need to know if you’ve been off the market for a while. For instance, the internet has fundamentally changed the job search process, but it’s also given rise to those who prefer the ‘one-on-one’ approach of personal networking. I know this can seem confusing, but, in this week’s episode of Your Money 2.0, we’re going to show you how to make your way up the ladder.

[ Thomas J. Fox ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuf6pPKmlys

*****************************
“Here’s exactly how much ‘who you know’ affects your chances of landing a job”

So, were you referred by anyone? Joe Raedle/Getty Images
It is hardly a well-kept secret that getting a job is easier if you know someone. Presumably, that is one of the reasons networking events exist.

But the question remains: how much easier is it, exactly?

To find out, the career website Glassdoor sifted through 440,000 job interview reviews posted to the site since 2009, analyzing how people landed their interviews and whether or not those interviews ultimately led to jobs.

And the results are in: Based on Glassdoor’s numbers, your chances of getting an accepting an offer are a “statistically significant” 2.6% to 6.6% higher if you were referred by a current employee than if you weren’t.

In some ways, that’s a reassuringly small number — it is indeed still possible to get hired with no connections whatsoever. In other ways, though, that statistically significant 6.6% only confirms what we all already know: Connections matter, and yes, you should go to that industry thing tonight. Or as Glassdoor chief economist Andrew Chamberlain puts it, “there’s no good substitute for shoe leather methods.”
Think of it this way, he suggests: “Boosting the odds of getting a job offer by roughly 5% would mean on average that 1 in 20 workers gets a job offer who wouldn’t have otherwise gotten one.” And if you’re looking at a large group, that could mean thousands of job matches that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

That’s not entirely nonsensical (whether it’s fair is another question). When you’re coming in recommended by a current employee, the company has a better sense of who you are — at the very least, they know who you’re connected to, and they know something about who that person is — and you likely have a better sense of the company, too. It’s evidence of the “power of context and information,” Chamberlain tells Business Insider. Both parties know more about the other, and accordingly, the result is a more likely match.

But while being referred by a current employee may be the most promising way to the job, it is by no means the only way.

Staffing agency referrals yielded above-average results, as did “in-person connections with employers.” If you don’t have a contact, getting a foot in the door via job fair or informational interview might not be a bad idea.

Less promising avenues: recruiter interviews, online applications — hands-down the most common means of applying for a job, if not the most fruitful — and college or university referrals, which come in last of all.

Universities may be preparing the next generations of future leaders, but — at least based on Glassdoor’s study — their career centers are not particularly good at helping those future leaders find direct employment. If one of your college classmates can refer you though, that’s another story.

[ Rachel Sugar ]

*****************************
“Matt Warzel Guest Speaker: Trevor Houston’s Who You Know Job Networking Show

Check out our President, Matt Warzel, on the Who You Know Job Networking Show with Trevor Houston, Mark Elder and Foster Williams.

Check out the most fun you could have on a job-hunting podcast with the ever so friendly, engaging, and welcoming Trevor Houston, Mark Elder, and Foster Williams.

Networking Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWVVWczqVUo

*****************************
“Mentor advice: Networking is just another word for building relationships that last”

So often we hear of the importance of networking in the Canadian job market and for professional growth. It scares some, frustrates other, or makes us doubt that we are doing what we need to do to move forward with our careers.

But networking is not a short-term activity with an immediate outcome – a job offer. Rather, over the long haul, it’s an opportunity to connect with people and build lasting relationships that are mutually beneficial to all involved.

When mentors with The Mentoring Partnership are supporting their mentees, skilled immigrants from all paths of life and professions, one of the pieces of advice they dispense the most is that you need to network.

But what does that really mean? We interviewed some of our volunteer mentors on the specific advice they give to find out:

– Attend professional events and activities to meet others in your field to build networks. Consider joining clubs /organizations related to hobbies that you enjoy. “Building people skills, especially in a new culture, goes a long way towards getting on in the world.” Dan Mitta, Architect

– Nurture continuous relationships. “Be deliberate in all your relationships. Environments change. Someone might be here now, but who knows where they can assist you down the line. Build and maintain positive relationships.” Laverne Moxey, Pension Analyst

– Have a networking plan and attend networking events and be sure to ask every connection you make if they are able to connect you to someone else in their network. Pradeep Mathur, Senior Director, Enterprise Risk Management

– “Networking is good. To make it work for you, first ask yourself what exactly you want. Understand your own context for your goals, what you’re looking for. It might be difficult to find the right person right away and research takes time, but a program like The Mentoring Partnership helps to connect people. Focus on the positive.” Santsingh (Sant) Marwaha, Engineer

– “Many mentors have memberships in professional associations. They could invite their mentees to join them in the meetings and /or event. An additional opportunity to network.” Alex Chan, workplace health and safety practitioner

[ Helen Davies ]

*****************************
“Not just another social: the power of networking and nurturing relationships”

On the importance of the mentoring continuum.

Those in the business industry have long understood the importance of networking and building relationships. In fact, power lunches and networking socials are staples in the lexicon of most successful entrepreneurs, and the art of schmoozing is drilled into the heads of business students as soon as they step foot on their college campus. However, the role of networking and relationship building is often not as clear for psychology students. As a STEM discipline, the commodity for psychologists, particularly in academic settings, is often scholarly accomplishments such as peer-refereed publications, scientific presentations and professional honors. This may give some psychology students the illusion that professional success is solely dependent on their own efforts. While professional productivity is certainly important, it is usually the professional relationships forged along their career path that help to facilitate the productivity and ultimate success of most leading psychologists.

In fact, a glance at the programming of the APA Annual Convention, peppered with various social hours, proves that most successful psychologists have learned to appreciate the importance of networking. It is at these social events that professional collaborations are born, resources are shared and career opportunities are discovered. For psychology students, these events also provide an opportunity to begin to develop and nurture relationships that will help shape the rest of their careers. Psychology’s emerging leaders are often found at these social hours. That means networking with fellow psychology students now could translate into the cultivation of long-term relationships with future discipline leaders later. Clearly, current leading psychologists also attend these functions, which could be intimidating for many students. However, it is important to remember that industry leaders were once students, and many have a desire to mentor and groom the next generation. Of course, these senior psychologists are typically extremely busy, so it would be impossible for them to mentor every student they meet at a convention session or social. Consequently, as a student, it is important to be clear about your networking goals and needs before attending any professional event, and it is imperative that you have a well-defined understanding of the key functions others can serve in your career development.

Many are aware that mentors and mentorship play a key role in the development of most professionals, regardless of discipline. Mentors provide guidance, wisdom, connections and can be a career game changer, particularly for students and early career professionals. However, not all mentor relationships are the same. Some mentors may touch your career for a reason, a season or a lifetime, so it is important to identify the difference. According to Merriam-Webster, a mentor is “someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person” (although younger may refer to age of career not necessarily chronological age). Thus, all mentors will provide some form of assistance, but the amount of advice, length and frequency of contact and type of assistance provided all change the nature of the mentorship relationship.

The mentoring continuum
At the lower end of the mentoring continuum are allies. These may be professors in your program, psychologists that you meet at a conference or workshop or even other students who may have relevant information and/or resources to share. Allies genuinely want to see you do well professionally, so they will freely share whatever relevant resources they may have with you. They will also provide support and encouragement, so it is great to have allies on your team. However, allies typically don’t provide advice or any long-term career guidance. Although you may know an ally for years, their assistance is usually focused and consists primarily of information sharing. Because the contact is typically brief or occurs in truncated spurts, you will likely have many allies. In fact, you can never have too many. Most of the relationships you develop during networking events are likely to be with allies. In order to nurture these relationships, try to make sure the information sharing and support provided are reciprocal (most senior level professionals don’t expect this, but it does help to keep you on their radar). This does not mean the type of support or resources provided will be the same. Professionals usually have more career capital, contacts and resources to share than students do. Students can, however, offer encouragement, emotional support and in some instances, human resources or time in return.

Coaches, unlike allies, do offer advice and guidance, but it is usually specific to a particular task or skill. For example, if you are struggling with a statistics problem or applying to graduate school and could use some guidance, a coach can help. Coaches will work closely with you to accomplish a particular task or milestone, but once the task is complete, the guidance typically ends.

Similar to coaches, the assistance provided by benefactors is also very specific. Instead of providing advice or guidance to help you accomplish a milestone, benefactors offer resources. A benefactor is someone who has the professional capital and means to provide the opportunities necessary to move your career to the next level. Benefactors will offer you an internship or job opportunity, help you secure funding for your thesis project or ask you to write a chapter in their next book. They may or may not offer more general, long-term career advice and guidance. This is usually the job of a career mentor.

When we hear the word “mentor,” many of us are thinking of a career mentor, which is at the highest end of the mentoring continuum. Career mentors will take their mentee under their wing and guide them through the professional challenges they may face along the career path. This very involved relationship includes specific and more general career advice and guidance. Over the course of the relationship, a career mentor may function at every point along the mentoring continuum, sometimes serving as ally, coach and possibly even benefactor. This relationship clearly requires quite a bit of investment from the mentor and mentee, so most people only have one or two true career mentors in their lifetime. If you are lucky, your assigned academic advisor may turn out to be a career mentor or you may find that mentor in your home institution. This does not always happen though, and many students find it necessary to seek out and nurture this relationship among the professionals that they may meet at conventions, workshops or professional social gatherings.

Before attending a professional event or social, identify the type of person you would like to meet and the nature of the relationship you would like to cultivate. If you determine a career mentor is needed, preparation will be required. Identify those prominent psychologists in your area that are expected to attend the event. Approach this initial meeting with your potential mentor as you would an interview. Know enough about the psychologist’s body of work to speak intelligently on the topics. Think about and be prepared to explain why you value his or her expertise and what you would hope to learn. Also, be prepared to discuss the ways in which your work and/or interests align with the psychologist’s work. In other words, what do you bring to the relationship? Finally, take these events seriously; you could be laying the groundwork for a career-long relationship.

Therefore, the next time you are attending a conference and are tempted to skip your division or interest group social hour, remember, it is not just another social. It could be your opportunity to meet a potential ally, benefactor or career mentor, and who can afford to skip that?

Tiffany Townsend, PhD

*****************************
“It’s who you know”

[ Christian Monaghan ]

Sermon: https://vimeo.com/363533335

*****************************
“It’s Who You Know”

We’ve all heard the saying “it’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know. Regardless of the circumstances, when we are in relationship with Jesus, our perspective of the world changes.

[ Joel Kristensen ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqMYfxpS0vc

*****************************
“Who You Need to Know to Win in Life”

Who You Need to Know to Win in Life
THE TABLE = REAL, RELATABLE & RELEVANT Convos w/ REAL PEOPLE.

[ Anthony O’Neal ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GduxiuyW5aM

*****************************
“Who Is Jesus?”

Who is Jesus? People have asked this question for over 2000 years. Many people hold various opinions about who this man was. But what does the Bible say?

The Bible tells us that Jesus was more than a historical figure or religious revolutionary. He was the true God. He was also a real man. Jesus Christ died for the sins of all mankind, yet He rose from death and still lives today. He is the Savior. He is God with us. And He is waiting for you to open your heart to Him.

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TywlLxR7kQs

*****************************
“Who Is Jesus?”

The Gospel concerns the person of Jesus. But who is he? The Old Testament promised the coming of a Messiah who would save his people. In this message, Dr. John MacArthur will demonstrate that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the incarnate Son of God, fully God and fully man.

[ John MacArthur ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-6ouCbZDhM

*****************************
“Do you Know Jesus or Know About Jesus?”

In our culture today, it’s easy to think or feel like we know someone we have simply read about or follow on social media. Consider your relationship with Jesus through this lens—do you truly know Him or do you simply know about Him?

[ Matt Chandler ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU1E-VVEsx4

*****************************
“How Do We Know Jesus Is the Messiah?”

Episode 1287

[ John Piper ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzPsa35Uhn4

*****************************
Do You Know Who Jesus Really Is?

In the religious world today, many people seem to be asking, who is Jesus? Was he really a man, or just a myth? Was he just a religious guru, or God revealed in the flesh?

There also seems to be as many opinions about Jesus as there are questions. All you have to do is walk through any bookstore or search the Internet andyou’ll find countless books and articles that claim to explain Jesus’ true identity.

In chapter 8 of the book of Mark, Jesus asks his followers this very same fundamental question. Jesus and His disciples were on their way toward Caesarea Philippi, when He asked them:

“Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:27-29)

Up until this point in Jesus’ ministry thousands of people around the region had witnessed Him doing countless miracles, which included raising peopleraised from the dead, miraculously feeding 5,000 and then 4,000 people, and healing a blind man. Yet, no one could say they knew for sure who Jesus was.

Jesus’ own family thought he was delusional (Mark 3:21). The religious leaders thought He was demon possessed. The political leaders thought He was Johnthe Baptist raised from the dead. And the general population was divided in their opinion. Some said He was an Old Testament prophet and others thought hewas Elijah.

The crowd that followed Jesus believed that He was a great teacher and a miracle worker (Mark 2:12). Even His own disciples were just beginning to graspwho He really is.

But Jesus knew that His followers first had to have the opportunity to explore and expose the truth about Him. And we need to do the same thing today.

In order for us to follow Jesus, we also need to know who He is.

The Real God
What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.

If we think about it, this concept is true for any relationship. When we’re considering dating, marrying or going into business with someone, naturally, wefirst want to know who that someone is as a person first.

I’ve always believed that any genuine relationship begins with an accurate view of the other person.

And the same is true with following Jesus. Yet, just intellectually knowing “about” Jesus isn’t enough. We also need to have a volitional and heart response of absolute conviction built on our own evaluation on what He said, and what He did.

So, with all the differing opinions and religious views that claim to know Jesus’ identity, is it even possible to know Him accurately?

Thankfully, God gave us a revelation of Jesus Christ in His Word. In the book of Revelation, which means apocalypse, we literally have an “unveiling” ofChrist.

About Himself, Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Revelation 22:13)

Through the revelation of God’s Word, we discover that Jesus was not just a man, or a healer, or a prophet, but He is God, the Creator of all things and the Judge of all the earth. He has been here before the beginning of time and will be here when the time is over. He isn’t just a man who died on a cross. He is the Living One, and He is alive forever.

When we come to know Jesus for who He really is, we begin to see Him as the God we can trust with our lives and as Someone we fall down before and worship.

So what about you? Do you have a clear picture of who Jesus is? Can you explain why you believe what you do about Him?

How you answer these questions will determine who or what you trust, what are your priorities, and how you endure and handle life’s trials and temptations.

It’s my prayer that as we discover a more accurate view of Jesus we’ll be able to fully articulate why we believe what we believe, and that our hope in Him would be firmly rooted in truth.

[ Chip Ingram ]

*****************************
Do you know who Jesus is?
When Jesus was on earth most people did not know who He really was. This is usually still the case.

Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Matthew 16:14. It became apparent that people did not know who He was. This is usually still the case.

Jesus then asked His disciples: “‘But who do you say that I am?’
Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’” Matthew 16:16-17.

A man of flesh and blood
Jesus was a normal man of flesh and blood, born of the seed of David. (Romans 1:3) He was an unremarkable and unattractive man. (Isaiah 53:2) His own disciples didn’t even understand who He was. They had not yet understood that Jesus had borne His cross daily for 30 years and had overcome all sin to which He was tempted. (Acts 3:21; Hebrews 4:15)

God could reveal Himself unconditionally through Jesus during this time. Long before His death on Calvary became a reality, another, hidden death was present in Jesus’ body so that God’s word became flesh and dwelt among them. (Luke 9:23; John 1:14) “God with us” became true in its most literal sense.

Peter received revelation from heaven although it was still hidden for the others. He understood that this man was the Son of the living God – Christ – the promised Messiah. Jesus called Peter “blessed” after his revelation. Everyone to whom Jesus is revealed becomes incredibly happy.

Revelation about Jesus
Peter was uneducated. He was not one of the scribes. (Acts 4:13) This is very different than the Apostle Paul’s beginning. But Paul later said that he received the gospel of God because it pleased God to reveal His Son in him and he writes further that he “did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.” Galatians 1:16. It makes no difference whether a person is educated or uneducated. Without revelation from our heavenly Father, Jesus will remain unknown to us, even though we have grown up in a Christian home and have knowledge about Jesus’ death on Calvary.

Why doesn’t everyone receive revelation about Jesus, and why are there so many varied and incorrect opinions regarding Him? Who receives revelation from God in heaven? One of Jesus’ disciples once asked, “‘Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’” John 14:22-23.

Jesus does not reveal Himself to the world, even if people call themselves “religious” and sing about Jesus. Those who do their utmost to keep Jesus’ commandments out of a love for Jesus are those who really love Him, and they do not belong to the world. This is believing the Scriptures as they are written. Then we can flee from the world and the power of the prince of this world, and we begin a new development that leads us to “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” Ephesians 4:13.

[ Jaap G. Littooij ]

*****************************
“What does it mean to know Jesus?”

Knowing Jesus intimately and knowing God personally, sounds amazing! However, for many, to know Jesus Christ intimately and personally makes no sense. They may ask, could we humans possibly know God? They say, knowing God personally, seems impossible! The truth is, according to the Bible, we can know God intimately! So, what does knowing God look like? What does it look like to know Jesus personally? In this video Pastor Nelson answers the question, “What does it mean to know Jesus?”

[ Pastor Nelson ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7cjaGZMl_s

*****************************
“Jesus In Every Book of the Bible”

“Jesus is a central figure from beginning to end he is the beginning in the end and you can find him in every book of the Bible if you have the spiritual eyes to see it that in the book of Genesis he is the seed of the woman that the father promised Adam and Eve in Exodus his the Passover lamb in Leviticus he is the high priest in Numbers he is the Smiten Rock in Deuteronomy he is the prophet and in Joshua he is the captain of the Lord of Hosts in judges he is a creator and the final judge and Ruth he is the heavenly kinsman redeemer in Samuel he is the anointed one in Kings he is the king of kings and the Lord of lords in chronicles he is the glory of God in the temple in Ezra he is the teacher comes from God in Nehemiah he is the rebuilder of broken lives in Esther he is the protector of his people in job he’s the only comforter in times of trouble in psalm he’s our good shepherd in proverbs he is the wisdom of God in Ecclesiastes he is the preacher of the kingdom of God in the song of songs he is the bridegroom is coming to his bride the church in Isaiah he is the mighty God everlasting father Prince of Peace in Jeremiah he is the putter who shapes in Ezekiel he is the wheel inside the wheel in Joel he is the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Jonah he is the salvation of our Lord in Micah he is the great intercession in Habakkuk he is the god of mercy In Zephaniah he is the establisher of the kingdom of God upon the earth in Haggai he is the desire of all nations and in Zechariah he is the branch of Jehovah in Malachi he is the refiners fire.

Before Abraham was, “I AM.” “I AM.”

You see him in Matthew as a kingly Messiah in mark he is the miracle worker in Luke he is the great physician in John he is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world in acts he is the risen Lord in Romans he is our justification in Corinthians he is our sanctification in Galatians he is our liberation in Ephesians he is our perfection in the Philippians he is our joy in Timothy he is the judge of all men in Titus he is the Redeemer of the world in Hebrews he is the author and the finisher of our salvation in James he is the healer of all nations in John’s epistles he is the word of God in Jude he is the coming Lord in Revelation he is the Alpha and the Omega the root of Jesse the root of David the Lamb of God the word of God the king of kings and the Lord of lords.”

[ Michael Youssef ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMZm17elM-c

*****************************
The following is an adapted version of an article that was first published in Brunstand Christian Church’s periodical “Skjulte Skatter” (“Hidden Treasures”) in November 1929 with the title, “What Jesus Christ is to me.” (A publication still being published by “Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag,” a Norwegian book and magazine publisher 100+ years later!)

It was most likely written by its ‘organizer’, Johan Oscar Smith, who started BCC in the early 1900’s from an unorganized group of friends, that is now an officially registered church with 8,200 members today in Norway (in addition to local churches in 54 countries).

Johan says, very well, how much Jesus should matter to the believer:

“- He is my peace. Outside that, there can be unrest and commotion everywhere as far as I am concerned.
– He is my joy. I do not need any other joy.
– He is the atonement for all my sins. He has cast all my sins behind Him into the sea of forgetfulness. If I should sin again, He will forgive me, for this sin has also been atoned for.
– He is my sanctifier. He purifies me again and again as long as I live. His death is working in me, with the result that there is gradually more room for the life of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:12)
– He is my Shepherd. Even if no one else cares for me, He does so faithfully day and night.
– He is my song of praise. If there is no other topic or any other reason for singing praises, He is.
– He is my capital. I do not need any other capital. If that is not sufficient, then nothing is sufficient.
– He is my income. If that fails, then everything fails.
– He is my insurance. If that isn’t safe, nothing is safe.
– He is my future. I look unto Him. I am going to meet Him. Then my future is bright and long. Hallelujah!
– He is my only Lord and ruler. I have sanctified Him as Lord in my heart. (1 Peter 3:15) I have submitted to Him, being fully confident of the perfect goodness of His guidance and commands.
– He is my family. He is my mother, sister, and brother.
– He is my honor. I have absolutely no need of any other honor. It makes no difference if people dishonor and despise me all the days of my life.
– He is my fortress, my shield, and my guardian. There I am safe.
– He is my Master. I am an apprentice. Even if no one else instructs me diligently in the truth, He does.
– He is my leader. Even if all others were only talkers who had not themselves gone on the way, so I could rely on them to lead me, He would still be well acquainted with the way. Glory be to His name!
– He is my captain. Even if no one else strengthens me and teaches me to wage war, He is a mighty warrior, the captain of God’s host. He is no weakling.
– He is my rest. Even though my body had neither bed nor pillow, my spirit would still have a delightful place of rest – in Him!
– He is my storeroom. Even if I did not have any supplies, yet in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and I am a member of His body, filled by Him.
– He is my physician. Even if no earthly physician can heal my body, He can do it; and He also does it if it is for my best.
– He is my goal – to become like Him and partake of His nature.
– He is my forerunner. I am not journeying on an unknown way as an explorer. It is a way that has been cleared and on which Jesus has run ahead. Every step has been taken by Him previously. He has been tested in all points, exactly like the steps I am now taking and am yet to take. What a comfort that is!
– He is my comfort. This comfort is sufficient for me.
– He is my Judge. It does not matter how other people judge me.
– He is my choice food. He is the bread of life. His flesh is truly food.
– He is my entertainment and my pleasure. All other entertainment fades by comparison.
– He is my fortune and my prosperity. What He sends in my way is always fortunate and for my prosperity. No one has ever experienced better fortune and prosperity.
– He is my wisdom and my understanding. Greater wisdom and better understanding than obedience to Him is not to be found.
– He – the Word – is my sword. This weapon cuts better than any other.
– He is my faithful, upright friend. Any other friendship is not needed.
– He is my interest. Relative to Him all other interests are pure vanity.
– He is my rock and my foundation. He stands when everything else passes away.
– He is my life. It shall endure forever.
– He is the truth. There is never a reason to doubt Him.
– He is my Bridegroom, my eternally Beloved.
– He is my defender, my advocate, my lawyer. I have no need for any other lawyers.
– He is the Mediator; He mediates between the Father and me. I have access to the Father through Him.
– He is God’s Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.
– He is the Son of Man, a man, the son of Abraham, the son of David, born of the Virgin Mary.
– He is my true Brother, the most excellent and firstborn among many brethren.
– He is my High Priest who has compassion with my infirmities.
– He is my holiday. You cannot have a more strengthening vacation than by abiding in Him.
– He is my comfort. No one can be more comfortable than by being where He is.
– He is the tree of life into which I have been grafted as a branch.
– He is the master builder who is building me up together with the others as a habitation of God in the Spirit.
– He is the chief cornerstone in the living building in which I have also become a living stone.
– He is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense of which I have become a partaker through the cross – an offense to all those who want to defend their own.
– He is the Head of the church, the body of which I have also become a member.
– He is my strength. I can do all things in Him – everything that He appoints for me.
– He is God’s power. It is marvelous that He could accomplish all the things He did in a flesh and blood like ours.
– He is God’s wisdom. It is marvelous to gain insight into what occurred in Christ Jesus.
– He is the mystery of God. Is it any wonder that people do not understand His person?
– He is my time; He fills it. It never gets boring. Wasting time falls away.
– He is my Sabbath. I rest in Him, in His will and work, instead of going my own ways and “going about my own business.” I do this every day of the week all year long, and therefore I consider (as it is written) all days alike. Constant Sabbath rest! God be praised!
– He is the Giver of all good gifts. My eyes do not need to look out for other givers.
– He is my refuge. I can avoid having to run to broken cisterns on the day of need.
– He is the fountain of my life. “All my fountains are in You.” Psalm 87:7.
– He is in all things the perfect pattern.
– He is unchangeable and without shadow of turning. He is always the same even though all others are as changeable as the moon.
– He is everything to me. That is precisely why everything else is as nothing. It is meaningless and indifferent to me. Amen.”

*****************************
“Who is JESUS CHRIST? Do you KNOW HIM?”

If you were asked to say in a sentence who is Jesus Christ, what would you say?

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool; you can spit at Him and kill Him for a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

C. S. Lewis then said, “One of three things is true” – and you will remember this. He said, “He is either a lunatic, on the level of somebody who thinks he’s a poached egg; or He is a liar, at such a calculated and clever and extreme level as to probably be unequaled as a purveyor of deception; or He is Lord. But,” said Lewis, “forget the patronizing nonsense that He’s a good teacher; that’s not an option.”

Jesus Christ Himself said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). People declared to Him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28), “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Who do you say Jesus is? Now you need to decide how you will respond to Him. Jesus declared that He alone is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life — no one can come to the Father, except through Me.”

Will you take the next step now? Will you trust Him to be your Lord and Savior? It is possible for you to know Him.

Transcript:
Who is Jesus Christ?
Nearly a hundred years ago a preacher in a sermon to young people described Jesus Christ in this way…
He was born in an obscure village the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another village where He worked in a carpenter’s shop until He was thirty.
And then for three years, He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book, He never held an office, He never had a family or owned a home, He didn’t go to college.
He never visited a big city, and He never traveled more than 200 miles from a place where He was born.
He did none of the things that usually
accompany greatness. He had no credentials
but Himself.
When He was only 33 years old the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away,
one of them denied Him.
He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.
And He was nailed to a cross
between two thieves.
Whilst He was dying His
executioner’s gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth His coat.
When He was dead He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Now 19 centuries have come and gone and today, He’s the central figure of the human race.
I’m far within the mark when I say that all the armies that have ever marched, all the
navies that have ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sailed, all the Kings that have ever reigned, put together
have not affected the lives of people of this earth
as much as that one
solitary life.
Do you know this Jesus Christ?

[ Revelation TV ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SW-q5YFYg

*****************************
“That’s My King! Do You Know Him?”
By: S.M. Lockridge, Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, San Diego

The Bible says my King is a seven-way king..
He’s the King of the Jews; that’s a racial king..
He’s the King of Israel; that’s a national King..
He’s the King of Righteousness.
He’s the King of the Ages..
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of Glory.
He’s the King of Kings, and He’s the Lord of Lords.

That’s my King. Well.I wonder, do you know Him?.David said, “The Heavens declare the glory of God and
the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His
limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No
barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings.
He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast.
He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful.
He’s impartially merciful.

Do you know Him?
He’s the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world.
He’s God’s Son.
He’s a sinner’s Savior..
He’s the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands in the solitude of Himself.
He’s awesome.
He’s unique.
He’s unparalleled.
He’s unprecedented.
He’s the loftiest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.
He’s the supreme problem in higher criticism.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology.
He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion.
He’s the miracle of the age.
He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
He’s the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Savior

I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He strengthens and sustains.
He guards and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent.
And He beautifies the meek.

I wonder if you know Him? Well, my King is the King.
He’s the key to knowledge.
He’s the wellspring to wisdom.
He’s the doorway of deliverance.
He’s the pathway of peace.
He’s the roadway of righteousness .
He’s the highway of holiness.
He’s the gateway of glory

Do you know Him? Well.
His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
And His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.

I wish I could describe Him to you, but
He’s indescribable.
He’s incomprehensible.
He’s invincible.
He’s irresistible.

Well,
You can’t get Him out of your mind.
You can’t get Him off of your hand.
You can’t out live Him,
And you can’t live without Him.
The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
Death couldn’t handle Him,
And the grave couldn’t hold Him.

Yea!, that’s my King, that’s my King. Father.”Yours is the Kingdom.and the Power.and the Glory.Forever”.and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And when you get through with all the forevers, then.AMEN and AMEN!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqTFNfeDnE

*****************************
“WHO IS JESUS? WHY NOT SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT HE DID & YOU DECIDE!”

Who was He? By way of the following verses, analyze with me just who it was that rose!

ONE WHO HAD A NAME: John 18:1-11 Who has a name above all others, that every knee shall bow before? Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.

ONE WHO HAD NO FEAR: John 18:12-24 Jesus walked confidently into the darkness. He walked with His own creature that hated Him, yet He walked in quietness and confidence. Who is absolutely fearless? Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.

ONE POSSESSING PERFECT KNOWLEDGE: John 18:25-27 Who alone knows all (omniscient)? check out Mark 14:27-30. It happened as He said. Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.

ONE POSSESSING DIVINITY: John 18:28-37 (see 19:7-9 also) Who alone is not from this world? Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.

ONE WHO WAS SINLESS: John 18:38-19:16 Who is the only one who can stand even the scrutiny of those who hate Him and no fault can be found! Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.

ONE WHO WAS GRACIOUS: John 19:17-42 Who can endure bearing shame and scoffing rude and stand perfectly at peace?
Who could have called ten thousand angels?
As they mocked the name of Jesus the mighty armies of God stood poised at the battlements of heaven with swords drawn ready to start Armageddon that very instant. But the call never came, “He could have called ten thousand angels, to destroy the world and set him free, but He died alone for you and me” Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.

ONE WHO WAS OMNIPOTENT: Who can be executed by professionals, be buried for 3 days, and then walk out of the Grave just when they said they would?
Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.
(ORS-16; 040919PM)

[ John Barrett ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoVNSyy-WYI

*****************************
“Who You Are and Whose You Are – Bible Verses”

Only the Creator of the world can tell you who you are. Discover not only who you are, but whose you are in these Bible verses. You have enemy who wants to distract you from knowing your identity.

God’s Word is full of reminders to help you know who you are, who He is, whose you are and that you belong.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTbdV07MUVw

*****************************
“Christian, Know Whose You Are—You Have the Spirit of Christ”

Scripture: Romans 8:7-11

The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
At the beginning of verse nine the issue is: What´s different about you? What sets you apart from the people of verses 7-8? These are the two great groupings of human beings that Paul is dealing with. Verses 7 and 8 describe what we are like as merely human – what he calls being “in the flesh” (v. 8), or having the “mindset of the flesh” (v. 7). And he says that what distinguishes us when we are “in the flesh,” (cf. 7:5) or when we have the “mindset of the flesh,” is three things, or one thing said three ways: 1) Verse 7a: that we are hostile and insubordinate to God; 2) Verse 7b: that we cannot submit to God´s law – that´s how deep our corruption and our rebellion are; 3) Verse 8: We cannot please God. That is our condition and our plight and our identity when we are in the flesh – merely human (cf. John 3:6)

What´s Different about You?
Now at the beginning of verse 9 the issue is: What´s different about you? The verse begins, “But you . . .” So there is a group of people who are different from those described in verses 7 and 8. These are true Christians. So here we learn what it means to be a true Christian. And oh what a difference it makes to be such a Christian! Would that the world knew what this says!

So if you wonder what a Christian is, listen carefully to the Word of God. It is not the family you grow up in. It is not whether you were baptized or confirmed. It is not whether you have been to Christian schools. It is not what church you go to or what denomination you belong to. What is it? What makes you different, if you are a Christian the way Paul describes it here?

How Christians Are Similar to and Dissimilar from Those in the Flesh
If we take just verses 9-11, Paul describes five ways that you are unlike the rest of the world (those who are “in the flesh”), and one way that you are like the rest of the world. Let´s take these one at a time. And, Christian, learn here who you are and whose you are. This is no small thing. These are breathtaking truths about yourselves that you are about to hear. Ask God to help you feel the wonder of these things, so your life will show them more.

And, non-Christian, listen well and you may become a Christian, because these things I am about describe come true for us by faith, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). I pray that God may bring you gently and reasonably and freely to see and welcome and embrace Christ through his Word.

1. The Spirit Dwells in You
First, you, Christian, are different because “the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Look right in the middle of verse 9 to see this (and there is a reason why I start in the middle): “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” This is the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. It is not merely a matter different ideas. It is the very presence of the Spirit of God dwelling in us.

The word “dwell” is important. It´s more than “be there,” like you might be in a bus station or in a train or in a car or in a store. “Dwell” (oikeM) comes from the word “house” (oikos). And so the implication is that the Spirit of God is not present in you as if you were a stopover. He has taken up residence here. This is where he lives. This is his home. The implication is nearness and familiarity and influence. If someone makes your house their home, they will be near you a lot. They will become familiar with you and you with them. And they will have an influence on you and the way you live. Know this about yourselves, Christians: the Spirit of God dwells – makes his home – in you. If you are not becoming very familiar with him, and communing with him, and being influenced by him, something is profoundly wrong. Don´t ignore him or grieve him or resist him. What better Christmas gift could the risen Christ give you than the Spirit of God to dwell in you?

Paul describes this first distinguishing thing about Christians in two other ways: He says, next in verse 9, “you have the Spirit of Christ.” And then, at the beginning of verse 10 he says, “Christ is in you.” So the first distinguishing thing about being Christian different from those who are “in the flesh” is that we are “inhabited” people. And he says it three ways: 1) “the Spirit of God dwells in you” (v. 9b); 2) “you have the Spirit of Christ” (v. 9c); 3) “Christ is in you” (v. 10a).

The change in names here is full of treasures. “Spirit of God,” “Spirit of Christ,” “Christ” – all of them referring essentially to the same presence. The Spirit is equally the Spirit of God the Father and the Spirit of God the Son, Jesus Christ. And the Spirit communicates so much of Christ that it is fitting to say Christ himself is present in you.

Listen to the way Jesus said it while he was still on earth. John 14:16-18, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; (17) that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (18) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Do you see what he says? Verse 16: He will send the “Helper,” the “Spirit of truth.” Then he suggests (in v. 17b) that this Spirit is one with himself: “He abides with you and will be in you.” In other words: I am with you now. But I will be in you after I return to my Father and send the Spirit of truth. Then (in v. 18) he speaks explicitly about himself: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

So for Jesus and Paul the Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) – is one with the Spirit of Christ and communicates so much of Christ that Paul and Jesus say: When he is present in you, Christ is present in you.

There are treasures for you here, Christian. Give yourself time to ponder these things and revel in them. You are never without Christ. Never far from Christ. He is never at a distance. He has said, “I will be with you to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), and now we know how close he really promises to be.

That is the first thing that makes you different as a Christian:

The Spirit of God dwells in you.
You have the Spirit of Christ.
Christ is in you.

2. You Are in the Sway of the Spirit
Now here is the second thing that makes you different. The second clause in verse 9: “You are in the Spirit.” Note this carefully. This is not saying, “The Spirit is in you,” but, “You are in the Spirit.” And this is what distinguishes you from those who are in the flesh. Verse 9a: “However, you are not in the flesh but [you are] in the Spirit.”

What does it mean that “you are in the Spirit”? It means that you are in the sway of the Spirit, under the power of the Spirit. It means that the Spirit is the decisive influence on your life. I don´t say only influence. He has his enemies and competitors. But to be “in the Spirit” is to come from the power of darkness into the power of God (Acts 26:18). I base this mainly on the parallel with being “in the flesh” and what Paul says about that in verses 7-8. To be in the flesh is to be held in bondage to the flesh, to be under the sway and captivity of the flesh, so that we can´t submit to God´s law and can´t please God. Now he says, “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” So I take him to mean that the Spirit has broken that dominion of the flesh and now holds the reins of your life. You are in his hands, not in the hands of the flesh.

Now to connect these first two distinctions of being a Christian and see another treasure: Paul connects them for us in verse 9: “[You are] in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” In other words, the Spirit liberates us and holds sway over us from inside of us. If he dwells in you, you are in him – in his sway and under his decisive influence. This is precious because it calls to mind all the inner transformation that makes us free in the service of Christ. The Spirit is not just outside barking commands at us to influence us. He is inside, working a new heart and a mind conformed to Christ, so that we will delight to do what he commands. This is one of the great evidences that he is there.

3. You Belong to Christ
The third thing Paul says about our difference as Christians is that we belong to Christ. Note the last two clauses of verse 9: “But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” So the reverse is true too: If you do have the Spirit of Christ, you do belong to him. So as Christians we should think of ourselves as belonging to Christ – as Christ´s possession.

In what sense are we Christ´s possession? Paul connects the ideas of indwelling and possession in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 in a way that explains: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” In what sense? He explains in verse 20: “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” Paul describes two ways that Christ makes us his own: purchase and habitation.

There was a time in this country when you could lay claim to a piece of land in the west by simply going there and living on it, homesteading it. And of course there is the more traditional ways of obtaining land, paying for it. Christ did both in order to possess a people for himself: he bought us, and he homesteaded us. “You are not your own. For you have been bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) – that´s the purchase. “You are the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . You are not your own” . . . “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9) – that´s the homesteading. He bought us with his blood, and he moves in by his Spirit. If you are a Christian, you are not your own. You belong to Christ.

We are inhabited by Christ, under the sway of Christ, and owned by Christ.

And here too there are treasures for you to ponder and enjoy. One of the main treasures in Paul´s mind seems to be the absolute security that this gives us, even in the face of death. Christ takes care of his own. He did not buy us to lose us. He bought us to have us and keep us.

You see Paul´s concern with this in the last two points. I said there were five things that set us apart from non-Christians, and one thing that showed how we are the same. Let´s take the point of similarity next.

Christians Are Like the Rest of the World in That Their Bodies Remain Mortal

Verse 10: “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin . . .” So here´s the point of similarity. In this age our bodies remain mortal, and will die even though we are inhabited by Christ. In other words, redemption happens in stages. And the redemption of our bodies does not happen now in this age. We wait, verse 23 says, for the redemption of our bodies. Your bodies are as good as dead because you are part of a sinful and fallen humanity. In that way we are like the rest of mankind. We will die.

But now there are two other things that make Christians different from non-Christians and that take the sting out of our mortality.

4. Your Spirit Is Alive Because of the Righteousness and the Presence of Christ
The fourth difference from those in the flesh is at the end of verse 10: “The spirit is alive because of righteousness.” Yes, the body is mortal and doomed to die. But two things make it different for our spirit: the gift of righteousness and the presence of Christ. You see them both in verse 10: “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” The gift of righteousness secured at the cross obtains our life, and the presence of Christ in us applies the life to us as an experience now and forever.

We don´t have to wait for the redemption of our bodies to be spiritually alive. The righteousness is ours now, and Christ is ours now, and therefore life is ours now. Know this about yourself, Christian. Know that the gift of righteousness is the ground of your life now. Not just later. Now. You are alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). And you can never die. The perfection of Christ in your place and the presence of Christ in your heart secures you forever.

Which leaves one last difference between Christians and those who are in the flesh.

1) The Spirit dwells in you;
2) You are in the sway of the Spirit;
3) You belong to Christ;
4) Your spirit is alive because of the righteousness and the presence of Christ; and now …

5. Your Mortal Bodies Will Be Raised
If you die and your living spirit separates from your mortal body for a time, that separation will not last forever. Verse 11: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

So even though redemption happens in stages, the stages will come. That´s the point. Your resurrection is as certain as Christ´s resurrection because the Spirit that raised him from the dead dwells in you. God did not create the body to throw it away. And Christ did not purchase the body to throw it away. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. And just as Jesus raised up the temple of his own body in three days, he will raise us up and live in us forever and ever.

O Christian, know whose you are. And know the treasures that you have in him. And if you are listening without Christ, come to him and believe. Trust him. Receive him. Call on him. He will save you and make you his own.

[ John Piper ]

*****************************
“What is COATTAIL EFFECT? What does COATTAIL EFFECT mean? COATTAIL EFFECT meaning & explanation”

[ The Audiopedia ]

Illustration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4scF7vK7l0

*****************************
“Futures: Are You Sure God Knows You?”

You can know about Jesus Christ, yet not be saved. You can have knowledge of His existence without having a personal relationship with Him. But salvation requires that you know Jesus personally. It’s more than what you know, it’s WHO you know.

[ Jack Hibbs ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZlW3aQ73ng

*****************************
“Do You Know Jesus Christ?”

Many have heard of Jesus and know a little about Him.

Many sing songs about His birth at Christmas and know that Easter commemorates His resurrection. Some think of Him as a teacher or perhaps the founder of a major world religion. But, do you know Him personally? Do you know that Jesus died and rose again, not to start a spiritual movement but because He loves you and wanted to provide a way for you to know Him?

The Bible tells the story of God’s love for people. In the beginning, God created us to reflect His image and to have a relationship with Him (Genesis 1:27). We were created good, and then sin entered the world. We essentially chose to try life on our own without God, instead of living our lives for God as we were designed.

God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins and bring us into a relationship with Him. Through Him, we can know the promise of eternal life and experience the joy of knowing God here on earth!

If you would like to have a relationship with God, the Bible tells us that the first step is acknowledging that we have sinned and that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s love (Romans 3:23-26). Next, we believe and confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9) and allow Him to guide our lives. Where we once wanted to control our own futures, we now invite Jesus into our hearts to be Lord over our lives.

Knowing God’s peace, perspective, and purpose for your life begins with a personal relationship with Jesus.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Just like a new baby needs to be cared for and nurtured in order to grow physically, a child of God needs to be nurtured in order to grow spiritually. Here’s how you can begin growing in Christ:

Tell someone: Tell a pastor or Christian friend who will help you grow and find your gifts of service. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11, 12

Be baptized: This is your first act of obedience. “So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” Acts 10:48

Join the church: The church is where God’s family encourages and supports one another.”How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

Pray and read your Bible daily: God communicates His will for your life through His Word and prayer.”Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105

Seek a godly mentor: A mentor teaches you the ways of God and how to live a holy life. “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.” Titus 2:3

[ Lysa TerKeurst ]

*****************************
“Who Do You Think You Are? (Romans 2:1-11)”

I am convinced that it’s not the obvious and overt sins that threaten the church, but it is the sin of self-justification, a propped-up morality which leads to a critical, judgmental spirit and lifestyle separatism from the world that we’re commanded to save.

[ Jack Hibbs ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1KVMcGCcW0

*****************************
“Who Am I in Christ?”

Who am I in Christ? What is my status and position as a result of being in Christ? What does it mean to be “in Christ”?

[ Got Questions ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BGkR_mSWng

*****************************
“What Jesus Said About Life After Death”

How do you know if Jesus’ claim about eternal life is true or if it’s simply wishful thinking? In this video presentation you’ll travel to Jerusalem with host Mart DeHaan and hear from a variety of authorities. Join the discussion as they explore questions about life beyond the grave and examine the words of Jesus. Discover answers to your deepest questions about eternity and find reasons why you can believe what Jesus said.

[ Our Daily Bread ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLUBRShnBoo

*****************************
“The TRINITY EXPLAINED in 4 Very Simple Steps”

Have you ever had trouble understanding the Trinity? Has the concept ever been confusing to you? I get it. In this video I give you 4 very simple statements backed up with scripture that clearly explain the doctrine of the trinity.

[ Allen Parr ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op_i1w9zc6U

*****************************
“The Trinity Explained in Under 3 Minutes”

3 in 1.

[ Bob Rice ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHF-y84rgIM

*****************************
“3 Minute Theology 1.1: What is the Trinity?”

What is the Trinity”

Illustration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HMryr1ZlxQ

*****************************
“The Jesus Film” (Official Movie)

The Jesus Film is a Christian movie directed by Rice Broocks. It is the first film to present the story of Jesus of Nazareth in an accurate and entertaining way. The film was created by Campus Crusade for Christ International, with the support of the church of Christ. It is based on the Four Gospels of the Bible – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

[ Campus Crusade ]

Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Td05XH0TDg

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
SONGS
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

“It’s Who You Know”

It’s not what you have(not what you have)
But it’s who you know(who you know)
That determines where one day you’ll go
You can have a fortune and lose your soul
It’s not what you have(not what you have)
But it’s who you know

Do you testify and tell about His word
Make sure it’s known make sure it’s heard
Do you plant the seed do you pray and plead
That before they die they will believe

You may have a house high on a hill
And have the money to buy a field
But if you don’t know Jesus Christ
Your money can’t buy eternal life

It’s not what you have(you have)
But who you know(who you know)
That determines where one day you’ll go
You can have a fortune and lose your soul
It’s not what you have(not what you have)
But it’s who you know

It’s not what you have(not what you have)
But it’s who you know
That determines where one day you’ll go
You can have a fortune and lose your soul
It’s not what you have(not what you have)
But it’s who you know

It’s not what you have(not what you have)
But it’s who you know
It’s not what you have(not what you have)
But it’s who you know

[ Carroll Roberson – “The Early Years, Volume 1” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INDMpriuYGY

*****************************
“It’s Who You Know”

Seems I took a wrong turn heading down my way of thinking
Somewhere between me, myself and I
Guess I thought it was a matter of playing the game and winning
Just looking for a way to get somewhere, somewhere in life

Had a good friend sit me down for a conversation
Took my hand and looked me straight in the eye
She said let me spare you a lifetime of frustration
Took a long time to figure out what it’s all about
Take my advice

It’s who you know — that will get you where you’re going
When God is the biggest part of your life, you’ll never have to think twice
You live and learn there’s one who loves you like no other
If you count on Him through thick and thin you’ll begin to see how the saying goes
It really is who you know

So I held onto those real life words of wisdom
It’s like I’d heard it a thousand times before
You see what matters is how well we get to know him
‘Cause the secret to the good life is on the inside
One thing’s for sure

Chorus

It’s not the car you drive or the clothes you wear
Or the letters by your name
It comes down to who you are, and who lives in your heart
And who you want to be living with one day

Chorus

[ Wayne Burton – “Times Like These” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yCSkCRZisw

*****************************
“It’s Who You Know”

The quarterback down at the school makes all the rules
‘Cause he’s super cool
And everybody wants to be just like him
There’s a little girl in his homeroom class
Sits in the back ’cause she thinks she’s fat
Lookin’ for a corner she can hide in
In life there ain’t too many level playin’ fields
And it don’t seem fair but here’s the deal
Brother here’s the deal

You can walk on water, you can walk on the moon
You can walk through Memphis wearin’ blue suede shoes
When the walkin’ is over, at the end of the road
It ain’t what you done son, it’s who you know
Yeah it’s who you know

Meet the man who owns it all
That’s him there on the lobby wall
Don’t he look like he’s been carved from granite
His hands are soft, his heart is hard
And he only smokes the best cigars
And you call him sir ’cause he’s earned it, damn it
There’s a little old lady cleanin’ up after him at night
And she prays someday that he’ll see the light
Man I think she’s got it right

At the end of the road
It’s who you know

It ain’t who you are son, it’s who you know
It ain’t who you are son, it’s who you know

[ Trace Adkins – “Proud To Be Here” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ2lQna7Ocs

*****************************
“It’s Not What You Know (It’s Who You Know)”

[ Bob & Gene ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe8zor-_9M4

*****************************
“Do you know Jesus”

[ Hezekiah Walker – “20/85 The Experience” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgh5DcENWq0

*****************************
“It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know”

[ The Whites ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AslAuPy1jHk

*****************************
“Who You Need to Know”

[ Donna Ulisse ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwL-l9YWNSg

*****************************
“He Grew The Tree”

He molded and built
A small lonely hill
That He knew
Would be called Calvary
Then he made the seed
That would grow to be
Thors that would make
His Son bleed

Then He made a green stem
Gave it leaves and then
Gave it sunshine and rain
And sheltered it with moss
He grew the tree
He knew would be
Used to make the old rugged cross

And nothing took His life
With love He gave it
He was crucified
On a tree that He created
With great love for man
God stayed with His plan
He grew the tree
So that we might go free

With tears in His eyes
God looked down through time
Saw His spat upon
Rejected and mocked
Oh, still He grew the tree
That He knew would be
Used to make the old rugged cross

Nothing took His life
With love He gave it
He was crucified
On a tree that He created
With great love for man
God stayed with His plan
He grew the tree
So that we might go free

He grew the tree
That He knew would be
Used to make the old rugged cross

[ Barbara Mandrell – “He Set My Life To Music” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nKYRMJC_qg

*****************************
“It’s Who You Know”

[ Phil Stacey ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOyBELx3eDs

*****************************
“To Know You”

Ooh, it’s well past midnight
And I’m awake with questions
That won’t wait for daylight
Separating fact from my imaginary fiction
On this shelf of my conviction
I need to find a place
Where You and I come face to face

Thomas needed
Proof that You had really risen
Undefeated
When he placed his fingers
Where the nails once broke Your skin
Did his faith finally begin?
I’ve lied if I’ve denied
The common ground I’ve shared with him

And I, I really want to know You
I want to make each day
A different way that I can show You how
I really want to love You
Be patient with my doubt
I’m just tryin’ to figure out Your will
And I really want to know You still

Nicodemus could not understand
How You could Truly free us
He struggled with the image
Of a grown man born again
We might have been good friends
‘Cause sometimes I still question, too
How easily we come to You

But I, I really want to know You
I want to make each day
A different way that I can show You how
I really want to love You
Be patient with my doubt
I’m just tryin’ to figure out Your will
And I really want to know You still

No more camping on the porch of indecision
No more sleeping under stars of apathy
And it might be easier to dream
But dreaming’s not for me

I want to know you
I really want to know you
Hey yeah, yeah
I really want to know you
I really want to know you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

[ Nichole Nordeman ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB-U8KsayxE

*****************************
“He Knows My Name”

Today, you may feel like no one knows your name or that you don’t matter, but that’s not true. There is One who knows your name. He created you, He has not forgotten you and He will never leave you.

Lyrics:
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He’ll never leave me
No matter where I go

[ Don Moen ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ore7feFfD40

*****************************
“My Jesus”

Are you past the point of weary?
Is your burden weighin’ heavy?
Is it all too much to carry?
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
Do you feel that empty feeling?
‘Cause shame’s done all its stealin’
And you’re desperate for some healin’
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus

He makes a way where there ain’t no way
Rises up from an empty grave
Ain’t no sinner that He can’t save
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
His love is strong and His grace is free
And the good news is I know that He
Can do for you what He’s done for me
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
And let my Jesus change your life

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Amen
Amen

Who can wipe away the tears
From broken dreams and wasted years
And tell the past to disappear? Oh
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
And all the wrong turns that you would
Go and undo if you could
Who can work it all for your good
Let me tell you about my Jesus

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Amen
Amen, Amen

Who would take my cross to Calvary?
Pay the price for all my guilty?
Who would care that much about me?
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus, oh

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah, amen
Amen
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my Jesus change your life

[ Anne Wilson – “My Jesus” album [

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=243R8BlcZZE

*****************************
“Lord, I Need You”

Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here, I find my rest
Without You, I fall apart
You’re the one that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour, I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour, I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay

Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour, I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
You’re my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

[ Matt Maher – “All the People Said Amen” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA

*****************************
“Jesus, You’re All I Need”

Jesus You’re all I need
You’re all I need
Now I give my life to You alone
You are all I need

Jesus You’re all I need
You’re all I need
Lord You gave Yourself
So I could live
You are all I need

Oh you purchased my salvation
And wiped away my tears
Now I drink Your living water
And I’ll never thirst again
For You alone are Holy
I’ll worship at Your throne
And You will reign forever
Holy is the Lord

[ Darlene Zschech – “Simply Darlene” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiLrzdMTY8

*****************************
“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

[ Paul Baloche ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mhv94IixXw

*****************************
“Jesus Paid it All”

I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
and melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
my lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow

O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
He washed it white as snow.

[ Kristian Stanfill – “Hello” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FHwdx5BIvc

*****************************
“Only Jesus”

Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself
Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else
Make a name the world remembers
But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams
I got lost in the light when it was up to me
To make a name the world remembers
But Jesus is the only name to remember

And I, I don’t want to leave a legacy
I don’t care if they remember me
Only Jesus
And I, I’ve only got one life to live
I’ll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus

All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won
Will crumble into dust when it’s said and done
‘Cause all that really mattered
Did I live the truth to the ones I love?
Was my life the proof that there is only One
Whose name will last forever?

And I, I don’t want to leave a legacy
I don’t care if they remember me
Only Jesus
And I, I’ve only got one life to live
I’ll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus

Jesus is the only name
Jesus is the only name
Jesus is the only name to remember, oh
Jesus is the only name
Jesus is the only name
Jesus is the only name to remember

And I, I don’t want to leave a legacy
I don’t care if they remember me
Only Jesus
And I, I’ve only got one life to live
I’ll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus

I don’t want to leave a legacy
I don’t care if they remember me
Only Jesus

[ Casting Crowns ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eQd3K2Fxp4

*****************************
“I Want to Know You”

Bop bop bop do do do
Bop bop bop
Bop bop bop
Bop bop bop
Bop bop bop…

In the secret in the quiet place
In the stillness, You are there
In the secret in the quiet hour
I wait only for You
‘Cause I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I am reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward pushing every
Hindrance aside
Out of my way
Because I want to know You more
More and more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more (more and more)
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more (more and more)
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more (more, more)

I want to know You (I want to know You)
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more (more and more)
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

Another version:
Bop bop bop…
Do do do…
Yeah

In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness, You are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour
I wait only for You
Cause I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I’m reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside, out of my way
Cause I want to know You more
More and more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
More and more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
More and more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

Spoken until the end:
Foundations can’t be moved without destroying the building. If the foundation of this building we’re in right now were moved, what would happen to the building? It would collapse. Now, you can move the building and put it on another foundation, but that foundation, it’s there. Because foundations are secure

Because this nation, we know what the foundation is. It’s all over the Constitution, it’s all over the walls of the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial. It’s written throughout history. Regardless of what the politicians believe, regardless of what you and I attest to, truth is truth. The Founding Fathers built it on the truth of the Word of God. Everything about the laws of this land were taken from the Scripture from Old Testament, they were right from, uh, the Old Testament books of Law. And so you can’t move away from that foundation without destroying the nation. And so this whole debate and argument over what’s truth and what’s not truth. The only truth that founded this nation — we left a country of tyranny for religious freedom to worship

And God’s not afraid of who or how you worship, because He knows sooner or later, if you’re truly seeking, you’ll see Him. God’s not insecure; He’s confident. And so we need to come to Him, see Him as He is, and that’s true worship. Because in the midst of that all securities are made clear, and all fears are relieved

[ SonicFood – “SonicFlood” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lOzAHSzPlY

*****************************
“In The Light”

I keep trying to find a life
On my own apart from you
I am the king of excuses
I’ve got one for every selfish thing I do

What’s going on inside of me
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I’m still a man in need of a Savior

I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars
In the Heavens

Oh, Lord be my light
And be my Salvation
‘Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

This disease of self runs through my blood (through my blood)
It’s a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control

Tell me what’s going on inside of me
(Whats going on)
I despise my own behavior
(Despise my own behavior)
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I’m still a man in need of a Savior

I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars
In the Heavens

Oh, Lord be my Light
And be my Salvation
‘Cause all I want is to be in the Light (yeah)
All I want is to be in the Light

Honesty becomes me
(There’s nothing left to lose)
The secrets that did run me
(Your presence have defused)

Pride has no position
(As riches have no worth)
The fame that once did cover me
(Has been sentenced to this Earth)
Has been sentenced to this Earth

Tell me what’s going on inside of me
(Whats going on)
I despise my own behavior
(Despise my own behavior)
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I’m still a man in need of a Savior

I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars
In the Heavens

Oh, Lord be my light
And be my Salvation
‘Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want to be is in the Light (There’s no other place I want to be)

[ DC Talk – “In The Light” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JxEwfbidFk

*****************************
“Holiness”

Holiness, holiness is what I long for
Holiness is what I need
Holiness, holiness is what You
Want from me

So, take my heart and form it
Take my mind and transform it
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord

Faithfulness, faithfulness is what I
Long for
Faithfulness is what I need
Faithfulness, faithfulness is what
You want from me

Brokenness, brokenness is what I
Long for
Brokenness is what I need
Brokenness, brokenness is what
You want from me
What you want from me
It’s what I want.

[ SonicFood – “SonicFlood” album ]

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJlilCxnnxg

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
APOLOGETIX SONGS
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

“The Promised One”
(Parody of: “Der Kommissar” by After the Fire)

So I cried, Do you want to see this Jesus with me?
Well, it’s not that I don’t dare go
‘Cause I hear He’s our Messiah
Thought I’d better let you know
While He’s leading a parade here, yo
Check!
See the young — their hearts are pure
But in their minds, they’re wise to God
They said, He sure is sweet
They come a-clappin’ to the street
With the palms that they had brought
They were singin’

Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
Some criticize — I don’t know why
The more religious have to “hue and cry”
Have they sought their Promised One?

Jesus came, you know, on a mission of hope
With all that stuff He said
But I needed understanding and a lesson in love
To know what He really meant
And I got to thinking while He was talking
And He mostly told some stories
That there’s a special grace here that He shows
The way He rides with a donkey here this Sunday, singing

Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
Well, if He talks to you and you don’t know why
I’d say He likes you — don’t let it make you shy

Have you sought your Promised One?

Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check!
Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check!

Well, He preached to and fro on brotherhood
And the whole crew came along
They’re clappin’ here, they’re clappin’ there
And He was signin’ up them all
It’s clear that He’s the Promised One
‘Cause all the children know
They’re all shouting down into the alleys
They’re all singing’ on the main road
Hear the children!

Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
Well, He’s got the power here for one week
But your proud station will not let you seek
La la la, la la la

Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
And if He talks the truth, I don’t know why
The more religious cats say He should die

Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
Oooh … don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
(Now have you sought the Promised One?)
Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
Oooh … don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh
Don’t turn Him down — whoa uh-oh — Jesus
The Promised One’s in town — whoa uh-oh

[ ApologetiX – “Overdue Books” album ]

*****************************
“Even Though”
(Parody of: “Even Flow” by Pearl Jam)

Readin’ — read this in the letter to the Phillippians 2:5-8, ooh yeah
Oh-oh, Jesus — baby, He was deity already when He came — all right
Oh oh-oh, did not cling to deity as Someone better than the millions, ooh yeah
Oh-oh-oh, not Him — He came down and was happy just lookin’ the same Ooonh

Even though … Christ our Lord was God divine
Oh-oh even so … He became just like a slave
Oh
Oh, He humbled Himself
And He gave His life away … life away, life away-ay

Kneelin’ — look, He knew temptation though He wasn’t gonna bend, ooh yeah
Oh oh-oh, prayin’ — no, the Son of God would never commit any sin
Oh oh but He can — understand whenever any sinner’s lost his way
Oh-oh, see then — Hebrews 4:15 — all our egos fall to shame
Yeah!

Even though … Christ our Lord was God divine
Oh-oh even so … He became just like a slave
Oh — oh, He humbled Himself
And He gave His life away
Ohhh, we still have — His lead — to imitate
Imitate, imitate
Yeah! Woo! Ahh yeah
Buckle up!

LEAD

Spoken:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

[ ApologetiX – “Decent Alternative” album ]

*****************************
“Temple Physician”
(Parody of: “Pinball Wizard” by Elton John)

Ever since I was a young boy I prayed in the synagogue
That somehow the Messiah might rush to save us all
But I ain’t seen nothing like Him in any Jerusalem hall
The deaf, dumb, and blind came — the Lord just healed them all
This man’s got an attitude — He’s not part of the regime Healin’ all the lepers — although they’re unclean
He’s breakin’ men’s traditions — that didn’t count at all
The deaf, dumb, and blind came — the Lord just healed them all
He’s a temple physician — a pastor to the sick
A temple physician — one touch just does the trick
How do you think He does it? I don’t know! Some say He’s no good
Oh, men came from John the Baptist when he was puzzled as well Are you Christ, they asked Him, please say so then Yourself
All Jesus said was, Relay the miracles you saw
The deaf, dumb, and blind came — the Lord just healed them all
It can’t be denied — there’s always been a chance I know every scripture is He gonna be that Man?
Oh oh-oh-oh — can’t escape
Oh oh-oh-oh — can’t escape
Oh oh-oh-oh — can’t escape
Oh oh-oh-oh — can’t escaa-aaape
Even Sabbath Day He’s available — He don’t need to rest
His disciples believe in Him — and we just must confess
If God’s savin’ sick and sinners — like them then we should call The deaf, dumb, and blind came — The Lord just healed them all
He’s a temple physician — it has to be addressed A temple physician — ones such as us He’ll bless
He’s a temple physician — we surely can’t ignore A temple physician — He’s something special or He’s something more — He’s something more
The Romans wanted Herod to be king
But God just handed down Israel’s crown to Him — to Him — to Him

[ Apologetix – “Alien Invasion” album ]

*****************************
“You’re So Plain”
(Parody of: “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon)

You walked into the party
While you were talkin’ unto Your mom
She said the people are gettin’ low on wine
They scarfed it up and there’s none
You had one sign then and there for them
The water turned to wine
And all the world knew that they’d seen a prophet They’d seen a prophet and

You’re so plain — it’s obvious there’s something about You
You’re so plain (You’re so plain)
But skeptics think I’m wrong and they doubt You, doubt You, doubt You

Though You had these signs and miracles
The scribes were still quite naive
When You said to repent of their sinning there The Sadducees never grieved
But You came to save and seek the lost
And one of them was me
I heard some priests in the crowd, they were scoffing ‘Cause they were cocky and

You’re so plain — they’d proudly make this comment about You
You’re so plain (You’re so plain)
I hate to think where I’d be without You, don’t you — go to — those fools

I heard some priests in the crowd, they were scoffing
‘Cause they were cocky and
You’re so plain — the prophets said that some would revile You You’re so plain
Isaiah 53 has been found true, so true, so true

When other heroes then liked to wear a toga
On a warhorse after they won
Then You’d do Your miracles off where no one knows Ya So people totally missed what You’d done
They’re aware You could be our Messiah
But they would not commit
Some stumble in spite of the signs that You showed them I could have told them that

You’re so plain — the prophets and the Psalms wrote about You You’re so plain (So plain)
And everything’s revolving around You
Lord, You, Lord, You, Lord, You
You’re so plain — it’s obvious there’s something about You

[ ApologetiX – “Loaded 45s” album ]

*****************************
“Born-Again Child”
(Parody of: “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf)

Yes, the Lord is comin’ — straight out of the skyway Lookin’ for repentance — whosoever calls His name Yeah, God’s a-gonna make it happen
Take the world at a sudden pace
Find all of the ones He wants and export ‘em to space

Like a stroke of lightnin’ — every man that’s on earth Will see Him again — are you ready now, I wonder Yeah, God’s a-gonna make it happen
Shake the world and its stubborn ways
Find all of His sons at once and head home to His place

And if you use faith just now — you’ll be born, born again, child You can fly so high — you’re never gonna die
Born-again child, born-again child

Yes, the Lord is comin’ — get out of your wild ways Look in Romans 10 first — do whatever stuff it says Yeah, God’s a-gonna make it happen
Save the world with His lovin’ grace
Find out what He wants from us, and just grow in your faith

And with a new nature now, yeah, you’re born, born again, child You can fly so high — you’re never gonna die
Born-again child, born-again child

[ ApologetiX – “Chosen Ones” album ]

*****************************
“Christ’s Wedding”
(Parody of: “White Wedding” by Billy Idol)

They will insist that God’s one true Son
May have been hitched to Mary Magdalene
Hey, use the Scriptures to refute them and
They will resist and choose just what they want
Hey, they resisted God’s Son

Here’s what I’d say to startle them:
“It’s a nice day for Christ’s wedding”
It’s a nice way to startle them

Hey, little Christian, who will the Lord wed?
(Ooh ooh ooh)
Page through the Scriptures, quote your passages
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
Read Revelation 19: 6-9
Read Revelation chapter 21
9 and 10 will shock them

Here’s what I’d say to startle them:
“It’s a nice day for Christ’s wedding”
It’s a nice way to startle them! Oh!
LEAD

Pick it up! Take the Bridegroom’s Word

Hey, little Christian, God’s one true Son
(Ooh ooh ooh)
Gave us a list to do before He comes
(Go into all of the world and tell everyone)
Christ’s been away for so long (So long)
Christ’s wedding day will still come (Still come)
Christ let you know so hold on

Here’s what I’d say to startle them:
“C’mon, it’s a nice day for Christ’s wedding”
It’s a nice way to startle them! Oh!

There is not just one single girl
He marries all men saved from this world
And there’s nothing pure on this earth
But the sovereign Lord loves His church
And He’s comin’ back, so let’s work
Startle them!
C’mon, it’s a nice day for Christ’s wedding!
Whoa! It’s a nice way to – startle them!
It’s a nice way to – startle them!
It’s a nice way to – startle them!

[ ApologetiX – “You Can’t Say Euphrates Without the 80’s” album ]

*****************************
“I’ll Prepare for You”
(Parody of: “I’ll Be There for You (Theme from ‘Friends’)” by The Rembrandts)

So Jesus told His disciples, I’m gonna go away
But where I go you know. They all cried, Please explain.
He said, You’ve all been stuck in second grade
If you haven’t seen the Way, the Truth, the Life is here in your face … but

I’ll prepare for you … prepare a place up above
I’ll prepare for you … ’cause I’ve been there before
I’ll prepare for you … and you prepare for me, too.

I’ll send another friend to help you on your way
You’ll learn from Him, you’ll go far. Please don’t be afraid
The Father helped me do the things I did
But you even will do greater works than that if you believe — that

CHORUS

The world could never know Him — The world could not receive Him
So you’re the only ones who know what it’s like to know Him
There’ll come a place and day when He’ll come to live inside you
Soon when all of this happens you will know the words I said were true.

LEAD

Seems like you’ve all been stuck in second grade
If you haven’t seen the Way, the Truth, the Life is here in your face, but

CHORUS

[ ApologetiX – “Eastern Standard Time” album ]

*****************************
“Show Us the Way”
(Parody of “Go All the Way” performed by The Raspberries)

My Lord, yeah! Woo!
Ooh ooh hoo hoo!
Alright! Yeah!
My-my-my-my yeah-yeah! Woo!

I never knew how come He had to leave
Till we quizzed Him and said, Savior, please
Show us the way
It feels so right — eating with You here tonight
Please show us the way
Just so we know wherever that You go

I am the way, truth, and life, Jesus said
No one gets to the Father without Me
Don’t go astray
It’s been so nice — eating with you here tonight
Please don’t fall away
The Holy Ghost won’t ever let you go — oh no

Before our Lord died for you and me
We had a hole in the place where the Lord should be
But now Christ’s raised and He fills that space
We come alive when we trust all the things He says
And He says
(Come on) come on (come on) to Me
(Come on) come on (come on)
I’ll lead you (come on) I love you (come on)
I’ll lead you (come on) I’m the Way (come on)

He showed us the way
It’s Jesus Christ — He is the truth and the life
He showed us the way
His Holy Ghost won’t ever let me go, oh no

Ooh ooh ooh ooh — ooh ooh ooh ooh
Oh-oh yeah — ooh ooh ooh
Go check John 14:6, yeah! Oh!
Go on, baby
Wooo ooh hooo hoo!

[ ApologetiX – “Xit Ego Lopa” album ]

*****************************
“For Just You”
(Parody of “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green)

Would Jesus Christ have come down from His throne above
To come die for just you? (ooh ooh ooh)
Well, if a sheep in His flock is wanderin’ off, He’ll find
And get you like good shepherds do
Well, you’ll find in Scripture, He’s real efficient
(At catchin’ sheep, at catchin’ sheep)
And though it’s strange to suggest
We’re like fish in His nets, we’re lives He rescued

He’ll hold a soiree when He finds where you are, eh?
But that don’t mean He’ll just let you there
You could be next door, or on a safari
But on the day you pray He’ll pay your fare
Like Pepé Le Pew – nobody wanted you
(Although we was both stinkers, His love still grows bigger)
Oooh! When God’s son chooses you
Yeah, go on, and tell me you ain’t a bit important

Well, I know it’s hard to swallow
But, babe, He’s skilled at findin’ sheep
Christ can reach ya, Christ can keep ya
‘Cause Jesus’ love is everlasting deep
Like Pepé Le Pew – nobody wanted you
(Although we was both stinkers, His love still grows bigger)
Oooh! So what’s your new excuse?
Oooh! I really hate to ask right now

Amazing grace that saved me I was blind and such a jerk and so bad
(So bad, so bad, so bad)
When I was still a prodigal, He told me, kid, don’t run from your Dad
(Your Dad, Your Dad, Your Dad)
Like uh — Why? (uh) Why? (uh) Why evade Him?
(Uh) God loves you! (Uh) God still loves you!

[ ApologetiX – “Hot Potato Soup” album ]

*****************************
“Living, Loving Faith (Please Just Don’t Worry)”
(Parody of “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)” by Led Zeppelin)

There’s a purpose I’m fulfillin’ and I’m fixin’ on that
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
I know His Son now and I ain’t got a lack
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry

C’mon, babe, it’s time you found this out
Lighten your heavy load now
We all need God to save us
So you’d better lay your burden down

God almighty’s Son already paid all your bills
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
When your conscience hits it’s ’cause you’re bad, but still
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
CHORUS

Heaven’s Son tells you now how you should be
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
His abundant cleansing grace sets His servants free
Believe Him love Him, and just don’t worry
(Awwwwww, get it now, trust Jesus)

LEAD
Aw, you got it, man!
MINI-LEAD

Nobody here can bring a work that saves
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
But He’ll keep us holy till our dyin’ day
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
CHORUS

Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
(Believe in Jesus, love His Father)
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry
(Live to believe and love to be loved)
Believe Him, love Him, and just don’t worry

[ ApologetiX – “Only a Glorified Cover Band” album ]

*****************************
“Guard Your Candle”
(Parody of “Hard To Handle” by The Black Crowes)

He saved me, here I am — I’m a man God redeemed
My candle is much too hot to be locked up at home with me
I can drop a bushel on it that I got from the corner store
But when my wick stops glowin’ I’m only a glob of some wax for floors
Sure, some things will come tryin’ to snuff it
They can’t snuff it if you trust the Lord above and
Give it everything — never hide your candle
‘Cause your Papa wants to show off His handiwork, yes, uh, now

I know He’s the light of the world, and I’m a lamp He’s made to share it
I know He’s got some other lamps, but we can all do better than this
Hey, my lamp don’t need a shade I’m gonna illuminate the world He made
Now’s not the time to cover Jesus up, so make sure that they see
Sure, they’ll come along in time tryin’ to snuff it
I ain’t nothin’ if I can’t stand sufferin’
Give it everything — never hide your candle
‘Cause your Papa wants to show off His handiwork, yes, uh, now
Yeah, guard your candle now — oh, baby

He saved me — here I am — look in Matthew 5:14
I’m a city up on top of a mountain for the world to see
I know God, He put me up there, and I got some important chores
When I get those done then all you are gonna come and glorify the Lord
Sure, they’ll come along in time tryin’ to snuff it
I ain’t bluffin’, man, I’m quite sure of it
Give it everything — never hide your candle
‘Cause your Papa wants to show off His handiwork, yes, uh, now
Ah! Guard your candle now
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-eh

Sure, they’ll come along in time tryin’ to snuff it
I ain’t runnin’ like a scared Miss Muffet
Give it everything — never hide your candle
‘Cause your Papa wants to show off His handiwork, yes, uh, now
Yeah! So guard your candle now — oh yeah!

Baby — don’t snuff it
Baby — baby — uh oh oh
If you love Him — let’s see more of Him

Make it a habit
Oh-oh yeah-eh — Oh!
Guard your candle now

Yeah-eh

[ ApologetiX – “Hot Potato Soup” album ]

*****************************
“I Made the Team”
(Parody of “I’m Eighteen” by Alice Cooper)

I fall on my face and hands
The last ball knocked me on the ground
“Find us a hitter,” they shout in the stands
I’m annoying all the fans

I made the team — and I don’t know how to bunt
Made the team — I just don’t score any runs
Made the team — I’ve got swing and pray
I’m gonna get out anyway
I’ll go running to the wrong base, oh yeah

I’ve got, uh — Babe Ruth’s waist and an old man’s arm
Look at me field — you’ll get alarmed
Don’t always throw where I’m taught, there’s no doubt
Still I keep winnin’ — it’s a miracle how

But I made the team — I get confused every play
Made the team — I guess I’m no Willie Mays
Made the team — my God, He did the trade

Whoa oh!
I fall on my face and my hands
I fall at the feet of Christ
I’m just a sinner — a little-league life
But I’m important in my Lord’s plans

I made the team, and I like it!
Yes, I like it!
Whoa, I like it, love it, like it, love it
Made the team, made the team, made the team, and I like it!

[ ApologetiX – “The Boys Aren’t Backin’ Down” album ]

*****************************
“God’s Presence (Christ in Your Life)”
(Parody of “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day)

Another sermon point, you’re bored, ya hit the road
I’m glad the Bible gives a test of where you’ll go
So the take the test — is His presence in your life?
It’s in the Second Book of Corinthians, 13:5

It’s socially unacceptable, but in the end, it’s right
I hope you have the Christ in your life

So make a note of that — you still can change your mind
Take it off the shelf — read Romans 10, verse 9
Back in the heavenlies your test is on file
You’re on this earth for a very short while

It’s socially unacceptable, but in the end, it’s right
I hope you have the Christ in your life

[ ApologetiX – “Very Vicarious” album ]

*****************************
“Child of God”
(Parody of “Shining Star” performed by Earth, Wind & Fire)

Yeah, yeah – hey – huh
Bet you wish you were a star
You dream of fame and fancy cars, yeah
But when you’re with the Nazarene
Life ain’t always such a dream, oh yeah
What you’ll be now’s not so clear, hey
Yet to Christ you’re very dear, yeah

You’re a child of God – don’t matter who you’re not
We’re the bride to be – of Jesus, you and me – His church in unity
LEAD

Child, what’s gotten into you?
Child it’s not quite “what” — it’s “who”? Yeah!
It’s His Spirit there along, yeah
Yeah, makes His Body quick and strong, yeah
We’re goin’ to mansions of the Son — yeah
Yeah, sowin’ God’s Word to everyone
Yeah, God will help, His Spirit will move, yeah
Well, yes, He will, I got my proof, oh yeah, oh yeah
So edify yourself and read
I know you’re facin’ some adversity
Jesus Christ is greater than
Are you His? Say, yes, I am

You’re a child of God – don’t matter who you’re not
We’re the bride to be – of Jesus, you and me
You’re a child of God – don’t matter who you’re not
We’re the bride to be – of Jesus, you and me
You’re a child of God – don’t matter who you’re not
We’re the bride to be – of Jesus, you and me

Child of God, though you can’t see what you’re like and soon will be
Child of God, though you can’t see what you’re like and soon will be
Find First John 3:2 and read — and Philippians 2:15

[ ApologetiX – “Very Vicarious” album ]

*****************************
“We Got the Feet”
(Parody of “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s)

See how Peter squawked real loud and shrieked
‘Cause the Lord was washing all their feet
Didn’t know that when He cleansed their soles
He washed them inside

‘Cause they got their feet
Cleaned off cause Jesus
Washed their feet, yeah
He got their feet

All the Christians gettin’ out the news
Paved the way, Isaiah 52
‘Member how the Lord sent out the twelve
God sent them far and wide

‘Cause they got to be
His Gospel feet
His Gospel feet, yeah
They got to be

So go use those feet and take a stand
In the mountains, woods, or in the sand
Then let Jesus rinse them off again
He’ll send you far and wide

‘Cause we got the feet
We got the feet
We got the feet, yeah
We go!

(We got the feet)
(We got the feet)
(We got the feet) Everybody get on the street
(We got the feet) We could use some sand on our feet
(We got the feet) Somebody needs found
(We got the feet) Romans 10 shows how
Whoa!

(We got the feet)
We got the feet
(We got the feet)

We got the feet
(We got the feet)
We got the feet
(We got the feet)
We got the feet
(We got the feet, we got the feet)
We got the feet
(We got the feet, we got the feet)
We got the feet

[ ApologetiX – “Play Nice” album ]

*****************************
“Don’t Be Fooled”
(Parody of “Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley)

You know life can be found in the Lord alone
But pagan gods abound – at least they’ll tell you so
Don’t be fooled – choose the God that’s true
Baby, in the 10 commands, it’s number on the list
Exodus chapter 20 – verse 3 you know what it says?
Don’t be fooled – choose the God that’s true
‘Cause there are no other gods
Baby, just the True One and the frauds
Those gods are pagan phonies – they don’t make me feel afraid
‘Cause I know Jesus loves me – and I know there’s one true way
Don’t be fooled – choose the God that’s true
Why don’t you play it smart
He really loves you baby – open your heart
So let’s look up First Corinthians – in chapter 8:5,6
And 10:19 and 20 – and I hope that something clicks
Don’t be fooled – choose the God that’s true
‘Cause there are no other gods
Baby, just the True One and the frauds
Don’t be fooled – choose the God that’s true
Don’t be fooled – choose the God that’s true
‘Cause there are no other gods
Baby, just the True One and the frauds

[ ApologetiX – “Apol-acoustiX” album ]

*****************************
“Ballad of Jesus and Yahweh”
(Parody of: “Ballad of John & Yoko” by The Beatles)

Standin’ there, they knock at your doorstep
Tryin’ to make you part of their plan
They hand you a tract, say they wanna come back
You know, they said that Jesus just was a man
Christ is more than a teacher
I know He’s God — can’t you see
The way that I know is:
There’s lots of proof when I read
Titus 2:13 says that Jesus
Is our God and savior so great
Peter and Paul say the same thing by the way
You can check Second Peter 1:1 today
CHORUS
From there it’s to the letter to Hebrews
Talkin’ how God’s Son is unique
In Hebrews 1 verse 8 the Father truly does say
He says His only Son is God, yes indeed
CHORUS
Isaiah chapter 43, Jehovah says
There isn’t a God or savior except for me
That’s why the Christ said, obey or you’re dead
You must believe I am to save your souls … Think!
Maybe I should check the beginning
Reading John 1:1 for a snag
“And the Word was God.” It’s just as I thought
It’s lookin’ like it’s truly a fact
CHORUS
Lots of other things you can show them
If they stage a counterattack
Remember to pray, then you really can say
“I’d like to have the both of you back!”
CHORUS

[ ApologetiX – “Keep the Change” album ]

https://www.jgospel.net/c/2/150285/279/3986/ApologetiX-The-Ballad-of-Jesus-and-Yahweh.aspx

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
DEEP THOUGHTS
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
[ “The Electrical Worker” magazine ]

“It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”
[ Author unknown ]

“In the business world it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. In the academic world it’s not who you know, it’s whom you know.”
[ James C. Klagge ]

“It’s not always what you know, but who you know. Get out and meet people.”
[ Kimora Lee Simmons ]

“It’s not who you know, but who you are that matters most.”
[ Keariene Muizz ]

“It was invaluable to have a dear friend who you have known for over a decade, be a partner in a film like Titanic. To have somebody that talented to work against, who’s also your friend and who you know you have the best intentions for and vice versa, and who you intrinsically trust to give you their forthright honest opinion about what we’re both doing – all that’s something you can’t really buy.”
[ Leonardo DiCaprio ]

“It isn’t just what you know, and it isn’t just who you know. It’s actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living.”
[ Bob Burg ]

“Having a good network can be invaluable. It opens doors for you and allows you to enter into opportunities that are beneficial to your business. In this sense, ‘who you know’ is undoubtedly important, but to me ‘what you know’ is more important because once an opportunity shows itself, it is up to you to make the most of it, and this is down to your knowledge and skill.”
[ Richard Branson ]

“Always keep your words soft and sweet. You never know when you’ll have to eat them. Always remember, as you go out to seek your fortune, your fame, your fulfillment, always remember that it’s not who you know in this world, it’s whom.”
[ Osborn Elliott ]

A lot of show business, as you know, is about all the contacts you make and who you know.
Denise Crosby

“A lot of show business, as you know, is about all the contacts you make and who you know.”
[ Denise Crosby ]

“Relationship networking is about who you know and more importantly, who knows you. Building the right network can open new doors to future success in your business.”
[ Heidi ]

“It’s who you know and who can help you.”
[ Jeffrey Combs ]

“It’s NOT what you KNOW or what you DO, it’s WHO you know.”
[ Erik Ireland ]

“You’re college graduates now, so use your education. Remember: It’s not who you know, it’s whom.”
[ Joan Rivers ]

“Entrepreneurs need to remember to spend as much time working on their business as they do in their business” [ Jay Samit ].

“Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to level yourself up.”
[ Thomas J. Watson ]

“The better part of one’s life consists of one’s friendships?”
[ Abraham Lincoln ]

“At the risk bragging, one of the things I’m best at is riding coattails. Behind every successful man is me, smiling and taking partial credit.”
[ Aziz Ansari ]

“I think I’ve been really good at surrounding myself with really talented people. I’ve picked the right coattails to ride on.”
[ Nathan Fillion ]

“I was always a fan but me and Kevin Pattero, he was a friend of mine who trained for the Olympic games in 1972 he and I became very close friends and roommates and I kind of rode his coattails into the business.”
[ Ric Flair ]

“You know, Salma Hayek is a great cook, and she’s a friend.. She’s an amazing cook. If she opened up a restaurant, I would so get in on the coattails.”
[ Catherine Keener ]

“I started writing serious books so late because I knew Id be accused of riding on my fathers coattails.”
[ Thomas Steinbeck ]

“The statesman’s task is to hear God’s footsteps marching through history, and to try and catch on to His coattails as He marches past.”
[ Otto von Bismarck ]

“In the end, success is not about who you know, it’s about you know who.”
[ Robert Breault ]

“Remember whose you are. You’re the child of the Most High God. A citizen of the Kingdom of God, an Ambassador for Christ with diplomatic immunity. Walk in the abundance of God’s grace, power and privilege through Christ Jesus.”
[ Buky Ojelabi ]

“So completely was Jesus bent upon saving sinners by the sacrifice of Himself, He created the tree upon which He was to die, and nurtured from infancy the men who were to nail Him to the accursed wood.”
[ Octavius Winslow ]

“The fact that there’s a Highway to Hell and only a Stairway to Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.”
[ Darynda Jones ]

“To get to Heaven it’s Who you know that counts.”
[ Dave Branon ]

—————————

RELATED SCRIPTURE VERSES:

WHO IS JESUS?

Luke 19:3
Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.

John 8:53
Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?”

John 8:25
So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?

Acts 9:5
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

Acts 22:8
And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

Acts 26:15
And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

John 21:12
Jesus *said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.

Luke 9:20
And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Matthew 21:10
When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”

Mark 4:41
They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Luke 8:25
And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

Luke 9:9
Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.

John 9:36
He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

John 12:34
The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

Luke 7:49
Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”

Luke 5:21
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

Matthew 16:13
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Mark 8:27
Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?”

Luke 9:18
And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”

Matthew 11:3
and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

Luke 7:19
Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”

Luke 7:20
When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’”

Mark 15:2
Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He *answered him, “It is as you say.”

Luke 23:3
So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”

John 18:37
Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Matthew 26:63
But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Mark 14:61
But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Luke 22:67
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe;

Matthew 12:23
All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”

John 10:24
The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Luke 22:70
And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.”

Matthew 4:3
And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Matthew 4:6
and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command His angels concerning You’;and‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Matthew 27:40
and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Luke 4:3
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Luke 4:9
And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;

1 Peter 1:11
seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

***************************** *****************************

“A quick summary of the Christian “Gospel”:
JESUS’ PROPITIATION made our SINS FORGIVEN and IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS to us so that we have GOD’S ACCEPTANCE into His Heaven and receive ETERNAL LIFE.”
[ Mark Besh ]

***************************** *****************************

Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ’pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing—I would like to give credit where credit is due!

FOCUS VERSES:

“What is His name?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” God then said, “You shall say that ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.”
[ Exodus 3:14 ]

“We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.”
[ Numbers 21:7 ]

“Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.”
[ Numbers 21:8-9 ]

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
[ Psalm 34:8 ]

“Wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
[ Proverbs 13:10 ]

“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”
[ Proverbs 13:18 ]

“As iron sharpens iron, so one individual sharpens another.”
[ Proverbs 27:17 ]

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
[ Matthew 7:21-23 ].

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven.”
[ Matthew 16:17 ]

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
[ Matthew 16:24 ]

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to [b]follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you [c]always, to the end of the age.”
[ Matthew 28:19-20 ]

“Who do people say that I am?”
[ Mark 8:27 ]

“They told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
[ Mark 8:28 ]

The Rich Young Ruler
“As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.” Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But he was deeply dismayed by [b]these words, and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.”
[ Mark 10:17-22 ]

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
[ Luke 4:18-19 ]

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
[ Luke 4:21 ]

“For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”
[ Luke 22:37 ]

“Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “It is as you say.”
[ Luke 23:3c ]

“All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
[ John 1:3 ]

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
[ John 1:14 ]

“No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
[ John 1:18 ]

“No one can do the signs that you do unless God is with Him.”
[ John 3:2 ]

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
[ John 3:14-15 ]

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
[ John 3:16 ]

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
[ John 4:13-14 ]

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.”
[ John 6:35 ]

“What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
[ John 6:30-31 ]

“Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
[ John 6:32-33 ]

“I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
[ John 8:12 ]

“Though you do you not believe Me, believe the works.”
[ John 10:38 ]

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”
[ John 14:6 ]

“Because I live, you shall live also.”
[ John 14:19 ]

“Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
[ John 14:22 ]

“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
[ John 14:23 ]

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
[ John 15:5 ]

“But Barnabas took him [Saul] and brought him to the apostles.”
[ Acts 9:27 ]

“For the wages of sin is death.”
[ Romans 6:23a ]

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”
[ Romans 8:17 ]

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
[ Romans 10:9 ]

“Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?”
[ 1 Corinthians 15:55 ]

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
[ Ephesians 2:8-9 ]

“To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
[ Philippians 1:21 ]

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.”
[ Philippians 3:8-9 ]

“All the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.”
[ Colossians 2:9 ]

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”
[ Hebrews 1:8 ]

“Because He abides forever, He holds His priesthood permanently. Hence also He is able to say forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
[ Hebrews 7:24-25 ]

“Does not need daily, like those old covenant high priest, to offer up the sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once and for all when He offered up Himself.”
[ Hebrews 7:27 ]

“We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
[ Hebrews 4:15 ]

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
[ 1 Peter 5:6-7 ]

“If anyone sends, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
[ 1 John 2:1b ]

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
[ 1 John 4:10 ]

“We know… that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true.”
[ 1 John 5:20 ]

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
[ Revelation 21:2 ]

Mark

*****************************
*****************************
If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net

Disclaimer: All the above jokes & inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright are used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.

·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((‘>
><((((‘> ·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·..><((((‘> ·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((‘>
·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·..><((((‘>
><((((‘> ·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.><((((‘>

	Can ‘AI’… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	Preparing For The… on Is Death a ‘Dead End…
	Being ‘Thankfu… on “Pay It Forward”…
	Repurpose And… on Concept ‘Refinement…
	Realistic ‘Exp… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	‘WHY’ Do… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	‘WHEN’ W… on Are You ‘Prepared’…
	GAINING A DEEP ‘UNDE… on The “BIG Story”…
	Learning To ‘T… on ‘Who’ Can You Trus…
	Persistently ‘… on Too Busy to ‘Wait’…
	Persistently ‘… on Overloaded Lives p2 [v74]
	Persistently ‘… on Overloaded Lives p1 [v73]
	Continually ‘T… on “Life Remodeled” […
	Continually ‘T… on ‘Remodeling’ Your Service…
	Continually ‘T… on Being ‘Remodeled’…

LIFE'S DEEP THOUGHTS