Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

The God of Creation as Author and Example of Excellence – Introduction

Articles October 3, 2021 Leave a comment

“…from the microscopic and complex of DNA to the magnificent and unattainable galactic world of the splendid universe, the Creator´s mark of excellence is infallibly present.”

Cecy Yepez

For some months “Towards Excellence” has been silent, due to some circumstances, perhaps one of the main ones, because I, the author, was working on a long research whose theme fascinates me. So, for some time I have considered to share excerpts from it with each of you, the beloved audience of “Towards Excellence.”

From now on, I will be pleased to provide a broad overview of the excellence of the Triune Creator God and its implications for the work of leaders, and especially, Christian leaders within their various spheres of influence.

Through the study of Genesis 1 and 2, among other Biblical passages, the fascinating world of creation and its different moments are approached, in which the excellence of its Maker undoubtedly unfolds. It is observed, of course, that from the microscopic and complex of DNA to the magnificent and unattainable galactic world of the splendid universe, the Creator’s mark of excellence is infallibly present.

And of course, this study highlights the sublime and supernatural presence of the mark of excellence in the Creator’s masterpiece – the human being, in whose being His image and likeness were impregnated, which unfortunately was upset, stained and broken by the fall; but it is emphasized that it has the opportunity to be restored through the redemptive work of Christ. Of Whom, incidentally, a wonderful approach is made as “the image of the invisible God”, based on Colossians 1:15-17 and Colossians 2:9.

Space view on Planet Earth and Sun Star rotating on its axis in black Universe. Elements of image furnished by NASA, [Envato Elements].

In fact, to understand even more about the image of God, the character of Jesus and His actions are also analyzed, since He is the perfect example of what human nature should have been.

Thus, this study, in its last part, deals with what concerns Christian leadership, understanding that its actors, made in the image and likeness of the Creator, are challenged to be an example of His excellence where they have been called to lead. And not only that, but as bearers of His image, they have been commanded to exercise dominion over all creation, but they must do so in a way that is consistent with the character of the God of excellence.

For this reason, throughout the excerpts that I will share from this research, the great example of Jesus Christ will be denoted, whose leadership style has revolutionized the world. A leader who sacrificially serves lepers, without fear of infection; a leader who breaks down cultural barriers, not fearing other people´s opinion, such as the encounter with the Samaritan woman; a leader who forgives and restores, as when he courageously defended the woman who was about to be stoned; a confronting leader, as in the eviction of the temple. A true servant leader who gives His life for the cause that was entrusted to Him!

And we delved further, understanding that this leader did not allow Himself to be infected by the profane culture of His environment; but rather fearlessly expanded the culture of the Kingdom of God.

I trust that these excerpts will inspire many as they may have the opportunity to meet the God of excellence for the first time, or reaffirm their knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ, the God of excellence; or even more, mobilize many to be and act as ambassadors of excellence in this world.

In our next issue, we will start together an extraordinary journey through which we will recognize “the excellence of God in creation”; and certainly, we will join the poetic statement of Job:

“[God] who alone stretched out the heavens
    and trampled the waves of the sea;
who made the Bear and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;
who does great things beyond searching out,
    and marvelous things beyond number.”

(Job 9:8-10 – ESV)

See you soon and in the meantime, I encourage you to live a life marked by excellence!

An Extraordinary Intelligence!

Articles August 7, 2017 Leave a comment

A heart full of God will bring about the development of a healthy mind, an extraordinary intelligence, originally created to do good and not evil; to build up and not to destroy!

The future of medicine – Epcot Center

In the past century, mankind has experienced the widest deployment of development. A development in technology, in medicine, in industry in general; a development in the conquest of space. But unfortunately, also a “development” in the different spheres of evil.

I recently saw a video, showing that with a small device that was placed slightly near a lady’s purse, it was possible to steal all her credit card information. Consequently, shortly after that, the thief could make any purchases he wanted, and charge the respective cost to the victim’s credit card.

Certainly, technology has moved forward by leaps and bounds; we can hardly keep up with it. We are saturated with networks and messaging systems: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Messenger, just to name the best known in the market. Indeed, all these great and ingenious tools have made communication easier and have magically shortened geographic distances. They have dramatically reduced the costs of communication between loved ones, separated by diverse circumstances; and of course, have also reduced costs in business communications.

Amazing! Yes, indeed, astounding! But perhaps for our teenagers and for the generation of young people on the planet, this happens almost unnoticed. For them, it is normal to count on the service of internet and access to the world through networks. They have not stopped to think about the great advantages they have today; and let alone, the great drawbacks that come with it.

So it is, “advantages” and way too many. With just a click I have the information of the world in my hands. With just one click I can make a free call to a friend who is on the other side of the planet. With just a click I can search for the school assignment for the next day. With just one click I can hear good music that cheers my soul. Yes, “advantages” that simply demonstrate the extraordinary insights of the human brain, the extraordinary intelligence of the human being embodied in these great inventions for the benefit of society in general.

But unfortunately, this extraordinary intelligence has also been used for evil purposes. Just by taking the example of technology, we know it is true. Just as the internet could have been created to benefit in a thousand and one ways to society; this great invention today, is also a double-edged sword, with which many are seriously injured and they hardly recover from it.

A large part of the internet has become the dump and the rot of cyber space. Let me quote just a couple of examples that truly produce disgust, repugnance and even terror:

“In 2006, 89 percent of the estimated 270 million pornographic Web pages existing worldwide were produced in the United States.” [The Judges´Journal, 2013]

“Three men have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of raping a woman in an assault that was broadcast live on Facebook, police have said.” [The Guardian, January 2017]

And I could mention not only thousands, but millions of examples that, in addition to producing disgust, it also produces a deep pain in the heart. How many children are abused? How many teenagers in the prime of life are victims of human trafficking? How many young people have lost their lives in the hands of psychopaths? How many people have been scammed out of their bank accounts or credit cards? How many boys have fallen into the “business” of the hit man? How many have been attacked in these and some other horrific ways through social networks?

So, let me ask you. How are you using your extraordinary intelligence? How are you developing the wonderful brain that God has given you as a human being? And, how is your heart?

The Word of God says in Jeremiah 17: 9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure: Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Let me invite you to open your heart to the Lord of lords, to Jesus Christ Himself and let Him test your heart. Sincerely confess your sin before the Lord Jesus Christ and be assured that the Lord will forgive you and you will certainly, experience peace like never before in your life.

A heart full of God will bring about the development of a healthy mind, an extraordinary intelligence, originally created to do good and not evil; to build up and not to destroy!

 

9 1 1: An Emergency Recall to Pray for Jerusalem

Articles August 29, 2015 1 Comment

By Anne Graham Lotz

Anne Graham Lotz Founder & President of AnGel Ministries

Anne Graham Lotz
Founder & President of AnGel Ministries

Less than one week ago, on August 19th, I said good-bye to my husband of almost forty-nine years. At that moment, the only thing that truly mattered was the decision he made as a five year old boy in vacation Bible school to trust Jesus as his Savior. As a result, he knew for the rest of his life that his sins were forgiven, he possessed eternal life, and he had peace with God. What a gift his faith was, and continues to be, to his family and friends. We know our good-byes were not final. We grieve, but with hope. We know we will see Danny Lotz again in Our Father’s House not because of anything that he has done, but because of God’s amazing grace extended to him at the Cross.

Several weeks ago, not knowing that Danny would soon step into eternity, I had a burden on my heart to once again pray for Jerusalem. I had decided to issue a Recall to Pray on September 1st, similar to the urgent call for prayer I had issued last September.

I have a sense that something significant is going to happen in the very near future that involves the Epicenter—Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. This foreboding has been confirmed by many indicators …

• Renewed missile attacks from Gaza on Israel’s southern communities during the first weekend of this August
• The deployment of the Iron Dome in the north to try and protect Israelis from expected incoming Hezbollah rockets
• The tsunami of cash that will flow into Iran, then through Iran to terrorists around the globe, as a result of the “Nuclear Deal” John Kerry has negotiated that includes the lifting of sanctions against Iran
• The fragile coalition Prime Minister Netanyahu has pieced together for his government that seems to lack unity of vision and strength of resolve
• The strained relationship between Israel and the US as our leaders have taken this nation to the dark side of Biblical prophecy because we no longer bless the descendants of Abraham by standing solidly with them against their enemies
• The fourth blood moon on September 28 considered by rabbis to be an omen for Israel that will also be a super moon seen over Jerusalem
• The alarming rise of worldwide anti-Semitism
• The end of the Jewish Shemitah Year on September 13 and the beginning of the Jubilee Year on September 28—both very significant in Biblical prophecy.

God has impressed on my heart to help “pre-prayer” Jerusalem for whatever He knows is coming. I am seeking to rally His people with 9 1 1: An Emergency Recall to Pray for Jerusalem.911_600x-911 pic

No signup is necessary. On September 1st an updated prayer that I have written will be available on our website so that we will all be “on the same page,” praying with one heart and mind. Please don’t feel confined to this prayer, but use it to help focus your own.

Would you Facebook, tweet, or email this to everyone you can?

When war breaks out or missiles explode or terrorists attack… when Israelis are killed…how many families will be left to grieve without hope? I know that there will be no permanent physical peace until the Prince of Peace returns and establishes His reign. There is no hope for the Epicenter except Jesus. Therefore, the purpose of our prayer is four-fold:

• For God to pour out His Spirit of grace and supplication on Jerusalem
• For God to open her eyes to recognize her Messiah…Yeshua…Jesus
• For God to break her heart for her sin and rejection of Him
• For God to save her spiritually and physically as she cries out to Him… and for Him to grant her permanent peace

The prophet Daniel prayed for Jerusalem during her dark days of captivity. God not only answered and delivered His people, but sent word that Daniel was highly esteemed in Heaven because he had stood in the gap for them…on his knees. I, too, want to be a person highly esteemed in Heaven for the same reason. (Daniel 9:23)

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the city and the people that God loves as we pray in agreement with His Word, and are therefore confident He will hear our prayers and answer…

For the glory of Yeshua,

Anne

Copyright © 2015 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved http://www.annegrahamlotz.org

 

 

 

“The Sky is not your Limit, God is!”

Interviews April 11, 2015 Leave a comment

“It takes those who can see the invisible and touch the intangible to do the impossible!”

Tope Popoola

Tope Popoola is the Chief Empowerment Officer of HERITEK SUPPORT SERVICES, a consultancy outfit. He was for many years, the Executive Secretary of the NIGERIAN PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION. He also briefly served as the National Executive Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of Nigeria.

A seasoned administrator and Manager of men and resources, writer, inspirational speaker, pastor and entrepreneur, he is a man of many parts but only ONE passion – cultivating men and women of influence and affluence for whom godly excellence is a culture.

Tope Popoola is a widely travelled and highly sought-after conference speaker. A Trainers’ Trainer, he is

Tope Popoola, Life Coach

Tope Popoola, Life Coach

a Life Coach to many company executives. A Management Development Accredited Trainer, he speaks regularly on Leadership, Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. He has been instrumental to the training of leaders from over 40 countries. He serves on the International Faculty of Haggai Institute of Advanced Leadership where he teaches on the subject of Leadership. He writes a weekly column EMPOWERED FOR L.I.F.E (Leadership, Impact, Finances, Excellence) in The Tribune, a national newspaper in Nigeria. He has featured severally on national and local television. He is the Host of a daily inspirational program on radio that reaches an audience of over 3 million.

He is an author and has written and published several books. His publications, LIVING INTENTIONALLY (published 2009) and FIRST THINGS FIRST – How To Live A Life of Priorities as well his recent one THE LEADERPRENEUR, have been rated very highly as veritable Leadership and Personal Development tools.

As a Pastor, he is the founding Overseer of THE BUSINESS CHURCH (Luke 2:49).

A consummate family man, he is married with children.

Is it possible to “befriend yesterday,” as you wrote in one of your blog posts? What if “yesterday” means a “past failure?”

The story of your life is told in THREE DAYS. I once preached a message titled “YOU HAVE ONLY THREE DAYS TO LIVE. This can be watched on our website http://www.heritek.org You also referred to the writeup on my blog. The three days are yesterday, today and tomorrow. The way to befriend your yesterday is to learn the lessons it teaches. The past is meant to be a school, not a prison. If you do not learn the lessons of past failures, mistakes or even successes, you become a victim of your history and will live in regret mode. This only widens the distance between you and the future you desire.

Tell us, how people can leave behind a “victim mentality” and become “their best under God?”

To become your best under God, you must first be under God. Secondly, you must believe that no matter what happens, he has you covered. As Job said, “He knows the way that (you) take…”! TRUST is the key! Trust God more than you trust your circumstances or your feelings. Believe resolutely that God who created you did so with a purpose and a plan which are woven into the fabrics of your experiences. The pain we have from negative experiences for instance comes from our inability to embrace that plan or see such experiences as part of His story of our lives. Embrace the future. Believe that in God, where you are headed is better than where you have been. Catch a vision in God and use it to motivate you. A vision is the compass that guides into the future. It takes those who can see the invisible and touch the intangible to do the impossible!

What is behind the phrase you frequently use “The sky is not your limit, God is!” By the way, is this phrase of your own?

Yes, I coined that statement. It is often said that the sky is the limit. Whatever you set as limit already sets the boundaries of your achievement. The sky is a creature just like you. So, why would you like to

Tope Popoola speaking to business leaders in an international conference

Tope Popoola speaking to business leaders in an international conference

subject your life to something you were created to dominate? As you know, man has conquered the skies and ventured into planets beyond the skies that we see. Aircraft now fly up to 40,000 feet above sea level, far beyond the clouds. ‘Sky’ is defined by how far a man can see in the firmament. God is limitless. Greater than anything created. He is the Spirit of creation and creativity. He is beyond what we can see with naked eyes. Thinking with His mind simply takes your capacity beyond the stratosphere and makes you see possibilities beyond human comprehension.
By the way, by God, I mean the One who created the heavens and the earth, not any of the idols fashioned by men and worshipped by those who have no understanding.

Finally, what would you say to those who might not be followers of Jesus Christ but want to experience what you just shared with us?
There is only ONE WAY by which men can be saved from the shackles of sin. It is by committing one’s life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Sin is primarily responsible for man’s depraved state. Trying to experience the liberty of the benefits of God without the knowledge of His Son Jesus is like trying to cross a deep and wide river without a bridge, a boat, an aircraft or even the basic ability to swim! To enjoy God, you begin with a relationship with Him through His Son as He has said in the scriptures, “there is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved except the name of Jesus Christ” It is as simple as that! To truly be a partaker of the unlimited and unlimiting blessings of the unlimited God, there is always a trade-off. But the good thing is that what you have to give up is that thing you can least afford to keep, your sin-nature!