Application:
- When God fights for us, He does so in victory. Sometimes, the wait is long and difficult but let’s strive to see history from a broader perspective. Our lives are part of a bigger plan. Be sure of this! - Things seem to always change and yet remain the same. Only God knows how things will end. If you want to know, you should stick close to Him.
Prayer:
Dear God, I don’t know what history holds for this world but I do know that You guide and protect Your people. Help me be patient in suffering, strong in persecution and always hopeful. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
God the Avenger
Jeremiah 46:27~47:7
Application:
As we learned earlier, God’s punishment is meant for discipline and restoration. God invites Israel to return to Him so that they can be restored. Similarly, we should not be afraid to accept God’s correction in our lives. In both the Old and the New Testament, God tells us not to take revenge for ourselves because He is the one who will protect and avenge us when the time is right, just as He did for Israel.
Prayer:
Almighty God, thank You for Your love and protection over my life. May I not be concerned of protecting my own interests and rights, but may I submit myself to Your Lordship and humble myself before others. I trust in You Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Application:
As we learned earlier, God’s punishment is meant for discipline and restoration. God invites Israel to return to Him so that they can be restored. Similarly, we should not be afraid to accept God’s correction in our lives. In both the Old and the New Testament, God tells us not to take revenge for ourselves because He is the one who will protect and avenge us when the time is right, just as He did for Israel.
Prayer:
Almighty God, thank You for Your love and protection over my life. May I not be concerned of protecting my own interests and rights, but may I submit myself to Your Lordship and humble myself before others. I trust in You Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
True Prosperity
It’s not that Jesus is against wealth. It’s just that He is grieved by anything that we value more than Him. We can work hard and make money, but when those things are the main pursuit of life, then Jesus isn’t. Placing Him first and foremost in our lives is the key to true prosperity.
He possessed all the world had to give him,
He had reached every coveted goal;
But, alas, his life was a failure,
For he had forgotten his soul. —Denison
Don’t let riches—or the pursuit of riches— derail your pursuit of Jesus.
He possessed all the world had to give him,
He had reached every coveted goal;
But, alas, his life was a failure,
For he had forgotten his soul. —Denison
Don’t let riches—or the pursuit of riches— derail your pursuit of Jesus.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Warning for Disobedience
Jeremiah 42:13~22
Application:
Where is your Egypt today? Where is the place you go to for comfort, thinking that your ‘Egypt’ can protect and provide for you? Perhaps it is a secure job, a romantic relationship, wealthy parents, or your own academic accolades. Aside from God, the other places you put your trust in is your ‘Egypt.’ Humility begins with realizing our own weaknesses and seeing the Lord as the only source of hope and strength. Turn back from your Egypt and put your trust in God alone.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for running to Egypt, rather than into Your loving arms. I lay down my idols before You and worship You alone. Thank You for the Jeremiahs You send to me. I thank You for my pastor and his words of wisdom. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Application:
Where is your Egypt today? Where is the place you go to for comfort, thinking that your ‘Egypt’ can protect and provide for you? Perhaps it is a secure job, a romantic relationship, wealthy parents, or your own academic accolades. Aside from God, the other places you put your trust in is your ‘Egypt.’ Humility begins with realizing our own weaknesses and seeing the Lord as the only source of hope and strength. Turn back from your Egypt and put your trust in God alone.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for running to Egypt, rather than into Your loving arms. I lay down my idols before You and worship You alone. Thank You for the Jeremiahs You send to me. I thank You for my pastor and his words of wisdom. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Friday, July 30, 2010
The 10 Greatest Entrepreneurs
There is a tough truth that any small business owner has to face. Even in the best of times, the vast majority of small businesses fail. In this article, we'll look at ten entrepreneurs who not only succeeded, but built vast business empires.
John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was the richest man in history by most measures. He made his fortune by squeezing out efficiencies through horizontal and vertical integrations that made Standard Oil synonymous with monopoly - but also dropped the price of fuel drastically for the everyday consumer. The government broke up Standard Oil for good in 1911. Rockefeller's hand can still be seen in the companies like Exxon (NYSE:XOM) and Conoco that profited from the R&D and infrastructure they received as their piece of the breakup. Rockefeller retired at the turn of the century and devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy.
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie loved efficiency. From his start in Steel, Carnegie's mills were always on the leading edge of technology. Carnegie combined his superior processes with an excellent sense of timing, snapping up steel assets in every market downturn. Like Rockefeller, Carnegie spent his golden years giving away the fortune he spent most of his life building.
Thomas Edison
There is no doubt that Edison was brilliant, but it's his business sense, not his talent as an inventor, that clearly shows his intelligence. Edison took innovation and made it the process now known as research and development. He sold his services to many other companies before striking out on his own to create most of the electrical power infrastructure of the United States. While Edison is a founder of General Electric (NYSE:GE), many companies today owe their existence to him – Edison Electric, Con Edison and so on. Although Edison had far more patents than he did corporate ties, it is the companies that will carry his legacy into the future.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. He was one of a group working on motorcars and, arguably, not even the best of them. However, these competitors were selling their cars for a price that made the car a luxury of the rich. Ford put America - not just the rich - on wheels, and unleashed the power of mass production in the bargain. His Ford Model T was the first car to cater to most Americans - as long as they liked black. Ford's progressive labor policies and his constant drive to make each car better, faster and cheaper made certain that his workers and everyday Americans would think Ford (NYSE:F) when they shopped for a car.
Charles Merrill
Charles E. Merrill brought high finance to the middle class. After the 1929 crash, the general public had sworn off stocks and anything more financial than a savings account. Merrill changed that by using a supermarket approach - he sacrificed the high commissions to serve more people, making up his money on the larger volume. Merrill worked hard to "bring Wall Street to Main Street," educating his clients through free classes, publishing rules of conduct for his firm and always looking out for the interests of his customers first.
Sam Walton
Sam Walton picked a market no one wanted and then instituted a distribution system no one had tried in retail. By building warehouses between several of his Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) stores, Walton was able to save on shipping and deliver goods to busy stores much faster. Add a state-of-the-art inventory control system, and Walton was lowering his cost margins well below his direct competitors. Rather than booking all of the savings as profits, Walton passed them on to the consumer. By offering consistently low prices, Walton attracted more and more business to where he chose to set up shop. Eventually, Walton took Wal-Mart to the big city to match margins with the big boys - and the beast of Bentonville has never looked back.
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab, usually known as "Chuck," took Merrill's love of the little guy and belief in volume over price into the internet age. When May Day opened the doors for negotiated fees, Schwab was among the first to offer a discount brokerage for the individual investor. To do this, he trimmed the research staff, analysts and advisors, and excepted investors to empower themselves when making an order. From a bare-bones base, Schwab then added services that mattered to his customers, like 24-hour service and more branch locations. Merrill brought the individual investor back to the market, but Chuck Schwab made it cheap enough for him to stay.
Walt Disney
The 1920s found Walt Disney on the verge of creating a cultural juggernaut. A gifted animator for an advertising company, Disney began creating his own animated shorts in a studio garage. Disney created a character inspired by the mice that roamed his office, Mickey Mouse, and made him the hero of "Steamboat Willie" in 1928. The commercial success of Mickey Mouse allowed Disney to create a cartoon factory with teams of animators, musicians and artists. Disney turned that mouse into several amusement parks, feature-length animations and a merchandising bonanza. After his death, the growth has continued making Disney (NYSE:DIS), and his mouse, the founders of the largest media company on earth.
Bill Gates
When people describe Bill Gates, the usually come up with "rich", "competitive" and "smart." Of the three traits, it's Gates' competitive nature that has carved out his fortune. Not only did he fight and win the OS and browser wars, but Gates stored up the profits that came with the victories – and Microsoft's dominance – to fund future fights and ventures. The Xbox is just one of the many sideline businesses that the massive war chest has funded. The fact is that Microsoft's cash and Gates' reluctance to pay it out is a big part of what saw the company through hard times and funded expansion in good times.
Steve Jobs
Unlike most of the others on this list, it's possible that Steve Jobs' greatest achievements are yet unwritten. Jobs co-founded Apple (NYSE:AAPL), one of the only tech companies to offer a significant challenge to Microsoft's dominance. In contrast to Gates' methodical expansion, Jobs' influence on Apple has been one of creative bursts. Apple was a computer company when Jobs returned to it. Now, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad are the engines of growth that have pushed Apple past the once unassailable Microsoft. When Apple surpassed Microsoft's market cap in 2010, it became clear that investors that, with Jobs, the best is yet to come.
Conclusion
These 10 succeeded by giving the customer something better, faster and cheaper than their nearest competitors. No doubt, some like Rockefeller will always be on these lists, but there is plenty of room for the right person to find their place among the entrepreneur's pantheon.
John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was the richest man in history by most measures. He made his fortune by squeezing out efficiencies through horizontal and vertical integrations that made Standard Oil synonymous with monopoly - but also dropped the price of fuel drastically for the everyday consumer. The government broke up Standard Oil for good in 1911. Rockefeller's hand can still be seen in the companies like Exxon (NYSE:XOM) and Conoco that profited from the R&D and infrastructure they received as their piece of the breakup. Rockefeller retired at the turn of the century and devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy.
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie loved efficiency. From his start in Steel, Carnegie's mills were always on the leading edge of technology. Carnegie combined his superior processes with an excellent sense of timing, snapping up steel assets in every market downturn. Like Rockefeller, Carnegie spent his golden years giving away the fortune he spent most of his life building.
Thomas Edison
There is no doubt that Edison was brilliant, but it's his business sense, not his talent as an inventor, that clearly shows his intelligence. Edison took innovation and made it the process now known as research and development. He sold his services to many other companies before striking out on his own to create most of the electrical power infrastructure of the United States. While Edison is a founder of General Electric (NYSE:GE), many companies today owe their existence to him – Edison Electric, Con Edison and so on. Although Edison had far more patents than he did corporate ties, it is the companies that will carry his legacy into the future.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. He was one of a group working on motorcars and, arguably, not even the best of them. However, these competitors were selling their cars for a price that made the car a luxury of the rich. Ford put America - not just the rich - on wheels, and unleashed the power of mass production in the bargain. His Ford Model T was the first car to cater to most Americans - as long as they liked black. Ford's progressive labor policies and his constant drive to make each car better, faster and cheaper made certain that his workers and everyday Americans would think Ford (NYSE:F) when they shopped for a car.
Charles Merrill
Charles E. Merrill brought high finance to the middle class. After the 1929 crash, the general public had sworn off stocks and anything more financial than a savings account. Merrill changed that by using a supermarket approach - he sacrificed the high commissions to serve more people, making up his money on the larger volume. Merrill worked hard to "bring Wall Street to Main Street," educating his clients through free classes, publishing rules of conduct for his firm and always looking out for the interests of his customers first.
Sam Walton
Sam Walton picked a market no one wanted and then instituted a distribution system no one had tried in retail. By building warehouses between several of his Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) stores, Walton was able to save on shipping and deliver goods to busy stores much faster. Add a state-of-the-art inventory control system, and Walton was lowering his cost margins well below his direct competitors. Rather than booking all of the savings as profits, Walton passed them on to the consumer. By offering consistently low prices, Walton attracted more and more business to where he chose to set up shop. Eventually, Walton took Wal-Mart to the big city to match margins with the big boys - and the beast of Bentonville has never looked back.
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab, usually known as "Chuck," took Merrill's love of the little guy and belief in volume over price into the internet age. When May Day opened the doors for negotiated fees, Schwab was among the first to offer a discount brokerage for the individual investor. To do this, he trimmed the research staff, analysts and advisors, and excepted investors to empower themselves when making an order. From a bare-bones base, Schwab then added services that mattered to his customers, like 24-hour service and more branch locations. Merrill brought the individual investor back to the market, but Chuck Schwab made it cheap enough for him to stay.
Walt Disney
The 1920s found Walt Disney on the verge of creating a cultural juggernaut. A gifted animator for an advertising company, Disney began creating his own animated shorts in a studio garage. Disney created a character inspired by the mice that roamed his office, Mickey Mouse, and made him the hero of "Steamboat Willie" in 1928. The commercial success of Mickey Mouse allowed Disney to create a cartoon factory with teams of animators, musicians and artists. Disney turned that mouse into several amusement parks, feature-length animations and a merchandising bonanza. After his death, the growth has continued making Disney (NYSE:DIS), and his mouse, the founders of the largest media company on earth.
Bill Gates
When people describe Bill Gates, the usually come up with "rich", "competitive" and "smart." Of the three traits, it's Gates' competitive nature that has carved out his fortune. Not only did he fight and win the OS and browser wars, but Gates stored up the profits that came with the victories – and Microsoft's dominance – to fund future fights and ventures. The Xbox is just one of the many sideline businesses that the massive war chest has funded. The fact is that Microsoft's cash and Gates' reluctance to pay it out is a big part of what saw the company through hard times and funded expansion in good times.
Steve Jobs
Unlike most of the others on this list, it's possible that Steve Jobs' greatest achievements are yet unwritten. Jobs co-founded Apple (NYSE:AAPL), one of the only tech companies to offer a significant challenge to Microsoft's dominance. In contrast to Gates' methodical expansion, Jobs' influence on Apple has been one of creative bursts. Apple was a computer company when Jobs returned to it. Now, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad are the engines of growth that have pushed Apple past the once unassailable Microsoft. When Apple surpassed Microsoft's market cap in 2010, it became clear that investors that, with Jobs, the best is yet to come.
Conclusion
These 10 succeeded by giving the customer something better, faster and cheaper than their nearest competitors. No doubt, some like Rockefeller will always be on these lists, but there is plenty of room for the right person to find their place among the entrepreneur's pantheon.
Friday, July 23, 2010
All related to faith living
By definition, faith in God means to believe in God and His power. Doubting that God can do the impossible is contrary to true faith. When you pray, pray with complete confidence in God, and He will do incredible things in your life. - Even if certain promises are not fulfilled during our earthly life, God will fulfill every promise in the afterlife, so we have no reason to give up hope while we are living on earth.
Father in heaven, my hope is in You. Open my eyes to Your wonderful promises, and help me to see how sure and certain they are. I confess that I struggle with doubt at times, so I ask for more faith to overcome my doubts. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Father in heaven, my hope is in You. Open my eyes to Your wonderful promises, and help me to see how sure and certain they are. I confess that I struggle with doubt at times, so I ask for more faith to overcome my doubts. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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