Christ, the Saviour is Born

I hope that you'll take the time to listen to today's podcast as I share the reading pf the REAL "Christmas Story". You can read along here if you'd like.

I would suggest that this is a great time to gather your family around, together, for this special reading of this world-changing and life-changing event.

Enjoy...

Luke 2...  And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

  ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

  ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

  ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
  ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
  ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 
  ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
  ⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
  ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 
  ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 
  ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
  ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
  ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

  ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 ¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 

  ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

  ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

  ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.           ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

  ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

May you and your family have a wonderful and Merry Christmas!

And, as always, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike
Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

Looking Back Can Be DECEPTIVE! (Part 2)

"Looking Back Can Be DECEPTIVE! (Part 2)"

 In my last article I began discussing the basic premise behind the title of this "mini-series" that will continue into the next article. If you haven't done so, go back and read the last article as well as listen to the podcast that goes along with it. The links for both iTunes and the RSS feed can be found at the bottom of this article. Take a moment and do that first so that you can be properly "set" for what we will continue with today.

The basic idea is this: Many times we can "look back" at a time period in our past and do so with fond memories when, actually, at the time, there was nothing going on that we would ever want to remember fondly. Get the point?

I want to share with you a PERFECT illustration of this that comes from the Bible and it is found in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 14. Have you ever seen the old movie, "The Ten Commandments" with Charlton Heston in the leading role as Moses? A good part of the movie deals with the time period of when Moses was sent to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. They were enduring horrible conditions as slaves and God sent Moses to lead His people out of slavery and into freedom. In Exodus 14, we find that this large group had left their slavery and were on their way to freedom when Pharaoh changed his mind about letting them go and began to chase them down. As his army got closer to the group of Israelites, they thought they were trapped when they came upon the Red Sea. They saw no way out and began to moan and complain to Moses that he should have left them alone for (verse 12), "It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!" They were saying that, as horrible as it was, they would have rather STAYED in Egypt and live as slaves, in horrible conditions, that to die in freedom.

Of course, if you know the story (if you don't, just continue reading from verse 12) then you know that God delivered His people from that situation. But, the point is this: Even though they had been free for only a very short time, they were already "looking back", desiring to go back.

Why? Because they were AFRAID OF WHAT WAS BEFORE THEM! 

Is it possible that the same is true for you and me today? I mentioned in my last podcast that, many times, we find ourselves longing for the "good old days" during times of difficulty. Often, when we run into obstacles and experience "failure" we want to run back to those times that we remember fondly when, again, at the time, they may not have been so pleasant after all. 

Why? Because, in our own minds, it is easier (and we THINK it's "safer") to go back to what we knew (even if it wasn't so good - like the Israelites in slavery) than it is to face difficulty and the unknown of the future.  

May I share another verse from the Bible that addresses this point? I promise, I'm not going to get all "preachy" on you. Notice these words that you can find in the New Testament book of Luke 9:62 - "But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” The idea presented here is exactly the same one that we discussed about the Israelites back in the book of Exodus. For Christians, Jesus Christ has "set us free" from the "slavery and bondage" of sin! We're free! So, why would anyone "look back" and desire the former life of slavery and bondage? Those that do so are not "fit" for the "kingdom of God" for they do not trust Jesus and the promise of a better future, just as the Israelites did not trust God and His promise to them of a better future. 

By the way, did you know that you can't plow a straight row if you are looking back? That's true whether you are plowing behind a horse or sitting behind the wheel of a tractor! 

In the same way, you cannot focus on your future and "take care of business" if you are always looking back. It just won't work and friend, remember, your past - whatever it is that keeps drawing your attention there - is likely not as "shiny" as it now appears! 

Hey listen, there are people that are set free from prison only to find that they feel "lost" now that they are "out on their own". And, because they find this new life difficult to adjust to, they will - at times - commit a crime just so they can go back to what they know. Yes, even though it is PRISON!

Whether you realize (or understand) this next point or not, it's still true. Most of the time, when you try to better yourself and make a move toward a better life, things get worse (or so it seems) before they get better. That's the truth, friend! We usually want things to be better overnight, instantly, at the snap of a finger but, truth be told, it doesn't quite work that way the majority of the time!

The question is this: Do you have what it takes to persevere and hang on through the tough times? I'll answer that for you, in case you aren't too sure - YES, YOU DO have what it takes! 

Stop looking back and longing for what is in the past! Your FUTURE is in FRONT of you - not behind you!

Always remember this, and I mean ALWAYS: Even if you take two steps forward and one step back, you are still making progress because you are still ONE STEP AHEAD of where you were before! That's right! Even if you get "slapped back, knocked back and/or kicked back" a step after you've moved forward - you are STILL ahead of where you were before you decided to TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE by moving FORWARD with and in your life!

And, by the way, this is also for those of you that have suffered through an abusive relationship in the past. STOP looking back thinking it wasn't as bad as you thought it was. Never! You keep moving forward with your life and DO NOT look back - you have been set FREE! I know I hit a nerve with some of you with that last part. That's o.k. and feel free to connect with me to share your thoughts, stories and comments. I will NEVER share anything with my audience unless you give me expressed consent to do so. If you need, I have a friend that went through an abusive relationship and she has her own blog that talks about some of these issues. Here's the link to that blog: https://reflectionsfrommykitchenwindow.wordpress.com/ - Her name is Donna and she is a life-long friend of me and my family and she has graciously agreed to let me share this link with you. Thanks, Donna!

Once again, if you haven't done so yet, you need to listen to the podcast on today's topic. Just click one of the links at the bottom of this article to do so. There is SO MUCH MORE information and additional thoughts that I share with you there that is not found in this article. 

If you listen by going to iTunes, please take a moment and leave a review - I thank you in advance! Also, be sure to stop by the FYU fan page on Facebook and let me know that you left that review AND to just say "hello" and let me know that you are benefiting from Future You University. 

As always, THANKS for joining me today and, please, share this with as many as possible and always be sure to keep moving forward, closer to your dream!

And, until next time, whatever you do,  be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

Be a GIVER!

Don't forget, it's "Turn-Around Tuesday!" Stop complaining and start making the CHANGES necessary to turn your life around beginning TODAY!

Today I want to continue my thoughts on #5 of my "7 Life-Changing, Life-Directing, Powerful Daily Affirmations" which is, "Be a GIVER NOT A TAKER!"

In yesterday's blog article I discussed the negative side of this equation - being a TAKER. If you haven't done so, be sure to go back and read the article as well as listen to the podcast that goes along with it (iTunes = http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739  OR RSS feed = http://mikespillman.hipcast.com/rss/futureyouuniversity.xml ).

Today I want to focus on the POSITIVE side of this equation and one that all of us can improve on each and every day - "BE A GIVER!"

Giving - for the most part - seems to go against our "human nature". Read yesterday's article and see what I mean. For whatever reason it seems that we are born with this sense of "mine" and "me". So, the bottom line is this - BEING SELFISH IS EASY and being SELFLESS is HARD and takes DISCIPLINE!

The truth is this: anything that goes against the "norm" is not easy but, when it comes to improving your life and the lives of those around you, it IS worth the effort. Isn't it?

Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 20: 25b-28... "...but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Again, this goes against everything that we are "fed" from early childhood and it IS hard to combat but combat it we MUST! We can also read in the last part of Acts 20:35... "...And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”. I KNOW you've heard that one before, right? And, the one that we have labeled as "The Golden Rule" can be found in Matthew 7:12... (paraphrase from different translations) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Some, thinking it humorous, have taken this "golden rule" and have changed it up to things such as, "Do to unto others and then RUN!" or "Do unto others before they have a chance to do unto you!". And, yes, it IS a little humorous but, the fact that so many live by THESE versions of the "golden rule" really is a bit sad.

I believe it was  Zig Ziegler that said, "If you help enough people get what they want, you'll get what you want." (or some very similar quote). Have YOU tried this?

Why not start TODAY putting this theory to the test? Why not put this to the test EXPECTING NOTHING in return, and see what happens?

Why not do this for ANYBODY and EVERYBODY that you come into contact today? Why not do this, not only for your boss, but also for the person that drops your mail off at your desk or empties your trash at night while you are gone?

"Be a GIVER, not a TAKER!".

Easier said than done but well worth the effort!

Until next time, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
Mike

The APPLICATION of FAITH

It's "FUN FRIDAY"! Get out there and LIVE life and have FUN doing it!

All week long we have been talking about faith and, for the most part, have used the Biblical definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."  I've also been using this definition as an application for us as we strive to reach our goals and dreams that we have set for ourselves. Again, if you've not done so, I encourage you to go back and catch up with the blog AND the podcast (iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739 and the RSS feed: http://mikespillman.hipcast.com/rss/futureyouuniversity.xml ) before reading today's article.

Today I want to make some spiritual observations and discuss the APPLICATION of FAITH. Sure, you can also apply this to reaching your personal goals and dreams because, again, you can believe something all you want, you can have FAITH that something WILL happen but, until you step out and take ACTION - NOTHING will happen! Again, I'd love to get some feedback from you on today's article either here, via e-mail (mike@futureyouuniversity.com) or on our FB fan page (www.facebook.com/futureyouuniversity).

Once, when I was a young boy, I heard a sermon on the topic of faith. And, in that sermon, I heard it said that with faith I could do anything. Anything? Yes, from what I understood, ANYTHING. So, I decided to test this out and, going into my back yard, tried to pull a full grown tree up out of the ground by putting my little arms as far around that tree as I could which, obviously, wasn't very far around. Guess what? Are you ready for this? That tree stayed put and I wore myself out.

In 1 Corinthians 13:11 Paul says the following: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Now, at the time of the above-mentioned incident, I was definitely a child and I definitely understood the concept of faith as a child would. And, thankfully, I do believe I've matured spiritually to the point that I have a better understanding of this concept of "faith". Notice that I didn't say that I understood it completely. Big difference and I hope you'll NEVER hear me say ANYTHING along the lines of me having it all figured out.

Repeating what was said earlier in the week, "Faith is NOT careless living!" and, to go along with that, "Faith is NOT a magic wand!" Let's look at a great example of the application of faith found in the Bible in Matthew 14: 22-33. I'm not going to "cut and paste" the scripture for you but I'm going to "sum up" what is being found there. I hope that you'll have the opportunity to take a look at it for yourself to see that what I'm saying does, indeed, go right along with what is written there.

When you read the preceding verses you will find that there has been a LOT going on for Jesus and His followers. And, as He would often do, Jesus told his disciples (followers) to go on ahead of Him and that He would join them a little later so that He could spend some alone time in prayer. While He was doing so a storm came up with a lot of wind and it began to toss the boat that the disciples were in quite violently to the point that they feared for their lives.

Sometime around 3 - 6 a.m. (the fourth watch of the night) these frightened disciples looked out on the water and saw what they believed to be a ghost! Think about that for a moment...you're fighting to keep water out of your boat and, among all the hustle and bustle and panic, you look out and see a ghost! I don't know about WALKING on the water but I'm thinking I may have begun RUNNING on TOP of the water and in the opposite direction!

In one of several humorous understatements that I believe are found in the translations of the Bible, we read that they "cried out for fear". Now, maybe that is not an understatement but, if you're like me and many others, we READ it as an understatement. Seriously, put yourself in that situation as much as you can and consider how YOU would sound as YOU "cried out for fear". I'm thinking they were screaming their heads off like a boat load of school girls! Mike's translation reads, "THEY WERE FREAKING OUT!"

What did Jesus do? Did He play tricks on them by appearing on one side of the boat and then - BAM - switching sides? Did He say, "Boo!"? Nope. The Bible states that IMMEDIATELY - and, friends, I think that is a KEY POINT that we should always remember - He began to try to calm them down by telling them NOT to be afraid because it was Him, not a ghost, but Him.

Now, one of the disciples - PETER - once realizing that it was Jesus (this same Jesus that Peter had seen do many miracles) replied, (and I paraphrase), "O.k., if it's really you, tell me to come out there with you!". I don't think this was a taunt or a "prove it to me" type of thing. Peter KNEW who Jesus was and he KNEW that he would be safe with Jesus but he wanted that "substance of things hoped for" to be based on TRUTH!

Jesus said, "Come on!" and Peter had a decision to make. He could stay in the boat that was in danger of sinking or, not really knowing how it would work, he could step out and go to Jesus who he KNEW could do things that had never been seen or done before.

Peter had to "put his money where his mouth was" (a trait that Peter exhibited quite often) and make a decision. Look again at that definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR (Peter's hope was that, by getting out of that boat, he would be safe with Jesus) and the EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN" (Peter also knew that, even though he had NEVER seen anyone walk on top of the water like Jesus was doing, there was EVIDENCE in the fact that, indeed, Jesus WAS doing just that and, again, that he - Peter - had seen EVIDENCE of Jesus' mighty miracles).

Look at verse 29 - "....and when Peter came down out of the boat..." Notice it says Peter and not, "Peter and the other disciples". Just Peter. And he did it - he got out of the boat and began to walk - ON TOP OF THE WATER - toward Jesus.

Yes, once he noticed the big waves around him, he became afraid and he DID sink. However, do NOT miss the following points: He was the ONLY one that trusted in Jesus enough to put their FAITH into ACTION and to get out of the boat and, secondly, even though he "failed" (according to some) and began to sink, Jesus still rescued him and walked him back to the boat, safe and sound.

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION: Friend, it's one thing to SAY what we believe. It's one thing to try to convince those around us of our faith in God and His Son, Jesus. But, it's not what we say, it's what we DO - what we SHOW by the lives that we live - that truly demonstrate our FAITH!

Too, for ourselves, we can try to convince OURSELVES that we have a great amount of faith but, without ever putting it into action (getting out of the boat) we're just fooling ourselves. Fact is, we are the only ones being fooled because those around us are likely NOT being fooled when they see our ACTIONS speaking louder than our WORDS.

Hey friend, I'm still working on stepping out of that boat more often than I do and I want to encourage you to keep on growing in YOUR faith in the one we call JESUS.

As we work to walk more in FAITH, I want to encourage you to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Let Me Introduce Myself...

Today is "Magical Monday"...Share the magic with those around you!

Perhaps the more correct title of today's podcast and blog would be, "Let me RE-introduce myself." I mean, after all, if you've followed me for very long you have a pretty good idea of who I am and how I operate. If not, you can go to my website, http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/ , and read about the background of what I'm doing as well as my thoughts and plans.

I began my "adult life" as a youth minister back in 1982 and even was doing some work among youth groups before I graduated college. Since 1982 I have worked with teens and adults in a variety of positions and have always had a passion for sharing information and making it as interesting and relevant as possible. I also knew that, at some point, I wanted to change direction and step out with my own seminars that would be developed so as to encourage and uplift my audiences.

After developing some friends that liked my comments on another website I began my own podcast on March 2, 2009 and began doing my blog not too long afterwards. However, I intentionally planned NOT to bring "too much religion" in on my discussions thinking it might allow me to reach a larger audience with positive messages that had their "backing" in Scripture, all the while not coming across as too "preachy".

Here's the deal...where has that gotten me after almost three years? NOT VERY FAR!

Oh, I do have some followers and, part of the problem has been some inconsistency on my part due to some problems that I have deemed "beyond my control" in some ways. But, bottom line, I feel that something has been missing and I believe that the "something" has been the MEAT to the MESSAGE!

So, I'm not going to refrain from using thoughts and scriptures that I know fit what I'm talking about so that I may keep from "offending" anyone or so that I can supposedly have a "larger" audience. It's way past time for me to be me - ALL of me - and just do what I do as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Might I lose some followers? Maybe. If so, that is a choice that a person must make for themselves. Here's the deal... I'm the same guy as before so why stop following what I do because I am now going to be more outspoken and open about the foundations from which I get these principles?

Zig Ziglar once talked about how his career as a motivator "took off" once he got God involved in the discussion. I had the pleasure of hearing Jim Rohn speak on several occasions and, if you know anything about what he shared, he based the majority of his thoughts on Scripture.

IF YOU APPRECIATE WHAT I'M SAYING please let me know! I need your support and I need to know that this is something that you agree with whole-heartedly. If you don't, you can still let me know but, honestly, it's not necessary. Just do what you have to do.

So, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mike Spillman and I am a proud husband, father, grandfather, motivator, writer and Christian. It's nice to meet you.

Whatever you do, where ever you go, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike