“No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess.” – Isaac Newton

It takes boldness to accomplish your plans for 2012. All that timidity accomplishes is ‘nothing’.

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Speaking about boldness, here is a funny story. An elderly lady was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. She would stand on her front porch and shout, “Praise the Lord!” Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, “There ain’t no Lord!!”

Hard times set in on the elderly lady and she prayed for God to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted, “Praise the Lord!! God, I need FOOD!! I am having a hard time. Please, Lord, send me some groceries!!”

The next morning, the lady went out on her porch and saw a large bag of groceries and shouted, “Praise the Lord!!” The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, “Ha Ha!! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries. God didn’t.”

The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and saying, “PRAISE THE LORD!!! He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them!!”

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The Scripture declares that “the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1 NIV). It’s not by chance that the two words – ‘righteous’ and ‘lion’ came together. The one who embraces the righteousness of Christ is the only one who can stand up boldly and do ‘lion-kind’ acts! Choose to be bold.

Talking about boldness, there are two ways to understand it:-

1. Inner Boldness - Though boldness is a gift of God, it rises from our spirit. It permeates our minds with images and thoughts of valor.

2. Outer Boldness - Boldness has to be acted out. It is not a concept. It is an act. It is not shy to appear in public!

God hasn’t given us boldness to ‘play it safe’. No, He gave it to help us accomplish His plans in this New Year.

As you launch out, you will soon confront an enemy called Opposition. It can come in various forms, through various people, and at various times. The one thing that Opposition is afraid of more than any other is Boldness! That’s why God commanded Joshua, “…Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

Being bold doesn’t mean that you don’t ‘feel’ fear. Being bold is all about acting bold in spite of fear! But once you start acting boldly, fear loses its grip over you.

So, remember: You must choose to be bold to start this year afresh!

In the next post, we are going to have the sixth step to starting 2012 afresh. In the meantime, how did you find boldness working wonders in your life? Add your comments below in the comments section.

- – - written by Joe Abraham from www.joeandancy.com

Are you aware of a book titled The Original Teachings of Jesus Christ by Vladimir Antonov? This book presents an analysis of the Teachings that were left to people by Jesus Christ in His Incarnation. The Teachings are systematized according to the main themes touched by Jesus.

Download The Original Teachings of Jesus Christ PDF (700KB)

Jesus is the greatest teacher the world has ever seen. He taught with such authority and simplicity. He used a lot of parables to make his teachings understandable by even the common man. He was put under pressure several times when he was asked controversial questions. But Jesus dealt them all with fitting, apt replies which had opened several eyes.

Teachings of Jesus Summarized

GOD – THE FATHER
HIS EVOLUTION AND US
THE PROCESS OF CREATION. MULTIDIMENSIONALITY OF SPACE
THE HOLY SPIRIT
SKY — AND HEAVEN
HELL AND PARADISE
REPENTANCE
JESUS CHRIST
JESUS — ABOUT HIMSELF
SPREADING OF CHRISTIANITY
FREEDOM OF WILL
DESTINY
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
ABOUT ALCOHOLISM
WORK — OR PARASITISM?
PEOPLE
PATRIOTISM
WHAT IS MAN
GETTING RID OF DISEASES
MORALS AND ETHICS
LOVE FOR GOD
DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT LIE, HELP OTHERS
LOVE
LOVE AND SEX
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
NUDISM
MAN AND WOMAN ON SPIRITUAL PATH
MINORITIES
COMPASSION
STRUGGLE AGAINST THE LOWER SELF
MONASTICISM

See detailed notes about Jesus’ teachings on all the above topics in the original teachings of Jesus Christ PDF available for download from the above link. Its a 107 page PDF file and also a great work by Vladimir Antonov. I hope this e-book will be a great blessing to each and every one of you. God bless you all.

Assurance is defined as ‘something that is designed to inspire confidence’. You can consider 2012 as a new beginning. You can decide what you want to accomplish this year. You can commit your plans to the Lord. But until you get the assurance that God is present in this whole affair, your confidence level would be on a low level. So it is important that you get assurance about your plans and actions.

We can ask experts to give us wise counsel. We can refer books to get helpful insights. These are good ways of building up confidence. But going to the Holy Bible works better than any other way! Psalm 119:105 (NLT) says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

When we are not sure of our steps, God gives us assurance through His Word. When we feel confused about the actions we got to take, God’s Word brings clarity to our actions.

The disciples of Jesus have experienced the assurance that came through His Word. They knew that only Jesus could grant it to them. That is why Peter exclaimed, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”! (John 6:68).

Here are two major ways that help you obtain assurance from the Scriptures:

1) Analyze your plans with the Scripture. It can be a direct scriptural principle like water baptism. Or it can be an indirect scriptural principle like a particular company you like to work with. Prayerfully and diligently search the Scriptures to find what He wants you to do. The Scriptures will start ministering to you and your confidence level will shoot up.

2) Follow the peace. God’s peace works as an umpire. Colossians 3:15 (AMP) says, “And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds…” As you continue in the Scriptures, check the level of your peace. The more you sense peace, the more your confidence level increases.

After searching the Scriptures, if you find that your plans do not line up with God’s Word, be willing to change your plan. Ask God for a better plan. Also, if you do not sense peace in your heart, ask God to give you a solution. He will surely give you a better solution which you may have never thought of earlier.

So, remember: You must obtain assurance from the Scriptures before you launch out!

In the next post, we are going to have the fifth step to starting 2012 afresh. In the meantime, what are some of your experiences about being guided by God through His Word? Add these in the comments section below.

- – - written by Joe Abraham from www.joeandancy.com