Legend to the Treasure - Wisdom On a Rainy Day

Here in Nashville, we're in the middle of a VERY rainy week. This certainly provides GREAT reminders as to how BLESSED we are for even the roofs over our heads. The steady rain also conjures up memories of Gwen's "Legend to the Treasure" Series Videos, Audios, Writings, and Lessons. The "nautical" theme she used to teach those seminar lessons are SO FULL of WISDOM and TRUTH! Today seems like a great day to print one of those devotional posts...as the rain falls here and we count our BLESSINGS, remembering that GOD is GOD...and we are NOT.

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THE SECRETS OF THE SYMBOL - By Gwen Shamblin

“He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.” - Genesis 8:10-12

The peace dove, the ancient symbol that has been used by all nations and religions, represents the greatest storm on earth, and it is God’s greatest war on mankind. Man had started the war by fighting against God and His laws. There was almost no one on earth who was not fighting against God. This was God’s answer to sin. The worldwide flood that unleashed all sources of water and covered the entire world was God’s response to rebellion. This mammoth historical event was never meant to be relegated to children’s Bible storybooks or to preschool Sunday school lessons. But God, in His mercy, has allowed this ignored event and symbol to be preserved all these centuries—lost and waiting, but not forgotten.

First of all, this story is a dreadful one with a higher death toll than all other disasters put together. Try to imagine being on top of a mountain with thousands of people watching the water rise to drown all men, women and children. This story symbolizes the destruction of the evil and the sparing of the righteous few. This flood represents the baptism of sin—the burying of sin and rebellion to God. This ark represents the salvation of the righteous.

This dove did not come quickly after the 40 days of flood waters that hushed all life on earth. Only after months of the quieting of rebellion on earth did God decide to make peace again with mankind. In fact, it was approximately eleven months after the water receded. God clearly demonstrated peace with man only when sinful men died in the ocean and were gone from the earth. At this point, His anger subsided. The peace dove came with the resolution of God’s anger. When sin is eradicated, the peace dove appears.

Man is looking for peace with man, but the only peace that counts is no sin before God. That is a far cry from the simple-minded, uneducated peace dove symbol that refers to the disarming of nuclear arms or the absence of war or man-versus-man violence. Man grants Nobel Peace Prizes for the wrong peace, but the truth is that Jesus is the Prince of peace, and He never got a Nobel Peace Prize. I will never get an award either from any man on this earth for promoting the only peace that counts—eradication of rebellion to God."

END OF GWEN'S DEVOTIONAL

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Finally, it indeed is a SHAME that the world does not know this peace. May we HEED these words and put them into PRACTICE in our own lives.

Love, Civility, Graciousness, Self-Control - LACKING all too often? In INCREASING measure?

If you've been following recent news stories, you'll be familiar with the following PUBLIC outbursts, captured and already seen around the world...

• At the recent 2009 MTV music video awards show, Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for a video award in front of a live audience, taking the microphone away, and claiming that Beyonce should have won the award.
• During the recent U.S. Open Tennis Championships, Serena Williams cursed at and berated tennis officials, costing her a penalty point that ended up being match point.
• During U.S. President Obama's most recent health care speech to Congress, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson shouted, "You lie" at the President DURING the speech, prompting a reprimand from Congress.

And those are stories that have just happened in the past WEEK!

Examples like these seem to be happening more and more often. AND in this "YouTube/Internet" time in which we're living, these outbursts are captured on video and audio and are uploaded for the world to see almost IMMEDIATELY. Loss of self-control, a lack of graciousness and appropriateness, a growing lack of respect and civility...ALL of it stemming from a lack of LOVE...the love of GOD FIRST...which would naturally lead to putting others before yourself and thereby ALWAYS being FULL of GRACIOUSNESS, as was said about JESUS CHRIST in Luke 4:22 - "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips."

BE CAREFUL THOUGH - As Gwen has always taught from the Word of GOD through this Ministry...we START with the "man in the mirror." Just because these featured politicians, athletes, and entertainers in the public spotlight have been put on display for the world to see doesn't "excuse" even an INTERNAL lack of these qualities in any of us. It is very UNloving towards GOD to overeat. It is very UNgracious before GOD to claim Him as GOD and then go right back out and disobey His beautiful commands, trampling the sacrifice of Jesus all over again. The LACK of civility that accompanies talking behind the back of the boss is appalling and offensive. OH, may we learn from these PUBLIC examples and pledge NEVER to lack the LOVE that comes from GOD...which equates to OBEDIENCE to His commands. "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" - I John 5:3-4.

TODAY on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll be discussing these traits, how to LEARN from what we see publicly, and how to put what LOVE really IS into our hearts and into practice. We hope you'll join us!

Choosing the Narrow Path - Part 2 - Praise from GOD or from Man?

"PUBLIC PERCEPTION"..."spinning it in the media"..."what does the fan-base and support-base think?"..."what will PEOPLE think if I ________?"

It's amazing to watch how PULLED and LED by "what people think" that nearly all of mankind is. From athletes to entertainers, politicians to business executives...even religious leaders...the NUMBER ONE FOCUS is "What do PEOPLE think of me?" And then the decisions are made. Right versus wrong almost ALWAYS takes a back seat. It's about what the PEOPLE want and think and how they'll react. RARE is the case when someone does RIGHT and IMMEDIATELY credits GOD. RARE is the case when someone does WRONG and IMMEDIATELY (BEFORE being "caught") says, "I made a mistake, I've let GOD down and anyone else who has thought highly of me, I ask His forgiveness, and I WILL CHANGE." How powerful and profound this would be!...if GOD truly was NUMBER ONE in more people's lives. This is sad...wrong...upsetting...that our glorious and awesome Creator isn't IMMEDIATELY credited and isn't IMMEDIATELY apologized to...for "fear of the people's reaction."

Look at this POWERFUL and TELLING quote from Gwen...an excerpt taken from her "EXODUS Daily Devotional: Laying Down Your Idols" book...

"It really bothers me that God is not in the headline news every night. I would love to hear a newscaster say, 'And the hand of God spared this person from a fatal accident today.' It also makes me mad that God is not on the weather channel every night! Can you imagine hearing the weatherman say, 'And God did something new again. We guessed that it was going to rain today, but God decided to bring sunshine instead. What a God of surprises He is! And did anyone see the sunset He painted yesterday? He outdid Himself yet again!'"

And there's more from that excerpt...

"God is God, and I love it! I don’t want it any other way, and I wouldn’t want the world in the hands of anyone else. God has all authority and power, and I respect and uphold every decision He makes, from simple ones to difficult ones. Strive to begin each day standing in awe of God’s deeds, and give HIM credit where all credit and praise and honor is due!"

THAT, dear friends, is a FOCUS on giving GOD the PROPER PRAISE and HONOR and RESPECT that is due Him! NO cares about the "praise of men" or "how that will be perceived in the media." THINK ABOUT THIS...NO man or woman of GOD...EVER...throughout history...NONE...ZERO...put his or her "reputation" and/or "how I'll be perceived by MAN"...OVER the wants and wishes and praises and desires and commands of GOD.

Abraham, Job, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Hosea, JESUS CHRIST, Peter, Paul, John, Timothy, James, Titus...and since those days of the written Scriptures you've had MARTYRS and PROPHETS...people who RISKED and even GAVE UP their lives in many ways...and to this very day you have Gwen crying out to anyone in this world who will LISTEN, saying, "It really bothers me that GOD is not in the headlines news every night...God is God, and I love it! I don’t want it any other way, and I wouldn’t want the world in the hands of anyone else."

THOSE are no "common" statements to make...not in this generation.

TODAY on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll have a discussion with CHRIS ANCONA, a man who will testify about "Choosing the Narrow Path," STOPPING his known sins from the get-go of his hearing this Message, REVERSING course and getting on the NARROW path, and RUNNING FORWARD with this Truth in his life...putting this "GOD FIRST" attitude and life into PRACTICE...and emulating that incredible example that Gwen lays out in this Ministry...with all praise to GOD! We hope you'll join us.

Choosing the Narrow Path to Life...It STARTS with STOPPING on the Wide Road to Death

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" - Matthew 7:13-14 - The NIV Bible.

What incredibly POWERFUL words! And remember this poem from years past...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Not Taken" - by Robert Frost

Taking "the narrow path"..."the road not taken"...has been the charge from every man and woman of GOD throughout history. It all starts with a DECISION and a COMMITMENT. See this quote from Gwen's "The Legend To The Treasure" book about PRACTICAL EVERYDAY LIVING for those who claim GOD as their ONLY GOD...

"Walk daily in the light of truth and correction and tell yourself the truth about how much you eat, spend, drink, talk and disobey. Expose the anti-authority to God and then stop, cease, terminate, finish, draw to a close, be over with, bring to an end, bring to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, wind up, discontinue, suspend, break off, and leave sin! Be done with it forever. Then, start and continue this new life with this daily living, and you will not be alone. You will enjoy this wonderful fellowship no matter where you live in the world."

Notice the CHARGE in the middle of that paragraph? It's STRONG! Stop, cease, terminate, finish draw to a close, be over with, bring to an end, bring to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, wind up, discontinue, suspend, break off, and leave sin! You cannot CONTINUE on the "broad road" to destruction...not even a TINY bit...AND "love and obey GOD" at the same time. With new, open eyes and ears to this TRUTH and UNDERSTANDING, we GET the opportunity and the second chance to STOP moving forward on that wide path, turn around, and move OVER to the NARROW ROAD! What an opportunity! SO - WE STOP doing and thinking things that we KNOW are wrong...THEN we're be able to SEE the narrow road...and choose WISELY. We'll be discussing this concept of STOPPING SINNING...and moving our time, thoughts, actions, and motives over to the godly, narrow path TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We invite you to join us! ALSO, we have a FREE PODCASTS website that you can visit and enjoy past LIVE segments.

September 11th, 2001 - "9/11" - TODAY is the Day of Salvation

SEPTEMBER 11th, 2001.

Everyone in the United States who is old enough to have memories from that day eight years ago will, of course, never forget where you were and what you felt on that morning. As a Staff here at Weigh Down, we not only will never forget running to our Conference Room, turning on the TV (REMEMBER that in 2001...while the Internet was up and running and growing in popularity and use, it wasn't the "first thing you ran to" for breaking news...YET), and witnessing with JAWS DROPPED as the SECOND plane hit the tower...then, the shock of seeing each tower COLLAPSE in SECONDS. Never before or since has something so IMPACTFUL (of an accident and/or disaster-type scenario) been witnessed, captured, and BROADCASTED LIVE, played out right before our eyes, in such a worldwide, public fashion.

You may be of the age of remembering the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, or the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, or the 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan. These events, covered worldwide and incredibly impactful, DIDN'T though PHYSICALLY IMPACT so MANY people...right on the spot...in the most famous city in the world...with so much uncertainty as to WHAT was happening and WHY...and with such INSTANTANEOUS COVERAGE...as 9/11/2001 in New York City.

How have you changed since then? A radio DJ this morning in Nashville talked about witnessing "people being more kind" and "changing" for few days after that day...but the DJ's comments were SAD and TELLING as she went on to say that "like always," life moved on and people went back to their old ways. True...sad...and absolutely WRONG before GOD. He has spent SO MUCH TIME trying to lovingly, mercifully, gently teach us that HIS ways are better...that HIS boundaries fall in "pleasant places"...that SALVATION is a DAILY RELATIONSHIP where HE is the GOD and we are NOT...that we are NOT "once saved, always saved." Like the Apostle PAUL said in his letter to the Philippians, Chapter 2:12-13...

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

Continue...working...SALVATION...fear...trembling.

There was PLENTY of "fear and trembling" on that day and for a few days afterwards. Gwen wrote VOLUMES about that experience. In Weigh Down Advanced, written and filmed months BEFORE 9/11/2001, she WARNED that America needed to REPENT, change its ways, RETURN to GOD and His beautiful commands. She told anyone who would LISTEN that our sin was INCREASING and that throughout history, GOD had allowed other nations to invade and attack His people when they STRAYED from His commands, became COMPLACENT, and stopped loving Him FIRST. Then...9/11/2001...IT HAPPENED. Gwen has continued, tirelessly and with great URGENCY, to teach and share the GOOD NEWS that we CAN change! We CAN learn from such events to RUN to GOD! TODAY is the day of SALVATION. You CAN and MUST return to this beautiful combination of love and fear and trembling before GOD. It is a WONDERFUL, HUMBLE place to be...a RIGHT and HEALTHY and BLESSED state of mind, heart, and action. It is "working out your salvation" in the way Paul instructed us to do. Tomorrow is NOT guaranteed for ANY of us. Let's NOT fulfill those words spoken by the Nashville DJ (although she is RIGHT about the way most people are...) Let's INSTEAD listen and read and watch what Gwen is pouring out through this Ministry. THOSE WORDS are TRUE and can help you STAY CHANGED! 9/11/2009...Make TODAY and EVERY day...another day of pursuing this SALVATION with EVERYTHING you've GOT. We actually will talk about this TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST in our weekly visit with TEDD ANGER. He actually was IN downtown Manhattan ON THAT DAY. It will be a time of introspection, memories, and a CHARGE to RUN FORWARD with this Message of change! We hope you'll join us.

"Surviving Today's Economy" - An Evening of CONVICTION and HOPE!

WOW! - If you missed last evening's Weigh Down LIVE Webcast, "Surviving Today's Economy," you missed an evening of CONVICTION, REALITY...and ultimately, HOPE. You might ask, "What hope is there in a REALLY DOWN economy...not just here in the United States but on a global scale?" What Gwen explained in such a CLEAR, CONCISE, and POWERFUL way was that OUR hope rests in ADHERING to GOD'S commands and staying within His boundaries in our spending and investments and our FOCUS on putting Him FIRST in EVERYTHING. She charged us to "have FAITH" in GOD'S system of laws and principles. His boundaries SURELY DO fall in "pleasant places," as the great King David wrote in the 16th Psalm.

Gwen's Message was backed up by Testimonies of several participants who have saved LOTS of money and been blessed in so many other ways by putting all of this into practice. AGAIN, it was an evening of CONVICTION to go FURTHER in our relationships with GOD...and an evening with PRACTICAL advice as to HOW we can accomplish this. It was, indeed, "MUST-SEE TV"...via your internet connection of course. You can see it again...or for the first time...by clicking HERE. It has been amazing as a STAFF for us to witness the countless ways that GOD has used Gwen and this Ministry to change lives for the better. It truly is about SO much more than weight. It has something for EVERYBODY!

Remember that today on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll be talking about feeling GOD'S pain...HIS grief...HIS sense of loss...what HE goes through on a daily basis. And given last night's eye-opening Webcast about the state of today's economy, it is OBVIOUS that GOD has MANY lessons to teach us. May we see it as a humbling HONOR to learn ANYTHING more about His personality...His joy and His pain...His likes and His dislikes...His Truth and Righteousness!

UPDATE - Now airing an ENCORE Presentation on WDWB LIVE

We're finalizing preparations for TONIGHT'S Weigh Down LIVE Webcast!

And SO, we NOW are airing an ENCORE Presentation of WDWB LIVE...from Wednesday, August 26th with TEDD ANGER - "Chain Reaction." Click here to listen now!

We'll pick back up TOMORROW with our topic discussion - "Grieving for GOD."

Grieving...for GOD and HIS pain

GRIEVING - Every one of us has experienced LOSS. You've lost dearly loved family members and/or friends as they've passed away. You've had a favorite pet that's passed away. You've witnessed tragic events in news coverage - horrible crashes, crimes, and substance-related passings. On a life-still-goes-on scale, you may have experienced grief in losing a job or perhaps you've moved away from your closest family and friends. Perhaps you've had the pain from broken relationships stay with you for a long time. All of this, of course, is very REAL. GOD desires SO VERY MUCH for us to cry out to HIM in this...RATHER than run to ANYTHING ELSE for comfort or to feel better. It's what JESUS did in His painful grief...knowing what He was about to suffer before His crucifixion. But let's look at GRIEF from a perspective that we really OUGHT to...NO, we MUST...look at it like from this day forward (if you haven't already considered this...)

GOD...the LORD and FATHER of all things we see and do not see...the CREATOR of every star, plant, animal, blade of grass, leaf on a tree, drop of water and every MAN, WOMAN, and CHILD...US...experiences LOSS and GRIEF on a cataclysmic scale - ALL day, EVERY day. Every single day, billions of people (remember that WE are the ONLY beings in His Creation who are "made in His image") make CONSCIOUS DECISIONS to ignore His commands, complain to Him, deny Him, curse Him, and gripe about their OWN lives...being mad about what they DON'T have or DON'T like...rather than counting the BILLIONS of BLESSINGS that they DO have...the COUNTLESS JOYS that we GET to share in as human beings who have a CHANCE to be guided by HIS HOLY SPIRIT!!! THAT, dear friends, for our GREAT GOD ALMIGHTY, has GOT to be GRIEVING for HIM! How does He keep it up? How does He not give up on the whole thing? We read about the "fruits of the Spirit" (HIS Spirit) - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. My GOODNESS, does He EVER exemplify those in INFINITE measures! We of course will feel a pain and a loss if ONE thing goes wrong in our lives. CONSIDER though for just one moment...even right now as you're reading this...what HIS day, every day, is like.

• People full of greed...for TOO MUCH food, alcohol, money, sexual feelings...and this happens worldwide all day.
• People NOT giving Him credit when things are "going great" and people BLAMING Him when things happen that they don't understand.
• People conveniently asking for his "help" when they get into a "jam" and then totally forgetting about Him on a daily basis...never asking for His HOUR-by-HOUR leading.
• People treating everything else BUT Him as a "god"...from football to jobs to money to food to alcohol to sex to TV to THEMSELVES...when HE is the ONLY TRUE GOD.

The list of HIS justifiable "grievances" could go on and on for pages and pages and pages. YET, here we are...the world is spinning and we have a CHANCE to CHANGE PERSPECTIVES...starting RIGHT NOW as it needs to for any of us. TODAY is the day to CHOOSE to FEEL for HIM. Let's start every day with PRAISE for even LIFE ITSELF...before even ASKING for anything. Let's tell Him every day how SORRY we are that He DOES experience and endure SO MUCH GRIEF and PAIN every day.

Here's a quote from Gwen - "Grieve FOR GOD...Do not ADD to GOD'S grief."

The next time something happens that feels like a "loss" in any of our lives, let's fall to our knees and worship GOD for the patience He has had with all of us. In the middle of His grief, He has given us the eyes and ears to see and hear what His will is...even to this very day. We'll be discussing this concept...GRIEVING for GOD...on WDWB LIVE today at 3:30pm CST. And DON'T FORGET to set your alarm, double-check your computer and internet connection, block off the time, and do EVERYTHING you CAN do be available to watch TONIGHT'S FREE Weigh Down LIVE Webcast at 7:00pm CST. Gwen and several people testifying will share how to have a GODLY perspective on "Surviving Today's Economy." This perspective will provide HELP and ENCOURAGEMENT for EVERYONE! Please join us on the Web Radio this afternoon and on the Webcast this evening. Until then, let's PRAY to feel more of our GREAT and BEAUTIFUL GOD'S grief...and resolve ourselves to RELIEVE some of it with our own lives...never ADD to it.

TEACHABILITY from GOD - A Golden Virtue, A Key to Salvation

DON'T FORGET! - We have Weigh Down LIVE, our free online webcast, scheduled for TOMORROW (Wednesday) evening at 7:00pm CST! The THEME is "Surviving Today's Economy." We'll have tips, testimonies, and encouragement. CLICK HERE for more info!

Now, on with the Blog...

"TEACHABILITY" - From www.dictionary.com - A couple of strong definitions to get the Blog going this morning - "Able and willing to learn"...also..."Capable of being taught, as a subject."

That's a great launching pad for some thoughts for today...and in fact, that PLAQUE you see at the top of today's Blog is a quote from michelangelo, renowned Italian renaissance artist. He was in his 80s (age-wise) when this quote was recorded.

Have you noticed, whether it's in business, sports, TV, movies, music, medicine, etc......how the "hungry pupil" often times starts in very low, humble, wanting to SOAK UP every bit of learning he or she can absorb circumstances...then rises through the ranks into positions of fame, management, recognition, etc...then because of PRIDE and a love of the PRAISE of MAN, CEASES to become "teachable." Here are some examples from a variety of perspectives...LOSING teachability versus REMAINING teachable...

• LOSING TEACHABILITY - In the most recently released "Star Wars" movie - Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith - Anakin Skywalker goes from humble protege, thankful for Obi Wan Kenobi's teaching, wanting to learn from the "Jedi Council"...to becoming GREEDY for more position and power. He even ADMITS to his wife that the way he's beginning to feel is WRONG. "Something's wrong. I'm not the Jedi I should be. I want more. But I know I shouldn't..." He LOST his humility and turned to the dark side. The SUBJECT LOST his ability to be TAUGHT in the RIGHT way.
• LOSING TEACHABILITY - You see and hear the sports stories about hungry-to-learn football players, overcoming odds and difficult upbringings...only to get to the NFL (National Football League), get the big contract, become stars, then HOLD OUT while still UNDER contract because they "want more." Greed...pride...wanting more..."I know better..."
• REMAINING TEACHABLE - King David. We bring his name up FREQUENTLY in these Blogs because he truly was a "man after GOD'S own heart." From a quick rise to fame with the slinging of a stone and the slaying of the giant Goliath, the Israelites were singing SONGS about him! He could have gotten the "big head" and followed a path of pride to his own destruction. But NO, the jealous King Saul pursued David out of JEALOUSY and David SPARED Saul out of fear of the LORD and RESPECT for Saul's position as "GOD'S anointed" King. He wouldn't DARE lay a hand on Saul...even though Saul was in the wrong by pursuing David and trying to kill him. READ the PSALMS! They are FILLED with humility and teachability. He NEVER stops crying out to GOD for MORE wisdom and love and mercy and he gives GOD this never-ending, beautiful PRAISE...to his final days on the earth. And King David did this in even INCREASING measure! TEACHABILITY to the CORE!

Gwen has always led this Ministry...from its very beginning foundations to this very day and even MORESO every day...with a humble spirit of hungering and thirsting for MORE teaching from GOD. With the unparalleled success of Weigh Down, she has SURELY sought GOD MORE and MORE...in INCREASING measure. And He continues to bless all of the teachings, testimonies, and music coming from this Ministry. The example set for us as a Staff is to love and need and want and desire GOD MORE with every passing day. We truly do "need Thee every hour" (as the old hymn goes..."I Need Thee Every Hour.")

Those are just some examples and thoughts to think about as we ALL examine our OWN hearts. "Am I MORE teachable...MORE hungry for wisdom and godly counsel...MORE humble and wanting DIRECTION as I'm getting older?" Or is it, "I'm at a pretty good place...feeling good...moved up the ladder in life...I'm set." That's a very DANGEROUS place to be. Amos 6:1 - "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion..." May we NEVER fall into this UNteachable, horrible COMPLACENCY. TEACHABILITY...examples of the BLESSINGS of EMBRACING it versus the CONSEQUENCES of SHUNNING it...that's what we'll be talking about TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We hope you'll join us!

"Labor Day" - Who SHOULD it be honoring?

"LABOR DAY" history - first celebrated here in the U.S. in 1882 - From the U.S. Government's website information page...

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country."

ALSO from the same website page...

"Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

Lastly, from the concluding comments on the same website page...

"The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership -- the American worker."

SO - here we are...the first Monday of September here in the U.S....another "Labor Day" will pass by in the next few hours. Here's a thought for you to ponder...& some perspective on what this day SHOULD be an HONORING of...as you consider the explanation and history listed above. NOWHERE in that explanation is there any MENTION of THE ONE Who is the TRUE and ONLY "CREATOR of so much of the nation's" (and ANY nation for that matter!) "strength, freedom, and leadership"...GOD ALMIGHTY!!! For those who want GOD to be glorified...GOD to be KING in your lives...GOD to be given "tribute"...there is ONE Who is worthy of this HONOR as the ULTIMATE "laborer." GOD created the heavens and the earth. He made mankind in His image. He doesn't sleep or slumber...

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing..." - Genesis 2:2a.

"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working" - spoken by Jesus Christ and recorded in John 5:17.

May another "Labor Day" NEVER again go by when we do not stop, fall to our knees, and thank and praise our GOD for His never-ending LABOR. May we ALL do everything...EVERYTHING...with a motivation to make His job MORE pleasant. Seeing His tireless commitment to teach and train us to be led by His Spirit, may WE be DRIVEN, as He is, to see RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH and PURITY and HOLINESS prevail in our OWN lives. He is SO GOOD and SO VERY MUCH DESERVING of ALL RECOGNITION! May His "labor" in our lives NOT be in vain. All thanks and praise and honor and "tribute" to GOD ALMIGHTY on this "Labor Day." NO ONE deserves it in place of HIM!

CHANGE is in the Air! Learning to Love INTERNAL Change MORE than EXTERNAL Change

CHANGE - EVERYONE loves change on SOME level. Think about it.......

• Football season is about to start here in the U.S. This is a football-obsessed country, and so this is a "welcome" time of year for many.
• The early coolness of Fall weather is starting to set in. Who doesn't love the changing leaf colors and the weather being as comfortable as any time of the year...that transition from Summer to Fall.
• Kids are back in school...back to homework and teachers and reports and recess.
• We just elected a new President in the U.S., and regardless of your agreement or disagreement with his policies, much of the population has anticipated and/or expected "change" on some political level.
• Many like to switch cars on a regular basis. Others move every few years for a "change of home and/or scenery." Statistics on how often people switch JOBS show that we're doing it with more regularity than ever before.
• People shop for new clothes regularly, easily becoming tired of the same wardrobe and wanting something new and different.

You get the point. We tend to LIKE change...EXTERNAL change that is.

What about the kind of change that REALLY matters though? INTERNAL change...the change in our HEARTS' DEVOTION? What about the absolutely eternally NECESSARY changes that HAVE to take place to give us a shot at HEAVEN? We are CHARGED to be more like JESUS CHRIST every day. The Apostle Paul said, in Philippians 3:7-14,

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Look at the HUMILITY and the deep DESIRE Paul had to KEEP CHANGING...from the INSIDE out! It's an okay thing to enjoy VARIETY in our external surroundings, but the CHANGE that lasts ETERNALLY is the CONSTANT PURSUIT to be more and more CHRISTLIKE every day. AGAIN, think about it...we want and even EXPECT changes in our surroundings, but WHO made US? GOD ALMIGHTY! Doesn't HE deserve for HIS surroundings...His people made in His image...to be INCREASINGLY PURE and ever CHANGING to be more and more like His beloved Son Jesus? Doesn't HE deserve for HIS days to look BETTER each day? Which side do you fall on? As GOD looks down on your life, is He increasingly MORE JOYFUL...or increasingly MORE SADDENED, HURT, and DISAPPOINTED? We CAN make this switch if you're on the wrong side of that answer! As we've Blogged about and discussed on our WDWB LIVE segments earlier this week, it starts with a CHOICE. Then we continue to be Spirit-led in making right DECISIONS...one day at a time!

We're talking about CHANGE...today on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We sure hope you'll join us. ALSO, remember that our first-ever WDWB ONLINE CHAT is set for 7:30pm CST this evening! You can CLICK HERE, then simply LOG IN with your Weigh Down username and password, and you'll be in the Chat Room. We're going to have fun with this...discussing our favorite Weigh Down Audios, Videos, Music, Messages, etc. You'll get to "WEIGH IN" with your opinions! Enjoy a great day of CHANGE...starting on the INSIDE. It's a BLESSED life!

MORE HISTORY...and the DECISIONS that Affected its Course

REMINDER about today's 3:30pm CST WDWB LIVE segment...

We're talking HISTORY...and how even split-second DECISIONS...CHOICES...can impact not only our OWN lives but also the generations after us.

Remember that if you MISS a LIVE segment, you can visit our PODCASTS site and listen to past segments any time you'd like! CLICK HERE.

HISTORY - The Decisions that Affect it & What We Remember Over Time

QUICK QUIZ - Think about some of the most MEMORABLE, MOMENTOUS, HISTORIC occasions and events, with nationwide or worldwide significance in your life...depending upon your AGE. Some will apply to you and others may not. Where were you when the news broke or "that" happened?.......

• The Space Shuttle CHALLENGER exploded in mid-air, killing all on board...
• The first bombings in the first Gulf War were announced...
• England's Princess Diana died in a car crash while fleeing pursuing paparazzi...
• President John F. Kennedy, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Senator Robert Kennedy were assassinated (all within a six-year span)...
• Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital and soon after pronounced dead...
• Basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson abruptly announced his retirement from the NBA'S Los Angeles Lakers (while still near the peak of his career), revealing that he was HIV positive...
• Basketball's NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets (and really many of the major networks TV schedules) were interrupted by news helicopters following OJ Simpson's white Ford Bronco down a California highway...
• 9/11/2001 - New York City...

The list could go on and on...regarding events that, for the rest of your life, you'll ALWAYS "remember where you were." What is interesting to ponder and LEARN from about this list and any list you might make on your own is that such events can so OFTEN revolve around death, tragedy, the END of something...a life or many lives, an era, a WAY of life, a sense of innocence...So let's ponder some more...What DECISION(S) could have affected the outcomes of any of those events? What about in YOUR life? As you reflect upon momentous occasions in your life, what DECISION(S) led to that FOREVER-MEMORABLE (positive or negative) EVENT? Looking back on the NEGATIVE or TRAGIC, can you now see the point in time when you took the WRONG turn...the wrong FORK...in the road? For the POSITIVE and BLESSED memories, can you now see the point in time when you made the RIGHT, maybe even very DIFFICULT decision(s) that led to a FULFILLING, blessed, rewarding outcome that now lives in your HISTORY and your LEGACY? You'd do it ALL OVER AGAIN...even as TOUGH as it might have seemed at the time.

DECISIONS...even split-second ones...made in the heat of the moment, in the thick of battle, at the time when you choose between what is right and maybe difficult VERSUS what is wrong and maybe seemingly easier...change the course of HISTORY! We've talked about CONSEQUENCES and leaving a LEGACY in earlier Blogs. Think about HISTORY in Biblical accounts. Look at the difference between the REGRET of someone having to feel like, "Oh...if ONLY I had..." VERSUS the VICTORY and BLESSING of feeling like, "I'm so GLAD I...even as DIFFICULT as it was!..."

"I'm so GLAD I..."

• "I'm so GLAD I..." - Abraham with Isaac - He was willing to let go of his only son, by his own hand, at GOD'S request. He is remembered forever, HONORED by GOD, as the father of many nations, the "rock from which we are hewn" (those who DO GOD'S will).
• "I'm so GLAD I..." - David versus Goliath - Even the "cliche" lives on in ALL of society. An "underdog" standing up in RIGHTEOUSNESS versus a bigger, ill-bent enemy...is referenced as a "David versus Goliath" story. David confronted EVIL with the Hand and Strength and Blessing of GOD ALMIGHTY. He did NOT COWER like others around him did. VICTORY and BLESSING and HONOR was given by GOD...and GOD was glorified!
• "I'm so GLAD I..." - JESUS CHRIST - Innocent, falsely accused, abandoned by friends, KNOWING His destiny - "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." - Luke 22:42 - Jesus sits at the Right Hand of the ALMIGHTY GOD...with ALL authority in heaven and on earth...under GOD'S own authority...granted to Him...prayers answered by GOD in Jesus' Name.
• "I'm so GLAD I..." - Gwen Shamblin, at one time when challenged by others to CHANGE what she believed about the ESSENCE of GOD and His Son JESUS Christ, was told, "If you don't CHANGE your statement...your belief that GOD and Jesus are SEPARATE beings...your ministry will crumble!" (And by the way, you can read for yourself what she has written about this by clicking HERE...) Her response - "You think I've EVER done ANY of this for MONEY or for ANY other reason than to glorify and honor GOD? May this ministry CRUMBLE before I EVER will DENY that GOD is GOD...and Jesus is His One and Only SON!" We are SO glad she made THAT DECISION! For it has CONTINUED to change, improve, even SAVE lives to this very DAY at an unprecedented rate!

"OH...if ONLY I had..."

• "Oh...if ONLY I had..." - In the FIRST FAMILY, Cain had the opportunity to respond to GOD'S kind and clear direction - "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." - Genesis 4:6-7...He later MURDERED his brother Abel. OH, if he ONLY had heeded GOD'S gentle words...
• "Oh...if ONLY I had..." - The Prophet Jeremiah, time and time again, WARNED King Zedekiah NOT to trust in his non-Spirit-led advisors who prophesied "peace" and "victory" for him and for Israel. Jeremiah TRIED to convince him that GOD had decreed disaster and a time of slavery for the Israelites at the hands of the Babylonians. Zedekiah COULD have averted MUCH MORE death and pain...even the death of his OWN SONS...all at ONE TIME! He IGNORED Jeremiah. He was blinded, taken into captivity, and Jeremiah was FREED by the conquering Babylonians.
• "Oh...if ONLY I had..." - The first-century church...right after Jesus ascended back into heaven. ANANIAS and his wife SAPPHIRA, part of that original group of Christians, sold a piece of land and LIED to the Apostles about how much they were giving. It was the GREED and attempted DECEPTION...that led to BOTH of them being struck down. If ONLY...

Even ONE decision can CHANGE the course of HISTORY.

UPDATE - TOMORROW (Wednesday, September 2nd 2009) on WDWB LIVE, we will reflect upon and discuss HISTORY...and how we can HOLD ONTO the "big picture perspective" in the middle of difficult tests. We'll discuss "counting the costs"...and doing what is RIGHT...rather that what would seem to be EASY. The BLESSINGS, as HISTORY tells us, can be ETERNAL! We hope you'll join us for that segment on WEDNESDAY at 3:30pm CST!

For TODAY (Tuesday, September 1st 2009), we will air an ENCORE presentation of WDWB LIVE...specifically our segment originally aired on Wednesday, August 19th 2009...a time of TESTIMONY and DISCUSSION with CHRIS ANCONA about the beautiful concept of "AUTHORITY." We hope you'll join us for that powerful and convicting presentation.

HUMILITY - A Precious Jewel & Key to SALVATION

HUMILITY versus PRIDE...The great, recognized, uplifted, and remembered men and women of GOD had HUMILITY in ABUNDANT quantities. They exuded it, breathed it, spoke it, lived it. They ascribed to the LORD all of the glory, honor, and praise DUE Him. They lived a life that reflected the attitude..."GOD is GOD and I am NOT. Therefore, I will DO as He asks." JESUS, the most humble man who ever lived, sits at GOD'S Right Hand because of His humble love for and obedience to GOD. He DAILY cried out to GOD, desperate for time with Him and needing and wanting GOD'S leading. King David's life and the Psalms GLOW with his HUMILITY...his crying out to GOD both in PRAISE of and in NEED for GOD. They went hand-in-hand! CONTRAST - Think of the men and women, not just in Scripture but in history SINCE the Bible was published and even to this very DAY who have had PRIDE...Stories abound of unhappy, untimely, humiliating life events...even in many cases leading to early death. And the LEGACY left behind always is...SAD. You read about Absalom and you shake your head. WHY, if you're the son of the great and revered KING DAVID...and you're handsome and respected...WHY would you UNDERMINE your father and King? He died humiliatingly and tragically. Think of Belshazzar, son of King Nebuchadnezzar. He followed his father into becoming King. He watched his father go through SEVEN YEARS of insanity and isolation from his throne and his people. And in his PRIDE, he learned NOTHING from his father's HUMBLE example of REPENTING and ACKNOWLEDGING that HEAVEN RULES! "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin...GOD has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." King Belshazzar died that night...The list in THIS day and time is LONG. Just read the news...

For years now, Gwen has been crying out to anyone who would listen to ask America to "HUMBLE OURSELVES." LEARN from the events that have happened to us. REVERSE the trend of increasing SIN in this country...and MORE specifically the CHURCHES...which now MIRROR SOCIETY...STATISTICALLY being the SAME...on divorce and pornography and oveweight and substance addiction and too many other things. HUMILITY is a HUGE KEY to SALVATION...eternal life with GOD. Read these Scriptures for BACKUP...

• Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life. - Proverbs 22:4
• Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger. - Zephaniah 2:3
• When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2
• You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. - II Samuel 22:28
• Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. - Deuteronomy 8:2
• For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. - Psalm 149:4
• I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. - Isaiah 13:11
• And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:8

That last one, from PHILIPPIANS, speaks of course of JESUS CHRIST...CLEARLY equating HUMILITY with OBEDIENCE to GOD. POWERFUL!

Those familiar with this Weigh Down Ministry for a while know of MARCUS FRANCIS, one of the most humble men ANY of us know in this life right now. His HUMILITY has been on display as he has JOYFULLY EMBRACED the life that GOD has chosen for him, a life that has had him battling cancer for 12 years on and off. NEVER have any of us seen Marcus with anything but PRAISE and JOY about his life. He understands that GOD has given him a mission of PRAISE...of EMBRACING his life and the example he is called to set. And he genuinely LOVES it! We have the privilege and honor of conversing with this dear friend on today's WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We greatly look forward to hearing more PRAISES to GOD and a true PERSPECTIVE that all of us need to have. If it's a KEY to SALVATION, then regardless of the life that GOD has specifically designed for each of us, we've GOT to find that HUMILITY that keep us in our right place under the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. We hope you'll join us!

WISDOM & Discernment - SO Much More than "Common" Sense!

WISDOM...

• "Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight." - Definition as stated at www.dictionary.com.
• "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." - Solomon, in the book of Proverbs, Chapter 9, Verse 10.
• Solomon ALSO says in Proverbs 8:11 that "wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her."
  

SO - if WISDOM is more valuable than money and leads to every right decision...isn't this a perfect combination or recipe for happiness, satisfaction, and ultimately, SALVATION?
SO - why do most people NOT RUN after it? Ahhh...the 10 Trillion Dollar question!
You know what? It all comes back to something that Gwen repeatedly has taught and emphasized over the years that provides priceless insight into that all-important question...It boils down to AUTHORITY! You see, to seek WISDOM means you need to, according to Solomon, FEAR the LORD...meaning He is more powerful and more knowledgeable than any of us. Therefore, if that is the BEGINNING of Wisdom, you would need to SUBMIT your will and your decisions and your eating, drinking, spending, thinking, acting, etc. to HIM...in order to GET Wisdom. He's the provider of it, and so it is given on HIS terms. BUT...people don't want to do THAT. Sure...they'll read scientific words from Albert Einstein or humorous storytelling from Mark Twain or memoirs from Mother Theresa, but that's INFORMATION...not necessarily WISDOM. AND, you still "pick and choose" what you like and what you'll apply to your life. But KNOW THIS...If it's not rooted in TOTAL LOVE for and OBEDIENCE to GOD ALMIGHTY...it's just information...NOT wisdom. Gaining factual knowledge about the world around us has its place, but what REALLY matters? It's what HAPPENS...where our SOULS GO...for all eternity! Isn't it? You may have even heard that WISDOM basically is "common sense." Ohhh...it is SO much MORE than that! In FACT, the PURSUIT of wisdom really is quite UNcommon. The desperate PURSUIT of the love of, knowledge of, fear of, personality of, imitation of...GOD ALMIGHTY...is something that, UNfortunately, is NOT a "common" pursuit of very many. Therefore, the BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING BLESSINGS...the fact that having wisdom is "more precious than rubies"...truly is NOT enjoyed by many.

And there it is...coming back to the wonderful, sweet, precious concept of submitting to GOD'S AUTHORITY...obeying and loving His commands and laws and principles. Since the FEAR of the LORD, according to Solomon (a man full of wisdom), brings this wisdom, it ALL starts with the attitude of JESUS CHRIST - the ULTIMATE picture and example of WISDOM...

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (AND GET THIS...IT'S HUGE!) "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:6-8.

WOW! That's it! The KEY...JESUS now sits at the Right Hand of the Almighty GOD because He humbled Himself and OBEYED to the death. THAT...is WISDOM! THAT is what Gwen has spent a lifetime sharing and conveying to anyone and everyone who wants to see it and hear it. GOD is EVERYTHING. It's the first line on her personal website!...the mission and drive behind ALL that is in Weigh Down...and these happy Weigh Down participants are benefitting from this FOCUS...that GOD is EVERYTHING! SO - sure...read, learn, study...know history, science, geography, etc...it's fine to know. But SEEK after, spend a LIFETIME looking for, HUNGER deeply for, do EVERYTHING to get...WISDOM. We're talking wisdom...and the authority and obedience that precedes it...TODAY on WDWB LIVE - 3:30pm CST. We hope you'll join us!

AMBITION - SelfLESS & Beautiful...or SelfISH & Destructive? Which do you have?

As always, first thing's first...GOD has blessed the feedback on Weigh Down's WETV feature from "Secret Lives of Women." The network aired the episode AGAIN last evening at 10:00pm EST, 9:00pm CST. They will air it yet AGAIN on Tuesday, September 1st at 11:00pm EST, 10:00pm CST AND THREE HOURS LATER on Wednesday, September 2nd at 2:00am EST, 1:00am CST. GOD is busy...getting the word out! Thank YOU for helping us spread this GOOD NEWS!
NOW - On with the Blog...
It has been fascinating to observe the "culture of celebrity" here in the United States...and what people are willing to do to ACHIEVE celebrity. It's a hunger, a thirst, an AMBITION that drives people to do nearly ANYTHING to rise in fame...whether it's politics, music, acting/movies/TV, sports, or anything related to "reality" videos and competitions. We referenced the "15 minutes of fame" concept in our Tuesday, August 25th Blog. Not only is it fascinating, it largely is SAD and ALARMING to watch unfold in so many cases. There exists in many people to either GO AFTER or at least WATCH OTHERS go after this insatiable desire to "reach the top"...whether it's political office, a #1 hit song, a highly grossing movie, a shot at money and/or victory on a "reality" show. Here's a few examples from the mixed world of politics, entertainment, and sports.

• The passing of Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy has re-focused media coverage and reports of Edward, John F., and Robert's father JOE KENNEDY. See this quote from a recent USA Today.com article by Jill Lawrence...

  "Instead, he (Joe Kennedy) became what writer Vincent Bzdek calls a human blowtorch, propelling his sons into politics. He expected possibly all four to become president. He wanted to create a more lasting dynasty than the Roosevelts,' says Bzdek, author of The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled."

• In the 1980s, stories circulated about University of Southern California (USC) and briefly of the NFL's Oakland Raiders quarterback TODD MARINOVICH, a young man raised and groomed almost from BIRTH by his father to be a star quarterback. He ate it, slept it, studied it, and played it. Sadly, he burned out on football, and his career was cut short after substance abuse troubles.
• Anyone familiar with pop music knows of MADONNA, who has been charting hit songs since the early 1980s. One of her earliest "breakout" moments...and a quote she's been known for throughout her career...came in 1984. After her debut album gained her a performance on "American Bandstand," host Dick Clark asked her what she wanted to do when she "grew up." She said, "Rule the world." She definitely has gone to great lengths throughout her career, transforming her public image time and time again to remain famous.

We ALL could remember and list preachers, authors, talk show hosts, business leaders, etc. we've known and observed in our lives who would seemingly do ANYTHING to "get an edge" and "get to the top." BUT, as we referenced in yesterday's Blog, it's NOT about "pointing fingers." Remember, we're seeing these things play out in front of us to get US to LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Everyone has an AMBITION. What is YOURS?

• SELFLESS AMBITION - Jesus Christ, even KNOWING He was about to embark on His mission to change the world for GOD'S glory and fame and praise, was SLOW and HESITANT to "become famous" before His time. When His mother Mary asked Him to, basically, perform what became His first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding, His initial response was, "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." He wanted to be SURE that GOD was ready to put Him into the public spotlight...never ASSUMING fame was His to take.
  
• SELFLESS AMBITION - The Apostle PAUL said in I Thessalonians 4:11-12, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, (and here's the key point...the WHY...the MOTIVE...) so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." HUGE!
• SELFLESS AMBITION - Before he was "King" David, the YOUNG David heard that the Philistine giant Goliath was taunting Israel and insulting GOD. He couldn't BELIEVE that NO ONE would, armed with the power of GOD, STAND UP to this disrespectful, blasphemous, arrogant man! And SO, as his quote goes, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied..." And GOD gave him victory on that day and for his LIFE.
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Haman, high in command under King Xerxes, in his arrogance thought of himself as "untouchable," worthy of the King's highest honor. He hated Mordecai, a Jew, and sought to ERADICATE the land of all Jews, executing ALL of them. He didn't count on the humble and beautiful Queen Esther, also a Jew, at the risk of her own life graciously presenting her plea for life to the King...who quickly and angrily turned on King Xerxes and had him HANGED on the very same gallows that Haman had intended to use for Mordecai! Justice...
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Absalom, errant son of King David, tried to win the hearts of the people by UNDERCUTTING his own FATHER! He died horribly...hung by his own HAIR and cut down.
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Judas, the Apostle who betrayed Jesus, helped himself to the money collected for use in their ministry without permission. He didn't like the direction of Jesus' ministry. He betrayed the Son of GOD...and in remorse, he hung himself.

The lists of both kinds of examples could go on and on...
SO - what is our MOTIVE for ANYTHING we do...today and every day? SelfISH ambition isn't just "wanting to be famous." It can take on MANY forms. Lying about your work or a co-worker's work to "get ahead" with the boss. Backstabbing others to make yourself look better at a party or in an organization or even at CHURCH! It can be ANYTHING...ANYTHING that is NOT motivated by the selfLESS desire to MAKE GOD KNOWN. THAT was the ambition of Moses, Abraham, King David, Paul, Peter, and JESUS. It wasn't about personal achievement to be self-glorified. Here, today, Gwen Shamblin has testified and taught from the BEGINNING of this Weigh Down Ministry that her goal NEVER was to be a world-renown author and/or celebrity. By her own words, she wanted to "become a registered dietician and work in the bottom of a hospital with a hairnet on..." GOD since has used her relationship with Him and her humility to serve as an EXAMPLE of how to get people to find HIM! The RESULTS from that selfLESS ambition has been a worldwide ministry and church and COUNTLESS changed lives! VICTORY for GOD!

AMBITION - for GOD'S glory or our OWN glory? We'll talk about the CONTRAST in the two types TODAY on WDWB LIVE! Please join us at 3:30pm CST, and we'll offer conversation, testimony, and perspective on how this Ministry has CHANGED so many people's AMBITIONS. The only FULFILLING...TRULY SATISFYING ambition is the one that gives BACK...the ambition to glorify and bring attention to the all-powerful, wonderful, gracious, awesome GOD ALMIGHTY! Enjoy a day of selfLESS ambition!

Awesome WETV Feature! - PLUS...the Consequences of Choice & the Chain Reaction of Decision-Making

WOW! First thing's first! We are PRAISING GOD this morning for His powerful Hand...leading this Ministry's profile in the MEDIA right now! Did you SEE the WETV program "Secret Lives of Women" last night? The title is a little misleading...but behind the title, the point of last night's episode was about "extreme diets." NOW...anyone who knows ANYTHING about Weigh Down knows that NOTHING about it is "extreme." In FACT, here's a website that addresses that notion very specifically. The CONCEPT of returning to your normal, healthy weight WITHOUT dieting or "have-to" exercise is REVOLUTIONARY though in this generation. SO - on the show, Gwen and Weigh Down were featured as one of four types of "diets" or "philosophies of eating" profiled in an hour-long program. GOD really lifted UP and showed Gwen and this Ministry in a VERY POSITIVE, PRACTICAL, BEAUTIFUL light! It was wonderful! And when you looked and examined and compared the JOY and PEACE and RESULTS of how the Shamblins and Hannahs were shown...along with the Ministry and testimony footage...and the Remnant Fellowship church and the Assembly clips shown... VERSUS other options, it was AMAZING how GOD presented this to the world!!! Indeed, we PRAISE GOD!

And now, on with the Blog...

Consequence...Choice...Chain Reaction...

• In recent political stories, former New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer resigned after being involved in a Prostitution scandal. Former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards pulled out of the 2008 Presidential race as he admitted to a sexual affair.
• In financial news, long-time, world-renown financier Bernie Madoff was convicted and sentenced to prison for conducting a years-long Ponzi scheme, costing lots of people millions of dollars in invested money.
• In sporting news, football player Steve McNair was gunned down by a woman with whom he was having an affair and football player Donte Stallworth served jailtime and is suspended from playing in the NFL for a year after killing a man while "driving while intoxicated."

Every one of these CONSEQUENCES, played out in the public spotlight because of the fame of these individuals, began with a single DECISION...a CHOICE. Whether it was lust in the heart left unchecked, greed for more money and being dishonest for the first time, or drinking too much alcohol in one night, the consequences from what began as single decisions rapidly began unfolding until they spiraled out of control. BUT - this isn't about finger-pointing at those who live life in the "public eye." Weigh Down is the OPPOSITE of that. We've learned here that we need to look INWARD at ourselves...the "man in the mirror." CHANGE starts on the INSIDE. THINK about this...How did any of US get to be 50, 75, 100 pounds OVERWEIGHT? It started with a little bit of overeating...leading in some cases to bingeing...New clothes are needed, there's stress in the marriage, increased costs in health care, the children start picking up the same habits, depression sets in, and on and on. The CONSEQUENCES of that initial, unchecked GREED pile up in just as HARMFUL and DESTRUCTIVE ways as some of those PUBLIC situations play out. It's the same PROCESS...just not as "high profile" or maybe not as "instant"...but it LASTS for what turns out to be GENERATIONS. Once passed down, then the children grow up and pass it down to THEIR children, and on and on. We get the picture...It is a CHAIN REACTION! When GOD Almighty spoke as referenced in Deuteronomy 28, 29, and 30 about BLESSINGS and CURSES...and how they would affect future generations...this is what He was talking about! Setting in motion the RIGHT "chain reaction" is everything! And it starts, as we learn in Weigh Down over and over, with DENYING ourselves in those testing moments with food, or not lusting...FLEEING temptation, keeping the eating and drinking WITHIN GOD'S boundaries...keeping ourselves from spending and desiring possessions we can't afford...being SATISFIED with what we have until or unless GOD allows for more. The CHAIN REACTION...the concept of what GOD is teaching us by this beautiful, Spirit-led self-denial...is POWERFUL!

Jesus chose WISELY in His hours of testing...choosing GOD'S will. Paul accepted his mission to preach Christ for the rest of his LIFE after persecuting Christians and then being confronted on the road to Damascus...choosing GOD'S will. Moses accepted his charge to lead GOD'S people and confront Pharaoh...choosing GOD'S will. David ignored fear of Goliath and feared GOD, killing the giant and leading Israel to victory...choosing GOD'S will. The list of GREATS goes on and on. EACH of them made key, crucial, life-altering decisions of abandoning their OWN wants or fears...and made decisions that set off CHAIN REACTIONS of MORE great decisions and MORE obedience to GOD and MORE good fruit. They are remembered for their beautiful love for GOD and are HONORED FOREVER for it. It all STARTED though...with making those INITIAL RIGHT DECISIONS of self-denial. We can REVERSE any curses and BAD chain reactions that we've wrongly started in our lives. We're WATCHING that HAPPEN right here with our Weigh Down participants! Marriages, families, finances, health...ALL of it is TURNING AROUND by the blessing and mercy of GOD. People are making the DECISION to END their cycle of self-indulgence and start a NEW chain reaction...one of BLESSING for themselves, their families, and anyone who knows them. We'll talk about this awesome concept TODAY on WDWB LIVE...as TEDD ANGER stops by the studio for a visit about what he sees and hears on a daily basis in counsel and guidance of Weigh Down participants. He'll offer encouragement to anyone who wants to start this new CHAIN REACTION! Tune in at 3:30pm CST!

Media, Fame, Shock, & Reality TV...or a Testimony for GOD...A Choice Between 15 Minutes or Eternity

FAME - Fleeting or Eternal? What's the motive? It's a CHOICE!

TV.com's website ranks the list of most popular "reality TV" shows currently, this week, this month, and of all time. On the list, you'll see everything from "Survivor" to "America's Next Top Model" to "Punk'd" to "Ghost Hunters" to "The Apprentice" to "Man Vs. Wild" and lots more. As an American (especially) culture, we've become fascinated...no...obsessed with...the shock value and rush that accompanies a camera supposedly capturing "what's really happening" in people's lives or in competition or in relationships. There are LOTS of ways to become "famous." In 1968, American painter, film-maker, print maker, and "pop artist" Andy Warhol stated his belief that, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Whether or not that ever comes to pass, the point in mentioning it is that it seems more people WANT that "15 minutes of fame" now than ever before. People INCREASINGLY will do outlandish, embarrassing, immoral, even DANGEROUS things to "be famous." WHY? For what PURPOSE?

JESUS CHRIST was and is the most "famous" person EVER to walk the face of the earth. Did He SEEK fame for attention or self-glorification? Did He swallow disgusting things or compete for the love of women or risk His life in competition or backstab and undercut the Apostles in an effort to make Himself look better? Did Peter or Paul do that? Moses? Abraham? Queen Esther? Mary, the mother of Jesus? YET, these men and women live "famously"...remembered and revered...for WHAT? 15 minutes? NO - ETERNALLY! As long as GOD allows the earth to spin, these and many other great saints' names will be honored and revered and imitated...because of their RIGHTEOUSNESS and DEVOTION to the One True and Only GOD Almighty! Hebrews 11 and 12 speak of the great people of faith, the "cloud of witnesses" who surround us and see the lives we're living. What IS your AMBITION? Anything other than bringing glory to GOD by RIGHTEOUS actions and a PURE heart will be fleeting. What's 15 minutes? GOD lifts up for an ETERNITY those who love Him with a WHOLE and PURE heart!

Gwen Shamblin also has written, spoken, and lived this way, with ETERNITY and glorifying GOD as a motive, and GOD continues to lift her, her family, and this Ministry UP in the MEDIA! TONIGHT on WETV, this Message will once again be featured as a way to be healthy, happy, and have peace in your life. Over the past couple of years, GOD has featured Weigh Down on The TODAY Show, FOX News' DaySide Show, The Tyra Banks Show, CBS' The INSIDER Show, the BBC, and much more. GOD also has put Weigh Down in lots of print media...like Good Housekeeping, People Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, and in many newspapers. We can tell you in all honesty that HE has made it all happen. Gwen is doing everything she can to follow in the footsteps of those GOD has lifted up over the years...taking that "fame" and pointing people UPWARD to GOD! The impact has been ETERNALLY life-changing for those who have put the principles into practice and now HAVE this peace, health, and happiness. And the RESULTS are SO much longer lasting...so much more noteworthy...than the 15 minutes of fame that the world offers. Please help us spread the word about this Ministry. Share this link to our main website, http://www.weighdown.com, with your family and friends. It is changing SO MANY people's lives for the BETTER. And GOD gets ALL of the glory! In FACT, we'll visit with CANDACE ANGER on today's WDWB LIVE about how GOD is using the MEDIA to spread the good news about this Ministry around the world. Don't miss it! 3:30pm CST...