” This little cheap god we’ve made up is one you can pal around with-“the Man upstairs,” the fellow who helps you win baseball games.  That god isn’t the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He isn’t the God who laid the foundations of heaven and earth; he’s some other god.”

“We educated Americans can create gods just the same as the heathen can.  You can make a god out of silver, wood or stone – or you can make it out of your own imagination.  And the god that’s being worshipped in many places is simply a god of imagination.  He’s not the true God.  He’s not the infinite, perfect, all-knowing, all-wise, all-loving, infinitely boundless, perfect God.  He’s something short of that.  Christianity is decaying and going down into the gutter because the god of modern Christianity is not the God of the Bible.  I don’t mean to say that we do not pray to God; I mean to say that we pray to a god short of what he ought to be.  We have got to think of God as being the perfect One.”

A.W. Tozer – The Attributes of God Volume 1

Steven Scott has written a masterpiece in this intriguing look into The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived.  What greater person to study than Jesus Christ Himself.  Scott’s insightful look at the characteristics of Christ and His teachings unfolds some dynamic principles that are meant to be inherent in every Christ-follower.

The author begins the book with the subject of what Christ can do for you, which in short, is a chapter dealing with the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.  Scott weaves personal stories, Scripture, the teachings of Jesus and many accounts from recent history to engage the reader into discovering how Jesus can help us to live life not only successfully, but also with joy.

My favorite chapter was “Meaning that Motivates: Finding Your Why’s”.  The basic premise is, don’t just do something for the sake of doing it or even just for money and gain.  Scott reasons we must find the why we do what we do.  Why should we create a product?  Why should we serve?  Why should we live the way we do?  Answering why gives us the true meaning.  Life is for a reason and we must identify the reason for our being and for the things we do, even as it has to do with our walk with God.  It helped me think on my calling and put it into proper perspective.  That this is not just a profession and a calling.  Since reading this chapter, I have been answering the “whys” for a few weeks now.

In all, this book is a good and easy read and will help the reader to discover all that Christ has for them.  It answers many of the great questions of life, not just from a theological stand-point but from a Biblically based perspective that simply looks at the life of Jesus Christ.

Summary:

In The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, Scott guides readers in a step-by-step application of the life-changing principles, skills, and methods that Jesus used throughout his earthly life. Although believers may spend a lifetime learning from Jesus’ teachings, it’s easy to overlook the powerful lessons demonstrated in His life. But when these incomparable lessons are learned and put to use, they enable ordinary people to achieve extraordinary success and happiness.

From Jesus’ earthly life readers will learn:

• How to break through the barriers that prevent them from achieving extraordinary success at work and relational success at home.
• How to experience a level of happiness and fulfillment that nothing the world offers can duplicate.
• How to use adversity and opposition as a springboard for greater success.
• How to love others in a way that increases their love as well.

No matter what a person’s area of expertise and in what setting a person influences others, living by the principles of Jesus’ life on earth produces extraordinary success, unprecedented achievements, personal fulfillment, and blessings for others.

Author Bio:

Steven K. Scott is the best-selling author of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived,The Greatest Words Ever Spoken, and Mentored by a Millionaire. After failing in nine jobs, he started reading a chapter of Proverbs every day—and the wisdom of Scripture changed his life. Scott and his business partners have built more than a dozen multimillion-dollar companies from scratch, achieving billions of dollars in sales. He is the co-founder of Max International, Total Gym Fitness, and The American Telecast Corporation. He is a popular international speaker on the subjects of personal and professional achievement and the application of biblical wisdom to every area of life.

You can get a copy of The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived at www.christianbook.com.

Yesterday, I wrote about my passion for preaching and how, often, our passions get out of order.  Meaning, we allow other passions to consume us more than others. 

I have a passion for souls.  I have a passion for prayer.  I have a passion to know God.  I pursue these things.  I am sure these are your passions and pursuit as well. 

Here is the question I have been asking myself this week:  Are these the things I am MOST passionate about?  Are my priorities and passions in the right order?

Often in our Christian life, we continue to be passionate about the right things.  We haven’t lost those passions altogether, it might just be that they are not as strong as they used to be.  Or, in many cases, we allow another passion to take first place.  I am constantly on a journey in my Christian walk.  I often evaluate my life in light of what God desires and what His passion for me is.  I pray as the Psalmist, “Search my heart and see if there is any wicked way in me.”

The key to continued spiritual growth is honesty with self and God.  It is being willing to open your heart and allow God to work in you.  The successful Christian will always seek to fix himself before he fixes everyone else.  When we find something that needs to be fixed, we must fix it.  If our passions are out of order, it is the time to put them back in their proper place.