Family Life Winners Family Life Winners

July 30, 2012

Is It Possible To Have A Pure Heart in Today’s Culture?

Filed under: Charleen's Kitchen of Life — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 3:14 pm

Is it possible to have a pure heart with all the easy access to today’s media entertainment that provokes lustful desires? Scriptures like, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”from Matthew 5:8, rush at us like the ocean tide.

They give us wide expectant eyes encouraging a belief that we will truly see God Himself. As years go by, however, we begin to recognize the wretchedness of our flesh. This noble quest for a life of purity may start to seem completely unattainable.

What exactly does it mean to have a pure heart?

The New Testament Greek Lexicon tells us the word for purity or pure is “katharos”. This can mean clean, having a physical purity, being purified
by fire, like a vine cleansed by pruning so it is prepared to bear fruit.

This word also means being free from corrupt desire or free from sin and guilt. Related meanings involve being free from that which is false, being genuine, being without blame or innocent, or being unstained with guilt.

To a mere man this may seem like an unachievable state of being. But I have heard before that all things are possible with God.

Endless reports flood us of fall after fall of once moral and ethical men and women who have failed to keep a pure heart. These failures end up bringing great offense to their ministries, to Christianity, and to the name of Christ!

In the past years we have heard of many pastors secretly suffering with pornographic addictions, yet still keeping their positions of leadership.

Infidelity has been the demise of an enormous number of marriages that could have been preserved if having a pure heart was a priority. And today, lying
seems to be perfectly accepted as normal behavior.  Where are those with a pure heart and truthful lips who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord spoken of in   Psalm 24:3-5?

They are rapidly disappearing.

Pure Heart Secret

History has shown us that the one place to find the answers for every struggle to attain purity is God’s Holy Word. As we conclude the first of part of looking at the possibility of having a pure heart in today’s culture, let’s meditate on 1 Peter 2:2. It says,”like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”

And Hebrews 5:13 says,”Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.” The Bible will help shine light on the path to having and keeping a pure heart.

As an interesting note, the Greek word for salvation, “soteria”, refers to what we typically think of as salvation: deliverance, preservation, and safety for our souls. It also can mean being delivered from the pleasure of sin.

If having a pure heart has been a challenge, you have a lot of company. Ask the Lord for forgiveness for your past mistakes, and ask for Him to put a longing in your heart for the pure milk of the Word.

Your path to a pure heart will become clearer and easier to maintain. And Yes, with the Lord’s help, you can have a pure heart.

Charleen Ecuyer
P. S. A PURE HEART is that much easier when you get into God’s perfect timing. GO to the link above for a great way to do that.

P.S.S. To see part 2 of how to how to live a life of purity and to follow my 10 day devotional, please go here: PURITY

July 28, 2012

Liberal Tolerance and More Chick-Fil-A Information

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — admin @ 8:47 pm

You will find the latest Chick-Fil-A information getting more interesting as time goes by. America must feel quite privileged to have the center stage for one of the most twisted pictures of modern society.

This is the same culture that produces theater murderers and concludes that we must come up with more strict gun control laws. Is anybody talking about
healthy family dynamics and easy access to prescription drugs or pornographic websites?

A soul is a fragile thing. What can we expect when our young men and women have free access to the vilest imaginations of mankind through the internet?
Adding to this is free access to schematics on how to make bombs and set sophisticated booby traps.

I’m getting back to the Chick-Fil-A information.

The President CEO of Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy, has the audacity to say that his company supports the Biblical definition of marriage. By the response of our
responsible and ethical media, you would think he just suggested that the meat industry is responsible for America’s epidemic heart disease problem.

Did he say that Chick-Fil-A refuses to serve any homosexual couples? Did he say that Chick-Fil-A would require that potential patron’s would have to fill out
a survey on homosexual marriage before they were served? Did he say anything derogatory about gay couples?

How dare he apply Biblical principles to the operation of his company! How dare he express an opinion about the condition of our misguided culture that walks in arrogance before God in trying to redefine marriage. I applaud Dan Cathy’s boldness and truthfulness.

Latest Chick-Fil-A Information

Following this, the country gets an eye-opening dose of true tolerance from the mayor of the great city of Boston. He announces that any business permit
request from Chick-Fil-A to open its restaurant doors in Boston will never pass his desk. His desk – the king of Boston.

After this glorious display of America the free in Boston politics, the upstanding and character-filled mayor of Chicago brilliantly follows suit. This latest Chick-Fil-A news is actually helping their already thriving business which went to the tune of $4 billion in sales last year.

Are company presidents free to make statements involving morality and dare to recognize the value of Biblical principles in America? They are, and if the American public is inclined to choose not to “eat mor chikin”, they are free to do so.

Are public elected officials in America free to foolishly make statements of denying a business the right to open its doors in their city because of issues of morality?

I guess they are. They can also expect to have every civil lawyer in town serving them a subpeona. This kind of behavior may be expected from officials of a
socialistic country like Cuba or China. But America?

It appears that some semblance of sanity has returned to the Boston mayor since he has recanted his absurd but “tolerant” position. I’m not sure that this will
ever be the case for Chicago’s mayor.

The latest Chick-Fil-A information reveals that many conservatives have publicly spoken out in favor of the position that Dan Cathy has communicated. The
response has been to organize a Chick-Fil-A  appreciation day.Will you finally make a stand and make your position known for Biblical family values?

Your local Chick-Fil-A will be looking for you. Will you be there to “eat mor chikin”?

July 19, 2012

What Is Aglow and How Can It Transform Your Community?

Filed under: Biblical Feasts — Tags: , — admin @ 3:39 pm

What Is Aglow?

What is Aglow to communities all over the world that are struggling? It is a growing fellowship of believers that have a powerful message that is changing lives.

Aglow International  has positioned itself across 170 nations to transform local communities through the love and the power of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What Is Aglow Now?

The biggest shift that answers what is Aglow now is that it is no longer just a woman’s movement. It is a kingdom of God movement.

While Aglow International is still mostly made up of Christian women, it has gladly opened its doors to men also to become a part of their mission.

Don’t get the idea that this “kingdom movement” is some cult looking to control your life and empty your bank accounts. Jesus talked about His Fathers’ kingdom throughout His time on this earth.

The idea of kingdom moves beyond the realm of individual churches or denominations. The focus of the Kingdom of God is related to the Body of Christ working together and being committed to seeing God’s will done on the earth.

I am an absolute believer in the role of individual churches in ministering to the needs of families and local communities. More is needed, however. The Body of Christ must come together to counter the culture of death and perversion we see all around us.

What is Aglow committed to ? Over 4000 Aglow meetings take place every month across the globe seeking the Lord’s perfect plan to accomplish this task. Women and men gather, crossing over denominational boundaries, to empower each other through relationship building, giving Jesus first place in their lives, and worshiping the King of Kings.

In these gatherings, participants learn that they have been given every tool needed to be “Kingdom” overcomers. These tools are God’s Word and the prophetic spoken word, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the blood of the Lamb.

Aglow International meetings look to create an atmosphere of celebration, releasing of spiritual gifts, and restoration.

Anytime Christians assemble, there is reason to celebrate and this attitude creates a vibrant mood of worship. The Lord has placed gifts in each of His children, but many times those gifts need to be drawn out.

And finally, the ministry of healing always plays an important role to bring restoration to any emotional or physical hurts that one may be facing.

What Is Aglow Focused On?

There are 3 main areas that Aglow has committed to addressing as an organization:

1) To bring healing to relationships between men and women,
2) To bring truth to the Muslim people with the message of God’s love, and
3) To stand in loving support for Israel and the Jewish people, knowing that the Lord longs to bring His salvation to them.

What is Aglow’s beginnings? It  began in 1967 with four women who expressed a desire to meet together as Christians without denominational boundaries. After 45 years, they continue to reach out to women and men and families of every creed, color, and culture.

What is Aglow not? It is not a church, nor is it ever meant to replace your fellowship in a local church setting. To get more information about an Aglow gathering in your area, go to their website at www.aglow.org.

Michael and Charleen

P.S. WHAT IS AGLOW  to you? It is a chance to make a difference in your community. A great resource that goes along with can be found at the link above.

July 10, 2012

Find Your Destiny – Should Men Over 50 Bother?

Filed under: Men's Destiny Teams — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 3:56 pm

I am becoming more convinced that it is crucial to find your destiny in life. Once you discover your God-given destiny, then you must pursue it until you get your breakthroughs.

By definition, your destiny is something bigger than you. It isn’t something you can come up with on your own. It’s what you were put on this earth by God to get done. You can go after plenty of careers, but none of them may be your destiny in life.

The mistake many people make is that they feel they must get a job with the most money-making potential. They go after the jobs that seem the most popular. They get excited when they see those paychecks coming in. They fall for the trap that the big money is what it is all about.

Responsibilities build up and the expenses to raise a family get larger and larger. Thinking about what you were placed on this earth for tends to get lost in all this shuffle.

Find Your Destiny Miracle

Then something miraculous happens. You start realizing that you are in the middle of your best years and you start wondering what you really were supposed to do with your life.

If you are over 50, is it too late to find your destiny? The answer to that question is most definitely NO. I know that for a fact because I am 52 years old and I still haven’t achieved my destiny.

FIND YOUR DESTINY – MEN OVER 50

Men over 50, you are uniquely positioned to find your destiny and then achieve it. This is true for several reasons.

First, God never gives up on us. Moses was about 80 years old before he found his destiny and fulfilled God’s calling on his life.

Second, the life experiences of 50 years can bring much wisdom and the ability to handle pressure better. It also will hopefully enable you to work better with others. Ronald Reagan was 56 years old when he became the governor of California and was a grand old 70 years when he became President of the United States. Wow!

You tell me whether you think Ronald Reagan’s true destiny was playing the Gipper in Knute Rockne or playing a significant role in the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and seeing the Cold War with Russia come to an end.

Third, after 50 years you are more focused and determined to accomplish something meaningful with your life. Abraham Lincoln was 52 years old
when he became President. He was determined to see an end to slavery in America and endured the anguish of several lost elections and failed businesses before he achieved a place of authority that allowed him to shape the course of a nation.

Fourth, many men over 50 years of age have learned the value of thinking beyond themselves and creating opportunities to benefit others. Mahatma
Gandhi was 52 when he took over leadership of the Indian National Congress which led numerous campaigns to improve the conditions of the millions
of destitute poor in India.

It is within this fourth reason that we find a true key to help you find your destiny. Your God-given destiny will always point to improving the lives of others and not just meeting your own needs.

If you are a man over 50, do not count yourself out. There are destiny teams waiting to help you FIND YOUR DESTINY now. If you are under 50 years
old, your youthfulness will still be appreciated and welcome.

Michael Ecuyer
Courageous Men’s Destiny Teams

July 5, 2012

Discover Your Destiny and Change Your World

Filed under: Men's Destiny Teams — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 8:15 pm

Once you discover your destiny in life, the door to changing your world will open up. You are not a random blob on the face of this earth but a magnificent treasure waiting to be uncovered . Your life has a specific purpose. 

God did not close His eyes and randomly throw everything up and wait to see what would stick. Just like a football team or a recipe, everything has a set place and purpose. Things get messed up when we decide to do what we want and ignore God’s purpose and destiny for our lives.

The great news is that you no longer have to be like millions who are struggling with the answer to what is their destiny. You can finally know what is your destiny now.

Discover Your Destiny Journey

Thinking about your God-given destiny and pursuing the details about your destiny is a great place to start. There is much more involved, however.

There are many forces in play that are working against you on your path to discover your destiny in life. As a  result, it becomes very important for you to pursue your destiny like a bulldog. It won’t come jump on you and it won’t wait for the right alignment of the stars.

While what I’m saying applies equally to men and women, my destiny involves ministry to men. Men walking according to God’s purposes are a huge key to the health of our families, the church, and our nation.

If you do not take the time to discover your destiny, you will be settling for a lifetime of misery, confusion, and aimless journeys. You will never feel satisfied and you’ll keep looking for the greener grass in your neighbor’s yard. That is bad news.

The great news is once you have discovered your destiny, the real challenge and adventure begins. Using Frodo from the Fellowship of the Ring series as an example, there is a vital lesson to learn as you start your journey. Do not try to do this alone.

Achieving your destiny is a journey and what you need is consistent support, prayer, and Godly fellowship to successfully stay the course. You need a team working with you who are committed to help their fellow team members.

A destiny team like this will be your lifeline to help discover your destiny and also to walk in your God-given destiny.

I love what Ephesians 2:10 says,”For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Discover Your Destiny Teams

A team designed to propel you towards walking in the fullness of your destiny should focus on these things:

1) Helping you discover your destiny,
2) Providing counsel and confirmation of your destiny,
3) Assisting you in gaining divine strategies and action steps,
4) Providing encouragement and support to be persistent in your quest,
5) Helping you to evaluate, adjust, and refine your steps.

For men of God to accomplish this, courage and determination are required. You no longer have to ask this question: Do YOU have what it takes? The real question becomes: Are you part of a Courageous Destiny Team?

Don’t put your destiny off any longer. Join a Destiny Team and             DISCOVER YOUR DESTINY at this link now.

July 4, 2012

Christian Homeschooling and the Destiny of Men

Filed under: Men's Destiny Teams — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:17 pm

Christian homeschooling is strategically positioned in our culture to usher in a new era of reform. We have witnessed the failure of our governments to make the necessary changes for many years.

The Christian homeschooling community in America has the awesome opportunity to not only influence the fabric of our society, but also to be a
nation-changing light to countries that have allowed homeschooling to take root.

Christian Homeschooling Fathers

While homeschooling families typically focus on moms educating their children with Christian-based curriculum, the role of the father in this setting must make a shift. Men can no longer be satisfied to take a back seat.

Christian fathers and husbands must step up and go beyond their accepted role of simply providing support for their wives in the vital task of homeschooling.

Why am I saying this? Because Christian men need to provide loving direction and apply Godly wisdom to the thoughts and goals of their children. It is very important that our children begin to look at the future the Lord has established for them at any early age.

Christian Homeschooling Destiny

The Godly destinies of our children, once they become reality, have the power to change the destructive course that America has been on for the last 50 years. Christian homeschooling Moms and Dads have the primary responsibility to provide their children with the spiritual instruction and practical support to see that this happens.

The first key towards creating this “destiny atmosphere” in your home is for Dad and Mom to be living out their God-given destinies. This is no easy task as I am sure you are aware. Your destiny will not just fall into your lap. It is something you must pursue relentlessly with Godly help.

By successfully living out your destiny in front of your home schooled children, you are giving them a path to follow that will change this nation and the world. We are establishing the next generation of world-changers. Is this not fantastic news?

Christian Homeschooling World-Changers

Do you think this is grandiose thinking? Were we not called and given the anointing to change this world through the blood and love of Christ ?
Obviously, the power word in Christian homeschooling is not homeschooling but in the fact that it is based in the life-giving power of Christ.

I believe the vast majority of Christian men are not walking in their destiny because they don’t really know what their destiny is in Jesus. This condition cannot continue. As Christian homeschoolers, we are missing out on the chance of giving our children the living examples of our lives in fulfilling our destinies.

I am 52 years old and I have a good sense of what my destiny is in Jesus. The place I have struggled in big-time is walking it out. I finally realized that I needed to have committed support from other Godly men to help me achieve my destiny.

That is why I believe the Lord has directed me to establish the Courageous Men’s Destiny Teams(CMDT). These online teams of 4 men are structured to help other men discover and walk out their destinies.

To get more detailed information about how these teams operate in the context of CHRISTIAN HOMESCHOOLING and how you can discover your destiny,
please follow the link above now.

Michael Ecuyer
CMDT Co-Founder

P.S.

You don’t have to be a homeschooler to join one of our teams.

July 2, 2012

Quitters Don’t Reach Their Destinies

Filed under: Men's Destiny Teams — Tags: , — admin @ 9:57 pm

Quitters are becoming more plentiful these days. People quit their marriages and their families and their jobs on a regular basis now. Please excuse my bluntness, but are you a quitter?

If you are, or if you have quit something important in your life, you can do something about it.

Things were not always like this. History is full of stories of individuals, both famous and unknown, who refused to quit in the face of overwhelming odds.

Quitters Don’t Make History

One of my favorites is Abraham Lincoln. He started a couple of businesses which failed and ran for public office several times and lost before he became President of the United States. You would think he was a glutton for punishment. He was determined to see something done about the slavery issue.

I know personally what it feels like to run for office and lose. I don’t know if I will step back into the political field again but I can tell you it was extremely discouraging after putting all that effort into it.

While quitters know no distinction between races or gender or age, it is one thing to quit a simple project at home and it is another thing to quit a job that will affect your whole family. Quitting almost always has some negative side effects.

The real danger, though starts when someone begins to develop a habit of quitting when things get tough. The important things in life always come
with challenges, and we must be prepared to push through those tough situations.

Rocky Doesn’t Play With Quitters

Almost everyone is familiar with the movie series Rocky. I think his movies were so popular because they helped to spur us on to keep working and fighting for something that was important.

Not giving up is one of the most important character traits we can ever develop in our lives. Every research study that has looked at the traits of the wealthy includes persistence. To succeed in life, whether you are talking money or health or family, you can’t afford to join the ranks of the quitters.

Quitters and Destiny Don’t Match

You have a destiny that was established by God to succeed in life, but you won’t ever reach it if quitting is an easy option. Quitters never win. If you have developed a habit of quitting or have shown this tendency to quit before, I am here to tell you that all is not lost, if you are a man.

All is not lost if you are a woman, but I can’t be of any practical help to women in this position. I have created a program that is designed to assist men in discovering their destiny and in achieving their God-given destiny.

It is called the Courageous Men’s Destiny Teams (CMDT) and being on one of these on-line teams will make it difficult for you to remain a quitter. It is much easier to drop out of the race if you are on your own. These teams will give their team members encouragement, counsel, and prayer support.

Get off the QUITTERS team and see your destiny come to pass by joining our teams at the link above.

Michael Ecuyer
CMDT Co-Founder

Fighting Temptations That Christian Men Face

Filed under: Men's Destiny Teams — Tags: , , — admin @ 6:15 pm

To be successful at fighting temptations, Christian men should never let anyone know about the struggles they are facing. If you believe that statement, then you must have missed a lot of Sunday school when you were young.

Are You Fighting Temptations?

It is true that Christian men struggle a lot with letting other men in on their private struggles. I believe they think it is a sign of weakness to do this, and that is when that old ugly head of pride kicks in. As a result, they sink deeper and deeper into the grip of some particular temptation.

For the most part, all men have to face the same type of temptations. Being a Christian can sometimes mean that you will have more intense temptations to face. Do any of these temptations sound familiar?

Fighting Temptations List

Have you had to deal with fighting temptations related to responding harshly to your wife or child, or the constant struggle with keeping your eyes,ears, and hearts pure from the filth on TV and the internet, or working with complete integrity at your job, or keeping your motivations Godly when it comes to gaining wealth and promotion?

As Christians we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus has experienced and overcome every temptation known to man. His grace and mercy is available to us all to help get us back on the right path.

The temptations of Jesus can be one source of help to us. You know the story of Christ’s temptation and I won’t repeat it here. Here is one view that you probably

Fighting Temptations 3 P’s

The first temptation of Jesus had to do with provision. The second temptation of Jesus had to deal with protection and the third temptation of Jesus involved position. Are these not 3 very common temptations to men, even Christian men?

While some temptations involve the ugly side of our worldly nature, fighting temptations like these are noble and we must learn how to fight successfully.

As Christian fathers and husbands, part of our God-given role is to be ultimately responsible for our family’s provision for material and spiritual needs. Sometimes there are lines or temptations that we may cross in order to fulfill this responsibility. That is because we have lost sight of the fact that our Heavenly Father is the only true source of our provision.

Another God-given role is one of being a protector of the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of our family. This is becoming increasingly more troublesome in the violent times we are living in.

The third area of temptation has to do with ambition. There is such a thing as Godly ambition in that we have been called to be the head, to be above only, and to be in a wealthy position of lending and not borrowing. This is found in Deuteronomy 28.

We must be very careful not to resort to ungodly methods of reaching these positions in life. We must be careful to make sure that we honor the Lord in all that we do. He is the one who will promote us in due time.

Fighting temptations successfully must also be done day after day because the temptations rarely go away. That is why Godly men need assistance from other Godly men.

There is help now for you through the Courageous Men’s Destiny Teams(CMDT). I invite you now to check out how these teams can help you in
FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS successfully.

Michael Ecuyer
CMDT Co-Founder

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