10 Steps to a More Holy Life

Holiness has been given a bad rap in these days of hyper-grace and sloppy agape. But walking in intimate relationship with God and living under His protection does have its requirements. Living the holy life does not mean that everything will be rosy and things will turn out the way we want. There is not one hero of the Bible that led a life without trial and tribulation, but there is a way to live in His will, under His covering, and have a close personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. 

Psalm 15 asks and answers two questions, “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”

First I need to dispel the concept that the psalmist is referring to going to heaven when we die. There is a tendency to spiritualize some scriptures which actually apply to how we live our everyday lives. 

At the time the Psalms were written, eternal life and heaven was not universally accepted by the Jewish people. The Hebrew word that is translated as “Tabernacle” refers to the Holy place where God dwelt while the Jews were out in the desert. But the word has a deeper meaning as a tent or a covering. While only the priests could enter the tabernacle, you and I have the opportunity to live our lives under the covering and protection of God. The Psalmist is asking the question, “Who can receive this covering and protection?” 

His next question is worded differently but has a similar meaning, “Who can stay on Your Holy Hill” The Hebrew word “qodesh har” refers to a sacred high place as opposed to a common or profane place. The bible refers to the holiness of God not only to the mystery of his power but also to his character as totally good and entirely without evil. Holy objects, therefore, are those with no moral pollution. They are not merely dedicated, but dedicated to what is good and kept from what is evil.

So what does this mean to you and me in twenty-first century America? Too many Christians have adopted the Antinomian attitude that they can do anything they want and still live under God’s protection and maintain an intimate relationship with the Lord. Many so-called Christian business people, politicians, and even clergy act in ways which are contrary to God’s will and still believe they have a right to God’s blessings.

Psalm 15 provides great insight into what it takes to live under God’s umbrella [tent, tabernacle, etc.] of protection and have that close personal relationship.

1.         Walk blamelessly. Whenever we sin we create a hole in the Lord’s umbrella of protection. Be careful in what you do or say so that there will be no cause for others to condemn your actions. There may be times when you are blamed for things over which you have no control, but be careful, there are consequences to your actions.

2.         Do right things. It is not enough to not sin nor commit wrong acts. You must to right things. Remember, it is more important to do right than to be right. Be just in all your thoughts and actions.

3.         Speak the truth from the heart. It is easy to stretch the truth to impress someone or to cover up something we do not want others to know, but speak truth from the heart. But what if your wife asks, “Does this dress make me look too fat?” Try to avoid falsehood and be creative.

4.         Do not slander. Do not tell false things about others.

5.         Do not do wrong to your neighbor. Instead always do the next right thing. Actually, we are commanded not to do wrong things to others, and especially not our neighbors. Our neighbors may be anyone in our community.

6.         Do not make disparaging remarks about others.

7.         Despise evil, but honor those who fear the Lord.

8.         Keep your promises even when it hurts to do so.

9.         Lend money without exorbitant interest. You may collect modest interest on money you loan to others, but do not take advantage of their situation.

10.       Do not take a bribe against the innocent. There are times when it may be to our personal gain to blame someone else for something in which they are innocent. That would be taking a bribe.

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Marketing Your E-Book is not Rocket Science

My inbox keeps getting jammed. They all have the latest "must have" plan or program that will make you or me a best-selling author and earn thousands of dollars a day in passive income. There will be testimonies of writer-entrepreneurs who used the system and now live in luxury in a tropical paradise. All I have to do is purchase their system - or let them coach me - and I too can become a millionaire. But most of it is trash.

E-Book marketing is not rocket science

Book marketing is not rocket science. I know, because I have been an aerospace scientist, a successful marketer, and now an author struggling to sell my own books. I am writing this post to myself, but I invite you to listen in.

The marketing of intellectual property - books, music, art, and training courses - has changed drastically in the past five years as Internet opportunities have flourished. The marketing problem is that creative artists tend to shy away from selling based the distorted image sales. Dan Pink explains in his recent book; "To Sell is Human, The Surprising Truth About Moving Others," explains that, in reality, we are all selling all of the time.

As creators of art, we have to get our arms around a concept of marketing that will work best for us. In essence marketing involves providing our output to people who desire or need what we provide. It is analogous to an on-line dating service. We have created something of value and want to find people who value what we created. Marketing is not us trying to get someone to buy something they do not want. It is letting others know that we have something of value that they may want. That's the concept, now how do we market our product?

The answer is not buying a canned program that someone else once used to make their fortune. If it was so good, why are they   selling it so cheap? Because they can make more money selling the "secret Program" than they do using it to sell their product.

You are unique. There is no one exactly like you. So your method of marketing must be tailored to your particular uniqueness. There are three three things you must identify in order to connect with those who will value your work enough to click the "buy" button.

1. Know who your are and what you can do.
2. Know who your ideal client would be and what interests them.
3. Communicate to your ideal client what you can do for them.
4. Develop a relationship with potential buyers.

That's it. Marketing your book is merely communicating to your potential customer how your book will meet a desire or need in their life.

Know yourself.

This is often the most difficult problem. You have to know gifts, graces, interests, and abilities. This is where many people, including myself, have failed. You cannot be all things to all people. There is a tendency to cast a large net in order to catch a greater number of clients, enter a larger market, or have a better chance of finding customers. All you are doing is diluting your efforts and the value you provide.

Ask yourself:

●   What am I passionate about?

What am I good at?

●   How do I want to be remembered?

When you define yourself accurately, you will be able to better  define your audience, the people you must reach with your message.

Know your ideal client.

Knowing who you want to serve, enables you to learn their desires and needs. When you know their desires and needs, you can apply your gifts, graces, interests, and abilities to serve them best. Do not try to be all things to all people in an effort to cast a broader net. Use a rifle rather than a shotgun approach. Studies have shown that focusing sharply is the most effective marketing plan. Be prepared to adapt your product to specific needs of your customer, but do make major changes in who you are. You must remain true to yourself in order to be honest.

Communicate

In this rapidly changing techno-world there are many forms of communications available. This is the area where you have complete freedom of expression. You can choose from any and all of the following.

Your book itself communicates to your potential reader through its:

●        Title,

●       cover,

●       Description

●       and customer reviews.

In addition you can utilize any number of other media to communicate with readers.

●   Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Linedin, Pinterest, YouTube, etc

●   Website, Blog, Podcasts, etc.

●   Your Email List

●   Press Release:Newspapers, Television, Radio, etc

●   Advertising: Newspapers, Magazines, TV, Social Media, etc.

There are many more opportunities to choose from but you need to choose those that connect with your ideal customer and that work for you.

Building Relationships

Building a relationship with your clients/readers/customers is the key to any marketing plan. There are so many voices out there screaming to be heard, that whatever communications you are using will have a difficult time rising above the noise level. Less than a few percent of those receiving your communications will notice you or act on your offer, unless they have an ongoing relationship with you. Trust takes time to build.

You can build relationships by providing quality products that are useful and helpful to your readers or potential readers. In order to be helpful, you must understand the needs of the people you are trying to serve. Relationships begin with knowing yourself and knowing the people you want to reach and serve.

Your Marketing Plan

Do not go out and buy someone else's canned program. Put together your own marketing plan. Consider each of the following elements in your plan.

1.  Know Yourself

●       What do I have to offer to the reader?

●       Why am I qualified to write this book?

. Know Your Reader

●       What benefit does this book provide to the reader?

●       Why does the reader need this book?

●       Who is this book written for?

3. Communicate

●       What media would my reader be more apt to use?

●       What media do I use regularly?

●       Select the appropriate media

●       Develop your message based upon the book and knowledge of the reader.

4.  Develop Relationships with readers

●       Regular emails that are not trying to sell something

●       Provide quality content

●       Free Book Give-aways

●       Free Chapters

    I am interested in your comments or suggestions for book Marketing!

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“Three ways to Change Your World?”

You can change your world.

Our lives are a series of events – some we control, and others we cannot. Stuff just happens. We cannot change the event, but we do have control of how we react to the event, and our reaction will determine the atmosphere. Will it be hot, cold, or warm and cozy?

Event + Reaction = Atmosphere

Here are three ways to transform the world around you:

1.     Be Generous:

A few days ago we pulled into the Starbucks drive-thru lane behind about a dozen cars. Patience is

not one of my virtues. But it was a nice day, cold but the sun was out, so we patiently waited our turn. There was one car that seemed to take an inordinate time to place its order. We finally placed our order at the squawk box and waited patiently to get to the pick-up window.  The Starbucks app on my phone was not working so I dug out a credit card to pay for my “Vente Americana” and Rita’s “Tall Mocha.” As I tried to pass the card to the barista, she informed me that our drinks had already been paid for by the customer who preceded us. She smiled and asked if we would like to treat the folks behind us with the same courtesy. “Sure, why not? It is Christmas Eve.

It is unclear who had started the gift chain, the barista or some earlier customer, but I would guess the givers outnumbered the takers. The Christmas season is noted for the thought of giving to others. Our kids blew us away with their gifts for us this year.

2.     Be Courteous:

While in college in Atlanta, I would visit my girlfriend several miles from campus. Exiting the freeway, there was a stop sign at the end of the off-ramp, which I often totally ignored. One day I got caught and given a traffic ticket. The judge gave me a choice between paying a fine or going to traffic school. Lacking funds, I opted for the school which consisted of a three-hour lecture accompanied by the obligatory gruesome movie showing the results of bad driving. But the most interesting thing was they gave me a small decal that said, “COURTESY IS CONTAGIOUS”

Sticking the decal on my dashboard, I decided to test it out whenever I had the chance. It was amazing. Most of the time, whenever I acted courteous to another driver, they, in turn, acted courteous themselves. Courtesy is contagious. By the same token, being discourteous or angry can lead to road rage, fights, and wars.

3.     Don’t take it Personal:

Driving to work one day, I was distracted thinking some deep thought and accidently cut off a furious young woman who immediately expressed her anger by showing off the nail polish on the middle finger of her right hand. I could have gotten angry and responded with similar heat, but I knew I was at fault and repentant. Rather than react negatively to her sign of contempt, I was impressed by the dramatic splendor she displayed. Over the years, I have seen many vulgar displays of anger, but the aplomb with which this lady responded to my carelessness was in a category by itself. I had to admire her dynamism. 

When someone gets upset or angry our tendency is to take it personally and fight fire with fire. But, over many years, I have learned that people often strike out because of some internal issue. 

Hurting people hurt people.

Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV) A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Bill Johnson

Leading Your Ministry To Financial Health

A Focus On The Future

Each December, I try to take time away to pray and plan for the coming year. But this year I received no clue about 2016. Sure, there was the normal stuff - losing weight, getting more exercise, and spending more time with family and friends – but I was getting no vision or goals for the coming year. 

Then, on New Year’s Day it hit me.

Your purpose in life - and mine - is to be used by our Creator to do His will here on earth. He will use our past experiences as preparation for our divine role. [Everybody has a divine role.] My dilemma this year was choosing between two or three opportunities.

So I began to look back on my life for a clue of what God prepared me for. The first half was spent in a purely secular environment, striving to climb the corporate ladder, and manipulating people and situations to my own advantage. While deemed successful in the eyes of the world, something in my life was missing. It was then that the Lord came into my life through the efforts of my wife Rita and a loving church family on Mississippi’s gulf coast. As my devotion to God increased, my business success also increased and we moved to San Diego and built a successful international consulting business. At the top of the business mountain, the Lord called me to make a decision. I could continue in my present life dividing time between business and ministry, or enter fully into His service. We chose the latter.

A number of divine encounters caused us to move to the Seattle area and accept a part time secular position - to pay bills - while entering the ministry. Soon I entered seminary and held three unpaid ministry positions. As a regional director for a renewal ministry, we consulted with churches and their leaders. As part of an evangelistic ministry, we helped lead conferences in around the country. All the while we continued to minister in a local church. One day while driving to work, I felt the Lord ask me if I was enjoying all of this. My answer to Him was a resounding, “Yes!” My heart fell when He told me I had to choose one and get rid of the others. I 

responded, “Okay, but can I wait for a while?” Soon we let go of the secular position, the regional director position and began to plant and lead churches where we could minister to all of God’s people.

As the year 2016 begins, the Lord told me again that I have been too scattered and trying to do too many different things all at once. But this time, He did not give me a choice. My role has been to encourage and equip the church and its leaders to become all that God created them to be. God prepared me for this throughout my entire life. In the first half, He taught me to plan, motivate, and lead people to accomplish a common purpose. In the second half, He showed me the difficulties that ministry leaders face and has given me the tools and the heart to encourage and equip God's people and their leaders. Therefore, that is to be our focus for the foreseeable future, and the it is the specific focus for 2016.

This is not a change in direction, but a refocus on our true purpose. Our websites, blog, and five books, all are focused on equipping God's people, ministers, and leaders to be the best they can be. While these resources are also useful to leaders of secular organizations, our focus will continue to be on those who minister in the name of God. 

In 2016, we plan to develop additional resources to better use social media to reach out to our target audience and provide the resources they need in a form that will best suit their busy schedules.

Please provide any comments or suggestions you might have for us at this time.

 Bill Johnson

Psalm 71:17-18

If anyone is confused about their God-given purpose, please read our book "Destiny."

Problem Solving Made Easy

Solving the problem is easy - once you understand the problem!

We are all looking for solutions to our many problems.

"Read the Question." Those words were emblazoned at the top of the first page of my chemistry test. Unfortunately I failed to heed the warning. Instead I jumped in and tried to solve each problem as quickly as possible. After all isn't that what many of us do?

Turning in the exam and walking out of the room, I smiled at how easy it had been. When I got the test back, I did not smile. The problem was that I had not read each question carefully and there were a number of trick questions which were placed on the test to measure the our knowledge of the subject and also to train us to think clearly.

In problem solving we often fail to read the question carefully, listen clearly to what others say, or take the time to fully consider all aspects of the problem. Our problems in technology, business, religion, government, and personal relationships fail to be solved because we do not read the questions properly.

As a result we try to solve problems by treating symptoms without ever facing up to the real problem. We are often like the child who finds a hammer and believes everything in the house needs to be hammered. We look for a solution before we understand the problem. Then when we find one solution we run around using it to solve every problem whether or not it is appropriate.

We need to first read the question and understand the real problem. Once we are able to define the problem clearly, the solution or solutions become obvious.

It is not solving problems that is hard; it is in understanding the true problem.

The biggest example can be seen in bureaucracies. There are some in governments that believe the solution to every problem is regulation. So they want to regulate technology, business, healthcare, the economy, and relationships. Government regulation is the hammer and everything must be hammered.

But, in our own businesses, churches, and personal relationships we have a similar practice. We keep looking around for that magic hammer that will solve our problems. We attend webinars, conferences, and read every new book looking for the thing that worked for someone else, then try to apply it to our particular problem. We do this without a careful understanding of our individual problem.

Before we buy that new course or apply that hot program, we must be introspective and look at ourselves and understand our specific issues. Then we can pick the proper solution that applies to our situation.

You cannot solve a problem if you do not understand the problem. But if you fully understand it and can clearly state the issues, the solution or solutions will usually become obvious. Then we can pick the one best suited for the issues we face.

When we truly understand the problem, the solution or solutions become obvious.

Do You See the People?

Jim was a veteran of World War II -a member of the "Greatest Generation." He was a colleague and a personal friend.  As a B-24 bombardier, Jim flew many bombing missions over Germany. We were having lunch at a Mexican restaurant one day when I asked "the" question, "What were you feeling and what was it like to be the one dropping bombs on people below that could be wounded or killed?" 

His reply was very telling and has wide implications, “When I looked through the bombsight, from altitude, I never saw people, I only saw buildings and weapons factories.”

I never saw people!

Jim’s answer provides an interesting insight not only about war, but also about our business and personal lives. War is hell and there will always be innocent lives lost and threatened. But there is another concern that hits much closer to home. 

Leaders are often gifted with the ability to focus on long-range issues. In focusing on the goal/vision/purpose, there is a tendency to lose sight of immediate surroundings. Looking to the future, leaders can fall into the trap of never seeing the people. 

In this TGIF world (Twitter, Google, I-Phone, & Facebook) there is so much technology at our disposal that we have a tendency to rely on these modern forms of communication without interacting with real, live people.  We need to have face to face meetings between people, without phones, texts, or Skype. The most effective communication is still one on one. Studies have shown that what we say is not half as important as how we say it. A text can be misinterpreted. People interpret our communications in three different ways; 

• 55% of what they hear is based on facial expression & body language, 
• 37% percent is based upon the tone of our voice, 
• and only 8% on the words that we say.

In the church, we tend to sit in our comfortable pew and send money for someone else to go into the poor neighborhoods of our cities, go overseas to minister in the developing countries, or to just share our faith with our next door neighbor. We will never receive the blessing of touching lives until we serve others face to face. That is a life changing event, not for those touched, but for those who touch.So often we think we are doing our duty by sending a donation to the Salvation Army, overseas missionaries, or disaster relief. But without interacting directly with people, we are never doing enough. Something of our message is lost without our presence. It is the difference between being and doing. You can do good stuff, but being good is more effective. 

In the business world, it is easier to sit in a padded chair behind our plush desk than it is to go out among the employees, customers, and the community. The view from the office is a distorted image of the needs of the organization. There has to be a time to get away from all the hustle and bustle and to think and plan, but it is just as important to see the people and listen to what they are saying and become known to them.

When taking an automobile trip with my wife, Rita, I usually do all of the driving. Her driving makes me very nervous while its relaxing for me to drive. It has taken years to understand why this is so. It is not about being in control. There are others, worse drivers than Rita, with whom I am not nervous. We finally figured it out. Rita is a detail oriented person with shorter range vision. I, on the other hand, am a long range viewer. She sees everything around her but does not see the things I see - way ahead down the road. While I am focusing on the road ahead, I often ignore, or do not always see, the things that are close up on either side. 

I never want to get to the point where I do not see people!