Marketplace Ministry Success Mentors

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is quoted to have said “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop look to fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”

My one claim to fame is that I actually met Eleanor Roosevelt. It’s true! I shall never forget the day she visited my first grade class in 1951 or 1952. I don’t remember whether it was the first half of first grade, when I was 5 or the second half when I was 6 - but it was first grade. Back then, I did not know who she was nor that she was a former first lady. All I remember about her was being awestruck at her manner, her kindness to us little kids, and somehow I knew at age 5 or 6 that I was in the presence of a great woman.

Another great woman in my life is my mother. Today she lays bedridden with alzheimers disease, and can no longer talk. But one thing she always instilled in me from an early age was this: “Rick, you can do anything you set your mind to doing. That’s what your grandpa Torrey always said.” Grandpa Torrey was first cousin to RA Torrey the evangelist,

We are often beset by trials and struggles which seem overwhelming to us, but none of these are so overwhelming that they cannot be conquered by determination, consistancy, boldness, faith, and love, among other things. Setting our minds, or “mindset” is a key factor to overcoming. The apostle Paul said “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2) It is when we focus our mind on the heavenly, that the earthly things become very puny indeed.

A good example of this happened to me this week . I was begining to feel sorry, and afraid that I would not be able to meet some payments coming due. But I knew that I could not live with such negative thoughts and survive for long. So I started by praising God for His faithfulness. As I praised him, it grew into worship. As I worshipped Him, faith built up so that eventually I could see God’s glory in that situation, and then the obvious response is that of gratitude. When we have our mind set on heavenly things, the things of earth grow strangly dim, as the old hymn proclaimed: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus… and the things of earth will grow strangly dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

So with thanksgiving and worship, faith is strengthened and we are able to receive God’s love, which wipes out all our fears. Eleanor said that by determining to do an action we can do that which we once deemed impossible.

I believe that much more could be accomplished with proper mindset. If we believe that something is impossible, it is. If we believe it is possible and we can do it, it is.

So what holds you back from accomplishing that which you believe God wants you to do? Put it in proper perspective - from a heavenly view. “Keep looking down!” was what we always used to say when everyone else was saying “Keep looking up!” They would question us, and we would say, “If we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, then we can look down on all our problems!”

God Bless you.

I remember reading about Hudson Taylor back in the late sixties. Hudson Taylor was a missionary to China in the 19th century and founded the China Inland Mission. One of the things that impressed me then, was after many years on the field, he came down to breakfast with his children and announced that he had just finished reading through the Bible for the fortieth time in 40 years. I then made a committment to myself and to God that I would try to do that same thing - to read through the Bible every year.

This is now the fortieth year for me. I just finished on the 31st, and have started the new year reading the New Living Version on my computer. Sometimes I took two years to read through, other times I read through in a month, other times twice a year.

I was pretty proud of myself until I met Edmeia Williams in Brazil. She had read through the Bible four times a MONTH! for several years. Her knowledge of the Word of God is astounding. She has huge passages memorized. I asked her how in the world she accomplished that, and she said, “My lifestyle is simple. I get up at 4:00 AM and read and pray until about noon, then have lunch, then in the afternoons I go out to my ministry in the favelas with young girls.” She has had contracts for her life put out by drug lords in the favelas of Rio De Janeiro, but faithfully carries out her mandate from the Lord. Then she said to me, “You pastors, don’t have the time freedom that I have, and that’s OK - if you can only read five minutes, or five hours, do what you can and don’t feel intimidated by the fact that I can read through in one week.” I felt better after hearing that.

We had public reading of the Bible in public squares in Porto Velho every December. Even with slow readers, reading out loud, you can get through the entire Bible in 90 hours or less. Each church would take a block of time, and members would sign up for fifteen minute segments. We read 24 hours a day - even if nobody was around. I remember one year when it was my turn. It was a rainy tropical lazy Sunday afternoon. We were in the last few chapters of Psalms. At the far end of the Praza (park) were some street kids and beggars sleeping under a shelter of corrugated cardboard, while the rain poured down. I stood up to the microphone and started SINGING - not reading- Psalms 140-150. As soon as I did, I could see those sheets of cardboard start to move, and then little heads would poke out from underneath to see what in the world was happening! Singing evoked a response.

Then one year I tried singing through the entire Bible. I would sit down at my keyboard, and opened up in Genesis and started. It was hard, especially singing the prose; and I would not like to have anyone hear me while I was doing it. But every now and then a good song would arise. Just try singing through the genealogies! It also took longer, so I did not finish that year. But something interesting happened as I sang. I believe that when you sing you use the “other” side of you brain. Now I am no scientist, and know very little about left side-right side theories, but I do know this: Passages which I had read through many many times, suddenly took on a new level of understanding as I sang them. I gained new insight which reading had never given me. Try it! Even if you don’t play an instrument you can use your voice. (I would suggest going into a quiet private place! - but hey, you might try it in front of city hall too if you want.)

“How can I get started?”, You say.

Here’s a tool I have been using for the past several years which I really enjoy: http://www.e-sword.net.

It is free to download and many different versions are available for free, others you have to pay a nominal fee. One of the tools in E-Sword is a Bible reading tool. I use this every day that I am in front of my computer. This past year I read 6 chapters a day. But you can use a little wizard to determine exactly how you will divide your reading plan up. The main thing is to be consistent. I know, for instance, that when I am travelling and involved in ministry and away from my computer, I will miss some days, so I allow for that in my plan. If you read through the Bible in one year and never missed a day you only need to read through three chapters a day, and it will take you less than fifteen minutes. Start there then be faithful in it. E-sword is also very good for Bible study and there are many tools available for your use.

Another way I have devised my reading plan before I had E-Sword, is to count the total number of pages in my Bible, then divide that by about 300 (allowing me some missed days) to come up with the number of pages I should read that day. Whenever that particular page ended in the middle of a chapter I would read on through the end of the chapter. I also marked the division between each reading like this: 10/11 where 10 was day 10, and 11, day 11. That way I didn’t have to try to remember how many pages I had already read.

Other people use published schedules. There are many. Advantage Conferences has one on our Footsteps of Faith website. You can also sign up for these free inspirational and motivating messages at http://www.advantageconferences.com/go just click on the Footsteps of Faith link on that page.

Whether you read through the Bible once a week, or once every four years, I encourage you to start reading. Do it regularly, consistently, and faithfully. Do it when you are discouraged, do it when you don’t have time. Just do it. As you read and understand the Word of God, you will also understand the nature and character of God better.