David CM Bell Leadership Blog

  John 12:20-50 - Walking in the Light           The question is not whether God has a voice.  As we'll see in this passage, He has indeed.  He uses it.  In this passage, both the Father and the Son thunderously shout the truth.  But mostly God speaks through His word, in silent confirmations, powerful and consequential.  The question, rather is will we as His children obey the voice of God.  Are we sharp to hear today or are our senses dulled by worldy influence?  There are ranked sins; that's the truth we'll hear more about on judgment day.  Rebellion to God's voice and stubbornness to follow our idols rather than God is akin to divination (1 Samuel 15:22-23).          Our job today is to walk in the light.  I pray we are up to the challenge, nay, the blessing.  As every sailor knows, w e are prone to drift off course; so, we do need to constantly go back to God and His way....

 John 12:1-11 - Get Back Up!           It’s kind of a good news-bad news story with Lazarus.  The good news is Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  Yahoo!  The bad news is the leading priests decided to kill not just Jesus, but Lazarus too!  Lazarus would soon be a man on the run.  He figured out quickly he had to get back up and go.           We too, to a degree, are men on the run.  We are to run from evil and run to God.  I was reminded this week that Christian men must put their big boy pants on and get back up again (Proverbs 24:16).  So you fell down, slipped up, sinned, or faced challenges.  Good for you.  Get back up!  Repent, refocus, stop fretting, stop envying the wicked, and get to work, good work that God has right before us.           We will always have the voice of the sanctimonious among us, “That perfume was worth a year’...

 John 11 - Waking Up for a Purpose           Jesus wakes us up for a purpose.  It’s to grow in and follow Him.  God has the power, authority, and ability to wake anyone up.  The way He chooses to do so is by placing the responsibility on us: people are spiritually reborn when they hear the Good News and trust in Jesus.           It’s one thing to have a near-death experience.  Quite another to have four days in hell: a real-death experience.  I suspect Lazarus, raised to resurrected life by Jesus, walked the remainder of his life with holy fear and reverence for God.  But why wake up at all?  Why does God want us set free from sin and to have a new birth?  Because He loves us; and, because He is Good.  Here’s my proposition: God will teach us, but we must be willing to learn to do His will.  The Spirit of Christ will lead us, but that requires following, listening, and acce...

 John 11 - To Hell and Back           Four days in hell will toughen you up.  Lazarus (the name meaning ‘whom God helps’) was Jesus' dear friend.  He was the brother of Mary and Martha and lived just three kilometers or so from Jerusalem.  Church historical writings from the fourth century tell us that in 33 AD (the same year Jesus was crucified) Lazarus was scattered to the Island of Cyprus (where Paul later appointed him an elder).  We are told that while he died the first time at 30 years old he lived another 30 years after Jesus raised him from the dead.  Amazing.  Miraculous.           When you’ve gone through hell and when Jesus helps you through it you have a special resolve.  It's a toughness that comes only from the character building that God puts us through, nay, helps and grows us through.          I can see this type of growth throughout my life, but ...

 John 10 - Growth Mindset Through the Gate           Jesus says His purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life.  I’m in!           Have you ever felt more than ready for a change and a reset?  I was by Christmas and I am now.  I’m gladly watching what I eat and exercising.  It’s shocking how much more energy you have when you cut out the junk for a few weeks.  By reaching your 50s, you ought to know well what your body, mind, and soul need.  That's true, but like a child, I still feel like I’m learning new things - and need to do so.           I’m praying we all learn in this breakthrough year.  As Christians it is necessary to recalibrate weekly, nay, daily, to ensure we do not drift off course.  Shipwrecks are real.  No one can snatch you from God, but you can indeed for lack of fear of God and intentional neglect and disobedience take your ...

 John 10:1-21 - Wolves and Sheep           We can thank our ancestors for their courage. I’m reading now about the British church in the 1300-1500 period. I’m amazed at their courage and desire to follow Jesus' teachings. There was a group called the Lollards. John Wycliffe, born and raised in rural England northeast of London, is one of the most famous of this group of men. There were many more. God knows them all, and they know God.           Wycliffe and others believed  - as the early church did - that the Scriptures (the Latin Vulgate was the primary text read at the time, but people couldn’t speak Latin anymore) were meant by our Father God to be read daily and preached boldly by preachers every Sunday.  What a concept!  These early reformers (including Erasmus of Rotterdam later on - a Dutch priest who lived, studied, and worked in England (1466-1536) - and the famous lawyer, Thomas More (1478-1535) a...

 John 9 - Mud in the Eye, Stubborn Hearts, & Willing Minds           Some of us have little excuse.  There is no excuse for not believing in Jesus - unwilling minds and stubborn hearts.  Creation shouts and shows off God’s majesty.  Scripture miraculously records God’s love story, foretelling the arrival of the Great Saving King, and the fulfilled prophecy of He who would manifest Himself to the world.  Epiphany.  Jesus came to save the world (John 4:42).  God loves you, beyond measure.  Jesus came to show Himself, to live, teach, tell the truth, die for us, and rise to everlasting life.           Responsibility.  That’s what Jesus teaches the Jewish leaders in this story.  Like every person born into this world (you and I included) the Pharisees had a free moral choice to accept or reject the Son of God.  At the end of the story, they say, “Are you saying we’re blind?”...

 John 8:47 - Value Investing           I’m focusing this year on value investing.  For many years now (since losing a boatload in the crash of natural gas stocks starting in 2008) I’ve used broad-based mutual funds.  That's gone well and I'll leave those assets where they are.  But in the US my aim is to research and invest in what I'd describe as high-yield value stocks.  The idea is not at all original.  But I think the timing is decent.  As interest rates come down high yield stocks today will be more attractive.           I want stocks with low P/E ratios (5-10), but also room for equity growth (i.e., not at 12-month highs).  I don’t want small-cap companies so will try and stay with a minimum market cap of at least a billion (but for most way larger).  My aim is for over 10% yield, but for great companies, I’ll accept a little less.  The business has to have good growth pro...

 John 8:31-59 - Converting a Nation           John 8 is so powerful that it can turn a nation from evil and wickedness to following God Almighty in goodness, righteousness, and godly discipline, one soul at a time.  How?  By hearing and understanding Jesus’ message and then obeying Jesus’ teachings.  The message is that people are bound up, slaves to repeated sin and bad behavior.  Behind that bad behavior is a spiritual force, a father if you will, that loves that bad behavior; he is the father of it (8:44).  The message of God that converted the Vikings, the Romans, and other pagan nations to Christianity was the message of John 8.  It is this: Only Jesus Christ can set you free from entanglement to sin, being a slave to the devil and his evil ways.  But once you are set free you must grow and follow Jesus as part of His people, part of His church.           There are many forces of dar...