Do you have a positive goal, a worthwhile dream, a victorious vision? Are you working toward overcoming a bad habit? Are you trying to help yourself, your family, our society? If so, don't quit! Don't settle for your life remaining the way it is now, when there is so much more you can become and do to make a positive difference in yourself and in this world.

Maybe you once had a goal but have drifted away from it. Go back to it in your mind -- back to when you were passionate about it. Look at old pictures. Tell others about how excited you used to be. Take one small action this very day toward that forgotten goal or dream. It is not too late. Sure, you may have to adjust the goal a bit to meet your current reality, but you can still do something wonderful related to it. You can still achieve a more fulfilling life. Take one step today.

Or maybe you have never had a passion, a fire in your belly to accomplish an exciting objective. If so, you have missed out on one of life's greatest experiences -- but it is not too late for you!

Do this. Think of something you have an interest in, even if it is only a very slight or mild interest. Begin to read about that subject a little bit every day. Begin to ask people if they know anything about it. Eventually you will learn about some people who are passionate about that subject. Begin to hang out with those people. E-mail them. Talk with them on the phone. Blog with them. Spend time with them discussing the subject. Become close friends with them. And guess what? You will soon catch their passion. You will get a fire in your belly for that subject. Your life will become exciting as you embrace and live out a purpose, a mission, a calling! Try it!

There are people in our society who claim to be prophets. In some Christian churches there is even what is called a "prophetic movement." Men and women print out beautiful brochures and books that say they are prophets and tell of their accomplishments for God. When some of them preach they remind people that they are prophets and say things like: "As a prophet I . . .".

These prophets give people words from God that talk about what good things are coming to them. I have heard dozens (maybe hundreds) of prophetic words, but I don't think I have ever heard one that has told anybody that they need to straighten out their life. I know some people have been missed up because they got distacted from their life and responsibilities by waiting for the blessing the prophet said, to come to pass.

I believe in the gift of prophesy for today. And I like to read the Biblical prophets. They spoke very hard words. Some of the prophets are emotionally difficult to read even today, 2,500 years after they were written. Those folks were broken. They didn't promote themselves or their "ministries". Amos said: "I was neither a prophet nor prophet's son, but I was a shepherd." A shepherd was a very lowly occupation. No self promotion there!

The modern prophet who inspires me the most has never said he is a prophet, as far as I know. I have been reading about him and hearing about him off and on for 36 years. And he is still preaching.

As a young man, he obeyed God and went into one of the worst neighborhoods in New York City to witness to gang members on a regular basis. Awesome things came from his obedience. Many young men were delivered from drugs, alcohol, and gangs. "The Cross And The Switchblade" (a wonderful book he wrote, and movie) touched the lives of millions. Teen Challenge, an alcohol and drug program was started and spread world wide. Nicky Cruz, one of the gang leaders, became a world famous preacher and wrote a powerful book called, "Run Baby, Run".

The man that God used to turn Nicky Cruz around began to hold crusades and was becoming famous. Then one day he gave up his "ministry". He walked away from self-promotion and went back to the streets of New York City and began to reach out to those in need.

Today this man still reaches out and preaches like a prophet. He has inspired many others to join with him in Times Square Church. He publishes and mails out one of his sermons monthly and they always shake me up! And his mailing doesn't beg for money -- I don't even remember if it asks for or even mentions money.

We received one of his mailings yesterday. This morning I was looking at "Time" magazine while eating breakfast. My wife brought me the "World Challenge Pulpit Series" and said: "You need to read this." I put down "Time" and began to read a sermon called: "Whatever Happened to Preaching Repentance?"

About have way through I read this:

"I have to admit, at times I have left the pulpit in great pain over a hard message. At such times I often question myself: 'Lord, that seemed so hard. Did I hear You right? If I was wrong to preach this, please show me.' Once when I was in deep agony over a message, I received a phone call from one of my children who said, 'Dad, thank you for preaching that message. The Lord spoke clearly to me through it. It brought me to a crisis with Him that I've needed to face.'"

I began to weep. God touched me so deeply this morning that I read the rest of the sermon through my tears. I, too, preach hard and write hard. Often, things I write or say seem very hard, even to me. Sometimes after I preach to the men at the Salvation Army Rehab where I work, I go hide in my office, shaken up by my boldness. Sometimes I am tormented for hours.

But at least 14 men that I have worked with have died in the four years I have been there. Something in me won't allow me to be passive or passionless. Precious lives are at stake. Souls are at stake. Our country is at stake.

Thank you, David Wilkerson, for the encouragement this morning. You may not read this, but I so much appreciate your stand for Christ.

Our society ignores the very best kind of sex. I wonder why?

Instead our sex-crazed culture focuses on and promotes casual sex -- meaningless, shallow, manipulative, self-focused, loveless, disrespectful, compulsive, mechanical sex. The popularly promoted types of sex are so boring that people frequently feel compelled to add additional ingredients in an attempt to make their sex exciting -- alcohol, pornography, gadgets, vulgar language, perverted behaviors, physical pain, additional "partners", drugs, and on and on. But hey, no matter how you cut, polish, and set a fake diamond -- it is still fake!

Do you want some really great sex? Experience the real thing -- heart-felt, committed, honorable, self-giving, marriage based, loyal, emotionally uniting, spiritually bonding, morally pure, faithful sex.

Why settle for the humiliation, shame, guilt, risk of deadly disease, and emotional pain of cheapo sex, when there is a diamond out there somewhere waiting for you to find it?

I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" last night. Everybody should see it. Al Gore did a great job presenting information about global warming. He speaks with the voice of an environmental prophet.

I have been in denial about global warming, believing that we humans are damaging the earth but thinking that we still have hundreds of years to deal with the consequences. Al convinced me that this is a very serious issue with sever consequences facing us in the immediate future.

I am thankful that Al is using his "free speech" to boldly speak out essential information that the vast majority of us don't want to hear. Not only is our society promoting morally self-destructive lifestyles, we are also promoting destructive behavior toward our environment. In both areas caution, sensibility, and respect seem to have been thrown to the wind!

According to Al, the US is by far the worst offender in the world of releasing green house gases. If we Americans would change our laws and lifestyles we could have a big impact on the well being of our planet. For our future and the future of our children to be good, we need to stop our personal self-destruction and our mutual destruction of or environment.

Watch "An Inconvenient Truth" with an open mind. Cut your personal consumption of energy. Tell others what you learn. Vote to change our laws to protect our planet. Thank you, Al Gore, for your passionate voice on this issue that effects us all and all future generations!

Is it "free speech" when people who speak up for morality are called "judgmental" and labeled "radical" while people who flaunt profanity and disrespect are "protected by the First Amendment"?

Is it "free speech" when crude sex talk and pictures are everywhere but sincere, heart-felt references to Jesus Christ are almost non-existent in our public life?

Is it "free speech" when war support is considered a measure of patriotism and the sincere desire to save the lives of our men and women in uniform is considered unpatriotic and "not supporting our troops"?

Is it "free speech" when a UCLA psychiatrist must fear for her job when she writes a book about the health hazards of casual sex?

Is it "free speech" when criticizing a person's behavioral choice is called "hate speech"?

Is it "free speech" when cigarettes are criticized and kept off television because of their health risk while sexual immorality (which is far more dangerous than cigarettes) is constantly pictured and encouraged by our media?

Is it "free speech" when people are pressured by society to use the word "gay" instead of the word "homosexual" or the word "prochoice" instead of "promoting the right to kill unborn babies"?

Is it "free speech" when a system of "political correctness" is culturally imposed on people?

Is it "free speech" when people say I have no right to ask these questions -- even on my own blog?

Is it "free speech" when every kind of "lifestyle" is depicted on television with the exception of the "lifestyle" of sincere, honest, moral, God-loving, praying, upstanding, Bible-reading, caring people?

Isn't it time we get beyond the myth of free speech to the real thing? If you believe in morals, values, and a Christian lifestyle then take up "free speech". Begin to boldly and courageously speak up! Cast down the fear of men, political correctness, and other non-sense. Everybody else is speaking out, why not us? Now is the time. It is almost too late!

As the Bible says we should be "speaking the truth in love". If we don't speak out now, the day may soon come when our speaking out will be a crime! Please don't let that happen. Speak out while you can!!!