"Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." --Hebrews 11:1-3

When I was in my teens I read a book by Norman Vincent Peale called “The Power of Positive Thinking”. It was a book that truly fascinated me and helped me to see, at a young age, the power that faith and belief can have in our lives.

Robert Schuller, the pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, then followed that same line in a book called “The Power of Possibility Thinking”. Both of these highly successful men had come to understand a very strong universal law. Scripture explains and reality will prove that what we believe can often be the most important part of our existence. Both Dr. Peale and Dr. Schuller had come to see that negative thinking or focusing on hopelessness will often bring about horrendous results, whereas positive, hopeful, and expectant thinking will most likely open us up to receive greater blessings both physically and spiritually.

There is the true story of the famous basketball coach, Adolph Rupp. He was the coach of the Kentucky Wildcats and had one of the most successful careers in college basketball. On one occasion he made a boast at a news conference that he could take any young man and make an All American basketball player out of him. A newsman challenged him on his boast, and made a friendly wager. Rupp at the time had a blond haired, blue-eye freshman basketball player of somewhat average ability named Cotton Nash. From that day forward, Adolph Rupp began to refer to Cotton Nash as “my All American center”. Every news conference, every speaking engagement, and I’m sure every time he was with this young man, Coach Rupp professed this conviction. What happened? Well, Cotton Nash went on to be named to the All American team not once….. but three times. Coach Rupp had proved the power of positive and possibility thinking. He made a believer out of the press but most importantly he had succeeded in making a believer out of Cotton Nash.

How is your “belief system”? Are you able to face this New Year with the faith in a God and a Creator who holds the universe in His hands? Can you truly come to believe the words of scripture that profoundly proclaim that He is your Father and you are His child? Did you know that God created you to be a winner - to be an over-comer…. and not to be a loser? If we can just allow God to cleanse our mind of the “old tape” that keeps playing over and over with a negative patterns of thinking and begin to claim the truths in God Holy Scripture!

It is my prayer that, this year, one of your “resolutions” will be to see the positive. May your cry to God be: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart.” Oh, that God might help you to see the possibilities in your life and in the lives of those around you! For, in truth, we were never created to fall into the world’s way of thinking. We were created for Faith, and Love... and Possibility!

May God bless you,

Pastor Dennis Bailey