FOCUSED ON THE ONE TASK

Life is tough enough as it is. It’s even tougher when we’re headed in the wrong direction.

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff, yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept His life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of His future, He could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which He could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. But in the end He chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus Himself. “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.” (Luke 19:10)  “The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many people.” (Mark 10:45)

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day He left the carpentry shop of Nazareth He had one ultimate aim -- the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that His final words were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

How could Jesus say He was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could He say He was finished? Simple. He had completed His designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put down his pen. The job was done.

Wouldn’t you love to be able to say the same? Wouldn’t you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do?   

-- Max Lucado in “Just Like Jesus”

#6347

THE PERSPECTIVE OF YEARS

“Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. Festus answered, ‘Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.’”  (Acts 25:1–5 NIV)

This thing going on with Paul and the Jews and the Roman court system would have hardly been a blip on the radar screen of anyone. We must discard any assumption we have that this story was somehow newsworthy. Looking back from the twenty-first century, the whole thing unfolds before us as a stunning God-sized story of cosmic proportions. At the time, who even knew it was happening, and of those who knew, who really cared?

Looking back, the only reason we even know the names of Felix and Festus and half a dozen other bit players of history is Paul -- that's why we know them. History has its way, doesn't it? That's how history happens. It often takes the perspective of years to see what really mattered and what didn't. At the time it's impossible to know.

Remember that when you think about what you are doing today with your life. In the present, it can seem oh so small and insignificant. I think that's what Jesus was trying to get across [in Matthew 13:31-32] when He talked to us about the mustard seed becoming the largest tree in the garden. Be encouraged, Christian! Don't give up! Give yourself to what may seem small today. It's worth it. It matters. You matter. Press on. Invest your resources in what many may consider a kingdom of God longshot. Every big story was once a very small story. It's why I spend so much time talking about seeds. The whole story is in the single seed.

C. T. Studd put it well in the refrain from his famous poem, "Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last." 

-- Excerpted from “Wake-Up Call” with J. D. Walt 

#6226

DAILY SURRENDER

Jesus said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."  (John 13:15 NIV)

It can be tempting to always look at the big picture, the five-year vision, or the end goal whether you are in corporate America, running a household, or just planning your life. It’s exciting to think about how great life will be when you see the vision fulfilled and you meet the goal. Don’t get me wrong, visioning is critical because you need to know what you want and where you are going, but there is no five-year vision without a daily plan to get there. You cannot cross the finish line without taking every step beginning at the starting gate, and we cannot be transformed if we do not surrender on a daily basis… Every change in behavior, attitude, and heart begins with a desire, and it is only accomplished by making a choice every day to get there.

These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples in the last week of His life. Jesus had proven His authority and He had predicted His death and resurrection. Now, as He spent a meal with them, He demonstrated an act of service and then said these words, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” He had given the example to follow. Not just what they observed that night, but every day they walked with Him and healed and taught and ministered to others. He was the example. They did not have to wonder what to do; they just had to follow.

Pastor Eugene Peterson, quoting Friedrich Nietzsche, might describe this daily practice of being altar’d as a “long obedience in the same direction.” It is only when we choose a life of daily surrender that we will fulfill the vision and accomplish the goal set before us. If you read the Gospels, you will find that Jesus gave us many examples of how to live: “Follow Me.” “This is how you pray.” “Go and make disciples.” May we embrace a life of daily surrender that Jesus left as an example. 

-- Susan O. Kent in “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender”

#6115

CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE

Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last -- and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you."   (John 15:16 NIV)

The NFL Draft is currently underway in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If you live in Northeast Wisconsin, as I do, you can’t miss it. In the NFL Draft, players are chosen not just for their skills but for the potential they bring to a team. Coaches and scouts see something unique in each athlete, and teams select them with a purpose in mind. Similarly, God has chosen you -- not because of your qualifications, but because of His love and His plan for your life. He has appointed you to bear fruit that will last, to make an eternal impact in His Kingdom.

Just as a drafted player commits to training, teamwork, and fulfilling their role, we are called to embrace our purpose with dedication, also committing to training, teamwork and fulfilling our role in the Kingdom. God’s choice is not the end of the story -- it’s the beginning of a journey where we grow, serve, and glorify Him.

And with His current pick, God chooses ________________ (fill in your name)! How can you live out the purpose for which God has chosen you today? 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#6102

THE GREATNESS OF GOD’S SALVATION

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.”  (1 John 4:9-12 NIV)

The deepest longing in a person's heart is to have a relationship with God. When we open the Scriptures, we are surprised to discover how much God desires for His people to have a love relationship with Him. In fact, the more we study the Scriptures, the more we are overwhelmed at the greatness of God's salvation and the love relationship that He seeks to develop with us. God's salvation set in motion everything He intended to accomplish in us. If we do not understand the extent of God's accomplished work on our behalf, we will never experience abundant life, nor will we fulfill God's purpose for our lives. God is not primarily interested in making us successful; instead, His heart desires for us to experience the full measure of His great salvation.

-- Henry Blackaby and Melvin D. Blackaby in “Experiencing God Together: God's Plan to Touch Your World”

#5966

THE PUNCTUATION OF SILENCE AND SOLITUDE – Part 2 of 2

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

If you have a magazine or newspaper handy, try reading any article without using the punctuation marks. It doesn’t make much sense does it? It all becomes a hectic string of words. The meaning is lost. It lacks direction. The purpose of punctuation in a piece of writing is to guide the reader into the true meaning of the words and phrases; through it we understand. Punctuation also gives life and purpose to the words. Next time you see your favorite actor or actress on television, notice how cleverly they use timing -- pauses and spaces -- to give the words their meaning and power.

Punctuation is a helpful way of thinking about Jesus’ relationship with silence and solitude. Jesus punctuated His life with silence and solitude. His times alone were the commas, pauses and full stops in the story of His life. They gave the rest of His life its structure, direction and balance. His words and His works were born out of those hours of silent waiting upon God…

Solitude is the place where the whole of our personality and being, seen and unseen, is drawn together in the transforming presence of God’s love. But more than that, the silence of solitude is the silence of eternity. We are drawn into the mystery of something bigger than ourselves. It places us, with all that God has made, in the heart of the Father’s love and presence. It is there that life is renewed, restored and given its true perspective. 

-- David Runcorn in “A Center of Quiet: Hearing God When Life Is Noisy,” 1990

#5947

WINNING THROUGH DEFEAT

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  (Romans:28 NLT)

If we win all the time -- or if we think we're winning when in fact we're not, for sometimes we fool ourselves -- the elements of life get out of proportion.  As a matter of fact, we need an occasional defeat to help us remember that God is God. Many people in public life -- especially entertainers, athletes, and politicians -- come to believe their own press releases and to think they're above the rules of ordinary human beings.  Wealth does the same thing to many people.

What happens in these more prominent positions happens also at every other level of life.  We see it on the playground, at the community club, in the classroom, and, saddest of all, in the family circle.  It's painful to see someone broken by defeat, but sometimes it is the most important experience a person will ever have.

It can be hard to know God if we're so enchanted with our own successes that we become unduly fascinated with ourselves. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “If Experience Is Such a Good Teacher Why Do I Keep Repeating the Course?”

#5887

MISSING GOD’S PURPOSE

You don't have to understand all the implications of your decision when you choose to follow Jesus. You simply need to respond to His invitation, to make a commitment to follow Christ.

Your commitments shape your life more than anything else. Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way, they will define you. Tell me what you're committed to and I'll tell you what you'll be in twenty years. We become whatever we're committed to.

It is at this very point of commitment that most people miss God's purpose for their lives. Many are afraid to commit to anything and just drift through life. Others make half-hearted commitments to competing values, which lead to frustration and mediocrity. Others make a full commitment to worldly goals, such as becoming wealthy or famous, and end up disappointed and bitter.

Every choice has eternal consequences so you need to choose wisely: "Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!" (2 Peter 3:11 LB).

Christ-likeness comes from making Christ-like commitments.  

-- Rick Warren in “The Purpose Drive Life Daily Devotional”

#5854

LIFE'S PURPOSE

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)

"What is the purpose of my life?" I've had many meandering conversations with a variety of people over this topic, first to gain insight on how God has led or is leading them to their life purpose, and second to be encouraged by what God is doing in these lives. It's exciting to hear about how people discover their gifts fitting perfectly into some niche of their lives.

What I've discovered in my own reflections and conversation is that the most important thing for me to know about myself is that I'm a child of God. Anything else I discover about myself and my life purpose is secondary to this.

The fact that I'm a child of God means that I'm endowed with a tremendous capacity to love. I may find myself confused because I'm not yet sure which direction my life should go, but wherever I may be, I know that I have a capacity to love others, and that is an unconditional gift I can use anywhere. 

-- Mark Ahn, ChristianityToday.com 

#5437

THE FIVE P’S OF PEACE

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27 NIV)

There are at least five aspects to the peace of Christ. They all start with ‘P’ so it’s easy to remember. Peace comes from the PRESENCE of Christ. Peace is what He gives because it is what He is. Second, peace is the result of Christ’s PARDON. Peace is knowing that we are forgiven. Third, peace is the assurance of Christ’s PROVISION. His strength in our needs, given to us on time and in time in life’s problems. There is no peace as long as we are constantly worrying about whether or not we’re going to make it through difficulties. Fourth, peace is having a clear PURPOSE, knowing that we have surrendered our lives to Christ and that He will guide us hour by hour. And fifth, peace is the experience of Christ’s PLEASURE. It is knowing that He loves us, that not even our mistakes can cause Him to stop loving us. Knowing that motivates us to live our lives to His glory. A part of that aspect of peace is knowing that He has defeated death, that through Him we are alive forever and can live now without fear. 

-- Adapted from Lloyd J. Ogilvie in “If God Cares, Why Do I Still Have Problems?”

#5312

THE MEANING OF LIFE

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  (John 8:12 ESV)

Like most living legends, Julius Erving (Dr. J) is often asked about the greatest highlight of his career. Though Dr. J enjoyed one of the greatest careers in NBA history with over 30,000 points scored, he likes to tell others what went on in his heart.

“At age 29 I realized I was looking good on the outside but was hitting a lot of peaks and valleys on the inside.” He says, “After searching for the meaning of life for over ten years, I found the meaning in Jesus Christ. When I gave my life to Christ, I began to understand my true purpose for being here. It’s not to go through life and experience as many things as you possibly can and then turn to dust and be no more. The purpose of life is to be found through having Christ in your life, and understanding what His plan is and following that plan.”

Surely, God blessed Dr. J in basketball and in the game of life.  

-- Rod Handley, Elliot Johnson, and Gordon Thiessen in “Character Counts for Athletes”

#5212

 

LIFE’S PURPOSE

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)

This may be the best news you’ll hear all day: God has a wonderful purpose for your life!

Jesus described that purpose when He said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. This is My command: Love each other.”  (John 15:16-17)

God has chosen you to bear fruit. And that fruit is in your Holy Spirit-given character, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s simply the character of Jesus coming out through you. It’s your service as you lead others to faith in Jesus Christ, as you help them grow into maturity so they’ll also bear fruit.

Your life has eternal significance. Don’t miss out on God’s plans for your future. 

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”

#5205

A LIFE-ALTERING PRAYER

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:10 NIV)

"On earth as it is in heaven." Jesus' prayer was, "Make up there come down here."  Make things down here run the way they do up there.

Jesus told us to pray, "Bring heaven down here."  We begin with our body, our mind, our appetites.  Then it spreads to the office, our family, our neighborhood, our church, our country.

God doesn't reveal Himself to us just to make us happy or to deliver us from loneliness.  He also comes to us so that we can in turn be conduits of His presence to other people.  He invites us to join Him in making things down here the way they are up there.

This news is the best news the human race has ever heard.  It is not just good news for the world around us; it is good news for us.  Psychologist Viktor Frankl wrote, "What man actually needs is not a tensionless state, but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him.  What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him."

This is maybe the most dangerous, exciting, life-altering prayer a human being can pray: "God make up there come down here."  Every time you pray it, your life becomes Beth-el, the place where God dwells. 

-- John Ortberg in “God Is Closer Than You Think” 

#5086

FACING THE STRUGGLES OF LIFE

“Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart… But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;… So we do no lose heart.”  (2 Corinthians 4:1, 2-9,16a NRSV)

As I thought of Paul’s statement, I remembered a story that was told at a California graduation. The speaker told about a young man who had received his diploma… and ten years later the graduate sent his diploma back to the university saying that the degree had not helped him obtain employment in his chosen field of work. The speaker, who was the former chancellor of the university, said that he sent the diploma back to the young man and told him to keep it, that he earned it. He went on to explain that the purpose of the university was to develop students who will be self-sufficient and involved with society, but what stuck with me was his statement to the young man: “It is not the purpose of a university to guarantee victory in life, but to equip one for the struggles of life.”

That is the purpose of the church as well. It is not the purpose of the faith to guarantee us victory, success, or immunity from trouble. The purpose of the church is to equip us with the power to face the struggles of life. 

-- James W. Moore and Bob J. Moore in “Lord, Give Me Patience!... And Give It to Me Right Now!”

#4900

THE FATHER’S PURPOSE FOR US

Here is the gospel in summary: Christ came to reveal that the Father’s essential purpose for us is to accept His love and in response to do His will. Throughout His incarnate life on earth, Jesus taught that surrender and obedience are the keys to receiving the Father’s power. And He lived what He taught. His watchword was, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” His constant prayer was “Abba, Father” -- the intimate words of trust meaning “dearest Father.” He taught us to pray “our Father.” There was never any question in His mind or heart about who was in charge or in control. He modeled life without a power struggle and lived a life emulating the nature and character of the Father. His unequaled love, the works He accomplished, and the miracles He performed -- all exemplified His complete trust in and obedience to God the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross the word in His heart and on His lips was Father. 

 -- Lloyd J. Ogilvie in “If God Cares, Why Do I Still Have Problems?”

#4898

SEARCH FOR PURPOSE

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”  (Psalm 139:13-18 NKJV)

Our search for purpose seems coded into the fabric of our being. We are wired to live a meaningful existence, but we can’t begin to discover what that purpose is unless we know the One who created us for a purpose. …

Every search for purpose is meant to lead us to the One who gave us the drive to search. Seeking meaning must take us to the Maker of all things. Understanding our purpose begins with knowing the One who put eternity in people’s hearts. 

-- Rob Fuquay in “Which Way, Lord?”

#4891

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  (Galatians 5:13-14 NIV)

We who lived in concentration camps can remember those who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.  They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way...  It is this spiritual freedom which cannot be taken away that makes life meaningful and purposeful. 

-- Viktor Frankl 

#4880

CO-LABORERS WITH GOD

“For we are laborers together with God…”  (1 Corinthians 3:9a)

Our union with God -- His presence with us, in which our aloneness is banished and the meaning and full purpose of human existence is realized -- consists chiefly in a conversational relationship with God while we are each consistently and deeply engaged as His friend and co-laborer in the affairs of the kingdom of the heavens. 

-- Dallas Willard in “Hearing God”

#4860

GROWING IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - Part 2

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”  (Ephesians 4:14-16 NIV)

Now and again people ask me what I perceive my job to be. My answer is always the same: to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then to help them grow up in Christ. That’s the work of the church.

“How about a place to find friends?” someone asks. Wonderful; there’s no better place to do so. But that’s a by-product of what we do. “How about the church being a place for cultural enrichment?” Excellent. But the university, the art museum and the orchestra can take care of that if we fail -- but no one else will provide a place where people can grow up in Christ. “But what about our social events -- you know, bridge, bowling, drama, pot luck suppers?” I love ‘em. But other places provide those opportunities, while they don’t give us a place to grow in Christ.

Hear me: there are a great many things we can offer in the church, and should offer. But let us remember that they are secondary. They are beautiful by-products, but they’re not our primary business. We didn’t come into existence -- either the [local church] or Christendom as a whole -- to be a political, social, or cultural institution, but to bring human beings to new and continuing, effective life in Jesus Christ.

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in a sermon entitled “What I Have Learned About Growing Up”



#4773

NOW THAT’S GOOD NEWS

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”  (2 Timothy 4:8 NIV)

Nothing can compare with all that is ours in Christ when we find salvation. Forgiveness. Justification. Adoption. Eternal life. What a glorious life the Gospel offers to those who are searching for purpose and meaning or to those who have found that materialism and sensual pleasure are not the answer to the deepest yearnings of the heart.

The crowning glory of salvation is promised when we enter into the presence of the King. We have a home in heaven reserved for us and awards that await us. No wonder the Gospel is “good news.”

-- Billy Graham


#4768