The Man On A Mission

"I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4, NIV).
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me..." (Acts 20:24, NIV).  

One thing for sure, Jesus was par excellence the man on a mission from God.  From the very beginning, He sensed His higher calling that the Father had work for Him to do and He must lay down His life--He came to die!  His motto from the outset, when twelve years old, was, "I must be about My Father's business."  This was the theme of His life--to do God's will. You could say He had fulfilled the role of a lifetime:  "Thy will be done!"  And this is the yoke He has given us--to do His will, not to obey the law of Moses, which He fulfilled for us.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light!  One notable thing about Christ on His mission extraordinaire:  He never had "tunnel vision" and could always see the trees and the forest!  His secret was that He never forgot who He was or His mission: to be our Savior first, and then our King in that order.  He never forgot who He was and we ought to do likewise.

It is easy for us to get side-tracked and lose focus of what our mission is and to feel like failures--but keeping our eyes on Christ is a way to stay in touch with His will.  That is one unique thing about our faith:  it has a message for everyone, even failures and people who have messed up their lives, even sinners who have lost it all.  But if we haven't lost God, we haven't lost it all!  With Jesus as our Exemplar, we must not lose focus on the Great Commission and why we are here and that we must live our lives for Christ, not ourselves.

Jesus was on the Green Mile or His road to his (execution) cross and stopped to heal a blind man, never losing His compassion for people in need.  His mission was always front and center, but people mattered and they were never an interruption or inconvenience.  On His Via Dolorosa, Jesus stopped to tell a woman not to weep for Him: Christ was willingly going to the cross and knew what it entailed.  Even on the cross Jesus commended His mother to John and took care of her in her time of need, and the first thing He uttered was a prayer of intercession for those who knew not what they were doing and needed forgiveness--again thinking of others first!  Oh that we should never be too busy to welcome doing God a service or to lend a helping hand, for He has no hands but ours to help with.

As a guiding principle or rule of thumb, the more focused we are, the greater we can accomplish, and the more impact we have.  The problem with some people is that they are trying to do too much at a time, like walking and chewing gum as it were. We shouldn't try to multi-task so much and concentrate on doing God's will first and foremost.  David was known for doing all of God's will and was called a man after God's own heart for it.   It is not always good to have too many burners in the fire.  They are like spinning tops going around and around but getting nowhere!  If you're not going anywhere, it doesn't pay to be in a hurry.  It doesn't pay to be busy if you're going nowhere or have no purpose!

We need patience that our time is in God's hands and He controls the timing of everything.  To everything there is a season and purpose and a procedure, we must strive to do things God's way and in His timing.  In His time, He will make everything beautiful, so it is said in Ecclesiastes.  David prayed:   "My times are in your hands" (cf. Psalm 31:15, NIV).  In the final analysis, we must pray the prayer of relinquishment as Christ did at the Garden and commit everything to His will, not ours, lest He does let us have our way and mess things up--God does have our best in mind and we should know that!     Soli Deo Gloria!

Finishing Our Work

"I hope to see my Pilot face to face when I have crossed the bar."  (Alfred, Lord Tennyson).  
Note to the reader: Not to be morbid, but preparing for one's passing involves more than taking care of one's final expenses!  
OUR DAYS ARE DETERMINED AND PLANNED BEFOREHAND!  (CF.  PSALM 119:16).  
"In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:  the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness" (Eccl. 7:15, NIV).  [The godly can perish before their time.]
"So He will do to me whatever He has planned.  He controls my destiny" (Job 23:14, NLT).

Paul thanked God and prayed he would complete his mission, which would be his greatest joy.  King David passed away, but having fulfilled God's purpose and having done all God's will (cf. Acts 20:24, 10:36).  It is true in a sense that we don't pass away till God is finished with us, which should be an incentive to do God's will and be ready.  We ought always to be ready to meet our Lord, for we know not when we will (cf. Amos 4:12).  Now Hezekiah was told directly from God to get his house in order because his time was short!  However, he objected and told the Lord that he was only in the prime of his life (it would be a shame!). Note that Matthew Henry said we ought to live every day as if it's our last.  Only God knows what we are here for and when our time is completed; we only see through a glass darkly--of which we will understand on the other side. (One mystery, or paradox that Scripture mentions, is that people who want to live often die, and those who would die, go on living. )

Now, the great question one must ask is whether the godly die before their time.  Yes, they can!  Isaiah 57:1, NLT, says so:  "Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time."  Some think that when no one needs them they will die, but God can always use a committed believer who is conformed to the pattern of His will.  We have no luxury of judging someone's life by its length.  It is good to live to be old, which is a luxury, but not all become wise.

We must acknowledge the wise wording of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1ff that there is a time for every matter under heaven--including a time to die. Actually, the Bible declares the day of one's death better than the day of his birth!  "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants" (Psalm 116:15, NIV).  Christians have the hope of eternal life due to Christ's resurrection that gave us reason to believe and this should be all the more motive and inspiration to live a life pleasing to Him, and not for the day only, but one day at a time in light of the Word and of eternity.

Therefore, let's all be looking forward to "crossing" (not passing) our bar and meeting the Lord in glory.  In the meantime, we are to live as if it's "one step between [us] and death!"  CAVEAT: WE MUST BEWARE LEST WE SIN UNTO DEATH (CF. 1 JOHN 5:16) AND GOD DECREE TO TAKE US BEFORE OUR TIME AS DIVINE DISPLEASURE!    Soli Deo Gloria! 

"Speak, Your Servant Is Listening"

"... 'Listen to me, you wise men.  Pay attention, you who have knowledge'"  (Job 34:1, NLT).
"Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say" (Job 34:16, NLT). 
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart..." (Jer. 15:16, ESV).

Samuel was advised to assure God he was listening under the condition that God would surely speak and he was God's servant. God speaks to His servants!   Samuel was all ears, so to speak, and was attentive to God's message from then on: "Speak, for your servant hears."   For at Shiloh God revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word (cf. 1 Sam. 3:21)--the primary channel of communication.  People often have a failure to communicate with God and turn a deaf ear to Him; however, God says that "to hearken is better than the fat of rams,"  (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).  We must always be ready and have the communication link open to God in prayer, as we walk with God and "practice the presence of God", like Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century Carmelite monk, wrote about and experienced.

 When we are in sync with God and in tune with His will He speaks through the Word, which is exalted above all (cf. Ps. 138:2) and we rejoice as one who finds great spoil (cf. Ps. 119:162).  Jeremiah rejoiced at God's Word and delighted in what he read as you might call an "Aha!" moment (cf. Jer. 15:16).  God hasn't retired dreams or visions (cf. Joel 2:28), but He chooses to teach us and speak through His Word primarily.  Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice and those who are of the truth hear Him (cf. John 10:27, 37).  We learn to listen up as God speaks to us and is ready, no matter the means of communication.

Just because we have the written Word doesn't preclude God's audible voice today--God can speak through an air vent or duct if He so chooses, but this is highly unusual. "For God does speak--now one way, now another --though no one perceives it--in a dream, in a vision of the night when deep sleep falls on people as the slumber in their beds, e may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings," (cf. Job 33;14-16, NIV).   The command is given to Israel which became their credo was called the Shema or "to hearken" in English (cf. Deut. 6:4).  We are not to get mystical and seek experiences with our emotions or extra-biblical revelation.  C. S. Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.  It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."  We can grow spiritually hard-of-hearing and need to be disciplined by God to get back on track and in His will.

God promises that His Word "will not return void " and He will honor it wherever it goes (cf. Isaiah 55:11).  Sometimes we are the ears and voice of God and He uses us to get through to stubborn, prodigal, or wayward children.  The Bible is to be taken seriously, as also Bible study and church preaching and it's not entertainment, a way to pass time or just something to do in our boredom.  To turn away from hearing God makes our prayers an abomination (cf. Prov. 28:9).  We are to pay attention to God's plumb line of our spiritual progress and not grieve the Spirit or ignore the Word.  We have the privilege of interpreting the Word, but with this comes the responsibility of doing it right.

No one has a monopoly on wisdom and no prophecy is of any private interpretation (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20); God will not reveal some far-fetched revelation to us from some isolated passage that He shows no one else or belongs only to you.  There is safety in the multitude of counselors and he who heeds advice is wise, not thinking he knows it all or is wise in his own eyes.

Prayer is a two-way link with God, whereby we boldly enter His throne room (cf. Heb. 4:16) and into His dimension and God will speak to us in that inner voice if we listen (cf. Isaiah 30:21, "You shall hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it").  We are all called to be listeners and sometimes listening is a greater gift than speaking and someone may need a sympathetic ear.  We can tell them, "I hear you!"  We should be all ears and readily offer love by listening. Jesus told John that whoever has an ear to hear, should hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  If we don't listen, God will harden our hearts and we will become insensitive and stubborn (cf. Isaiah 6:10).

God can speak through anyone He chooses and we are vessels of honor and can be used:  Augustine heard the voice of a child say, "Take and read, take and read."  This led to his conversion and he was convinced God spoke through that child to his inner need.  Remember, it's an honor to be used by God and be ready to offer a listening ear and say, "I'm all ears," to anyone in need.  We are always vigilant and prepared to obey God's voice no matter the message:  Do you hear what I hear? or just what you want to hear?    Soli Deo Gloria!  

The Measure Of Success

"...[F]or you have done for us all our works"  (Isaiah 26:12, ESV).

"... Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD of hosts" (Zech. 4:6, ESV).

We tend to see worldly success as a sign of God's approval, or even prosperity as a keynote of spirituality; however, only God can judge true success, because He knows how faithful we are; we are not called to success, but to faithfulness, in the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  God does promise to prosper us if we are in His will and doing what He calls us to do.  God does promise to prosper us, but not in human means when we set out to do something in the name of the Lord and God is in it--that's success!  Finding this calling.

We all have a work to do, and it will be worth it in the judgment to hear our Lord say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."  Even Jesus said that He had completed the work that God had given Him to do.  He was primarily, a man on a mission extraordinaire, and this is not a bad model for us, once we feel led to serve the Lord.  As for me, there is no greater joy than to be used by God and to be engaged in His service.

It is important to realize that it is always God using us and working through us as His vessels to accomplish His will, and we get the privilege of being used by Him and receive the joy of serving Him--who can render to God what He deserves and payback to Him for His blessings?   Isaiah 26:12 says that all that we have accomplished God has wrought through us!  We are not to boast as Israel did in Amos 6:13, when God should be given credit, as recorded:  "[You] who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, 'Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?'"

Paul summed it up in Romans 15:18 (NIV) similarly:  "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...." This is the faith that we leave our comfort zones in faith and do God's bidding and will and leave the results to Him--that means not comparing ourselves to each other per 2 Cor. 10:12, which is "unwise."

We are always in a win-win situation with God on our side as our autopilot and captain directing us. We must remember that God can turn evil into good and make the most out of every situation--look how He turned the humiliating crucifixion into glory!  It is always tempting for all of us to base our achievement on the visible results like measuring success by the numbers or monetary value when we should be seeing the work of God in us and miracles behind the scene.  We must admit that we cannot achieve great things for God of our own effort, we can only faithfully cooperate with Him in a Spirit of love and good deeds, which we are destined to do (cf. Eph. 2:10).

If God owns the results, they aren't ours to criticize or evaluate!  God is the one who called us and has a purpose for it--He designed the universe, how much more were our lives laid out according to Psalm 139:16.  What they often tell you is to try harder and maybe you'll get better results:  But the answer is in trusting more and leaving the results to God, or, as they say, let go and let God--we can do nothing apart from Him  (As John 15:5 says, "Apart from me you can do nothing...").  In our culture everything is results-oriented and if we don't see them immediately we think we're failures (many authors have only had their manuscripts published posthumously).  We are hard-wired for results and think that spiritual success is measured as if it were under the scientific method of measurement and observation--this is not so, we must trust God to work in us and believe Him for results, not others or especially ourselves, nor seeking man's praise, not God's alone.

It is said that you shouldn't strive to do what you enjoy, as much as learn to enjoy what you do; this is what is meant in Ecclesiastes when it says there is joy in our toil--we're hard-wired for work and a work ethic!  We are not made for idleness and boredom is unnatural and man needs purpose and fulfillment in life, that only God can accomplish.  it doesn't matter who sows or reaps, but that God gives the increase! The lesson to be heeded is to do everything in the name of the Lord, to the glory of the Lord, and that we "get" to serve God, who also will reward us for being used!  Follow your passion in your vocation, but be ready to enjoy whatever God grants and whatever you must do.

Note that the work of salvation is applicable, too.  Salvation is not man's achievement, but God's accomplishment and we are impotent to do anything to prepare ourselves for it.  Only God can transform a heart and make one anew!  Left to ourselves, none of us would have believed or come to Jesus; much less if up to our own efforts we wouldn't be able to stay saved--He preserves as we persevere; He calls and woos as we come by His resurrection power.    We must realize that we come to Christ by grace alone and stay in Christ by grace alone--it's grace all the way.   Soli Deo Gloria!  

Finding Our Calling

The following verses are pertinent to finding God's will for your life:

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much..."  (Luke 16:10, ESV).

"... Well done, thou good and faithful servant..."  (cf. Luke 19:17, KJV).

"Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is"  (Eph. 5:17, ESV). 

"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, NIV). 

"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.  Long before we first heard of Christ, ... he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone"  (Ephesians 1:11, The Message).

"For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, ... everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him" (Colossians 1:16, The Message). 

"Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established" (Proverbs 16:3, ESV).

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death"  (Proverbs 16:18, ESV).

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand"  (Proverbs 19:21, ESV).  

"Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."  (Bertrand Russell, mathematician, philosopher, atheist, author of the famed book, Why I Am Not A Christian).


God has uniquely gifted everyone for the ability to know His will, but it isn't an automatic given to know it, though Acts 22:14 says it has been granted Paul to know His will.  We must search for it and be willing to do it or we will never know it.  "If any man wills to do His will..." (cf. John 7:17).   Obedience and willingness are provisos to finding out God's plan.  If we are not obedient in what He has revealed, we will not be given more light.  Most people blindly go through life, the blind leading the blind, and never find their true calling--they exist, but don't live. We are meant to live for something bigger than ourselves and for something that will outlast our lives--every chord we play strikes some note that will vibrate throughout eternity, but some of us march to the beat of a different drum than the light of Scripture.  "When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD" (Proverbs 19:3).  Man ruins his life, then blames God, or he is a success and congratulates himself!

This life is but a dress rehearsal and a tryout for the real thing in heaven, or a stage set for eternity, and we are meant to find out what we are here for. People who don't know their purpose attempt too much! Attempt great things for God, and expect greater things from God!  The Bible is our Owner's Manual and has everything we need to know for fulfillment in life!   Many people live as if they will never die, and die as if they never lived, and don't find purpose until their later years!  What a pity that the common man sees nothing more to live for than the Epicurean philosophy of "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" (cf. Isaiah 22:13) school of thought.  We are not to live just in the "here and now," but in "light of eternity," and "it ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our final day," according to commentator Matthew Henry.  We have the ability to see and expect the future, but with that comes the downside or drawback of being capable of worry.  We should never live in the past of regret, nor in the future of worry (paying dividends on bills we don't owe): These are the two thieves of our time and when we don't live life to the fullest it is usually this to blame.

Now, most people never even find out what they are good at, much less, their true calling in life: "God in heaven appoints each man's work" (John 3:27, NLT).  It is often said: "You missed your calling" with tongue-in-cheek.  The best we can hope for in life is to find out His will and plan for our lives, and it is never too late for God's best--He is in the business of changing lives and transforming them into the image of Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Cor. 5:17, ESV). Christ is still in the resurrection business and can change our lives from the inside out--we don't just turn over a new leaf, but start afresh with Jesus in charge--we are changed from the inside out.

There is no greater joy, than in doing the Lord's work, but there is a curse on anyone who is slack in doing it (cf. Jeremiah 48:10).  The happiest people, it has been put, are those who are too busy trying to meet other's needs and make them happy, that they don't have time to worry about their own.  The sure recipe of a wasted life is to live it for yourself--get your eyes off yourself and live for God's will, whatever the calling--there are many callings, but the same Spirit (and that's what counts!).

Many people experience a dramatic conversion and their whole life turns around or heads in a new direction after finding Christ:  Look at how prison radicalized the life of Chuck Colson (dirty-tricks and hatchet man for Pres. Nixon, turned philosophical apologist for the faith), for instance! God puts us through the fires of adversity to make us better people, and no one is exempt, not even Christ exempted Himself. Our crosses pale in comparison to His and we should be aware that adversity, trials, sufferings, discipline, and misfortune happen to all of us and are meant for our good, and Christ can turn even the most diabolical atrocity into something good:  "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (cf. Gen. 50:20). God orchestrates all events, even historically, and never loses control of His Plan. (Romans 8:28, ESV says:  "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good....")  We can do nothing to thwart His intentions and make God resort to a Plan B.

The most important link to finding God's will is seizing the day (going for it!), or carpe diem, or seeking God's will and recognizing it when you see it in the light of Scripture.  God will open doors, we just have to be ready to step into His will (cf. Isaiah 22:22).  When God opens a door, the impossible can become possible, because all things are possible with God (cf. Luke 1:37).  When I first became a believer, I didn't understand why my brothers in the Lord were so concerned about what God's will was:  "What would Jesus do?"  As we mature we have a greater desire to please God and live for Him and His glory: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (cf. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, ca. 1646).  "[E]veryone] who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made"  (Isaiah 43:7, ESV).  We must learn to live for Christ and not ourselves, to please others, not ourselves!

How do you know that you were not "born for such a time as this?" (Cf. Esther 4:14).  Living on purpose is the only way to live, says Rick Warren, and life makes no sense without purpose.  Life is an intricate plan of God and we are to fit into God's plans, not ask Him to fit into our plans! This is the origin of the Protestant work ethic.  When we are engaged and engrossed in God's work everything else is put into the right perspective:  "... I am doing great work, so I cannot come down..." (Nehemiah 6:3, KJV).  Motivation is primed by the right orientation:  "... [F]or the people had a mind to work" (Nehemiah 4:6, NKJV).  We want to be like Jesus at the end of our lives and be able to confess:  "... I have finished the work which You have given Me to do"  (John 17:4, NKJV).  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Showing Your Colors

Ponder the correlation between suffering and glory, realizing one unique trait of Christianity--meaning in suffering (no cross, no crown):

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us"  (Romans 8:28, ESV).

"I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation [suffering] and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus..." (Revelation 1:9, ESV).

"... [And] saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God"  (Acts 14:22, ESV).

"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance"  (Romans 5:3, ESV).

"... [And] a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed"  (1 Peter 5:1, ESV).

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you"  (1 Peter 5:10, ESV).

There will come a moment of truth for every believer before he is really seasoned and confirmed in the faith--when he makes his stand for Jesus.  This is not just confessing Him as Lord, but sticking up for what He stands for and risking something in the process--becoming a "confessor."  Jesus did say that we should consider the cost of discipleship and He didn't promise us a bed of roses.  In fact, He did all He could to discourage halfhearted admirers, of which there were many; however, these are not those he sought--we are not sidekicks or buddies of Christ, but worshipers and followers (a rare commodity).

The Christian way goes against the grain and is counter-cultural since we claim to know the only way to eternal life.  We would be egotistical if it was just us claiming this; however, Christ, Himself, made the claim of being the exclusive way to the Father--and He tolerates no rivals. This doesn't mean we are intolerant, which is the only vice modern man sees and they categorize believers as being.

We are called to bear a cross as believers and this doesn't mean as a fashion statement, but to be willing to suffer all and even give the ultimate sacrifice of our lives.  To be willing to go to our cross for Christ's sake, we must be absolutely convinced in our own minds:  "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced ..." (cf. 2 Tim. 1:12).  However, don't have a martyr's complex, thinking that the more you suffer, the better believe you are--and do not seek persecution or even be offensive as a person, because the offense should be in the cross.

We don't have to take the loyalty oath that first-century believers did to Caesar confessing, "Caesar is lord," but in everyday life, we are always being tested as to our devotion to Christ, and Satan is tempting us not to make Him first place in our priorities.  One reason we are to welcome suffering as friends is that it is all Father-filtered, which means God-approved, and it is guaranteed to work out for our best in the end (cf. Rom. 8:28).  God turns curses into blessings (cf. Gen. 50:20).  As they say, "Behind every cloud, there's a silver lining."

People don't turn their backs on Christ suddenly, but slowly, as they drift away and gradually lose their first love and devotion to Christ. Paul longed to participate in the "fellowship of His sufferings" (cf. Phil. 3:10).  The early disciple was glad that they were "considered worthy" of suffering for Christ's sake, to glorify Him.

How does this happen?  We run into everyday situations and conflicts that give us the opportunity to defend a Christian worldview or to preach the gospel, and we are not to be ashamed to own our Lord.  Actually, the more you stick up for Christ, the stronger your faith becomes.  As Paul said to the Philippians 1:29 (NKJV):  "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake."   

There is a downside to letting people know you're a believer:  They watch your every move and listen to what you say to look for hypocrisy.  They seem to think that if you don't live up to your faith, that this nullifies it and God isn't real.  It only proves your faith isn't real, not that God isn't real. They hate hypocrites and won't go to church because they think it's full of them, yet they go to the golf club and play with hypocrites all the time and don't give it a second thought.  You will want to keep your reputation and the pressure is high as you live under a microscope of observation.  But there is no alternative because there are no secret agent believers who refuse to stand up for Jesus.

The world will approve your faith and won't object to anything unless it is pushed on them--they call evangelizing a way of forcing your viewpoints.  They don't object to anything as long as you "privatize" it!  But we are called to preach the gospel and be salt and light in the world, not to stand by and let the devil have his way.  We need a thick skin and to be certain of our faith (and assurance of salvation is not an automatic fruit), to be able to withstand the fiery darts of the evil one (with assured faith and the helmet of salvation). Tertullian of Carthage, second-century church father, said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

As Esther said, she was born "for such a time as this" (cf. Esther 4:14, NKJV).  We are not to wear our religion on our sleeve, as it were, as an excuse, but to live righteous and holy lives that God can use as a witness to a dark world blinded by Satan.  In other words, we don't go out of our way to "advertise" that we are Christians, like carrying banners but to let Christ open the door no one can close in His timing.

We must absolutely aim to give God the glory and not to seek fame or take the credit ourselves, because He is the Potter and we are the clay and He is using us as vessels of honor for His own plan and purpose   But one thing I can tell you from experience, is that you shouldn't doubt the wisdom of God, that He can make the most unpleasant events turn out for the good and we will praise Him in the end.  It is only because He is trusting us with this trial and it is an honor to be tested.

We need to anticipate being used by God, and be prepared to defend the faith, contend for the faith, according to our faith.  We all have a shot at greatness and God only holds us responsible for what He gives us:  "to much is given, much is required."  As John Milton said in Paradise Regained, "Who best can suffer, best can do."  Jesus suffered more than anyone and our crosses pale in comparison; He isn't asking us to do anything He didn't do.

We should live in light of eternity and the final declaration of Christ saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."  God doesn't care about our bucket list, but in us completing His will before we check out, as it is written: "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption"  (Acts 13:36, ESV).   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Highest Calling

"Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season..." (2 Tim. 4:2, ESV).
NB: We are called to be Christ's ambassadors, preaching the gospel.

What this means is that preparation (and knowing the Word is implied here) is a requisite for preaching.  One needs to be ready for any opportunity God may give, in opening doors to preach--being sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. There is a world of difference between preaching and teaching and some teachers end up preaching!  (or should I say, in some cases, lecturing) and the latter may be "interesting, edifying, challenging, and informative (like info FYI)," but preaching takes it to the next level and faith comes by the preaching of the Word, while teaching is for discipling, and preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit's unction and anointing and is illuminating, enlightening, prophetic, challenging, upsetting, convicting, edifying, and inspiring--viva la difference!

When you preach you never know where the Spirit will lead, but that doesn't mean you don't prepare notes; it just means God may lead you off your subject, go off on a tangent, or go somewhere you couldn't have guessed and may mention in passing and be forced to leave your notes, because of a special anointing. Preaching the Word means faith in the Word and not in yourself, your experiences, your research, or the media you use. It isn't how professional you appear, but how spiritually prepared and led you are--prayer and faith are a must.

The called preacher afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.  You don't just learn something--you are edified (i.e., built up in the faith).  People have to be knocked out of their comfort zones, and you have to know where the sheep are to be able to do that.  People tune you out once they feel you are lecturing them and aren't speaking to their needs or relating to them--don't condescend or "wow" them with your scholarship or expertise. The last thing he wants to do is to appear pedantic or as dry as a seminary prof.  Paul said that he preached the "Christ and Christ crucified," and not himself--he wants to keep the focus off himself and on Christ and the cross, where the power is.

Preaching is prophesying to some degree when you edify the body you are controlled by the filling, having the anointing.  This is the highest calling for a believer, not a job (he isn't a hireling), but he will be judged according to how faithful he was in using his gift and being available, humble, sensitive, and obedient, more important than being able intellectually or naturally talented with appropriate inclinations.  God is able to make him able if he has faith and is sensitive to the leading of the Spirit.  There is a certain effect when one is preaching that the person really believes what he is saying and practices what he preaches and preaches what he practices, and he does it with obvious passion and a delivery that is noticeable and effective, through the power of the Spirit, not his own charisma or personality, lest he get the glory instead of God. 

The gift of teaching is not necessarily connected to the gift to preach, and elders who are good at teaching should be given double honor. Preaching is not something you seek, or aspire to, but are called to (if you can do anything else, do it!), and if you are ordained, you must do it and it drives you. Every mature believer should be able to teach to some degree, but he who prophesies edifies the church, and may not necessarily be called to preach.  Soi Deo Gloria