The Purpose – Help Others See

October 10, 2014

{Jesus to Paul} “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” – Acts 26:18

Salvation is by no means the end of the journey.  No, for that event of accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is just the beginning.  The journey consists of the daily effort to help and serve those around you to come to an understanding that God, through Jesus Christ, is the answer for them as well. 

Everyone is seeking something more.  Each day, we wake up and believe that today will be different than yesterday.  We judge our accomplishments in 18 hour windows, from the moment you wake up to the moment you lay your head down at night.  This is global, every country, every state, every village and every home; the routine is the same.   The problem that everyone of us is facing though is that when we lay our head down, there is still a feeling that more could have been done.

Saul (later converted to Paul) was approached by Jesus Christ directly.  A light so bright it blinded him temporarily.  He heard the Lord say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  (Acts 26:14) So, I ask, is that truly what it will take for some to come to Jesus?  A personal visit to convince them that He is real.  Jesus went on to give Paul his direction and purpose for the rest of his life on earth (Acts 26:17-18 above). 

We are no different than Paul, having accepted, by faith, that Jesus Christ is Lord.  We are purposed to learn from Jesus, through His Word, and open the eyes of those around us.  There is no limiter on this, no filter on who we should help.  Therefore we should look for opportunities to help them all – family, friends, co-workers, students, neighbors, strangers, foreigners and enemies.

It’s not a suggestion, it’s a directive from Jesus Christ himself.  Why then is it so difficult for most of us to take the initiative?  I propose it is pride.  Fear of confrontation, political correctness or embarrassment; which all comes down to maintaining a perceived image in someone else’s eyes, therefore pride.  Most of us who have accepted Jesus Christ are content with salvation and be done with pursuing Him.  It’s almost like a checkbox in our life plan, once completed we can then move on to something else.  I fear that is not salvation at all, but rather a convenient escape clause for death.  We should not be okay with the fact that our spouse, our children, our parents, our siblings, our neighbors, our friends and colleagues, our classmates and even the strangers we meet are destined for Hell.  Whether you like it or not, you have a responsibility to help open their eyes to the truth each and every day.

When your head hits the pillow at night, forget what you did for the company, for your social network, for your family and for your friends and simply ask yourself one thing – “Did I do everything I could for God today?”

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The Willing Servant

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“I {Paul} have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers"   – 2 Corinthians 11:26

There will come a day when you are challenged for what you believe and why you believe it.  In this modern age of the 21st century we live in a society where people generally try to just “get along” with each other and stay out of each other’s business.  I happen to live in a country where individuals are free to raise their voice and praise a god of their choosing, without legal condemnation.  This is not the case in many countries of the world.  It is against the law to preach Christianity outside of an approved church building in some Asian countries.  It is against the law to try to convert a Moslem to Christianity in many Middle Eastern countries.  The fear for one’s safety, freedom and human rights is taken for granted by most Christians in today’s society, because we aren’t faced with the daily pressure of trying to reach a population that is unreceptive. 

Paul, after his conversion on the road to Damascus, spent his entire life preaching, evangelizing and attempt to convert others to Christianity.  This included Jews, Gentiles, Romans and anyone else who would listen.  He preached to rulers, Governors, citizens, religious leaders, laborers, slaves, teachers, rabbis, and even Caesar himself (Acts 27:23-24). Imprisoned multiple times for his preaching, his life threatened on numerous occasions, but nothing could deter Paul from his God ordained purpose in life. 

Was Paul an extraordinary individual, and holier than you or I?  No.  Paul’s testimony was given time and time again in countries all around the Mediterranean area including Greece, Rome, Israel, Galatia, Ephesus, Phyrigia, Syria, Mysia , and many other areas in what would be modern day Bulgaria, Turkey and Iran.  His travels and missionary trips could be credited for bringing the Christian faith to what is today Europe.  But notice that Paul did not travel Eastward toward Asia as recorded in Acts 16:6; “…having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.”  Here is what differentiates Paul from most of us, as followers of Jesus Christ.  Paul was a willing servant to the Lord.  He was willing to do whatever God asked him to do.  He was so in touch with the Holy Spirit through his daily studies and relationship with the Lord that his desires in life no longer drove his actions.  He surrendered his plan for his life to pursue the plan God had designed for him.

Paul, the Apostle, is an image of someone who pursued his faith with a fervent love, respect and reverence for the Lord.  Most Christians in today’s world (2.1 billion as we discussed yesterday) are what I consider comfortable Christians.  Our walk with the Lord occupies less than 10% of our daily thought and activity, 30% is spent resting and 60% is focused on living out our plans for life.  These are choices we make in life that separate us from the Saints of the Bible.  Peter, Paul, John, Mark, Luke, Stephen and so on all chose to dedicate their life to serving the One and only God of the Universe with everything they had.  We shouldn’t hold them up as idols, but understand that the same Holy Spirit that dwelt within them is available to you.  People are constantly asking the question, “What is my purpose?” , and the answer is pretty straight forward.  Give your life wholeheartedly to God, and it will become very obvious.  He gives you the choice.  That’s the God I serve.

Prayer:

Almighty God,

You have given us mighty examples of men of faith, courage and wisdom that have chosen to follow You unashamedly and without abandon.  Paul, Peter, John and the others all gave their complete life to You as a vessel to be used for Your Kingdom.  We look to them as examples of what serving looks like and we seek that same passion within our own heart.  You have promised to meet our every need in life, and to use the willing servant; help us to come to that decision and strengthen our faith and trust in You Lord, to step out and actually serve You.  In Your name I pray – Amen

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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What will it take?

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“And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” – Romans 11:6

Day and night he studied, he poured himself into his learning and committed himself to excel like no one that had come before him.  The educators were astounded by his depth of knowledge and his ability to quickly adapt and learn from their teachings.  A competitive spirit ran through him, which only added to his ability to succeed.  Where others would tire and give up, he kept going, he kept moving forward and he was never shy about ensuring those around him knew it.  By no stretch of the imagination was he a shy individual, no quite the opposite.  His ego and pride would get in the way of his acceptance into most circles of friends at the local gathering spot.  He was a “by the book” rule follower and wanted very clear direction as to what was required to be the best.  If he could fully embrace the requirement, it made it measurable and manageable on how to achieve it.

He graduated University far ahead of every other in his class, and looked at the world before him as his new challenge.  Nothing could stop him from reaching his goals and achieving perfection in everything he chose to pursue.  In the dark of night he was brought into counsel with his elders to plan and strategize and learn of their ways.  There was an uprising amongst their people and it had to be eliminated.  It threatened everything they stood for, everything they had built and held as truth would be abolished.  For generations and generations their ways had been carried forth and now sat on the precipice of being overturned.  It must be put to an end.

Saul of Tarsus, was within the circle of leaders in the Jewish counsel.  His knowledge of the scriptures and the covenants were perfectly in line with theirs and he had demonstrated the willingness to do whatever it took to uphold the laws of God, passed down from their ancestors.  He went as far as necessary, even to the point of killing those who believed in this new thing.  He led the charges against these Christians, held the cloaks and observed of those taking action against these martyrs for their cause.  For this rebellious lot had been preaching and teaching that this one called Christ was the answer to salvation, and that mankind could not achieve glorious righteousness and acceptance by the Father but through Him.  To the Pharisees and Sadducees of the day, this was blasphemous and punishable by death, according to the law.  Saul, found himself at the front of that line of scripture filled, law abiding Jewish leaders of the day.  Fully prepared to extinguish this group of rebels from the earth, in the name of upholding the law of Yahweh.

You see, in the eyes of these Jewish leaders, there were strict processes to be followed to receive forgiveness from the Father.  There were sacrifices that must be brought to the alter, and penance to pay for every wrong doing.  For in their eyes, salvation was only available to those who followed God’s laws perfectly and abided by their teachings and their intercession.  This man, Jesus, from Nazareth had been teaching the children of God about love, mercy and forgiveness that could be received directly.  He made the Kingdom of God available to everyone, even the Samaritans and the Gentiles.  Now, having put him to death, these followers of his continued to preach and spread his gospel of heavenly grace and acceptance.

“Saul, Saul – why do you persecute Me?”  he heard plain and clearly as he rode along the path that day. Falling to the ground, Saul, was in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting.”  This he had not prepared for.  This he had not studied at University or learned from the scrolls or from the Pharisees he communed with.  He was confronted by the One they had killed on the cross.  He had heard the stories that Jesus was not dead, but had risen from the grave.  They all had heard the stories, but none of them could have imagined the stories to be true.  Yet, here He was, speaking to Saul, plain as day.  Saul had come into His presence and would be forever changed.

Saul of Tarsus, accepted Christ that day in an experience that would forever change the world.  He later became Paul, the Apostle.  Through his knowledge of the scriptures, the experiences of his life and the passion, conviction and determination that God had placed in him at birth; he became God’s evangelist.  For the remaining years of his life, he would travel the entire Mediterranean basin, teaching and preaching of God’s grace and love to all mankind.  He had come to the realization that despite our feeble attempts to live perfectly and abide by every law, rule and guideline we cannot achieve salvation and sanctification, but by the blood of Jesus Christ.  He fell deep into the knowledge of God’s grace and mercy; and spent his remaining days living from day to day in that grace with one purpose, to share it with every soul he met.

Are you waiting for your personal intervention before you take action?  There is no act that you can perform to gain more acceptance or to win God’s love.  You already have it, simply by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ.  You simply must accept the grace and redemption that has been bought and paid for.  You must make the choice.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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How to Say Goodbye

“The Lord, Jesus Christ, be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen” 
                                                                                   -2 Timothy 4:22

 

People say good bye in so many different ways.  Not just from country to country but in meaning as well.  There are some that are casual about goodbyes with a wave, nod or handshake.  Then there are the huggers with a soft gesture of farewell.  There are those that believe every goodbye is a heartfelt and emotional because you just never know if it may be your last.  Regardless of your personal style, you must admit that saying goodbye is a great opportunity to also offer a blessing for the other individual.

This verse in 2 Timothy is believed to be the last of Paul’s writings.  It is traced back to Rome, when he was imprisoned and stood before Nero Caesar, in 67 A.D.  Paul is estimated to have spent around 5 or 6 years in jail for preaching and teaching of the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  In this second letter to Timothy he clearly celebrates Timothy’s growth as an evangelist and work in the ministry, but then turns to advising and mentoring near the end of the letter.

It is almost as if Paul realized he were at the end.  This goodbye was much more formal than any of his other letters, in that he added the first part, “The Lord, Jesus Christ, be with thy spirit.”.  Paul often called upon God’s grace in his closing remarks, but here he is praying directly for the Lord Jesus Christ to be with his spirit.  The death of Paul the Apostle is not recorded in the scriptures.  It is commonly held though, that shortly after penning this letter to Timothy he was sentenced to death by execution.  Early manuscripts support the view that he was martyred by the act of beheading, sometime in the middle of 68 A.D.

In all, 13 books of the New Testament were penned by Paul the Apostle.  Through his ministry and journeys he spread the gospel of Jesus Christ across the Mediterranean Basin, and throughout Samaria and Judea.  Many churches were born as a result of Paul’s persistence and passion for preaching of Jesus Christ to all.  I’ve personally visited Athens, Jerusalem and Caesarea where the archeologists have uncovered the remains of what Paul clearly describes throughout his writings.  As such, it confirms in my eyes, the truth of this man’s travels and ministry.  Two thousand years have passed and his writings are still held in high regard in churches all around the globe.  His testimony of that miraculous meeting on the road to Damascus was recorded multiple times in letters and sermons to the early churches.  If it weren’t so, than Paul’s ministry would not have lasted 24 years unattested.  He was a great missionary for the Lord because he spoke the truth, remained consistent in following wherever the Holy Spirit led him all the way to the sword.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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The Debate is Over

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"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. "              - 1 Corinthians 13:1

The global stage is large and many have taken the steps across the pages of our mind with opinions, statements and proclamations.  Some have been based on fact and truth and others have been completely contrived in the minds of those seeking attention and glory.  In the internet age, we have a world full of noisy gongs and clanging cymbals; as individuals use every form of communication available to get their perspective in front of the masses.  Where does one draw the line though?  When did truth and facts become replaced by ideology and innuendo?  At what point did we cross over to accepting and tolerating everything being said as if it were truth? 
 
 

STOA ATTALOS, Athens, Greece (2004)

In ancient Greece the stoics would sit along the STOA ATTALOS (Greek: ETOA ATTAΛOY) in the shadows of the Parthenon in Athens and have philosophical debates.  In this environment, in that setting, we would find Plato, Aristotle and other philosophers questioning the meaning of life, the existence of mankind and the gods of the universe.  Their debates weren’t covered on CNN or FoxNews and blogged around the world as if they were fact or truth.  They were very intelligent men debating the essence of humanity while accepting that there were infinite answers to their questions.  Their ability to challenge the thinking of mankind, based on their personal opinion was a catalyst for thinking outside the box, and without limitations. 

In Acts 17:16-34, we find Paul the Apostle in Athens, debating the philosophers and Stoics of that time on their gods vs. the God, “Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.” (v.18)  Paul went on to challenge the gods and idols of their worship – “…I even found an alter with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.  Therefore, the one you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.”  (v.23)  He then proceeded to explain of Jesus Christ, God who loved us so much that He came as a man, suffered, died and rose again from the grave, and will one day return to judge mankind. 

As stoics and philosophers it was difficult for them to accept on faith that Jesus was God and that this God loved them.  Everything they had debated for centuries had pointed toward gods of the sun, the fire, the wind, nature, love, fertility and so on and so on.  For them to accept that there was only one God and He offered salvation for them to join Him in eternity was so outside the box, that it was unacceptable to most of that day.  We struggle with the same philosophy today.  Is God real and does He truly love me enough to forgive my transgressions and allow me to spend eternity with Him in heaven?  The answer is absolutely yes.  Jesus came for that purpose and that purpose only, to create a way for you to be redeemed and enjoy the fruits of salvation with God the Father.  Other’s will debate it the rest of their lives, and one day realize the error of their ways.  Quit listening to the resounding gongs and cymbals and accept the truth that is given through the Holy Bible, God’s word.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com