Chapter 26

HIS ENABLING FOR YOUR PURPOSE

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”

EPHESIANS 3:20 NIV

251 Who’s in Charge Here?

A man was bragging about becoming one of the vice presidents of his company. His friend said he expected a vice president of beans at the supermarket. The bragger thought that was crazy.

He called the local store. He asked to speak to the vice president of beans. The response was, “Fresh, canned, dried, or frozen?” That didn’t happen. But if it did, it would’ve happened just that way!

Peyton Manning was the quarterback of the Denver Broncos. He was in charge of the huddle. Every group needs a leader, whether a family, sports team, church, community, state, or nation.

I’ve attended meetings where the leader asked everyone to address an issue by the next meeting. The next meeting invariably revealed few if any did.

Everyone’s business is no one’s business. The leader must assign responsibility to someone to develop strategies by the next meeting.

Most organizations need many leaders committed to their missions. Each is responsible for accomplishing a specific aspect of it.

For example, in churches, someone must oversee each key area of congregational life: small groups, leadership, relationships, spirituality, worship services, evangelism, ministry, and organizational structure.

King David appointed twelve persons to oversee twelve army divisions (1 Chronicles 27:2–15). Each of Israel’s tribes had a leader (16–22).

King David selected twelve overseers to manage his property. That included the royal storehouses and storehouses in the outlying districts. They oversaw the workers who farmed the land, vineyards and produce from the vineyards.

Add to that oversight of his olive and sycamore fig trees and olive oil. It included his herds grazing in Sharon, in the valleys, camels, donkeys, and flocks (25–31). Someone must oversee each task and have a completion deadline.

Suppose you are in charge of a meeting of six people. You must accomplish two major tasks by the next meeting. What is your strategy?

Read Revelation 13.

252 Red and Yellow Child Discipline Principle

I had a conversation about school bus discipline with a friend. She drove a bus for thirty-five years. Even her middle school students were well-behaved.

She also led a class at the school for students that school officials had banned from riding the school bus for unruly behavior. She had a bottom-line discipline principle.

First comes a warning. Then, running the “red light” of expected behavior always produced unpleasant consequences.

First, she clearly explained behavioral rules and expectations. She didn’t argue with or yell at students for breaking those rules. She acted.

Those who were breaking the rules in her class received a yellow card. She placed it on their desk without a word. Continued disobedience yielded a red card. She called their parents immediately to pick them up. The bus-riding ban continued.

In her bus, persistently misbehaving elementary students received tokens. The students lost privileges at school. For example, they couldn’t go outside for recess. Students rarely received tokens more than once.

An amber light warns traffic must soon stop. A red light signals all cars must halt.

The penalty for not stopping is a fine and three demerit points in Pennsylvania. The police don’t argue with or yell at offenders. They deliver the consequences for breaking the law.

Without consequences for misbehavior, society would be completely chaotic. “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people's hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong” (Ecclesiastes 8:11 NIV).

Without consequences for misbehavior, homes become chaotic. Running the “red light” of expected behavior must always bring unpleasant consequences tailored to each misbehaving child.

What consequences did you experience when you misbehaved as a child? How much of a deterrent were those consequences? Read Revelation 14.

253 Big Little Decisions

About 40 years ago I decided to eat Cheerios for breakfast rather than sugary cereal. That choice has eliminated about a ton and a half of sugar and 800,000 calories from my diet.

In December 1981, I decided to write brief devotional reflections after my daily Bible reading. That has helped me get more from my Bible reading.

I decided to have a mole checked on my left cheek in 2015. That might have saved me from premature melanoma-caused death.

After her husband died unexpectedly, Ruth decided to accompany her mother-in-law, Naomi. She went with her back to Bethlehem rather than stay in Moab, her homeland.

There, one day, she took Naomi’s advice. She alerted Boaz that he could be her kinsman-redeemer.

She married him. She became a great-grandmother of King David (Ruth 3–4) and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

Little decisions can make a big difference. Before making them, it’s wise to seek God, truth, and advice.

Ask God for wisdom. Trust Him to direct you (James 1:5; Proverbs 3:5–6).

Get the facts before deciding. They support the choices of the wise (Proverbs 13:16).

Ask knowledgeable people for advice (Proverbs 24:6). Little decisions can make an enormous difference!

What little decision has made an enormous difference in your life?

Read Revelation 15.

254 The CARE Principle

In third grade, I received a polio vaccine shot at school. I returned to my classroom. Clarence Bowman, another student, was the only person there.

I fainted. Clarence went for help. I still remember his name! Going through a crisis or painful experience with someone develops strong relational ties. Especially, if that person helps you through the crisis or pain.

That’s the “CARE Principle.” The C stands for a crisis. The A for assistance. The R for relationship. The E for enhancement.

Crisis assistance enhances your relationships and builds trust. The CARE Principle fortifies friendships. It’s also the most effective way worldwide to build relationships with those who don’t yet know Jesus.

Crisis intervention usually includes relieving pain. You do it because you care. Some you assist will begin to follow Jesus.

CARE summarizes Jesus’ approach to ministry. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He cast demons out of people.

He fed the hungry. He calmed the sea. He made water into wine. He intervened in crisis after crisis.

He came to earth to address the greatest crisis of all—human sinfulness and its terrible eternal consequences. He came to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).

He’s your ministry model. CARE requires self-sacrificial giving to benefit others.

Churches need ministries that develop deep, caring relationships with others. They help them find healing in their hurting places.

Such outreach efforts pay great dividends. They influence people to consider following Jesus wholeheartedly.

First, you intervene in others’ pain and suffering. Then you often have a chance to tell them that Jesus is the ultimate source of help. You let them know how they can know Him too (Matthew 5:16).

How can you and your church’s ministry benefit from the CARE Principle? Read Revelation 16.

255 The Parable of the Celery Farmer

Once upon a time, a celery farmer planned a long journey. He didn’t know when he’d return. He put a hired hand over his celery farm.

“When I return, you must tell me how you managed my farm,” he said. “I want you to produce the best celery you can. My reputation depends on it.

I once harvested 40,000 pounds of celery per acre. Try to break my record. Do you understand what I’m asking you to do?”

“Yes, I understand,” said the hired man. “You want more and better celery.”

“Exactly,” said the farmer. “See you later. Remember what I told you.”

The hired hand quickly discovered that growing more and better celery was demanding work. Weed pulling never stopped. He sweated under summer’s blazing sun. His hands felt like ice blocks when he processed celery in the late fall and early winter.

He harvested 35,000 pounds per acre. But he concluded that raising celery was too hard. The celery farmer didn’t return.

The next season the hired hand planted wheat instead of celery. He learned the methods of successful wheat farmers. He harvested thirty bushels per acre the first year.

That increased to forty in the second year and fifty in the third. “The celery farmer will be overjoyed when he returns,” he thought

One June day the celery farmer returned. He didn’t recognize his farm. Instead of celery, wheat was everywhere.

The celery farmer was angry. He’d made his will clear before he left. More and better celery is all that mattered to him. More and better anything else is no substitute for more and better celery. The celery farmer fired the hired hand on the spot.

Churches use offerings and attendance as a measure of success. They’re not terrible things. But measuring them isn’t your Commission.

You’re to make more and better followers of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). Rewriting the job description Jesus gave you doesn’t make God happy!

How can God use you to contribute to His Commission to make more and better followers of Jesus? Read Revelation 18.

256 Show Me Your Disciples

“Show Me your disciples,” the Lord said to Bill during his Judgment Seat review.

“I went to church almost every Sunday for sixty years,” said Bill.

“I know what you did every second of your life,” said the Lord, “Show Me your disciples.”

“I often helped at the food bank,” said Bill, “and we fed many people.”

“Feeding people should have been part of making disciples,” said the Lord, “Show Me your disciples.”

“I gave generously every Sunday,” said Bill.

“I know exactly how much you gave,” said the Lord, “Show Me your disciples.”

“I served on the church board for twenty years,” Bill said.

The Lord said, “I gave you that opportunity to empower the whole church to expand My kingdom by making disciples. Making disciples has been the goal from the beginning. Show Me your disciples.”

The Lord continued, “I commanded you to make disciples of all people groups (Matthew 28:18–20). Following Jesus included completing your part in the disciple-making task.

Feeding people was a caring bridge to win their trust and lead them to faith and spiritual maturity. Giving was the natural response to all I’ve given you. Part of giving should’ve been sharing the difference I made in your life.

Serving on the church board was an opportunity to organize and lead the congregation in the disciple-making mission. Show me those you’ve influenced to make Jesus the hub of their lives. Show Me your disciples.”

That scenario is convicting. When you’re a superficial Christian, you’re blind to your purpose. Thinking you’re saved so you can go to heaven when you die is a serious error.

You’re on earth to make disciples motivated by love for God and others. Do you know how to do that?

Christian Growth Resources provides free evangelism, discipleship, and leadership resources to help. I challenge you to use them, so you won’t be ashamed if you hear, “Show Me your disciples.”

How can you fine-tune your ministry to accomplish God’s purpose for it? Read Revelation 19.

257 Distracted

Distracted can kill. Holli Platt said she forgot her baby in a hot car in Arizona. Her other three children, excited to buy things, distracted her. Fortunately, the baby lived.1

Distracted driving includes driving under the influence of electronic devices. About 58 percent of teens involved in accidents are texting.

Between 2015 and 2018, 14,730 died in the USA because of distracted driving.2

Go to a restaurant and observe how distraction is more a rule than an exception. The family eating dinner has no conversation. All eyes are glued to phones. No one is fully present.

My wife has asked me to do a chore. Then, something else grabs my attention. I forget about the chore.

Others can interpret my distraction as untrustworthiness in fulfilling my promises. Can you identify with being easily distracted? An Old Testament story can help you stay on track.

Moses gave the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh land east of the Jordon River. He did that before the Israelites conquered the Promised Land (Numbers 32:33).

He charged them with helping the other tribes acquire the territory West of the Jordan River. Even though they already had their land.

After they completed the military operations, Joshua commended them. “For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you” (Joshua 22:3 NIV).

Nothing distracted them. They kept their promise. They were like repair people whom you fully pay before they start a job. They finish it anyway with fully focused faithfulness.

Pursue the Great Commission God has given you with fully focused faithfulness!

What things distract you from fully focused faithfulness to God?

Read Revelation 20.

258 Second Chances and Last Impressions

You don’t get a second chance to make the first impression. But you’ve many chances to make a last impression. The last impression is more accurate and realistic.

First impressions often mislead. Not every glittering stone is a diamond.

I conducted a man’s funeral service who didn’t attend any church. He was highly esteemed in town.

Five minutes before the service began his daughter spit out angry words. “I don’t want you to say he was a nice man!”

She went through his stuff after his death. She found letters from other women. She discovered her father’s unfaithfulness to her mother.

Courtships usually begin with mutual five-star first impressions. They end weeks, months, or years later with mutual one-star last impressions! Angels somehow morph into demons!

You get many chances to make a last impression. Sam Ficken began his sophomore season at Penn State making only four of his first eleven field goal attempts. That’s not stellar! He finished the season kicking the ball between the uprights ten times in a row.

Tom Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft. He’s now widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time.

The early Christians’ first impression was that Saul (later Paul) threatened their very existence (Acts 8:3). He breathed out murderous threats against them (Acts 9:1). Today he’s considered the greatest missionary of all time.

A good last impression is better than a good first one. One final impression matters most—God’s saying “well done” when you see Him face-to-face (Matthew 25:23)!

Why is it better to focus on making last impressions than first impressions?

Read Revelation 21.

259 Spiritual Laziness

Creatures on earth are naturally lazy. They expend as little energy as possible while consuming as many calories as possible.

Cows don’t run laps around the pasture! Fish don’t compete in races. It’s a supremely successful prewired survival strategy.

Alligators, fish, cats, pigs, dogs, and others follow it. Doing so helps them reproduce after their kind. That’s their purpose.

Laziness is in your genes. Fight it. You have a noble purpose—to become like Jesus (Romans 8:29) and accomplish God’s purpose for your life (Ephesians 2:10). Both require you to expend energy.

God provides the internal power you need to fulfill His will for your life (Ephesians 1:19–20, Colossians 1:29). Yet, fulfilling your purpose is an ongoing struggle.

Your biological makeup is more a resting cow than a diligent ant. You tend to watch work rather than do it. You prefer to rest before rather than after you get tired.

If you were naturally diligent, you wouldn’t need a supervisor to keep you working (2 Chronicles 2:18). God wouldn’t command: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the LORD.” (Romans 12:11 NIV).

The implication in Hebrews 6:12 is the lazy won’t inherit what God has promised. You see the same truth in Matthew 25:26–30.

The master described the servant who did nothing with the resources entrusted to him as lazy and worthless. He condemned him to darkness replete with weeping and gnashing of teeth.

True faith works. Laziness is a genuine problem. Those who produce no spiritual fruit don’t know God at all. Give yourself fully to the Lord’s work, knowing it’s never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

How does spiritual laziness hinder you from becoming like Jesus and accomplishing God’s purpose for your life? What adjustments do you need to make? Read Revelation 22.

260 When Your Last Day Meets Your First Day

Are you pressured to stuff a quart of limited, precious life into a pint container? Would not feeling that pressure change your attitude in slow traffic or long lines?

Suppose you knew you’d live one thousand years. How would that affect your perspective on how much time you have to serve others today?

Dead-end living squeezes every drop of enjoyment from the sponge of life before the road ends. It sniffs all the flowers. It picks all the berries along the road that might end just over the hill.

It has no hope of life beyond the grave. Death is a period, not a comma. It recoils from everything that wastes time.

How would your earthly perspective change if you knew your last day on earth merges seamlessly into your first day of forever? It does. Are you prepared for life beyond the grave?

Jesus links your eternal destiny with your sacrifices for others during your earthly existence (Matthew 25:31–46). Those who minister to the needs of others will receive an inheritance prepared for them since the world’s creation (Matthew 25:34).

They serve the lowly and least on earth. Unknowingly, they’re serving their King (Matthew 25:40).

By contrast, many people think almost exclusively about what’s best for them on earth. They try to squeeze all the enjoyment from life that they can. They have a different fate.

They didn’t serve their King when they didn’t serve the lowly and least. The King sends them away to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). Faith in Christ that saves also changes character and conduct. It produces love that serves others. Along life’s road pick berries for others to eat and flowers for them to smell.

How are you preparing for forever? Read Genesis 1 and continue reading through the Old Testament at a chapter-a-day pace.

Introduction

SOURCE NOTES

Introduction

Thom Rainer, info@churchanswers.com, February 18, 2021

Would Your Horoscope Lie to You?

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology

Believing in God Is Not Enough (1)

1. Barna, George. What Americans Believe. Regal Books. 1991. p. 201.

2. Lockyer, Herbert. All the Doctrines of the Bible. Zondervan. 1964. p. 194.

3. Walker, Ralph, Concord, North Carolina. Leadership Magazine. Winter Quarter 1991, p. 49.

4. Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations. Assurance Publishers. 1984. p. 185.

Are You Good Enough for Heaven? (1)

Kuntzman, Gersh. in New York Post printed in “Heroes for Today” in Reader’s Digest. July 1998. p. 85.

Are You Good Enough for Heaven? (2)

Barna, George. What Americans Believe. Regal. 1991. p. 89.

Are You Good Enough for Heaven? (3)

Green, Michael. Evangelism Through the Local Church. Oliver Nelson. 1992. p. 27

Are You Good Enough for Heaven? (4)

Clemente, Karen. In “Brightside.” Campus Crusade for Christ. November 1997.

What’s on Your Plate?

Does Jesus Still Heal?

This story is adapted from a newsletter article by Dr. David Nelms of The Timothy Initiative.

What’s Your Defining Passion?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deb_Hoffmann

Are You Content?

https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-credit-card-debt

Have I Done Enough?

1.https://theknow.denverpost.com/2019/06/25/alex-honnold-free-solo-next/217867/

2. https://quotabulary.com/quotes-sayings-about-complacency

The Price of Fruit

(www.ers.usda.gov/.../fruit-and-vegetable-prices.aspx)

Falling off the Wagon

Hendrickson, Robert. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins. Goodreads. 1987.

Protecting Your Heart

All Religions Are Not Equal (2)

Hunter III, George. Church for the Unchurched. Abingdon. 1996. p. 21.

Ibid. p. 22.

Gumbel, Nicky. Searching Issues. Cook Ministry Resources. 1996. p. 32.
Hunter, p. 23.

All Religions Are Not Equal (3)

1. Green, Michael. Evangelism Through the Local Church. Oliver-Nelson Books. p. 55.

2. Ibid. p. 55.

3. Ibid. p. 56.

All Religions Are Not Equal (4)

Gumbel, Nicky. Searching Issues. Cook Ministry Resources. 1996. p. 29.

All Religions Are Not Equal (5)

Gumbel, Nicky. Searching Issues. Cook Ministry Resources. 1996. p. 35.

Why You Need Glasses

https://www.elitedaily.com/news/world/people-wear-glasses-smarter-study/964248).

What Happens When You Tell the Truth?

Are You Noticeably Different?

Kinnaman, David. UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters. Goodreads. 2007.

Anger Bone Connected to the Fear Bone

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/01/charles-duhigg-american-anger/576424/
https://slate.com/culture/2011/01/american-anxiety-the-three-real-reasons-why-we-are-more-stressed-than-ever-before.html
Robert L. Leahy, Anxiety Free: Unravel Your Fears Before They Unravel You (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2009).

Ten Thousand Miles per Gallon Words

Quote by William Arthur Ward: “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize...” (goodreads.com)

Faith and Scientific Proof

https://www.azquotes.com/quote/565863

https://www.azquotes.com/quote/565822

Creation and Evolution (1)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_Plantarum

Creation and Evolution (2)

Keller_white_paper-compressed.pdf (biologos.org)

Creation and Evolution (3)

Denis Alexander (Creation or Evolution: Do We Have to Choose? (Monarch Books, Oxford, UK, 2008).

Is the Bible Reliable? (2)

Bruce, F. F. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? InterVarsity Press. 1978. p. 17.
Ibid., p. 18.
McDowell, Josh. More Than a Carpenter. Tyndale. 1977. p. 49.
Bruce, F. F. “Transmission and Translation of the Bible.” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, pp. 43-44.

Is the Bible Reliable? (3)

Green, Michael. Man Alive. 1968. InterVarsity Press. p. 54.

Is the Bible Reliable? (4)

1. Henry, Carl F. H. “The Authority and Inspiration of the Bible,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 31.

2. Gumbel, Nicky. Questions of Life. 1996. David C. Cook. p. 71.

The Greatest of All Time

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/935g5v/simone-biles-would-like-to-thank-herself

Humble Boldness

https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/humility

Your Homework

1 in 5 churches facing permanent closure within 18 months due to COVID-19 shutdowns: Barna pres. - The Christian Post

Baptism

1. Bruce, F.F. Commentary on the Book of Acts. NIC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962. p. 77.

2. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/didache.htm

Obedience

1. https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/31-steps-toward-spiritual-maturity

God’s Favorite Perfume

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/perfume-fragrances-market-2018

Is God Just a Facebook Friend?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dunbar-layers...

Flee from Idolatry (1)

1.(http://www.asla.org/uploadedFiles/CMS/Government_Affairs/Federal_Government_Affairs/OIA_OutdoorRecEconomyReport2012.pdf; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/01/your-money/01money.html?_r=0 ).

2. https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/31-steps-toward-spiritual-maturity

Flee from Idolatry (2)

https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/31-steps-toward-spiritual-maturity

Flee from Idolatry (3)

1.https://abcnews.go.com/Health/depression-rates-tripled-pandemic-study/story?id=72724832

Pie Plate Spirituality

https://factsandtrends.net/2018/01/26/americans-say-theyre-spiritual-not-religious/

LED Living

Learn About LED lights | ENERGY STAR
Payback Snapback

1.https://web.stanford.edu/~omidf/KarinaSchumann/KarinaSchumann_Home/Publications_files/Schumann.SPPC.2010.pdf

Jesus Is Lord (1)

Jesus Is Lord (2)

https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/31-steps-toward-spiritual-maturity

Worship (1)

William Temple, quoted by David Watson, I Believe in Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishers, 1976), 157.
https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/31-steps-toward-spiritual-maturity

Worship (2)