Purpose Driven Study!

[IslandRose]

Teri, What a blessing!

I know a young lady who is a precious child of God. She lives under some difficult situations, trying to serve the Lord. But I think one of the most difficult things she strives under is the fact that her family constantly reminds her that she was an accident. Unplanned. When things go wrong, they say this to her. This lesson teaches exactly what I have been trying to get her to understand. That while her parents may not have planned her birth, God knew exactly what He was doing. She was not an "accident". She has a place in God eternal plan. Why He placed her in a family that seems not to appreciate her, I don't know. But her job is to just allow Him to use these circumstances to shape her into the image of His Son. And to serve Him to the best of her abilities where she is.

IR :il:

[Matthitjah]

Bless you Saints,

Teri ,

Great for that boy. G-d bless him.

You know as I read this I was taken by the stark revelation that I was given a great gift. He formed me and knew me. He breathed His very life into me. I have much to return to Him.

He will be looking for a return on His investment.

Like the parable of the talents. I best not return the one He gave me. A little tarnished and dirty from hiding it. He is a shrewd investor and seeks a return on His capital.

I was just talking to a young lady at work tonight. She was talking about feng shiu (probably spelled wrong) . Some placement of furnishing thing. She was talking about how it makes harmony.

I told her to open her mouth . She thought I was crazy. I said really do it. She was like okay. I was looking like HMMMMM!

She was concerned and asked, what? I was like yeah just like I thought . There is a darkness there. No amount of furniture placement will make up. Your life hangs in the balance. The Lord is shrewd and He desires a return on the investment He's made.

What ya gonna say when He asks, what did you do with the life I provided?

Oh I feng shuied! It made me harmoniuos!

Please?

I told her the same thing. G-d formed her and knows how many hairs are on her head. That she is made fearfully in His image. That she best get about praising Him for it. He desires a return on His Glory!

We ought not to lose sight of the fact that it is His Glory. I struggle to accept his Will. As do we all.

The things I struggle to let go of are because I like having control.

None of us are here by accident. Even if we feng shui.

Peace, :il:

Dave

[Matthitjah]

Greetings Saints,

Day 3

What drives your life?

Opening verse and commentary;

I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy! Ecclesiastes 4;4 (LB)

The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder--- a waif, a nothing, a no man. Thomas Carlyle

Point to ponder: Living on purpose is the path to peace.

Verse to remember: "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you." Isaiah 26:3 (TEV)

Question to consider: What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? What do I want it to be?

Let the Lord lead.

Peace,

Dave

[Guest Teri]

My 22 year old daughter called me tonight to tell me about this wonderful book she is reading and she is on chapter two today. Yep it's the same book, The Purpose Driven Life. My husband also jumped on board when I told him about his son's response today, so it's turning into a family affair.

Isn't God awesome. Do you ever wonder why you were chosen to live where you do? I have been thinking about this all day and I can not even begin to express the gratitude I have for being born in the US. Here I was readily exposed to Christ and here I can openly express my Love of Him, and go to a church of my choosing and all of that. And to think I am here because God chose to put me here.

In Yeshua's love

Teri

[Matthitjah]

Blessing to you all in Christ Jesus,

The quote that struck me from this chapter was this;

It is usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy!

Amen! That was me. The Lord released me. Now when I work I work for Him ! My joy is in knowing that all I do I do for Him.

So everything labor holds joy now.

This quote too struck me;

George Bernard Shaw;

"This is the true joy of life: the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

I used to really think . If I believed in G-d it was going to get me something? I was one of those believers who said well I put in my Sundays and that is good enough. I'm justified. Now back to my self imposed little heaven. I got nothing , nothing ! why? I was in it for me.

I must keep up with the Jones. I must have that new house. I must have that new car. All the while burying myself deeper in the lie. All the while working more and resenting more. Losing more of the me that G-d had created . A joyless little lump of crap, I was I began to resent the house , the car, the nice clothes. I began to say ," G-d what am I doing wrong?"

What was I doing wrong?

I was a selfish little ball of crap!(sorry no other fitting word) On the verge of digging deeper into the lie and selling out to the devil once again. By taking some mind altering drug to induce me into a state where I no longer loathed what I in my vanity had built up!

Oh but that faithful day. The Lord Loved me as He always has! He was right there and I didn't even know it.He was holding my hand and Loving me. He was standing between myself and much pain between i and the very enemy. I sat in that doctors office as she told me the lie. "You know" she said, "life doesn't get any easier as you get older. What if your child gets sick, or on drugs, what if your wife is sick? Here just take these little pills I'm gonna prescribe and see this shrink. It will all be okay." "You know life is hard and this will help!"

Oh' Saints I prayed while the devil slipped out. I prayed Father I don't know what I've been doing? But Father I am your son! I believe, I believe. I will have Faith. I cryed out loud. I believe help me Father!

She came back," Here take this slip and take off the edge!"

I was the bravest man I know at that point. Why ? I saw purpose to my now bleak existance.

I said you know what I believe in G-d . Thru much tears. I even now recalling it said I believe in G-d and I don't need this stuff. I have Faith he will direct my life. Life is not in your stinking pills. Life will not either be found in some shrinks office who has the same set of problems we all have. I decide to Live.

As I left. She was staring at me like I was a nut. The devil said, "Your making a big mistake!" You might die out there!"

I said , "I'm already dying ! What have I GOT TO LOSE?" "Yes I might die but my reward won't be a bunch of crap!"

Lord I do Love you! I do Believe! You are never more close than you are today! I know you Love me. Lord , Lord, Lord I Love thee. Thanks for reordering my life. Thanks for removing my anxieties and telling me over and over again. I Love you , You weren't made for this! I have such better things in mind for you. I will never leave you. Lord my thanks aren't enough for what you have done. Jesus you are soo very precious! I praise you!

Here is my alabaster box. I break it and decide that your way is so very much better. I want to live a life of Love that pleases you. I know sacrifice is no good. Otherwise I would give some abomination. Here Jesus here is my Life I pray it pleases you. The job I did with it was so very messy. It was so very vain. Lord thank you for sitting in that office with me. Thank you for upholding me,. Thank you for strength when I had none, hope when none was evident . Lord the price you paid is so very precious. You are so very worth it! Here , here is my life! Bless you Jesus! Amen!

Peace,

Dave

[Guest Teri]

Dr. Luke that was something and praise the Lord you made the right choice at the time you did. I'm wondering do you spend anytime talking to other christians caught in the race giving your testimony.

This chapter was good for me it served as a guage that I'm going in the right direction and never knew it. It took time but over the years I have been able to let go of the resentments, living for fear and living to cover my guilt. Two things did this for me forgive others that you may be forgiven. Sounded conditional so I had to take my list of resentments and give them literally to the Lord, and the shakles fell off. I raised three children on a single income and learned through this to trust God that He would provide, He did and I was able to get past the fear. I used to read all the Sunday fliers and dream of all the things I could have one day, and funny after I became wrapped up in Christ and became more financially able to buy these things I no longer wanted them. So I give more to the needy. I have even asked my children to stop buying me gifts because I know someday they are going to have to clean this up when I'm gone. I told them there is no point in getting the place to full just to have to clean it out.

My friends and family would say my ultimate goal is for Christ to say when I meet him face to face. "Well done my faithful servant."

Even though I know all of this I don't know what my true purpose is. I have pondered it many times and come up with things like to raise Godly children, to be a light in a dark place at work, To be the one in my family that can put what is going on in different situations in scriptural terms. I'm the story teller in my family that relates all their lives back to the word. But to be honest I feel there is something else, something I need to be doing that I'm not and I'm quite excited that very possibly by working with all of you I just might find out what that is.

In Yeshua's love

Teri

[Matthitjah]

Bless you sister,

To all I apologize for being so very zealous! I can't help it I Love our Lord.

Yes sister lets explore this together. I think from much understanding I am gaining. That whatever it is? Your purpose better be to love Jesus with your life. it sounds as if your on the right track.

Yes sister I do spread the story and word to others caught up in themselves. It is very hard for people who are caught up in themselves to see though. They just can't imagine that leaving the temple of self could result in a better life.

People are being force fed this stuff all day long. The T.V. The Corporate culture. The advertising. They don't and won't even focus on Christ when they get to Church on Sunday. I'm not saying all. Just most in our society. Our society is by and large focused on self and what you can accomplish and get out of it.

Anyway on with the focus and I will be less zealous , promise.

Peace,

Dave

[Matthitjah]

Peace in Christ Jesus,

Day 4

Made to last forever

God has ...planted eternity in the human heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

Surely God would not have created such a being as man to exist only for a day! No, no man was made for immortality. Abraham Lincoln.

Thinking about my purpose

Point to ponder: there is more to life than just here and now.

Verse to remember: "This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever." 1 John 2:17 (NLT)

Question to consider: Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?

Peace ,

Dave

[traveller]

I can get lost in forever if I start thinking about forever. Ah - to think of actually walking with God in the cool of the evening, like Adam did. To listen to the music of the stars, to see the brilliance of the angels, to gaze at the crystal sea. Forever.

To quote the book "Suddenly many activities, goals, and even problems that seemed so important will appear trivial, petty, and unworthy of your attention. The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears." This is exactly what I meant in another thread about being in a bubble. As long as I can see my Saviour and remember what awaits me, then I can make good choices. When I let my flesh raise up my true vision becomes clouded.

It is thought provoking to think that an action that I do on this earth will echo for all eternity.

[IslandRose]

The quote that really caught my eye in this chapter was..."The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears."

Being closer to God puts everything else in perspective. And when you get a glimpse of eternity, the things of this life lose much of their magnetism.