"Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."
(Genesis 50:19, 20 NKJV)

What is your perspective on how events come your way?  Meaning, when tough times come are you bitter and angry at God and the situation or do you have the perspective of Joseph.  Looking to the future of things and in all events we can see that God brings things into our lives so that we can grow and depend upon Him more urgently.  I challenge you and read through the account in Genesis where it details the difficulties Joseph had leading up to his place as chieftan over all Egypt.  He had to go through being sold into slavery by his brothers.  He had to go through the hardship of living as a slave in the house of Potiphar.  He had to go through a long period in prison for being wrongfully accused of adultery with Potiphar's wife.  Joseph recognized that he had to go through all these hard times; he recognized that God turned all these evil things into good.  It is amazing that he was able to do that.  I pray that as we face life's difficulties we will be able to say with Joseph that whatever evil is intended for us, God is always there to bring good out of the bad situation.  We must have this perspective because it is far too easy to become bitter and angry.  Our lives will become miserable wrecks when we turn to bitterness.  Keep looking for God's hand in all of life's situations.  This is the perspective we must have!

I Will Serve the Lord

There marches through the centuries
The martyrs of the cross
All those who choose to follow Christ
To suffer any loss
And though their journey led them
Through the shadow lands of death
The song of their commitment
They rehearsed with every breath

I will serve the Lord
I will serve the Lord, my God
And if God should choose, and my life I lose
Though my foe may slay me, I will serve the Lord

Uncertain days now echo back
That strong and urgent strain
To count the cost, take up the cross
And join in the refrain
For should our journey lead us
Through the shadow lands of death
May this be our hearts resolve
As long as we have breath

I will serve the Lord
I will serve the Lord, my God
And if God should choose, and my life I lose
Though my foe may slay me, I will serve the Lord

The honor and the privilege ours
With wounds we suffer by His side
And to the glory of the Lord
Those sacred scars
We bear with pride

I will serve the Lord
I will serve the Lord, my God
And if God should choose, and my life I lose
Though my foe may slay me, I will serve the Lord

Though my foe may slay me
I will serve the Lord

Words and Music by Jon Mohr and Randall Dennis
Sung Popularly by Steve Green

This song above struck a cord in my heart because it is something that I have been thinking about for a week or so.  We ought to be willing to serve the Lord no matter the cost.  We must be willing to suffer all for the sake of Christ.  We, as believers in Jesus Christ, should see this as a delight and pleasure because suffering here on earth is just temporary and the glory in the future is everlasting.  May we find opportunities to serve Christ in our sphere of influence and honor Christ through those opportunities.  Be inspired by the words written in the song above.  God bless!

"If you have pity for perishing people and a passion for the reputation of Christ, you must care about world missions.  One of the burdens of this book (Don't Waste Your Life) is to show what life looks like when you believe that you dare not choose between the motives to love people and glorify Christ.  They are not separate motives.  Acting on one includes acting on the other.  Thus, if your aim is to love people, you will lay down your life to make them eternally glad in God.  And if your aim is to glorify Christ, who is God incarnate, you will also lay down your life to make people eternally happy in God.
          The reason for this is that any good-hearted goal, without the desire to give people eternal joy in God, is condemnation with a kind face.  Love always wants what is best for the needy, and what's best is enjoying God fully and forever.  Similarly, any effort to honor Christ that does not aim to make Him the all-satisfying Treasure of God's treasonous subjects is complicity in the revolt.  God is only praised when He is prized.  We pay our tribute to Him when He is Treasure to us.  You cannot love man or honor God without doing both.  This single passion--to see that Christ be glorified as perishing people become eternally satisfied in Him--drives the great global enterprise we call world missions."

"Nor everybody comes to this chapter with a clear and driving passion for the glory of Christ among the unreached peoples of the world.  Most of us are pretty parochial and ethnocentric and narrow, and even sometimes self-centered and racist, in our way of life.  We hardly ever even think about the global, mutinational, multiethnic, multi-linquistic cause of God, and what God's passion and purposes are for Guinea and Indonesia and Tanzania and Thailand and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and Turkey and Czechslovakia and China and Siberia and Japan and Cameroon and Myammar and the Somali or the Hmong or the Dakota or the Ojibwa of Minnesota. 
          So I don't assume that you come to this chapter with a clear and resounding interest in the really great news of the world--which the media never report--namely, the spread of Christian truth and faith among the people of the world on the way to a God-wrought consummation that will make all of world history look like what it really is--a brief prelude to the everlasting, all-glorious kingdom of Christ.  I don't assume you come with your heart enthralled with God's great global purpose.  So I simply want to let God tell you, in His own words, about His priorities.

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.  For kingship belongs to the LORD, and He rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:27, 28)

Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You!  Let the nations be glad and sing for joy. (Psalm 67:3, 4)

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!. . . Say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns. (Psalm 96:3, 10)

Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' (Matthew 28:18-20)

I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, 'Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.' (Romans 15:20, 21)

And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You O Christ to take the scroll and to open the seals, for you were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people to God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.' (Revelation 5:9, 10)"    John Piper, pg. 158-161

I have quoted a lengthy passage from the Don't Waste Your Life book by John Piper because I want us to be shaken with both the words that Piper has written and the words from God's Holy Word.  I want us to completely reflect upon our perspective on the topic of world missions.  Are we really, as John Piper says, parochial, self-centered, and racist in our view of other nations that are different from America?  Do we really have a passion for Christ and for poor, needy souls?  Do we really have the love of Christ filling our hearts to overflowing that it spreads to those who needs it?  I hope that we can say no to the first question and yes to the rest of the questions because it is central for why we are here on this earth.  May we never forget about God's priorites when it comes to missions; to people becoming eternally glad in Almighty God.  May we continue to live day in and day out with this etched upon our minds.  It is so crucial to our lives because it will definitely keep us from wasting our lives with the petty, simple things of this crumbling world.  What is world missions? 

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness 
For His name’s sake. 
         
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; 
For You are with me; 
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 
         
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; 
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life; 
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD 
Forever.
(Psalm 23 NKJV)

Amazing that we have such a watchful, protecting, and comforting Shepherd.  We have a Great Shepherd; Jesus Christ.  We can rest in His arms because He and He alone will lead us through the good and bad times of life; He will comfort us when we are in pain.  He will bless us with so much love and grace that we will definitely have to say with the Psalmist that "my cup runs over."  What a wonderful Shepherd who gave up His life so that we might live in the security of His arms.  We are in His hands and nothing will ever take us out of His hands (John 10).  Rest assure that He has you no matter what life may bring to your doorstep.  Trust in the Great Shepherd!

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1-3 (NKJV)

I hope that we can be people who are classified as walking in the truth.  Walking in the truth will help others see who's children we really are; God's children.  I pray that as we continue our weeks and days in our busy lives that we will stop and reflect upon how we are doing in walking in the truth.  In this world, we can always use people who are walk in the truth.

I've been finishing up another one of Jonathan Edwards sermons and I was struck hard that it is our responsibility to be willing and usable vessels in their ministry.  We must do what we can to make the pastor's job easy; to heed the teaching he brings and the example he beckons us to follow as he follows Christ.  As we all have shepherds to lead us in this life, we also have Christ who is our Chief Shepherd.  Christ laid down the example that our pastor's should follow in their ministry to us; but we are also told that we must follow His example as well.

"And you, my brethren, as all of you have immortal souls to save, if you have considered the things that have been spoken, cannot but be sensible, that it not only greatly concerns your elect pastor to take heed how he behaves himself in his great work, wherein he is to act as a coworker with Christ for your salvation; but that it infinitely concerns you how you receive him, and behave towards him.  Seeing that it is for your eternal salvation that he is appointed to watch and labor; and seeing his business is to do the work of Christ for you, it is natural and easy to infer, that your reception and entertainment of him should in some respect imitate the church's reception of Jesus Christ.  Galatians 4:14, "My temptation which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus."  Christ, in the text (Jn. 13:15, 16), commands those whom He sends to follow His example, and then in the 20th verse following, He directs those to whom He sends them, how to treat them.  "Verily, verily, I say unto you.  'He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth Him that sent me.'"  Seeing the work of your minister is in some respects the same with the work of Christ, and He is to be appointed and devoted to do this work for your souls in particular, surely you should esteem him very highly in love for his work's sake and do all that is in your power to help him, and put him under the best advantages to imitate his great Master in this work, to give himself wholly to his work, as Christ did during the time of His ministry, and to be successful in his work.  And as it was observed before, that it is impossible that ministers should in any tolerable degree imitate the example of Christ in their work, if their minds are overcharged with worldly cares and concerns, you ought so provide for him and support him, that he shall have no need to entangle himself with these things; otherwise you will not only bring a great temptation upon him, which will vastly tend to hinder him in the work of Christ among you, but will, for the sake of sparing a little of your worldly substance to yourselves, foolishly and miserably starve your own souls and the souls of your children, and will but cheat yourselves.  For you will not be in the way to prosper either in your spiritual or temporal concerns.  The way to have your houses filled with plenty, is to "honor the Lord with your substance, and with the first-fruits of all your increase." Prov. 3:9."
          "And as it is your duty and interest well to support your minister, so it concerns you to pray earnestly for him, and each one to do what in him lies in all respects to encourage and help him, and each one to do what in him lies in all respects to encourage and help him, and strengthen his hands, by attending diligently to his ministry, receiving the truth in love, treating him with the honor due to a messenger of Christ, carefully avoiding all contention with him, and one with another.  And take heed in particular, that you do not forsake him to follow those, who under pretense of extraordinary purity, are doubtless doing the devil's work, in separating themselves, and endeavoring to draw off others from the ministers and churches in the land in general."  --Jonathan Edwards

I pray that all of us who read this and are under the ministry of a local church that you will do everything in your power to help your pastor in anyway possible.  To encourage, support, and pray for him as he perseveres through leading you, feeding you spiritually, and helping to shape you into the life God wants you to have.  Ultimately, it is the Spirit and yourself who is responsible for growth; but our pastors is one of the stronger sources of teaching and leading into maturity.  We need to be doing anything for him that will help him in leading the flock into strength and vitality.  Do what you can because it is the right thing to do.

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son. (Mercy and Love)
As they called them,
So they went from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals, 
And burned incense to carved images. (Sin)
I taught Ephraim to walk, 
Taking them by their arms;
But they did not know that I healed them. 
I drew them with gentle cords,
With bands of love, 
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.
I stooped and fed them. (Mercy and Love)
He shall not return to the land of Egypt; 
But the Assyrian shall be his king, 
Because they refused to repent. 
And the sword shall slash in his cities, 
Devour his districts, 
And consume them,
Because of their own counsels. 
My people are bent on backsliding from Me. 
Though they call to the Most High,
None at all exalt Him. (Consequences of Sin)
How can I give you up, Ephraim? 
How can I hand you over, Israel? 
How can I make you like Admah? 
How can I set you like Zeboiim? 
My heart churns within Me; 
My sympathy is stirred. 
I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; 
I will not again destroy Ephraim. 
For I am God, and not man, 
The Holy One in your midst; 
And I will not come with terror. (Mercy and Love)
They shall walk after the LORD. 
He will roar like a lion. 
When He roars, 
Then His sons shall come trembling from the west; 
They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt, 
Like a dove from the land of Assyria. 
And I will let them dwell in their houses, (Power of God with the Mercy and Love of God) 
Says the LORD.
(Hosea 11 NKJV)

Amazing passage.  Read it and reflect upon God and yourself.  Study this passage for it is the story of Redemption.  Man's failure and sin, God's mercy and love coming in to save the day, the consequences of sin and man's failure still coming, but God's mercy, love, and power is there to help us through it in our journey.

"It is impossible to risk your life to make others glad in God if you are an unforgiving person.  If you are wired to see other people's faults and failures and offenses, and treat them roughly, you will not take risks for their joy.  This wiring--and it is universal in all human beings--must be dismantled.  We will not gladly risk to make people glad in God if we hate them, or hold grudges against them, or are repelled by their faults and foibles.  We must become forgiving people."
          "Don't start raising objections about the hard cases.  I am talking about a spirit, not a list of criteria for when we do this or that.  Nor am I talking about wimpy grace that can't rebuke or discipline or fight.  The question is, do we lean toward mercy?  Do we default to grace?  Do we have a forgiving spirit?  Without it we will walk away from need and waste our lives."  --John Piper

It is so hard to re-wire ourselves so that we are not treating people roughly because they don't match up to what is "normal."  Shame on us for trying to put people in cookie cutters; people are different with many personalities.  We need to be leaning towards mercy and see the needs that are there in a person's life and meet those needs with mercy.  This does not free the person of rebuke and correction; but we need to learn to rebuke and instruct with grace, kindness, wisdom, and tact.  I know we can't do this on our own strength; so let us rely upon the One whose mercy is everlasting.  Read the Psalm below and rejoice in the power of God and the provision of God's mercy in our lives to help us show mercy to others.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
     For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
     For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
     For His mercy endures forever: 
         
To Him who alone does great wonders,
     For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
     For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
     For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
     For His mercy endures forever—
The sun to rule by day,
     For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
     For His mercy endures forever. 
         
To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
     For His mercy endures forever;
And brought out Israel from among them,
     For His mercy endures forever;
With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
     For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
     For His mercy endures forever;
And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
     For His mercy endures forever;
But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
     For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
     For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who struck down great kings,
     For His mercy endures forever;
And slew famous kings,
     For His mercy endures forever—
Sihon king of the Amorites,
     For His mercy endures forever;
And Og king of Bashan,
     For His mercy endures forever—
And gave their land as a heritage,
     For His mercy endures forever;
A heritage to Israel His servant,
     For His mercy endures forever. 
         
Who remembered us in our lowly state,
     For His mercy endures forever;
And rescued us from our enemies,
     For His mercy endures forever;
Who gives food to all flesh,
     For His mercy endures forever. 
         
Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
     For His mercy endures forever.
          (Psalm 136 NKJV)

"For I have given you an example, that he should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, 'The servant is not greater than his lord, neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him." (John 13:15-16)

"We have in the context [of this verse] an account of one of the many very remarkable things that passed that night wherein Christ was betrayed (which was on many accounts the most remarkable night that ever was), viz. Christ's washing His disciples' feet.  This action, as it was exceeding wonderful in itself, so it manifestly was symbolical, and represented something else far more important and more wonderful, even that greatest and most wonderful of all things that ever came to pass, which was accomplished the next day in His last sufferings.  There were three symbolical representations given of that great event this evening; one in the passover, which Christ now partook of with His disciples; another in this remarkable action of His washing His disciples' feet.  Washing the feet of guests was the office of servants, and one of the meanest offices.  And therefore [it] was fitly chosen by our Savior to represent that great abasement which He was to be the subject of in the form of a servant, in becoming obedient unto death, even that ignominous and accursed death of the cross, that He might cleanse the souls of His disciples from their guilt and spiritual pollution." (Jonathan Edwards)

The example of Christ in living life is extremely well demonstrated in the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John.  It is simply jaw-dropping that Christ would go to the farthest extreme of humily to prove that the servant is never greater than His master; to prove the point that we as believers should never view ourselves better than any fellow human being.  What an example!  It is not too easy to follow because it is so hard to break away from the pride that so easily entangles us.  Pride that is so innate to our nature that goes all the way back to the Fall of Adam and Eve.  We are all very proud people and this is totally the opposite of what Christ modeled for us in His earthly ministry.  I pray that everyday we may seek this humility in our lives; that we would mirror Christ in this way so that there is a stark difference between the people of the world and the Children of God.  I pray that there is a difference and we will glorify God in this way of life.  The life of humility.  God Bless!

"But what happens when the people of God do not escape from the beguiling enchantment of security?  What happens if they try to live their lives in the mirage of safety?  The answer is wasted lives.  Do you remember the time it happens?"
          "It had been less than three years since the people of Israel came out of Egypt by the power of God.  Now they were on the borders of the Promised Land.  The Lord said to Moses, 'Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel' (Numbers 13:2).  So Moses sent Caleb, Joshua, and ten other men.  After forty days they returned with a huge cluster of grapes hung on a pole between two men.  Caleb issued the hope-filled call to his people:  'Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it' (Numbers 13:30).  But the others said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are' (v. 31)."
          "Caleb was unable to explode the myth of safety.  The people were gripped by the beguiling enchantment of security--the notion that there is a sheltered way of life apart from the path of God-exalting obedience.  They murmured against Moses and Aaron and decided to go back to Egypt--the great mirage of safety."
          "Joshua tried to free them from their stupor.  'The land, which we passed through to spy it out is an exceedingly good land.  If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into the land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.  Only do not rebel against the LORD.  And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.  Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.' (Numbers 14:7-9)"
          "But not even Joshua could explode the myth of safety.  The people were drunk in a dreamworld of security.  And they tried to stone Caleb and Joshua.  The result was thousands of wasted lives and wasted years.  It was clearly wrong not to take the risk of battling the giants in the land of Canaan.  Oh, how much is wasted when we do not risk for the cause of God!"    --John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life, p. 88, 89.

In the American culture, there is a huge mirage of safety for Christian Living.  We are so comfortable in not taking risks that I think we sometimes miss the boat just like Israel did in Numbers.  We need to see that the Christian life should be full of risks; we ought to lay down everything, sacrifice everything for the cause of Christ.  May we have the courage to explode the myth of security.  Security doesn't exist for Christians; life is always a risk if we obey Christ.  I hope this encourages me and all of us to be willing to take risks for Him.