Live Before You Die - day 6

God's kingdom is intended not to be confined behind the stained-glass windows of beautiful churches but to permeate the planet. The kingdom of heaven is designed to grow, multiply, and infiltrate all that it comes in contact with........

That can never happen if the only ones doing the work of the ministry are the apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists.  Instead God's plan is for the real work of the ministry to be done by the plumbers, the high school teachers, the landscapers, the lawyers, and the doctors.  We need men and women who carry the glory of God and the gospel witness into the White House, Hollywood, Wall Street, Main Street, and every other area of culture and society.

The New Testament pattern is for those in fivefold ministry offices to serve the body of Christ by equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12).  The real ministers and ambassadors of God's kingdom to the world, the real players on the field, are the hundreds of millions of blood-washed saints who make up the body of Christ.  What a tragic loss we have incurred by perpetuating the mentality that the few of us in fivefold ministry are the "real" ministers and the rest are just spectators.

In reality, most Christians are called to serve God in "secular" spheres of influence.  But one thing is certain: no matter what God calls you to do, it is for His glory and for the expansion of His kingdom.  This is not about personal satisfaction.

Whether God calls you to full-time, vocational ministry or calls you to be His ambassador in the world of business, science, government, entertainment, or wherever, the principles are the same, the keys to discovering God's will are the same, the challenges and pitfalls are the same and, in the end, the reward will be the same.  Contrary to what many people believe, God does not reward us based on how many people we lead to Jesus.  He rewards us based on our obedience and faithfulness to His call and will.  May you be faithful and obedient in whatever field He calls you to so that in the end you will hear those words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matt 25:21).

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

 

Live Before You Die - day 5

Preconceptions produce misconceptions that can blind us to what is obvious, and this happens to many people as they seek God's will for their lives.

Those things that bring confusion and over analysis need to be dropped.  Start with simple, childlike faith.  Trust that God has a plan He is trying to reveal to you. Believe that He wants you to discover it more than you want to discover it!

God's call to Abraham did not include specific coordinates, just a call to go.  As Abraham obeyed, God revealed His plan one step at a time.  ........more often than not God reveals His will in a much less extravagant fashion, and it often unfolds slowly, layer by layer over time rather than in a single, earth-shattering epiphany.

If God revealed His ultimate plan for our lives from the beginning, we would often find ourselves chasing a dream rather than following Him.  God didn't want to just send Abraham to his inheritance; God wanted to lead him there.

God's will is never revealed in such a way that it negates our need for dependence upon Him.  The real reward for following God is God Himself.  He calls to us to see if we will follow even without knowing all the details.  When He sees that we take a step of obedience, then He gives us the next step.

Jesus laid out a principle in Luke 16:10 that is absolutely essential in the quest to discover God's will for our lives.  Jesus said, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much:  and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."  God calls us to small things before He calls us to great things. Many people want God to speak audibly from heaven and give them direction, yet they aren't following the small directions they already have.  If you aren't doing what you already know to do, why should God give you more instructions?  If you aren't being faithful in the small things, why should God entrust you with more important things?

As you follow Him in obedience, step by step and day by day, the picture will become clearer and He will entrust you with more and more. Eventually the day will come when you will look back on the many steps you took in faith and obedience, and you will see how the Lord carefully and strategically orchestrated each one in a way you never could have engineered in your own strength or wisdom.

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 4

While Gideon was still in his mother's womb, God called him a mighty man of valor, and God never gave up on that dream for Gideon's life.

When Gideon looked in the mirror, all he could see were disadvantages and shortcomings.  He doubted that he was capable of greatness and was not convinced the Lord had picked the right man for the job.  But the Lord knew exactly what Gideon needed to hear, and He spoke words that went right to the heart of Gideon's inadequacy:  "The Lord said to him, Surely I will be with you" (Judg. 6:16).

These were the words Gideon needed to hear, and these are also the words you need to hear deep within your spirit as you begin this journey of discovering God's will for your life.  "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb 13:5) and again in Matthew 28:20, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age." 

When we understand this reality and it becomes part of the fabric of who we are, then we will begin to view every circumstance, both positive and negative, as a situation God can put to work for our good and the furtherance of His purposes.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 3

Many times when we begin to break out of the old patterns and mind-sets that have held us back, rejecting the status quo and looking for higher ground, our greatest opponents are close friends, fellow church members, and even our own relatives.  In fact, it's interesting to note that the Midianites, being descendants of Abraham, were actually cousins of the Israelites.  It was these "family members," if you will, who had so oppressed Israel that they were cowering in fear rather than living victoriously.  The enemy knows how to use those closest to us to bring discouragement.  They say, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you're better than us?  We've known you since you were a child.  We've seen all your failures, and we know your faults.  You are just one of us.  Get back in your place!"

But God sees more in us than we see in ourselves, and our obstacles, failures, and shortcomings do not intimidate Him.

The architect of the universe spoke the worlds into existence, but He crafted Adam with His own hands and breathed into him with His own mouth!  God has crowned His creation with a masterpiece, which is distinguished because it is "handmade" by the great Creator!  And God continues to fashion mankind with His own hands.  Psalm 139:13 says, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb."

But before He began to weave you together in your mother's womb, He saw you in His eternal mind down to the smallest detail.  And before you were ever born, He had a dream for your life.  Perhaps as He was weaving you together in your mother's womb, He said, "I'm going to make this little girl into a mighty prophetess to her generation!"  Whatever His dream for your life might be, one thing is for sure:  His will for your life is beyond what you could ask or think!

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 2

If the burden we feel for people is our sole motivation for preaching the gospel or serving the Lord, it is just another form of humanism.

After Jesus had risen from the dead, He found that Peter had gone back to his old occupation - fishing. After cooking breakfast for Peter, Jesus pointed to one of the fish and asked this question, "'Simon [Peter] son of John, do you truly love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs'" (John 21:15).  Note that Jesus didn't say, "Peter, do you love My lambs?" Then, "Feed My lambs."  Rather Jesus asked, "Peter, do you love ME?" Peter's ministry to the sheep was to be motivated primarily by his love for Christ, not his love for the lambs.

When we receive His gift of life, which cost Jesus His life, how can we spend it in the pursuit of our own ambitions, lusts, and gratification?  God forbid.  Instead, in reverent awe and profound love, we are compelled to pour our lives back out before Him like a drink offering, holding nothing back, giving everything we are in the service of the only King who will reign forever and ever.  Make no mistake -  this is not a waste.  It is our reasonable service.  We have been saved to serve.

Leonard Ravenhill once asked the question, "Is what you're living for worth Christ dying for?"  We were not saved so that we could be polished, decorative knickknacks sitting on God's shelf filling space in heaven for eternity.  We have been saved for a purpose, and the fulfillment of that purpose is the only acceptable reaction we can have to the great gift of salvation we have received.  You have been saved, not for salvation's sake, but you have been saved to serve.

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die

Live Before You Die - day 1

I just started a new book titled Live before you die by Daniel Kolenda.  Mr. Kolenda is a missionary evangelist and president of Christ for all Nations.  I'd like to take the next days/weeks to share excerpts from this book and hopefully you will find them as informative and moving as I have.



The purpose of your existence is not to achieve your own happiness or success.  Your role is to advance a cause greater than yourself. 

Although our lives will one day come to an end, the kingdom of God will keep moving forward to victory, and herein lies our greatest opportunity.  With our mortal hands we can help to build God's eternal kingdom - and that is the greatest privilege any human being could have!

Paul realized he had been saved to serve.  He went on to tell the Romans that they should also present themselves to God as a living sacrifice, and then he added, "which is your reasonable service" (Rom 12:1).  In other words this is not some generous favor you are doing for God.  He purchased you and redeemed you with the blood of His Son.  He set you free from sin and bondage.  He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.  In light of all He had done for you, your reciprocate service to Him is only "reasonable."  You have been saved to serve.

Guilt

….. the feelings of guilt you experience are not always proof positive of your guilt.  That’s because there are two kinds of guilt in this world – there is godly guilt, or grief, and worldly guilt, or grief.  Both claim your sinfulness, but not both are accurate. 

 

“Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment!” (2 Cor 7:10-11)

This means there is good guilt and there is bad guilt.

Guilt can be associated with actual sin, or guilt can be associated with regret, pride, or a misunderstanding of God’s Word.  The cause of godly guilt is always sin.  Godly guilt leads you to God, not to self.  And out of that comes your awareness of your utter sinfulness and your need for a perfect Savior.

Worldly guilt happens “when the guilt you are feeling is misplaced, when it is guilt not over sin but over failure, suffering, mistakes, embarrassment or a missed opportunity.  When you feel guilty after you’ve already confessed a sin to God, this is worldly guilt.  To continue to fret about it and hold on to it is to say God isn’t big enough to forgive you.  It is an affront to God and a lie of the biggest kind that comes from the prince of lies, the accuser from the garden.

Feeling guilty for doing what God loves but what man hates is not godly guilt.  There may be hurt feelings involved, but there is no guilt associated with obedience.  In Luke 14:26-27 Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

So there is no guilt in loving God over man.

As soon as guilt convicts of sin, confession is called for.  But if the guilt you feel doesn’t point to sin in your life, then that guilt can be discarded as useless and built around pleasing man, not God. 

 

There is no reason to be ruled by feelings of guilt when Christ came to remove your guilt.

 

 

Michael and Hayley DiMarco, Die Young