Ed Horak's Blog

2 Peter 3:10-14

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; …(Emphasis added).

The Day of the Lord’s return will settle many issues. Things on the Earth that are not of God will thankfully be burned up, thus cleansing the earth of millennia of all manner of defilement. For example, think of toxic waste in the air, sea and land that pollutes our natural realm. All these manmade things that have caused so much disease and suffering to so many will be totally cleansed. Man’s sin and greed always has always had negative and destructive consequences on the environment and society, yet no amount of caring for the planet by man today will compare to the care God Himself will bring as He establishes a new heaven and earth.

Peter forewarns us of such a fearsome time and this serves to sober us to live our lives in such a way that we actually play our part in preparing the way for the Lord’s Second Coming. Peter’s passage teaches that holy living actually ‘hastens’ the day of His return! Remarkably, we are called of God to play a part in bringing on the Messiah’s return (Vs 11-12).

Our faith and obedience actually counts for the future. The end will only come when we have preached the gospel of the kingdom to all the earth.

Matthew 24:13-14

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

When you see yourself as a vital covenant partner with God, then this scripture makes sense. God does not work independently from those he has delegated authority on earth to. His instruction still stands: ‘Go ye’.

We are encouraged to have hope as we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth. To hope is to ‘confidently expect’ that which God has promised. Hope is not a case of ‘maybe so, maybe not’, rather it is an assurance that God will watch over and perform what He has promised. Our faith is attached to our hope. Put another way, how we live today is impacted by what we believe about tomorrow.

Hebrews 11:1

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith in what Jesus has already done is the foundation for diligence in our lives. We can live in today’s turmoil cocooned in a state of assurance about the future and be ‘found by Him to be in peace, without spot and blameless’ (2 Peter 3:14) when He returns.

The apostle Paul in his letter to Titus also highlights the connection between looking forward and how we are live out our lives right now. The ‘blessed hope’ he talks about in the following passage is not some abstract ‘pie in the sky’, but a driving force for righteous living that produces good works that serve as a witness to all men. Our lives right now count for eternity: people are watching how we live. We are living epistles, ‘known and read by all men’ (2 Corinthians 3:2).  Our lifestyle ought not give them any occasion to stumble. Besides, the Lord is also watching and looking to find faith in the earth, a faith that produces the intended fruit of the gifts He has so freely bestowed on us.

Titus 2:11-15

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

(Emphasis added).

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ,…
2 Corinthians 5:20

Any believer is Christ’s representative to a world that is suffering from unscrupulous people who very often use, manipulate and let them down every day. People are wary of those that seek only to take, and even misrepresent the truth. The truth is still the whole truth and nothing but the truth! As His ambassador, we must accurately reflect Christ’s person, nature, purposes and integrity.

Ambassadors of old were close to the heart of the kings and potentates they represented. They spent time in their presence, discovering the way their leader would act and react to a variety of situations. Even when they went to a far land as an ambassador, they were frequently called back to the leader to ensure that they were not being unduly influenced by the culture and practice of the people they were now living with.

It works the same way today with the Lord. If you are not careful, the ways of the world will subtly influence your way of thinking and practice. As His ambassador you have to constantly be renewed in the spirit of your mind as you meditate on how the Lord thinks in every situation. You have to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding you in every new moment where you have to bring God’s wisdom into the picture. Of course the Holy Spirit will always lead you in line with the scripture, so a thorough knowledge of the scripture is the foundation on which we are lead in any specifics.

Spend time simply soaking up God’s wisdom through His Word and familiarizing yourself with the voice of the ‘Good Shepherd’: He trusts you enough to call you His ambassador.

There is something about Jesus that stands out in the account of His early life with Joseph and Mary as well as His baptism at age thirty in the Jordan River under John the Baptist’s ministry.

Jesus grew up in Mary and Joseph’s household, increasing in wisdom and stature at least as it pertained to His humanity.

Luke 2:51-52

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

I believe He must have lived and walked by faith in those growing years, otherwise how could He have ‘pleased’ God as the baptism account highlights.

Luke 3:21-22

21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Never before had anyone, whether they are a prophet, priest or even a king, heard these special words from God.

“You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Vs 22).

First, God focused on Jesus’ sonship. Jesus was His ‘beloved Son’ a – covenant term of endearment. Then He went on to say that He was ‘well pleased’ with Jesus! Notice this was before Jesus had even begun His ministry. He had not performed any miracles – His first was to come later at the Cana wedding where He turned the water into wine. He had not called any disciples, nor had He faced any of the temptations in the wilderness. He was in the starting blocks of His public ministry, yet God was already well pleased. How so?

Jesus had pleased God because of His faith. The book of Hebrews teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

This applied to Jesus too. He obviously lived by faith all these years as He was being prepared to launch into public ministry.

It was not Jesus determination, talent, obedience to His parents or even His regular synagogue and temple attendance as He grew up that pleased God, good as all these were. No, it was His simple faith or trust in God’s goodness towards Him that pleased His heavenly Father, and which precipitated the favorable public endorsement He received at His baptism in the Jordan.

Likewise, in our own walk with God, we ought to be encouraged that He is pleased with our faith when it is rooted in what Jesus has done for us at the cross, and not in our own efforts. It was at the cross that Jesus paid the price for the total forgiveness of our sin. No amount of obedience to the Ten Commandments, hard work, witnessing, church attendance and service can ever measure up to what Jesus has purchased for us at the cross. We enjoy all that Jesus accomplished by simply receiving His gift by faith.

When we seek Him, we will be greatly rewarded for our faith. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Nothing has changed since those early days.

As children of God born again of His Spirit let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and His completed work, and not ‘fall from grace’ by relying on our own efforts to try to please God in some sort of Christianized works or behavior modification program. We live and grow in Him by faith and faith alone.

He knows we will fall short of His glory every time, so has provided a way out of this dilemma of sin through His Son. Jesus came as our perfect sacrificial substitute who fulfilled all the Law requirements on our behalf. This is grace: the unmerited favor of God.

Let us gratefully receive the abundance of this grace and the gift of righteousness so that we can reign in the realm of life.

Romans 5:16-17

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Very importantly, the works we ‘do’ therefore are the natural fruit that spring from our abiding relationship with Him. They do not make our faith alive (this would negate Jesus’ role), they merely express His life within (James 2:20).

Starting in new place can be daunting. Whether your transition is geographical, a new job or even a new season in life, like going to college, marriage, whatever, if you don’t keep the big picture in mind you can easily lose perspective and get caught up in the details of the transition.

Recently, we have made a major geographical move from California to Washington State with plans to pioneer a new church called Seattle Life Church on the Eastside. See www.seattlelifechurch.org

All the start up stuff needed when you move into a new area can get overwhelming if you don’t keep your eyes on the foundational reason you made the move in the first place: Jesus is still building His Church, His way, and for His purposes. Really, all else misses the mark and is a waste of time energy and money.

This scripture has challenged me as a vital checklist: is anything (and everything) I do finding its source in Christ, relying on His life and focussed on Him? Here it is:

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things…” Romans 11:36 (Emphasis added).

Yes that’s all things: no separation between the secular and sacred here – nothing excluded. Whatever we do must start with Him, be played out with His ways and land up bringing Him glory.

Thankfully, we can ask Him for wisdom in whatever we do, starting each day knowing that the abundance of His grace will empower, cover us and put a stamp of His favor on anything we do. His grace and mercy is a great catch-net which gives us the confidence to step out and be the witness He has called us to be.

He’s our benevolent Father and wants us to do well, and bring Him glory in our sphere of influence.

So ‘no worries, mate’ – or as the Bible says: “Be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV)

He’s got you covered!

(For more resources to help you fulfill your calling and destiny in Christ, see: www.edhorak.com )

Expect The Victory

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

God is a winner, and when you stay close to Him, following His ways, you will be a winner too. Do not start anything without an assurance of God’s victory. Victory is not a matter of chance but of covenant and choice. Why would you start a fight that you knew you were going to lose!?

Victory is all about God’s presence. Joshua experienced good success in his ministry, not because he was inherently better than the person next to him. No, he enjoyed God continuing presence. God was with him as He was with Moses.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

He advanced knowing that God had already won the victory. The land was his already. He simply had to follow the steps outlined for him. He was not fighting to gain the victory, he already had it! Today, in Christ, it is no less, only better. In Christ we already have the victory. He is the conqueror; and we are more than conquerors, because of what He has done.

Embrace The Cross

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25 

Everything of value comes with a price. Jesus has paid the ultimate price, dying on the cross for all mankind. Any minister is not above His master and in some way will have to pay a price. Before the crown comes the cross. Something always has to be denied. Every minister of excellence has to forsake the things that weigh him down: maybe appetite, or personal ambition, arrogance, anger, or even ambiguity. Every life must come to a point where that which blocks the door to your future must die. Only God can truly focus on those hidden issues and give you the courage to endure the shame.

Enlarge Your Own Heart

And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 1 Kings 4:29-30

Solomon had been chosen to lead the nation and he asked for wisdom and got so much more. His humility enlarged his capacity to receive from God all the things he needed as king. He excelled going way beyond His peers, thus bringing God glory in the eyes of the world.

Your passion determines your provision, and what you ask for speaks about your heart. As a minister of excellence, ask for things of eternal value.

Eliminate Presumption

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Acts 16:6-7

In an age of instant and sometimes overwhelming communication, good ideas from other ministries can sway you to pursue some form of ministry with God’s permission. Good ideas or not automatically God ideas and time must be taken to process the dealings of God. The Holy Spirit has veto rights to your zeal. What God has anointed someone to impart to His people, their part, may not be your part too. Envy and competition can be deadly introducing confusion and every evil thing.

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. James 3:16

We are taught to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. You cannot presume that everything you feel capable of has God’s stamp of approval. He has a place and purpose for everything and any ministry must fit into the bigger picture of His strategy.

Enrich And Equip the People

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,… Ephesians 4:11-12

God is committed to reproducing Himself in His children, bringing them to maturity through the gifts He positions in the body of Christ. Ministry is all about raising up God’s people to reach and function in their greatest potential. The ministry gifts are there for the people, not the other way round. Ministry is about laying down self for others. The measure of ministry is whether people are enriched, edified and equipped for their part in glorifying God.

Excel In All Things

But as you abound in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us–see that you abound in this grace also. 2 Corinthians 8:7

No part of the minister’s life is his private domain. Jesus is either Lord of all or not at all. The excellence of Christ must be found in all parts of our lives: family relationships, eating habits, preaching, entertainment and recreation activities, giving, and even physical exercise. It has been said that Jesus should be given the keys to every room in your house. After all, nothing is hidden from His sight, so why not let Him into your innermost thoughts, and allow the good work He has begun to diffuse through to everything. He will bring His excellence to everything so that His abundance can overflow in and through your spirit, soul and body.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

3 John 2

It will show in your life and ministry.

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 50:20

Bad things do happen to good people. Joseph is a case in point. He was a good young lad, rather cocky and somewhat unwise. He shared his dreams with his family prematurely and without much sensitivity at all. His envious brothers sold him off into slavery and Joseph then underwent 13 years of difficulty, tests and trials before being launched suddenly into his destiny as God’s man for the hour. Joseph was not responsible for his brothers evil actions, something out of his control, but he was responsible for his own attitudes, something within his control. Things turned around for Joseph just when things looked like they would never change for the better. Who knows what would have happened had Joseph given up in despair while languishing in that Egyptian prison so long ago?

In the above scripture Joseph assures his fearful brothers, now aware that he was alive and wondering whether he would punish them for their callous duplicity, that what they intended for evil, God was able to turn it around for good. Not that God engineered the tragic events over those lonely years, but rather that God was with Him and as his faith remained intact and his attitude sound through all the trials. It is not what happens to Joseph that is key here, but what happened in him. His heart was refined and his excellent spirit rose above the circumstances so that he could become a type of Jesus who withstood betrayal of the worst kind to come through for us and stand in the gap as our savior. There may be circumstances outside of your control that are harassing you, but with God’s strength, you can take control of your attitude. Attitude is sometimes the only difference between deliverance and continuing captivity.

Throughout history God has come through for people in tight spots. He is their master in turning bad things around, if we let Him. Our faith and patience keeps the door to His deliverance open. Yet God does not work in a vacuum, He needs our cooperation. He does not capriciously favor this one and holding that one down. Joseph’s humility kept him from developing a victim mentality that would have cut him off God’s mercy and grace.

In the end, after so many years of persecution and seeming delay, all things did work out for good for Joseph. His dream was fulfilled, and God extended Grace and provision to His covenant people. Joseph truly loved God, obeyed His commandments and was called according to His purposes. His story is a classic example of what Paul writes about in Romans.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

In my experience, sad to say, all too often things do not always work together for good for some. I know I am not in a position to be the final judge, but there are some people I know who say they love God, but their lifestyles do not show that they obey His commandments nor do they cooperate with His purposes. They are really off doing their own thing, in their own way at their own time. Everything they do seems to be coated with a religious veneer, but God is really peripheral to their lives.

When something bad happens, God gets the blame as they begin to question His integrity and their hearts become hardened. This is sad. When God’s nature and ways are understood, and they can, He is seen to be the loving Father who pities His children while working out His divine purposes in and through us in an imperfect world full of uncertainty outside of God.

It is fair to say that in today’s perilous times faith and obedience are not optional extras for some select super saints, but absolutely necessary to please God and survive this life, let alone thrive!

Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

This passage refers to ‘mature’ sons. Maturity is the condition of being able to produce and reproduce according to God’s will. An immature ‘son’ will always be a son, but it not grown up enough to fulfill the call on his life. God’s plan for every ‘son’ or child of God – male and female, is to be led by the Holy Spirit in the words they speak, and in their actions and reactions.

There is a close connection between growing in the Word of God and being led by the Spirit. He does not ever lead you apart from His already revealed will as given to you in the Word. When you make it your custom to saturate your life with God’s ways (His Word), you gain a heavenly perspective that the Holy Spirit can work with in helping you make wise Godly choices. Learning to hear His voice in the unique situations of your life is a lifelong privilege.

Make a habit of worshipping Him, waiting upon Him, and writing down what you see and hear so as to be accountable and accurate.

Realize also that because of your unique life, you will need to cultivate openness to new and fresh things that your eyes have not yet seen. Being led by the Holy Spirit is often a creative consequence of your relationship with Him. In Chapter 7, we look at how to get to know Him better. When you know a person’s nature, you begin to know how they will act or react in any given situation.

God actually wants you to know Him intimately, and be like Him, His representative or ambassador in any situation.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

2 Corinthians 5:20
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us…

The Different Ways He Leads You

The different ways in which the Holy Spirit leads you, always occur within the framework of, and in confirmation of God’s Word and include the following:

Impressing upon your heart a specific scripture that speaks to your situation – a passage ‘jumps off’ the page (Daniel 9:2).

An inward impression about something or someone – an inner ‘knowing’ (Acts 17:22).

A point made by an anointed minister – you witness that what is being said or written in a book etc is for you (Luke 24:32).

A vision or spiritual dream – these make a greater than normal impression upon you than simple daydreaming (Acts 10:3).

Night vision or spiritual dream (Daniel 2:19 / Acts 18:9).

A prophecy or tongue and interpretation (usually in confirmation of what you already perceive in your heart).

Be open to any and all of these ways.

‘Testing’ Or Seeking Confirmation Of What You Have Heard Or Seen

1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things; hold fast what is good.

It is not wrong to seek clarity or confirmation of your ‘leading’. Avoid falling into dangerous waters by glibly grabbing at any ‘spiritual’ encounter without being sure that it is from God. Many have gone astray because they wrongly assumed that just because something appears supernatural it is automatically from God. Satan is the master deceiver, and the Bible teaches that we are to ‘test the spirits’ (1 John 4:1).

Then too, you may be driven by something that you personally want, and the impression you have actually originates in your own heart and not from God. You may even desire something that is good in itself, but not God’s specific plan for you at this time.

Here are some ways in which you can ‘test’ what you feel are Holy Spirit leadings.

Does it agree with scripture?
Does it make you more like Christ?
Does your trusted church oversight confirm it?
Is it within your call?
What is the time frame?

God does not mind you being cautious while you learn to accurately discern His voice. You certainly don’t want to be distracted or even deceived into thinking what you have heard or seen in the spirit is from God when it is not.

God’s heart or delight is to bless man so much with His goodness that we all turn to Him (repent) with a heart of thankfulness for having forgiven us of all our sins and begin to adore Him in worship for His holiness.

The first thing to recognize is that He is full of goodness to give! Unfortunately, many have a warped understanding of God: that He is looking down on us, waiting for us to slip up so that He can punish us in some way. This cannot be further from the truth.

The record shows that the punishment for man’s sin has already fallen on Jesus at the cross. Jesus has already suffered in our place and paid the price for our salvation.

The way is now open for all mankind to receive God’s abundant forgiveness and blessing…this is the good news that we spread.

‘With Fervent Desire’

Jesus made this remarkable statement when He celebrated the last supper on earth with His disciples:

Luke 22:14-15

14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ..

He had celebrated at least two other Passover meals with them before, but His focus and fervent desire had all along been on this one. He knew He was about to suffer for them and us, and knew that His substitutionary sacrifice would open the way into the Father’s presence in a brand new way never experienced before.

He was fulfilling prophecy before their eyes, and was totally committed to establishing a permanent relationship with His disciples. His death would lead to their life for eternity and His desire was rooted in all consuming love. He ‘burned’ to consummate His life’s work with the greatest act of love ever, and so He sat with them and shared these moments of intimacy before His betrayal.

The disciples had only to receive what He was to about to do. At this point none of them comprehended the magnitude of God’s love about to be poured out on them, yet He pursued them nevertheless. This is the heart of God: He pursues, we eventually respond.

God’s goodness must be received, for He will not force His will on anyone. The following scriptures highlight God’s goodness towards us.

 Psalm 86:15

15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,

Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

 John 1:12

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Romans 2:3-4

 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 5:16-17

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

1 John 4:9

9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

Each scripture describes some benefit that we enjoy because of God’s love for us.

God’s nature and will are perfectly made manifest to us in the person and work of Jesus. Jesus said that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father (John 14:9).  At the Last Supper When He blessed the bread, broke it and then gave it to His disciples, He was in essence giving Himself to them. His heart’s intent was to bless them through this covenant meal.

This was not the time for discipline or even self examination. He had just washed their feet in an act of supreme self sacrifice. They were cleansed by what He had done for them, and not by what they had done or even were later to do for Him. Grace (God’s unmerited favor and enablement) was abounding towards them, and all they had to do was to sit and receive it.

A Celebration Of Blessing

 Celebrate

‘To move in a circle, reel to and fro, dance’

The Lord’s Supper has always been and ought still to be a celebration of His goodness and mercy, where the focus is on His grace and not on self introspection. When Paul wrote his first letter of correction to the Corinthians it was in response to gross error and selfishness in that church at that time. To rightly divide the Word today his words of correction, as they apply to the Lord’s Supper, ought not to be the standard for the church today every time it is celebrated.

God has created us for close fellowship with Him, and thankfully His blood alone has paid the price for this. No amount of human effort, repentance or even self examination brings us closer than we already are through His blood.

Ephesians 1:7-8

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

The redemption and forgiveness we enjoy is according to the ‘riches of His grace’ and not according to the depth of our repentance, our sorrow or even our religious efforts to in some way prove to God we are worthy to receive His blessing. An ‘unnatural and religious’ fear of God may seem appropriate to some, but is rooted in self effort and not in the completed work or grace of Christ.

Neither is our intimacy with God guaranteed simply because we are familiar with a particular way of celebrating The Lord’s Supper. In fact familiarity and ritual can sometimes stand in the way of intimacy. Expectant faith is always the essential ingredient of a vital relationship with God through Jesus (Hebrews 11:6).

God’s intended blessing through the Lord’s Supper is freely given and must be freely received with thanksgiving. His kingdom rule is marked by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) where joy is that deep sense of well being that is the fruit of an abiding trust in what the Lord has already done for us. Kingdom joy is represented by the wine of the Lord’s Supper. 

God is a joyful happy God who enjoys celebrating! (Sadly many have a picture of God as still angry with mankind despite the fact that it was poured out and exhausted on Christ at the cross!)

He has often put a celebratory stamp on His dealings with us. For example, the Day of Pentecost in the New Testament speaks of an outbreak of joyful abandon as the Holy Spirit was poured out on receptive and yielded disciples. This was no somber religious moment; rather a time where so much blessing flowed into and through their hearts that the onlookers thought the disciples were ‘drunk’ (Acts 2: 12-21)!  It was in fact totally different to the first Pentecost at Mt Sinai, fifty days after the first Passover in the Wilderness when the Israelites received the Law. That fateful day three thousand died, whereas Pentecost in the New Testament saw three thousand come to the Lord in joyful salvation! Whereas the letter kills, the Spirit now gives life! This ought to be the focus of our celebration.

The ‘new wine’ of God’s freedom in Christ still perplexes many. Even Jesus’ first miracle where He turned water into wine at a wedding feast shows that God is in fact pro joyful celebrations. He is not sour but sweet. Who are we to turn The Lord’s Supper into a time where we focus on our shortcomings instead of His majesty and perfection? When we focus on our imperfections we take the focus off the very one who is able to change us from glory to glory.

Moreover, the ‘cup’ of communion is described as the ‘cup of blessing’ (1 Corinthians 10:16). It is not a cup of cursing, but a cup that signifies an overflowing, ‘more than enough’ blessing. Let us therefore purpose to open our hearts to God’s intended blessing through The Lord’s Supper, something that can be enjoyed both at home and ‘in church’.

Yes, destiny can be delayed; the Israelites wandering though the wilderness provide a classic example. Personally, your destiny can be delayed because of four main reasons.

First, you can delay your destiny by faulty theology where you believe God as responsible for absolutely everything: good or bad. Offense can get in if you believe God is responsible for the bad things in your life. There is no accountability for human sin in this way of thinking.

Second, scripture teaches that destiny can be delayed when you do not aggressively pursue your future with the authority God has given you. He has made His move, paid the price, paved the way and now it is your turn to press in and lay hold of what He has promised you. You must be doer of the Word.

Third, delays come when you presumptuously step out ahead of God in the flesh without enquiring of Him as to His timing or strategy in the pursuit of His purposes (future).

In cases like these, you will hear a voice behind you saying: ‘This is the way, walk in it’ (Isaiah 30:21). The reason God is behind you is because you have gone ahead of Him and turned to your own way. You may have started well with Him leading you, but if you are not diligent, you can go astray by getting ahead of God.

Fourth, if you accurately hear God’s instructions at first you will make good progress. But if you then slip into ‘cruise’ mode, inertia will lull you into a sort of spiritual ‘sleep walking’. God expects you to be wide awake and make the necessary mid course corrections to hit your target.

Make choices to avoid these causes, and although delays seem irredeemable to us, God is well able and willing to turn things around when we cooperate with Him.

(An Excerpt from the FREE  Book download on the Home page)

How to Make Each Day a Masterpiece

To bring an order to each day so that it does not point aimlessly at some vague future hope, consider doing the following.

First, value your day the same way God does, He does not waste a single one. Treat it as God’s gift to you. You will have to give an account to God for the stewardship of your time. It is not yours to do with as you please. Like Jesus, we are to work while it is day (John 9:4) and ‘redeem’ the time (Ephesians 5:16), or make the most of the opportunities God gives us each day.

Second, find out from God the chief purpose for each day. In this way you can order any sub goals to fit into the God given framework for that day. For example, if Sunday is a day for rest and spiritual replenishment, why would you want to dishonor that day’s purpose by not going to church, and rather working in the yard, running all over town shopping, and finishing up drained and exhausted? Look ahead at your day and ask yourself whether what you plan to do will bring you closer to your life goals or not. Change your plans if they do not. Live an examined life.

If the day is primarily for preparation, then prepare, don’t clutter up the day with other pursuits. Start small, win often and build momentum that way. David killed the bear and lion, before he took on a giant. Things build over time.

Third, decide not to carry any regrets from yesterday’s failures, disappointments and frustrations into today. They only suck the life out of you. Don’t be like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who said to Jesus, ‘We were hoping’ (Luke 24:21) as they looked back on the disappointment of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus just three days earlier. Here Jesus was with right there with them, very much alive in their midst, and yet they did not recognize Him because of their consuming sorrow. It took this act of God to come to them, arrest their descent into mediocrity and bring them back on the path to their destiny. What will it take for you to see Jesus in your present, without looking back in the rear view mirror of regret? Make sure you are headed in the right direction.

Fourth, and connected to this, is to have an attitude of gratitude each day for the good and perfect gifts God He gives you. Learn to rejoice in the positives and reject the negatives. A thankful heart keeps the ‘switch’ of faith turned on. Grumbling and complaining keeps you from your better tomorrows. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness of unfruitful living for forty long years because they grumbled and complained on what should have been a short two to three week journey towards the Promised Land.

Fifth, consecrate each day in prayer to the Lord in the morning. The rest of the day is sanctified this way, and things go smoother when you release your faith ‘with your mouth’ in the morning before the day starts. Speak God’s promises over your day. This gives God a chance to direct your day, rather than let it wash over you like an indiscriminate incoming tide. How is this so? God backs up His promises, and when you speak them in faith, He is there to watch over them.

Sixth, at the end of the day take time to relax, reflect on your progress and replenish your spirit soul and body. If indeed each day is God’s gift to us, then thanksgiving at the end of a day is always appropriate. If you have had a hard day, find something in it to rejoice over. Focus on that, rather than the negatives. Keep a personal journal where you write down the Lord’s encouragements, promises, and insights. Your end of day reflections will definitely propel you forward into the next day with greater wisdom and confidence. Writing things down in a journal gives God a chance to help you clarify the issues and get His perspective on what happens.