The Monday Memo from John Stanko

442: Just a Few Sticks

Have you ever faced what you considered a hopeless situation?  Are you facing one now?  The last couple of weeks, we have looked at the role of economic hardship as a means either to scare you off your purpose or to refine you along the way. This week I want to continue that theme and look at a woman who had given up hope, who was ready to go home and give up.  If you are about to give up, read on.  If you aren't facing that scenario yet, read on anyway, for you may face that kind of hopelessness one day.

A FEW STICKS

The Lord sent the prophet Elijah to a woman in 1 Kings 17 during a famine. The woman did not know it yet, but she was going to feed Elijah during the drought and, in feeding Elijah, she would feed her family as well.  Sometimes God wants you to be generous when everything in you says that isn't possible.

So Elijah came face to face with the woman and asked her for a drink.  We know that she was generous at heart, for she gave the man some water even though there was a severe drought.  Then Elijah asked her for some bread.  When he did, this is what she said:

 "As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die" (1 Kings 17:12).

This woman was saying, "It's over. Things could not possibly get any worse. Death is the next step."  Yet Elijah told her that she had seen the worst and things were going to get better:

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land'" (1 Kings 17:13-14).

And that is exactly what happened. That woman went from having a few sticks and a piece of bread to an endless supply for her, her son and the prophet.

SCARCITY MENTALITY

When things have been tough, you naturally switch into survival mode. This woman was just trying to survive and she had run out of hope for that.  The thought of prosperity was out of the question.  Yet her breakthrough was just a moment away. What's more, your breakthrough may be only a chance meeting, a phone call or an idea away as well.

Notice that Elijah told the woman what Moses told the Israelites in last week's lesson:  Don't be afraid!  Fear will cripple you in a crisis and you need all your creativity and hope to make it through the tough times. Tough times come to prove that God is faithful and to make you resilient and hopeful, but hopeful not in your own efforts or ideas, but rather in God. 

If you aren't facing this kind of hopelessness, then perhaps you know someone who is.  You may want to forward this Memo to them.  If you are, I am not advising that you ignore the severity of your situation.  I am urging you, however, not to lose hope even when your reason for hope is totally obscured. Say what Job said, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" (Job 13:15).  And then keep on keeping on.  Then one day I hope you will write your story and send it to me so that others may be encouraged who feel that all they have is a few sticks between then and utter failure.  Have a great week!

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OPERATION: PETTICOAT: I had a great meeting with the folks who went with me to Kenya a few weeks ago.  They all shared what the Lord has been doing and saying to them since we came home.  Then we talked about what we can do to keep the momentum going to provide help to our friends and family over there.

We decided to keep raising money for the Sophia Fund and we also launched Operation: Petticoat, which is a project to purchase underwear for young girls who have none, consequently missing school and living in embarrassment as they enter their teen years. I am going back to Kenya in May, so we set April 30 as our deadline to raise money to purchase underwear here and take it over there.  You may not be passionate about underwear, but two separate ministries asked for help with this.

You can give through my website or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Just let me know if your contribution is to be used for food or underwear and I promise to apply it where you direct.

441: Fear and Intimidation

I recently asked someone, "What are you afraid of?"  Her answer was quick and adamant, "Nothing!"  And that was a true statement, because that woman was doing nothing that would warrant fear.  She had perfectly controlled her life so that as soon as she sensed fear, she backed off and returned to her comfort zone.  What's more, she conveniently involved God in the process, relating how the timing wasn't right or the Lord had not released her to do anything beyond what she was doing.

Are you like this woman?  Perhaps we all are to some degree.  Let's look this week at what you can do if you ever find yourself with no options but to step out and encounter both fear and risk of failure. 

RECONSIDERED   

Last week we saw how Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to continue their work making bricks without the straw being supplied for them.  I identified this as economic terrorism, something many encounter as they step out to fulfill their purpose.  From that point on, Mose and Pharaoh were in a tug of war for the freedom of God's people, which was finally won after the Passover night when the firstborn of all the Egyptians were slain.

So Israel left Egypt and headed for the Promised Land.  The story didn't end there, however.  Pharaoh reconsidered his decision to let the people go.  He assembled his army and took off in hot pursuit of his former slaves.  What did the people do? They cried out to Moses and God:

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Exodus 14:10-12).

The people panicked and they were ready to go back to the slavery of Egypt. 

APPLICATION

Can you see the application for your own life and work?  If economic terrorism doesn't keep you from purpose and you escape its clutches, then fear and intimidation can come in like a flood and threaten to sweep you off your feet.  All the evidence helps you have thoughts like, "We will starve.  We won't pay our mortgage.  People will laugh. We will lose our health insurance!"  What can you do?

At that point, you need to face the fear and intimidation and do what Moses told the people to do:

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Exodus 14:13-14).

The last thing you feel like doing when afraid and intimidated is to do nothing, but that may be the best advice and action you can take.  When you are powerless to make a difference, why not put it in the hands of the One who can.  And there is no better Financial Adviser, Business Agent or Board Member than the Lord Himself.

So if you are facing extreme pressure and everything in you wants to quit, don't do it.  Don't deny the truth of your situation, but don't deny God's power to overcome it.  Today you may simply need to rest  in the power of your purpose, a purpose that has been assigned by God Himself.  And we know where God guides, He provides and where it is God's will, it is God's bill.  Have a great week!

     Please enter your comments or questions about this entry on the site where it is posted. 

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DAILY PROVERB:  I post a short daily devotional focusing on one verse from Proverbs every day on my blog site. If you would like to read it or subscribe to receive it, just go to my site and register there.

FACEBOOK: I also include my daily Proverb on my Facebook account (you can find me using my email johnstanko@att.net), along with a daily inspirational quote. I do the same on Twitter @johnstanko as well.  Why not follow along on one or both of those services? 

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT: I offer a free purpose assessment on my website. This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study concerning where you are in your PurposeQuest. As soon as you take the assessment, you receive feedback from me as to how you can improve and grow in purpose.

432: Goals

Happy New Year!  I trust 2010 will be a great year for you, filled with exciting purposeful activities and relationships.  As you know, I set a goal to have 1,000 friends on Facebook by 12/31/09 (or 31/12/09 if you live outside the U.S.).  As of this writing, I am at 936 and counting.  I thought it would be good to examine this goal and the results and see what there is to learn as we enter this New Year.

THE GOAL

Why did I choose this goal?  When I joined Facebook last year, I thought it was a good means through which I could "broadcast" some of my devotional writing.  Since it is no more difficult to write for one that it is for 1,000, I randomly chose that number as something that seemed do-able but beyond my knowledge of how I would do it.  It seemed to capture everything that a goal should be, so I set it and now I am almost there.

I define a goal as a "vision of how it is before it is." It is an end result to be achieved through dreaming, planning and diligence.  If there is breakdown in any of those three, you will never reach your goal.  First, you must dream it. Then you must put some kind of plan together to do it, even if it is by faith.  Finally, you must go for it with an active and not a passive faith. 

WHAT THERE IS TO LEARN   

So what can we learn from my goal of 1,000 friends?

1. I created urgency by putting a date with the goal.  There was nothing special about 12/31/09.  I just randomly chose it.  I am not upset in the least by the fact that I came short of my goal.  I got closer to it than if I had hoped to have 1,000 friends one day.
2. I trusted what was "in" me.  I didn't waste any time wondering whether or not this was a good or perfect goal.  I set it and went for it.
3. My goal was ultimately to help others.  I don't really care how many friends I have. I do care how many I can reach with what God has given me to say and write.
4. The answers are "out there."  When you set a goal, you should not have any idea how you will accomplish it. You simply have faith that the answers are somewhere out there.  Your goal is creating the need and your sensitivity to the answers for that need.

Goal setting is not to be an event, but a lifestyle. You should create urgency through goal-setting in any area of life that is important to you. Today I am sending my publisher my next manuscript, this time a verse-by-verse devotional from Revelation called The Revelation Project.  I spent about 50 hours this past week getting it finalized and ready to go after spending hundreds of hours over an 11-month period. I could do that because my goal was January 1, 2010.  Yes, I missed the goal by a few days, but I don't feel bad at all.

2010 is here.  What are you goals?  If you don't have any, then you are saying that there is nothing in your life worth exerting supernatural effort to achieve?  If that's true, and I refuse to believe it is, then you are not swimming through life - you are just treading water.  Eventually you will get tired from doing nothing.

Spend some time this week and get your goal-groove on for 2010.  Don't worry whether or not they are perfect. As long as they mean something to you, they are fine.  Then tell someone and begin to look for the answers out there.  And oh yes, you can tell your friends to be my friend on Facebook.  I only have 64 to go!  Thanks and have a great week.

    Feel free to post your comment to this Memo on the site where it is located.

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THE SOPHIA FUND:  $1,300 come in for the Sophia Fund at year's end and some money and supplies for the Deborah Foundation continue to arrive.  My response to all this is:  THANK YOU AND PLEASE DON'T STOP.  I leave for Kenya on February 5 with 14 others and we want to take as much stuff and money over with us as possible. 

If you haven't already done so, please take the time to read my latest update on the Sophia Fund and the Deborah Foundation here. As you read, you will understand what a difference you can make in a child's life with very little effort or investment. 

After you read these updates, I hope you will act to help as my trip approaches in four weeks.  I need money and supplies to feed and educate the children in a difficult environment. If you need more background or information, go to my blog to see my latest posts or go to my Facebook page. I will figure out a way to get everything to Kenya.  You just figure out a way to get them to me. 

KENYA: The finest training in goal setting and personal development I have ever received was through an organization called The Pacific Institute.  I am going to do a three-day Pacific Institute seminar while I am in Nairobi from February 8-10 at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi. This training is not inexpensive, but it has paid for itself in my life over and over again.  Be watching for updates in the coming weeks and then be a part of this historic event when I come over in February.  It will change you and your life forever.

Memo 429: Down but Not Out

Last night I had the privilege of seeing Handel's Messiah performed here in Pittsburgh at Heinz Hall, due to the generosity of a woman in my church.  I have seen the Messiah many times but it never gets old.  Last night was another outstanding rendition of that timeless classic.  Let's take a look at the circumstances that surrounded Handel as he composed his work and see if there are any purpose lessons there for you (you know there are!)

MESSIAH

The Messiah is considered by many to be the greatest musical feat in the history of mankind. Commissioned by a charity to produce a benefit concert, Handel wrote the Messiah in only 24 days. A musician once told me that someone trying to copy the Messiah could not do so in 24 days—that is the level of inspiration in which Handel operated when he wrote. Handel never left his house for those three weeks. His food trays remained untouched outside his office door. A friend who visited him as he composed found him sobbing with intense emotions. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe what he had experienced, he quoted St. Paul, saying “whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it I know not.”

What’s even more impressive is that Handel wrote Messiah under extreme duress. The Church of England strongly criticized and opposed Handel and his previous Scriptural works put to music. At the age of 56, he had no money, often going out only at night so as to avoid his creditors. Handel performed what he considered his farewell concert and went home, fully expecting to end up in debtor’s prison.

Yet the first performance of Messiah in Ireland raised almost 400 pounds for charity and freed 142 other men from debtor's prison in 1742. Of course the rest is history as countless millions have enjoyed and marveled at this work for more than 250 years. Handel also went on from there to enjoy tremendous success and popularity in his latter years.

So what does this have to do with you? Perhaps you are a person of purpose but you feel frustrated, even defeated in your PurposeQuest. Maybe you find yourself down and out, discouraged and criticized, forgotten and a failure. Perhaps your finances are in poor shape. If that description fits you, read on, for I believe this Memo can restore your hope and faith. If that’s not you, read on anyway, for you will probably enter that phase one day as you pursue your purpose.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT.

What should you do if you are in a season of “un-use,” disfavor or inaction? As we close out 2009, I would urge you to do three things if you are discouraged, disillusioned or dismayed. And if you’re not, I urge you to find someone who is—you shouldn’t have to look too hard—and encourage them in their dark time.

1. Renew your faith in God. Your success and purpose expression doesn’t depend on your faithfulness; it depends on God’s. So remind yourself that God can do anything, and then rest in Him. Handel went home to retire and perhaps thought it was all over for him. Yet God helped him and He will help you.
2. Keep preparing for your day of success. I don’t think Handel went home and abandoned music. Don't you abandon your love either. Keep writing, reading, learning and practicing. When the phone rings or the mail comes with your opportunity, you will be fresh and prepared, having worked in faith for the day of success.
3. Be generous. Handel wrote the Messiah for charity, even though he was destitute. What can you do for someone else, even though you are down and out?  It is a good thing to do the unexpected in hard times and giving something away definitely fits the bill. What better way to express your trust in God?
   

I’m grateful for 2009 and I hope you can find reasons to be as well. If not, then just thank God for His faithfulness. At least you’re still alive! Then take this Memo to heart or share it with someone who needs it. I pray that as you do what I recommended above, you will see the purpose breakthrough in 2010. Thank you for allowing me to come into your life every week and thank you for being a purpose seeker. As I close this Memo, I wish you not only a great week, but also a very Merry Christmas!

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LETTERS FROM KENYA:   Please, please take the time to read my latest update on the Sophia Fund and the Deborah Foundation here, this time written by three Kenyans. You will see how critical this work is from those who are touched firsthand.  Then give as you can this holiday season.  Your giving will make a big difference in the lives of many children and adults.

Not a lot of money arrived this past week, but a lot of stuff did.  I have no idea how I will get all this over to Kenya, but I am not worried.  I have people going with me in February and we will take as much as we can.  I truly believe that God will work all this out, so I refuse to fret for even one minute.

After you read these updates, I hope you too will act to help today as we approach the Christmas holiday.  I need money and supplies to feed and educate them in a difficult environment. I am grateful for your prayerful and prompt response to the children's needs.  If you need more background or information, go to my blog to see my latest posts or go to my Facebook page. I will figure out a way to get everything to Kenya.  You just figure out a way to get them to me. 

428: A Matter of Perspective

Are you facing difficult, even seemingly impossible obstacles in your life right now?  Have you given up before you even started on a dream or goal?  Is discouragement clinging to you like cat hair on wool fabric?  If you answered "Yes!" to any of those questions, then you need to read the Memo below. (If you answered "No!", you can read on as well.)

A SCOUTING EXPEDITION

When Israel was on the verge of entering the land, Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land as the Lord directed him to do (see Numbers 13).  The men went and saw some spectacular things.  They beheld a land flowing with milk and honey, so to speak.  Everything in that land was large -- the cities, the inhabitants, and the fruit.  One cluster of grapes was so large that it took two men to carry it back to Moses.

This was the land the Lord had promised to give the people, but there was only one small problem:  The people panicked!  They saw the good but they also saw the bad and they allowed the bad to overshadow the good. This is the report they brought to Moses:

But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them" (Numbers 13:31-33).

The people who listened to them bought into their report and decided that there was no way they were going to enter that land.  They also talked of rebelling and even killing Moses and anyone who sided with him that they should proceed.

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

It was then that Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies, stepped forward to rebuke and encourage the people:

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them" (Numbers 14:5-9). 

So what can we learn from Joshua and this story?

1. Joshua saw the giants as too big to miss in battle, the people saw them as too big to overcome.
2. When you share a gloomy perspective, it is contagious.
3. The people lost perspective on how big God is when they saw how big their problems were.
4. The people did not go forward and saw it as reasonable; God saw it as rebellious.

So what can you learn from this story?  Where have you allowed your perspective to affect your judgment to act? Have you bought into someone's pessimism instead of the Lord's optimism?  It is a matter of perspective as to how you see your problems and challenge?  I urge you this week not to be like the people but to be like Joshua and keep your problems and opportunities in proper perspective and act like God is as big and powerful as He truly is.  Have a great week!

    Feel free to write your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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WOW:  This past week, $600 for the Sophia Fund, $250 for the Deborah Foundation and a whole lot of books, toys and other children's supplies arrived. What's more, at least a dozen people told me yesterday in church that they had things to donate and would deliver them in the next few weeks.  I have no idea how I will get all this over to Kenya, but I am not worried.  I have people going with me in February and we will take as much as we can.  I truly believe that God will work all this out, so I refuse to fret for even one minute.  I wrote an update on The Sophia Fund and Deborah Foundation last week, which included two emails from Kenya that describe what the latest Sophia Fund allotment has meant for their work. You can read about it here. 

After you read the update, I hope you too will act to help today as we approach the Christmas holiday.  I need money and supplies to feed and educate them in a difficult environment. I am grateful for your prayerful and prompt response to the children's needs.  If you need more background or information, go to my blog to see my latest post or go to my Facebook page. I will figure out a way to get everything to Kenya.  You just figure out a way to get them to me. 

DAILY PROVERB: I am now posting a short daily devotional focusing on one verse every day on my blog site. If you would like to read it or subscribe to receive it, just go to my site and register there. I promise to have it updated every day and have been doing so since March.

FACEBOOK: My goal is to have 1,000 Facebook friends on FB by 12/31. Right now I have 786. I update my status on Facebook (you can find me by searching my email, johnstanko@att.net) every morning to include a daily verse from Proverbs and an inspirational quote. I do the same on Twitter @johnstanko as well as a daily feature entitled "What Would Jesus Ask?" Go there to sign up and follow along.

SPECIAL NOTE:  I will be posting some of my best Christmas Memos from the archives over the next few weeks.  I will resume our discussion of Joshua in the new year.

426: Wake Up!

I apologize for not writing last week.  We had to take my wife to the hospital when she could not see out of her right eye.  She was diagnosed with a torn retina and the doctor is trying to repair it with laser surgery so she won't need major surgery. We are praying for his success!

This week I want to finish up our study of Deborah that we began two weeks ago.  You can read the first installment here if you missed it. You may want to read Judges 5 also before we go on from here. 

INACTIVITY

When I read Judges 5, I get the idea that Deborah's main role was encouragement and influence the people of God to act. She urged God's people to do something and they did it.  Without Deborah's influence, they could have remained in bondage much longer.  Here are some of the verses that give me the sense that Deborah stirred people to action:

"When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves—praise the Lord!" (Judges 5:2).

"Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel" (Judges 5:7).

"My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the Lord!" (Judges 5:9).

"'Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam" (Judges 5:12). 

 "Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart" (Judges 5:16).

"Curse Meroz," said the angel of the Lord. "Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty'" (Judges 5:23).

Deborah basically encouraged the people to wake up and act.  They were tolerating a bad situation and had even become accustomed to it. It was time to put a stop to it and Deborah saw that it happened.  Those who did not help or act were "cursed of the Lord." 

WAKE UP!

So maybe it's time for you to "wake up"?  What situation have you accepted as normal that you have the power to change?  Where has inactivity led to complacency?  Where do you need the Spirit of Deborah to call you to action?  Then again, it may be time for you to wake someone else up, to stimulate the people around you to action through your action.  If you have ever said, "Someone needs to do something," have you considered that the someone may be you? 

Deborah called the people to arms and then she accompanied them to see that the victory was secured.  You can do the same and, when you do, you will follow in the footsteps of a "mother" in Israel who knew that the situation was unacceptable and needed changed. Why not impact your world this week the way Deborah did hers?  As you do, I know you will have a great week!

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RECENT SERMON:  You can watch or listen to my sermon from last weekend, entitled A Tale of Two Donkeys, on my church's website.  In that message, I compare Balaam's ride on his donkey with Jesus' ride into Jerusalem on His.  Let me know what you think when you are finished.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!:  I want to wish all my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving this coming Thursday.

YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED:  Someone asked me last week whether or not I needed toys, books or money.  I told them that all three are still needed, but that money is probably number one, followed by books and then toys. 

Please don't forget the children this Christmas as I prepare for my next trip to Kenya in February.  I need money and supplies to feed and educate them in a difficult environment. I am grateful for your prayerful and prompt response to the children's needs.  To read all about what's going on, go to my blog to see my latest post or go to my Facebook page.  I need books and educational toys and I need you to help me get them. I will figure out a way to get them to Kenya.  You just figure out a way to get them to me. 

When you do your Christmas shopping and giving this year, please remember The Sophia Fund and The Deborah Foundation (named after my daughter, not after the Old Testament judge discussed above).  I know you will be blessed when you do. 

DAILY PROVERB: I am now posting a short daily devotional focusing on one verse every day on my blog site. If you would like to read it or subscribe to receive it, just go to my site and register there. I promise to have it updated every day.

FACEBOOK: My goal is to have 1,000 Facebook friends on FB by 12/31. Right now I have 762. I update my status on Facebook (you can find me by searching my email, johnstanko@att.net) every morning to include a daily verse from Proverbs and an inspirational quote. I do the same on Twitter @johnstanko as well as a daily feature entitled "What Would Jesus Ask?" Go there to sign up and follow along.

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT: I updated and improved the feedback email you receive from your online assessment, so now is a great time to take or re-take the purpose assessment on my website. This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study concerning where you are in your PurposeQuest.

423: Fleeced

If you are like most people, you want to know if your ideas and actions are sanctioned by the Lord.  Thus you may seek for a sign of confirmation before you act, and that whole process is called putting out a fleece before the Lord.  That concept was first introduced in the story of Gideon, so let's look at that now and see if there are any lessons we can learn from what Gideon did and why he did it.

FLEECED

God appeared to Gideon and appointed him the one to deliver Israel from the Midianites.  This directive was not what Gideon was expecting so he asked God on three separate occasions to give him a sign that it was indeed the Lord who was guiding his steps.  Here is one of those instances:

Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised- Look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew (Judges 6:36-40). 

So you see from that passage that a fleece before the Lord was just that for Gideon:  it was a sheep's skin that once was drenched with dew and once wasn't. Gideon chose that sign and God chose to respond. It would be nice if God would respond to every request for confirmation like He did in this instance, but He usually doesn't. Why is that?

It's because most requests are made not in faith but in unbelief and God does respond very well to those who don't trust Him in the first place.  When that happens, they get the response that Jesus gave to the Jews.  Let''s look at that now.

NO SIGN, SORT OF

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:38-39).

Notice that Jesus didn't really say that there would be no sign.  He just said it would be a sign of God's choosing and that sign was that Jesus would be raised from the dead after three days, just like Jonah was delivered after three days in the big fish.  The problem with asking for a sign today is that a sign has already been given:  Jesus is alive!

You see, if God can raise the dead, then He can do anything!  He can help you start your business, publish your work, find you a job or fund your missions trip.  When you say, "Oh God, I need a sign to let me know whether or not this is something you want me to do," you run the danger of asking because you don't really believe you can do what you are being asked to do.

The Lord asked Gideon to lead a battle against insurmountable odds and Gideon needed that reassurance because many lives were on the line.  Most of us won't ever face that kind of challenge.  Yours is much less demanding, so the knowledge that God raises the dead assures you that God can do anything, especially helping you to do what's in your heart.

Perhaps this week you need to stop procrastinating in unbelief while putting out a fleece, which will never be answered.  Rather be looking for ways to do what is in your heart to do.  When you do that, God will send you all the confirmation you need at every point.  Have a great week!

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KENYA VIDEOS:  If you haven't already, I invite you to watch two short videos that I shot at the orphanage I visited in Kenya a few weeks ago. The children sang me a song and the founder said a brief word of thanks.  Once you watch them, read the post below and do what your heart moves you to do to help these children and others like them.

THE SOPHIA FUND & THE DEBORAH FOUNDATION:  I announced two wees ago a new initiative in time for Christmas that will allow you to help me open learning centers all over Kenya.  We will start small, but will deliberately work to help the orphans in Kenya learn how to love books and learning.  You can play an important part in making this happen.  To read all about it, go to my blog to see my latest post or go to my Facebook page.  I need books and educational toys and I need you to help me get them. I will figure out a way to get them to Kenya.  You just figure out a way to get them to me. 

This morning I got two bags of books, shoes, bubbles and games in church, and I know they are the firstfruits of much to come.  One woman told me she cried when she read about the Deborah Foundation and is organizing her friends and neighbors to have a book party.  She also asked if she could help raise money to help get all the stuff over to Kenya.  Of course I told her that she could.  What's more, I would appreciate if you would be creative and think of ways to help this project go forward.

I also need help to continue feeding the orphans and widows there from The Sophia Fund.  When you do your Christmas shopping and giving this year, please remember The Sophia Fund and The Deborah Foundation.  I know you will be blessed when you do. 

418: Faith From Start To Finish

Greetings from the land of the Queen and scones and clotted cream.  I am in England and will be for another week.  I had a busy day yesterday and will be busy for the next week. You can read more about my schedule below, but right now I want to finish up our study of Esther.  You can read the previous three Memos on Esther here or you can wait to catch up when I review at the end of this Memo. Either way, let's take one last look at Esther and the purpose lessons we can learn from her life.

FAITH FROM START TO FINISH

Clarifying your purpose isn’t a matter of doing your homework or figuring out what you do best or most often.  You do have to work at finding your purpose, but it isn’t something you can identify logically.  The last point I want to make this week is that you need faith both to clarify and fulfill your purpose. You don't find your purpose in faith and then carry it out on your own. Your PurposeQuest requires faith from start to finish.

When Esther received the exhortation from Mordecai that she had come to the throne for such a time as this, she replied:

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:15-16). 

Esther knew at this point that she could not do what she had to do in her own strength; she needed supernatural help and strength to fulfill her purpose.  You need to come to the same realization.  People ask me how I write and travel as much as I do.  I respond that I do it in faith.  I determined eight years ago that I would trust God, who showed me my purpose, also to fulfill my purpose.  And like Esther, I said if I fail, I fail.  If I failed, however, I was going to fail magnificently and in faith! 

I get many letters from readers who are uptight and frustrated with their individual PurposeQuest.  I write back and tell them to relax.  God will reveal your purpose when you are ready.  Put your trust in Him and in His ability to speak—not in your ability to hear.  God wants you to fulfill your purpose even more than you do, so, armed with that understanding, trust that He will not only show it to you, but open doors like He did for Esther that will enable you to fulfill it.  People often tell me that it can’t be that simple, but I maintain that it is.

LET’S REVIEW.

So what purpose lessons have we learned from Esther and Mordecai these last three weeks?

1. Your past doesn’t prevent you from fulfilling your purpose, unless you allow it to do so. 
2. You may be taking for granted or looking past a purpose that is obvious to everyone but you.
3. God wants to build on your strengths and not your weaknesses.
4. God hasn’t forgotten you.
5. You don’t have to go looking for purpose; purpose comes looking for you.
6. Purpose puts you in the right place at the right time.
7. It requires faith both to find and fulfill your purpose.

So there you have it - our purpose profile on Esther. This week, I want you to mediate on the seven points I have listed above.  Pray over them and ask God to show you what you’re missing.  Don’t just pray, but pray in faith with pen and paper in hand, believing that the Lord will show you some new perspective that you need to be a person of purpose.  And as usual, if I can help you in any way, please let me know.  Have a great week!

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1. UK AND KENYA SCHEDULE.  You can look at my schedule for the UK (September 20-28) and Kenya (September 28-October 4) on my website under the News section.  Everything I am doing is open to the public, so come one and come all to hear the purpose doctor while you have the chance! (The Tuesday event listed on my site for the UK has been postponed.)

Also, I have a special evening presentation in Nairobi on Wednesday, September 30.  For more information, you can download the flier: Download IIE Kenya Seminar

2. THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE:  I am so delighted that I am taking about $3200 to Kenya with me to feed our orphans and widows. What a blessing!  Thank you so much for your generous support.  I will announce a special Christmas promotion toward establishing children's libraries and reading rooms, which unbelievably are nonexistent in Kenya.

You can read my latest report on The Sophia Fund here (written about four weeks ago).  You can also read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother).

Now that the Revelation Project is complete, please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more. You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

3. DAILY PROVERB: I am now posting a short daily devotional focusing on one verse every day on my blog site. If you would like to read it or subscribe to receive it, just go to my site and register there. I promise to have it updated every day.

4. FACEBOOK: My goal is to have 1,000 Facebook friends on FB by 12/31. Right now I have 630. I update my status on Facebook (you can find me by searching my email, johnstanko@att.net) every morning to include a daily verse from Proverbs and an inspirational quote. I do the same on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow along.

412: Purpose Faith

Have you ever made a commitment to do something by a certain deadline and had no idea how to do it?  How did it turn out?  If you're like most, it probably turned out better than you expected.  You created the need for the information in faith and then set out to achieve your objective.

We have been looking at Daniel the last few weeks and will do so for a few weeks more.  Daniel made a similar commitment to do something he didn't know how he would do, and it saved lives and changed the course of history.  Let's look at what he did and see what you and I can learn from what I am calling Purpose Faith. 

WHO CARES?

When Israel was conquered by Babylon, the conquerors relocated Daniel and his friends to Babylon to assimilate them into their culture. They changed Daniel's name, forced him learn a new language and culture and made him a eunuch!  You can say that Daniel went through a major life transition.

Then the king had his famous dream that troubled him so.  He wanted his wise men to interpret the dream, with one catch. The king refused to tell them the dream.  He wanted them to tell him the dream and its meaning.  That seems pretty unreasonable to me.  When they could not, the king threatened to kill them all.

So then Daniel heard about the predicament the king had created.  He could have said, "Who cares?  I didn't want to be in this heathen place anyway. Let them all die!"  Yet that was not his heart and spirit.  Rather here is what Daniel did:

At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him (Daniel 2:16).

Daniel had faith that God would show him the dream and the interpretation!  What happened next always boggles my mind when I read it.  I am sure it will boggle yours, too.

GOD CARES

Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his" (Daniel 2:17-20).

Obviously God cared about the lives of the king's advisers, for He showed Daniel the dream and its meaning.  What faith Daniel had to commit to do the impossible!  He put high expectations on the Lord and God came through. He was not afraid to draw on God's infinite wisdom.

Which brings us back to you and me. How high are your expectations in the Lord?  What are you asking God to do that seems impossible to others? What have you committed yourself to that, if the Lord does not come through, you will look foolish? What need have you created for new information you don't have today so you can do new things tomorrow?

Daniel was a remarkable man with great faith, but he applied that faith to everyday life. It is no wonder that God exalted him to a high place, for Daniel learned how to partner with God to make the impossible ordinary.  You and I would do well to imitate his example and then set our expectations high so that God will empower us to do great things for Him in the power of our purpose. Have a great week!

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1. REVELATION PROJECT UPDATE!  As I wrote last week, I had a major breakthrough in my attempt to publish my Revelation Studies. A donor made a matching grant challenge for the month of August, promising to match every dollar donated with another dollar of his own.  Last week $135 came in, so that means we have $270 of the $3,600 needed to publish. I am confident the rest will arrive by August 31.

Every dollar you give will be doubled this month, so when you give, you are exercising good stewardship.  What's more, you will be part of publishing and distributing this work that will help reclaim Revelation as a rich devotional book of victory and worship!  You can make a contribution this month by going directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Please make sure you mark you donation for Revelation and don't forget that every dollar you give is actually two until August 31.

2. THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE:  Only about $10 came in last week for The Sophia Fund. I am heading to Africa in late September and will check on the status of our donations then to make sure all is going well.  As you know by now, I am using the money to feed AIDS orphans and widows in Kenya and Zimbabwe. I posted a report from Kenya on the last payment I sent there that you can read on my blog. You can also read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother). Even though I am raising money for my Revelation Project, I will not neglect The Sophia Fund.  The orphans and widows need our help now more than ever.

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more. You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

3. DAILY PROVERB: I am now posting a short daily devotional focusing on one verse every day on my blog site. If you would like to read it or subscribe to receive it, just go to my site and register there. I promise to have it updated every day.

4. FACEBOOK: My goal is to have 1,000 Facebook friends on FB by 12/31. Right now I have 527. I update my status on Facebook (you can find me by searching my email, johnstanko@att.net) every morning to include a daily verse from Proverbs and an inspirational quote. I do the same on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow along.

5. FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT: I updated and improved the feeback email you receive from your online assessment, so now is a great time to take or re-take the purpose assessment on my website. This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study concerning where you are in your PurposeQuest.

394: Sit Down!

It's been a great stay in the UK and I thank my hosts, Dave and Pam Graham of Everlasting Books, for taking such good care of me.  Before I pack for home, however,I need to write this Memo.  It's been eight years since I started writing the Memo and every time I sit down to write, something comes to me. This week's theme came this morning while I was writing next week's Bible study. It's nice when I can use one thing for two purposes, but it doesn't always work like that.

I realize that you are just dying to know what this week's topic is, but you know the rules. You have to read on if you want to know.

BREAD FOR YOU, BUT FIRST. . .

In John 6, Jesus had a massive crowd following Him and He asked Philip how they could possibly feed all those people, about 5,000 in number. Jesus wasn't looking for information or ideas; He already knew what He was going to do. He was testing Philip to see what he would suggest and, of course, he had no ideas, commenting that eight month's wages would only give everyone a snack.

Andrew, perhaps jokingly, said that there was a little boy who had five loaves and two fish but that certainly was not enough to feed the crowd.  It was then that Jesus went into action. It was in what He told the people to do first that gave me the idea for this Memo:

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them (John 6:10).

Before Jesus would give them any bread, which was symbolic of His own life that He likened as bread from heaven, He ordered the people to sit down in a grassy place.  It was then that I saw this for the first time in the context of Psalm 23.

. . . YOU HAVE TO SIT DOWN

To hear from the Lord, you have to sit down and quiet yourself.  You can't be running here and there, hoping to catch the Lord on the fly.  You have to sit down.  I wonder if you don't know your purpose or aren't more productive because you don't know how or simply don't take time to sit down. Perhaps a refresher on Psalm 23 will help you this week:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet water, he restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:1-6 emphasis added).

God will make you lie down in green pastures and, once you recline, He will give you bread -- whatever it is that you need to sustain your life and purpose.  So this week, why not take the time to just sit down?  It's not very glamorous and I don't have any other suggestions except to take a pad and pen and write down what He says.  If He can feed 5,000 from nothing once they sat, surely He can feed you when you do the same.  As you do that, I am confident you will have a very good week!

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THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received another email from Kenya this week concerning The Sophia Fund, this time from Eddie Adembesa:

Greetings from us all WEMA widows with the trust that all is well by the grace of God.
 
This is to acknowledge that we have received $1,000 Sophie Fund and $50 St. Paul’s Baptist Church which you sent to us through SARAH NETWORK towards the feeding programme for orphans under the care of WEMA widows.
 
This has not only put a smile on the face of the children but also the widows who have great lack due to the prolonged drought that Kenya is facing.
 
To every single person who made this possible, it’s a big thank you and God truly bless you and enlarge your territories. A good measure shaken together, pressed down and overflowing. I call this a divine connection from God. Let’s continue to pray for one another as we continue noble task. Once again thank you and God bless you.

As I promised, every penny you send is going to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  With reports like the one above, won't you consider helping orphans and widows today?  You can read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

FACEBOOK:  I continue to update my personal page on Facebook.  Check it out and let's be friends when you have a chance.  Also you can find me on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow me.

BIBLE STUDY:  If you would like to receive the Bible study from John that I mentioned in the first paragraph, I would be glad to send them to you on a weekly basis. If you would like them check or subscribe to receive them as they are published, you can do both here.