The Monday Memo from John Stanko

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!

************************************

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. 

391: Friend of God

I am in the Detroit airport heading home from a great weekend with my friends at Cathedral of Life Christian Assembly in Providence, Rhode Island.  Now I am home until I head over to the UK on March 27 to be with my UK distributor, Everlasting Books.  I will publish my UK itinerary as soon as I receive it.

I have been thinking the last few days about how spiritual it sounds to say, "Lord, I'll do whatever You want me to do."  It is what any good servant should say.  Yet I wonder if saying that does not avoid a subtle truth about our relationship with God.  What subtle truth, you may ask?  Ah, to receive the answer you will have to read on.

FOREVER A SERVANT

I want to look at John 15:14-16 as we start this discussion:

You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

There are many who are comfortable with living in an eternal state of servant-hood where God is concerned.  I wonder, however, if that position doesn't avoid a deeper relationship that moves from service to friendship.  When you are a servant, you do what you have to do.  When you are a friend, you do what you choose to do because you love your friend.  Yes, you may serve your friend, but that relationship is totally different than the master/servant.

When you are a servant, you do what you are told to do.  When you are a friend, you do what is in your heart to do. This is why I think that at some point you must transition from only being God's servant to being His servant and friend.

FRIEND OF GOD

Notice that Jesus followed His remarks on friendship by reminding the disciples that they were chosen to bear fruit and not just be friends with Him.  He also reminded them that God would answer their prayers that flowed out of their friendship with Him.  So is it safe to say that your fruit and answers to prayer will do the same?

I am not trying to reduce God to the level of your "buddy" or "pal."  Rather I am trying to elevate you, trying to deliver you from the mindset of a slave. When you are a slave, you wait to be told what to do. When you are a friend, you anticipate what you have to do and that makes you a good friend.  I want to be a good friend of God, while still being His servant and Him my Lord.

So what will it be?  Will you choose a life of servant-hood only or a life of friendship with the Lord?  I choose friendship, realizing that the role of friend requires fruit and prayer.  I think I have chosen wisely, and I invite you to join me in this major step as together we seek to serve Him and one another.  Have a great week!

************************************
THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received the following email from Kenya this week, written by Pastor Francis at the Upako Orphanage:

This is to let you know that we received $1000 from you through Sarah Network for the feeding of the orphans at Upako Centre Nairobi.We are indeed very grateful to you and all involved in this and we have channeled the money to the children's food kitty and to no other use. I will give the breakdown of what we bought with the money after use.

I also want to congratulate the wonderful people who visited Kenya with you and got the opportunity to visit Upako,they too made a difference and may God bless all of you. Finally, keep us in prayer so that you may continue helping Upako Children alongside other projects in Kenya.

Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  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.

390: Holy Action

I just typed the number in the title and realized that I started the Monday Memo eight years ago this month. I didn't know how long I would write, but I was convinced that I would eventually run out of material.  Here I am, however, eight years and 390 Memos later and I'm still enjoying it and hope you are. too.  What's more, I hope it is still relevant.  When it isn't, that will be the time to quit.

You know I am passionate to see you not just talk about your ideas but do something about them. I think the Lord feels the same way.  I think I can prove it, but to know for sure, you will have to read on.

INEFFECTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE   

Let's start by reading what Peter wrote in his second epistle:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

I put the two words in bold that I want you to notice: ineffective and unproductive.  The King James translates those two words: barren and unfruitful. The Greek word translated barren literally mean "lazy, not performing the work that one ought to perform."  The second word translated unfruitful means "not yielding the fruit that one ought to yield."  

I think the message is clear.  You make every effort to live a holy life and grow in knowledge so you can be fruitful.  In this context, holiness is not the end, it is the means to the end. 

HOLY ACTION

If you are holy, then you will take holy action.  What is holy action for you?  It is tied to your purpose and emanates from the ideas and dreams that you have.  So ask yourself this week whether or not you are shunning the work you ought to perform and if, in fact, you are yielding the fruit that you were created to yield. If not, what can you do to take steps to do so.

You know my website has a lot of material to help you be purposeful and productive.  Why not visit there for some help?  Maybe there is someone who inspires or mentors you whom you can visit this week to get your action plan together.  Whatever it is you can do, don't put it off any longer.  While you grow in holiness, you should also grow in holy action.  It is the natural expression of a godly life.  Have a great week!

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

************************************
THE SOPHIA FUND:  Even though I just returned from Africa, it doesn't mean that The Sophia Fund will be suspended. I will continue to receive contributions and send them to Africa through reliable sources. Therefore, if you haven't sent anything yet, you can still do so.  Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. 

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.

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 800 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

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.

389: Purpose Cross

I am glad that last week is over! I had class every day including Saturday from 8 to 4:30, but I feel smarter already, and I need all the help I can get.  If you read The Memo regularly, you know that I write extensively about bearing fruit.  I don't define fruit as simply being nice or holy (although that is a part), but I define fruit as being productive -- starting the business, writing the book, producing the album and the like.

Yet there is one important aspect of fruitfulness that I have not emphasized and I want to make up for that oversight this week. What is that aspect?  Ah, you know that you will have to read on to find out.

ALONE OR ABUNDANCE?

Jesus said in John 12:24-26:

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

It is crucial that you know your purpose.  If you are going to be as fruitful and fulfilled as you want to be, however, you must die to yourself and follow Him.  There is no way around the death process on the road to purpose and fruit.

MY PURPOSE CROSS

When you die to self and pick up your cross, God will seldom, except for a season, require that you deny who you are or function outside of purpose.  The cross in purpose is not trying to be who you are not, but in fulfilling and expressing your purpose in a manner that honors God and acknowledges the fact that He gave you your purpose, perhaps in a manner that is not your ideal situation.  Let me give you an example.

My purpose is to create order out of chaos. That is what I love to do and it is what the Lord helps me to do.  My death process, however, is that I would rather fulfill my purpose almost anywhere except the local church.  I have prayed, "Lord, send me to ABC, CBS, SAA, RBZ, KFHL, KFC, NBC or any other company with an acronym.  But please don't send me to the church!" 

Yet for 35 years, church work has been my purpose cross. God has seen fit for me to fall into the ground and die in church settings all over the world!  Please don't misunderstand. I am not complaining.  It is an honor to serve God anywhere and I am delighted to be back in a local church setting as I write. Church work is where His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Church work is where I learn to deny myself and then get a chance to do all the things I love to do.  Do you see how God is able to combine the two, my cross and my joy?

When you say, "God, I will do whatever you want me to do," that is the correct thing to say.  Don't expect God to place you, however, in a place where you will not express who He made you to be.  You can expect, however, that He will do it in such a way that you will have to deny yourself, in the midst of purpose joy, to pick up your cross and follow Him. There is no other way for you to bear the fruit that God and you both want to see from a purposeful life.  Have a great week!

384: Your Less Can Be More

Two weeks ago I wrote More and More and More and urged you not to be biased against more, for it may be God's will.  Last week I wrote Less and Less and Less and explained how people of purpose actually restrict their activities over time to those things that yield the greatest results.  I want to continue last week's theme in this week's Memo entitled Your Less Can Be More.  Or should the title be Your More Can Be Less?  Now I'm confused, so I had better keep writing and you had better keep reading so that hopefully we can bring some order out of this mess!

MY LESS LED TO MORE

If you have the faith to focus your efforts on what you do best and were created to do, you may find yourself doing less things, but the things you do will bring greater results. People regularly ask me how I am able to do the things I do.  My answer is always the same: I stopped doing the things I can't do so well so I can concentrate on those things that I can do well.

When I was a Sunday-morning pastor in Orlando, the largest crowd we ever had in the church was 258 people.  (I don't know why I remember that figure, for it was back in 1992!).  This Memo could reach upwards of 20,000 people after it is forwarded from one reader to another.  Do you see how my less has led to more? I stopped trying to do it all and concentrated on doing some.  My less led to more and yours will too.

What's more, when I started The Monday Memo in 2001, I wasn't sure how long it would run.  This issue is number 384 and every time I sit down on a Sunday evening, I have something to write. A woman came up to me in church this morning to tell me that I inspired her in her work with nutrition and health.  Many have told me that the Memo has mentored and directed them to do what was in their heart, so not only has the Memo readership grown, but the Memo impact has also grown.  Once again, my less led to more.

YOUR LESS CAN BE MORE, TOO

If my less can be more, then yours can, too.  The challenge is usually in finding the less so that you can embrace the more.  What do you need to stop doing?  I know, it's a step of faith, because you may not know at this point what you will do.  You only sense what you must stop doing. I could not begin writing The Monday Memo until I left the church position I had at the time.  Two months later I began writing and I haven't stopped! 

The key to productivity isn't to do everything you can think of.  The key is to do what you do best, what you do that causes God to partner with you or, better yet, you with Him.  Focus this week on how your less can be more and then have faith to scale down so you can gear up.  When you do, you will finally discover the more that you have always known should be present in your life and work.  Have a great week!

************************
THE SOPHIA FUND:  I depart for Kenya on February 11 (with a team of seven others) and want to invest the firstfruits from The Sophia Fund when I go.  You can read about The Fund here, named after my late mother, that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe.  We have already raised almost $800 and I am asking you to contribute 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!

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

BIBLE STUDY:  I will send out the third installment from my John Bible study later this week.  If you would like to check out the first two or subscribe to receive them as they are published, you can do both here. 

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 750 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

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. 

Monday Memo 381: New Year Ramblings

Happy New Year!  I hope 2009 will be a purpose-filled and productive year for you.  Hoping, however won't get the job.  Purpose and productivity are never accidents. They occur through focused and specific actions that emanate from a vision of what you want to achieve.  Purposeful action is just that -- action -- and is never the result of passive wishing or praying.  So with that in mind, I hope you will allow me to think out loud as to what kind of 2009 I intend to have, Lord willing.

HARD WORK

I was reflecting the other day on a verse that has impacted my life for the last 25 years.  It is found in 1 Corinthians 15:10:  "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me."  I remember reading an anonymous quote a few years ago that stated, "There are many people who want to change the world who don't know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon,"  In other words, wishful thinking won't impact the world unless the thinking translate into action and hard work. 

So I have set these goals and objectives for 2009.  Have you set yours yet?  If not, there's still plenty of time.  That's what January and rainy or snowy Sunday afternoons are for. 

2009 GOALS

By God's grace and with His help, in 2009 I will:

1. Improve communication with my audience through Facebook (I already have a page), my website (check out my "Latest New" section on my homepage), my blog and a service called Twitter (where I am @johnstanko).   
2. Delegate more of my work to a team of interested people in the U.S and around the world.
3. Publish The Faith Files, Volume 2.
4. Have 90% of my classwork for my Doctor of Ministry completed, including my ministry project.
5. Resume broadcasting on radio and begin on television.
6. Hold more leadership training sessions here in my hometown.
7. Establish a regular savings plan (I have the figure established).
8. Read 50 books (I finished 54 in 2008).
9. Resume teaching college classes (I have two scheduled for the coming term).
10. Work smarter, not harder.
11. Establish better and more regular streams of revenue from books, training sessions and courses I have written and developed over the years. 

I won't bore you with all the specifics of those 11 objectives but I have them. I hope to do these in partnership with my local church, but if that doesn't work out, I am prepared to do them on my own time.  So what will you accomplish in 2009?  Why not take a moment and share at least one goal for 2009 with the rest of my readers on the site where this entry is posted?  Help create a wave of goals from around the world that will stimulate even my most casual reader to take action on a dream today.

*************************

THE SOPHIA FUND:  I launched what I am calling The Sophia Fund on January 1.  You can read my rationale for doing so here, but it is a charitable fund named after my mother that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe.  We have already raised $600 and I am asking you to contribute 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.

BIBLE STUDY:  In the coming week, I will send out the first study of my devotional studies from the gospel of John.  If you would like to subscribe to these free weekly studies, you can subscribe here. 

PROVERBS:  The January chapter from my book, A Daily Dose of Proverbs, is below as a New Year's gift to you.  Enjoy! 

Download January

Monday Memo 367: How Long?

I was reading last week and came across these verses in Joshua and I immediately thought, "These would make a good Monday Memo."  The verses are

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.  So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?" (Joshua 18:1-3).

To see if I was correct that they would make a good Memo, you will have to read on.

HOW LONG?

I wonder what the people were waiting for before they moved forward to take the land that God had promised?  Perhaps they were afraid or maybe they were "waiting on the Lord." Yet it seems like they were waiting and Joshua could not understand what they were waiting for.  So he helped them devise a plan to go in and they did so, yet they had wasted a lot of time living in less than God's best for them.  I find many people with whom I meet are doing the same.

I won't review all that I have written about trusting and doing what is in your heart, for you can easily go back through my past Memos to read for yourself.  Let me simply divide people into three categories and you can see if you fit into any one of the three.

THREE GROUPS

1.  I'm too young.  I meet with people who have big dreams but they feel they are too young.  So I ask them, "Why are you waiting? Do you think it will be easier to do what you want five to ten years from now?"  Many in this category are not married, or have young children, or have a spouse who also works. What a perfect time to go back to school, start a business, go into ministry or become a missionary.  Don't be biased against youth, especially if you are young.  You have the same Spirit that your elders do and God speaks to you like He does to them. So what are you waiting for?

2.  I'm too busy.  This group usually falls into the ages between 30 and 45.  They are more deeply immersed into life, and have school fees to pay, a mortgage, and a lot of responsibility. They have usually put a lot of time into their career at this point, and they are hoping to reap the benefits of that time investment in the coming years.  Many confide that they aren't happy, but just don't think they have any options.  Yet you always have options, they just may not be very good ones.  I urge this group to picture themselves in ten years and ask, "Is this what you want to be doing then?"  If they say, "No!", then we begin to make plans for what they can do with the time, money and freedom that they do have at this present time.  It is one of the most difficult things for a 40-something to think about what he or she will do when they are a 50-something.  It will be here before they know it, however, so I ask them, "What are you waiting for?"

3.  I'm too old.  This group is in their 50s and they talk like they have all the time in the world.  They act like they have another 50 years to plan and work with the same energy and health that they presently have. They talk about what they will do when they retire like retirement is a guarantee.  This group may also feel that time has passed them by, that their best days are behind them and not before them. Since I fall into this age group, I am now able to say, "Hey, we have less days ahead of us than we have behind us.  We aren't even guaranteed tomorrow."  So I ask them, "So what are you waiting for?"

No matter what group you may fall into, let me ask, "What are you waiting for?"  Do you think it will be any easier to do what is in your heart at a later day?  Why do you think so?  What will change?  If nothing will change, then why not find ways to do it (or start doing it) today, right now?  And let me also ask you what Joshua asked the people, "How long before you begin to take hold of the inheritance?"  You may not be able to take hold of it today, but you can begin to take hold.  Don't just talk about what you will do one day.  I urge you, implore you, even beg you to do it today no matter what group you fall into.  And as  you do, I know that you will have a great week!

**********************************

MEMO INDEX: Did you know that my website has an index of every Monday Memo, complete with the title, topic and all the Bible verses quoted therein?  If you are looking for something specific, you can easily check the index and find out what I have written about purpose, faith, productivity and many other topics. 

HALLOWEEN: I wrote an article years ago concerning Halloween that has been published in magazines and newspapers around the world.  I have updated that article and can send it to you for any contribution to my ministry between now and October 30.  This article is perfect for newsletters, church bulletins and other publications.  You can contribute on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  I will send you a Word and PDF file of the article for you to use in whatever way you choose. 

ASSESSMENT: Have you taken the purpose assessment on my updated website?   Four hundred people have done so since my new site went up and I hope you are among that group.   If you haven't done so yet, why not do so now and then follow up with some of the online resources that can improve your score? 

SEVEN STEPS:  I had three coaching sessions two weeks ago and then told my wife, "These were the best sessions I have ever had.  There is no one who approaches purpose the way I do, and I know I really helped the people with whom I met."  That isn't a boast, but it is an acknowledgment that God has given me something special with which to help His people.  With that in mind, I am offering another special on my Seven Steps coaching program.  If you want to progress in the area of purpose, then I strongly suggest you invest in yourself.  The cost of the program is $699, but I will discount it to $499 through October 20.  You can make payment on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Credit cards are also accepted. You can read about the Seven Steps program here. 

Monday Memo 366: Wait, Fly, Run, Walk

I meet with hundreds of people every year to talk about their purpose, productivity, goals and dreams.  I often hear people say that they are waiting on the Lord and they sincerely believe they are doing the proper thing.  They will often quote Isaiah 40:31, which states "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength" (NAS).  The only problem is that anyone who quotes this verse in support of a passive kind of waiting on the Lord is mistaken.  To understand how, you will have to read on.

WAIT OR HOPE?

Let's look at the Amplified translation not only for Isaiah 40:31, but also for the verses immediately preceding it:

Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, My way and my lot are hidden from the Lord, and my right is passed over without regard from my God? Have you not known?  Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.  He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength -- causing it to multiply and making it abound.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and the selected young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted.  But those who wait for the Lord -- who expect, look for and hope in Him -- shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint or become tired (Isaiah 40:27-31 Amplified, emphasis added). 

First of all, the word so often translated "wait," which can speak of passively sitting around for something to happen or someone to show up, is better translated "hope."  Hope is more active, spurring one to action because there is hope.  A football player plays hard to the very end because he or she hopes that the team may still win.  I go to the mall hoping that there will be a good sale on something I need.  So if you are waiting and hoping in the Lord, and I truly hope you are, I must ask you what you are doing while you are waiting.  Your waiting should actually increase your activity level and not decrease it!

NOT CONVINCED?

So how can I say that waiting on the Lord should increase and not decrease your activity level?  Just look at what happens to those who "wait" or "hope."  They will renew their strength and power.  What's more, they will fly like eagles and run without getting weary.  If they can't fly or run, they will at least walk and not faint or become tired.  If waiting is a passive word, why is it mentioned in the context of such action words like fly, run and walk? 

The Lord also promises to give power to the faint, weary and to ones who have no might.  Who is faint and weary but those who have been involved and active, seeking ways to achieve and express their purpose, which is God's will for their lives?  I ran into a person the other day who said to me, "I am waiting for a crystal clear understanding of what the Lord wants from me in this next season of my life."  I wanted to respond, "I hope you find it, but from the sounds of it, you are waiting for God to do what He will not do."  God will not jump through hoops or provide dramatic acts to confirm what He wants you to do.  You will find out as you fly, run or walk in an attitude of hope and expectancy.

I acknowledge that what God wants you to do can only be accomplished in His strength and not your own.  Yet do you need God's strength if you aren't doing anything?  Is God required to sustain you if you are waiting for heaven's phone to ring so that God can speak to you clearly and directly?  I don't think He is.

So are you prepared to wait on the Lord this week?  Good!  That means you will be actively hoping and waiting as you pursue open doors and knock on closed ones.  You will wait as you dream, write, pray and plan. You will wait as you talk to those who can help make your dreams and purpose a reality.  As you do all this, God will cause you to cover a lot of territory, no matter whether your mode of transport is flying or by foot. The important thing is that you move and then see God move with you.  Have a great week!

**********************************
HALLOWEEN: I wrote an article years ago concerning Halloween that has been published in magazines and newspapers around the world.  I have updated that article and can send it to you for any contribution to my ministry between now and October 30.  This article is perfect for newsletters, church bulletins and other publications.  You can contribute on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91069, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  I will send you a Word and PDF file of the article for you to use in whatever way you choose. 

ASSESSMENT: Have you taken the purpose assessment on my updated website?   Four hundred people have done so since my new site went up and I hope you are among that group.   If you haven't done so yet, why not do so now and then follow up with some of the online resources that can improve your score? 

SEVEN STEPS:  I had three coaching sessions last week and then told my wife, "These were the best sessions I have ever had.  There is no one who approaches purpose the way I do, and I know I really helped the people with whom I met."  That isn't a boast, but it is an acknowledgment that God has given me something special to help His people.  So with that in mind, I am offering another special on my Seven Steps coaching program.  If you want to progress in the area of purpose, then I strongly suggest you invest in yourself.  The cost of the program is $699, but I will discount it to $499 through October 20.  You can make payment on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Credit cards are also accepted. You can read about the Seven Steps program here. 

Monday Memo 365: You Are Not a Cat

There is an old saying that curiosity killed the cat.  Curious by nature, cats can get into trouble and even die when they allow their curiosity to lead them where they don't need to go.  You are not a cat, however, and the opposite can be true for you.  Your curiosity will seldom harm you and, what's more, your purpose can be hindered and thwarted if you don't follow your interests and curiosity.  Allow me to explain.

A CURIOUS SIGHT

I was meeting with someone in a purpose coaching session the other day and I asked her a Bible question:  "When did God speak to Moses from the burning bush?"  The answer is found in Exodus 3:2-3: "Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, 'I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.'"

God did not whistle and call Moses over to the bush.  Moses had seen a lot of burning bushes in the desert over the years, but this one was different.  It was burning but it was not consumed.  So Moses followed his curiosity and, when he arrived at the bush, God spoke to him and told him to take off his shoes.

I asked the woman with whom I was meeting the question about Moses because she was telling me what so many people tell me:  She was waiting on the Lord. While this sounds spiritual, it is often an attempt to avoid personal responsibility in making any decision about what to do and not to do.  If you put all the burden on the Lord to "prove" to you that there is something you need to do, you are basically saying, "Unless You drop a piano in front of me (or on top of me) from the top of a high building, Lord, I am going to keep doing what I'm doing and getting the same results I have always received. If I don't do more it's Your fault because You didn't show me." 

 A CURIOUS LEADING  

Since you are not a cat, your curiosity not only doesn't kill, but it serves an important purpose, often leading you where you need to be.  Stop scrutinizing your interests and thoughts. You need to chill out, relax and realize that God is with you and is directing your interests and, yes, even your curiosities. 

I love school and learning.  So I have enrolled in biblical Hebrew not because it is required but rather because I want to learn it.  I am taking a two-week course in Quickbooks so I can understand that accounting software and use it in my business.  Did God tell me to do those things?  Well, indirectly He did, for I was curious and now that I am in those classes, He is "speaking" to me.  Perhaps God isn't speaking to you because you are insisting that God has to speak to you where you are and not where He wants you to be.  You want to hear His voice now and He wants to speak to you when you are where He wants you to be.  Guess who will win that battle of wills?

How will you know where you are supposed to be?   At least some of the time you will know because you followed your curiosities, nothing more and nothing less.  Why not follow your interests and let curiosity lead you this week?  It may not be the voice of God, but if you follow it, it may lead you to a place where you will hear what you have been wanting to hear -- the voice of God clearly directing your path.  Have a great week!

******************************

ASSESSMENT: Have you taken the purpose assessment on my updated website?   A lot of people did take it last week.  If you haven't done so yet, why not do so now and then follow up with some of the online resources that can improve your score?  

LAST WEEK FOR CD SERIES:  I have a three-CD series entitled Getting Your Life Back on Track: A Study of Purpose and Goals that I taught earlier this year in Texas.  I would like to make it available to you this week for any contribution to my ministry.  This series, designed to help you clarify your purpose and set some high goals, comes with a fill-in-the-blanks outline along with a copy of my book, I Wrote This Book on Purpose.  This special will run through the month of September.  You can contribute on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221. 

Monday Memo 364: Big Fruit

This past week I went to our local farmer's market and the vegetables were the biggest I've seen this year because it's the end of the summer. That gave me an idea for this week's Memo.  Two weeks ago I wrote about Nice Fruit, where I mentioned that the Lord isn't simply interested in you being holy, but both holy and productive.  This week I want to write about what I call Big Fruit. 

HE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH

In John 14:12, Jesus made this astounding statement: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."  Did you ever notice how often Jesus said, "I tell you the truth"?  It's because what He was about to say would sound so preposterous to the small thinking of His audience that He had to assure them He was not exaggerating. 

Now think for a minute.  In your opinion, what was the greatest thing that Jesus did?  Most people respond that it was when He raised the dead.  If that’s true, then what could be a greater work than raising a dead person?  Raising more dead people?  Clearing out a cemetery or hospital?

Most people don’t think much about this verse because they don’t really believe that they can top what Jesus did, regardless of what they consider His greatest works.  When you think like that, however, you miss a dynamic that could greatly help you be more productive and bear big fruit.

Jesus did fabulous things but there were some things He didn’t do.  Jesus never opened an orphanage.  He never wrote a book.  As far as we know, He never opened a hospital or organized a group to go on a mission of mercy to a foreign land.  He never started a business and never gave a large sum of money to a worthy cause.   Why didn’t He do those things?  He left them for you and me to do.

I promise that I am telling you the truth about the truth that Jesus told you He was telling you about. 

YOUR BIG FRUIT

So if you believe in Jesus, and I hope you do, why aren’t you doing greater things than He did?  Perhaps you have underestimated just how important and possible it would be to actually achieve the things that are in your heart today.   You may ask, “Who am I to think about doing those things?”  If you believe in Jesus, the answer is, “Who are you not to think like that?”  

The question you have to settle is whether or not John 14:12 only applies to a select few or to every believer.  If it’s for you, then you have some work to do.  The good news is that you’re not alone if your work is coupled with faith.  With faith, you are guaranteed that your results will be great, greater than you could ever imagine because God is with you.  You can produce big fruit. 

What have you said someone ought to do?  Could that someone be you?  Write in your journal what about your big fruit.  You don’t have to know how you will do it right now; you just have to know what it is. Once you write it out, study and embellish it.  Let it become a part of your thinking every day.

If there's something you can do to make it a reality, what would it be?  Do you need to go back to school?   Do you need to have money to do produce your big fruit?  You may meet someone this week who can help you develop a plan or even give you the money for your big fruit  First and foremost, however, is that you must believe that big fruit is within your grasp.  Once you decide that it is, you are well on your way to producing it.  Have a great week.

******************************

ASSESSMENT: Have you taken the purpose assessment on my updated website?   If not, why not do so now and then follow up with some of the online resources that can improve your score?  

CD SERIES:  I have a three-CD series entitled Getting Your Life Back on Track: A Study of Purpose and Goals that I taught earlier this year in Texas.  I would like to make it available to you this week for any contribution to my ministry.  This series, designed to help you clarify your purpose and set some high goals, comes with a fill-in-the-blanks outline along with a copy of my book, I Wrote This Book on Purpose.  This special will run through the month of September.  You can contribute on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.