I hope your New Year is off to a good start and that you are still on track to accomplish your resolutions and goals you set for the year. I am delighted with the response to my daily Purpose Pearls, which I write every day to help you focus on the Gold MIne Principles of purpose, goals, time management, faith and organization. My daily readership has doubled since I started the Pearls, so if you want to take advantage of this daily service, go here, check them out and then subscribe.
As I mentioned last week, I have started teaching a class on Paul's theology, so he has been the focus of my attention these days. I counted 40 books in my library about Paul, not counting the commentaries for his letters! I have also visited 12 of the cities where Paul ministered, so you might say I Paul has been my study hobby over the years. It is now a great privilege to teach about him after all those years of study. What's more, Paul is a great study in purpose, so let's turn our attention there now.
In Acts 26:19-20, Paul described his purpose as heavenly vision.
“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds."
Another translation calls that heavenly vision 'light from heaven." Either way, Paul had an experience that clearly
identified God's will for his life. How clear and bright was this light or vision? Paul told Agrippa that he saw the light around noon. I have
been to the Holy Land many times and let me tell you, the noonday sun is
bright and hot! Yet when the Lord revealed Himself to Paul, the
revelation was brighter than that Middle Eastern sun. That's how much
light God can shed on your purpose.
If God wants you to do His will, and of course, He does, He must reveal
to you what that will is. He can do this in no uncertain terms, with no
room left for doubt. While on the ground, Paul asked the Lord, “‘What shall I do, Lord?'" The Lord responded, ‘Get up,and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do'" (Acts 22:10). Paul got up from his Damascus Road knockdown and immediately got about his purpose. He embraced God's will and
the rest is history; no one except Jesus had such a dramatic affect on
the early church.
Your purpose may not be that dramatic or public. That doesn't make it any less urgent or critical. What is the heavenly vision for your life, do you know? If you don't, what price are you willing to pay to find out? If you know, are you fulfilling it to the max? Heavenly vision brings with it heavenly direction, energy and help. I urge you to take advantage of this full package and then get busy with the work God has for you, for with the vision, direction, energy and help also comes heavenly results, not just now but in the Age to come. Have a blessed, purposeful week!
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KENYA: Every day that passes brings me closer to my departure on January 31 and I still need resources to bless the children and widows in Kenya. If you can help, please give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you!
BEAVER COUNTY: If you live in Western Pennsylvania, I will be teaching my Five Competencies for Global Leaders seminar starting this Thursday morning and for the third Thursday of every month through May at the First Presbyterian Church in Beaver, PA. This is sponsored by a group called Leaders Serving Beaver County. You can check out their website for registration information.
FACEBOOK: Please go to my PurposeQuest International ministry page on Facebook and give me a "Like." I will be transitioning a lot of my ministry stuff I currently place on my personal FB page to that ministry page soon.
ISRAEL: The time to register for my September pilgrimage is now! Attached is the brochure. Let me know if you are going for space for the trip will disappear soon. The brochures is attached below.
PURPOSECOACH: I have resurrected my PurposeCoach program, but this time put it all online to make it easier and more streamlined for you. And for the month of January only, I am offering a special price of $99 for the program, which includes some listening, some reading and some connecting time with me. I am attaching a FAQ sheet concerning PurposeCoach, along with an enrollment application, below.
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