The Monday Memo from John Stanko

606: Strike the Rock 1

The last two weeks, I have written about things being struck in the Old Testament - one was strike the water and the other was strike the ground. This week I want to write about another 'striking' and that is when Moses struck the rock to produce water, as recorded in these verses:

He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them" (Numbers 20:10-12).

We will look at Moses' response next week, but for now let's look at how the people responded and see if you can apply any lessons learned from that to your purpose walk.

A FANTASTIC MIRACLE

When Moses struck the rock, enough water came out to nourish and sustain hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, not to mention flock and herds. All this took place in the harshest environment for water, that being the desert. What a sight that must have been, to see a river of water coming from a common rock in a dry place. And how welcome that water must have been!

Yet this fantastic miracle had no lasting affect on the people.  Read their response to this miracle from Psalm 78:19-21:

They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?^" When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel . . ."

The people had witnessed and enjoyed a great miracle, but their hearts were hard and they continued to live in unbelief!  They challenged God that, while He had done one great thing, He could not continue to do great things and God was furious with them.

YOUR RESPONSE

I am guessing that you have witnessed some fantastic miracles in your own life and world. Has God failed to sustain and care for you to this point? Has He ever failed you in any way? Not provided for you? Then why do you shape and fashion your life decisions like the answer to those questions is "yes"?

God is able to produce abundance in the most difficult of conditions, including the desert of your life. He can speak and water can flow from a rock, manna appear every morning on the ground, meat to eat fly over every day. If God can do that and has done it, then to persist in faith and fear is an insult to Him.

The good news is that God is with you and is ready to provide not only for your needs but for your requirements to find and fulfill your purpose. The key is to increase your needs without being selfish. If you need a new computer to publish your poetry, God will provide. If you need funds to start your business, God will provide. If you need people to help you start your ministry, God will provide. He won't just provide once, but again and again and again, without depleting His resources.

The question is not, "Can God provide?" The question is, "Can you believe?" And can you keep on believing that He will do so again and again and again?  You cannot over do faith, especially in doing what God intends for you to do.

What is your response to God's water from the rock for your life? Is it one of timidity or boldness? Fear or faith?  Uncertainty or confidence? I urge you not only to enjoy the water that is flowing forth today, but to have faith for and plan for it to be there every time you need it from this day forward. Thanks and have a blessed week!

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LATEST FROM KENYA: Read my update 'Blue Jeans for Jesus' and see all the exciting things the Lord is doing through you in Kenya. Then do what you can to help us raise resources and money to continue the work. You can give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittburgh, PA 15221-0882. God is able to make water come from the rock for Kenya again and again and again. I thank Him for that and thank you for being part of the water supplied.

MY WEBSITE:  Don't forget that there is a free purpose assessment on my home page that you can take at any time as many times as you wish. Also remember that some of my recorded radio shows and past messages are also available now on my site for your listening enjoyment.

PURPOSECOACH:  I am running a special again on my online PurposeCoach program. For this week and this week only, I am offering a special price of $99 for the program, which includes some listening, some reading and some connecting time with me. That special expires this coming Sunday, June 2. You can pay for your PurposeCoach Program via Paypal, by submitting your credit card info on the application below, or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8881, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0881. Make the investment in your life today. I am attaching below a FAQ sheet concerning PurposeCoach, which includes the enrollment application.

Download 1 PCoach FAQs

605: Strike the Ground

Last week I wrote about my teaching career and how God had prepared me to teach. I am taking every opportunity to teach that is offerend me, and I described it as being similar to Elisha strking the waters with the mantle of Elijah and seeing them part. When I teach, I am striking the waters and watching God move on my behelf.  Well, perhaps He is moving more on behalf of the students.  However I choose to view it, I see God helping me and I consider myself a blessed man.

But that's not all.  I have started two radio shows in the last two years - one on the Internet and one on Saturday mornings on local AM radio. I am also preparing for a television show to go into production in September. I just sent my 14th book to press (it's an ebook) with plans for two more this year. My publishing efforts remind me of the story of Elisha on his deathbed:

Then he [Elisha] said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” Elisha died and was buried (2 Kings 13:18-20).

It was symbolic in ancient times for the king to shoot an arrow into the land he was about to invade, indicating that the invasion and hostilities had begun. Elisha instructed the king to attack, but the king was a bit timid and did not want to 'overdo' the symbolic gesture.  Little did the king know that his timidity would limit his effectiveness.

I want to strike the ground where media is concerned. I am working on a third radio show to begin some time this summer and recently put many of my audio messages on my website where others can listen. I want to strike the ground aggressively, and shoot my arrows into the 'air,' as many as I can get my hands on to shoot. I don't want to be like the king and stop short of what I am capable of doing, or rather of what God has empowered and directed me to do.

Is God directing you to shoot any arrows into your enemy's territory? If so, then keep shooting until He tells you to stop!  In other words, don't stop yourself - let Him do that for you. If you are to write, then produce. If you are to compose, then do so with gusto. If you are to start a business, start the best business you can with what you have and where you are.

This is not time to be hesitant and passive where purpose and productivity are concerned. Be strong in Him and then start striking the waters and ground, and then watch God move on your behalf to bring you victory in those areas in which you have something that God wants you to do. Have a blessed week.

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KENYA UPDATES:  As usual, I have an update from Kenya.  In that update, I mention that Alice has calculated that her monthly food cost per child is $41. Can you feed a child for a month?  If so, please give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO  Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you and God bless you for helping the children of Kenya!

604: Strike the Waters

This week I had a break from the classes I have been teaching lately since we were between school sessions. I have so enjoyed my role as an instructor, and hope to do more and more teaching as the years go on. I love teaching new classes I have never taught before, for they force me to go into areas of study that I would not ordinarily pursue. That causes me to grow.

Yet in a sense I have been preparing for those classes all my life. I have diligently followed an aggressive reading and listening program for decades, went back to school at age 57 to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree, and have attended many seminars and certification classes.

In a sense, I am ready to teach after years of preparation. It makes me think of Elisha, who had traveled with Elijah and served him for many years. When Elijah was taken, Elisha took up the cloak Elijah had left behind and did what he had seen Elijah do:

"Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. 'Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over" - 2 Kings 2:13-14.

When I teach I feel like I am striking the waters and, much to my ongoing surprise, they part. God is helping me, even when I don't feel like I have prepared like I should or would want to in any given week. A lifetime of preparation comes to the fore, and God does the rest - to God be the glory.

What about you? What are you preparing to do for the Lord that may take a few years or decades to complete?  More importantly, when will you be ready to strike the waters like Elisha did and see the same results you watched others produce.

Now it may be your turn to produce and do what you have been talking about and preparing to do. Why not find a good situation to test the waters and see if God will act on your behalf because you have prepared for Him to do so. Don't put it off any longer.  If you are not ready (and you may be more ready than you think you are), however, I urge you to get ready.  Today I thank God I prepared for this day by His direction and grace, and I am having a wonderful time. God wants you to have the same experience. If I can help, let me know. Have a great week!

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PURPOSE SEMINAR: Next Saturday, May 18, I am hosting a free purpose seminar on the North Side of Pittsburgh from noon to 4:30. If you would like to attend, please let me know this week.

KENYA:  No updates from Kenya this week, but I know the needs are urgent. I was able to pay both tuition payments for Mary and Deborah last week, but Peter's transportation remains an unmet need, and he is commuting 8 hours every Sunday for a trip that should only take one hour!  Please help me help him with his transportation needs. He is worthy of our support. You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

KENYA BOOKS AND SHOES:  I have an ongoing collection going on for educational resources and shoes for men, women and children. If you have any of those resources and would like to donate, let me know and I can arrange a pick up or to have them shipped.

603: The Power in Curiosities

This past week was a busy one for me, with two college classes that had their final exams, plus two other classes that I taught. For one of the classes, I wrote a devotional in response to another devotional we were reading as part of our class material, and when I read my response to the class, I thought, "I am going to share it with my Memo readers." So here it is for your reading enjoyment and edification.

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So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—
why the bush does not burn up.”When the Lord saw that he
had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush,
“Moses! Moses!" - Exodus 3:3-4.

The author of tonight's devotional takes us to study fear today based on the verses about the burning bush. With your permission, I want to go in a different direction. I use this passage all the time when I coach and teach about purpose. Using these verses, I encourage those with whom I work to follow their curiosities.  Let me explain what I mean.

I have been to the deserts in the Middle East and they are hot, very hot places. When I landed in Dubai a few years ago, it was 127 degrees.  Then the nights cooled down to about 109. These are the conditions under which Moses tended sheep. I would imagine he saw more than one burning bush, sparked into flames by the intense desert heat. There was one major difference with this particular bush, however, and that was it burned but was not consumed. The longer Moses looked, the more curious he became, so much so that he finally exerted some energy, which he was trained to conserve in the desert heat, to go over and take a look.  He was curious.

It was when he came face to face, so to speak, with the bush that the voice of the Lord came to him. When he followed his curiosity, Moses found the Lord!  The same is true for you.  Don't try to figure out what interests you; just follow your heart!  You don't know where it will lead you, so don't try so hard to figure it all out, where it will lead you and whether or not it is the Lord.  Just follow and trust, and see what happens.

One more thing:  The bush burned but was not consumed. The same is true for your purpose.  When you are doing God's will, you will burn with intensity. You may be tired, but you will never burn out!  Burn out is always an indicator that you are doing things you were not meant to do - things that take your life and energy and don't put them back. Purpose replenishes its own supply of energy and you never run out of creativity and enthusiasm for the purposeful work at hand.

So the next time you are faced with something that captures your attention and piques your curiosity, run to it.  When you get there, you may just hear the voice of God telling you that you are on holy ground.

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KENYA:  I have two updates on my blog site from Kenya, one including a video tour of our library project there. Please take time to read them both and then do what you can to help us continue the work there. Also, Mary is off to her second term at school.  I am so grateful for your help that is helping her. You can read in one of the updates what it means to orphaned Mary and her pastor. Then please give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you and God bless you.