The Monday Memo from John Stanko

654: Insight in Babylon

How would you like to have insight and understanding into your purpose?  What's more, how would you like that insight to impact people for generations to come?  That may or may not excite you, but one thing is certain: If you are going to do anything meaningful, there is a price to be paid to do so. 

We have been studying Daniel and this week we will conclude our studies and move on. We will look not so much at what Daniel saw as what he had to go through to see what he saw. I know this will help you in your desire to gain insight into your world today, including your purpose. 

SEEKING THE LORD

As we saw last week, Daniel had been promoted to the head of the wise men in Babylon. Daniel was not only a good administrator, he was a prophet. He was not a prophet in Israel, however, for God moved him to Babylon, put him through all kinds of life changes and transitions and then used him to impact the king and culture of Babylon - while still speaking to his people.

We see part of how Daniel received such extraordinary insight in chapter 10:

At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over (Daniel 10:2-3).

For Daniel, seeking the Lord wasn't only reciting the Lord's prayer. He was serious about pursuing God and God chose to reveal Himself to Daniel. Daniel didn't eat or wash for weeks at a time. What price are you willing to pay to know your purpose? To be used by God? To make a difference in the world?

SEEKING THE LORD ALONE

What's more, Daniel's insight scared everyone else away!

I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless (Daniel 10:7-8).

I am not saying that Daniel was weird or bizarre. Daniel was alone but he was not lonely. He was neither a hermit, nor a John the Baptist figure with a strange diet and outlandish outfit. Daniel did not have a find a holy place from which he could seek God. He sought a holy God from the unholy city to which God had sent Him. Daniel was a productive citizen of the most advanced culture of his day. Yet he was ruthlessly uncompromising when it came to serving his God and God rewarded Daniel again and again with exceptional insight and skill.

Pursuing purpose and the things of God are not to be taken lightly. Yet purpose and the things of God for your life are worth whatever price you pay to find them. I ask again: What price are you willing to pay to find and fulfill purpose? While it may cost you everything, the results are priceless and worth the pursuit. Have a great week!

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UPCOMING SEMINAR IN PITTSBURGH: I am hosting my quarterly purpose profiling seminar in Pittsburgh (at right is a picture from the last one held in October, 2013) at Allegheny Center Alliance Church next Saturday, May 3 from noon to 4:30 PM. As usual, the seminar is free but you need to register by writing to let me know you are coming. If you can't make this one, the next one is on June 7 at the same time.

PURPOSE ASSESSMENT: Don't forget that there is a free purpose assessment on the home page of my website. Once you take the assessment, you will hear from me with your score and with suggestions for the way forward.

ONLINE RADIO: I now have three weekly Internet radio shows, to which you can listen live or access all of the archived interviews and download them to listen to on your mobile device or on your computer. The three shows are:

1. Leadership Talk: Friday at 4PM (U.S. Eastern Time Zone)
2. Urban Heroes: Wednesday at 8AM
3. Ministry Beat: Tuesday at 4PM

FACEBOOK: When you have a chance, please go to my Facebook ministry page and register a like so you can follow me there.

653: Working in Babylon

What is you had to lead a team of people and not one of them was like you in any way? What's more, what if you were in a land that was not your home, with an adopted language, culture and customs? Finally, what if those people were involved in activities that were banned by your God in His book? Sounds like a tough if not impossible job, right?

Wrong! That exactly describes Daniel's situation, yet Daniel went on to prosper in Babylon and serves as a great example of the power of purpose. If you have missed any of our Daniel articles the last few weeks, you may want to go back and catch up. If you are current, then it's time to move on and learn more about this remarkable man.

A PROMOTION!

When the king had a dream that troubled him, the Bible tells us:

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means " (Daniel 2:1-3).

We saw last week that the king refused to divulge the dream to those so-called wise men, but demanded that they tell him the dream and the interpretation. Only Daniel was willing to see His God for the answers and God graciously revealed the dream and the meaning.

The king rewarded Daniel for his exceptional work, as one might expect:

Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court (Daniel 2:28-29).

Who were those wise men over whom Daniel was put in charge?  They were the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers mentioned earlier. Can you imagine Daniel's business meetings with those men? He had to listen to their occult reports as their chief, and he did so with distinction. 

SO WHAT?

Why do I point this out?  I do so because you may be called to fulfill your purpose in Babylon, too. You may not feel comfortable with your team or their spiritual values or orientation. Yet God may still direct you to serve and lead them and do so with the same excellence that Daniel employed.

Daniel did not choose to be in Babylon. God sent him there. He did not want to make a life transition that would take him away from his land and people.Yet when it happened, God made Daniel a champion in a foreign culture and He remained true to his God by doing excellent work.

Did you ever wonder how the Magi knew to look for a star and come to Bethlehem when Jesus was born?  Some suggest it was Daniel's influence that caused then to search. After Daniel had heard the reports in his meetings from all the soothsayers, astrologers and necromancers, it was his turn and he reported on the hope of Israel. Some were so impressed that they spent the next five centuries searching for evidence of what Daniel had predicted would happen. When they saw the star, they left their homes, just like Daniel did his, to find the Promised One of Israel.

If your purpose takes you to a modern-day Babylon, don't fret. Just do what Daniel did. Look for an opportunity to serve and shine brightly for your God and tell them what you know to be true. Then watch and see what God does, for He never sends His best anywhere without giving them success in the matters at hand.  Have a great week!

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KENYA UPDATE: I just posted an update from Pastor Peter in Kenya concerning an Easter distribution of clothing. You can read what he wrote here and then please give a belated Easter gift to the work in Kenya through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you for your help.

UPCOMING SEMINAR IN PITTSBURGH: I am hosting my quarterly purpose profiling seminar in Pittsburgh (at right is a picture from the last one held in October, 2013) at Allegheny Center Alliance Church on Saturday, May 3 from noon to 4:30 PM. As usual, the seminar is free but you need to register by writing to let me know you are coming. If you can't make this one, the next one is on June 7 at the same time.

MISSIONS EVENT: I am speaking at the African Christian Fellowship fundraising luncheon at noon this coming Saturday, April 26 here in Pittsburgh at the Wyndham Hotel in Oakland. I was invited by my good friend Emmanuel Ike from Nigeria. Admission is free but, as always, you need to let me know you would like to come.

PURPOSE ASSESSMENT: Don't forget that there is a free purpose assessment on the home page of my website. Once you take the assessment, you will hear from me with your score and with suggestions for the way forward.

ONLINE RADIO: I now have three weekly Internet radio shows, to which you can listen live or access all of the archived interviews and download them to listen to on your mobile device or on your computer. The three shows are:

1. Leadership Talk: Friday at 4PM (U.S. Eastern Time Zone)
2. Urban Heroes: Wednesday at 8AM
3. Ministry Beat: Tuesday at 4PM

FACEBOOK: When you have a chance, please go to my Facebook ministry page and register a like so you can follow me there.

652: 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. 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.

When 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. Instead, 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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KENYA UPDATES; The container was picked up and our stuff is off to Kenya, due to arrive on June 8. You can read the update and see some pictures, along with an update from Pastor Francis, at the usual place. Then please give an Easter donation toward the work in Kenya using PayPal through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you and may you and yours have a blessed Easter holiday as you celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

UPCOMING SEMINAR IN PITTSBURGH: I am hosting my quarterly purpose profiling seminar in Pittsburgh (at right is a picture from the last one held in October, 2013) at Allegheny Center Alliance Church on Saturday, May 3 from noon to 4:30 PM. Once again, the seminar is free but you need to register by writing to let me know you are coming. If you can't make this one, the next one is on June 7 at the same time.

MISSIONS EVENT: I am speaking at the African Christian Fellowship fundraising luncheon at noon on Saturday, April 26 here in Pittsburgh at the Wyndham Hotel in Oakland. I was invited by my good friend Emmanuel Ike from Nigeria. Admission is free but, as always, you need to let me know you would like to come.

PURPOSE ASSESSMENT: Don't forget that there is a free purpose assessment on the home page of my website. Once you take the assessment, you will hear from me with your score and with suggestions for the way forward.

ONLINE RADIO: I now have three weekly Internet radio shows, to which you can listen live or access all of the archived interviews and download them to listen to on your mobile device or on your computer. The three shows are:

1. Leadership Talk: Friday at 4PM (U.S. Eastern Time Zone)
2. Urban Heroes: Wednesday at 8AM
3. Ministry Beat: Tuesday at 4PM

FACEBOOK: When you have a chance, please go to my Facebook ministry page and register a like so you can follow me there.

651: Smelling Like a Rose

We have been studying Daniel the last few weeks and he is a fascinating study in purpose. Let's continue with that study this week, but please make sure you check out all my announcements and news at the very end.

As you already know, Daniel was taken from his home, sent to Babylon, promoted in Babylon, demoted in Babylon and then promoted again.  As we read last week:

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.  At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God" (Daniel 6:3-5).

This set the stage for Daniel's most dangerous trial when he was thrown to the lions. He spent the night so close to those lions that he also could smell their breath and they his. Yet even though Daniel spent the night with those lions, he came out smelling like a rose. 

THE KING

As it goes on in Daniel 6, those against Daniel had the king pass a law that outlawed any prayer to anyone except the king for a period of time. Of course, Daniel did not honor this law, but kept right on praying as was his custom. What's more, he did not hide the fact that he prayed, but rather did it publicly and openly.

When the king was confronted with this fact, he had no choice but to follow through with the punishment he had set. Daniel had to be thrown to the lions. 

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep (Daniel 6:16-18).

Daniel was such a faithful and valuable employee and servant that the king could not eat or sleep, and actually prayed to Daniel's God for Daniel's protection. When is the last time your pagan boss lost any sleep over your well-being?  When has someone you have served prayed for your safety and protection?  Such was Daniel's value that his rivals hated him but the king loved and honored him.

THE MORNING AFTER

After a sleepless night, the king ran to Daniel's den:

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God (Daniel 6:19-23).

I want to be like Daniel when I grow up and come through every test like he did! I want to serve the king and be found innocent when charged with corruption!  It is never a surprise or coincidence when someone like Daniel succeeds and your success won't be a surprise either. If you know your purpose, serve faithfully and maintain your integrity, there isn't a king or lion in this world who can stop God from promoting you. If you are in your own lions' den as you read this, don't panic. God will protect and rescue you and, when He does, you will be even more effective than you were before. Have a great week as you serve God and mankind with excellence and integrity, and don't be surprised when you come out smelling like a rose no matter how severely you are tested!

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KENYA: I have some exciting updates from Kenya on my blog, plus the great news that our container with 17,000 pounds of resources will be picked up this coming Wednesday and arrive in Nairobi on June 8. After you read the updates, please act to help Pastor Francis and his children with a special Easter offering. You can give using PayPal through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

UPCOMING SEMINAR IN BEAVER COUNTY: I am hosting a purpose seminar from 2PM to 4PM this coming Saturday at New Hope Community Church, 492 Beaver Avenue in Ambridge here in western Pennsylvania. The seminar is free but I need to know if you plan on attending.

UPCOMING SEMINAR IN PITTSBURGH: I am hosting my quarterly purpose profiling seminar in Pittsburgh (at right is a picture from the last one held in October, 2013) at Allegheny Center Alliance Church on Saturday, May 3 from noon to 4:30 PM. Once again, the seminar is free but you need to register by writing to let me know you are coming. If you can't make this one, the next one is on June 7 at the same time.

MISSIONS EVENT: I am speaking at the African Christian Fellowship fundraising luncheon at noon on Saturday, April 26 here in Pittsburgh at the Wyndham Hotel in Oakland. I was invited by my good friend Emmanuel Ike from Nigeria. Admission is free but, as always, you need to let me know you would like to come.

PURPOSE ASSESSMENT: Don't forget that there is a free purpose assessment on the home page of my website. Once you take the assessment, you will hear from me with your score and with suggestions for the way forward.

ONLINE RADIO: I now have three weekly Internet radio shows, to which you can listen live or access all of the archived interviews and download them to listen to on your mobile device or on your computer. The three shows are:

1. Leadership Talk: Friday at 4PM (U.S. Eastern Time Zone)
2. Urban Heroes: Wednesday at 8AM
3. Ministry Beat: Tuesday at 4PM

FACEBOOK: When you have a chance, please go to my Facebook ministry page and register a like so you can follow me there.