The Monday Memo from John Stanko

837: Wise Men Still Seek Him

This week I present a New Year's Memo from the 2009 archives about the Magi. I will resume writing fresh Memos next week, but in the meantime, Happy New Year!

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

WHO WERE THOSE MEN?

Who were those wise guys known as Magi who came from the east to visit Jesus and bring him gifts?  (You can read this brief story by at Matthew 2:1-12.) We aren't really sure. We also don't know what they were looking for as they studied the heavens and what kind of star they saw that caused them to follow it hundreds of miles to find an infant king.

There were probably more than three men who came to see Jesus, but we have numbered them as three since they brought three gifts of myrrh, incense, and gold. They rode on camels for days, weeks even, not sure of what they would find when they arrived. Now that's faith!

When they did arrive, they checked with King Herod, convinced that he would know where the royal infant was. It is interesting that the wise men knew more of what was going on spiritually in Herod's kingdom than Herod did.

By the time the Magi arrived, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were living in a house, not in a stable, so they came some time after the night the shepherds went to see Jesus in the manger. Since Herod carefully ascertained when the star had first appeared and then had all the male babies two years of age and under killed in Bethlehem, the Magi could have arrived as much as two years after Jesus birth. That's a long time to watch and follow a star.

FOLLOW YOUR OWN STAR

You will need God's help if you are to find and fulfill your purpose. That's not a problem, however, for God is in the business of helping people like you clarify purpose. When Jesus was born, His star appeared and led those who were interested directly to his home. The same thing can happen today for you. God can lead and guide you right where you need to be at exactly when you need to be there. Oftentimes when you can't see your purpose, you aren't quite ready to find it. Yet if you keep searching and following just like the Magi did, your star will appear and suddenly your PurposeQuest will all make sense.

As we prepare to celebrate a new year, I urge you to follow in the footsteps of the Magi. Wise men and women still seek Jesus and, as they do, they find purpose. I pray that 2018 will be a year of purpose and productivity the likes of which you have never seen, imagined or enjoyed. I also pray that when you find the star and follow it, you will end up as the Magi did -- worshiping the King and giving Him gifts. There is no greater gift than devoting and dedicating the fulfillment of your purpose to Christ and His kingdom. That is what I plan on doing in the year ahead.

From all the Stanko household, we wish you a very happy, prosperous and purposeful New Year!

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

836: Daylight on the Night Shift

I continue with holiday Memos from the archives this week. As we close 2017, I ask that you help me do what I do to promote the purpose message day-in and day-out. I will include a link at the bottom of this Memo where you can send a gift to support my purpose work, but before you get there, enjoy this classic Memo from the archives and apply the lessons to your life this holiday season. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

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

I receive many requests every year asking how to find purpose. Many say they have "no idea" what their purpose is and ask me for help. While I respond as best I can, after all these years I know that I cannot help anyone see his or her purpose. I know the One who can, however, and how He does it is reminiscent of the story of the shepherds at Christmas, something I call daylight on the night shift. Read on to see what I mean.

THE NIGHT SHIFT

The shepherds in the Christmas story were working the night shift, doing what they and their ancestors had done for centuries. They went to work that night without any thought that anything extraordinary was about to happen. On the night Jesus was born, they were tending their flocks on the hillsides outside Bethlehem, minding their own business. Suddenly God sent them messengers, who brought great light to the night shift:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (Luke 2:8-16).

These shepherds were doing what they knew to do at that time in their life and God interrupted them with a special news report. This both scared and thrilled them. That's how it is when you find your life purpose. Often you are doing what you know to do at the time, usually a job or role that is less than fulfilling. Suddenly God, the Great Communicator, breaks into your conscious being and brings a message of purpose, of what He has always wanted you to do. That not only terrifies you but also gives you a desire to clarify and fulfill it.

That night the shepherds went to work like any other day. God spoke to them, however, and they were never the same. They started by sitting on a hillside in cold weather; they ended by finding a great treasure in Bethlehem, a treasure that had not been revealed to anyone else but them.

YOUR PURPOSEQUEST

Maybe you have been in a desperate search for your purpose and its expression. As we end this year, I suggest that you be encouraged as you remember the shepherds. Finding your purpose doesn't depend on your diligence; it depends on God's grace. Yes, you must search for your purpose, but only God can reveal it to you. It may be one cold, dark night when you go about your business like countless other nights. At that point, God may send His messenger and change your life forever. I don't know when or how He will do it, I just know He will.

Therefore, have faith and relax this holiday season. Keep asking God to help you understand who you are and what you were born to do and, after that, trust Him. You may even want to thank Him for your purpose whether or not you understand what it is. He wants you to fulfill your purpose more than you do. He will show you in the fullness of time, bring you daylight even if you are working the night shift. When He does, you will join with the shepherds as laborers who found more than business as usual one night when they went to work. May the God of purpose speak to you soon and may you have the courage to believe what He says!  Here's wishing you and yours a happy holiday season! Merry Christmas!

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

I NEED YOUR HELP: I have shared with you this past year of my need for your help as I write, coach, travel, help orphans and widows, publish and broadcast the world over. Much of what I do is by faith. Therefore, I am asking you to stand with me financially as the year ends and during 2015. You can give using PayPal or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you for helping me help so many.

835: Down but Not Out

As we close 2017, I trust that you have had a purposeful and productive year. At the bottom of this Memo is a link that you can use to send a gift to the orphans in Kenya this holiday season as an expression of thanks to God. There is also information about my tour to Israel, and there is still time to register. Before you get to all that, however, please enjoy this classic Monday Memo from the archives and apply the purpose lessons to your life this holiday season.

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

I love spending time in the city of London. One year while I was there, I went to see Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Music Hall. What a wonderful way to enjoy a timeless masterpiece of music and Scripture in the city where it was composed. That visit sparked one of my Christmas favorites from the Monday Memo archives, which I present to you again this year.

MESSIAH

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 hardly 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 in 1742 raised almost 400 British pounds for charity and freed 142 other men from debtor's prison. 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 any of those descriptions fit you, read on, for this Memo can restore your hope and faith. If that’s not you right now, read on anyway, for you will probably describe you 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 2017, I 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. 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, a group found and commissioned him and God can and do the same for you.
2. Keep preparing for your day of success. I don’t think Handel went home to retire 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 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 when you are in need yourself. What better way to express your trust in God?

I’m grateful for God's help in 2017, and I hope you can find reasons to be thankful as well. If it's been a tough year, then just thank God for His faithfulness that kept it from being worse. At least you’re still alive and purpose eligible! Then take this Memo to heart or share it with someone who needs it. I pray that as you do what I recommend above, you will see a purpose breakthrough in 2018. Thank you for allowing me to come into your life every week and thank you for being a fellow PurposeQuest-er. As I close this Memo, I wish you not only a great week, but a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

***

ISRAEL TOUR: My  tour to Israel is coming up in April, 2018, and will include an optional side trip to Rome. If you are interested, please check out the website and register today. Give yourself a special gift this Christmas that you will never forget.

KENYA CHRISTMAS: The orphans in Kenya need your help this Christmas. Read my latest update and then give as your heart tells you to do, either through my website using PayPal (just click on the red button to go there) or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you!

834: Little Drummer Boy

If you are like me, you play Christmas music at this time of year. Many of those songs share truths about our Lord Jesus and His mission that add significance to His nativity. I have to confess, however, that there are a few songs that don't move me, and one of them is Little Drummer Boy. It was my father's favorite, but my mother would complain every time he increased the volume to hear it. I sided with my mother and usually change the station when it plays. Yet recently when I heard it, I discovered a purpose message in it that is relevant for both you and me. Let's see what the little drummer boy has to say about purpose, shall we?

NOTHING TO GIVE    

The song portrays a young lad who encounters the holy family and the baby Jesus but alas, the young boy has nothing to give that can match the size or value of the gifts that the Wise Men had already bestowed on Jesus. He was intimidated and basically said, "I have nothing to give, nothing I can do, except play this drum." Yet the boy decided that this was enough so, with Mary's permission, he played his drum for the baby Jesus -- according to the song, not the Bible.

The song ends with the baby Jesus smiling at the little drummer boy.

THE LESSON

The lesson is so clear that I don't know why I didn't see it before. The boy only had to give what he had and express the gift that God had given him to be pleasing to the Lord, and that's all you have to do, too. You don't have to dream of winning the lottery to give a big gift, or to be someone you are not. You just have to be who God made you to be and express that real you. When you do that, you have given God a gift in response to the gift(s) He has given you. You honor God when you honor your purpose, when you say, "If God saw fit to make this like and give me this talent, purpose and gift, then I am going to express it to the world for the glory of God."

As we approach the end another year and begin a new one, I trust you will make up your mind to do what the little drummer boy did. Don't minimize or denigrate your gift or purpose and don't compare it to the gifts of another. Overcome your fear and hesitation to draw attention to yourself and then express who you are for the world to see.

As I look back on 2017, it was a year I "played my drum" for Jesus by writing, writing, and then writing some more. I was more of who I am this past year than any year prior, and I intend, by God's grace, to be more of who I am in 2018 than I was this past year. I invite you to join me so that together Jesus won't hear one drum, but a symphony of purpose being played just for Him.

*****

KENYA CHRISTMAS: The orphans in Kenya need your help this Christmas. Read my latest update and then give as your heart tells you to do, either through my website using PayPal or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you!

833: The Annunciation

Next week, we will begin our countdown to Christmas with stories of the angels, the Magi, and my annual classic that focuses on Handel's Messiah. This week I want to do one last entry in our women of purpose in the Bible series and look at a woman who figured prominently in the Christmas story: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Some are hesitant to talk much about Mary due to the position the Catholic Church has assigned her, but Mary is worthy of our consideration as a woman of purpose, so let's see what we can learn from Mary's life that can help us in our PurposeQuest. (I wrote about this just a month ago, so you may also want to check out that post as well.)

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Here is the announcement that ushered in the Christmas story:

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her (Luke 1:26-38).

We don't know much about Mary since this is the first mention of her in the Bible. God made a decision that Mary was to be the mother of Jesus, and sent Gabriel to make the announcement. Put yourself in Mary's place. She was probably a teenager. Perhaps this was her first encounter with supernatural being. She was engaged, but was informed that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. With all that background, Mary asked one question and only one: "How can this be?"

THE ANSWER

The angel gave her a simple answer: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." Mary had as much information after the question as before, for she did not have an awareness of the Spirit that we have today. All she understood was that God was going to make it happen. It is fascinating to me that she did not ask another question, but simply responded, "May your word to be be fulfilled." That represents great faith, which is the prerequisite for anyone to find and fulfill his or her purpose. You may think that Mary's purpose was to give birth to Jesus. It was not. To identify her purpose, we go a little further into Luke's gospel to see the words of Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, that define Mary's purpose: "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

It was Mary's role to oversee in faith the promises and mission of her son, Jesus. Mary was there when the shepherds came to see Jesus, when the Magi came to worship Jesus, when Herod came to kill Jesus, when the elders of Israel listened to 12-year-old Jesus, when Jesus began His public ministry, when Jesus was hung on a cross, and when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. If Mary's purpose was to give birth to Jesus, her purpose was finished the day He was born. Her purpose to believe God for her Son's protection and blessing was a lifelong task.

THE APPLICATION

Perhaps you have not progressed in your purpose because you want more information. You have asked "How can this be?" and received the same answer as Mary did: "God will accomplish it." Since that is not specific enough for you, you wait, and wait, and wait, and today you are no further along than you were a few years ago because your expectations are unrealistic. God does not owe you a full explanation before you begin to take steps in your PurposeQuest. Thus you wait, and therefore He waits, and you end up staying in exactly the same place as you have been for quite a while, satisfied that you are waiting on the Lord.

I urge you this holiday season to reconsider Mary and her role not only in the Christmas story but also in the life of Jesus. Observe her reactions and responses, and apply them to your own life. Your role is not just to give birth to your purpose; your role is to raise it maturity so it can bear fruit. May God be with you as we end another year and position you to progress on your purpose path as never before. Have a blessed week.