The Monday Memo from John Stanko

871: Go and . . . Take Possession

Almost five years ago, I left a ministry position at my church after experiencing five years of success. It was my main source of income and I enjoyed the people and the work. I was 64 years old, but I had an idea to start a publishing company to give people without access to editing and publishing services a chance to share their stories. People in publishing at the time advised me not to do it, for publishing was in flux and unstable. I heard them but I knew what I needed to do; I had to take possession of what the Lord had showed me.

In this next installment of the "Go and . . ." series, let's look at what the Lord told Moses in Deuteronomy 1:8: "See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them" and apply it to our walk of purpose.

GO IN

When the Lord spoke to Moses, the people had a promise that God would give them the Land. The people sent out spies, but unfortunately, those spies brought back a negative report and the people believed the report and not the promise of God. Therefore, God had them wander in the Wilderness until all those who had believed the report were gone and a new generation had taken their place.

I felt I was at a similar place in 2014. I had seen the Promised Land, heard the negative report of those who had seen that Land, and had to make a decision. I opted not to listen and entered in to take possession of Urban Press and the rest is history. To date, I have published or re-published 38 of my own books and produced another 40 book projects for other people. My son is in the business with me, and we have partnered with many first-time authors to help them realize their publishing dream.

When I made the decision to leave my position, I woke up at 2:30 the next morning and said to myself, "What have I done?" I did the math and then went back to bed, refusing to give in to the fear of the unknown. This past summer was the leanest time our company has had, but God has sustained us, and we are about to release or get started on many new projects. It's been great fun.

AND YOU?

Is it time for you to go and take possession of something God has promised you? Maybe it's a business or perhaps it's a ministry, a college degree, a missions trip, a new language, or a book, music, or some other creative project becoming a reality. This is not the time to wait, pray, seek advice, or delay. It's time to go and take possession. That isn't a super-spiritual act, but one that is divinely practical. If it's a degree, you have to enroll and go to class. If it's a book, you have to write it. If it's a business, you have to incorporate. If it's missions, you have to take a trip.

The Lord did not transport the people into the Promised Land. They had to walk in. While on their way, they had to eat, sleep, and do all the other things humans do to stay alive. The journey was hot and the days long. That is what it means to go and take possession of what God has promised. That is what you will have to do.

Have you been waiting on the Lord to do what only you can do? Then it's time to get up and get going. When we produce a book, we do it one page at a time until it is all done and then we do another one. There is nothing glamorous about the process, but it is exhilarating to see the finished product(s). The same will be true for you and your promised land. Face your fears, go find the information and resources you need, and then take possession of your land of milk and honey. As you do, I know you will have a lot of great weeks in your future as you step into what is in your heart to do.

870: "Go and . . . You Will Be Told"

In this next installment in the "Go and . . ." series, we look at the Apostle Paul's encounter with the Lord when he was still Saul and while he was "still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples" (Acts 9:1). It surprises me that the Lord appeared to Saul not to rebuke him but to reveal his Saul's purpose, which was to take the gospel to the Gentiles. We read this account of Saul's Damascus Road experience:

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do" (Acts 9:3-5).

TWO ACCOUNTS    

Luke's account in Acts seems to indicate that the Lord said little to Saul directly, but rather told him he would received his marching orders from someone in the city where he was heading. Later in Acts, Paul gives this account of the story, which would have occurred about 20 years after what we read in Acts 9:

“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me'" (Acts 26:15-19).

The narrative in Acts 26 seems to indicate that the Lord said much more than what we saw in Acts 9, but there is a simple explanation for this. In Acts 26, Paul was not going to allow his story to bog down in the details. He had a window of opportunity to witness to the king, so he eliminated unnecessary details. In reality, the Lord spoke to Saul through His servant Ananias, who also had a "go and" moment: "But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name" (Acts 9:15-16).

LESSONS

Here are some lessons to consider from this "go and" story.

1. Sometimes we must go and then we will get more information. Usually, we want the information before we will go.
2. God reveals purpose in His time, but when He does, it is often an event that leaves us shaken, requiring time to sort things out.
3. While it is good to hear from the Lord, it is also easier to ignore His voice. Thus, He sends His servants to tell us what He wants us to do.
4. The light of purpose can be so bright that it can disorient us, creating our need for people to take us by the hand and guide us.

It is commendable if your thinking is, "I want and need to hear from the Lord," but then don't box God in as to how He will speak to you. He will use other people, your curiosities, and life circumstances to reveal His purpose. You must have faith that He is not trying to trick or mislead you and go. Once you get up and go, God gives you more information and clarity, but only if you have a "go and" attitude. When you do, God is on the journey with you, and you will have everything you need to carry out His purpose for your life. Have a blessed week!

869: Go and . . . See

Earlier today, I went through the Old Testament and Acts to find a few more verses that will enable me to continue this "Go and . . ." series and eventually turn it into a book. Before we get to those new verses, however, I still have one more from Jesus' ministry to share, and then we will close out this series with one final reference from the gospels.

This week, we look at the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes with five loaves and two fish. Here is the context of the event:

By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand (Mark 6:35-44).

What can we learn from this latest command that involved the word go?

REALITY

Walking in faith never requires that we ignore reality. The disciples faced the reality that it was getting late and the huge crowd was hungry after a day of listening to Jesus. They assumed they did not have the resources to feed the people, so they brought the problem to Jesus and outlined the options: send the people home or spend a lot of money they did not have on a picnic lunch.

The disciples did not need money or a dismissal prayer; they needed a new way of thinking. Jesus presented them with a new thought—they already had enough to meet all the needs of the people, with some left over. They had never considered that possible and therefore had no faith for anything beyond what they could see. Jesus wanted them to see what they had, but then to see that what they had was enough.

The reality was that they had all they needed to do what God wanted them to do. They simply needed to exercise faith and think differently.

A NEW REALITY

One time, I was complaining to the Lord that I had no money for Christmas presents for my friends. I was broke—or so I thought. Then I looked at my magnificent library filled with books I no longer read or needed. I prayed and then picked out a book that I thought each friend needed to read and would enjoy. They were all blessed, but the point is that I had all I needed for the gifts. I only needed to think new thoughts.

On another occasion, I was telling the Lord I had no resources to participate in a special church offering. it was then that I thought of my coin collection, which I promptly sold and gave the proceeds in the offering. I had what I needed. I only needed to think new thoughts.

Just a few minutes ago, I was asked to conduct an interview with someone and I needed to send them a link to complete a profile. Money is tight and I didn't want to spend what I had on the profile. Then I looked through my online files and found an unused profile I didn't know I had. I didn't need another profile. I only needed to think new thoughts and not assume there was only one way for me to do what I was asked to do.

YOUR REALITY

Perhaps Jesus is telling you to go and see what you have in your house, mind, experience, or some other place, not to point out your lack, but to point out that you have more than you think—once you add faith to it, just like Abraham did:

Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised (Romans 4:19-21).

Abraham faced reality, but he then faced the more important reality of God's promise. Without denying reality, he was actually strengthened in his faith and the Lord provided. This week, ask God to open your eyes to the reality of what you already have that He can use for His purpose. Then ask Him to give you new thoughts about what you have and don't have, and see if your new thoughts will allow you to re-evaluate your hesitancy to do something for the Lord. You may have your own loaves and fish that you thought were inadequate, but with new thinking you will see as adequate for the task at hand. Have a blessed week!

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KENYA TRIP: I am hosting an informational meeting this coming Saturday, September 22, here in Pittsburgh for the 2019 Kenya trip. If you are local and would like to come, let me know. If you live away from Pittsburgh and would like to connect by phone, let me know and I will set up a conference call that will allow you to participate. The meeting is from 9 to noon Eastern time. Below is information you can download about the trip.

Download KenyaFlierNew

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868: Go and . . . Be Freed

This "Go and . . ." series has already gone weeks longer than I originally planned, and it will continue a few weeks more. If you are just joining in, we have been looking at the instances in the gospels when Jesus told someone to go, and then focusing on what He told them to do as they went. You can see all the past entries here if you want to catch up on any you may have missed.

This week, we stay in the gospel of Mark to look at the story of the woman who was healed after she touched Jesus' garment. After Jesus inquired as to who had touched Him, we read,

Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering" (Mark 5:33-34).

Let's look more closely at this next "Go and" scenario.

FAITH

Faith and healing are a mystery as to their connection. You probably know someone who has been "accused" of not receiving something, maybe even a healing, because he or she did not have enough faith. Perhaps that has happened to you. That accusation can sting and leave a wound for a long time, causing people to be disappointed and disgruntled with the Lord, or blaming themselves for their situation.

I know that God heals. I have seen it happen and prayed to cause it to happen. I can't answer why He doesn't always heal, except to say that we would probably begin to put our trust in how the healing happened, or in the format or formula in the healing prayer. We would then be able to turn God's power off and on like a light switch, and soon we would be impressed with our own ability. Because of our tendency to control God or to reduce Him to someone we can more easily understand, we would put our trust in our faith instead of in God.

This is perhaps why Jesus healed in so many different ways. One time, He spit and made mud. Another time, He spoke or laid His hands on someone. If He would have healed in the same manner, we would have made a ritual of the process, establishing rules and regulations for healing.

BE FREED

The woman touched Jesus while He was on His way to visit the sick daughter of the synagogue leader. This story shows that there is no limit to Jesus' power and that He is not overwhelmed by human need because He came to overcome sin and death, our last enemy. We will all die unless the Lord returns, and we will die from some ailment or simply of old age. Hebrews 11:13 tell us, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth." I have decided I would rather die in faith than live in fear or presumption, so I will do what the woman did in as many situations as I can. She did not allow her history or the hopelessness of her situation to prevent her from pressing forward and trusting God.

Right now, I am believing God for finances--again. It seems like this has been the struggle of my adult life. God has provided, but there are long stretches where I second-guess myself and cry out, "God, where are you?" Regardless of how often this has happened, I am following the woman's example. I am pressing through the crowd of my doubt, I refuse to be defined by past experience, and I am straining and striving to be freed. I live in reality but I see the Lord, and I refuse to give up or give in

Perhaps you are struggling again with some pain or suffering, whether it be emotional or physical. I can only encourage you to press on and press through. I know the Lord wants you to be free and I cannot explain the reasons why you are not, but don't give up. Can you imagine the joy this woman had when she realized the dream of wholeness after a life of misery? That is the same joy we will have when we touch Him and receive what we believed for, even when it seemed beyond our reach or His desire to perform. As you press on and press through, I know you will have a great week.

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867: Go and . . . Tell

As we continue our "Go and . . ." series, this week we look at Jesus' words to the man whom Jesus delivered from the torment of a Legion of demons. After the man was clothed and in his right mind, we read about what happened when Jesus got in the boat to depart:

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed (Mark 5:18-20).

Jesus did not allow the man to go with him, but instead told him to go home and tell his family, friends, and neighbors what Jesus had done for him. Let's examine this strategy that sent this man back home.

THE MAN HAD A STORY

We learn that this man was from a region that is today known as Jordan, but then was a collection of 10 cities or regions on the far eastern side of the Roman Empire that were hubs for Greek and Roman culture. This man was a spiritually-oppressed Gentile and Jesus went out of His way to come find the man to set him free. The man was so grateful and impacted by what Jesus did that He wanted to begged Jesus to accompany Him wherever He was going. Instead, Jesus sent him home to tell his fellow Gentiles what God had done for Him.

I can understand why the man wanted to be with Jesus. Hours earlier, he was tormented by a pack of devils that, when released from him, entered into 2,000 swine that immediately went stampeding down a hill and drowned in the lake. Can you imagine the stench and mess from 2,000 pig carcasses floating in the Sea of Galilee? The man had a story, however, and Jesus wanted him to spread the word about his miracle, perhaps as a harbinger of the good news that would infect the world after Jesus' departure. The man had a story and Jesus told him to go home and make a spectacle of himself, to draw a crowd and declare what he knew about God's mercy.

YOU HAVE A STORY TOO

You have a story too and you probably have the same desire as the man had. You want to stay close to Jesus and perhaps have even said, "I just want to be where you are, Lord." That often means being close to Jesus in your devotional life or in church. Jesus basically told the man, "I don't want you to be where I am; I want you to go where I am not." The man obeyed, but all we know is that the people were amazed. There are no reports of any from his audience coming the Lord for themselves.

When I say that God wants you to go where He isn't, what comes to mind? Do you think of missions or door-to-door visitation? That may be what God has in mind for you, but that may not be practical or feasible. But I know what is, and that is to use the technology available to you to tell how much Jesus has done for you. You can write a book, record a testimony, compose a poem, pen and put on a one-person play. Instead of using Facebook to tell people that you went to mall or washed your hair, tell them about God's goodness.

Since I have started my publishing company, I encounter many people who tell me that God told them to write. Many say they will call me and follow through, but most don't. They talk themselves out of it and instead just "stay close to Jesus" in prayer and devotions. That's good but that's not writing a book.

It's interesting that Jesus sent the man home perhaps because it was how the man could maintain his deliverance. You wonder, "How could the man stay free by being apart from Jesus?" Perhaps Jesus had Revelation 12:11 in mind before It was ever written: "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

Perhaps some of your freedom and deliverance isn't in staying close to Jesus, but in sharing your testimony? if it is, then no amount of wishful thinking or spiritually sounding "I want to be close to the Lord" will do the job. You are going to have to do what the man did, and that was obey Jesus, go home, and tell everyone how once he lived with a bunch of devils but God set him free. Who knows who is desperately waiting to hear your report. Have a blessed week.