The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Memo 1037: Saul Academy

We left off last week when Samuel was anointing David as the next king. That news was kept quiet for Saul was still on the throne and would probably not take too kindly to the news—as will be proved later in the story between those two men. The closing verse of David's anointing ceremony reads, "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David" (1 Samuel 16:13). So what did the Lord do next with His new regent? Did Samuel host a banquet? Did they have a small celebration with his family? Did David go on a tour of his kingdom? No, none of that occurred. Instead, the Lord enrolled David in school, specifically the Saul Academy of Leadership Training.

SERVICE SCHOOL

We read about David that "the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully" upon him. In the next verse, we learn, "Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him" (1 Samuel 16:14). That provides quite a contrast, doesn't it? One man had the Spirit of God on him, the other had an evil spirit from the Lord tormenting him. Instead of Saul seeking help and instead of his staff confronting the problem, they all looked for a band-aid temporary fix:

Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.” So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me" (1 Samuel 16:15-17).

It's always sad when an organization cater to the problems of its leaders rather then serve others or the faithful staff they have, but that's besides the point here. Saul had a serious spiritual problem that they could only hope to sedate with worship music. So what was their plan?

One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul (1 Samuel 16:18-20).

The summary the man gave Saul of David begs the question I asked last week as to why David's family had so little use for him when everyone else saw him with rock star qualities. Be that as it may, let's look at another aspect of this story before we close.

A STRANGE SCHOOL

Of all the places the Lord could have sent David, it seems like a man with an evil spirit running rampant in his life would be the least likely. Yet that is exactly where the Lord sent David, and his family seemed only too happy to ship him off to serve the madman with a few day's rations and their best wishes for future success (I doubt if Saul's problem was a kingdom secret). True to form, David was no less successful in this new role than he had been as his family's sheep keeper:

David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him (1 Samuel 16:21-23).

Little did David know that he had just been enrolled in Saul Academy, a place run by a family that would impact his life for the next 25 years. Yet his place in class was obtained and secured by the Lord God Himself. God had things to teach David and that was the only place he could learn them. While he was there, God expected David to maintain his own high standards while those around him were serving a madman. That's some kind of training.

Where does the Lord have you? Have you assumed there is nothing for you to learn where you are? Have you lost of sight of the fact that God sent you where you are and is watching you—and watching over you? Are you being productive despite your harsh or barren surroundings? As you answer those questions, think of David's example. God handpicked the Saul Academy for David and He has done the same for where you are. In the coming weeks, we will examine some of the lessons David learned at Saul's hand, but for now, just chew on the fact that God hired Saul as David's tutor and He has probably chosen some unusual instructors for you as well. It's your choice whether to run or learn from them. Have a blessed week.

Memo 1029: Potential

We have heard it said about someone that they have great potential; maybe it has been said about you. We use that phrase when we see a glimmer of talent or gifted-ness in a person that is undeveloped. It's sort of like an old picture negative (if you are young, you have no idea to what I'm referring!). We could hold it up to the light to get a general idea of what the picture was about, but we could not get the full picture until we had the negative developed. That is what your potential is like. Almost everyone can see its general presence, but what it looks like is up to you.

What's more, potential is an open-ended concept in that no one, not even the person with the potential, has any idea what the potential will look like when it is fully developed. That's true for a number of reasons. One is no one is certain of the exact circumstances into which a person with potential will be developing it. Take for example the case of Winston Churchill. He had great potential as a politician, but until his leadership was released during World War II, no one could have anticipated just how great his potential was when they first saw it. His developed potential was not only due to his effort, but the convergence of his effort and history.

The other dynamic that is present when you begin to develop your potential is found in Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." When you develop your potential and rely on God's help, God's able to take your potential, breathe on it, so to speak, and multiply it, just like the loaves and fish in Jesus' ministry. What's more, God didn't multiply the bread and fish only once but twice (that we know of), so when He increases your capacity to bear fruit, it doesn't diminish His ability or desire to do it again and again for you and countless others.

So how many books are in you? You won't know until you start writing and publishing. How many orphans can you help? You won't know until you start helping some. How many languages can you learn? You won't know until you start learning them. How many businesses can you start of churches can you plant? You won't know until you start building and planting. Your potential is similar to what a pole vaulter faces in the  Olympics. They won't know how high they can vault until they try, and each time they successfully clear the bar, it gets raised. God can do the same in your life, raising the bar and when you clear that, raise it again, and when you clear that, raise it again—and on and on.

Eventually, you will knock the bar off, but my point is that you don't know at what height the bar will be when you do, and it may be—no undoubtedly will be—a lot higher than you thought possible, especially because God can empower you to do exceedingly more than anyone, even you, imagined. The only thing that will stop you from finding your maximum height is to stop vaulting, and that would usually be due to fear—not wanting to fail or cause injury.

Are you ready to start developing your potential? If you are, then abandon what you think it will look like when its developed and get to work. Count on God's help and see how high you can jump, how far you run, or how long you can swim. Of course, these are all sports metaphors, but you get the idea. Go be the best you that you can be, and don't allow any limitations to that except for those God will set. Have a blessed week!

We have heard it said about someone that they have great potential; maybe it has been said about you. We use that phrase when we see a glimmer of talent or gifted-ness in a person that is undeveloped. It's sort of like an old picture negative (if you are young, you have no idea to what I'm referring!). We could hold it up to the light to get a general idea of what the picture was about, but we could not get the full picture until we had the negative developed. That is what your potential is like. Almost everyone can see its general presence, but what it looks like is up to you.

What's more, potential is an open-ended concept in that no one, not even the person with the potential, has any idea what the potential will look like when it is fully developed. That's true for a number of reasons. One is no one is certain of the exact circumstances into which a person with potential will be developing it. Take for example the case of Winston Churchill. He had great potential as a politician, but until his leadership was released during World War II, no one could have anticipated just how great his potential was when they first saw it. His developed potential was not only due to his effort, but the convergence of his effort and history.

The other dynamic that is present when you begin to develop your potential is found in Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." When you develop your potential and rely on God's help, God's able to take your potential, breathe on it, so to speak, and multiply it, just like the loaves and fish in Jesus' ministry. What's more, God didn't multiply the bread and fish only once but twice (that we know of), so when He increases your capacity to bear fruit, it doesn't diminish His ability or desire to do it again and again for you and countless others.

So how many books are in you? You won't know until you start writing and publishing. How many orphans can you help? You won't know until you start helping some. How many languages can you learn? You won't know until you start learning them. How many businesses can you start of churches can you plant? You won't know until you start building and planting. Your potential is similar to what a pole vaulter faces in the  Olympics. They won't know how high they can vault until they try, and each time they successfully clear the bar, it gets raised. God can do the same in your life, raising the bar and when you clear that, raise it again, and when you clear that, raise it again—and on and on.

Eventually, you will knock the bar off, but my point is that you don't know at what height the bar will be when you do, and it may be—no undoubtedly will be—a lot higher than you thought possible, especially because God can empower you to do exceedingly more than anyone, even you, imagined. The only thing that will stop you from finding your maximum height is to stop vaulting, and that would usually be due to fear—not wanting to fail or cause injury.

Are you ready to start developing your potential? If you are, then abandon what you think it will look like when its developed and get to work. Count on God's help and see how high you can jump, how far you run, or how long you can swim. Of course, these are all sports metaphors, but you get the idea. Go be the best you that you can be, and don't allow any limitations to that except for those God will set. Have a blessed week!

866: Go and . . . Learn

I thought I would be finished with this "God and . . ." series, but I found a few more examples of Jesus telling people to go and do something specific, so that means the series will continue at least another month. Who knows, I may find some additional examples after that. This week, we look at what Jesus said in response to criticism that He was spending way too much time with sinners and tax gatherers:

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:11-12, emphasis added).

Jesus was telling men who had made the study of God's word the work of their adult lives to go and meditate on a verse from Hosea because they did not really know what it meant. That should provide a warning to us as well who believe we are adherents to God's word and who have more resources available to study and understand God's word than any generation in history. Let's look more closely at our need to go and learn more.

THE MORE YOU KNOW

When I teach classes on preaching, I give my students this advice: "Whenever you approach a passage of Scripture, no matter how much you have studied it, no matter how much you think you know, you must approach it as if you know nothing at all."' Why do I teach this? I do so because when we are confident we see everything there is to see about a truth or a passage, we stop looking for more. We are confident, sometimes even smug, that we know all there is to know about it.

Jesus was talking to men who had memorized the verse He referenced. That had discussed and debated it, and had added much to their collective commentary about its implications for their lives as they served the Lord. They were so sure of their knowledge that they could not see how what Jesus was doing with sinners was in any way related to that verse from Hosea 6:6: "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

Jesus told the Pharisees that they had not "arrived," but were still students in need of study and enlightenment. They knew the Bible but they were missing out on what God was doing through Jesus public ministry. He is saying the same thing to us today.

GO AND LEARN

• If you think you know it all about who you are or what God wants you to do, you need to go and learn more.
• If you think you know all there is to know about another person and their capabilities, you need to go and learn more.
• If you think you know all there is to know about a Bible story or passage you have studied regularly and taught on repeatedly, you need to go and learn more.
• If you think there is no need for you to learn new skills or gain new knowledge, that you can rely on what you have done in the past, you need to go and learn more.
• If you think you know the mind of God on politics, justice, mercy, theology, religion, or any other topic, you need to go and learn more.
• If you think you can comment on social media with absolute certainty about any matter in order to correct or lecture someone else to turn them from the error of their ways, you need to go and learn more.

Learning is not something we do for a certain period of life; it is a lifelong pursuit. We are always in need of more wisdom and knowledge so we can be more effective for Him and less dependent on our past, our position, our title, or even our insight. This is why I went back to school when I was 57 years of age. This is why I listen to and read as many books as possible. This is why I listen when people give me feedback. I want to "go and learn," and that is my motto until I die or run out of strength.

Jesus told those who thought they "owned" God that they needed to go and meditate on one verse to find out what it meant. I know I need to do that when I write, preach, or teach. I invite you to join me so that together we can continue to grow and develop to be the masters of our purpose, effective for Him while always striving for more and better. Have a blessed week.

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AUTHOR'S RECEPTION: As you know, I have started a publishing company called Urban Press. I am hosting a reception for all our Urban Press authors on Saturday, September 8, from 3 to 5 PM in Pittsburgh where I live. I am inviting anyone who wants to publish and be an author to come and meet the UP authors. If you are interested in coming to learn more about publishing your creative work, write me at [email protected] and I will forward you the necessary information.

KENYA TRIP: I am sponsoring a tour to Kenya from February 14-24, 2019. The flier, FAQ sheet, and application are below. Study it and then take the step to go! This trip is shorter, less expensive, and more focused than any of my trips in the past. Come benefit from my experience that will provide a trip you will never forget.

Download KenyaFAQ2019

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822: Where's Your Fruit?

I preached in all five services at my home church this past weekend. The title of my message was "Kingdom Fruit." In my message, I discussed the need for each citizen of God's kingdom to bear fruit as Jesus warned in Matthew 21:43: "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." You can access my message on my mobile app under the folder "Preached Messages." In this Memo, I want to make some additional comments on the issue of fruit.

THE FRUIT PROCESS

I reflected this past week on what it takes for actual, edible fruit to be produced. Here are some thoughts on the matter:

1. Fruit is fragile and conditions must be right for it to come forth - climate, soil, free from frost, not too much rain (or too little). The same is true for spiritual fruit.
   
2. Fruit starts with a blossom, which is pretty and fragrant, but is only the beginning. There are many believers who blossom and have great potential to bear fruit, but that potential must be nurtured.
   
3. If fruit is eaten before it is ripe, it can be toxic if harvested prematurely. The same is true for spiritual fruit. It requires maturity for it to taste the best.
   
4. Fruit is meant for two things: to be consumed by others or to produce seed so that more fruit can be produced. All spiritual fruit is for the benefit of other people to consume as they need it (although the farmer can certainly partake of and enjoy the fruit they help produce).
   
5. Fruit usually has a short lifespan and must be consumed quickly or it will rot and go to waste. No one knows how many days they have to bear fruit, so it must be produced and distributed with a sense of urgency.
   
6. Fruit requires an ongoing process of pruning and fertilizing its source, or bad or anemic fruit will be produced. Believers must continue to nurture themselves spiritually if they are to bear more and better fruit.
   

THE RESEARCH IS IN AND . . .

I spent some time reading what others have written about fruit and one thing is for certain: Most people have described what fruit is like (just as I did above) but they are hesitant to come out and say what we should be looking for in our lives that can be called fruit. Some do say that it is souls saved or people we lead to the Lord. Yet, if truth be told, most people do not lead many people to the Lord. Others say it is a vibrant prayer life, but is fruit defined as the number of prayers a believer says in his or her lifetime? Finally, some identify fruit as correct doctrine, but that makes fruit an intellectual pursuit. I discuss in my message what I believe fruit is not, so you can access it to hear more (it's 30-minutes long; in it, I cover the thought that fruit is what is described in Galatians 5:10, usually referred to as the fruit of the Spirit).

Therefore, below I offer my definition of Kingdom fruit, and challenge you to identify what this fruit is in your life. Once you identify it (or if you already know what it is), then I further challenge you to determine how you can be even more fruitful. But first, here is my definition:

following your joy as you combine your God-given gifts, creativity, purpose, experience, interests, and sustained effort in a way that produces something of value for the benefit of others and yourself.

My fruit is comprised of the books I have written; the libraries I have helped establish in Kenya; the classes I have taught at university; the devotionals I have written, published, and posted on social media for 16 years; and the seminars I have conducted on purpose and creativity. Oh yes, and as the Spirit has produced His fruit in my life, it has translated into tangible expressions of empathy for others in painful and difficult situations to which I formerly paid little attention.

Let me close with this thought: All fruit is measurable and measured. We speak of fruit as a cluster, a bunch, peck, half-bushel, bushel, pound, kilo, acre, or hectare. Therefore, I assume that your fruit, even though it's spiritual, must be measurable as well. This week, spend some time praying and thinking about the question, "What is my fruit?" and then follow the answer up with another: "How can I produce more of it?" If you persevere in seeking the answers, you will bear the fruit of the Kingdom in your life that God expects and enjoys. Have a blessed week!

804: More than the Supernatural

Last week, we began to look at the story of King Saul's' ascent to power as the king of Israel. In Memo 803, we found Saul hiding when Samuel and Israel were looking to appoint him the king, and I asked you to consider where you also may be hiding from God's choice and purpose. Perhaps you are hiding with noble intent, waiting for God to confirm or re-confirm your purpose assignment. If you are waiting for a supernatural confirmation, however, it may not provide what you really need. For what you really need is probably not more confirmation, but a change of heart. Let me explain.

THE SUPERNATURAL

When you read 1 Samuel 9 and 10, I challenge you to find a leadership assignment more confirmed with signs and wonders than Saul's. Consider these supernatural events surrounding Saul's coronation:

1. When Saul went looking for Samuel, Samuel was the first man he met when he entered the village.
2. Samuel told Saul what he was looking for (his father's lost donkeys) before Saul had a chance to inform Samuel. Samuel informed him that the donkeys had been found
3. The Lord had already spoken to Samuel that Saul was to be the king, and then Saul appeared on the scene right after the Lord spoke.
4. Samuel poured oil over Saul's head, and proceeded to tell Saul a number of things that would happen to him on the way back to his father; each one of those things came to pass, just as Samuel had foretold.
5. When Saul encountered some prophets on the way home, Saul himself began to prophesy, to the amazement of those who were acquainted with his history, which had not included that spiritual practice or tendency.
6. Then Samuel drew lots for all Israel to see, and Saul's tribe, clan, and family were chosen by lot, with the final lot falling to Saul; all that proved God's choice.

As I stated, there is no more confirmed event in the Bible, yet it was all to no avail. Even with all the supernatural activity that Saul experienced and encountered, he was a massive disappointment as king, never becoming much more than what his family had always been, and that was being a family of fighters.

THE REALITY

The reality was that Saul was fearful, falsely humble, and cowardly. All the external miracles did not touch his heart condition, and that condition eventually unraveled all that God had orchestrated to promote Saul. And the same will happen to you if you are not careful. Yes, God will confirm and work through the fleeces you put before him to show you what He wants you to do. He will send prophets who will tell you what you had for breakfast and where you live through their prophetic insight.

If you don't change the way you think, you will carry your doubt and fear into your purpose assignment and you will continue to search for all kinds of external evidence that you are on the right track. While those externals can be helpful, they cannot take the place of God's transforming work in your heart, and we we know from Romans 12:2 that your transformation does not occur by a supernatural work, but through the renewing of your mind. Since the business of your mind is thinking, then unless you change your thoughts, all the supernatural that you encounter will do as much good as it did for Saul -- which is not much good at all.

The big difference between Saul and David was the amount of development they went through for leadership. Saul had very little but had a lot of supernatural activity; David had a lot of character training but very little supernatural confirmation. Who do you think was the better king? So what is your chosen path to accept your purpose call? Are you looking for and relying on the supernatural, or are you willing to do the work to develop your gift and call? I won't answer for you, but I urge you to reflect on that question in the coming week and then settle in your own mind what is needed to make you a champion after God's own heart. Have a blessed week as you consider your answer.

797: End of Self 2

Last week, I addressed the issue of the end of self as the true beginning of self. Most people are familiar with Jesus' words that pertain to picking up a cross and following Him. My point last week was that the cross isn't the end of your personality; it is where it begins. The cross enables you to come into contact with so you can develop your personality as God intended it to be.

The problem is that we are so steeped in the self-willed self life that it is almost impossible to let go. This is highlighted by Paul's words in Philippians 2:19-23 when he described his assistant Timothy:

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.

Can you imagine? Of all the great men with whom Paul traveled, he had no one like Timothy. Timothy had reached an end of self to such an extent that he could be genuinely interested in the welfare of others and not his own. If Paul only saw one such man in his life, how many will you and I see? Perhaps the better question is: Can you become the one Timothy that other people encounter? More on that later.

I have been thinking this past week on the examples I could give of people who have not come to the end of self because they have not truly picked up their cross. Here are some thoughts:

1. If you have no experience in an area, but offer your uneducated opinion, and then are offended when people don't follow or listen to you, you have not come to an end of self.
2. If you cannot accept advice, and insist on doing things yourself or in your own way, even when you don't have the expertise, you have not come to an end of self.
3. If you refuse to change your habits, like how or where you work, or stubbornly resist adopting new technology or work habits, you have not come to an end of self.
4. If you have consistently had no results in an area of life, work, or ministry, but cling to the ways you have always done it (and get upset when someone speaks into your dysfunction), you have not come to an end of self.
5. If you believe you are entitled to your opinion (which you are), but that opinion is special simply because it's yours, you have not come to an end of self.
6. If you ignore the input of someone who has walked a path before you, especially when that person has no vested interest except to see you succeed, you have not come to an end of self.
7. If you have failed in an area, but still want to be the one to give advice or direction instead of listening and learning, you have not come to an end of self.

I see these dynamics at work in my consulting and teaching all the time. What's more, I have seen them all operate in my own life, past and present, and I am always confronting where I am more interested in serving my own image of who I want to be (or seem to be) as opposed to who others and God need me to be. To the extent that I have come to an end of self, I have been able to embrace my true self and it has been liberating. I invite you to join me, so that together we can form an army of people like Timothy who can selflessly serve others through our true selves. Have a blessed week!

796: The End of Self

Almost everyone is familiar with the words of Jesus when He said: "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:38-39). These directives have been interpreted to mean that you are to have no ideas, thoughts, or personality apart from what the Lord gives or decides. While that sounds spiritual, I don't believe it is the meaning Jesus intended to convey. To find out if you agree or not, you will have to read on.

WHAT IT DOESN'T MEAN

Perhaps the best summary of how people interpret the words in Matthew 10 is found in John the Baptist's words when he stated, "I must decrease, but he must increase." The NIV quotes John this way: " He must become greater; I must become less.” John wasn't referring to the fact that his personality had to diminish when Jesus came on the scene. Picking up the cross for John was not being quiet; it was removing himself from a public role so Jesus could be front and center.

It is interesting that John's next assignment wasn't to retire and write his memoirs. He was sent to the most hardened apostate Jew there was by the name of Herod. John's cross was not to become less than who he was; it was to express who he was in a situation that eventually cost him his life.

THE END OF SELF IS . . .

I have been reflecting on a thought that I want to run by you for your feedback, and it relates to what Jesus said in Matthew 10. The thought is this: The end of self is the beginning of self. When I die to myself, that doesn't mean that I was once in love with writing, but now I don't write. No, it means that I write what and where God wants me to write. The end of myself - my plans, my desire to do it my way - is actually the discovery of true self. It is then that I can be the fullest, best expression of who God intended me to be because I have been set free from a stubborn individualism that says, "I can handle this. I can do it the way I want with whom I want where I want."

My cross doesn't destroy my personality, it sets it free from the things that would mar it. My cross sent me to Africa, to urban communities, and to churches to be who God intended me to be. I went with my humor, my creativity, my insight, my competitiveness, and my prophetic insight. The cross didn't change those traits; it purified and refocused them. It didn't mean I sit and wait for the Lord to give me a new personality; He has already made me a new creature with an enhanced personality similar to the one I had before I met Him. When I picked up my cross, it set me free to be me, not to be some religious semblance of who I thought I was supposed to be.

You can come to Jesus and still not pick up your cross. The cross is where and how you fulfill your purpose, but your purpose remains an important part of the equation. This has serious implications, for if you are going to find your life, you are going to have to lose it in the way God wants you to express it. When you allow that to happen, you will find the real you, the beginning of self, and then God will partner not with a hologram of who you appear to be, but with who He intended you to be in the first place.

    Feel free to comment on this entry on the site where it is posted.

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KENYA: I depart for Kenya on March 2 and, as usual, I need your help. Please read my latest blog entry about little Felix and then give generously toward the funds I need to take with me to help our partners. You can give through PayPal on my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you for your help!

781 - Starting Points

I heard someone say once that man is a rational being that does irrational things. After 42 years as a pastor and hearing people tell me all kinds of strange behavior, I am inclined to agree with that statement. I have reflected on it often, and would like to share some conclusions with you this week.

IRRATIONALITY

The problem with irrationality manifests mostly with where we begin in our thought process. In this short space, I think it best to give you an example and go from there. In Mark 3:1-5, we read

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

How often have you said, "Lord, if I had a sign to confirm your will, I would do it!" In this story, the Pharisees witnessed a magnificent and startling sign: A man's withered hand was unwithered before their very eyes. What was their response? We read in Mark 3:6: "Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus."

They saw Jesus perform a miracle and what was their response? They determined He had to die! That's irrational! Yes it is, and the problem was their starting point. They assumed they knew all there was to know about the Sabbath and further believed it was their job to protect that day on God's behalf from violators. When they saw the miracle, they had an irrational starting point. From then on, they acted perfectly rational, for if they were correct, then the rational thing to do was punish Jesus for His offense.

STARTING POINT EXAMPLES

What's the point? The point is that you have starting points and they impact how you rationally carry out your life and ministry. Here are some examples:

Starting point: I don't have time to write a book." Result: You don't even try. Truth: You have all the time in the world (24 hours every day) but are probably using the lack of time as a front for your fear.

Starting point: "I don't have money to give." Result: You don't give, God doesn't bless you, so you have less to give. Truth: Even a small "widow's mite" can have an affect on God and the situation into which you are giving.

Where are you rationally living in a pattern that began with an irrational starting point? The only way to find out is to continually challenge your thinking where starting points are concerned. You don't have time to write a book? How is it then that I have written 28?  (I am writing this Memo at 4:30 AM Kenya time. Rationality says, "Get some sleep," but that is actually irrational because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.)

You don't have money to give? How is it that you have $200 for cable television service? Because you have never challenged your "need" for so much television, you don't give. You are correct (rationally) that you don't have money to give--because you are wasting it on something to satisfy your own desires!

This week, I want you to challenge some of your starting points to check them out and see if they are passing as rational when they really are not. If they aren't, then if you change your "starting point," you can change your life! Have a blessed week.

    Feel free to write your comment or question to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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URGENT NEED: I have discovered, as I always do when I come to Kenya, that there is an urgent need in one of our orphanages. I need to raise $1,000 by the time I depart this coming Saturday. I ask you to give a "widow's mite" or a larger gift. Remember, challenge your starting point, which may say, "I don't have anything to give," which is irrational. Look around and God will show you what you have that you can share with an orphan.

You can give through PayPal ("Oh, I don't use online services because I am afraid of them." That is another irrational starting point that you have rationally carried out by remaining computer illiterate) or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. If you send a check, let me know how much you are sending so I can included it in the running total I will keep this week. Thank you!

769 - Your Potential

We have heard it said about someone that he or she has great potential. We use that phrase when we see a glimmer of talent or giftedness in that person that is undeveloped. It is sort of like an old picture negative (if you are young, you have no idea to what I am referring!). We could hold it up to the light to get a general idea of what the picture was about, but we could not get an idea of what it was like until we had the negative developed. That is what your potential is like. Almost everyone can see its presence, but what it looks like is up to you.

What's more, potential is an open-ended concept, and by that I mean no one, not even the person with the potential, has any idea what that potential will look like when it is fully developed. That's true for a number of reasons. One of them is no one is certain of the exact circumstances into which a person with potential will be developing his or her potential. Take for example the case of Winston Churchill. He had great potential as a politician, but until his leadership was released at the time of World War II, no one could have anticipated just how great his potential was when they first saw it. His developed potential was not only due to his effort, but the convergence of his effort and history.

The other dynamic that is present when you begin to develop your potential is found in Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." When you develop your potential and rely on God's help, God is able to take your potential, breathe on it, so to speak, and multiply it, just like He did the loaves and fish in Jesus' ministry. What's more, God did not multiply the bread and fish only once but twice (that we know of), so when He increases your capacity to bear fruit, it does not diminish His ability to do it again and again for you and countless others.

So how many books are in you? You won't know until you start writing and publishing. How many orphans can you help? You won't know until you start helping some. How many languages can you learn? You won't know until you start learning them. How many businesses can you start of churches can you plant? You won't know until you start building and planting. Your potential is similar to what a pole vaulter will face in the upcoming  Olympics. You won't know how high you can vault until you try, and each time you successfully clear the bar, God can raise it again and when you clear that, again, and when you clear that, again—and on and on and on.

Eventually, you will knock the bar off, but my point is that you don't know at what height the bar will be when you do, and it may be—no undoubtedly will be—a lot higher than you thought possible, especially because God can empower you to do exceedingly more than anyone, even you, imagined. The only thing that will stop you from finding your maximum height is to stop vaulting, and that would usually be due to fear—not wanting to fail or cause injury.

Are you ready to start developing your potential? If you are, then abandon what you think it will look like when its developed and get to work. Count on God's help and see how high you can jump, how far you run, or how long you can swim. Of course these are all sports metaphors, but you get the idea. Go be the best you that you can be, and don't allow any limitations to that except for what God will set. Have a blessed week!

759 - How Many Pharaohs Do You Work For?

In last week's post, I mentioned Pharaoh and it made me think of something I have not written about for a while. This week, I want you to reflect on the fact that you may work for two Pharaohs, one who is over you at work and one who is over your heart. If you want to know more about those two and how they impact your life and purpose, you will have to read on.

THE PHARAOH WITHOUT

There are two Egyptian Pharaohs that get attention in the Bible. Joseph was the contemporary of one and Moses the other. I have done some study and writing on the good Pharaoh who ruled over Joseph and that can be found on my website. For now, we want to look at the bad Pharaoh, the one whose stubbornness brought the plagues upon his people and affected his nation's effectiveness for centuries after his rule.

What was this bad Pharaoh like? He was consumed with working and building, along the way amassing wealth and using people to get that wealth. He was a hard taskmaster and drove the people and his overseers, not allowing any off days or seasons of rest. When Moses confronted him, Pharaoh got even more ornery, ordering that the Israelites to make bricks and gather their own straw, the straw having been provided for them previously. He was suspicious of anyone or anything that infringed on his man focus, which was production.

Perhaps you have worked for a Pharaoh like this. There is no joy in working for or with this kind of manager or leader. They see you as a means to production, nothing more, nothing less. It is easy to dislike this kind of leader, but often what can you do? You must work to feed your family and besides, work isn't something really to enjoy. It's often only something to endure, which leads us to our discussion of the Pharaoh within.

THE PHARAOH WITHIN

When you "buy into" Pharaoh's attitude, even if you aren't in leadership, then you are working for a Pharaoh. Your thinking says, "I need to work. It's not something that I should expect to enjoy. I should just do it and look for fulfillment outside of my place of employment." That is what it means to have a Pharaoh within - you are your own Pharaoh-like taskmaster, driving yourself harder and harder, never enjoying your work and pushing yourself through the boredom and drudgery of your current position.

When I coach people one-on-one, I ask them what they would do if they had all the money they needed. Many struggle with the question for a while, not having a ready answer. Then I urge them to ask me. When they do, I respond, "I would do what I'm doing today, except that I'd fly business class more often!" About twelve years ago, I stopped being driven by a false concept that my work is to be endured and not enjoyed. I faced my Pharaoh within and fired him! Now I work for the Lord, who ordered Pharaoh to "let my people go."

If you work for a Pharaoh without, there may not be much you can do as long as you stay where you are. But if you work for a Pharaoh within, then there is something you can do. You can change the way you view work and purpose. It is possible to enjoy what you do; in fact it's the will of God for you!  Once you embrace that truth, it will cause you to pursue different things to do, different things than you are doing now. You will give yourself permission to pursue what you enjoy. When you are free from the Pharaoh within, you can be a person of purpose on and off the job. Believe me when I say that it's a great way to live.

If I were you, I would assess how many Pharaohs there are in your life right now. I would suggest that even one is too many! Determine this week to at least face the truth and, if one of those Pharaohs is inside you, to confront and deal with him. Don't let him bully you an longer, but instead, determine to free yourself so that you can pursue the will of the Lord, the will that says you are free. Have a great week!