GodsView : Step Into the Encouragement Zone!

GodsView : Step Into the Encouragement Zone!: During the past few months our nation has witnessed devastating natural disasters that demolished entire communities and took the live...

Step Into the Encouragement Zone!

During the past few months our nation has witnessed devastating natural disasters that demolished entire communities and took the lives and livelihoods of many Americans. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have negatively impacted millions[i] of people and left behind billions of dollars in damages. As difficult and challenging as these events have been, and will continue to be for multitudes of people, these catastrophic events have allowed our nation to come together to help those affected. In response to Hurricane Harvey alone, companies have promised to donate more than $65 million to help with relief efforts—and that number is still rising. This is not including all private donations and time spent volunteering by people across the United States.[ii] It has encouraged the nation as we have observed neighbor helping neighbor—but we need to remember that we shouldn’t simply be observers when it comes to encouragement.
Practical and purposeful encouragement is something each of us can do, but too often we miss the opportunity in the busyness of our lives. I’ll confess I’m not a natural-born encourager. Often I’m so focused on my day that I don’t notice when others have a need. But I’m learning to be deliberate about it—even when it’s not convenient.

Living in the I-Zone (Interruption Zone)
            Sometimes our best opportunities to encourage someone come at the worst times for us. It’s one thing to provide help when it’s convenient. But we must learn to respond when it’s not convenient or easy. Think of it as living within the I-Zone—living with interruptions.
Leadership books tell us how to minimize interruptions, and we’re wise to figure out how to focus our concentration on the project at hand. But we must also accept the interruptions that come as divine opportunities.
The best examples come directly from the life of Christ. When He was on His way to visit a ruler named Jairus whose daughter was deathly sick, Jesus was interrupted by a woman who touched the hem of His garment and was healed of her infirmity. Mark records, “Jesus… turned around… and said, ‘Who touched My clothes?’” (5:30)
Think of the anguish of Jairus, watching anxiously as Jesus tarried with the woman. Then news arrived that his daughter had died. But Jesus simply stated, “Do not be afraid… only believe.” And the interruption became an opportunity for grace.
Or consider the time our Lord’s sermon was interrupted by four men tearing up the roof so they could lower their paralyzed friend to Him. Or the time His message in the synagogue in Nazareth was interrupted by a riot. We could even talk about the way His life was interrupted by crucifixion—and His death by resurrection.
Our Lord was a master at limiting interruptions and then at utilizing the ones He couldn’t avoid. He taught us to do the same, saying, “Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:41). The second mile is sometimes outside our encouragement zone. Most of us can deal with the first mile, but the second takes effort. But how wonderful to know God is in control of our schedules and that sometimes interruptions are the ministry.

Living in the E-Zone (Encouragement Zone)
Once when facing a great political crisis William Gladstone, one of England’s most famous prime ministers, sat at home in the early hours working on a speech with which he hoped to win a great victory in the House of Commons the next day. At two in the morning, the mother of a poor disabled boy came to the door. Her son was dying, and she wondered if Mr. Gladstone would come and comfort him. Without hesitation, the great Commoner left the preparation of his speech and spent the night leading the child to Christ. Staying till the dawn broke, Gladstone closed the eyes of the dead child and returned home to face the day.
Later in the morning, he said, “I am the happiest man in the world today.” He had been able to demonstrate the love of Christ to a poor child. Shortly afterward, he made what was later called the “greatest speech of his life” in the House of Commons, carrying his cause to victory.[iii]
Don’t let the routine of your day stop you from encouraging someone who needs a special loving touch. Accept the interruption as from the Lord.  Go the extra mile for Christ, and you’ll find Him walking beside you all the way.

GodsView : Lord, Come Quickly!

GodsView : Lord, Come Quickly!: Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He m...

Lord, Come Quickly!

Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.
Jesus Christ is coming back soon. I believe that with all of my heart. The opening of Revelation 1:1 says, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him..." What does "which God gave Him" mean? Didn't Jesus know "the revelation" already? I mean He's God, the Second Person of the Trinity, right? Doesn't He know everything? Well, apparently (and I don't understand how the Trinity works because it's a mystery) He doesn't. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."
So, the Father who knows gave this revelation to the Son. The Son gave it to an angel. And an angel gave it to John, who wrote it down for us. And that's how we came to have it today. John wasn't told to go and hide with it; it was supposed to be revealed to all of us: "to show to his servants" (v.1). There are actually three terms or phrases in this verse that speak to the clarity of the book of Revelation; revelation, show, and made it known.
What was it that was being revealed? The Scripture answers, "the things that must soon take place" — not "should take place," not "might take place," or even "will take place," but "must...take place" (emphasis added). This statement is certainty rooted in the integrity of God Himself Who sourced this material. And when must these things take place? "Soon"! Underline that word soon in your Bible. Why do we study Revelation? Because Jesus Christ is coming back soon.
I want you to be ready. I want you to experience the sense that time is fleeting and we can't afford to be lax or lazy. Maybe the skies will break open today and Jesus Christ will return. This is not a moment for wasting time. This is the moment to think soon!

GodsView : A Matter of the Will!

GodsView : A Matter of the Will!: Each of us has been given our own independent will. It can be competitive or compliant. It can be an asset or a liability. It can al...

A Matter of the Will!

Each of us has been given our own independent will. It can be competitive or compliant. It can be an asset or a liability. It can also lead us to victory or to defeat depending on how we exercise it. It all depends on how we position our will in relation to the will that really matters—the will of God.

There are times in our life when we find ourselves in a bracket similar to those that outline the sixty-four teams that start the NCAA “Road to the Final Four.” We’re at one end of the bracket and God is at the other; and with every game, we move closer and closer to one another. God is winning His games, of course; and by sheer force of will, we’re winning ours. Eventually, we meet in the final bracket: It’s my will against God’s.

This has happened in Scripture many times. Remember Jonah who exercised his will and refused God’s calling (and what it cost him)? Remember Peter who expressed his will to Jesus, saying the Master would never die (and the rebuke it brought him: “Get behind Me, Satan!”)? Remember Pharaoh who refused to obey God’s will through Moses (and the price he paid)? And let’s not forget the result of the expression of Adam and Eve’s competitive will in the Garden.

Do you recall times in your life when you have stood your ground in that final bracket, thinking you could out-will God (and the resulting misery it brought you)? Peter learned and taught, “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17).

The Pleasure of God’s Will

Yes, our will is a gift from God—it is part of the divine image we bear. But God gave us a will in order that we might give it back to Him, that we might choose to submit our will to His and enjoy the pleasure of His presence (the pleasure of His blessings) both now and for all eternity.

The wisest, most mature quest any human being can begin and continue throughout life is the discovery of God’s will—and then to say “Yes” to it each day. We do that, of course, through His Word where we discover that it is God’s will for us to be saved through His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9). Then we discover how to follow Christ as Lord of our life when we submit our will to His. Here are just a few of His commands for us to follow:

• Love God with your whole being (Matthew 22:37-38).
• Fear God, not man (Matthew 10:28).
• Treat others the way you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).
• Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39-40).
• Give to God the things that are God’s (Matthew 22:19-21).
• Love one another (John 13:35).
• Honor God’s laws (Matthew 5:17-19).
• Ask God for whatever you need (John 15:7).

The Pronouncement of God’s Will
In the recent National Championship game, it was not evident until the last few minutes of the competition whose will and skill would overcome and be victorious. Would it be the Gonzaga Bulldogs or the North Carolina Tar Heels? Both teams had the competitive spirit and the will to win. And both teams had amazing coaches. Some believe the Carolina team had the greater will to win because of their loss the previous year. Losses are teaching moments.

In the spiritual realm, we need to remember that we have a Coach who provides everything we need to be victorious, but we must allow Him to lead—we cannot question His counsel and direction. The Lord God is the only one who knows your future—He’s the only one. Jeremiah 10:23 tells us, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Though the plans we make seem right to us, they are usually oriented around our feelings, which can deceive and ruin us.

Stop competing against God and begin enjoying the pleasures of God’s perfect will in your life. If you are searching and trying to find the will of God for your life, then I encourage you to start by reading your Bible every day. It is through the study of the Word that you will find God’s will for your life.

GodsView : And Nothing but the Truth!

GodsView : And Nothing but the Truth!: God never intended His people to worship Him apart from the use of their minds. Real spirituality begins with a precise understanding...