Reconciliation Ministries

God's Goal For You

2.- Who has saved you and set you apart for His Gospel; Romans 1:1, Sure you do...


YOUR BUSINESS may not change, the demands on you may not change but your inner peace and outlook MUST CHANGE if you are to honor God and have His perspective in a hectic world. May I share with you some of the things I have been thinking on these last few days?

SOME TRUTHS from the lives of some VERY BUSY people who had Great responsibilities in the lives of others not just there own [Moms be encouraged at this stage!!]

I have been thinking on "GOD'S GOAL " these past few days. And what is God's Goal for you? Come with me and look at some of these people and consider with me, "GOD'S GOAL; TO Know Him."

1. PAUL'S PASSION-
Thirty years after his conversion, Paul's Passion was to KNOW Jesus Christ. "That I MAY KNOW HIM" he wrote in Philippians 3:8-10. Well, that's nice you may say, and it is. But you don't get there by wishing or wanting.

What was Paul's Secret?
Paul was a man of "ONE THING." "This ONE THING I DO..." - Phil 3:13. He did not allow his past to keep him from his Pursuit of Knowing Jesus Christ more and more. Neither need you dear friend allow anything to hinder you from Pursuing Him, be it a sinful past- May I remind you with Confession there IS Cleansing and forgiveness- 1 John 1:7-9. He had great responsibility for the church's yet "church work," "church planting," was not his GOAL. His Goal was to "Know" Jesus Christ! And so he was a man of "one thing I do..."

What is the "one thing you do?" That "One thing that describes what you LIVE for, Pursue after more than life itself? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ?


2. DAVID'S DESIRE
Now here is a man with a busy schedule. David was a King, and a warrior among other things. And we see that David is called by God "A man after God's Own heart."

What was David's Secret?
David was a man of "ONE THING" Psalm 27:4 "ONE THING have I asked from the Lord, that shall I SEEK; that I
may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to Behold the BEAUTY of the Lord."

3. DANIEL'S DEVOTION
Here was a man who had the running of a nation of people as his responsibility. Who worked with people with whom he was the focus of their jealousy to such an extent they tried to have him killed. And you think you have problems at work!!

WORK ETHIC;
They could not find any fault in his work ethic -Daniel 5:5. That's a good starter for many of us Christians. How many people could say about us as they did about Daniel that his job performance was excellent? Yet in our places of employment or schools of training we are told that "Whatever you DO, DO your WORK heartily, as for the Lord..." Colossians 3:23 and the ultimate purpose of working excellently is for His Glory and honor. "Whether then you eat, or drink or WHATEVER YOU DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD."- 1 Corinthians 10:31



DANIEL'S ALLEGIANCE TO GOD.
Not merely Daniel’s PROFESSION of allegiance to God, but Daniel’s ALLEGIANCE to God is what his enemies knew him for. Wow! Its one thing to Profess allegiance to God, isn't it? But to be known by your staunchest enemies for your integrity of work ethic and your uncompromising allegiance to God ... what a testimony and what a great witness to others and pleasure to God this must bring in the midst of a hostile environment!

God help me and you to be like this! But to be like this you have to be willing beforehand to choose Him. Because when the flak comes, and come it will, you will either compromise and deny Him or you will be like Daniel, uncompromising and Glorifying Him- Daniel 6:21-28. They tricked the king into a decree to have all people fall before a statue of the king and pray to it and have no other god than the king! Wonderful ego booster that!!!
They did so, knowing Daniel would not ... and he did not disappoint their high opinion of his allegiance to God, and it cost him being thrown into the lion’s den.

IN BETWEEN the document been signed and the sentencing and the actual throwing into the den...GOD'S WORD testifies concerning Daniel, " Now when Daniel knew the document was signed, he entered his house... ; and he continued kneeling on his knees THREE TIMES A DAY, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing PREVIOUSLY."- Daniel 6:10

Daniel was a man of "ONE THING." Death threats did not deter Daniel from his DEVOTION to God as is seen in His Coming Aside three times a day to Commune with his God!


PASSION, DESIRE, DEVOTION
How does one get a PASSION like Paul's and maintain it as he did for over thirty years? How does one develop a DESIRE for God as David did? How does one Develop and maintain consistency of purpose in the face of Adversity
without panic as Daniel did? A DEVOTION to God that had Priority above all else?

Consider dear friends the Life of a Woman named Mary. Her story is found in Luke 10.

MARY'S CHOICE
Martha, and Mary were the sisters of Lazarus. Jesus was often in their home and on one occasion He was there and Martha was worried over the preparation of a meal, to such an extent she was demeaning, demanding and full of worry and self pity. She was angry with her sister and the LORD!! For Mary had eventually sat at the Lords feet.

Our LORD Jesus did not rebuke her for her work but for her ATTITUDE to her work. He said "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about SO MANY THINGS; but only a few things are necessary, really only ONE, for Mary has CHOSEN what is better and it will not be taken away from her."

Mary was COMMENDED for her CHOICE. She chose the "ONE THING NEEDFUL." Intimacy and Fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE CAUSE OF STRESS
Often this is the cause of our busy spirits, stressful lives, allowing ourselves to be pushed in our spirits and ended up pushing, demanding and driving as well as demeaning others because of the Priority we have placed on our CHOICES. Everything ahead of HIM. Right?

If you are stressed, I bet you have been neglecting time with Him, Speaking to Him, Conversing with Him throughout your day, Reading and meditating on His Word, trusting Him to bring His Word to your mind to appropriate in the various responses you have to make to all your business?

And so instead of a calm heart too often it is chaotic heart and all around is chaos, stressful, and you blame it on the business and demands upon you when in fact it is down to the CHOICES you are making.


THE LORD LOSES OUT AND WE GET STRESSED OUT
How is it when we are busy the one to lose out is always the Lord? Paul had churches he was responsible for, not to mention the lost he labored to win for Christ. David was a warrior and king, Daniel was given responsibility for a nation and had to deal with men who were jealous and hateful towards him. Yet each one CHOSE THE "ONE THING NEEDFUL." Each one Chose to Pursue God in the midst of responsibilities and business and each one is COMMENDED in Scripture for the CHOICES they made, and each one is given as an example to US...

Choose wisely, Choose Consistently, Choose Christ today.


"CHARIOTS OF FIRE"
IF YOU SAW THE Academy AWARD WINNING MOVE, "CHARIOTS OF FIRE." About the life of Eric Liddell who won the 4 hundred-meter dash in the 1924 Paris Olympic games, you may be surprised to see these words written at the end of the movie. "Eric Liddell, missionary, died in occupied China at the end of World War 11.
All of Scotland mourned."

David Jeremiah in his book, "Turning towards Joy" writes, It was exactly one year after winning the gold medal that Eric Liddell went to China as a missionary with the London Missionary Society. After teaching in a college there, he decided to engage in rural evangelism; by bicycle and by foot he carried the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the backcountry of China.

After Japan invaded China and World War 11 broke out, Liddell was classified as an "enemy national," and in August 1943 he was sent to a prison camp. He was one of 1,850 prisoners packed into a facility which measured 150 by 200 yards. He was housed in a dormitory that provided a room three feet by six feet for each man. While a prisoner, Liddell accepted the challenge of his situation and organized athletic meets, taught hymns, and ministered
Gods Word.

David Mitchell was a child who was interred along with Eric Liddell. He later remembered the influence this national hero had upon everyone in prison. "Noneof us will ever forget this man who was totally committed to putting God first, a man whose humble life combined muscular Christianity with radiant Godliness."


THE WITNESS OF A LIFE TO YOUNG EYES - Who were watching. David Mitchell, the little boy who was imprisoned with Eric Liddell,wrote: What was his secret? He unreservedly committed his life to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That friendship meant everything to him. By the flickering light of a peanut-oil lamp, early each morning he and a roommate in the men's cramped dormitory studied the Bible and talked with God for an hour.

As a Christian, Eric Liddell’s desire was to KNOW GOD more deeply, and as a missionary, to make HIM KNOWN more fully."

A look at this man's life was he too made a CHOICE. In a filthy prisoner of war camp to CHOOSE to Pursue Christ and Proclaim Jesus Christ ... and others too noticed he had been with the Lord. There are "little" as well as "big" EYES WATCHING YOU AND ME TODAY!


THEY KNOW WHOM YOU HAVE BEEN WITH!
In Acts 4:13 it says of Peter and John that they were ignorant and untrained men yet people observed their "confidence" "they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus." They too had Made a CHOICE and others recognized the CHOICE they had made?

Does anyone know we have been with Jesus, the way we run around stressed out, mean spirited at times, blaming schedules and demands upon us as too much? Perhaps some of our activities and schedules need to be scaled back- if they are HINDERING you from PURSUING Jesus Christ.

Go to a lonely place, a place where you can be alone with Him as Matthew 6 teaches, and He says He will REWARD you ... And what Greater REWARD is there than FELLOWSHIP and communion with HIM.


APPLICATION;
Perhaps this may help you
1. STOP what you are doing and take inventory. What is your day's leisure hours been spent on? TV, eating out, even ministry can displace fellowship with Jesus Christ. Believe it or not there is ALWAYS enough time to CHOOSE for the thing we love.

A BUSY MOM;
John Wesley's mother had over a dozen children and she would pull her apron over her head and sit in a chair and commune with God. Her children knew that was mom's time with Him. She did not use the excuse of not having a place to get away to. She CHOSE to use what was at her disposal at the time!!!

2. SEPARATE yourself from the pulls of the day to a lonely place to meet with Him. As a lover Chooses to separate herself from the pulls of others to flee to a lonely place to be with the one she loves. So too, Choose to come apart and be with Him- Matthew 6:6. Indeed, just as you schedule appointments and MAKE time for the things you love, So make and take time For Him. Make an APPOINTMENT and KEEP it!

A former roommate of mine, early in the morning would rise and spend time in God's Word and prayer, seeking and worshipping Him. Each evening he could not be found by those who looked for him. BUT I KNEW where he was. Come 9 in the evening, he would find a field or an unused room and there he would meet with God. This has had a profound affect on me as I saw a man who TOOK TIME, and MADE TIME to be with the One he professed to Love and indeed Does Love. We make and take time for the things we love. How high does communion with the Lord Jesus rate in your life or mine, if we were to look at where we CHOOSE to spend our FREE TIME [Which by the way is "His time" for which we will give an account for.]

3. SEEK HIM. Confidently knowing "if you search for Me with all your heart you will Find Me.", Jeremiah 29:13,
1 Chronicles 16:11, Hebrews 11:6

4. SATURATE Yourself with His Word as Mary did, Luke 10:39, Colossians 3:16


5. SET THE LORD between you and every situation that comes your way today. Speaking to Him as your Friend and Counselor and Wisdom- Psalm 16:8, Psalm 17:6, Hebrews 5:13-14, 1 Corinthians 1:30.


A DEFINITE CHOICE TO BE MADE AND MAINTAINED
CHOOSE HIM TODAY, because Beloved His Goal is you KNOW Him and He delights to make Himself known to the One who CHOSES Him above all others.


PAUL'S GOAL FOR THE CHURCH
Paul’s Prayer was the same Goal as God has for you and me today. In Ephesians 1:17 Paul prays for the church that they would "Know Him more and more." This is my prayer for you today and I ask you would pray the same for me and mine and this ministry that we would CHOOSE to be men and women "OF ONE THING."

It all starts with Stopping and Surveying your life. And CHOOSING where you are going to SET YOUR AFFECTIONS. Colossians 3:1-3 tells us we are to "KEEP seeking the things above... SET your mind on Things Above… not on the things that are on earth." The problem often arises because our minds are not where they should be - On Him and about His business in the daily business of life He has CHOSEN for us to be Involved in.


You say you love Him. Never displace service for Him as your test. Indeed, Jesus in Matthew 4 places Worship First then Service! Jesus called the disciples to be with Him then go for Him.


THE HEART AFLAME FOR GOD
The call is always to Himself first and out of that rich relationship like those on the road to Emmaus cannot help but run and tell others of the Lord Jesus because our hearts "Burn" having had Fellowship with Him as He opens our minds to understand the Scriptures as He did in Luke 24:,27,32-34, 45.

Passion, Desire, Devotion for Jesus Christ begin with a CHOICE. Choosing to become a man or woman of "ONE THING"... "THIS ONE THING I DO...." That I may KNOW Him! God's Goal does not change. It is that I Know Him as He says in John 17:3, "This is life Eternal to KNOW Thee the one true God and JESUS CHRIST whom Thou has sent." And in 2 Peter 3:18, you and I are COMMANDED to "GROW in the KNOWLEDGE of HIM...."


May it be said of you and s it was of Eric Liddell by a little boy who observed his life...." that relationship meant everything to him... As a Christian to KNOW GOD more deeply and as missionary to make Him KNOWN more
Fully." Is this the GOAL of your Life? Does this describe the "ONE THING" you do? If not then there is time to CHANGE and like Mary it begins with a CHOICE. Choose Him today as the Priority and Pursuit of your life.

God Bless,
Aidan

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