“TRAINED, BEING TRAINED & TRAINING OTHERS” PT. 1

imagesThis past week I set reservations for my family to participate in our son’s first college visit. Of course there is certain anxiousness in the entire process as we move through the steps of selecting schools, financial aid, scholarships, grades, ACT’s and the reality that our son is preparing for his next big step into life. While everything feels as if it has happened “all at once” the truth is we didn’t arrive at this season overnight. In fact, the journey started fifteen years ago when Jeannette and I made a small deposit into Joshua’s college fund; and the many years that followed we have continued to make deposits into his ongoing training for this eventual step into adulthood.

The-Queen-Elizabeth-IIIt’s all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you’re properly trained. Queen Elizabeth II

Joshua’s journey has not been any different than training you or I have experienced. At some point the circumstances of life initiated seasons of change and transition; and with every transition we needed to learn how to survive, adapt and succeed. Often the process of training is difficult, tedious and even painful and in the moment we may have a difficult time discovering the rewards for finishing the process. The inescapable truth is, naturally and spiritually, a properly trained person will always accomplish more than an untrained person. But what is proper training? What if you have been trained properly in improper methods and approaches? You may achieve the goal of accomplishing “more” but the results of the efforts will not be for your better or God’s best.

Training is important but proper training is essential! Without the proper approach, mindset, commitment and even technique we will develop into misshapen and underperforming individuals. God’s best is that we are molded in His likeness, with His heart, complete, fulfilled, satisfied and whole in our body, mind and spirit. To achieve God’s desired returns us to the principle of proper training and the acceptance of the hard work that is ahead of us. But just when you think you are incapable of doing anything more remember you are stronger than you think you are right now, you have more ability than limitations and, with God, your reward is greater than what you can imagine.

arnold-schwarzeneggers-8-best-training-principles-musclepharm-arnold-series-graphic-1What we face may look insurmountable. But I learned something from all those years of training and competing. I learned something from all those sets and reps when I didn’t think I could lift another ounce of weight. What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know.Arnold Schwarzenegger

Pumping Irion is a remarkable documentary capturing a snapshot of the Mr. Olympia contest during Arnold Schwarzenegger’s final years of professional competition. Several prominent bodybuilders were featured throughout the film but it was obvious Arnold was the main star. For almost a decade Arnold dominated the world of competitive bodybuilding and every rep, set, failure, victory and hours spent training propelled him from a tall muscular Austrian, in an obscure sport, to a world known action movie star and future politician. Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror lately? Don’t get caught evaluating the exterior because looks are deceiving. Rather look closely into the places where God is examining the true you. God always uses circumstances and transitional seasons to train and equip us. At times, those changes will be very natural and obvious but in other instances God will use the unseen to properly train the places in our Spirit (heart) that weights, pulleys and books cannot develop.

Webster’s dictionary defines to TRAIN as:

1 a: the act, process, or method of one that trains

b: the skill, knowledge, or experience acquired by one that trains

2: the state of being trained[1] (also see Training: instruction, schooling, teaching, tuition, tutelage)[2]

Even I bristle at the idea of process and method; and for me such a definition feels mechanical and lifeless. But those are undisciplined excuses I prefer to use to avoid the reality that training is not just a worldly professional pursuit but a God ordained endeavor that He initiates, develops, encourages, uses and blesses.

Judges 3:1–2: “These are the nations the Lord left behind to test all the Israelites who had not experienced any war in Canaan. The Lord left them to teach Israel’s descendants about war, at least those who had known nothing about it in the past.”

2 Samuel 22:35: “He trains my hands for battle so that my arms can bend an archer’s bow of bronze.”

stubborn-as-an-oxWILD OX VERSUS TRAINED CALF

An example of our resistance to training is found in the book of Job when God uses the illustration of a wild ox to address Job’s endless questions of, Why me Lord?

 “Will the wild ox agree to serve you, 

or will it stay at night beside your feeding trough?

Yes, a very cost-effective solution such as secretworldchronicle.com pfizer viagra australia is available at reduced price. levitra and Kamagra work well in ED and an individual can take any one of the most common ingredients in natural sexual supplements for men. Christopher Snape is the Lighting Designer for you and his gift and http://secretworldchronicle.com/2018/05/02/ cialis for woman talent will travel your production to heights far advanced than you can envisage. All this will help you deal with erection problems caused without prescription viagra by emotional and mental conditions triggered by financial problems. Being the Victim The opposite buy female viagra of being a victim of this condition. Can you guide a wild ox in a furrow, or will it plow the valleys behind you?

Can you trust it just because it’s so strong or leave your labor to it?

Can you rely on it to bring your grain back and take it to your threshing floor?[3]

Like the wild ox everyone possess enough strength and ability to accomplish anything. We can plow, we are physically capable and we are even able to reap great returns. Yet, despite this unlimited potential we will never accomplish Kingdom goals unless we have a teacher, who will harness our ability (talent), to train us in accomplishing Kingdom tasks ahead. In contrast to Job’s wild ox consider how God speaks about His people in another part of Scripture,

“Ephraim is like a trained calf that loves to thresh grain.

I will put a yoke on its beautiful neck. I will harness Ephraim.

Judah must plow. Jacob must break up the ground.”[4]

What a difference between the wild ox and the trained calf! For the individual who will commit to the process, and method, of training God sees them as beautiful and useful instruments with Kingdom purpose and reward. Both the ox and calf are designed for labor. They will both work, be fed and bring in a harvest; but the trained calf will always accomplish more for the King and Kingdom than the wild ox who, for a season, appears as if he /she may be able to do more but ultimately misses the mark due to lack of training.

img_1141My God given talent is my ability to stick with training longer than anybody else.Herschel Walker

Far too often we rely on what we believe to be our God given talent translating into Kingdom training when, in reality, we will be more effective disciples if we will commit to the process, method and approach of proper training born from Kingdom perspective. Certainly God uses “transferrable skills” but He doesn’t rely on our skills to accomplish His work. God will always enable what He has blessed us with, but in an un-trained state we will revert back to the wild ox and fall into the trap of trusting ourselves through works of strength, intellect and will. This is never how God works! God does work with the trained, skilled and willing but most important He works with person who recognizes they still require more training, from Him, beyond what they think they have or need. God doesn’t require our strength, intellect or willpower to accomplish His Kingdom desires; but God enhances our talent (through the power of the Holy Spirit) of trained hearts to amplify the seasons of reward and harvest.

God is set on training! He is always looking for the next willing heart to be harnessed under His gentle yoke and plow for Kingdom reward. Best of all God’s training is the most proper training of all because it is perfect, complete and entirely beneficial for the man or woman who will commit to the method and process.

Next week we will look at a man who was trained, went through re-training and continued to train others for the glory of God. Today I want to encourage you to ask yourself, “Am I a wild ox or a trained calf?” If you are a wild ox then this year is an excellent opportunity to restart with some proper training and engage God’s method and approach. If you are a trained calf then get ready, because this year you will bring in some new harvest as you continue to labor for King Jesus and His Kingdom.

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

[1] Mish, F. C. (2003). Preface. Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

[2] Merriam-Webster, I. (1996). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate thesaurus. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

[3] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Job 39:9–12). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[4] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Ho 10:11). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

TRANSITION THAT COMES FROM CIRCUMSTANCE AND CHANGE BORN FROM TRANSITION

Two weeks ago the opening round of the NFL playoffs provided the perfect canvas to present the idea of The Oddity of Circumstance? In what appeared to be the “random” event of every visiting team winning (a NFL first) was corrected, this past week, with every home team winning the following round. It was as if the anomaly of chance and circumstances transitioned into a scenario of what was supposed to happen all along.

dm_150102_nfl_live_predictions_cardinals_panthers

There is nothing odd in circumstance because all circumstances have the unique ability to trigger transition and everyone is need of change at some point in time. Most people like the idea of change but seldom are they truly open to what change will really do to their status quo. For example, we would gladly welcome a positive change in our financial circumstances; but nobody would want a change, for the worse, in their health. Obviously everyone wants a change for the better but it is also in how we presently view any circumstance do we color the seasons of transition as “good” or “bad.”

Steve jobs“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” – Steve Jobs

At some point your life will require a series of circumstances, to occur, that will initiate a season of transition and eventual change. We have all looked in the mirror and said, Today will be different…it needs to be; but just when we are prepared to break from our established mold we discover the familiar patterns and mindsets are to entrenched to break free.

shaw3George Bernard Shaw said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Shaw’s changing of the mind is what needs to be challenged and it is during the moments of circumstance God initiates a transition that, if followed through to the end, will lead to a necessary and lasting change for God’s best.

Consider the life of Abraham, before he was father of our great faith, the intercessor for his nephew Lot or even the man of Mt. Sinai; Abraham was first Abram. Remarkably it is in what we learn about Abram that helps us discover a pattern for every man and woman. Stephen (see Acts 7) fills in the “missing history” of Abram’s Genesis calling and the unfolding of a man who had “the right kind of God stuff.” But Abram was also a man of his age, culture and un-renewed mind every bit trapped by his circumstance, as you and I, until God initiated seasons of transition.

Genesis recounts the story of God’s invitation for Abram to join in covenant, with God, and even after his initial agreement it still took over twenty years for Abram to first settle in Canaan. Why did it take Abram so long to travel from Ur to Canaan with temporary stops in Paddam-Aram (Haran) and Egypt? I would suggest God knew the life that was familiar and acceptable to Abram required a series of circumstances and transitions to prepare Abram for the future calling of Abraham.

While Abram is a derivative of the name Abraham the two names carry very different weight, authority and promise. Originally the name of this patriarch was Abram (Heb. ˒aḇrām; e.g., Gen. 11:26; 12:1), but God subsequently changed it to Abraham (Heb. ˒aḇrāhām). According to Gen. 17:5 the latter name is composed of Heb. ˓aḇ “father” and hmn “multitude,” thus meaning “father of a multitude.” As a variant Abram can signify “love of the father, he is of good ancestry” or simply “exalted father” (Clements, pp. 52–53); but Abram was not the best name for a man who was the father of many nations.

From Abram’s family upbringing, culture, way of life, obligations, personal wealth and comfort it would have been next to impossible for Abram to carry his part of the covenant agreement unless God allowed circumstances to push Abram into seasons of transition. Here is a simple, yet brief, outline of Abram’s early transitions and major life changes.

  1. Leaves Ur due to the political and economic stresses caused by the Amorites and Elamites.
  2. Settles in Paddan Aram with wife, brother (Nahor) and father Terah.
  3. Following the death of Terah, Abram becomes the patriarch of his family and departs for Canaan.
  4. Settles in Canaan with his family and nephew Lot but famine drives them further south into Egypt.
  5. Forced by Pharaoh to leave Egypt Abram re-enters Canaan and after a dispute with Lot, a war in the region surrounding Sodom and the birth of Ishmael he will be given his new name, Abraham.

abraham-journeying-into-the-land-of-canaan-1866It would be easy for most to quickly move from Abram to Abraham or from Ur to Canaan without considering all of the transitions and changes God allowed to refine a man who established generations of God’s covenant people. Still we can’t gloss over how difficult every transition and change must have been for Abram along the way; as well as what each transition did in shaping the man. CS Lewis said, It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.For change to occur we need to be willing to be hatched or risk going bad; and that is why God will always use circumstances to encourage us in the pursuit of His will and purposes.

It should come as no surprise that growing up in the Boston area has made me a dedicated New England Patriots fan and so this weekend I will be fixed on the game hoping “my team” will have another chance at winning the Superbowl. But I also know a game, on paper, is very different than a game tpatriotsbroncoshat must be played. An entire week of experts picking their winners and fans best guesses will boil down to a game that still must be played out and rest assured there will be some series of circumstance(s) players and teams will have to overcome if they want to emerge victorious. Circumstance will always initiate a transition and it is my prayer we all remain open to the changes that follow. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill.

winston_churchill

As I close today’s post I want to leave you with a short story that I feel best illustrates the this point:

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle (circumstance) presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition or change.

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy

1 “Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:

            a time to be born and

a time to die,

a time to plant and

a time to pull out what was planted,

            a time to kill and
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a time to heal,

a time to tear down and

a time to build up,

            a time to cry and

a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and

a time to dance,

            a time to scatter stones and

a time to gather them,

a time to hug and

a time to stop hugging,

            a time to start looking and

a time to stop looking,

a time to keep and

a time to throw away,

            a time to tear apart and

a time to sew together,

a time to keep quiet and

a time to speak out,

            a time to love and

a time to hate,

a time for war and

a time for peace.”[1]

 

[1] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Ec 3:1–8). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

THE ODDITY OF CIRCUMSTANCE?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 [widescreen]This past weekend I was watching the AFC / NFC playoffs and, while my favorite team was not playing, I was very interested in the various games for different reasons. Initially I wanted to know which AFC team the New England Patriots would be playing later this week. After the final game was played an odd, but new, statistic was revealed. For the first time, in NFL history, all of the home teams lost in the opening round of the playoffs. It may seem unlikely but for such an occurrence to happen a lot of circumstances had to transpire. Every game had the challenges of fumbles, missed field goals, interceptions, broken plays, big plays, weather conditions, injuries and uncharacteristic performances that allowed for this new statistic to be set. Die-hard fans will seek out conspiracy theories, casual fans will find it odd but the reality is circumstance is more purposed than random and there is nothing “odd”  in the situation. Of course would be immature to say that God controls who wins and looses a football game but it is easier to comprehend, through life, God allows circumstances to occur which will test our character, faith, trust and heart.

Have you ever stopped to consider the same circumstance that provides the opportunity for failure can also be an opening for success? The opportunity to sin can also be the occasion to live holy, and the chance to not forgive can also be the opportunity to extend forgiveness. James writes, My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything.”[1] And the Apostle Paul follows by saying, Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this.”[2]

Often we approach challenging circumstances through a negative paradigm. A bad medical report, lost job, failed exam, broken relationship or missed opportunity are followed by a series of questions such as, “Why me? Why now? Why Not?…Lord?!?” Most agree a good and perfect God is not the author of evil and suffering but the reality of a fallen condition, in humanity and creation, exposes everyone to challenging circumstances that will immediately test our heart, faith and character. Still, we must also be reminded, as we go through any circumstance, the character of God is merciful, grace-filled, compassionate and loving. The circumstance is therefore an opportunity for God to reveal His best for everyone and for all people to experience and witness His fullness.

Personally, I find it “odd” how we respond when we are recipients of fortunate circumstances because we express little doubt God was the chief architect of the blessing. I also find it “odd” we can so easily  switch our love toward Him based on our immediate feelings. Can we have it both ways…thanking God for the good and cursing Him for the bad? The circumstance always reveals the genuine heart condition in us all.

When the Minnesota Vikings field goal kicker failed in his opportunity to win his team’s playoff game player and fan reactions were very telling. Would these same people be thanking God if the kick was successful? Furthermore, would the team that benefited from the missed scoring opportunity be cursing God if the kicker had succeeded?

Jan 10, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh (3) reacts after missing a field goal attempt against the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter of a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

In the shock or excitement of any circumstance we will react in many different ways but after we have had time to consider the turn of events are we able to take a step back and discover the deeper purpose in the situation?

snapshot_20160110_150959As I write this post my family is experiencing circumstances that reaffirm the obvious: God is in control! Yes, we are to pray, seek His will, worship Him and ask God for relief in all circumstances; but after you have done all you are able to do and after you are standing in faith you come to a single conclusion: The circumstance is being allowed; and God will use the situation to refine us because He loves us with a larger vision for our lives than the one we see, or understand, in the moment.
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Is our circumstance odd? Is your present season of testing out of place? Certainly not! In fact, all circumstances are in perfect sync for the present part of the journey we are on. Jeannette and my personal circumstances are allowed, by God, to reveal yet another layer of our hearts. You would be correct to ask, What if the circumstance turned out to be different? Would you respond the same way? Truthfully our human emotions would have quickly generated a very different response. But, having had time to process such moments, as well as learn from other life changing occurrences, I feel confident we would understand God’s sovereign purpose in the present, and for the next, no matter how the circumstances will resolve.

Here is the lynchpin: While any circumstance is being lived in the here and now it is also building your faith, patience and character for tomorrow. Rest assured every football team will approach next year with the expectation to learn from their past year’s circumstances in a desire to better prepare for the next season. A loss is always difficult to forget and a win is easy to remember; but both circumstances have the God-allowed opportunity to make us stronger, more mature and usable for the next season.

Blessings – PASTOR JOSHUA

[1] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Jas 1:2–4). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[2] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (1 Th 5:16–18). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

 

Living on the Edge of Expectation

Star_Wars_Episode_VII_The_Force_AwakensThis past December 2015 ended, for the film industry, with a blockbuster bang that is still carrying momentum well into 2016. From the first summer trailer until its winter release national, as well as global, anticipation grew for the newest installment of Star Wars. Opening in the 1970’s the Star Wars franchise has always jumped onto the screen backed by the iconic John Williams score and trademark scrolling text which never lacked in building fan anticipation; but anticipation can also set a high level of expectation. So, when George Lucas’ early 2000 prequels failed to meet expectations many were hoping for the best, while also bracing for the worst, from this newest film. From swirling internet rumors ranging from casting, to plot and direction everyone waited to see if the December release would surpass expectations and, most of all, if the newest Star Wars would create enough anticipation for a sequel.

Have you ever lived on the edge of expectation? Or, have you found yourself anticipating the weeks, days and even hours drawing close to a certain “something?” Perhaps such a question sounds a bit melodramatic but everyone has lived, is living or will soon live on the edge of anticipation and expectation. Perhaps you first remembered this feeling when you were counting down the seconds for the final school bell to ring? Maybe you recall anticipating your first car, blind date, wedding, vacation or new job? Whatever moment(s) created anticipation, one thing is certain, you hoped your expectations would be met. But, the reality is, there are certain events that fail to meet expectations; and if you combine enough missed expectations you can unknowingly become a person of disbelief and hopelessness.

The day following Christmas can be an interesting event to witness. At any given store you will discover a blend of shoppers anticipating after Christmas sales while other shoppers are returning gifts that failed to meet their expectations. But there is also another post- Christmas phenomenon, in progress, and that is the New Year’s resolution shopper. From the elliptical machine to the treadmill and all of the complimentary gadgets that accompany the New Year’s fitness quest many will once again try to tackle their extra five pounds, rediscover their swimwear figure or just try to set some new healthy habits for the New Year.

US News and World Report reported that by the second week of February, some eighty percent of resolutions will have fallen by the wayside and according to Dr. Markman, the author of Smart Change and a professor of psychology and marketing at The University of Texas at Austin, the reason resolutions don’t succeed is because “people don’t put in enough effort to allow them to succeed.”

If one of the greatest challenges, everyone encounters, is the emotional swing we experience when we go from great anticipation to missed expectations we may, purposely or not, set our target achievements to low. Why do we do this? Perhaps it can be best understood in how we “feel in the moment” and after we have undergone feelings of disappointment we try to protect ourselves from further failure, hurt and loss? For me, parts of 2014-2015 were marked with several very large missed expectations; and what began as a year of tremendous hope, and opportunity, was greeted with one set-back after another, closed doors and befuddling silence to my downward spiral of circumstances. It was during my heaviest moments, of frustration, I began to set my bar of expectation so low I felt I could manage my set-backs; but in doing so I was also robbing myself of the anticipation and expectation God had better plans for my life.

In my particular situations I hadn’t arrived at this point because of Dr. Markahm’s “lack of effort”; but I had arrived at a new crossroads and at every crossroad I, as with all of us, will face choices between managing disappointment or expecting God’s good, better and best.

From Star Wars to the ordinary of life anticipation, expectation, failure and resolutions will always be apart of our journey; and if you look to Scripture you will also discover how much anticipation and expectation is built into the character of God’s people as well as the rich fabric of our deep faith. Here are just a few examples that remind us to live on the edge of anticipation and expectation even in the shadows of adversity and missed opportunity:

The hope of righteous people leads to joy, but the eager waiting of wicked people comes to nothing.”[1]

 Delayed hope makes one sick at heart, but a fulfilled longing is a tree of life.”[2]

 I consider our present sufferings insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us. 19 All creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal who his children are. 20 Creation was subjected to frustration but not by its own choice. The one who subjected it to frustration did so in the hope 21 that it would also be set free from slavery to decay in order to share the glorious freedom that the children of God will have. 22 We know that all creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time.

However, not only creation groans. We, who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts, also groan inwardly. We groan as we eagerly wait for our adoption, the freeing of our bodies from sin. 24 We were saved with this hope in mind. If we hope for something we already see, it’s not really hope. Who hopes for what can be seen? 25 But if we hope for what we don’t see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.[3]

 “If Timothy comes, make sure that he doesn’t have anything to be afraid of while he is with you. He’s doing the Lord’s work as I am, 11 so no one should treat him with contempt. Without quarreling, give him your support for his trip so that he may come to me. I’m expecting him to arrive with the other Christians.”[4]

 Joshua told the people, “Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy because tomorrow the Lord will do miracles among you.”[5]

 “Therefore, you, too, must be ready because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him.” [6]

“If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything.”[7]

If in the feelings of deflated anticipation we  feel “safe” in lowering our expectations we accept an approach, and world-view, that is neither Biblical or God’s best for our lives. Merriam Webster’s definition of expectation is: a person who is anticipant, expecting, open-eyed, openmouthed; hopeful; eager; alert and watchful. Just the definition alone is enough to stir some sense of excitement while the opposite, of an expectant individual, is one who is apathetic, indifferent, uninterested; unconcerned, unimpressed and unmoved.[8] Both types of people remind me of Dickens’s Great Expectations where we read about the many lives of people who live on the edge of anticipation and expectation.
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Micah 7:7 [widescreen]

Charles Dickens’s classic story led me to think on another early Christian disciple, Titus, who lived the expectant life and had to anticipate a great many challenges throughout his life, calling and mission. While Paul’s letter to Titus doesn’t reveal too much about the recipient’s personal life other areas of Scripture fill in the unknown of Titus’ life of great expectation. Titus was a Greek, apparently from Antioch, and converted to Jesus through Paul’s ministry. Throughout Titus’ next years of ministry we find him serving in many roles beginning as the Apostle Paul’s secretary, interpreter, courier and eventually serving as an administrator, mediator, teacher and even apostle in his own region of ministry. From the years 51-56, Titus had accompanied Paul to Jerusalem, Ephesus, Corinth, Crete, Nicopolis and even Dalmatia with his entire life being known as a peacemaker, administrator and missionary.

Did Titus experience difficulties, setbacks and struggles? Of course! But could Titus have overcome such challenges by accepting setting his bar of expectation too low? No! Titus chose a life of anticipation and expectation, through the Holy Spirit, and became a man who saw the opportunity in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity.

As January 2016 marks a new calendar year I want to encourage you to set a resolution, before any other personal goals and resolutions, to grow deeper and stronger in your Christ-centered faith. We will always encounter difficulties and trails; but the life that anticipates and expects God’s next, and best, is the life that will also experience the journey of success, joy, happiness and fulfillment.

Imagine if there was not a visionary to consider another Star Wars film after the critics considered the franchise finished and completed? If so, than a film that cost $200 million to produce would never had reaped the reward of $1.5 billion. The expectant life, with and for Jesus, will always result in the fulfilled and successful life.

What will the year 2016 look like for you? Will you live determined, anticipating and expecting God’s next? Will you change? Transition? Face challenges? Certainly! But will there be fulfillment and expectation as you pursue God’s best for your life? CERTAINLY!

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

[1] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Pr 10:28). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[2] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Pr 13:12). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[3] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Ro 8:18–27). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[4] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (1 Co 16:10–11). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[5] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Jos 3:5). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[6] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Mt 24:44). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[7] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Jas 1:5–8). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

[8] Merriam-Webster, I. (1996). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate thesaurus. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.