It seems to me that God seems to be saying: “I will be whoever I will be, Moses, so get used to the fact that you can’t wrestle my identity down.” Or maybe God is saying, “I am the essence of being itself. Everything that is, is me.” And that’s as close as we get to a name for God.

This ancient name for God was rarely spoken. The Israelites wrote Y-H-W-H, with no vowels, and even though it was based on the verb “to be,” it was considered too holy to say out loud.

Of course, most of us are in the practice of using the word “God” as if it were a proper name itself. And “God” is defined many ways. Most of those definitions – all of them, actually – do limit God in some way. But God will not be limited by our definitions. There is always more to God than we can imagine.

God is essentially unname-able, undefine-able, and bigger than we can possibly imagine.

Nevertheless, even though scripture refuses to name or define God definitively scripture does paint a very clear picture of what God’s character is like. From scripture we see very clearly what is important to God, and what God is passionate about.

Ironically, it is this very same scripture passage that refuses to name or define God that shows us God’s character and God’s passion, what God is like. The whole saga of Moses is very complex, deep, and full of meaning. No wonder this was, for the Jewish people, the defining story of their faith: the story of a Hebrew who, as a baby, was in danger of being killed by Pharaoh, that ruthless oppressor who had enslaved the Hebrew people. Desperate, Moses’ mother placed him in a basket and floated him down the river, where the daughter of Pharaoh found him, adopted him, and raised him as her own.

When he was older, Moses killed an Egyptian and then ran away to the land of Midian. There he married a woman named Zipporah, and he lived with Zipporah’s family, keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro.

Moses was a fugitive, but Midian was far enough away, and he had found a family, a community, a place to belong. Life was, for the most part, simple, peaceful, good.

However, back in Egypt, the Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Their cry for help rose up to God; God heard their groaning. God remembered his covenant with the children of Abraham; God looked upon the Israelites. And God took notice of them.

So God called out to Moses. Out of the burning bush God called to Moses, and God said: “I have observed the misery of my people; I have heard their cry; I know their sufferings; I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them; and so I will deliver them from the Egyptians. I will deliver them from oppression, bondage, and suffering. I will save them.”

God may be bigger than we can comprehend or imagine, unname-able and undefine-able, but right here we see who God is by seeing what God is like, what God’s character is, and what is of ultimate importance to God.

Who is God? What is God like? God is the one who observes the misery of his people, who hears their cry, who knows their suffering, and who sees how they are oppressed.

What is God’s priority, God’s passion? To save people from their suffering and deliver them from oppression; to rescue them from brokenness and restore them to wholeness.

This is it. This is what it’s all about.

When Jesus began his ministry, he announced that God’s Spirit had anointed him to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed. He saved people from their suffering and oppression. He rescued them from brokenness and restored them to wholeness.

This is what God is all about.

Scripture uses the word “salvation” when speaking of both the deliverance of God’s people from Egypt and the ministry and teaching of Jesus. God saved the Israelites from their suffering by delivering them from Egypt. Jesus saved people from their suffering by restoring to them lives of wholeness.

Unfortunately, in modern times the definition of salvation – as well as the words saved and savior – has been limited to referring only to life after death. That is one meaning, and one of ultimately importance, but often, when these words appear in scripture, they refer to the transformation of life this side of death, the transformation of ourselves and the world. Salvation begins now not when we die.

Saving people from their oppression is so important to God that once the Israelites finally made it to the promised land, God gave them a whole long list of rules and instructions which make up the bulk of the Torah, the Law. Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy – these books and others go on and on with teachings about how God’s people are to treat one another.
Many of these laws involved economics, and they were quite radical.

Money lent out was not to be charged interest. Debts were to be completely forgiven every seven years. Indentured slaves were to be set free after seven years. And every 50 years, there was to be a jubilee in which all land was to be returned to its original family without compensation.

Keeping in mind the high number of foreclosures in our current economy, imagine if after 50 years all homes and property were to be returned to the families from which they were taken.

I is apparent to me that the purpose of these laws was to prevent the establishment of a permanently impoverished underclass. They were there to prevent the Israelites from creating another Egypt in the promised land, where wealth and power would be concentrated in the hands of a few, and where the disparity between the rich and the poor would be too extreme.

In later generations, when, inspite of the Torah, wealth and power became concentrated in and abused by a few elite, God raised up prophets to challenge kings and nations concerning this oppression of the poor. Needless to say, the prophets were not always very popular, and rarely were they welcomed into palaces with open arms.
I am not trying to get “political” but when you realize that this is what’s important to God it is hard not to apply it to today. I believe that it should be hard for those who take seriously “the law and the prophets” to keep silent when debates rage about how governments should balance their budgets and reduce their deficits. Should taxes be raised on the rich, or should services be cut for the poor?

What do you think God would say, the God who hears the cries of his people and who knows the suffering of those who are oppressed?

What do you think the prophets would say, those who, like Amos, criticized the rich for “buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals,” and like Micah, who condemned the rulers of Israel for ignoring the demands of justice and “tearing the skin off God’s people and the flesh off their bones, eating the poor, breaking their bones in pieces, chopping them up like meat in a kettle, like flesh in a cauldron?”

What do you think Jesus would say, he who was anointed by God to bring good news to the poor?

This is what is important to God. Overcoming oppression. Bringing an end to suffering.

Since this is what is important to God doesn’t it stand to reason that the church should be concerned about oppression and suffering? I believe we are called to bring good news to the poor by the example of Jesus. We are called to hear the cries of the oppressed. We are called to know their suffering, and to work to end it. We are called to bring release to the captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed.

To put it another way, we are called to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. Why? Because the God we worship is a God who hears the cries of the oppressed. Because God knows the suffering of His people. Because there is a tender spot in God’s heart for those who are poor, those who mourn, those whose lives are filled with grief, those who are worn out with tears that do not end. Because God’s compassion is beyond measure. Because God’s concern for His people is boundless.

Because of this, the psalmist can proclaim with confidence: “When I am in distress, when my eye wastes away from grief … when my strength fails because of my misery and my bones waste away … I will trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God,’ … How abundant is your goodness, for you have wondrously shown your steadfast love to me.” [Psalm 31]

Over the centuries, small changes had crept into the Passover traditions. By the time of Jesus, people no longer stood to eat the meal, as their ancestors had done, but reclined on couches – after the custom of their day. By the time of Jesus it had become customary to sing some of the great psalms of David after the Passover meal, particularly psalms like Psalm 114 celebrating the Exodus. It was also usual to set aside one of the three pieces of unleavened bread and one of the four cups of wine on the table for ‘the Messiah’ or ‘Elijah’ – God’s promised Anointed One, whose coming at a Passover would herald the redemption of God’s people.

For centuries, at every Passover, every year, in every household in Israel, one piece of bread and one cup of wine would remain untouched, waiting for the Promised One. At every Passover each of the disciples had ever attended, they had seen that bread and that wine reverently removed at the end of the meal, for the Messiah had not yet come. For hundreds of years, in hundreds of thousands of households, in millions of Passover gatherings, these elements had been left untouched.

Imagine then, the disciples’ consternation when, at this Passover, after supper, Jesus took the bread – the bread set aside for the Messiah of God – and then, He took the cup, Elijah’s cup. For these Jewish boys, hardly anything Jesus had said or done, in three miraculous years they had spent with Him, could have made the point so dramatically, that the Messiah was now in their midst. After centuries of waiting, He was there, showing Himself at a Passover – at the table prepared in anticipation of His coming. The revelation no doubt shook the disciples to their cores!

For, no matter how long we have followed Jesus, when we catch a glimpse of who He truly is, it turns our comfortable worldview upside down and shatters our complacency. We live most of the time as though the world we see, hear and touch is the only reality: When Jesus breaks into it – we, like the disciples, are stunned. Such tiny glimpses of glory, which we sometimes get at communion, are not given to us simply to stir or entertain us. They are given to inspire and transform us.

For once we see Jesus, we see everything in its true perspective.

After a fierce battle the soldier returned to camp and went to the base chapel for the church service the Chaplain held on Sunday. During the service the Chaplain asked the men to take out their Bibles and read the Scripture with him. Most did but this soldier instead appeared to be playing cards during the Scripture reading. After the service the Chaplain asked him why he was playing cards and not following the Scripture reading.

The young soldier told the Chaplain that during the battle, he did not have a Bible so he used his deck of cards as his bible. He explained:

“You see, Sir, when I look at the ACE, it tells me that there is one GOD and no other.
When I see the “2,” it reminds me that there are two parts the Bible, the OLD TESTAMENT and the NEW TESTAMENT.
The “3″ tells me of the TRINITY OF GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The “4″ reminds me of the FOUR GOSPELS, MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE and JOHN.
When I see the “5,” it tells me of the FIVE UNWISE VIRGINS who were lost and that five were saved.
The “6″ makes me mindful that GOD CREATED THE EARTH IN JUST SIX DAYS, and GOD said that it was good.
When I see the “7,” it reminds me that GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY.
As I look at the “8,” it reminds me that GOD DESTROYED ALL HUMAN LIFE BY WATER EXCEPT FOR EIGHT PEOPLE, Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their three son’s wives.
When I see the “9,” I think of the NINE LEPERS that GOD healed. There were ten lepers in all, but only one stopped to thank him.
The “10″ reminds me of the TEN COMMANDMENTS carved in stone by the hand of GOD.
The “JACK” makes me remember the Prince of Darkness. Like a roaring lion, he devours those that he can.
When I look at the “QUEEN,” I see THE CHURCH, THE BRIDE OF JESUS.
As I look at the “KING,” it reminds me that JESUS IS LORD OF LORDS and KING OF KINGS.”
There are 365 spots on a deck of cards, and that is the number of days in each year.
There are 52 cards to a deck and that is the number of weeks in a year.
There are 12 picture cards and that is the number of months in a year.
There are 4 different suits in a deck and that is the number of seasons in a year…

And so, the young soldier then said to the Chaplain, “You see, Sir, my intentions were honorable. My deck of cards reminds me that I need JESUS 365 days, 52 weeks and 12 months a year.”

Ever since I first heard this story I never look at a deck of cards without thinking of Jesus!

I think this is a great illustration of applying Godly attributes and symbolism to a common everyday object! This story paints the picture of a man who used what he had available to remind him of how great God is! Since we have Bibles, we have full and complete access to God’s love letter to us! But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t see God in His creation and the things around us as well.

What in your life helps you to picture God? A majestic mountain scene? Powerful waves crashing onto the rugged cliffs? A newborn baby being held gently by its mother? I love watching the birds on our deck and remembering the words of Jesus about the Father’s care for the birds of the field.

Each of us learns in different ways and different ideas impact us. The things we see and feel each day can show us God, if we just open our eyes! I pray that we will see God’s majesty and work in the world around us and that He would be clearly visibly in our lives.

Sometimes a deck of cards is all it takes to remind us of our gracious Lord.

Cameron doesn’t know the answer to that question other than to say that it means that God must have some purpose for his still being alive. Cameron says a lot of his life was spent in what he calls careless living. “I gambled to excess, I drank to excess, I didn’t take care of myself.” But knowing that he carries the kidney of such a blameless young man has affected him greatly. He now works harder at being patient and loving and respectful of life and other people.

Feelings of heightened spirituality are universal among organ recipients according to Lisa Kory, executive director of the Transplant Recipients International Organization. “They are so filled with awe and inspiration…they want to be a better father, brother, sister and worker.

I am not an organ transplant recipient but after dying on the operating table for four minutes on July 10, 2010 I can certainly relate to George Cameron. I think about the questions “Why me? Why did God answer the prayers for my life when others more worthy die? Why am I here?” every day. Although I don’t know the ultimate answers I do know that God must have a reason for sparing my life. I believe the experience has made me a better person. For sure it has made me more thoughtful of the priorities of my life. Prioritizing has gone from mildly important to very important.

An expert on time management drove home how I feel about prioritizing with the following illustration. He lifted a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. He then placed, one at a time, 12 fist sized rocks into the jar. When no more rocks would fit, he asked the audience if they believed the jar to be full. They said that they did and he then reached under the table and produced a bucket of gravel. He scooped it into the jar and then shook it, thus causing the gravel to fill the spots between the rocks. He ask the same question again and this time, there were mixed replies. He took another box out from under that table and it was filled with sand. Dumping it in, it filled the gaps between the gravel and rocks. He asked the same question for a third time and no one said anything. He then pulled out from under the table a pitcher of water and began pouring it in until the jar was filled to the brim. He then said that the point of this illustration is that “if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you will never get them in at all.”

I have discovered a hard truth as I have become more concerned with the priorities of my life. I don’t always know what the “big rocks” are! As I discover them now I put them carefully into my “jar” first.

How about you? Do you know what the big rocks in your life are?

The two groups obviously viewed the university quite differently. Current students snapped pictures of buildings, while former students brought back photographs of people. It’s all a matter of perspective.

If someone gave you a camera and told you to snap pictures of the Church, what would you bring back? Pictures of church buildings? Or pictures of people?

Biblically, according to Ephesians 2, the people ARE the building. The Church that Jesus built is not an architectural masterpiece of brick and mortar. Church buildings are just a convenience that make it easier for Christians to gather.

Jesus’ church is a masterpiece of human relations–believers from different backgrounds, social classes, and races being built together into a single, unified entity. It is truly a building without walls.

How did He do it? He laid a strong foundation of the apostles and prophets (v.20). And Jesus Himself provides the sturdy cornerstone that enables such a magnificent “building” needs. Because we are attached to Him, we hang together. Through Him, we come together to form a beautiful temple, fit for God to dwell in.

We probably won’t fully appreciate God’s workmanship until we get to heaven. But there, as we worship in His presence, next to a herder from Kenya or a factory worker from France, or maybe even standing next to the apostle Paul himself, we will see what God has built.

When God calls His church to heaven, He is not going to take a bunch of buildings with Him. Why bother? They would not compare to the mansions that await His church–His people.

So when people ask you if you’re “going to church” on Sunday, be kind and tell them what you know they want to know. But, as I was taught as a boy, the truth is that members of Jesus’ Church don’t “go to church” because we are always “in church” because we are part of the universal Church Jesus built.

Maybe that is why the idea of “going to church” has always galled me a bit. Now that is a strange thing to say for one in vocational ministry for his entire adult life! Let me hasten to say that I do go to church and what I enjoy most about going to church and especially CCF is seeing that I am not the only Shadowlander on this journey. What about you? What do enjoy most about going to your church? Why?

I see myself as part of the worldwide body of believers. This is one of the reasons I value having the Lord’s Supper (communion, eucharist) each Sunday. It is a time when I commune not only with God but with believers of all ages and races all around the world. Do you see yourself as more that a member of a local church? I hope so, because if you are a member of The Church you are part of a worldwide network of believers of all ages and races.

The church local has one major purpose: to help the church universal grow! Forget that and the church local becomes just another nice social club. What is your church doing to further the growth of the church universal? Is it involved in Church-building?

Church-building does not require a church building.

What if, instead of shaking hands with people at church, you gave them a big kiss (even the guy who doesn’t own a toothbrush)? Did I hear someone yell, “Yuck!”?

The instruction of the apostle Paul to “greet one another with a holy kiss” seems a bit odd in most Western cultures. Yet Paul gave that command to three different churches (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26).

I would be all for it if Paul had in mind Hershey’s Kisses. They are already the best-selling packaged candies in the world (12 billion produced yearly), and I’m sure even the smallest church could find money in the budget for such a sweet cause.

That, unfortunately, is not what Paul had in mind. No, the “holy kiss” mentioned in the Bible was a custom practiced in the ancient East, and carried over into the church. It was a physical and visible expression of something unseen–the love, acceptance, and unity that was to exist among believers. (Especially when they gathered to worship and to partake of the Lord’s Supper)

What is the modern-day counterpart? A warm handshake comes close. A greeting or expression of love and concern may be another way to “kiss” others. I personally like the “holy hug”, but that’s just me, I’m a hugger!

The key issue, though, is not whether we go around kissing people at church or whether we pause during the praise time to greet the people around us. What matters is that we show and express our love and our common bond in Christ with others who follow Him.

When you are attending church (or any Christian gathering for that matter) do the people there make you feel welcome and accepted? Do you feel like part of the family? Even more importantly, do you make the people around you feel welcome and accepted, like they are part of your family?

When I was campus pastor at UGA Christian Campus Fellowship I regularly asked our staff and leaders this question: “How can we help the people we meet at CCF to sense more strongly our unity in Christ and to experience the kind of fellowship that encourages one another?” That is a good question for every Christian to ask themselves. But the “holy kiss” is not only to be practiced when we gather together but while we are scattered in the world. In fact, when you meet a brother or sister in Christ in your workplace, classroom, or in the marketplace they may need a “holy kiss” more then than they do when they are at church. I know that I do.

Warm greetings chase away cold feelings. I really believe that! So, next time you see me coming, pucker up!

There are good arguments to be made on both sides of this question — so let’s make them. There are important questions to ask — so let’s ask them. There are emotional issues that pull at our hearts — so let’s talk about them. There are generations of the past to whom we owe so much and a generation of those now living we desperately want to reach — so let’s bridge them. There are legal and financial issues to consider — so let’s consider them. There are so many Southern Baptists from which we need to hear — so let’s listen to them.

Most importantly, there is a world desperately in need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — so we must not allow this question to divert our energies from the Great Commission task. It will not matter what we call ourselves if we lose sight of the one great cause that has brought us together.”

The above quote is from Dr. Bill Mohler. It is powerful for more situations than considering changing the name of a convention. It applies to literal family units that are struggling with hard decisions. Too many times people become paralyzed when a discussion that needs to be had is ignored or postponed indefinitely. This usually results in no decision which is usually the worst decision.

Is there something in your family that needs discussed and not ignored? Is there a situation that you’ve been putting off that has the potential to greatly impact your loved ones that needs to be looked at seriously? I am on my way to embrace one of those because I can’t think of anything more worth the time, work, and emotional energy to work through for God’s glory than my relationship to my family.

Can I suggest that a healthy family doesn’t run from those discussions…. they embrace them to work through them for God’s glory.

This semester’s theme is “Authentic Christian”. My message tonight is on what I believe is the definitive quality that makes us authentically Christian. Luke 6:26-36 is my text. If you are intrigued – good! Come out and hear my answer to the question “What is the mark of an authentic Jesus follower?”

The third action step (and the third part of Jesus’ promise) is:
3. Knock Fearlessly
(v. 7) Knock and the door will be opened to you.

There’s a progression of intensity in the words of Jesus in this verse. Asking God for something requires a step of faith. Seeking after it, with the hope of finding it, requires more faith. Being bold enough to knock at the door of opportunity requires even greater faith, and greater courage…because when you knock on the door you run the risk of rejection.

It’s one thing to ask God to help you reach your community for Christ; it’s another thing to realistically assess what tools it will take and decide that any cost is worth the goal!

Do you get what I’m saying? Knocking on the door takes courage. It’s the hardest part of the equation, but it’s the part with the pay off. You’ve got to knock courageously.

This is what has euphemistically been called “Beating the Bushes.” By knocking on the door, we create opportunities.

I coached soccer for the YMCA my first year in college, and there were two players on my team –Juan and Carlos — who were comparable in talent, but whose attitudes were drastically different from one another. Juan was a good player, but if the game was on the line, he didn’t want the ball, he didn’t want to defend the goal. Carlos was just the opposite. His attitude was “Put me in, coach. I want to play. Give me the ball, let me see what I can do.”

In one game Carlos was our goalie, there was less than one minute to play. We were one goal ahead. But the other team had the ball. I called time-out (this was Elementary School soccer so we could do that) and approached Carlos, and he began shaking his head emphatically, saying, “No! Don’t take me out of the game! I can do it!” By the time I got to him, I could hardly stop laughing. I said, “Carlos, I wasn’t going to pull you, I just came out here to give you a pep talk and try to build up your confidence, but I see it’s not necessary.” I walked back to the sidelines and Carlos defended the goal and kept the ball out of the net. We won the game. Of course, we could have just as easily lost — Carlos had given up his share of goals — but I still would have admired his courage for wanting to defend the goal when the game was on the line.

In the movie “The Replacements” Gene Hackman, the coach, says to Keanu Reeves, the quarterback, “Winners always want the ball.”

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” What’s he saying? He’s saying: Knock on the door. Knock Fearlessly. Create opportunities.

When we pray for something, we become a partner with God. The key to making our dreams come true is not to put it in neutral and wait for things to happen, but to put it in overdrive and make things happen.

One of the most talented Christian musicians I know never saw his ministry get off the ground for the simple reason that he wasn’t willing to knock on doors. His exact words to me were, “I don’t want to build my kingdom. If I have a ministry in music I want it to be because Jesus wraps it up and gives it to me as a gift.” To an extent, he has the right attitude about not wanting to do music for his own glory. But in spite of his spiritual rhetoric, he’s trying to do it his way, not God’s way. God’s way is to Ask, Seek and Knock. Beat the bushes. Work hard. Make your own breaks. Create opportunities.

People ask, “But what if God doesn’t want this for me?” If you’re not sure, step one is to ask God if this is what He wants for you. Step two is to give God permission to give you what He wants for you instead of what you want for yourself. And step three is to ask God to make the desires of your heart and His desires the same. If you’re seeking to put God first in your life, he’s not going to trick you into doing something against His will.
Jesus said…

(v. 9-11) “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?”

When it comes to what we accomplish in life, and what we receive in life, luck has nothing to do with it — at least not for Jesus followers. We are called to pursue our goals, our dreams, and our ambitions with intensity. When you know something is within God’s will for your life, go after it with every thing you’ve got. We’re not supposed to passively wait for things to happen in our lives, we’re supposed to aggressively pursue whatever it is God calls us to do.

If there is something you want to ask God for, then ask. But ask consistently; make sure your actions are consistent with your request. Then seek persistently for God’s answer, and keep seeking till you find it. And knock fearlessly, even in the face of possible rejection, even in the face of possible failure, keep knocking, because that’s where you’ll find your opportunities waiting for you. Jesus promised…

(v. 8) For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

What dream has God put in your heart? If you will keep asking, seeking, and knocking God will make that dream come true!

1. Ask Consistently
(v. 7) “Ask, and it will be given to you.”

Ask God for it. Of course when we ask for something we need to ask ourselves this question: “What are my motives for this request?” We need to also ask ourselves: Am I acting in a way that is consistent with what I’m asking for? Whether it is a dream of doing something great for God or a personal dream we have we must ask consistently with whatever our request is.

If I pray, “Lord, please help me realize my financial,” but I have no budget, or I buy whatever I want whenever I want it, my prayers become less effective.

Our actions show what we’re really asking for.

It doesn’t work that way. When we pray, we need to ask in a consistent manner. We need to make sure our actions are consistent with our prayers. When you do good things happen!

If our motives and actions are not consistent with what we’re asking for, what’s the solution? Stop asking? NO, absolutely not. The solution is to start acting in ways that are consistent with what we really want.

Think about what’s on your prayer list now and ask yourself, “What can I do that is consistent with this request?”

Let me give you a personal example of how this has worked in my life. I was struggling with resentment toward someone. We had been friends for many years, but had a disagreement, and there was a long period of silence between the two of us. Of course, I was right and he was wrong–that’s the way it always seems, isn’t it? But eventually I began to pray, “Lord, I don’t want to be a slave to resentment, and I don’t want a friendship to go down the tubes, so please heal this relationship.” And then I asked myself, “What action can I take that is consistent with this prayer?” So, I sent him a book. (It wasn’t “How To Win Friends and Influence People” … that would not have been very subtle.) I sent him a book about football, because like all red-blooded American men he is a football fan. Along with the book I sent a note that said, “Hope you enjoy the book and I hope you’re doing fine.” Amazingly, my resentment went away. Later, he called to thank me for the book, we cleared the air between us, and everything worked out well.

This makes your prayers more powerful. When you pray for something, be ready to take actions that are consistent with what you’re asking for. When we do we place ourselves in the right place at the right time for God to work amazing things in our life.

To make your dreams come true, ask consistently.

Second, to make our dreams come true we must…
2. SEEK PERSISTENTLY
(v. 7) “Seek and you will find.”

As a girl one of my daughters had trouble locating things. Important things, like schoolbooks and ballet shoes. This scene happened more than once: It’s Sunday morning and time to leave for church, and she has one shoe on. I’d say, “Where’s your other shoe?” She’d say, “I don’t know, I can’t find it.” You would think, since we tend to take off both shoes at once, that the second shoe would be found near the first one. But it doesn’t work that way. I would ask her, “Where did you take your shoes off?” and she usually had the same answer: “I took them off my feet.” So, we would look for the lost shoe until we found it. It usually turned up in the oddest places — on a bookshelf, behind the refrigerator, or in between the cushions of the couch. I didn’t get mad at her for misplacing things (I couldn’t; I was the same way then – OK, I’m pretty much still the same way!), but I had a rule: she had to keep looking until she found it. She couldn’t give up. She couldn’t sit on the couch and do nothing while her mom looked for it. In the process, she learned two things. One, to put both shoes together when she took them off; and two, to seek persistently for whatever it is she’s looking for.

Mel Fisher is a treasure hunter. In the 1960′s he began diving off the coast of Florida in search of a priceless treasure from a Spanish fleet that had sunk there in the 17th century. For more than 16 years he searched, day-in, day-out. Some of his team members gave up and quit. Some of his investors lost faith in him. Still, he kept seeking.

Finally, on July 20, 1985 he found what he was looking for — the Spanish galleon Atocha, containing a treasure worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It took more than 6000 days of persistent seeking, but he finally found it.

Jesus says, “If you want something, look for it. And keep looking until you find it.”

Whatever you are dreaming of may not happen on the first try, or the second, or the third. But keep seeking. Keep looking for a way to make it happen, and if it is a worthy goal it will happen.

Henry Ford went broke five times before he finally became successful.
21 publishers rejected the manuscript to the novel MASH before it was finally published.
The rock group Boston was turned down by every major record label at least twice before their first album was released; it went on to become (at that time) the greatest selling début album in history.
Winston Churchill didn’t become prime minister of England until he was 62, and then only after a lifetime of defeats and setbacks. He made his greatest contributions while he was a senior citizen.

US President Calvin Coolidge said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.”

Jesus said, “Keep on seeking and you will find.” Prayer is not a matter of sending God a “to-do” list and saying, “Can you get this done for me?” It’s a matter of saying, “God, I know that you provide, and I will keep looking for the answer to this prayer as long as it takes.”

People ask, “What if God doesn’t want me to have what I’m asking for?” If you’re asking for things, I suppose that could sometimes be the case. But there is so much that God wants us to have that we don’t have, simply because we don’t persistently seek after it.

For example, he doesn’t want your relationships to make you miserable. It is God’s will that you have positive relationships. A happy marriage (or a fulfilled unmarried life) is waiting for you, somewhere. Seek it until you find it.

A dynamic, Christ-centered relationship with your friends is waiting for you, somewhere. Seek it until you find it.

A meaningful God-given mission — where you can be involved in changing the lives of others — is waiting for you, somewhere. Seek it until you find it.

To make your dreams come true, ask consistently and seek persistently.
TO BE CONTINUED