Category: Searching For Purpose?


Suppose My Husband Has No Purpose or Goal?

Filed under: Hope for a struggling Marriage, Searching For Purpose?, Staying Together — 2 Comments
October 18, 2012

DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

I would venture to answer, “Impossible!” It is impossible for any creation of God to have no purpose! Unfortunately it is possible to not be operating in that purpose. Admittedly, there are men who misconceive or limit their purpose and neither do they pursue that purpose. They tend to think that going to work everyday is the totality of their purpose to the point of becoming a workaholic. There are many reasons for this mindset. One may be that they don’t spend time with Christian men in church or informally at lunch or dinner. With all these books on knowing your purpose, you would think that it would be impossible that any human being would lack the knowledge of their purpose. Is your husband a Christian? Well, let’s assume he is. Because irregardless, many men define their purpose according to what the world dictates. They get a sermon during the commercial when they watch Sports on TV; they get a sermon during lunch talks at the job; and their boss gives them a sermon. By the time they get home to you, their wife, they express negatively what they think their purpose is. They think that their purpose is to go to work, come home and read the newspaper or watch TV. They might express that their purpose is to eat the dinner you have hot and ready when they get home from work; or to support their hobby with their overtime money! They might behave as if they think their purpose is to dictate to you what your purpose is relative to making them happy. They may express that your purpose is to be under their authority. You would assist him in his purpose, but once a car is parked, there really isn’t a need for assistance to a parked car (I wonder if this is one of those irreconcilable differences that they put on divorce papers)… But then there are the husbands that go to church and have lunch with men of God and they think the same way as afore-mentioned. They may never mention the word ‘purpose’. You love him, but his lack or misunderstanding of purpose is making your marriage like a ship on a stormy sea. Because you spend time in Bible study with women of God, you believe that you know your purpose. You have a dream, but your spouse does not or if he does, he hasn’t expressed it nor is he working on it.

Well, we have to work in order to eat, especially the man of the house with a family to take care of. After all God did put Adam to work, immediately. Of course after their sin, work would become a burden (Genesis 3:19). As we clearly see, work has become burdensome in more ways than one. It can become a resource or weapon in the cunning hands of the adversary (1 Peter 5:8). Your husband has a job, yet you say he has no purpose. We all must understand that purpose is given by the Ultimate Authority, which is the True and Living God. Is he interested in knowing his purpose, which is beyond going to work everyday? If he is, then he should be asking the Ultimate Authority. You have to seek wisdom from God. Whatever you do, you don’t want to get worldly advice on what his purpose is. Your girlfriends don’t live with him or you, so they don’t know. You don’t want to make the mistake that Eve did (Genesis 3:4); taking the advice of a snake. Because, then not only your husband, but you also will be living out of the purpose and will of God.

Let me ask you, “Do you really know your purpose?” Do you really understand purpose? Does your spouse understand purpose? Every human being is a product and is created to be a conduit of one purpose and that’s God’s good pleasure. It could be that you and your spouse have mistaken ‘purpose’ for ‘ambition’. Your question may really be, “suppose my husband has no dream?”, because, we all have the same purpose. Perhaps you have a passion for using your gift to accomplish that purpose and your husband shows no passion or signs of using any kind of gift to reach that God-given purpose. So let’s identify purpose and you will see that your husband does indeed have purpose, but we must pray and encourage him to use his gift to carry out that purpose. Look at Genesis 1:26. God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Then He gave them purpose in Genesis 1:28;“Be fruitful and multiply.” God charged mankind to multiply His physical image throughout the world. In Genesis 2:24 He designed the way this purpose would be accomplished; “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Growing the population was ordained to be done in the context of marriage. Multiplying the image of God or growing the population is the purpose God gave to man. The world leaders and politicians need to make note of that as they spread this demonic doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1) of abortion on demand and complaints about world population growth. They are very much on the wrong side of God’s purpose and will. Look at creation. God said, “Let there be” and vegetation, seas, stars, animals, etc suddenly appeared and was in existence at His word. However, with His hands, He personally shaped Adam and then this Great and Powerful God, bent down and breathed into his nostrils and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). God is not only physical (John 1:14), but He is also Spirit. Our purpose, your spouse and your purpose is to be fruitful and multiply the image of God, both physically*through marriage and spiritually through the word of your testimony. Multiplying His physical image is easy; it’s the spiritual image that is tricky. This is where ‘passionately using the gifts’ comes in. Conclusively, your spouse has purpose, he just doesn’t exhibit the ‘passionately use of gifts’ in order to accomplish that purpose. Are you passionately using your gift to carry out that purpose?

It may boil down to the fact that neither of you see the true purpose. Your purpose is not to open a Bookstore or cut a Gospel CD. This is just the method by which you are to accomplish your purpose. Agreeably your husband can’t achieve the purpose by watching TV or be worldly logical by trying to stop you from pursuing your God-given passion. If you both clearly understood purpose, then you both would pursue everyday life with passion. Actually going to the job everyday would become a mission. Going to the job everyday would become a spiritual passion. Not to just get paid, but to touch lives so that the spiritual image of God would be multiplied. The struggle is getting your spouse to comprehend that. This will necessitate much prayer.

Your life, his life, all our lives is about the Glory of God. How can you know your gift and use your gifts? How can you develop a passion to grow the kingdom? The first thing God did after establishing their purpose was to develop a relationship with Adam and Eve. Apparently God customarily walked with them in the cool of the day. This is where developing a passion, being gifted and given a dream starts; with a relationship with God. I’m not talking about a simple believe in your heart and confessing with your mouth, “Sunday go meeting” faith. I’m talking about being full of the spirit, consistently walking with, talking with God, and ‘feeling His embrace’ kind of relationship (John 3:7). The kind of personal relationship that discerns His righteousness, hates what He hates, and passionately seeks His glory and will! Just think about the conversations God and Adam had in their walks through the garden. Not only did God give Adam direction but He spent time with him. Adam spent time in His presence.

I guarantee that as soon as that personal relationship develops you will clearly understand purpose and God will reveal to you how to use your gift to achieve the purpose (Ephesians 4:1-12). He will give you a dream and a passionate pursuit of that dream by using your gift for the Glory of God (Matthew 4:19)! You will then discover that ‘Purpose’ is more than a pursuit. It is a walk; a lifestyle; the air we breathe.

No creation is without purpose. True purpose is the product of a personal relationship with the True and Living God.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (Ephesians 4:1(KJV)

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

A Book that might be helpful is: ‘The Kingdom Agenda’ by Dr. Tony Evans
'What A way To Live'

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A Great Hoax

Filed under: Searching For Purpose? — Leave a comment
September 12, 2012

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Now, after God had created man from the dust and given him authority and then fashioned Eve to be a helpmate to Adam, which means that she also had authority, the sly snake (the devil in disguise) challenged the word of God and promised Adam and Eve that not only would they have authority, but if they followed his word rather than the word of their Creator God, they would be gods (Gen 3:1-5). Now, the Creator, by the word of His mouth, provided them a place to stay, abundant food to eat and water to drink.  God appointed a mist to come over the garden to nourish the plants (God’s supernatural sprinkler system). All they had to do was name the animals and smell the flowers, have leisurely walks and talks with God, and admire the beauty of Gods handy work; and have as many babies as possible and enjoy the process as much as they wanted.  After they ate the forbidden fruit, at the swaying of the devil, their life took a decidedly disconcerting turn. They no longer had authority. If they wanted a nice place to stay, they had to build it themselves by the toil of their hands, because the only true God, their Creator, evicted them from the garden. If they wanted flowers to smell or food to eat, they had to plant the gardens themselves by the sweat of their brow and the toil of their hands.  If they wanted to water their garden or water to drink they had to find water and figure out a way to get the water to the garden.  They could have as many babies as they wanted, but the process would not always be pleasant and the love for one another would not always be a pleasant experience.  Adam and Eve… some “gods”! Needless to say, listening to the devil was a horribly bad move (Genesis 3:16-19).

Undeniably their cunning advisor, the sly snake (a.k.a. the devil), did not merely misspeak; he knew all too well what the result would be, if one of God’s creation decided that he would be god (Isaiah 14:12).  He suffered a similar fate, but on a grander scale and awaits an even more ghastly fate. The results of his rebellion has yet to reach its final outcome (Isaiah 14:16, Revelation 20:10). Maybe he is the author of pride and arrogance. I don’t know, but I know that he is the first recorded con on earth.  He is the master of great hoaxes’ and cons. I’m sure that he is proud, but it has placed gullible men and women in position of devastating eviction and spiritual bankruptcy with eternal grievous consequences.  Cons tell you a story sprinkled with truth and overloaded with an appeal to your preferences: those things that look, sound and smell good to you. They appeal to your self-adoration, selfishness and your lust for power, position and wealth.  Take the “Prosperity Preachers” as an example.  They meet in a church and sprinkle a few words directly from the bible and tell you that you are supposed to be wealthy. Take a survey.  What percentage of their church membership is wealthy? Regardless of the percentage, I am sure that no one in that church is wealthier than that pastor.

Assuredly demonic proud and arrogant cons are in the world always spinning a great hoax; however, it used to be that the notable ones were countable on our hands. There was Hitler who said all the right things when running for office, but carried out a decidedly demonic agenda when he assumed power and position.  The word of God declared that the children of Israel are his chosen people and He has a covenant with His people. Hitler convinced the people that the Jews were the cause of their problem (real or imaginary). Though the word of God says that He made man and woman and said it was good, Hitler said that there was a better race of people: everybody that looked like himself. There was Karl Marx who taught that wealth should be equally distributed, though God has said that He gives power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and the poor will be with us always (Mark 14:7). You see, the common thread among deceptive cons is that they always challenge the word of God.

I could go on, but I never thought that I would see the gregarious level of people buying into a con like I’m seeing in the last of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.  I’ve seen the removing of God from the schools which were established so that young kids could read the bible for themselves. I’ve seen the judicial system challenged to remove the display of the Ten Commandments which our laws are based upon.  I’ve seen school systems and its teachers bully and degrade young students, if they bow their heads to say grace or make any reference to God in their school paper. I’ve worked in the same office with people who say there is no God when even the demons tremble at His name. How foolish, if there was no God, why would the devil challenge His word? But just the other day, at the Democratic convention, as they announced their platform, there was no acknowledgement of God at all. There was a lot of mention of the government which is now become an idol.  It was when they recognized their error that I was most grieved. I was shocked and troubled when I watched them bring to their delegates the opportunity to acknowledge God, at least once, in their platform by a voice vote. They had to take the vote three times and when it was declared that the ‘Yes’ had the vote, the Almighty, Creator of the heaven and earth, the true and living God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ was ‘booed’ by His created (“God is no joke (Galatians 6:7)”). To make things worse, in the days thereafter, the feeble attempt to explain their position on why God should be left out was foolish regurgitation of the words fed to them by the great con, the devil. I can’t say that we were not warned, because Paul told us that a day like this would come (2 Timothy 3:4); but I never thought that I would ever actually see a group of people in this country where there is a church or two on almost every corner, stand up and ‘boo’ the name of God. I just thought that this would never happen in my life time!

After I read their platform, decidedly they might as well have left God out, because the platform tremendously challenges the word of God.  Their platform challenges God’s definition of marriage, His value on life from the womb to the grave, His intolerance  of immorality, His provision, His appointed role for Government and His ability to keep and preserve all that He has created (Nehemiah 9:6). I mean this is a master con being played on people of a nation which God established to be a vision of hope for those who are oppressed all over the earth. But to cap it off, I was tremendously sadden to hear the national leader infer that he could harness the sun and the winds and the soil; (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28text-obama.html); roll back the specter of a warming planet and slow the rise of  (www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/03/obamas-nomination-victory_n_105028.html) the oceans and heal our planet.  And then he reiterated, just the other night, saying that global warming was something he could prevent. It was then that I saw a man who has fallen for the same con Adam and Eve fell for: “you can become as gods”.  And we know what happened to them…

It’s not so much that he and others have fallen for a great hoax. As noted; it’s the same old con. I dare say that we all fall for some kind of con, but this con and hoax is on such a grand scale that it could break a great nation which has been shaped with purpose and tremendously benefited from the grace and mercy of God. It’s about the individuals who, because of pride and arrogance, refuse to admit that they have been conned by the devil. Because of their pride and arrogance, they won’t reach out and take the nail scarred hand of the one who can save and deliver us from the depths of our sin, because they are blinded by their selfish desires and cannot see His stretched out hand nor the quicksand that they are standing on. It is He who can give us a redeemed life and wash us from our sins in His own blood and make us kings and priests unto God and His Father (Revelation 1:5-6).  So, I pray for them and I pray for all men and women who have fallen for the con of that “sly snake”.  I pray for this nation and the church, because in that auditorium at the convention were preachers and evangelist, deacons and deaconesses, and  lay men and women of God. Have you noticed who the devil started working his con on? It was Adam and Eve, a man and woman who before the fall were close to God, second only to Christ. Think about it. It’s the Theistic ones who are called by His name who have to be conned, because the ungodly world is already narcissistic.

I don’t know about you, but when I realize that I’ve been conned by the devil, I get upset with myself, for falling for it.  But thanks to the grace of God, I fall to my knees and beg His forgiveness, and I declare that God’s word is true: if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)! Consequentially, somehow, my relationship with Him grows closer and stronger. This is my prayer for each person.

Oh how He loves us and gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified, buried and resurrected for such a time as this; so that, if we confess our sins and turn from our wicked ways, God will hear our prayers, and forgive us of our sins, and He will heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14)!

Alleluia, Salvation and glory; honor and power to the Lord our God, the only true and living God! The omnipotent Lord God Reigns (Revelation 19:6)…     And that’s no con!

 

“…For thou [art] great, and doest wondrous things: thou [art] God alone.”  Psalm 86:10

 

That’s Todays’ Single Focus…

see my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts

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Keys

Filed under: Searching For Purpose? — 1 Comment
August 14, 2012

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Have you noticed that you really don’t appreciate the value of keys until you need them and don’t have them or you’ve lost them?

Take Adam, in the Garden of Eden, for example. Adam was in charge.  He ruled the world. He held the keys! He walked and talked with the Creator God who said that whatever Adam called it, that’s what it would be (Genesis 2:19). He was free to enjoy everything in the world except the fruit of one tree (Genesis 2:16).  But, when he and Eve, his wife, fell for the cunning deceit of the devil (Genesis 3:1), that one tree became his downfall.  He traded ruling the world; enjoying all the richest and fullness thereof; and close relationship with the powerful creator of the world for the fulfillment of a desire for the fruit of one tree. He allowed the word of God to become debatable (Genesis 3:1-4)…As a result; he gave up his authority and turned the keys over to the devil. All because he ate from the one and only tree he was cautioned against. One tree…!

Esau, the oldest of parental twins, held the keys of the blessings of Isaac, his father; he had the birthright. After his father’s demise, Esau would become the lord over Jacob, his brother; everyone and everything that Isaac had. He would also enjoy all the richest and pleasures that came with it.  Jacob and Esau were the classic example of sibling rivalry.  Jacob was a serious-minded con who had a great appreciation for the value of things, like the birthright…but he didn’t have the keys! Esau was a macho man.  He was rugged, outdoorsy and adventurous.  While Jacob stayed around his mother and close to home, Esau would be out challenging the wild kingdom. One day he returned famished from one of his adventures.  Esau was so hungry that he thought he would die!  Jacob, a good cook, was cooking on this particular day.  Esau pleaded with Jacob and bargained with his brother for a bowl of soup.  Recognizing his hunger, Jacob cunningly asked his brother to trade his birthright for one bowl of soup (Genesis 25:31)…and he did.  Esau, who didn’t take it seriously (until he needed it), traded his blessing (Hebrews 12:16), his right to rule and right to enjoy all the pleasures that came with rule for one bowl of soup! Unwittingly, Esau gave Jacob the keys to his birthright, his blessing; for one bowl of soup. One bowl…!

There was a time when ‘Black Americans’ had no keys. They had no rule and were denied a birthright. They have come a long way from the bondage of slavery, because of great men like the ‘White American’ and Republican politician, Abraham Lincoln, who gained position to turn the injustice around…and he did!  Thousands of ‘White Americans’ shed their blood for slaves to be unshackled and given keys of freedom from bondage.  However, after conceding that they should be free, half of the country reserved their privilege of being equal.  Though emancipated and given the keys of freedom, they continued to be treated like they were when they were slaves.  They didn’t make them work for nothing, but they withheld keys of dignity and rule. They couldn’t live in the same neighborhood; they couldn’t vote; or go to the same church. They were no longer slaves by the law of the land, but they were conditioned to live within the slave mentality.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. expressed that his dream was that man would be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the depth of his character. The problem was that in half the country, the character of a ‘Black American’ man was shredded. American children of all ethnicity were taught that the ‘Black American’ man was lazy, criminal and deserving of no respect as a fellow human being; unable to rule and undeserving of the keys. Then they positioned and conditioned him to fulfill the caricature.  Like a generational curse, they wouldn’t give him a lucrative job or distinguish position, because of the color of his skin; and then they boxed him in so that he would have to leave his family so that the wife could collect governmental provision, like food stamps and welfare checks. And he always called the White American’ man “Boss”; a reminder that he was free, but not equal…he could not rule!  Rather than give them keys to economic viability, they cunningly tore up the Black American Family and made many of them wards of the state. But the ‘Black American’ Churches and their Pastors, recognizing the value, began to head up the fight to grab hold of the keys…and they did! Brave men and women like Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. eventually changed things.  Then visual reminders of the slave mentality, like “Colored only” signs, began to come down and ‘Black Americans’ in all the country were able to vote and be elected without restrictions. They were given the keys of rule.

Christ told the church that he has given them the keys (Matthew 16:19) of the kingdom… However, where the ‘Black American’ Churches took hold of the God-given keys of freedom and rule, too many of them turned over their keys to the politicians who were primarily on ‘one side of the political ticket’.  Forgetting that God gave them the keys, ‘Black American’ Pastors developed and continued the habit of allowing politicians to stand in their pulpits; and every election time, their congregation obediently voted for any and every politician that was allowed in their pulpit. The character of a man and God’s view on the matter began to be less important than their ethnicity, political affiliation and the pleasurable sound of cunning words promising governmental provision for all their wants.  Even though; it was that ‘one side of the political ticket’ politicians who stood on the steps and said they would not integrate their schools and were former KKK leaders and members who withheld the keys, noticeably, national ‘Black American’ politicians, from that ‘one side of the political ticket’ (in general) started speaking their slave mentality language at every election: “Vote for me, the other guy will not give you provision, because of ethnic and social bias.”  Disgracefully, former ‘Civil Rights’ leaders are accepting pay from the ‘Boss’ to say what the ‘Boss’ says to say to the ‘Black American’ constituency…and many call themselves “Reverend.”  When you have once powerful preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ preaching the doctrine of politicians every Sunday morning and at funerals too, apparently somebody traded their keys for a con (Luke 11:52).  Jesus said He knows what you need, but seek His kingdom and righteousness first and all these things will be added to you (Matthew6:33); what you need He will provide! He gave you the keys! Somewhere along the way, too many ‘Black American’ politicians have traded concern for ‘Black Americans’ to not mentally live as slaves for their own personal desire for worldly riches…And you can tell that they are cunning their ‘Black American’ constituency, because every election time, they have that same theme “ethnic and social economic bias” (Genesis 3:5) and God’s view is debatable (Genesis 3:1-4). Unwittingly, too many Pastors and their churches have traded their keys of the kingdom for their bondage to the government(Luke 4:5-8).  They are being conned by the devil, and his cons come in all colors; just like the colorful snake in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1).

Landlords rent out houses or apartments and every once in a while they have to take back the keys and make the tenant vacate the property, because of their property destruction, continuous tardiness or not paying the rent. How long have the same politicians been given the keys, yet instead of building up the Family they are helping the destruction of it and now supporting the redefinition of marriage and the infanticide of ‘Black American’ babies? They have been in office for decades and the issue is still the same…could it be time to take back the keys?  I’m not saying that they shouldn’t participate in the voting process, but I am saying that it’s time to give the keys to those who have a desire to make you economically viable; restore the family; value you as a human being and not as a con’s “mark”; and not consider the word of God debatable! It seems to me, that the same ‘one side of the political ticket’ that institutionalized bigotry and denied their right to rule (withholding the keys) is still exercising bias, boxing them in with cunning and disguised words promising all their provisions while killing their babies and destroying their families; enslaving the minds of ‘Black Americans’…stealing their birthright (Luke 11:52).  Maybe we should take a closer look at the character of a man and not his ethnicity, social economic status and/or political affiliation.  I’m just saying that maybe we need to take back the keys!

Now that they have kept the Black American Family tore up (72 percent of ‘Black American’ children are in a single parent household.*) and unemployed (14.4% of the unemployed are ‘Black Americans’ **); the cunning ‘one side of the political ticket’ politicians are talking class bigotry. I do not resent my neighbors (of all ethnicities) down the street who have keys to million dollar homes and top of the line automobiles.  I try to find out how they did it and seek the glory of God as I follow the process of hard work and faith, because I want keys like that.  Let’s face it; even though the politicians have it, they don’t intend on helping ‘Black American’ ‘wards of the state’ to get it (Beware of holes in fences. People don’t naturally come into America to be enslaved, but to be free…)! Furthermore, we aren’t employed by the poor…I thank God for the rich who have employed me!

Surely (as some already have) all will break away from mental and fiscal governmental dependency, enslavement and idolatry; cease from being conned and recognize the value of the keys; because the Creator created all men to rule and be free… it’s our ‘birthright’!  As truth is revealed, it’s clear that it’s time to take the keys back! Jesus says the truth will set you free (John 8:32). “Whom the Son set’s free is free indeed (John 8:36).”  That’s where you start taking the keys back: knowing the truth and the value of the keys!  Christ is truth and light! Let Christ set you free! That’s why He died on the cross (John 19:18) for you and me. If you know Christ as your personal Savior, consider His point of view as non-debatable (He cannot lie (Titus 1:2 )) and as more valuable than ethnic and political points of views or desire for gain.  Politicians are saying, “vote for me and let me feed and clothe you; let me decide how and whether you live or die according to your ethnicity, social economic status and /or political affiliation.” God says that “I am all that you need. I am your provider (Philippians 4:19); I will give you ‘life’ and life more abundantly (John 10:10)!” Make a decision to value the keys and seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and “all these things will be added to you (Mathew 6:33 )!”  Let God be your governing authority, your source…your provider!

God created and gifted each one of us with a purpose (2 Timothy 1:9). That purpose is not to be beggars or wards of the government, but free to use our gifts and prosper from it and He provides all that we need! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalms 50:10) and all things were made by Him (John 1:3)! Let God be your one source and He will give you abundant life, no matter your ethnicity or social economic status! He has the keys! Which king, president, prime minister, reverend or politician has recently volunteered to be beaten and die to give us the keys…? Christ did (John 3:16)! He loved us so much that He volunteered to be beaten; to be bound to a wooden cross and to die so that we could have the keys of freedom, rule, blessings and everlasting life… no matter our ethnicity, social economic status or political affiliation. He died so that we could have a close relationship with the mighty God and enjoy all the pleasures that come with it!

Before you allow yourself to be conned out of valuable keys for one tree; for one bowl of soup; or one governmental provision; for one bag of richest; or one distinguish position; for one ethnicity; or one desire; for one …think! “Are you trading your close relationship with the Almighty God and all the pleasures and riches that come with it; Are you trading your ‘birthright’, your blessings, your freedom; are you trading your keys…for one (Hebrews 12:16) ?”  Look at what Christ wants to freely put into our hands…the priceless keys of the kingdom…!

You see, with the keys, whatever you call it, that’s what it will be…!

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Keys….

That’s Today’s Single Focus…

see my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

References:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=keys&t=KJV

*http://newsone.com/1195075/children-single-parents-u-s-american/

**www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/06/news/economy/black-unemployment-rate/

All Rights Reserved

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Chosen for an Extraordinary Day

Filed under: Searching For Purpose? — Leave a comment
June 10, 2011

 by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

It was just an ordinary day in the life of a criminal…or was it? After being found guilty, his trial was recessed until the next afternoon as the judges reconsidered the case overnight. At least 37 votes convicted him, and sentence was deferred until sunset. But this ordinary day in the life of a criminal was the day that his sentence would be carried out. He was most likely not a Roman citizen, for his sentence was the dreaded most awful, horrific and shameful which was reserved for foreigners who were violent criminals and robbers. He was a thief and sentenced to death by crucifixion on what to him must have been an ordinary day in the descending life of an ordinary convicted criminal.  But how is it that this particular criminal… this thug was chosen to die on this day?  He was stripped and tied to a post where he was beaten by two soldiers with leather straps which had bones or iron balls on the end. Then they made him carry his own crossbeam upon his shoulders all the way to Golgotha’s Hill, wearing the sign around his neck, declaring his guilt. The sign would later be clearly displayed over his head (Matthew 27:37) after they nailed him to the wooden cross.  There he was: naked and his shame and guilt exposed for all to see… including the Son of God.

Who was this thief (Matthew 27:38)? Who was he to have been chosen to hang on the cross within speaking distance to the only begotten Son of God?    Clearly he was not just another ordinary thief. I’m sure that it was not because he performed great things for God or gave to charity or had been baptized.   Surely he was a picture of those for whom Christ died.  He was a recipient of the grace of God. This man was guilty of a crime worthy of death (“for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23(KJV)).” There he was; a part of a clear illustration of the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).  There he was; confessing that he was guilty,   worthy of his punishment and acknowledging that Christ was the sinless sacrificial Lamb of God : “And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss (Luke 23:41(KJV)). ” Then he acknowledged that Christ was the Son of God: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (Luke 23:42(KJV)).” And now, this ordinary criminal became a part of an extraordinary event: though sentenced to die, he received salvation and eternal life; “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43(KJV)).”

Too many tend to be like the second criminal.  He was guilty and dying for his offence, in the presence of one who could give him a home in paradise, but he continued to be ordinary.  Arrogant and scornful to the very end, he made no confession of guilt, but appeared to think that Christ was just an ordinary good man who exaggerated his ability.  This thief was an ordinary sinner looking for any other way to escape the consequence of his actions (Luke 23:39); not realizing that the only way he could be saved is to acknowledge the ransom paid by God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

 After Adam and Eve paved the way for everyone being born a sinner destined to suffer the consequences of their guilt, God, our heavenly Father, dispatched His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to make our bond, but like the other thief, some people refuse to accept the fine paid.  Instead many follow man-made plans and devices.  They trust in delusional and irrational theories, and follow philosophers of demonic doctrine.  Instead of simply acknowledging the price paid by Jesus Christ, some devise their own plans for redemption by meditation; chanting some nice sounding script; giving money to someone who promises riches in return; lobbying politicians; or praying to some man or woman whose bones have already been eaten by worms.  There are others who think that they can eat their way to heaven or abstain (1Timothy 4:1-3) their way to eternal life.  Yet, at Calvary, there on Golgotha’s Hill, this seemingly ordinary thief, hanging on a cross, taught us the extraordinary lesson that Salvation and Eternal Life is truly simple: acknowledge His deity and accept the ransom paid by Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God our heavenly Father (John 3:16).

You’ve probably tried all the hard things which give you an illusion of Self Righteousness, yet you are without salvation assurance. Why not try Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9)?  What Do You Have to Lose?  Christ has paid it all and like the thief who hung there beside Jesus Christ, you too have been chosen for an extraordinary day!

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

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Don’t Stop Dreaming!

Filed under: Searching For Purpose? — Leave a comment
February 2, 2011

DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Well…The championship games began and ended with the best Teams (on any given Sunday) still standing and headed for the Super Bowl.  There were some interesting moments in the championship battles. The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers game, for example.  Chicago couldn’t get their offense going until they put in Caleb Hanie, the third string quarterback. I just know that he was living a dream which he had since childhood!  Were it not for that last interception, we would have watched a miraculous comeback orchestrated by the ‘third string quarterback’!  Unfortunately (or fortunately)  Jay Cutler, their starting quarterback got hurt and could not finish the game and their second string quarterback was ineffective.  Therefore, the head coach, Lovie Smith, put Hanie in the game and then we had a championship game well worth watching!

Do you feel like that sometimes? I mean, do you feel like a ‘third string quarterback’? You have dreams and aspirations, but it seems as if you are the only one with confidence in yourself. You go to auditions or you volunteer and someone else is chosen, because to them you are not quite “good” enough.  Sometimes you get so angry that you start plotting or dreaming about how you’ll show them! But then you get so discouraged and sidetracked that you tire of trying and you stop dreaming… Caleb Hanie had been on the side lines for three years and I don’t believe he ever stopped dreaming!  He probably dreamed it would be with the Dallas Cowboys , since he is from Texas. But I don’t think that it matters to him now.  Most importantly is that after three years, his dream came true. He wasn’t victorious, but he got the opportunity to live out his dream!   I’m just saying that; just because your dream is not coming true now, doesn’t mean you should stop dreaming; especially if it is a God-given dream.  Take Abraham and Sarah for example. Notably God didn’t give Abraham a dream and a purpose until he was seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4) and Sarah was sixty-four. God told him that he would be the father of nations. God continued to give him that dream and purpose, even at ninety-nine years of age. Abraham’s call was to literally fulfill the great purpose: “Be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28).” Not only were Abraham’s children (Genesis 15:5) going to be in the image of God physically, but they were to also exemplify the spiritual image of God (Leviticus 11:45).  

It wasn’t until Sarah was ninety years old that Abraham’s dream came true. Abraham and Sarah (as we all do) thought that it was entirely up to them to fulfill the dream and purpose. Therefore, they did all kinds of things to make that dream come true years earlier, but all those attempts turned out to be a disaster and we’re still reaping the repercussions. It was not until Abraham was ninety-nine years old that Abraham heard, I mean really heard what God had said; “And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee (Genesis 17:6 (KJV).” God said that ‘He’ would make Abraham fruitful.  They also thought that they were to determine the time and the place.  But, it was God who would open her womb in the fulfillment of time. God gave the dream and He alone would appoint the time and place (Genesis 17:21).  If He has given you a dream, yet you are frustrated about how long it is taking to see the fulfillment of that dream; stop, relax and let God bring it into fruition.  It is not wise to stress yourself out because it is not happening as soon as you would like.  Don’t give up or lose heart.  If God said that it will be, believe me it will be (Numbers 23:19)!  Unfortunately you don’t know the hour or even the year that it will come to pass; therefore, you must prepare yourself to be ready when that moment arrives.  You have to study, practice and exercise, and develop your skill. So that in the moment of truth, when ever that is, you can make your family, and most importantly, your God proud!  Whatever you do, you must keep the faith and believe God.  You must not compromise your faith, but trust in Him while you wait. 

During your wait, temptations will come; lucrative offers will come; and distractions will come to be a stumbling block.  Keep your focus on the dream God has given you and do not stray from the faith.   When Jesus came to be our scapegoat; that is to be the sacrificial lamb for our sins, there was a moment when they plotted to make Him king (John 6:15) and even Satan made Him magnificent and tempting offers (Matthew 4:8-10).  Though Christ had to die on the cross, He would not compromise, He would not waver.  He stayed true to His Father and determined to fulfill the call on His earthly life. It was termed as “for the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross (Hebrew 12:2 (KJV)).”  After 33 years, He endured the cross, suffered and died, but on the third day, He arose from the dead (Matthew 28:6) with victory and power in His hands!  This was the fulfillment of a promise made to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). It was a long time coming, but Salvation has come (Acts 4:12)!

 Remember the time Christ was at the wedding in Cana? His mother, Mary, approached Him about a dilemma the Host of the party was having.  They had run out of wine.  Jesus’ reply to her was “My hour has not yet come (John 2:4 (KJV).” You have a dream, but it has not yet come true.  It most likely is because “Your hour has not yet come.” If God gave you the dream, He alone has determined the right time and the right place!

 Whatever you do: Don’t get tired. Don’t compromise your faith in God and… Don’t stop dreaming!

 

” Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

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see my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts

An interesting Book is :    Rudy by Sean Astin

 

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Suppose My Husband Has No Purpose?

Filed under: Searching For Purpose? — 3 Comments
January 10, 2011

 DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

I would venture to answer, “Impossible!” It is impossible for any creation of God to have no purpose! Unfortunately it is possible to not be operating in that purpose. Admittedly, there are men who misconceive or limit their purpose and neither do they pursue that purpose. They tend to think that going to work everyday is the totality of their purpose to the point of becoming a workaholic. There may be many reasons for this mindset. One is that they don’t spend time with Christian men in church or informally at lunch or dinner. With all these books on knowing your purpose, you would think that it would be impossible that any human being would lack the knowledge of their purpose. Is your husband a Christian? Well, let’s assume he is. Because irregardless, many men define their purpose according to what the world dictates. They get a sermon during the commercial when they watch Sports on TV; they get a sermon during lunch talks at the job; and their boss gives them a sermon. By the time they get home to you, their wife, they express negatively what they think their purpose is. They think that their purpose is to go to work, come home and read the newspaper or watch TV. They might express that their purpose is to eat the dinner you have hot and ready when they get home from work; or to support their hobby with their overtime money! They might behave as if they think their purpose is to dictate to you what your purpose is relative to making them happy. They may express that your purpose is to be under their authority. You would assist him in his purpose, but once a car is parked, their really isn’t a need for assistance to a parked car (I wonder if this is one of those irreconcilable differences that they put on divorce papers…). But then there are the husbands that go to church and have lunch with men of God and they think the same way as afore-mentioned. They never mention the word ‘purpose’. You love him, but his lack or misunderstanding of purpose is making your marriage like a ship on a stormy sea. Because you spend time in Bible study with women of God, you believe that you know your purpose. You have a dream, but your spouse does not or if he does, he hasn’t expressed it nor is he working on it.

We all must understand that purpose is given by the Ultimate Authority, which is the True and Living God. Unfortunately some people think that going to work is the sum of their purpose. This kind of thinking can become a resource or weapon in the cunning hands of the adversary (1 Peter 5:8). Is he interested in knowing his purpose which is beyond going to work everyday? If he is, then he should be asking the Ultimate Authority. You have to seek wisdom from God. Whatever you do, you don’t want to get worldly advice on what his purpose is. Your girlfriends don’t live with him or you, so they don’t know. You don’t want to make the mistake that Eve did (Gen 3:4); taking the advice of a snake. Because, then not only your husband, but you also will be living outside of the purpose and will of God.

Let me ask you, “Do you really know your purpose?” Do you really understand purpose? Does your spouse understand purpose? Every human being is a product and is created to be a conduit of one purpose and that’s God’s good pleasure(Eph 1:5).  It could be that you and your spouse have mistaken ‘purpose’ for ‘ambition’. Your question may really be, “suppose my husband has no dream?”, because, we all have the same purpose. Perhaps you have a passion for using your gift in order to accomplish that purpose and your husband shows no passion or signs of using any kind of gift to reach that God-given purpose. So let’s identify purpose and you will see that your husband does indeed have purpose, but we must pray and encourage him to use his gift to accomplish that purpose. Look at Gen 1:26. God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Then He gave them purpose in Gen 1:28; “Be fruitful and multiply.” God charged mankind to multiply His likeness throughout the world. In Gen 2:24He designed the way in which this purpose would be accomplished; “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Growing the population was ordained to be done in the context of marriage. Multiplying the image of God or growing the population is the purpose God gave to man. The world leaders and politicians need to make note of that as they spread this demonic doctrine (1 Tim 4:1) of abortion on demand and complaints about world population growth. They are very much on the wrong side of God’s purpose and will. Look at creation. God said, “Let there be” and vegetation, seas, stars, animals, etc suddenly appeared and was in existence at His word. However, with His hands, He personally shaped Adam and then this Great and Powerful God, bent down and breathed into his nostrils and man became a living soul (Gen 2:7). God is not only physical (John 1:14), but He is also Spirit. Our purpose, your spouse, and your purpose is to be fruitful and multiply the image of God, both physically through marriage; and spiritually through the word of your testimony (Matt 28:19). Multiplying His physical image is easy; it’s the spiritual image that is tricky. This is where ‘passionately using the gifts’ comes in. Conclusively, your spouse has purpose, he just doesn’t exhibit the ‘passionately use of gifts’ in order to accomplish that purpose. Are you passionately using your gift to accomplish that purpose?

It may boil down to the fact that neither of you see the true purpose. Your purpose is not to open a Bookstore or cut a Gospel CD. This is just the method by which you are to accomplish your purpose. Agreeably, your husband can’t achieve the purpose by watching TV or be worldly logical by trying to stop you from pursuing your God-given passion. He most likely doesn’t understand purpose. If you both understood purpose, then you both would pursue everyday life with passion. Actually going to the job everyday would become a mission. Going to the job everyday would become a spiritual passion. Not to just get paid, but to touch lives so that the spiritual image of God would be multiplied. The struggle is getting your spouse to comprehend that. This will necessitate much prayer.

Your life, his life, all our lives is about the Glory of God. How can you know your gift and use your gifts? How can you develop a passion to grow the kingdom? The first thing God did after establishing their purpose was to develop a relationship with Adam and Eve. Apparently God customarily walked with them in the cool of the day. This is where developing a passion, being gifted and given a dream starts; with a relationship with God. I’m not talking about a simple confessing with your mouth, “Sunday go meeting” faith. I’m talking about being full of the Spirit, “knowing ‘in your heart’ that you know”; consistently walking with, communicating with God; and ‘feeling His embrace’ kind of relationship (John 3:7). The kind of personal relationship that discerns His righteousness; hates what He hates; and passionately seeks His glory and will!  Just think about the conversations God and Adam had in their walks through the garden. Not only did God give Adam direction, but He spent time with him. Adam spent time in His presence.

I guarantee that as soon as that personal relationship develops you will clearly understand purpose and God will reveal to you how to use your gift in order to achieve the purpose (Eph 4:1-12). He will give you a dream and a passionate pursuit of that dream by using your gift for the Glory of God (Matt 4:19)! You will then discover that ‘Purpose’ is more than a pursuit. It is a walk; a lifestyle; the air we breathe.

No creation is without purpose. True purpose is the product of a personal relationship with the True and Living God.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (Ephesians 4:1(KJV)

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

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A Book that might be helpful is: ‘The Kingdom Agenda’ by Dr. Tony Evans
'What A way To Live'

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Need Help?

Filed under: Hope for a struggling Marriage, Searching For Purpose?, Staying Together — Leave a comment
December 18, 2010

DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

A few weeks ago the Assistant to the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys became interim Head Coach. I’ve heard Sports Commentators express that another Assistant should have been chosen, because they doubt the ability of the one chosen to motivate and discipline. They doubt his abilities as though, all this time, as Wade Phillips’ Assistant has not taught Jason Garrett the qualities necessary to be the Head Coach. Surely he has learned what to do and what not to do, by now! After all, the Head Coach and the Assistant Coach both had the same goal: to win ball games. Each game day will surely show the wisdom or lack there of regarding the choice made.

‘Assistant’…Man didn’t create that word. Oh no! It was first coined in the Garden of Eden. Well… God called it “help meet” or today we would say help or assistant. Man had no human assistance (help) until God created Eve. In Genesis 2:18 God expressed that it was not good that Adam was alone. Therefore He decided to make him a suitable “help meet” (KJV). Then God proceeded to create the woman Eve (Genesis 2:21-22). She was to be Adam’s help or as we would say today, she was created to assist Adam. I know that we all have heard preaching from the pulpit on this matter. Genesis Chapter 2 is preached a majority of times as part of a series on marriage and what the role of the woman and the man is in marriage. So, I’m going to start by acknowledging (as you have heard many times before) that after God created Adam, He gave him a job. In Genesis 2:16-15, He put Adam in the garden and was told to dress and keep it. With all the knowledge and brilliancy of Adam to do the task given him, God decided that he needed help. While Adam worked and named all the animals, God decided that Adam needed an Assistant.

Now, most of the time we women receive that message uncomfortably. Some women hear it as a reason to be submissive to the husband and men tend to use it as a reason for their wives to be subservient to the husband, but look at it a little closer. Genesis Chapter 2 merely establishes the order: 1. God: Ultimate Authority; 2. Man: Head of House; and 3. Woman: Assistant Head of House. Notice God did not say that Adam needed maid service, a dishwasher, babysitter or cook. He created a help meet (assistant). Okay, how is that different from subservience? Look at Genesis 2: 21-24:

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23) And Adam said, “This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24) Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (KJV)

Genesis 2:24 sums up the phrase “help meet (assistant) “they shall be one flesh.” Like Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett had the same goal given by Jerry Jones, the husband and wife were designed, by God, to have the same goal: the fulfillment of Gods purpose and will (1 Corinthians 11: 11-12). The ideal is that they walk lockstep with one another towards the accomplishing of God’s will. When Wade Phillips was the Head Coach, he mainly worked as a defensive specialist as well as the overall spokesman for his team of coaches. One of his Assistants (help), Jason Garrett was the offensive specialist. The other Assistants had their specialties; all different specialists with one goal… to win football games. They are supposedly lockstep with that goal in mind. In the garden, Adam was given the charge and instructions. Eve was brought from his side along side to be lockstep with Adam; to recognize God as Lord; and accomplish what God had instructed Adam to do. Adam was the head and while he operated in his gift or specialty, Eve operated in her specialty or gift to accomplish the same goal.

This is the ultimate goal of marriage. Establishing order and purpose was done by God. Staying in that order is on us. Wade Phillips answered to Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager. The owner established this order. Therefore when the team stopped accomplishing their goal, which was the purpose and will of the owner, the Head Coach was fired. The Assistant, who had a different gift or specialty, could be promoted because he was a part of the team with the same goal as the Head. Moving from Assistant Coach to Head Coach changed his workload, but did not change his goal which has always been to fulfill the purpose and will of the owner to win football games. Uniquely, Jason Garret made the same wages that Wade Phillips made though he was the Assistant, because their goal was the same and only their order was different. As owner, Jerry decided what the goal was. As Head Coach, Wade worked on accomplishing that goal. As Assistant Head Coach, Jason helped Wade to work on accomplishing that goal, but concentrated on the offense. The man, as husband has been given a purpose and goal for his life by God. If he is pursuing the fulfillment of God’s plan and will for his life, God will bring the man help (his wife) and they will both pursue the goal. They may not always have the same gift, but they should have the same goal (1 Corinthians 12). Adam seemed to specialize in the technical aspects of achieving the goal, while Eve seemed to specialize in emotional (“touchy/feely”) and visual aspects of achieving the goal. Though different specialties and different order, God made and expected them to be ‘one’ in their goal, which is to obey and carry out His will and purpose.

In 1 Corinthians 11: 3, Paul put it this way: “I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.”
Cunningly the adversary(Genesis 3) has spouses trying to define each other’s roles instead of first seeking to know their own role & purpose as a team; God being the ultimate authority; the husband being the head; and the wife his assistant. Ideally the man should be working on fulfilling the will of God when Christ brings a wife into his life. So instead of trying to define their roles according to the world, as a couple, the two should be (with the help of the Holy Spirit) establishing how together they can use their individual gift or specialty to accomplish God’s will and purpose. However, spouses are making their ‘order’ and ‘roles’ a subject of arguments and resulting divorce battles. God did not design marriage to be “the battle of the sexes.” He designed marriage to be a team of two as one accomplishing His will and purpose, which He established before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1: 4-8). God created the woman especially to help for the man to carry out what God had called him to do.

Think about it…the Head is held in great accountability by an ultimate authority. Notice that Wade Phillips, the Head Coach, was fired, not the Assistant Coach…

Hmm… maybe ‘Assistant’ isn’t too bad of a position to be in!

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. (Romans 8:28 (KJV)

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

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Persevere/Continue…

Filed under: Searching For Purpose? — Leave a comment
October 30, 2010

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Now, I’m just waiting on the Movie…

During the past two years, there has been a lot of drama in this country, but there cannot be any comparison to the, should I say, Cinderella story…of the Texas Rangers.  I heard a reporter describe watching the Texas Rangers win the American League Championship as second only to being in Heaven.

Like watching a B movie, we patiently awaited to see what the outcome would be now that Tom Hicks had to sale the Texas Rangers Baseball Club.   Then we watched the drama unfold, right in front of our eyes.   Have they been purchased? The next thing we know: Hicks files Bankruptcy and Mark Cuban wants to bid for the team;  then the arguably MVP of the Major League Baseball and self-declared champion of Christ stumbles and is caught in an alcoholic compromise; and then the Texas Rangers’ first Black Manager, who at times is less than verbally articulate, confesses to Cocaine use. There were distractions and discouragements all around, yet this team pressed on. They kept playing Baseball.  Individual members of this team, like Josh Hamilton and the manager, Ron Washington, had to experience humility, grace and mercy. The new owners had to experience disappointments and patience; thinking they were owners and told “no, you have to bid in an auction.”  The old owner, Tom Hicks, had to experience humility and loss. Through all of this, the team just kept playing Baseball. Perseverance is a word that describes this team…Perseverance and resiliency. They remained focus on the game, and now, they are playing in the World Series (find tickets@ http://www.ytbtravel.com/2travelnow).

Let them be an example to us. God has given you a dream. You know without a doubt that He has. But you encounter all these distractions; disappointments; set backs; stumbles and unexplainable challenges and falters.  You are thankful for Gods’ mercy, but you wonder if you are pursuing the dream in futility.  Yet, you must press on. You must continue to do what you have been called to do. Then let God walk with you thru the victories and defeats.  Regardless of what’s happening around you, pursue God’s agenda for your life. You are victorious at length, but when failures began to mount, continue. Continue to write, or paint or pitch or do business, whatever it is that God has gifted you to do…continue.

And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9:  (KJV)

Remember when Nehemiah was building the Wall of Jerusalem?  The enemies of God kept doing all manner of things to distract them from completing that wall, but Nehemiah would guard against their distractions and kept on building (Nehemiah 4 and 5).

If God has gifted you, He has for His good purpose (Ephesians 1:5).  There will be all kinds of distractions. Yes, you might even believe that you are sleeping with the enemy.  But you continue in what God has gifted you to do and before you know it, “Victory” will be yours. Then you will have to do like Josh Hamilton did as he was overcome with Joy in Victory: give all praise and glory to God, Jesus Christ!

…Can’t wait for that Movie!

 That’s Today’s SingleFocus

DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

“Labor not for the meat which perish, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” John 6:27(KJV)

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