Keith Burnett Ministries

Equipping for Evangelism

Encouragement: You Have the Very Best

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When was the last time the heavens seemed to be as brass? Did you need encouragement? You prayed, you cried out, and it all seemed to fall flat. Worse, you begged God to speak a fresh word to you and all you heard was the crickets chirping. I have some encouragement for you. The Father has not stopped speaking. But you may have been tempted to believe otherwise.

In Hebrews 1:1-3, we find:encouragement

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, v. 2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. v. 3) And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

If there were no other Scriptures to put to rest the idea that God has ceased to communicate, these verses are more than enough. We have the clearest communication of God’s love in the Person of Jesus Christ. In past times, God spoke by ones such as me. The prophets were people like us. The Apostles were people like us. The message was not clear enough.

The Encouragement of Invitation

Now, our Father communicates through One like Him; the Son. His message says we can exchange our sin for His righteousness. If we do, we can join the royal family. We get to be joint-heirs with Him! Remembering that is a great encouragement. And added to that is a Divine invitation. We see one version of it in Hebrews 4:16.

The Encouragement of His Excellency

God’s Son is not merely a prophet. The people who thought He was just a prophet (John 9:17) were wrong. Their error was not seeing that the goodness of every prophet of any age is met and exceeded by Him. And proof is provided in Philippians 2:9-11.

The Encouragement of His Word and Power

In His speaking, He is without mistake. His Word divides between soul and spirit. In power, He is unmatched. Moses directed the wind that divided the Red Sea, but the power was not His. In fact, His direction took place because he was instructed to give it!  Jesus holds the power. The power to make fire fall from the sky did not reside in Elijah. Jesus has that power and He is without peer.

The Encouragement of His Life

encouragementEvery prophet was laid to rest. Jesus has power to lay down His life and take it up again. No matter the features or appearance of the prophets and Apostles, His beauty excels them all. They commanded respect, but His majesty is without equal. In every aspect of life, Jesus surpasses and excels them all. The degree to which He does so cannot be described in human vocabulary!

The Father could not have sent us anyone better. And this is the One He sends to say to you,

Love Me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  

In verse 2: “… whom He appointed heir of all things.” Why do you suppose this phrase is included? The Father is telling us Jesus, His Son, can deliver on any and all promises that have been made to us. How can He do this? He is the heir of all things. Nothing that is, or ever will be, can exist outside His possession and control! EVERYTHING is subject to Him.  Consider:

  • His hand holds all stars, planets, galaxies
  • He controls the continents, oceans, mountains, rivers, and winds
  • He owns all the natural resources of every nation
  • All kingdoms, countries, and military powers move at His command for His purposes
  • All life is His because He is Life
  • He can do for you, and through you, all He has said He will do
  • You can trust Him because He is able. (He Who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it! see Philippians 1:6)

This is the One from Whom we receive so great an invitation to love. If we do not hear what He has to say, we will not hear.

Encouragement in Growing

In Eat This Book, Peterson cites Psalm 40:6. Depending upon the translation, the words will convvey that God is opening our hearing or our ears. The Hebrew word we translate as opening literally means dug. Think of chiseling a hole into cement. That cement is my head (not flattering, I know). God has to cut away what is me in order to open my understanding of Him. The awesome part is, He is willing enough, able enough, and loving enough to do it.

I’ll leave you with these great words of David from Psalm 40:

How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.  Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”

Here is my prayer,

Lord, keep digging; I want to hear You better and know You more!

Surely I am not alone in needing to pray that prayer. Think about it!

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

Infinite Joy

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joy

Infinite Joy

Do we want joy or unhappiness? Dumb question? We anticipate times of joy 2joy and celebration. We even long for them. It should be encouraging to know infinite joy has always been God’s plan. And it still is! This post is a little ‘academic’ but that can be good! So stay with it…and be blessed by God’s call, promise, and provision.

Joy: In Context

Scholars caution against interpreting Scripture without addressing its context.[1]  The Greatest Commandment is a broad Biblical theme. It’s God’s prescription for Man’s fallen condition. In Eden’s Garden, God’s relationship with Man was perfect. God designed it that way and declared it to be so. Then Man questioned God’s love for him. He was tempted to love himself more than God and then rejected God by choosing his own desires over those of God. That’s how sin entered the human race. The Bible is a record of God’s actions to restore His relationship with Man. So the Greatest Commandment is God’s instruction to rebuild that lost relationship.[2] It is a state of being rather than a task to be undertaken.

Deut 6-4The love command was given during Moses’ sermon on the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 6). Moses began with this:

You shall have no other Gods before Me, (Exodus 20:3).

The love God requires expresses itself in worship of Him.  This is Man’s ‘right’ state of being as defined by God. The divine call is found in Deuteronomy 6:4 –

Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one Lord,

This draws attention to God’s unique worthiness to be worshiped. He alone is Self-existent and infinite in all His attributes. Our priority is to worship and honor God for Who He is. The necessity of commanding Man’s love for God only underscores the heights from which Man has fallen.

Original Joy

In the Garden of Eden, Man’s worship was ‘face-to-face.’ After the Fall, Man faced the prospect of loving God from his fallen, spiritually dead state. After Adam, there was no memory of what it was like to love and worship God as He intended. The Apostle Paul noted this when he wrote:

Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known, (I Corinthians 13:12).

Paradise

Paradise

The Greatest Commandment is a call to worship. And that call holds the promise of once again worshiping God face to face. When that promise is realized worshipers will experience eternal journey into His inexhaustible love. How do we know that? Look here…

And that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God, (Ephesians 3:17b-19).

Did you see it? His love surpasses knowledge. It is infinite. For eternity we may plumb its depths and explore its heights, but we will never reach its end. So, God’s call to love Him above all calls us to infinite joy in a relationship that cannot be exhausted or fully explored.

Question: Is the certainty of infinite joy encouraging to you? Would it encourage someone that didn’t know about it? Will you help make sure they know?

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[1]David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1991), 57.  Bosch makes this point regarding any interpretation of the Great Commission apart from the setting and themes of Matthew.  D. A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), 130.  Carson makes the larger point of interpretation consistent with Biblical themes, not just those by one Biblical writer or another.  This broader point is engaged here.   

[2]Vernon M. Whaley, Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009), 5. “God created to establish relationship with those who are like Him (see Genesis 1:26 NLT)—and because He loves us—and loved us—even before we were born. He wants to reveal Himself as Lover of our souls.” 

Two Kinds of People in the World, Part 3

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mirror mirrorTwo kinds of people! Here’s a rhyme to for you:

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, where is Cinderella Mall? It’s next door to Star Wars hall! Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, how far did Humpty Dumpty fall? Tall is the Hogwarts wall, see Harry Potter, he’ll tell all! Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, is there more than two kinds of people on this terrestrial ball? Yes! The ones that don’t believe, the ones that do believe, and the ones that make believe!

Do you take offense? Take that up with Jesus. Why? It was He Who said:

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven.

At the very least that means we have some people around us who are not being truthful with themselves. They have practiced Make Believe. They called Him LORD but He didn’t control their lives. Their ‘action’ was missing (see previous post). Jesus said loving God most is the greatest of His commands. He also said if we love Him, we will keep His Commandments. It’s Make Believe (like Cinderella) to think it’s OK with Him to pick and choose what we will obey. It’s Make Believe (like Star Wars) to think it doesn’t matter what one believes as longland of make believe as they are sincere in their belief.

Couldn’t I have saved a lot of space by just reminding you of a couple of things? Maybe, but that wouldn’t make the point quite as well. You see, this exercise wasn’t about convincing me there are only two kinds of people in the world. The Make Believe group is really just part of the I Don’t Believe crowd (see Part 2 post). They just lack the honesty to admit it. Their self-deception makes it difficult to convince them of the truth.

This is about convincing Believers only two groups exist. Eternity has only two destinations. Believers, you know some Make Believers. You attend church with some of them! They are part of why Jesus was sent, and why He sends you! After all, He’s the One Who said:

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.believe

So the task is for Believers to accept the Truth. Understand there are Don’t Believers around you. Some of them are Make Believers. Whatever the case, lovingly speak the Truth to all. It does set people free!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Love & Valentine’s Day: 365 Day View

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Valentine's Day

Love & Valentine’s Day: 365 Day View

Valentine’s Day is about all-things-love, right? I will enjoy it and celebrate it with you. But why do we try to take life-encompassing ideas and reduce them to one day? We have Thanksgiving Day. But aren’t we thankful every day? And there’s Christmas Day. The fact that God took upon Himself the form of Man is another cause for everyday joy. So what is it about Valentine’s Day that extends to the other 364 days of each year?

Valentine’s Day: More Than Sentiment

Valentine's DayFor this special day to have year-long value it must go beyond Hallmark Cards, roses, and chocolate. The day’s trapping are not the best connections to its underlying idea. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about love. And love is something that has value every day of every year. But that lasting value is not found in a special dinner, sappy sentimentality, or a brief retreat from distracted living. Genuine love is very intentional.

Valentine’s Day: The Intentional Example

How do we view love? Our language doesn’t serve us well in this case. We say: I love my…

  • Car
  • Lunch
  • Job
  • Spouse

Valentine's DayNow, we may in fact love each of those things. But we don’t love each of them to the same degree. So where do we see an enduring, reliable example of love? God is the only perfect One in the universe. It just makes sense to look at His love. What we see will benefit us all year long.

Love is intentional and it also takes action. This was a lesson Jesus taught. He was asked to name the greatest commandments. To illustrate the second commandment, what it means to love your neighbor as yourself, Jesus gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan. This Samaritan man took action where others did not. So love that’s God-like has a corresponding actions. But this isn’t an isolated teaching.

God set the example for love and actions. You know John 3:16? Of course you do. It contains this principle:

God so loved the world that He GAVE…

Real love acted; it gave. But that isn’t all. Romans 5:8 gives us another clear example of this principle:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Valentine's DayThere it is again! But that takes us to another principle. The expressive actions of love are for a purpose. What purpose? The benefit of its object. We are the objects of God’s affections. He expressed His divine love by acting on our behalf and providing a way for us to receive forgiveness. So far this doesn’t look like the run-of-the-mill Valentine’s Day sentiment!

I’ll wrap this up with a connection to something already said. Love intends its actions. That means the actions are carefully chosen and planned. Here is proof:

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

Valentine’s Day: All 365 Days

Even a brief look at real love shows us we have much to improve. But improving is always a good thing. Love like God loves. Let your love express itself with proper actions; actions that will bless, benefit, and delight the objects of your affection. And be intentional!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

PS – We often love others the way we want to be loved. Or, we love them the way ‘they should’ want to be loved (our judgment!). And either of those things can be like standing in front of someone who doesn’t speak English and yelling, I LOVE YOU! Love others in ‘their language.’ This may help – The Five Love Languages

 

In Order To Form A More Perfect…Definition?

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mission statementA Perfect Mission Statement: In order to form a better…Life & Mission

Does a perfect mission statement exist? The cover photo makes us laugh because we have all seen a mission statement that is convoluted and/or confusing. And many of us have had to work in an organization guided by such statements. We like clarity and we need it. And there’s always room to improve unless what we have is perfect. But can any mission statement be perfect for all situations?

Definitions

mission statementIn the previous posts we examined the roles that define our lives. And we learned there is a divine priority in those life-defining roles. Disciple is the priority role for all who follow Jesus Christ. That role defines every other part of our lives. But how should we define a disciple’s mission statement? What is their purpose for living?

Those questions can be easily answered. But doing it too quickly doesn’t serve us well. Why? There are some wrong answers that have taken root in many places. Looking at them will help us see the beauty of a perfect mission statement. It really does exist!

Good Things In Wrong Places

As we saw with our personal relationships, good things can cause problems if they are out of order. Many good things have been used to make a mission statement for disciples. Worship and evangelism are two good examples.

Worship

mission statementOnly God is worthy of worship. His worship is prescribed in the Ten Commandments. And the Greatest Commandment is about worship. Loving Him above all else is worship. So how can worship be out of line as a believer’s mission statement? And the answer is: It depends! How we define worship is the key.

Volumes have been written on the subject. A simple contrast will make the point. Have you ever heard of Gregorian Chant? There was a time when people thought worship was a believer’s defining mission. And properly defined, it is. But their expression of that belief was to lock themselves away from the world and sing the ‘latest worship choruses’ all day and night. Is that the kind of worship God desires or requires?

If an all-consuming love is what God requires (and He does), and if we define that as worship, then what is love? Many think only in terms of sentimental feelings. God loved us but it was far beyond sentimentality. Notice:

God so loved the world that He gave… (John 3:16)

Christ demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners He died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Love that is worthy is like God’s love. It demonstrates itself. Love takes action. Jesus used the parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of loving one’s neighbor. The Samaritan man acted where others would not. But Jesus also connected worship and actions as He resisted Satan’s temptation. Satan enticed Jesus to fall down and worship him. But Jesus’ answer makes the connection we need to see:

You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve. (Matthew 4:10). 

Furthermore, Jesus said if we love Him we will keep His commandments. Again, there is the connection between loving God and the actions we take. So should worship define our lives? Absolutely. But it’s to be a worship that drives proper actions. And what actions would be named in a perfect mission statement?

Evangelism

mission statementThe English word evangelism derives from a word found three times in the New Testament. From it we get evangelize, evangelist, and evangelism. It is clear we should bring others to Christ. But is evangelism a believer’s perfect mission statement? Is evangelism the sum total of our earthly mission? If not, is Biblical evangelism different than today’s usual practice of it? There is a difference. And it is found in definitions!

Jesus’ perfect mission statement is large enough to encompass the purpose for living. But many have attempted to redefine His statement. In doing so they have taken a good thing (evangelism) and substituted it for a better thing. And they have significantly reduced the scope of what it means to evangelize.

In many instances evangelism means sharing the Gospel and seeing someone surrender their lives to the Lordship of Christ. That is truly a great thing. I work to see those moments and I teach others to do the same thing. But that moment is an event. It is not the total of evangelism. And if our definition stops there then predictable problems will arise. Guess what! Those problems are all around us.

The Perfect Mission Statement

There is one. I had no idea it would take this many words to get this far. So for now just consider the ideas and definitions in these three posts. The next episode will deal exclusively with the perfection of Jesus’ words to us.

Soli Deo Gloria!  

 

God’s Rx: Beauty In The Why

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Thank You

Saying Thank You…God’s Rx: Beauty In The Why

Thank You! Two words unlock a beautiful, divine gift. But the gift can only be seen if we refuse to see our Father in our own light. What? Let’s start with something we all know and work our way up!

Thank You: How we see it

As a ministry family, we have received hundreds of invitations in our time. They have included invitations to:

  • Graduations (High School, College, & Seminary)
  • Baby Showers
  • Wedding Showers
  • Anniversary Celebrations
  • Weddings
  • Receptions

Now, you know what goes with most of those invitations. Each is an opportunity to send a gift. Nothing wrong with that. But each gift is also an opportunity for a thank you note. Did we receive one such note for every gift sent? You know we didn’t. And that can be challenging when the ‘unthankful’ high school grad sends out invitations to a college graduation. That is also true when one receives an invitation to a baby shower from an ‘unthankful’ bride. Was gratitude missing? That’s debatable. But acknowledgement was missing. Now, hold on to that very human thought.

Thank You: God’s Perspective

Thank YouWe are fallen, finite, created beings. Our Father is so very different from us. He is holy, infinite, and Self-existent. He has no needs. Our Father is perfectly good in all His ways. Whatever He does is good and perfect because that is Who and What He is. Now, let’s apply that thought to His prescription in Psalm 100:4. When the Father says:

Come into His gates with thanksgiving…

Is there some need in God Almighty to hear a Thank You echoing in the halls of heaven? No. He has no needs of any kind. So what is the importance of the command? Who is it for?

Thank YouIn the previous post I said this command was connected to worship. And that connects us to the Greatest Commandment. It is a worship commandment. To love the Lord with all of our being is our highest calling. What or Who we love summarizes our being. And all of our actions will flow out of who we are. So this great being Commandment is followed by the Second Commandment:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

This is the doing Commandment. And gratitude is an essential part of our being and our doing!

Acknowledging Gifts: It’s For Our Good

Saying Thank You to our Father is to acknowledge His hand in our lives. But that is just the beginning. It also acknowledges His character. He is the Author of every good and perfect gift. What He gives is perfect even when/if we don’t see it that way. He cannot give an imperfect gift! Just ponder that thought a minute or two.

Thank YouWhen we say Thank You we are confessing and affirming that what we have been given is beyond ourselves. We did not provide it. Whatever we have been given came through the power and grace of Another. This causes us to turn our attention and focus off ourselves. And that is extremely beneficial for all us sinful creatures.

Our modern understanding of mental health disorders shows us the beauty of our Father’s care. Many mental disorders are associated with an inordinate focus on self. Self awareness and self preservation are good, God-given things. But self-focus can get out of line and become unhealthy. So what does our loving Creator God and Father prescribe for His now fallen, sinful children: Worship and Thanksgiving!

Thank You, Worship, Health

Self-focus is a danger with a long history. First, there was Satan. He wanted to focus the praise of God on himself. This caused a rebellion in heaven and he was expelled as a result. Second, look at Nebuchadnezzar. He was so focused on himself (impressed with himself) that he literally lost his sanity.

So our very loving Father command us to do two things that benefit us. To worship is to focus our minds and attentions on Another. When we love Him rightly He consumes our thoughts. And we know:

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

And just to make sure we don’t mess up and harm ourselves, He says we are to give thanks. We are to acknowledge what He has done. What a beautiful set of reasons behind some very simple commands. Enjoy giving thanks, it’s for your good!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

 

Leader Loves – What They Tell Us

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Leader

Leader Loves – What They Tell Us

What does a leader love? The answer will tell you a great deal about the leader. Jesus said it this way,

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Jesus was referencing heavenly treasure vs. earthly treasure. But the principle applies in a broad way. What a person treasures tells you where their heart is. So I ask again, What does a leader treasure?

Leader Loves – The Good

I am generally talking about church leaders. And more specifically, I am talking about pastors. What does a church leader love? What should they love? Maybe they love things like:

  • Teaching
  • Preaching
  • Evangelism
  • Church Growth

Those things are good and seem worthy of love. Wouldn’t you agree? But even these good things are not worthy of possessing a leader’s heart!

Leader Loves – The Lesser

The religous leaders of Jesus’ day loved some things. And what they loved is an informative indictment against them. Jesus pointed these things out in Mark 12:38-40 ~

Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.

That seems bad enough by itself. However, we need to understand what some of these terms really mean. Notice:

  • Long robes – Worn by the wealthier people; those who enjoyed some leisure
  • Greetings – Recognition of their ‘status’ in society
  • Chief seats – Always at the head of the line; demanding the ‘perks’ of their position
  • Devouring – Taking advantage of the misfortune of others; not protectors of God’s people
  • Long Prayers – Showmanship in worship and/or the workplace, i.e. Look how spiritual I am! 

The Scribes were intended to be trustworthy leaders. Jesus told the people to beware of them. What they loved showed they were not worthy of trust. And when we ‘translate’ the things they loved to modern equivalents we can see striking similarities to many of today’s church leaders. (Just calling it what it is!) The leaders Jesus described were no longer protectors of God’s people. They were predators.

Leader Loves: The BestLeader

It’s interesting that Jesus’ description of those leaders came on the heels of stating the Greatest Commandment. It is a stark contrast. Loving God with one’s total being will include loving the people and things that God loves. Those leaders professed to love God first, but their actions proved otherwise.

A trustworthy leader is one who doesn’t settle for good when Best is available. The things listed above (preaching, teaching, etc.) are good things. But there is One much more worthy. He is the Best One. And if a leader loves Him more than life itself, then he/she is worthy of trust. And even this idea is in the text at hand.

After describing suspect leaders, Jesus observed the widow who put all she had into the offering. She was the leader worth imitating. Why? She set an example of loving God enough to trust Him with everything she was and everything she had. And that is what God demands of leaders.

Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Peace of Purpose

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Peace of Purpose

The Peace of Purpose

Ever tried to be someone or something you are not? There is peace in knowing your purpose! Many never find their purpose and they never know peace. The good news is, purpose is easy for all to find. It has been plainly stated and placed before us all! The challenge might be liking it when we find it.

Peace of Purpose

In all of human history there have only been two kinds of people. There are those who:

  • Love God and serve Him
  • Do not know God and do not serve Him

The second group will never know real purpose in life. Consequently they will never have a deep, abiding peace. The value of this post to that group is to say, Purpose and peace in life is possible!

peaceEveryone in the first group should have the peace that God’s purpose brings. The problem is, many don’t know their purpose. So even though the blessing of peace is available to them, they often do not experience it.

If you are a member of the Love God & Serve Him group, then you recognize the Greatest Commandment in the name I chose for this group. So how do we serve Him? When Satan tempted Jesus to bow down and worship him, Jesus’ reply was:

You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.

Loving God first is the focus of worship. And genuine worship will always bring about service. The two go hand in hand. Jesus’ answer is evidence of that. Satan’s temptation had no reference to service, but Jesus’ answer makes the connection between the two.

So how does all this relate to the peace that many find so elusive? First, our primary purpose in living is to love God more than anything or anyone else. In fewer words, our purpose is to be a disciple. Second to that is our service. Jesus’ defined and focused our service in Matthew 28:19. We are to make disciples.

With that, it gets very easy to see and state our purpose. We can turn Love God & Serve Him into:

Be a disciple – make disciples

As I said in the beginning, finding purpose is actually easy. We often want things to be be more complicated than they are. Can purpose in life really be that easy? It is. You might find it challenging to accept and like your God-given purpose. But embracing it will bring you peace.

Now, as helpful as this post may be, let me give you a heads up. In one of the blogs I follow I ran across a great piece on this subject. I’ll share it in the next post! Stay tuned.

Soli Deo Gloria! 

 

 

 

 

Blessings: How To Get Them

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Life Lessons Blessings

Life Lessons – God’s Blessings

Why is the title intriguing? Aren’t people always concerned with bigger, better, and more? Or, do some have an honest lack of understanding about God and His blessings? Is there a way to know we can receive His blessings? The answers to my questions, in order, are:

  • Intrigue: It’s about self-interest – not necessarily a bad thing
  • Bigger, Better, More: Yes, that describes many (dark side of self-interest)
  • Misunderstanding: Yes, it is widespread
  • Can we know: Yes!

Life Lessons: Blessings Are Not About YOU!

If we want to receive a blessing, why is it not about us? Because blessings are all about the character and nature of God. What we think of as blessings-to-receive are, in most cases, things He has obligated Himself to do. Said another way, God has made it possible for us to benefit when He keeps His Word. Our wise Father employs our sense of self-interest to encourage us. What is the point of His encouragement?

Life Lessons: It’s Not About Bigger, Better, More

There is a healthy degree self-interest. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

You have not because you ask not.

Our healthy self-interest should take over right there! We should be obedient to the Father and ask! Why? Because our asking Him is His idea. In His wisdom, He uses a healthy self-interest to promote our obedience. Why? Our obedient asking focuses our thoughts and intentions on the One Who knows best to give us what is best. See it clearly. His instruction is for us to ask, trusting Him with the answer. He did not tell us to demand!

There is also an unhealthy degree of self-interest. Scripture also addresses this:

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it upon your pleasures

Our motive matters! What should our motive be? To get the obvious out of the way, we don’t ask so we can have. We don’t yield to Him in obedience so we can get something. It’s true, He does promise to reward our obedience. But our motive is wrapped up in:

  • Love for Him (Greatest Commandment)
  • Faith in His Promises
  • His glory for what He does and provides

Life Lessons: Blessings Are NOT Payment-in-Kind

Is God a debtor to anyone? No. Does He say that giving to the poor among us is the same as lending to Him? Yes. Does He promise to repay in abundance? Yes. Now comes the misunderstanding part. Scripture makes statements like:

With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Even so, there is NO statement that if my gift is money God will give money in return. He may or He may not. What He will give is what is best for Him to give. He will give the best that’s possible and it will come abundance. Why? Because we exercised faith in His promises and faith in His goodness.

So how can we be sure we will receive a blessing from God? We must know what He says, believe what He says, and act on what He says. His blessing will follow and it will always be what is best, not necessarily what we think it ought to be!

Blessings To Be Claimed

Many of you are giving or your time, talents, and treasures to many good things. I am glad. For some of

Barahona

This Little Guy From Barahona

you, supporting this ministry is part of your giving. I am also glad about that! For others, you’re hesitant to trust and let faith guide you in helping others. May I suggest a small step is better than no step?

This Little Guy is a place you can help. Read about him in the link. ROW’s orphanage in Barahona, Dominican Republic is another place that needs your help. You can help financially and/or you can help with the construction of the new Orphanage Director’s quarters. We need to take a team in early June to do this work. I can’t think of better opportunities to experience the truth God tells us:

  • It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Soli Deo Gloria! 

 

Reminders Build a Better You – Podcast

By

Better You Better World Podcast

Better You Better WorldSimple reminders can help build a better you. Reminders like the string on your finger can help you perform better. However, they aren’t reminders with the power to build a better you.

Our Father takes care of us in a multitude of ways. We don’t even know them all! But that isn’t a foreign concept. Think about your own kids. You do things for them that escape their notice. They really don’t comprehend or fully appreciate your efforts until they become parents.

Our Father has stated what He desires very simply: Love the Lord your God with all your heart… In fact, we are told all God’s requirements stem from this commandment and the one that follows: Love your neighbor as yourself. That’s simple enough to understand. It’s a bit more challenging to do!

Be encouraged! God gives us reminders. He wants to help us. This is true 365 days a year. But it gets very easy to see during the Christmas season. The Better You Better World Podcast will unpack five great reminders that can help build a better you. And this time of year, they are all around you. 🙂

Soli Deo Gloria! 

Playbar for the Better You Better World Podcast, OR, you can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

 

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Keith Burnett Ministries
P.O. Box 803
Scottsboro, AL 35768
(256) 244-5453
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