Intentional Encouragement

     I've been mulling over a verse lately that God graciously pointed out to me about 10 years ago during my devotions one day.  I'm working out the ramifications of it again just now, so I thought I'd share a little bit of that with you.      At the time God brought this verse to my attention I was searching for his direction for me and my family.  We had sought to go to Australia as church-planters and that door had closed...slammed in our faces.  We spent months searching for the direction God would have us take.  I came to the conclusion that I might not ever be in ministry again on a full time basis.  There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel.       One day during that time I was reading toward the end of Exodus.  Specifically, I was reading God's command to Moses to lead the children of Israel away from Mount Sinai.  After the disaster of the golden calf incident (read...

     I know; that's a pretty broad title and it could set up a whole series of posts.  It's not going to.  I simply wanted to remind you that, although life gets confusing at times and we have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to the various directions or activities that we will pursue, the basic purpose is still pretty simple.      The first in a series of messages I recently commenced at our church began with this challenge:  Why are YOU here?  What is your purpose for being on the planet?  It may surprise you to realize that it is really the same purpose for which Jesus came to earth.  He knew that purpose very early in life.  The second chapter of Luke records the occasion when his family had traveled to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover for Jesus' Bar Mitzvah (he was 12).  At the end of the feast, his parents returned with the caravan headed back toward Nazareth.  Once they realize...