[This is part of the Finish What You Started Series]

As technology has advanced, a strange thing has happened. The things that were supposed to make our life easier are in fact making them busier. Email, text messaging, blogging, social media, the list goes on.

Rather than accomplishing a task and using the time we saved to relax with friends and family, we decide to use that time to get more things done. As we send more info out through the channels I’ve mentioned, we now have more coming back. This requires more time from us and before we know it our schedule is slammed full.

Realistically, this can only go on for so long. No matter how slick your new phone is, no matter how fast the latest computer is, we still only have 24 hours in a day. As we continue to pile up responsibilities, eventually our plate becomes so full that something has to give. This is where having our priorities straight is a life saver.

The Cost of Not Prioritizing

When our priorities are not in order, everything can begin to carry the weight of the world. Everything begins to have equal importance. We begin to incessantly check our Twitter and Facebook feeds to see if any one has left a comment. We jump in and out of email hoping to find something, or someone that needs our attention. While we’re sitting at work, sitting at home with family, or just about anywhere else, we are not focused on them the way we should be. Instead we are worried we’ll miss something that’s going on elsewhere. As a result, the things that are “truly” important can get neglected as we give our attention to the things that “seem” important. If this continues for too long, it can cost us heavily. Relationships are neglected, jobs are hindered, and opportunities are lost. To be busy doing seemingly “good” things, prevents us from accomplishing great things. As much as we don’t want to admit it, we can’t possibly keep this level of activity up forever. Something has to give, and if it doesn’t, then our sanity will.

A Challenge to Prioritize Your Life

So as we start a new year, lets start by getting our priorities straight. Lets decide now what is most important to us. Then, when things pile up, we can be sure that we will make a wise choice in what we decide to set aside, whether for a season or altogether. This is why I haven’t blogged in three months. Life served up some unexpected circumstances, and my schedule became so busy, that I had to set the blog aside. As much as I love to blog, it was not my top priority. Now that things are starting to get in order I can begin blogging again.

If you are going to finish what you started in every area of life, be it marriage, family, ministry, etc, then you need to start by getting your priorities straight! So get a piece of paper and a pen and make your list. Then share that list with someone who can hold you accountable. Trust me, you’ll be thankful you did!

How about you: Have you ever been guilty of getting your priorities mixed up? How did you resolve it?

[This is part of the Finish What You Started Series]
Why do some people last in ministry, while others don’t? What separates them? Is it Resources? Giftedness? Anointing? In my experience, one big difference between those that last and those that don’t is this: They know their calling!

While many things contribute to our endurance in ministry, none may be as important as this. Think about it. How can we possibly finish a task if we aren’t even sure where or why it began? Before we can serve the Lord effectively, we must ask ourselves, “What is God Calling me to do?”

When You Know Your Calling

• You will know Who you are called to be
• You will know What you are called to do
• You will know Where you are called to do it

Many people quit ministry because they grow weary trying to serve in areas God has not called them to. This hurts a ministry in at least two ways. First, the ministry loses the person who quit due to burn out, second, they lose the person that should have been serving in that capacity but wasn’t because the job was getting done by someone else.

Knowing Where God has called you to be is equally important. The right ministry done in the wrong place will still lead to unnecessary hardships. When we operate in the ways we are called to, we find joy and strength. Remember, Jesus said His burden is light.

Three Reasons You Need To Know Your Calling

You Are Assured of God’s Guidance, Protection, and Provision

Can you imagine Joshua trying to lead the Israelites if he had not first heard from God? No matter what we set out to do in ministry, there will come a point when we have nothing to rely upon but the call of God. In Joshua 7:6-9, Joshua does this when he asks God to keep His promise to the Israelites, because if He doesn’t, then God’s reputation will be marred. At first this seems arrogant. But when you are confident that God called you, you can boldly ask for protection and provision as you do His will. This isn’t so easy when you don’t know your calling.

You Are Shielded Against the Attacks of Satan

Satan hates what you are doing so he seeks to stop you. One of his main tactics is discouragement. He repeatedly tells you you’re unfit for the job. To give up and go home. His lies can be so effective that even when you know your calling they can seem convincing. When you don’t know your calling, you play to his strengths. But when you do, the Holy Spirit will use it to continually assure you He chose you and sent you.

You Are Strengthened in Times of Trial

Ministry is not all peaches. Pastor Mike Macintosh has jokingly said “Ministry would be great if it weren’t for the people”! We all feel this at times. The people you love and invest in can be the ones that hurt you the most. It’s an excruciating experience. Jesus experienced it first hand. So will you and I. During these times you will be faced with the temptation to quit. When you know your calling, you gain another perspective, mainly that God is using these trials to refine your life, character, and ministry.

Get it in Writing

Before I left for Costa Rica in 2005, a close friend gave me some of the wisest counsel I’ve ever received. He challenged me to pray and ask the Lord to give me a verse that would confirm my calling. Why do this? Because when things get really tough, it becomes very easy to second guess what you are doing. When God confirms something to you through His Word it has greater impact upon your life. Then, when your emotions betray you, God’s word will stand like a monument, reminding you of God’s call.

While ministry is tough, it is also the greatest thing you can be a part of on this earth. But if you are going to finish what you started, it’s important to know your calling!

How about you? How has knowing or not knowing your calling impacted your life and ministry?

My family and I have been living on the mission field since 2005. That may not seem like long, but it is long enough to see many people come and go. Some have come and gone simply because their commitment was fulfilled, others because the Lord moved them to new ministries. Still others have left for more difficult reasons.

But, all of the missionaries I’ve met shared one thing in common, we’ve all contemplated quitting at some point. I have seen and learned a lot since 2005. It has been well said that experience can be one of our greatest teachers. Here are some of the things that will make it easier for someone to not only survive but thrive in your ministry and on the mission field.

At first, I thought I would just write this in one post. But I realized that I had a lot more to say. That’s no surprise to those of you that know me well. So, I’ve decided to write a blog series. In this series I will write about the lessons and insights that I have gained on the mission field. While this is written with missionaries in mind, most of the principles apply to everyone in ministry, at any level. So I hope you take the time to read them. More than that, I hope you find value in them. Ministry, and missions, is hard. These posts are designed to give you another perspective that will hopefully encourage you and strengthen you so that you can survive, and thrive in your call.

This post will serve as the table of contents for this series. As I publish each post it will be linked here. Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come. Let me know what you think in the comments. Also feel free to leave suggestions for potential posts. This list of topics may change or be rearranged as needed, in order to create better flow.

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1. Know Your Calling
2. Get Your Priorities Straight
3. God’s Gotta Do a Work IN YOU First.
4. God is a Patriot, Not an American
5. God is Faithful
6. Who Do You Serve?
7. The Real Ministry Begins at Home
8. Don’t re-invent the wheel
9. Be an Ox, Not a Butterfly
10. The Battle is Fierce
11. From The Wilderness to the Desert
12. Stay The Course
13. Failed? God’s Not Through With You Yet!

This month, Calvary Chapel Jaco celebrated it’s 6 year anniversary. It amazes me how fast time has gone by and how much God has done. It seems like yesterday that we were just landing in Costa Rica.

As I think back upon the last six years, I think of all the things we have been through as a church. For a small fellowship, in a small town, we have surely seen our share of trials and successes! It has been an adventurous ride to say the least. It has also been a learning experience. While there have been many things that we have learned, there are still many more lessons to be learned for sure. Of course, there are also the lessons that we must re-learn from time to time as well. But as I reflect, I think of three major lessons that have brought us to this point. I shared these with the church and I would like to share them here as well. You see, not only have these three things been critical in regards to making it this far, but I believe that they will also be critical moving forward. So, without further delay, here they are:

The Work Requires Focus, Therefore, We Must Continue To Stay The Course
There has not been a shortage of people that believe they know Gods will for my life or this ministry. But the Lord has continued to press two things upon my heart.
- Be who God created you to be
When He created us, He did so knowing how we would turn out. He created us and gifted us in such a way as to use us for His purposes. While we should always be growing in the Lord, we shouldn’t try to become someone else. We must be who He created us to be as a person and as a church, collectively.

- Do what God called you to do
God calls us with a specific purpose in mind. He is a specific God. We must know what His will and calling is, then we must do it. I like to call this “plowing the row in front of you”. We can’t get caught up with what other people or churches are doing. If we become envious or jealous of the work others are doing, we will get off track and fail to fulfill our ministry. So, we must stay focused. In Colossians 4:17, Paul says to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” This is critical for all believers if we are going to finish well. We must fulfill OUR ministry, not that of others.

The Battle is Fierce, Therefore, We Must Continue To Stand Strong
As a person or a ministry grows, they become more effective for Christ. Satan takes notice of these things and does everything he can to stop it. He loves to destroy a work before it can really get started. He also tries to discourage us so that we simply give up and quit. Paul warns us of this in Ephesians 6. He tells us that we wrestle against the spiritual hosts of wickedness and therefore we must STAND!

The Lord is Faithful, Therefore, We Must Continue To Trust in Him
The greatest thing we have seen these past 6 years is that God is faithful! He has guided the church, He has provided for the church, and He has protected the church. There is no doubt in my mind that this is His church. So we must continue to wait upon Him, walk with Him, and trust in Him every step of the way. He is the rock that we must be founded upon and build upon. Hopefully, He will always be the one getting all the glory as well!

While it is always exciting to look back at what the Lord has done, it is even more exciting to look ahead. I believe that the best years are in front of us! In many ways, this ministry is just getting started. The foundation is just being laid. The vision is yet to come to pass. So let’s continue to seek the Lord whole-heartedly, let’s seek to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and let’s shine our light for Jesus Christ!

The old man’s beat up truck slowly approached the stop light. His wife sat in the passenger seat, as she always did. Looking out the window she noticed a young couple in the car next to them. Watching them cuddle, she began to reminiesce of times past when she and her husband did the same. Looking over at her husband, she said, “why don’t we sit close like that anymore”? With his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel he calmly replied, “I haven’t moved”.

What’s Love Got to do With It?

So often, this is what happens in our marriages. Before we know it, we start to drift. Of course, we never intend for this to happen, but suddenly you realize, things are not what they once were.

When we said our vows, we believed that the marriage would be happy forever. Then, reality sets in, responsibilities take over. Life moves forward at a blistering pace. We may wake up one day and realize that the honeymoon is over. We don’t feel the same love that we once did. Sadly, this is the point at which many marriages deteriorate. If our marriage is going to last, we have to be prepared for these inevitably difficult times. Most people go into marriage believing that love alone is all they need. In reality, it’s just not that simple.

The “Seemingly Mundane” Side of Marriage

If we are going to have a marriage that last a lifetime, then we need to have at least two things in addition to love. The first is “WILL”! By that I mean, choice. Specifically, making the choice to stay in our marriage. Sounds exciting doesn’t it! There’s nothing that will sweep you off your feet about “will”. That’s why we see so little of it in hollywood movies. But the truth is that no marriage can last a lifetime without “will”. This is what keeps us going when we don’t feel “in love”.

The second thing we need, is “WORK”! A marriage that last a lifetime requires A LOT of WORK. So many marriages struggle because they wait until they have a problem before they put any work into the relationship. Let me use the analogy of a car. If you blow up the engine in your car because you didn’t change the oil, then it’s going to take much more than an oil change to get it running again. Yet, a simple oil change BEFORE it blew up would have prevented the disaster all together. The same idea applies to marriage.

Making “Happily Ever After” A Reality

People tend to say “if it isn’t broke then don’t fix it”. But when it comes to marriage this attitude can lead to trouble. Rather, we should say, “as long as I’m willingly maintaining my marriage, it won’t break”. That is when we will begin to experience what it truly means to live happily ever after! Are you and your spouse regularly strengthening your marriage or are you hoping that love alone will be enough? What will you do when you don’t feel love anymore? I have found great value in regularly doing things to strengthen my marriage. Things like:

• Going on weekly dates: This can be anything. A nice dinner out, a visit to your local coffee shop for some time to talk, or even just sitting on the couch together and talking after the kids go to bed. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, just do it. And consider throwing out the idea that Quality is better than Quantity. When it comes to marriage they are equally important. A really deep 10 minutes, just won’t cut it!
• Reading books on marriage: I admit, my wife has read far more marriage books than I have. But us guys still need to read them too. There are some great books out there. Pick one and read it one chapter at a time. Don’t get stuck in the, “I just don’t have time” mentality. Plan to get together with your spouse and review what you thought of that chapter.
• Attending marriage retreats: These are always a fun way to invest in your marriage. My wife and I attend one annually that allows us to bring the kids. There are people that volunteer to do stuff with the kids while the parents are in session. Remember, we are on the mission field so our babysitting options are limited. Ideally you can attend one while family or friends take shifts with your children. Don’t be too prideful to let someone take them for “The Whole Weekend”! Yes you may feel a little sense of guilt leaving the responsibility to someone else for 3 days, but consider this…you are making an imperative investment in their future.
• Getting marriage counseling: This is a biggie. Don’t think of counseling in the sense of fixing what’s broken. Rather, it’s a chance to sharpen communication skills and build intimacy. Many people are not aware of this but my wife and I receive weekly marriage counseling and it has done amazing things in our marriage. Remember, this doesn’t have to be paid counseling. Try finding an older married couple in your church or community that is willing to invest in you. You could also check with your pastor. Many churches can offer counseling or at least point you in the right direction. Again, there are lots of great books you could go through with a mentoring couple.

With an act of your Will and intentional Work, you’ll see amazing results. Putting some of these ideas into practice regularly will bring you closer to “Happily Ever After”.

How About You?

What are some of the ways that you and your spouse strengthen your marriage?

Has life been difficult for you? Do you wonder what God is doing in your life? This clip sends a very powerful message to those who are in seasons of darkness. God is faithful! Philippians 1:6 says “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it…”. So watch this video and be encouraged!

In John 14:6 Jesus makes an astounding claim. He claims to be the only way in which man can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Later in Acts 4:12, Peter also says that Jesus is the only way of salvation. So, there is no other way for any human being to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, than through Jesus Christ.

Think about that for a minute…

The ONLY Way?

Throughout history people have struggled with this. They often ask questions like, “what about all the people that have never heard the gospel?” “The people that have never heard of the name Jesus Christ” “What if they desire God but were raised in another religion?” “Would God send those people to hell just because they didn’t know about Jesus?” These are hard questions!

Fortunately, the bible has answers. In Romans 1:19 the bible says that God has put it into the heart of man to seek after Him. Then, In Jeremiah 29:13, the Bible says that anyone who seeks God with all their heart will find Him. So God says that He puts it into our heart to seek Him and that if we seek Him, we will find Him. He isn’t playing hide and seek, He is desiring for us to turn to Him!

What Kind of God is He?

But getting back to our question, “What about the Pygmies”? In the book of Acts we see two examples that should give us hope and encouragement. In Acts 8, we see an Ethiopian man that is reading a portion of Isaiah. He has a heart to seek God but he doesn’t understand what he is reading and He certainly doesn’t know that Jesus is the only way of salvation.

Then, in Acts 10 and 11, we see a similar situation. A man named Cornelius is seeking after God with all his heart. Yet, up to this point, he has not heard of salvation through Jesus Christ. I Guess these guys are just out of luck right? What a mean, cruel God we serve! Sadly, this is how many people view these kinds of scenerios. But in reality, that’s not the case at all.

A Good and Loving God!

In both of these cases, we see something amazing. Both times God sends someone to preach the gospel to the people that were seeking Him and the people received salvation. That’s right, they found out about Jesus! It’s a beautiful picture of the truth that, regardless of our nationality, our religious background, or even our personal experience, if we seek God with all of our heart, we will find Him.

How? Because He will make sure of it! God’s word tells us this and God’s character assures it. So rest easy, because even the farthest reaching people can find salvation in Jesus Christ, God will make sure of it!

How About You?

How does this encourage you when you think about people in the world today that have not heard the gospel yet? How does this challenge you to be a part of seeing these people get reached? Feel free to comment below.

I love to get things done. It is a very satisfying feeling to see a to do list with everything checked off. I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember. Looking back on a job completed has always given me a sense of accomplishment. Because of this, all of my jobs before becoming a pastor had this characteristic to them.

But becoming a pastor changed that. No longer could success be measured by what was accomplished. Especially living on the mission field in Costa Rica. Both the culture and the ministry are relational in nature. This is great because I love to build relationships with people. But when I go a few days without getting things done on my to do list, I start to feel the weight of the tasks at hand.

The temptation to put relational opportunities on hold begins to creep in as the task list starts to feel more like a disgruntled task master who is being neglected.

This usually means putting my head down and trying to get something… anything, done. Of course, when these periods begin to drag on, I begin to feel guilty for putting off relational opportunities. And so the crazy cycle continues. Jumping from one urgent thing to the next leaves you tired, and feeling ineffective. I’m beginning to learn that the only way to break this cycle is to change my perspective. When it comes to getting things done, we have to keep it all in context. The reality is that both things are part of the work that God has called us to do. If we are going to find any balance, we need to learn to continually evaluate what is important. We must ask “What are the Lord’s priorities for today?”

We are servants. We serve Christ and His people. In order to do this effectively we must be spending time with the Lord daily. As we make our plans for the day, we need to “write them in pencil and give God the eraser”. Only then can we operate in the freedom of Christ. There will always be more to do in a day than we are able to accomplish. But, when we are walking with the Lord, He enables us to do more than we thought possible. When we are being led by the Spirit, we can be sure that what is most important will get accomplished. Then we don’t need to feel guilty over unchecked to do items. We should strive to measure our productivity according to the Lord’s priorities, not our own. This is the context that we must operate in daily if we are going to be productive in the Lord’s eyes.

How have you managed to keep your priorities in place?

In recent weeks the Lord has been ministering to me through Luke 11. In it, the disciples say to Jesus “Lord, teach us to pray”. From there Jesus begins to teach them some very profound things concerning prayer. Life changing actually (see Luke 11:13). Recently, I came across a book by Andrew Murray entitled “Lord, Teach Us To Pray”. Since I was reading this passage in Luke I decided to check out the book. For those of you
that don’t know

, I am a fan of Andrew Murray and have many of his books. Just a few pages into this one I came across this passage and thought I would share it with you.
Concerning prayer he says:

‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ Yes, we feel the need now of being taught to pray. At first there is no work appears so simple; later on, none that is more difficult; and the confession is forced from us: We know not how to pray as we ought.

Then he goes on to say:

It can only be learned in the school of much prayer, for practice makes perfect. Amid the painful consciousness of ignorance and unworthiness, in the struggle between believing and doubting, the heavenly art of effectual prayer is learnt. Because, even when we do not remember it, there is One, the Beginner and Finisher of faith and prayer, who watches over our praying, and sees to it that in all who trust Him for it their education in the school of prayer shall be carried on to perfection.

I like where he says “Amid the painful consciousness of ignorance and unworthiness, in the struggle between believing and doubting, the heavenly art of effectual prayer is learned.” Wow! How often have I felt those very things, been painfully aware of my faults, and therefore I didn’t pray. Yet, here he reminds us that it is in those times that we learn to pray most effectively. The truth is, the Holy Spirit is our guide in prayer and Jesus is waiting to commune with us in prayer. So how are we going to learn to pray effectively? By praying without ceasing, regardless of how we feel!

If you would like to check out the book for yourself, you can get it for free on both the Kindle store and the iBooks store.

Neglect of Prayer

“The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” – F.B. Meyer

This quote strikes a chord with me. I find that to “pray without ceasing” is not always easy to do. I regularly find myself getting distracted when it comes to prayer. Yet, the reality is that I must pray if I’m going to have any measure of victory in my life. Just the other day

I was talking about this dilemma with some close friends. We were discussing the prayer life of some popular Christians of old. Men like George Muller for example. Where did they find the time to pray for 1, 2, or even 3 hours a day? Where do we find the time? Then it occured to me. Maybe I’m going at this from the wrong angle. Rather than trying to pray for an hour at a time, maybe I should break it down over the course of the day.

Jumpstarting Your Prayer Life

Do you realize that if you take 5 minutes to pray every hour that you will have spent 1 hour and 20 minutes in prayer over the course of a 16 hour day. If you increase that to 10 minutes an hour then you just spent 2 hours and 40 minutes in prayer! Now let me be clear here. I’m not trying to create some “formula” for prayer. Prayer is an ongoing conversation between us and the Lord. We should be praying throughout the day as we go about our business. But when it comes to more fervent prayer, where do we start? When do we do it? For how long should we pray? No, I’m not trying to give a formula here, I’m just trying to show you how to jump start a prayer life that may have gone stagnant recently. But here’s the thing, once you start praying, it’s easier to remember more things to pray for, then, 10 minutes won’t be enough. You’ll find that by seeking to dedicate a short amount of time to prayer, you end up spending lots of time in prayer. Amazing when you look at it this way, isn’t it? Humbling too! Now I realize that I have no excuses not to be praying more regularly. But the reality is that it has been hard for me lately. This brings me to my next point.

Resistance to Prayer

I came across another quote recently that spoke about another reality of prayer.

“When we go to God by prayer, the devil knows we go to fetch strength against him, and therefore he opposeth us all he can.” -Richard Sibbs

So here is the predicament of prayer. When we don’t pray, we put ourselves in a more vulnerable position to fall into sin. When we do pray, we put ourselves in a position that will face more spiritual opposition. Satan tries to distract us from praying because, when we stop praying regularly, it makes us weaker. Satan wants us to believe that somehow, we might be better off not praying at all. But the reality is that he desires to destroy us whether we pray or not. So what should we do about this prayer predicament? We must pray, and pray without ceasing! Because as we draw nearer to God, Satan will flee from us. So be encouraged, and weather the storms of spiritual opposition and distractions that try to keep you from praying. Like all storms, these will pass in due time, and you and your prayer life will be stronger because of it.
Now if you’ll please excuse me, I need to go pray!

~ F.B. Meyer Quote via Lee Bezotte on Twitter
~ Richard Sibbs Quote via Britt Merrick on Twitter