By David Rathel
The podcast currently has 367 episodes available.
Nothing Matters More Than Knowing God's Purpose For Your Life And Nothing Can Compensate For Not Knowing It.” - Rick Warren. Elijah knew what his calling was, but yet he was depressed about it - Why? Because... The ultimate purpose in life is not what we do, but who we are doing it for. Elijah wanted to bring glory to himself.
estminster Shorter Catechism:
Q: What is the chief end of man?
A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.
“Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory.”
Isaiah 43:7
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
To Glorify God means to Magnify Him like a telescope magnifies an object in space and brings it closer.The reason God looks small is because I'm so far away. Magnifying God doesn't make Him bigger than He is. Magnifying God REVEALS how much bigger He is. If I have a Big God then I have Small Problems. But, if I have a Small God then I have Big Problems. When I magnify God I make Him bigger to the people around me.
When I magnify God I make Him bigger to myself. But, When I magnify God I make myself smaller... and I don't like that. Releasing Wrong Responsibility Reveals God's Glory. I Can't Glorify God And Try To Do His Job. I Try To Do God's Job When I Take Over The Responsibility Of Someone Who Is Falling Down On Their Job. When I Am doing Someone Else's Job Then I Am Living Their Life And Am Unable To Do My Job And Live My Life. So, What IS Your Job?
"GOOD TO GREAT"
1. Economic
2. Passion.
3. What can you do better than anyone else.
THREE CIRCLES OF GOD'S GLORY:
1. Stewardship
2. Passion
3. Revelation.
Elijah 8 Miracles - Elisha 16 Miracles
2 Kings- Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu king over Israel
What Wrong Responsibility Do I Have?
In What Way Am I Attempting To Do God's Job or Someone Else's Job?
Elijah Got Back Up Through Releasing Responsibility To God.
1 Kings 19:9-18 (NASB77)
Then he came there to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11So He said, “Go forth, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13And it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
15And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17“And it shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18“Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
RUTH GOT BACK UP THROUGH LOYALTY
Ruth 1:14-18 (NASB77)
And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17“Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” 18When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
Ruth 2:8-12 (NASB77)
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. 9“Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.”10Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11And Boaz answered and said to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 12“May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”
Ruth 3:10, 11, 18 (NASB77)
Then he said, “May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11“And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. 18Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”
Ruth 4:9, 10, 13-17 (NASB77)
Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10“Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”
13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 15“May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
16Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Loyalty Is The Refusal To Better My Situation By Leaving Behind The People Who Have Blessed Me.
Loyalty Is The Willingness To Be Changed By God Into The Person Who Can Change The Situation.
If Jesus is in the boat, you are never going down.
Mark 4:36-39,
"Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!"
“FREE ...with a clear conscience.
Romans 12:9, 14, 17, 18 (NASB)
9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. 17Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you,
be at peace with all men.
Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.
WHAT IS A CLEAR CONSCIENCE? A Clear Conscience is the ability to say:
“There is no one that I have ever wronged, offended, or hurt in any way that I have not gone back
and attempted to make right with God and with them.”
THE EXCUSES: “The skin of a reason wrapped around a lie!”
“It happened a long time ago.”
“They have moved away.”
“It’s such a small thing.”
“Things have gotten better.”
“It will cost me money.”
“I’ll do it later.”
“The other person was
mostly wrong.”
“They’re not Christians.”
“I was right and they were wrong.”
“It happened before I was saved.”
HOW DOES A UNCLEAR CONSCIENCE AFFECT ME?
No Power In Witnessing. (I Peter 3:15-16)
Active At Church, But Neglecting Other Spiritual Matters. (Matt. 7:21-23)
Nervousness. (Proverbs 10:24)
Always On The Defensive. (Proverbs 21:2)
Anxiety, Tension, Guilt, And Frustration. (Matthew 18:34, 35)
Inability To Make Wise Decisions In Light Of Our Ultimate Goal. (I Tim. 1:5)
Fear. (Proverbs 28:1)
Unable To Concentrate. (Psalms 38:14; James 1:9)
Small Circle Of Friends. (Proverbs 18:4)
Depression And Fatigue. (Proverbs 20:27, Psalms 32:1-4)
Judgmental Attitude. (Romans 2:1-3; Matthew 7:1-5)
Self-Condemnation. (Proverbs 8:36; Proverbs 11:9)
No Joy. (II Corinthians 6:3-10)
IV. THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
Matthew 5 23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
The scope of your confession should be as large but only as large as the transgression.
Do NOT apologize or say “I’m sorry,” SAY, “Will you please forgive me?”
Put the hardest person on your list FIRST.
Keep Short Sin Accounts.
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23-24 (MSG) “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God. 25-26“Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.
God does not have a permissive will. grace is the provisional place we stand in.
Philippians 3:10-14 KJV2000
10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if indeed I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
To be completely consumed… William Borden
Six Words...
No Reserves: “I Press On” ― Dioko
No Retreats: “The Mark” ― Skopon
No Regrets: “The Prize Of The Upward Calling” ― Brabeon / Kleseos
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” ― Socrates
“Get on fire for God and men will come and see you burn.”
― John Wesley
“We need an outbreak of holy heartburn, when hearers shall be doers,
when congregations shall go out from meetings to do things for God.”
― Vance Havner
Give me the love that leads the way, The faith that nothing can dismay, The hope no disappointments tire, The passion that will burn like fire.
Let me not sink to be a clod; Make me thy fuel, Flame of God.
― Amy Carmichael
I Can Put Up With A Lot If I Have A Word From The Lord.
Luke 1:26-56 (NASB)
Logos: General Biblical Word Of God
Rhema: The word the Holy Spirit quickens to a specific person for a specific situation.
WHY YOU NEED A WORD FROM THE LORD:
1. THE WORD OF THE LORD WILL STRENGTHEN YOU
“But He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP
2. THE WORD OF THE LORD COMES TO RELEASE PROMISE AND ENCOURAGEMENT
Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 21:2 – “You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips.
3. THE WORD OF THE LORD COMES TO GIVE DIRECTION
"Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12
4. THE WORD OF THE LORD COMES TO DISCIPLINE OR REBUKE
"and you have forgotten the divine word of encouragement which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not make light of the discipline of the Lord, And do not lose heart and give up when you are corrected by Him; 6For the Lord disciplines and corrects those whom He loves, And He punishes every son whom He receives and welcomes [to His heart].” Hebrews 12:5-6 AMP
5. THE WORD OF THE LORD HELPS BUILD YOUR FAITH
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
6. THE WORD OF THE LORD GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO SUCCEED
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8
7. THE WORD OF THE LORD KEEPS YOU FOCUSED AND FLOURISHING
"The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]." Psalm 92:12
"For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day. " 1 Timothy 1:12
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." 2 Corinthians 1:20-21
The podcast currently has 367 episodes available.