More Than a Lifetime

Alone, Moses climbed the rugged path to the top of Mount Pisgah in the land of Moab. Though preserved in body and mind, his 120 years (40 of them in the wilderness) made him worn in years and in battles. His last battle was his attempt to enter the Promised Land. He lost. He was to die after seeing the land from the mountain top.



From the peak, Moses looked across the Jordan to the city of Jericho 3500 feet below. God showed him the land that had been promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These earlier patriarchs had lived in the land but did not possess it. Moses saw the land but he could not enter it. That would be left to another. Joshua would lead the Israelites into their possession of the Promised Land.



When the visual tour was finished, Moses died and was “gathered unto his people” (Deuteronomy 32:50). The Lord buried him in a place unknown to men. The work of Moses on earth was done. He had received the mantle from Abraham and his descendants and had passed it on to Joshua. He did not begin the work and he did not finish it. He was chosen to be a link in the chain.



That is the way for all of us. We can do no work that does not build on something before us. And anything of eternal value cannot be completed in a lifetime. We pass on to the next generation what we received from the last one (Psalm 78:2-6). We learn from our teachers so we might teach others (2Timothy 2:2). There is no disgrace in being a link. The only disgrace is in failing to link to the next generation.

A Call to Prayer

"We live in days of abounding religious profession. There are more places of public worship than there ever was before. There are more people attending them than there ever was before. And yet in spite of all this public religion, I believe there is a vast neglect of private prayer. It is one of those private transcripts between God and our souls which no eye sees, and therefore one which people are tempted to pass over and leave undone.

I believe that hundreds of thousands never utter a word of prayer at all. They eat. They drink. They sleep. They rise. They go forth to their work. They return to their homes. They breathe God’s air. They travel on God’s earth. They enjoy God’s mercies. They have dying bodies. They have judgment and eternity before them. But they never speak to God. They live like the animals that perish. They behave like creatures without souls. They have not one word to say to Him in whose hand are their life and breath, and all things, and from whose mouth they must one day receive their everlasting sentence. How dreadful this seems; but if the secrets of people, were daily known, how common."

The above quote was written by J.C. Ryle over 100 years ago, and it is, I believe, more true today than ever before. I hope that it will encourage us to pray more and pray harder for God’s Will to be accomplished. After all isn’t that the ultimate aim of prayer, to make God’s Will a reality in our lives here on Earth.

Seeing Through the Eyes of Others

Learn to see situations through the eyes of others.
When counseling others, lead them from their standpoint.
When training workers, see their problems through their eyes.
God always starts with people where they are; not where they ought to be.

Results, Obedience, and Growth

Modern thinking expects results. Therefore, everything is geared to getting results. Yet, in the work of God, God gives the results: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1Corinthians 3:6). Our emphasis then should be on obedience to complete the work God has given us to do. The results are His business. Too much emphasis on results will pervert God’s way and biblical Christianity will give way to market-driven religion.


All other things being equal, a healthy church will grow. However, despite the heresy of the church growth movement, it is not the primary goal of the church to grow. Compare this to a child. All other things being what they should be, a healthy child will grow. But how foolish it would be to make growth the primary goal for the child. This faulty goal would lead to excessive feeding and excessive weight. As a result, the child would be sick and weak. These are some of the results today of churches who make growth their primary goal.

Dealing With Criticism

Don’t overreact to every complaint, criticism, or conflict.
Focus on the Lord and His work.
Learn to tune out the background noise of carnal saints.
Take personal criticism to the Lord.
Learn from true criticism; leave the false criticism behind you.

Never Be Satisfied

Never be satisfied with you level of service for God.
Always be satisfied with God. Push yourself.
If you do not have drive, develop it.
Put yourself in positions that push and challenge you.
Be active and diligent for the Lord.
Determine in your heart to never stop growing in the things of the Lord and in your service to Him.
You cannot lead people where you have not gone.
If you want your people to continue to grow in the things of the Lord, then you must continue to grow spiritually.