From: stevek
Date: Mon Jan  5 15:50:56 MST 2004
Subject: purpose

Rod's message yesterday struck some as being 'a downer.' I don't agree - it pointed to a purpose driven life which is led by, and leads to a personal relationship with the Creator. Bertrand Russell, a well known aethiest once said that "unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless." In 1 Peter 4:10, God tells us that we each have a gift. What's yours? Are you using it for the kingdom, or is it lying inside of you unwrapped? Second Corinthinans 1:20 says "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through Him, the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." In the original Hebrew "amen" connoted a shout of applause for the fact that not only would the prayer be fulfilled by God in the future, but that the fulfullment was already present in Christ. When we pray in Jesus' name, we don't just punctuate the prayer with His name, we shout applause to the promises of the Gospel; that we move in a world in relationship with a loving and compassionate God who wants to touch our lives and have holy communion with us each moment. He has given us gifts to use in sharing that "Yes" promise. It's called good news because it is His way of lifting us out from the futility of life with which Rod began his teaching last night. In Revelation 18:22 we see that when God is removed from our life, we no longer have music, art or creative endeavors of any kind. That's futility. We are blessed in the village community that we have each of those giftings represented. That means someone's being touched by God in our community. That's worth shouting applause to Him, the ultimate Creator, in thanks for revealing to us His character through the expression of those gifts. Claim the "Yes" of the "Amen" and use your gifts for the name of Christ. God'll smile (may His face shine upon you) as will those of His children whom you touch with that piece of heaven which has been entrusted to your use.

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