The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo 356: A Little at a Time

Today I am on my way to the Christian Booksellers Convention to premier my new book, The Faith Files: The Gospels.  This is the first of three volumes that looks at every verse on faith in the New Testament, and there are a lot of them.  I first wrote The Faith Files in 2001 and made the notes available to those who were receiving The Monday Memo. That is how I got started sending out my weekly Bible studies.  (See the end of this Memo to find out how you can order a copy.)

When I finish working on Matthew later this year, I will complete my nineteenth New Testament book, doing a verse-by-verse study.  It all started, however, with The Faith Files.  If you have a project and don't know where to start - which should include just about everyone reading this Memo - I urge you to read on.  If you don't think you can accomplish a lot by doing a little at a time, I urge you to read on as well.

HYPOCRITE!

In 2001, I was revising my first book, Life is a Gold Mine. At the end of the section faith, I urged readers to study all that Jesus and Paul had to say about faith as a way to increase their own faith.  When I read that, I thought, "Hypocrite!"  I was recommending that others do something that I had never done!  I decided to rectify that by doing the study, which I thought would take a few days.

I looked up every verse in the New Testament that had the words faith, believe, believes, believing, unbelief, unbelieving and trust and found that there were hundreds of them!  What I thought would take a few days required a few months!  As I was compiling my notes on each verse and passage, I asked those who were reading The Monday Memo if they would like to receive my notes on what I came to call The Faith Files.  Hundreds of people said they did.  I would send out the notes every week to my mailing list that I compiled and maintained on my personal computer.  It was a lot of work and I have never charged any money for any of my studies, and I have sent out millions of them. 

You can see the unpublished portions of The Faith Files on my new website.

WHY STOP THERE?

After I completed my study of faith, I had an idea.  I had always said that "one day" I wanted to write commentaries on the Bible.  I decided to start such a study, determining that I would look at four verses every day and write some devotional material for those verses.  At the end of every week, I would send out those notes to those who were already getting The Faith Files.  The list continued to grow and today about 6,000 people receive my weekly studies.

You can see the past studies in the archives of my new site or subscribe to the weekly studies (currently from Matthew) on the site where those are posted every week. 

So by studying four verses every day since 2002, I have completed studies of 19 New Testament books!  Lord willing, I will have the entire New Testament completed by the end of 2009.  Writing about four verses a day every day has enabled me to accomplish a huge task a little at a time.  I exercise faith every day I sit down to write that I will see something in every verse and also see ways to help the reader apply those verses on that particular day. 

Needless to say, I have learned a lot since I began writing those studies in 2001 and I hope my readers have, too.  Now I excited to start publishing those studies with this first volume of The Faith Files. I know it is the first of many volumes to come.

So what about you?  What can you accomplish if you do just a little every day? I have found that most people won't be anything because they can't see how to do everything.  They won't give a little because they can't give a lot. Won't devote a little time because they don't have huge chunks of time.  I decided to do what I could do every day -- four verses -- and now the end of my project is in sight.  There's no telling what you can do if you apply the same principle. 

Stop procrastinating and take one step at a time.  If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, who knows how far you can go.  The Chinese say that the journey of a 1,000 miles starts with the first step.  Why not take your first steps this week?  Have a great week. I know I will.

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THE FAITH FILES: I have 100 copies of The Faith Files in stock right now.  I will send you a copy of The Faith Files for any contribution that you make to my ministry while supplies last.  That's right, you read correctly.  Just remember that your gifts help me publish every week and distribute my studies and my purpose message all over the world.  Send any contribution and get this new volume that can best be summed up as follows:

“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

•    Does your faith affect your everyday life?
•    How do you know if you have faith?
•    Is there anything you can do to increase your faith?

The Faith Files are designed to help you answer these and many more questions where your faith is concerned.  John Stanko wants you to not just know what you believe but know how to apply it to your business, family, life and ministry.

In this first of three volumes, John Stanko looks at every verse that mentions faith in the four gospels.  He then makes some observations and poses questions that help you understand how to apply your faith today, right now, where you are and with what you have.  You can use The Faith Files for personal or small group study, but it is guaranteed to help you exercise more God-pleasing faith.

Simply go to the Contributions page on my site and use PayPal to contribute by credit card or check. Make sure you include your address and we will get your copy of The Faith Files off right away.  Don't miss the great opportunity to have the first of many Bible study volumes that I will publish. 

NEW WEBSITE:  I sent out my special Memo last week outlining the features of my new site. If you haven't checked out the new site, please do so, and make sure you take the free PurposeQuest Assessment that is available on the home page. 

RADIO SHOW:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, July 9 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Nine: Purpose from Tragedy

Most people will never have to face the decision that Gail and Tony McWilliams had to face. Gail was advised to either abort her baby or lose her eyesight.  They decided to proceed with the birth and Gail did indeed go blind.  Yet that was not the end, but only the beginning of a work and ministry that is now called Generations Global.  Join John as he talks to Gail about the power of purpose that can emerge even from a personal tragedy on the next edition of Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life.

Special Site Memo

I had promised a special Memo concerning my new website.  If you aren't interested, please disregard this edition and watch for the next Monday Memo.

NEW SITE OVERVIEW

I waited seven years to develop a new site, since I wanted to understand more about web site development and strategy.  In other words, my new site was seven years in the making!  I wanted something that would help you, the user, find help with purpose, leadership, and faith.  Here are some of the features I hope you will take advantage of in the coming days.

1. I have developed a free online assessment to help you understand where you are in your individual PurposeQuest.  When you take the assessment, you will receive a score, what I am calling your PQ, that lets you know where I think you are in your search for purpose.  Then you receive a follow-up email with some suggestions of steps to take to be more purposeful, along with a link back to my site that is available only to you and others with a similar score, outlining even more steps to take to clarify your purpose.  If you haven't taken the Assessment yet, feel free to do so and then come back and take it again after you have applied some of my suggestions.

2.  I have a slew of free articles and resources for you to download and read.  You will find every Bible study I have done since 2001, every article I have written, every Monday Memo and anything else I could think of to include as free downloads.  All the articles are broken down by topic and can be found on the Leadership page or the Archives page. 

3.  I am convinced that it is almost impossible to clarify your purpose without consulting someone else at some point in your PurposeQuest.  That is why I make myself available to help you in ways I describe under the Coaching section.  Whether it's a one-time get together or a more formal coaching program, I highly recommend that you invest something in your PurposeQuest.  Don't ask others to invest in you if you aren't willing to invest in yourself. 

4.  I have developed many seminars and programs for companies and churches over the years that are listed under the Services section of the site.  You may want to consider these for your next offsite retreat or training session.

5.  I am offering some very special Specials to celebrate the launching of the site.  Check them out and see which one is right for you.  They include discounts on the coaching and one-on-one services, free shipping on books and more. 

6. Finally, I do much of what I do because of the generosity of people who contribute to my work.  I send all Memos and Bible studies free of charge and do everything I can to make myself and my message available to any and all.  If you can contribute, there is a special Contributions page outlining the need and the means by which you can become a Purpose Partner.

I hope you will visit the site regularly and stay in touch with what I am doing and where I am going.  If you have any suggetions for the site, feel free to write.  You can request more information or express your interest in any of my programs or services by going to the Contact page and giving me your information.  I promise I will get back to you right away.  Also, please tell your friends about the site and urge them to take advantage of the purposeful resources found there. 

Thanks for letting me update you on the site.  I hope to hear from you soon. 

Monday Memo 355: Waiting to Be the Person You're Not

How early in life does purpose start?  How far back can you look and expect to find clues or specific indications of your ultimate purpose?  I have looked at Paul the last few weeks and would like to do so for one last time before we move on, for I believe this last look will help answer the questions I just raised.

It is my opinion that Paul was partially fulfilling his purpose when he was a Jew by the name of Saul.  It's an important point, for I believe that is true for you as well.  Most of us have had some experience in our purpose, sometimes early in life, but we are looking past it, expecting it to be something or someone that we are not.  Before I explain that, however, let's look at my theory about Paul.

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

We know that this man Saul was from Tarsus, located in modern-day Turkey.  Tarsus was one of the most cross cultural cities in the Roman Empire and Saul was truly a man of the Empire.  He was a Roman citizen and a Jew at home in a Gentile world.  Saul knew four languages, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, and was a Jewish scholar who studied in Jerusalem.  He was a tent maker and probably did a lot of business with non-Jews.

Jesus informed us that there was such a thing as a Jewish evangelist when He said:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are" (Matthew 23:15). 

In Acts 9, we are told that Saul asked for letters of recommendation so he could go to Damascus to pursue and persecute believers.  Here is where my theory "kicks in."  No Jerusalem Jew wanted to go to Damascus due to the risk of becoming unclean through contact with Gentiles.  Saul volunteered to go because he had been there.  He knew his way around and was comfortable in the Gentile world. He could speak their language, interact with their world and maintain his ceremonial purity as a good kosher Jew.

Does this prove my theory?  Absolutely not, but it is possible that it's true.  Saul was already working in the Gentile world when he met Jesus on his way to Damascus.  He continued to work with Gentiles after that encounter, only after that he went to convert his audience to Jesus and not to Judaism.  

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

So what clues does your past hold to your present purpose?  What did you love to do as a child? What was easy for you to learn?  What did you enjoy doing?  Perhaps you have dismissed the answers to those questions as irrelevant for your present PurposeQuest.  I maintain that the answers are important, even critical.

I have found many people waiting to be something they are not in order to fulfill their purpose.  Often the answers to who you are and what you were created to do are as close as your own heart, but you look past that with an expectation that God is going to make you someone you are not, someone He never intended you to be.  Is this your tendency?

I dreamed of travel when I was young.  I collected stamps and loved to gaze at foreign stamps, finding the country on a globe and then thinking of how I would get there one day.  Today I have visited many of the countries I dreamed of visiting. The clues to my present purpose were there in my past, just as they were for Saul.

It doesn't really matter whether or not Saul was a Jewish evangelist.  It supremely matters that he was true to who he was and, by so doing, changed the world.  If you are going to impact the world or your world, the same will hold true.  You must be true to who you are, and who you are is who you've always been.

Spend some time reflecting on your past this week and check out if you're waiting to be someone you're not.  The insight you gain from yesterday can provide important evidence as you seek to confirm your purpose today.  Have a great week!

Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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NEW WEBSITE:  I promised to send out a special Memo last week about my new website, but decided to wait until this week since July 4 was our Fourth of July holiday weekend here in the States.  If you haven't checked out the new site, please do so, but be looking for a special mailing this week highlighting some of the new features.

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION:  If you are able to make a special contribution toward my purpose week this week, it would be greatly appreciated.  You can go to my site for directions on how to do so.  This will enable me to continue to write and pursue my studies toward my D Min degree through the summer months.

RADIO SHOW:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, July 9 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Eight: Purpose as a Business Concept

Is purpose just something personal or can purpose be used in business as a strategy to help your clients and partners?  Join John and his special guest, Mary Banks, as they discuss this and other purpose-related questions on the next Your PurposeQuest show.  Mary is the founder of Women of Women Consulting Group, whose mission is “to encourage the hearts of our clients and empower them to live the vision God has for their lives, by seeking His divine plan and purpose for them both professionally and personally. We do this through life coaching, leadership development, innovative workshops, and human resource consulting.”

Monday Memo 354: Is Your Work Your Purpose?

It's up and running!  My new and revised website is open for business and it has a lot of new features that I know you will enjoy and find useful.  More on that later and you can also look for a special Memo out in a few days outlining the new features of the site.

PAUL'S PURPOSE AND WORK

In the meantime, the last few weeks we have studied Paul's life and purpose.  Paul's purpose was to bring the gospel of Christ to the Gentile world.  We know that because his "call" on the Damascus road has a prominent place in the book of Acts.  In fact, Paul referred to his purpose in each of his letters (see if you can find them if you’re interested), usually relating his purpose to an Old Testament passage. When Paul talked about himself, he referred to his purpose, yet that purpose wasn't his occupation.

To earn a living, Paul made tents.  Yet Paul never talked or wrote about his occupation.  The only way we know that Paul made tents was that Luke wrote about it in the book of Acts.  Don't you find it interesting that Paul never referred to making tents?  That was what he did, but it wasn't who he was.  He was an apostle to the Gentiles and that is what got the choice place in his heart, time, efforts and writings.  (Paul returned the favor.  Nowhere did Luke ever mention that he was a doctor; Paul told us that in Colossians 4:14.  Obviously Luke learned from his mentor the difference between purpose and occupation.)

WHO ARE YOU?

I am not asking what you do. You may sell insurance, but who are you?  You may also be a missionary to some people group, while insurance pays the bills.  When people ask you what you do, like I just did, how do you respond?  Do you say that you're an insurance salesperson or a missionary?  If you answer the salesperson, then you are defining yourself by what you do.  If you say missionary, you are focusing on purpose and not on what buys your food. You may only get to the mission field once a year on your vacation time, but the other weeks you're praying and working for that mission.  You don't have to quit your occupation to embrace your purpose.  You may simply need to distinguish between the two.

Os Guinness wrote the following paragraph in his book, Entrepreneurs of Life (since he uses the words "calling" and "vocation" instead of purpose, I have taken the liberty of inserting the word "purpose" where appropriate):

Calling [purpose] helps us finish [our lives] well because it prevents us from confusing the termination of our occupations with the termination of our vocations [purpose].  If we ever limit our calling [purpose] to what we do, and that task is taken away from us--we suddenly find ourselves unemployed, retired, or pronounced terminally ill--then we are tempted to depression and doubt.  What has happened?  We have let our occupation become so intertwined with our vocation [purpose] that losing the occupation means losing the sense of vocation [purpose] too.

Have you either not found or lost your sense of purpose?  Then perhaps you have confused the difference between what you do and who you are (parents and spouses included).  I would suggest you take this week to reflect on this important distinction.  No longer be content to define your life in terms of what you do but rather who you are.  It will make all the difference in the world.  Have a great week!

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, June 25 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Seven: Purpose in the Military

Your purpose can be applied to any area of life, as you will learn when you join John Stanko and his special guest, Dr. Jim Coy, on the next edition of Your PurposeQuest.  Dr. Coy is an author, speaker and leader who has developed a outreach to military personnel, having served as a doctor in the U.S. Army.  Join John and Dr. Coy as they discuss purpose from the unique perspective of serving in the military and what Dr. Coy is doing today to further his own PurposeQuest. 

Monday Memo 353: Visions of Angels

You should have a purpose hero or two, models whom you can study to encourage you along your PurposeQuest.  I have a few, some whom are mentioned in the Bible, some not.  One purpose hero in the Bible is the Apostle Paul. Since I mention him so often in these Memos, I thought I would write about him for the next three or four weeks. 

Paul was a man who had quite a few supernatural encounters in his ministry.  I find this interesting because so many today also seek to have such encounters with angels or, better yet, the presence of the Lord.  Did you know, however, that each one of Paul's supernatural meetings had a common purpose?  They did and to find out what that purpose was, you will have to read on.

COMMON THEME

I can find seven passages where the Lord appeared and spoke to Paul:

1. Acts 9:1-9-- on the Damascus Road, where Saul met Jesus face-to-face.
2. Acts 13:1-3 -- in Antioch where the Holy Spirit set Barnabas and Saul apart for missionary work
3. Acts 16:9-10-- a man calling Paul to Macedonia
4. Acts 18:9-11-- in Corinth, urging Paul to preach without fear
5. Acts 22:17-- while Paul was praying in the Temple
6. Acts 23:11 -- while Paul was held prisoner in Jerusalem
7. Acts 27:24-- while Paul was in the ship doomed to sink on his way to Rome

Can you see the common thread through all of these heavenly appearances?  Let me help you out.  Each one of these encounters took place to direct or encourage Paul in his purpose.  Not once did the Lord appear to Paul simply for the sake of appearing to Him.  As far as we know, the Lord did not appear to Paul to tell him He loved him.  Not once did He come to give Paul a supernatural experience where Paul clucked, crowed, barked or fainted.

In all seven instances, the Lord appeared for a purpose, not for an experience. 

SO WHAT?

I am not against anyone having a spiritual experience.  I have never spoken against or condemned some of the bizarre encounters that people claim to have had (and probably did have) with the Lord in the last ten years.  I am not ready to conclude that the Lord will only reveal Himself to people, as He did with Paul, for the purpose of purpose. 

I am ready to say, however, that some people are seeking for an encounter with the Lord for purely selfish reasons.  They want the experience but they want to separate it from any instructions that the Lord chooses to impart.  If the Lord chose to reveal Himself to Paul so dramatically and regularly to keep Paul focused on his purpose, I would think He would do the same with you. 

When is the last time you had a purpose encounter with the Lord?  What did He say or show you? What difference did it make in your life? Are you seeking the presence of God simply for the experience or for some direction in purpose? 

God wants you to know and fulfill your purpose more than you do.  He has given you something to do and wants you to know what it is.  Paul's life demonstrated the means that the Lord can use to encourage men and women of purpose.  I hope you are one who is seeking God's face and presence not so you can collect spiritual stories but rather to gain insight and encouragement into the purpose that God has for you.  Have a great week!

Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, June 25 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Six: Purpose in the Third World

Is purpose a concept only at home in a Western culture?  Is purpose relevant in Africa and for Africans?  Join John Stanko and his special guest, Mrs. Kentice Tikolo, from Nairobi, Kenya, as they discuss these questions and other relevant purpose topics.  Kentice is the coordinator for PurposeQuest in Kenya and also works for the Kenya Wildlife Service, and has a host of fascinating purpose stories that you won’t want to miss.

Monday Memo 352: Self Interest is the Best Interest

Every now and then someone asks whether or not it is selfish to pursue purpose.  They may ask where the cross of Christ comes in when you are doing something that you love doing.  Many people still feel that God will give you an assignment that you hate doing and that is somehow more spiritual than doing something you enjoy.  My answer to those who ask those questions is that self-interest is the best interest where purpose is concerned.  Before you tune me out, let me explain.

YOUR DESIRES

First, let’s look at Acts 13:2:  “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (emphasis added).  When God assigns you a purpose, He is really doing something for Himself, in His own interests.  When God calls you to a purpose, that purpose actually brings you closer to Him.  Pursuing your purpose then, which always gives you joy and peace, is not something you do for yourself.  It is something you do for God. 

Then, let’s look at Psalm 37:4:  “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  If you will delight yourself in the Lord, then God will grant you the desires of your heart.  Why?  He will do so because He put those desires there in the first place!  When you pursue your God-given desires, which may seem like self-interest, you are actually pursuing the things of God.  God uses your joyful desires to indicate that you are doing something right, not something wrong.

And finally, let’s once again look at Proverbs 16:3 in the Amplified Version (I know we looked at this verse last week, but it bears repeating):  “Roll your works upon the Lord—commit and trust them wholly to Him—and He will cause your thoughts to be in agreement with His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.”  You may have been taught to distrust your thoughts and desires, but I am urging you to pay attention to them if you are serious about finding your purpose.  If the Spirit lives in you to give you the mind of Christ, why are so surprised that you have it?

AT THE CROSS, AT THE CROSS, WHERE I FIRST SAW THE LIGHT. . .

So where does the cross come into the picture?  The cross does not require that you deny who you are, but the cross does require that you allow God to determine where and when you express your purpose.  Church work has never been my favorite place to fulfill my purpose of creating order out of chaos, but it is the very place where I am most effective.  So I submit to God’s will for who I am and where I am most effective.  To deny my purpose would deny me the power and joy I need to pick up my cross daily and follow Him as I carry out His will.

So now you know why I say that self-interest is really the best interest where purpose is concerned.  Don’t deny who you are, but then don’t try to choose the sphere where God wants you to give yourself.  I pray that God will grant you the desires of your heart this week as you pick up your cross to follow Jesus.  Have a great week!

    Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, June 18 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Five: One Woman Helping Others Find Purpose

Do women face any special challenges where purpose is concerned?  What can one woman do to make a difference?  To find out, join John Stanko and his special guest, Yvonne Brooks, from Birmingham, England.  Yvonne is the founder of Women of Purpose in the UK where she writes, speaks and inspires women there and everywhere to find and fulfill their purpose.   

Monday Memo 351: Why So Surprised?

I have been home now since May 13, a personal record for this century.  I am thoroughly enjoying my time and have plenty of work to do.  My new website should be up soon and very soon, and I will make sure you are alerted to the launch.  It will be worth the wait.

IT'S A GHOST!

I am always surprised when people are surprised that they have the mind of the Lord on certain matters, especially where purpose is concerned.  We often act like the disciples in Acts 12.  Peter was in prison and the church was interceding for his safety.  An angel came to release Peter and he immediately went to the house where he knew the saints would be praying.  I'll let Luke tell you what happened in his own words:

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." (Acts 12:14-15).

Another translation says that they thought it was Peter's ghost.  They were praying but they never really expected their prayers to be answered, at least not in the way that they were.  So they dismissed the answer as some spiritual quirk, telling the messenger of the good news that she didn't really understand what she had heard.

ASK AND DON'T DOUBT

James was clear about how to get an answer from God:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:5-8).

When you ask for wisdom, God will give it to you.  There is only one catch: you cannot doubt or you will receive nothing. So if you are asking God to reveal your purpose, if you are seeking Him concerning some idea you have (as to whether or not you should proceed), then why don't you believe that you have your answer?

Let's put it another way.  The Holy Spirit lives in you, the same Spirit who raised Jesus back to life.  He came to give you power to live the life that God want you to live.  Part of that involves giving you the mind of Christ. So if you have the mind of Christ (and you do), then why are you so surprised?  Why is that so hard to accept? Yet it is and, what's more, we can do just what the disciples did when our prayer is answered: We can dismiss it as a spiritual quirk or not recognize the day of its coming.

HE WILL CAUSE YOUR THOUGHTS. . .

I have quoted Proverbs 16:3 from the Amplified Version in many seminars and I will leave you with it as a parting thought today.  It reads,

Roll your works upon the Lord, commit and trust them wholly to Him, and He will cause your thoughts to be agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.

Do you have any good ideas that you have dismissed as "ghosts"?  Do you have a recurring dream or vision that you have tried to bury, only to have it come back again and again. If so, stop fighting it (or them) and take action.  If the Spirit came to give you the mind of Christ, why are you so surprised that you have it?  Have a great week.

    Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 11 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show will air every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Four: How To Use a Business to Fund Your Vision!

Do you want to start a business, but use that business to help you do something else?  Do you have a desire to make a difference not just in your city, but in the world? If so, then join John Stanko and his special guest, Bruce Binkley a businessman and part-time missionary from Dallas, Texas, as they discuss Bruce’s business and how it helps him meet needs around the world.

Monday Memo 350: You Are The Problem

You may be the greatest obstacle you face in your PurposeQuest.  It's not the economy, your education, how much money you have, or your age. The problem isn't any of those things.  The problem is you.  More specifically, it's the way you think.

What's more, you are probably trying to change yourself while holding on to old thought patterns, expecting different results while you think the same thoughts.  You are seeking a personal transformation, and you are focusing on changing your habits, knowledge, spiritual disciplines or place of employment.  If you are the problem, then wherever you go and whatever you do, you take you with you, along with your old habits of thought.  When that happens, even if you pray or read the Bible more, you won't see any difference in your life.

You need to change your mind if you are going to change yourself.  It's that simple, but that difficult.

SEND THEM HOME

In Matthew 14, Jesus had taught a large crowd of people in a remote place:

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat" (Matthew 14:15-16).

What was the problem here?  Was it the lateness of the hour?  Was it the lack of food that the disciples had?  Was it that the crowd, in their zeal to follow Jesus, had not given enough thought about what they would eat? 

The problem was this:  The disciples were thinking too small and, consequently, only saw one option available to them at that moment.  They suggested that Jesus dismiss the meeting and send the people home.  Jesus had another idea and that was to take what the disciples had, bless it and then feed the people with that.  We know that this is what He did and the crowd of 5,000 plus women and children were fed with twelve baskets of leftovers.  When you think too small, you do what the disciples to do:  you send your opportunities away because you don't think you have what it takes to seize the moment.

WE STILL CAN'T DO IT

So the disciples learned their lesson, right?  Wrong!  In the very next chapter, they complained to Jesus that there was no way they could feed a smaller crowd in a similar situation (see Matthew 15:29-39).  Jesus did the same thing He did in Matthew 14 and fed the crowd with what the disciples had.  The disciples were still stuck in old patterns of thinking and that limited their creativity and ability to solve the problem that was before them.

How about you?  Are you any different than those early disciples?  The challenge isn't what you have and don't have.  It's how you think about what you have, it's how you think about who you are.  If you don't think you can, then you won't.  What's more, you won't even try.  If you think you can or if you think God can through and with you, then God will plant new ideas and thoughts just like He did with the disciples when He said, "You give them something to eat."

Paul was clear.  If you are going to be transformed, you must do so by renewing your mind (see Romans 12:1-2).  That won't just happen, however, unless you take steps to make it happen.  You must learn to be ruthless with your old thoughts that have gotten you nowhere and replace them with thoughts that can take you somewhere, thoughts full of faith and possibilities, not thoughts full of defeat and pessimism.

We will continue this discussion next week, but for this week, I want you to become aware -- aware of what you are thinking.  Listen to yourself think; listen to what you say.  Try to be more conscious of how you are limiting yourself, or how you are limiting what God can do with your loaves and fishes.  Then next week we will look at what to do so that your thinking will no longer be the problem but the solution to your lack of progress in your PurposeQuest.  Have a great week!
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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the third broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 4 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show will air every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first two shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

    Episode Three: Stop Doing What You Love. . . So You Can Do What You Love

Do you enjoy what you are doing, but don’t feel like you are making the impact you would like to make?  Do you see the problems in the world and wish you could make more of a difference?  If so, then join John Stanko and his special guest, Bill Hobbs, director or Urban Youth Impact in West Palm Beach, Florida as they discuss Bill’s “longest drive” – his journey from professional golf to inner city youth work. 

Monday Memo 349: Servant or Friend?

I have often said and heard it said, "I'll do whatever God wants me to do."  While that sounds spiritual, in a sense it really isn't.  How can saying, "I'll do God's will" be anything but spiritual? Have I gone too far this time in my pursuit of purpose and excellence?  To find out and decide for yourself, you will have to read on.

A COP OUT

Sometimes saying you will do whatever God wants is a cop out.  It enables you to avoid doing something by determining that you will do anything.  It also makes you passive, waiting for God to reveal what that something may be.  While you wait, you cannot be accountable to do something because the burden is on God to provide proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, that this or that is what He wants you to do.

There is a time when God trains you to do His will and, during that time, it is permissible and advisable to wait on Him.  Yet at some point, and I'm really not sure where that some point is, you must begin to release what God has put in you. You will always be a servant of God, but at some point you must transition to also being a friend.  While you are a friend, you are still a servant, but when you are a servant, you cannot be a friend.

Am I confusing you?  Then let's consider something that Jesus said:

"You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name" (John 15:14-16).

NO LONGER JUST SERVANTS

While Jesus did command the disciples, He called them friends because they understood why they were doing what He commanded them to do.  In some sense, you could say that they had the mind of Christ, for they knew what Jesus wanted them to do and why.  That made them more than slaves; that made them friends. God wants the same kind of relationship with you.

If you are to have the mind of Christ, when do you receive it?  The disciples were with Jesus for three years and they transitioned into friends of God.  So how long have you been with Jesus?  Are you His friend?

This is an important point because you can ask a servant, "What have you been commanded to do?"  You can ask a friend, "What's in your heart to do?"  When you are God's friend, you are no longer waiting to be commanded.  You trust the work that God has done in you so completely that you begin to trust the very desires of your heart, knowing that God put them there. And they are joyful desires, things that will bring you and others great peace and laughter.  Why wouldn't God want you to do those things? 

Friends of God don't have to be afraid of Him any longer, or of the things that He has put in them to do.  They can see that they are in a partnership, based in the grace of God, but one that gives God great pleasure.  If the Spirit lives in you to give you the mind of Christ, why are you surprised that you have it?  How long do you think the process will take?  Ten years?  Twenty?  The disciples had the mind of Christ, in the power of the Spirit, in three years.  If you have known Jesus for three years or more, it's time you did something with that relationship.  It's time for you to become God's friend.

So what can you do this week with your role in life -- the friend of God?  Whatever it is, I know it will bring you joy and extend God's kingdom into some sphere of human existence.  Enjoy it, trust God, and stop putting onto God what He has put into you.  Have a great week!

    Feel free to write your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted. 

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the second broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, May 28, at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show will air every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to last week's show by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the first show:

    Episode Two: Making A Major Midlife Job Change

Feel stuck where you’re working now?  Don't know how to make a change?  Not sure what you want to do and where you would be best suited to work?  If you answer “yes” to any of those questions, then join John Stanko and his guest Sheila Hunt as they discuss how Sheila answered these questions for herself.  Then find out what she did about it!  You’ll hear how Sheila made a transition from the field of education to corporate America.  Join John and Sheila as they talk about faith and courage to do what you love.

REMINDER:  This is just a reminder to my readers in the UK that all my books are now available to order online through Everlasting Books and Music.  Just go their site, put my name in the search box and all my titles will appear.  Then you can shop till you drop. 

ANOTHER REMINDER:  I write weekly for a site called A Better Zimbabwe.  I urge you to check it out and read some of the good things I've learned from The Pacific Institute  Feel free to leave your comments as well. 

Monday Memo 348: It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To!

Last week, I wrote about how purpose allows you to invite yourself to the party, whatever the party represents for you.  If your purpose is cooking, then you can open a restaurant, invite people over for dinner, head a hospitality team or do just about anything your purpose and heart dictate to do.  It's that simple.  What's more difficult is preparing yourself for success once you get to the party, but finding the party is usually pretty simple.  Or is it?

This week I am starting my own party and you're invited to come!  No, it's not at our new home; it's not even in a banquet hall or public venue.  Where is this party, you may ask? For that, you will have to read on.

IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO

That line is the name of an old song from the '60s sung by Lesley Gore, but that's just how I feel as I get set to launch my radio show this coming Wednesday, May 21, on Voice America.  What's more, I am launching it under a new business division of PurposeQuest International, something I'm calling PurposeQuest Media.  For many years, I have known I was supposed to be on media.  I would be invited to be a guest on shows and the interviews would always go well.  One year, two interviews I did on a local channel won national awards for excellence.  I have said for years, "I am both a good interview and a good interviewer."  Yet seldom would anyone invite me back to be on their show, except my good friends the late David Vincent in Zimbabwe and Dr. Mitch Nichols here in Pittsburgh.

I wrote proposals for radio and television alike, and they were all rejected. Hosts would tell me, "Wow, that was great!  We'll have you back again soon."  They never did.  My last radio interview was supposed to last 20 minutes and went on for an hour.  People called the station to get in touch with me for two weeks.  The man never invited me back.  It was frustrating.

Then I had the idea last December while flying home from Zimbabwe that I was waiting for something that would never happen.  I realized that if I was ever going to be the media host and presence I thought I should be, I was going to have to start doing it myself.  So I decided to invite myself to the party.  I will host my own show, have my own guests, talk about what I want to talk about, and I will cry if I want to - but I won't, I promise.

SO WHAT'S THE SCOOP?

In case you've missed the announcement the last few weeks, my show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, will air this Wednesday and every Wednesday after that on the Voice America Internet radio network.  You need no special equipment to listen.  Just go their website and go to their flagship station at 9 AM Eastern time (8 AM Central, 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe, 4 PM in Kenya or 9 PM in Singapore).  The show will air again 12 hours after the initial broadcast, and it will be archived so you can listen or download any show at your convenience to listen on your computer or on your MP3 player.  Just think, soon you can listen to me while you walk along the street or ride the bus!  Pretty cool!

Here is the summary of this week's first show:

Episode One: Write a Book, Save a Child -- Have you ever thought about writing a book?  Ever wanted to travel or start a company that will make the world a better place to live?  If so, then you won’t want to miss John Stanko’s inaugural program with his guest, Diana Scimone.  Diana is a publisher, author, world traveler and founder of “Not For Sale,” a nonprofit organization working to alleviate the child trafficking problem around the world.  Join John and Diana as they talk about writing, travel, purpose and how you can be a person of purpose, too!

So there you have it.  You can call the show while it's live at 1.866.472.5787 or email me your questions before, during or after the show.  Then tune in every week as I introduce you to people of purpose whom I've met over the years.  I want to give you a chance to hear from people just like you, people who are struggling at times to clarify purpose.  Yet they have made tremendous progress in their Quest and I want you to learn from them.

You know, however, that this isn't the only thing I want you to do.  I'd love you to call, I want you to learn, but more importantly, I want you to find your own party and stop waiting for someone to invite you to theirs.  As I start radio, ask yourself what you can do to come closer to fulfilling your purpose or a long-standing dream.  It's within your grasp and you don't need anyone's permission to proceed.  And when you find it, call my show and tell everyone what you've done and how you did it.  Have a great week!

Feel free to add your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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LAST CALL FOR TESTIMONIES!

Speaking of new website, I am in the process of assembling a new PurposeQuest website and I need some testimonies.  I am looking for some stories in two or three sentences max about: 1) How the purpose message has impacted you life.  2) How the former website helped you. 3) How hearing me speak has helped you in your PurposeQuest. 4) How a one-on-one or coaching session has helped as well; 5) How the Monday Memo has assisted you in your PurposeQuest.

If you could also send a high resolution picture of yourself with the testimony, I will try to include that on the site, along with your name, city and country where you live.  The picture should be high resolution, at least 300 dbi in jpeg or tiff format. This is your chance to be famous and to encourage others around the world to pursue their purpose.  The deadline is yesterday, so please write as soon as possible, with a picture if you have a good one. Thanks in advance for your help. The new site is coming along and it will be a work of art, thanks to my web designer, Justin Agoglia. 

I can't wait for the new site to launch.