Marc Estes

Well it is the morning of the ‘big’ surgery; my knee will face the knife. I know you are already thinking, “What happened?” I would love to tell you that I was saving the life of an orphan who was about to be ran over by a passing car and I dove for the child and barrel-rolled into the curb; yet the reality is I twisted my knee while washing my hands at the sink in Indonesia. Not to glamorous, but at least painfully honest.

Even though the surgery is a fairly minor surgery, the mind still wanders to all of the “what if” questions. What if I die? Would I have been content with the way I lived? Is there anything I regret? It is a great excercise in reality.

Am I really happy with the way I have lived? Have I really devoted my life to things that important to both God and people. Have I invested my resources in things that really matter. Will I feel a sense of peace or regret on the fateful day of passing from this life to the next.

It is the most comforting feeling to know that I am at peace with the way I live and the way I have lived. Don’t get me wrong, I have made mistakes along the way and by no means think I deserve a tombstone that reads, “He was Perfect.” Yet I do know that I have tried my best, gave my all and to the best of my ability.

The formula is simple; Give God your all, He returns your gestures with an abundance of peace. Look to him for direction and wisdom, and peace comes with your decisions. Lean on him when you are facing the trial of your life, or even a wimpy knee surgery and peace will flow through you like a river.

He is the dispenser of peace and peace itself. It is available for you regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, regardless of what trials you face or mistakes you have made. He is peace.

Take a moment to just stop what you are doing, close your eyes and just let His peace fill your heart and mind. It might be the best few minutes you will spend all day. You won’t regret it, either did I… now off to the table I go.

It might be of interest to you to grab a pencil and write out where you have spent the last l168 hours given to you by God, this week. How much time was spent in prayer? How much time was spent in front of the Television? How much time was spent reading the Bible? How much time did you spend reading the newspaper and magazines? How much time did you spend witnessing or ministering to those in need? How much time did you spend in front of the mirror pampering yourself each morning? Pretty convicting? Well, here is a breakdown of where others spend their time over the span of their life.

20 Years Sleeping 20 years Working
6 Years Eating 7 Years Playing
5 Years Getting Dressed 1 Year on the Telephone
5 Years Watching TV 5 Months Tying Your Shoes
2 ½ Years Miscellaneous 3 Years Waiting for Someone
1 ½ Years in Church

Time is one of the most precious commodities given to man by God. It cannot be purchased, stored, or put on pause. Once this day is gone, it will never return. Let us never have to regret the hours that we might have devoted to Him and His service. Let us not squander the precious gift of time on our own selfish interests.

It is faith that allows us the privilege of seeing the fulfillment of God’s purposes in our lives. The more faith we have for our lives, the more of your potential is released. What hinders us most from accomplishing extraordinary exploits is not the way God sees us, but the way we see God. God views us with unlimited potential, as we see ourselves quite the opposite. Let us be encouraged with the stretching statement of our Savior in Mark 10:27, “all things are possible with God.”

The account of Jesus and Lazarus brings some shocking parallels to the church and her current condition. It is evident the lost people surrounding us are like Lazarus. They are dead in sin, bound by their habits and life-styles and are a stench to the nostrils of God.

The church has taken on the role of Mary and Martha, either laying at the feet of Jesus, or busy about doing  church but do not possess the faith needed to bring change to the “Lazarus Generation.”

What is needed is ‘Jesus Faith’ and not a Martha and Mary Faith, as will will never be capable of impacting our ‘Lazarus’ society.

Do not lose site of the fact that God has placed you exactly where He wants you! Your neighbors have been carefully selected, and placed in your life by the hand of God, for your inheritance. You co-workers are set in by your side as a master plan of the Lord to bring them to salvation. He now desires to impart to you a new faith that you might become Jesus Today for all those around you to see. Can you see it? Do you hear it? Can you believe it? Do you have faith for it? Will you respond to it?

God is just waiting for you to have the faith to believe that He can use you like never before. Whatever expectation level you have is too small. Ephesians 3:20 insures us, “He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 58:11), and He thinks you can do extraordinary exploits as His co-partner.

Not only does He believe you can reach touch your neighbors and relatives, but that you can be instrumental in touching nations; that’s right, nations! If it weren’t true, He would not put it in His Word. He challenges us to ask Him as seen in Psalms 2:8, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

It is only with this level of faith that we will see God’s plan filled in our lives, our churches, our cities and our world. The thought of reaching your friends and relatives requires great faith. The challenge of touching your city demands a greater faith, and the thought of reaching over 6, 073,104,885 people that span the globe cannot be accomplished through human strength, thoughts or strategy, but only through complete faith in God. God’s desires that each of us would have abounding faith that will cut off all of the cant’s and make them into can’s.

The holidays are behind us and the New Year awaits us all. If you are like most people, you received some gifts on Christmas from loved ones and friends. These gifts vary in size and value but will only be beneficial to you if you put them to use. You will receive over 1200 gifts during your lifetime, most of them you will forget about. But the the special gifts God has for you are priceless and will last a life time. The cool thing about these gifts is that you can open them every morning and use them in your daily life.

Over the last five weeks, Pastor Frank Damazio and myself conducted a series that talks about these special gifts, which are the gift of love, peace, grace, joy and hope. I would like to invite you to tune into the podcasts and listen to these timeless messages at The Gift Messages . You never know, you just might get an extra gift for this New Year.

Let me know your thoughts as you listen.

Marc