Here it is again--Christmas and New Year’s. I am always surprised with how quickly the days go by, but find myself more determined than ever to find my purpose, my dreams and my fulfillment in the presence of Jesus and in doing HIs will to please Him.

Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." The psalmist writes with understanding that God is in charge of life and that we only have a limited amount of time to discover and live the purpose He's burned into our spirits. I believe He has a will and plan and WANTS to show us that plan and how to find it fulfilled.In the time I have remaining on this earth I long to please Him; I love to praise Him; I desire to pursue Him.  I don't mean this as works to "earn" position with Him--we are saved only by His grace and mercy. But when we've surrendered our lives to Him we've given Him every part of our being-our minds, our hearts, our will and determination. He's gifted us to accomplish His purpose. 

I turned 60 this year.  Not that old in the entire scheme of things and in light of present lifespans. However, I have so many dreams, visions, and desires for what I have yet to accomplish that I don't want to miss any opportunities He's given.  So what do I/we do?

1.  Love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Keep Jesus as the first-love of your life and don't allow the world to turn you aside or distract from His presence. Yes, we live IN the world but we're called to not be OF the world.
2.  Stay daily in His Word and be washed and cleansed from the world by its reading.  The Scripture shows us Jesus; the heart of God; His will, His purpose, His commands.  I don't believe this life is casual to be lived indifferently. I believe when He saved me, He claimed all of me for His purpose and the only way to discover my way in life is to remain in the pages of His Word for logos (the written Word) and His rhema (His anointed and quickened word to me.)
3.  Stay in prayer--intimate fellowship with Jesus. As you surrender your heart and mind to Him daily, let Him speak to you personally and discover His Word and will for your life. Prayer can be in the natural—the language with which you converse daily--as Paul says, and there is also prayer in the spiritual. If you have not yet received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the free release in speaking in other tongues as the Scripture teaches, I urge you to reach out, receive prayer, and receive full release as we move into a new year. The Bible tells us the Holy Spirit will pray though us with sighs and groans that can't be uttered--but He knows the mind of the Spirit and will birth and reveal it in us as we stay in prayer
4.  Stay in close fellowship with other believers with whom you find nurture, shelter, family, protection, and strength. In Hebrews, God commands us to not forsake our gathering together but to find ourselves together "so much the more as you see the day approaching."  Commitment is a word seldom discussed or heard in the Body of Christ anymore--and that ought not to be. Commitment is the very life Jesus lived as He surrendered fully to the will and purpose of His Father and it's the life we should live with Him. It's not time to walk away, get lazy, become distracted by that which does not truly satisfy, but to burn hot for Jesus in our souls.

These are simple and basic points but I believe it does us good to rehearse the basics and continue on with The Lord.  And we don't do the above steps as a "magic formula"--walking with The Lord and discerning/doing His will is a bit like riding in a "bumper car" that you used to enjoy as a kid at a carnival--bumpy, confusing, fun, and sometimes frustrating if we occasionally get knocked off the path. But when that happens, get back out on the track and continue on. 

As we move into 2014, keep in mind that His return is more imminent than ever.  So what does that mean to us practically?  Be attentive, be alert and be READY. Remember the five foolish virgins who ran out of oil? They were virgins and they originally HAD oil but RAN OUT. Don't let your oil dry up and run out--stay close to Jesus and each other. Time in His presence replenishes the oil of anointing.  As we do, we will find that 2014 is full of new opportunities for ministry, for growth, for doing His will and we will grow ever more in His image and likeness.

Pastor Karl Barden, my mentor and friend for over 40 years, used to often say, "Get ready, stay ready, and grow." Amen. So be it. Let's do so more than ever. Let’s run after the Lord!