Coordinates to Truth

Johnnie was looking for direction in his life. He desperately wanted peace, truth, and happiness, but he didn't know where to turn.

He entered "peace" into his GPS and it gave him 286,354 different addresses. "Truth" opened up millions of addresses. And "happiness" seemed to be on every corner, or so the GPS claimed.

Johnnie began to get frustrated. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "Is there any hope?" he cried. He knew better than to type "hope" into the GPS. It would only lead to more dead ends.

Without really knowing why, Johnnie slowly entered three letters: "G-o-d" and pushed the search button. The list of addresses wasn't as long, but still Johnnie was puzzled that God had so many. "Why can't there just be one clear way to God?" Johnnie whispered.

The moment he asked that question, the cursor on his GPS hovered over the name of Jesus. Johnnie felt something stir inside him. His pulse quickened. His breathing became audible. What was happening?

Johnnie clicked on the name of Jesus and read these words, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Below the words of Jesus were the following directions:

1. Realize that God loves you and has a personal plan filled with meaningful coordinates for your life. Follow these directions and you will find peace, truth, happiness, and hope. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

2. To get to God, you must realize you are going in the wrong direction and turn around. You have sinned against God and it is leading you away from Him. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The direction you are going will lead you to eternal death and separation from God. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

3. Look for the cross of Jesus Christ. Stop at the cross. That is the only place anyone's life can truly be turned around. "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). At the cross, admit to God that you are a sinner. (Sin is the "Bridge Out" to your relationship with God). Invite Jesus to come into your life personally, forgive your sins, and save you. (Jesus is the only bridge that reaches God).

4. You are now ready to turn away from the direction you were going and start a brand new journey. Give Jesus the keys. Let Him drive. Place all your trust in Him. You will find peace instantly. You will find truth constantly flowing from the lips of your new Driver. As long as you allow Him to drive, you will find happiness no matter how bumpy the road may become.

Oh, and by the way...you won't believe your final destination! There is a description of it in the Map (the Bible). It is an incredible place.

Johnnie followed those directions to God and found what he was looking for. When he types "G-o-d" into his GPS now, only one clear choice exists -- Jesus. The rest deleted themselves. They must have just been a mirage.

GPS...God Provided Salvation for you. Will you follow these directions?

Perry Crisp

A Wait-y Faith

The struggle between stepping out in faith and waiting on God is one of the most perplexing tensions of the believer's life.

Mordecai revealed this struggle in his message to Esther, "If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place" (Esther 4:14).

In other words, "Don't do anything hastily, Esther. Wait and give God a chance to work through someone else in some other way." Sometimes I wonder if this is the unspoken motto of most believers and churches.

Within the same breath, Mordecai switched to the need all believers have to be ready to be used of God regardless of the cost: "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Sure, if we give it enough time, God will work through someone else in some other way to accomplish His purpose...or will He? What if we are His primary plan? What if all things were directed by Him to have us in this exact position at this crucial point in time? What if our hesitancy opens the door for Satan to deceive the very person God wanted us to engage?

Risk is inherent in faith. But is it any less inherent in remaining "completely silent" -- in doing nothing? No. The risk of faith is a personal risk. You may take a step of faith and fall flat on your face. The risk of doing nothing is not personal...it's kingdom-al. It is a risk that involves kingdom implications and may even impede the growth of the kingdom.

God is a big enough God that He can work around us in those instances. Obviously, if He can work THROUGH us, and IN SPITE OF us, He can work AROUND us and WITHOUT us. But oh, what we lose when we miss being involved in His work!

While that may be less embarrassing than a slippery step of faith, it is still a loss to us. So, what's the answer? Three things: prayer, confirmation, and peace.

When you don't know whether to act or wait, do both in prayer. Get active in praying over the matter and wait for God to answer. Then look for God's answer in confirmation and peace.

Confirmation often comes through other believers who agree with you about the situation. But confirmation comes in many ways, so keep your eyes, ears, and heart open.

The ultimate clue is peace. Peace is not the absence of apprehension. If we never did anything that involved a little apprehension, we would never do anything. Peace is that assurance of the soul that covers you like a liquid blanket of warmth.

Esther risked her life and the life of her family in a bold act of faith. God used her act of faith to save a nation. God may want to use your faith to save a Nathan or a Natalie. You may be exactly where you are "for such a time as this."

Linger Not Too Long...
Perry Crisp