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Volume 5 . Issue 7 March 2009

COUNCIL OF REFERENCE

You Were Made for More:

The Life You Have, The Life God Wants You to Have
A Quick Focus

Dr. Richard Averbeck Rev. D. Stuart Briscoe Dr. Paul Cedar Mr. Dave Coleman Dr. & Mrs. Larry Crabb Mr. Roger Cross Dr. Kenneth O. Gangel Rev. Samuel Farina Rev. & Mrs. O. Lud Golz Dr. Kenneth Gangel Dr. Howard G. Hendricks Rev. & Mrs. Lud Golz OlanG. Hendrix Dr.Mr. Howard Hendricks Dr. Jeremiah Mr.David Olan Hendrix Rev. Knute Larson Dr. David Jeremiah Dr. John C. Maxwell Rev. Knute Larson Dr.John Bruce Dr. C.McNicol Maxwell Mr. DeanMcNicol Merrill Dr. Bruce Mrs. Elisa Morgan Mr. Dean Merrill Dr.Elisa Luis Morgan Palau Mrs. Dr. Dr. Gilbert A. Peterson Ray Ortlund Rev. Dr. Wes LuisRoberts Palau Rev. & Mrs. Jamie Dr. Gilbert A. Peterson Rassmussen Rev. Wes Roberts Mr. Jim Warren Rev. & Mrs. Jamie Dr. Rick Warren Rassmussen Mr. Jim Warren Dr. Rick Warren

The Book's Purpose Encourage followers of Christ to find joy, peace, and purpose Challenge followers of Christ to pursue the rich spiritual place they long for Offer compelling snapshots of people finding more of God as they serve Him Inspire believers through biblical accounts and stories of modern-day people who have discovered their promised land, their special assignment from God The Books Message
Are you longing to make a difference~and unwilling to settle for a run-of-the-mill life? A comfortable life will not provide the happiness and fulfillment youre seeking. God has more for you~ and this more includes a deep sense of purpose. God has crafted an assignment for every one of His people: something unique that only you can accomplish for Him in this lifetime. Exploring the lives of people God has used and is presently using to exercise their gifts for His purposes reveals that when a person taps into this more of God he or she experiences more influence, energy, joy, and satisfaction.

By Jim Cymbala with Dean Merrill Zondervan Publishing ISBN: 78031241270

Publishers Catherine & David Publishers Martin Catherine & David Martin Editors
Cheryl & Michael Chiapperino Editors Cheryl & Michael Chiapperino

Seek Your Promised Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Celebrate Gods Past Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Make Room for the Forgotten One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Persevere for the Long Haul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Seize the Benefits in Hardships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Exchange Your Weakness for His Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Pursue Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Embrace Your Promise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Eight Main Points

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Its natural to long for a place where we can be safe, fulfilled, and growing~where we can freely spread our wings. That goes for our spiritual and emotional lives as well as our physical lives. Jesus told us that He came to give us life~even life to the full (John 10:10).

Seek Your Promised Land

Moving into the land God has waiting for us is not something for the timid or fearful.
And so He promised to provide strength and resources every step of the way. His promises, when met with our simple faith, cannot be frustrated. God called Joshua to accomplish a unique assignment, one tailored for his abilities. God has called every single Christian to do something special, something mighty, something unique that only he or she can do. Sometimes we make the assumption that God only has specific work assignments for full-time ministers and missionaries. But it is clear that God has plans for all of us. His mission to spread the gospel and raise up committed disciples all over the world requires the involvement of all His followers. Each persons role is vital.

That is what we crave. We sense somehow we were meant for more~more than the constricted, self-limiting lives we currently endure.
This full, abundant life is available to all followers of Christ. And He wants us to experience it. Imagine~a richer grasp of His Word, a clearer understanding of Gods design for our lives, strength and boldness to communicate our faith, liberty from the pain that distracts and limits us, and internal peace no matter what were facing.

If God brought you into the spiritual counterpart of a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8), what would that look like?
The biblical account of God using Joshua to lead the children of Israel toward the Promised Land is full of lessons that will help us as we pursue the Promised Land God has prepared for each one of us. Moving toward the Promised Land, Canaan, was a struggle that required them to conquer a vast array of hostile armies. Whereas Israel experienced a dramatic deliverance from Egypt, seizing the Promised Land confronted them with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Likewise, God offers us dramatic deliverance from the grip of sin, yet we still seem to struggle when claiming Gods promise for more. The Israelites discovered that the Promised Land had clear parameters, an exact location. Similarly, Gods plan is limited to His specific plan for our lives, and we are assured of Gods help if we stay within the boundaries of what He has marked out for us. Pursuing the Promised Land required tenacity and courage. God told Joshua no less than three times that Joshua needed to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6-7, 9). In the same way, pursuing our own Promised Land will be demanding~it will require grit and courage.

God has an assignment designed precisely for you~and this is part of the abundant life you so earnestly crave.
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Celebrate Gods Past Provisions

There is a small place in close proximity to Jericho that became a training ground where God reminded His people of His loving care for them. Gilgal was the first place the Israelites set up camp after they crossed the Jordan River. Gilgal was a training ground, a place where God taught his people many important lessons. Look back before you move forward is one key lesson revealed, as Joshua obeyed God and took 12 large stones from the floor of the Jordan and set them up as a memorial.

In the future, when your children ask you, what do those stone mean? tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord (Joshua 4:6-7).
This memorial helped the Israelites keep their bearings when circumstances threatened to convince them that God could not protect them from their enemies. Likewise, rehearsing and recalling the amazing works God has done for us in the past keeps us from becoming fretful.

We cannot live in known disobedience and expect that God will bless us and help us We cant have God and at the same time, hold on to the sin He sent His son to die for.
The blood sacrifice must always remain central, the children of Israel learned at Gilgal, where they celebrated Passover. As they placed the blood of a lamb on their doorposts, the Israelites were reminded of both Gods provision and protection. Today we recognize that its only the blood of Christ that protects us from Gods judgment of sin. We cant earn forgiveness through good behavior; theres nothing we can do to earn it!

We need to anchor our hearts and minds in Gods overwhelming track record.
Dont try to move forward in disobedience is the second lesson of Gilgal. Over four decades of wilderness wanderings, Israel had slipped away from covenant obligations like circumcision. God directed Joshua to lead the people in correcting the situation. In a matter of days, after mounting a circumcision program, Israel once again experienced Gods favor. Today we need to be acutely aware of the connection between our obedience and the release of Gods favor in our lives.

Only the blood puts us in right standing with Him.

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Make Room for the Forgotten One

In general, Christians demonstrate reverence toward two of the three Persons of the Trinity~our heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior. The member of the Trinity who most often gets neglected in our songs, prayers, and preaching is the Holy Spirit. As children, many of us heard people refer to the Holy Spirit as the Holy Ghost. And this positioned Him as a frightening entity. Maybe thats one reason so many people neglect Him in their songs, prayers, and preaching. But the Holy Spirit is not frightening. He is a person and He is real. He is a living being who has feeling and speaks to Gods people. Without doubt, after Jesus left this world to join the Father, He dispatched the Holy Spirit to take His place among disciples. One thing the Holy Spirit does is guide believers into Gods work and equip them to accomplish it through His power.

Amazingly, when Israel needed a leader, the elders thought of Jephthah.

The Spirits anointing overrode his quirks and human weaknesses.

Scriptures tell us that the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Amorites and the Lord gave them into his hands. Samson Even though he made poor choices later in life, Samson experienced Gods power, and God used him to accomplish His goals (Judges 13:25; 14:6,19; 15:14-15).

If we dont believe this and become insensitive to the voice of the Spirit, we will miss wonderful things that God has planned for us.
The Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament, and we can see countless ways He empowered people to do amazing deeds. Consider these four examples from the book of Judges: Othniel Calebs nephew, Othniel, became a national hero when he became Israels judge (leader) and overpowered the king of Aram. This began a process that enabled Othniels people to sustain four decades of peace. The biblical record affirms that Othniel was able to do this because The Spirit of the Lord came on him (Judges 3:10). Gideon A shy underachiever, Gideon was approached by an angel who called him a mighty warrior. Over time, he discovered incredible strength when the Spirit of the Lord came upon [him], and he blew a trumpet summoning [his clan] to follow him. Two days later, Israel enjoyed an amazing victory. Jephthah The Bible says little about Jephthah, a leader with a chip on his shoulder. His family scorned him because he was the product of a relationship between his father and a prostitute. Judges 11:3 reveals that Jephthah ran with a gang of scoundrels.

He takes us with all our limitations and raises us up to handle challenges that otherwise scare us.
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Persevere for the Long Haul

Caleb personified wholehearted, unwavering commitment to Gods plan for Israel. Not swayed by peer pressure when he and his fellow spies returned after checking out the Promised Land, Caleb insisted, We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. He was able to convince his friend Joshua, but they lost the debate that day.

Seize the Benefits of Hardships

When we face difficulties in our lives and things just dont seem to make sense, its normal to ask God, Whats up with this? During these times, we must hold on to the fact that Gods ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and that chances are good that we will never completely understand His thoughts or purposes.

He [Caleb] had a one-track mind (as well as heart and soul) for the Lord. No wavering, no compromise, no negotiating with the purposes of God. There was nothing lukewarm or tentative about him.
Caleb modeled wholehearted commitment in the following four ways: Even though he was penalized with the majority and he wandered with them in the desert for 40 years, he never grew bitter or gave up. Caleb never retired. At the age of 85, he remained vigorous and ready to obey God (Joshua 14:10-12). Serving God often has a ripple effect.

The more we trust God and follow his assignment for our lives, the more our children and grandchildren will be blessed.
Caleb recognized his complete dependence on God. He held on tightly to Gods promises and refused to be detoured or distracted~even while enduring a four-decade delay.
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Take courage: The mystifying things that happen in all our lives have several benefits we dont see at first.
Unseen Benefit 1: These difficult experiences yield strong levels of endurance and tenacity in our lives. Unseen Benefit 2: Hardships drive us to prayer, the kind of prayer that evidences desperation that says, I must have you answer me, God! We need to view trials in our lives as catalysts to bring us closer to God in prayer.
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SEIZE THE BENEFITS OF HARDSHIPS
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Warmth of soul creates an atmosphere favorable to prayer, because it is favorable to fervency. By flame, prayer ascends to heaven.
E. M. Bounds
Unseen Benefit 3: Enduring hardships gives us a real-life testimony we can pass along to others to let them know about Gods goodness and power. He can use these stories to help others who are young and going through similar problems. The challenges in our lives~those circumstances that on the surface seem senseless~are catalysts to strengthen us, to cause us to pray more fervently, and to provide a testimony to help others in need.

Gideon was a biblical character who questioned God when He hand-selected him to lead the nation of Israel. A humble farmer, Gideon was hiding out threshing wheat in the cramped quarters of a winepress when an angel of the Lord greeted him and called him a mighty warrior (Judges 6:12). In response, Gideon voiced four objections: Objection 1: Where have you been? Frustrated by Gods seeming absence from Israel as the nation faced the Midianites, Gideon complained that God had abandoned him and his fellow Israelites. In reality, the Israelites had abandoned God to worship idols.

Our struggles are simply a sign that we, like the ancient Israelites, were made for more.
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Now they reaped Gods chastening for their spirited infidelity.

Gods angel did not dignify Gideons complaint with an answer. Instead, he challenged Gideon to move ahead in Gods strength and rescue his people from the Midianites. When God calls us to do something, we need to discipline ourselves to fix our eyes forward and not dwell on the past. Objection 2: I dont have the right connections. Gideon, recognizing that his credentials and his family background left much to be desired, asked how he could possibly save Israel. God reminded Gideon that He would be with him.
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Exchange Your Weakness for His Strength

Like a trial attorney finding fault with a line of questioning, at times we say, I object when we sense God is leading us to step out in faith. Perhaps we object respectfully, reminding God how His request is illogical.

But because God loves us and wants the best to come to pass in our lives, He responds with the simple phrase, Objection overruled.

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EXCHANGE YOUR WEAKNESS FOR HIS STRENGTH
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You may not have the right connections~but you have me! Im your source. Im the one you need to call. Ill be with you every step of the way. When we step out of our comfort level, when we take the risk to follow Him, He will meet all our needs. Objection 3: Would you give me a sign? Gideon still seemed uneasy about obeying God, so he asked Him for a sign. God obliged and accommodated his request by drenching a fleece left out overnight with dew. Objection 4: How about another sign? Amazingly, Gideon asked God for yet another sign, this time a dry fleece left out overnight on wet ground. God showed His patience by providing the sign Gideon requested.

The promise of God proves stronger than our fluctuating emotions. We are locked into His guarantee; it controls us.
Gods plan possesses us.

Like Gideon accepting the fact In time, Gideon went out and won a spectacular victory over the that God could win a battle with Midianites in the most unusual manner, proving Gods strength despite only 300 men, we sometimes need Gideons weaknesses. to trust God and abandon our smarter ideas. What made the difference? Hebrews 11 lists Gideon as a hero of the faith~he accomplished the victory by faith. We need to ask God for this Gods power, rather than our special gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9). own, possesses us. As God gives us the certainty that He can be trusted to do what He said He would do, three things happen: Gods promise possesses us. We need to relinquish our desire for getting the credit and realize Gods work requires Gods power, not ours. CBS In the midst of a war on terrorism in the early 21st century, we wonder when we will experience peace again. Sadly, even if the nations of the world could come together and forge a lasting peace, this would not guarantee internal peace. Stress on the interpersonal level takes a heavy toll on millions. An absence of inner peace robs people of the simple joys of life. The Peace of God True peace cannot be manufactured; it is not a matter of our will. Consider what Jesus told his disciples during the Last Supper as he was preparing them for what was coming. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).
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Pursue Peace
When wartime ends, peace is especially sweet. Joy abounds~and people pull out all the stops as they celebrate. Imagine the joy that the Israelites experienced when their leader, Othniel, claimed a victory that afforded the people 40 years of peace (Judges 3:11). And consider how happy they must have been when the second leader, Ehud, led another victory that resulted in peacetime for eight more decades. The Bible records that the Israelites celebrated by praising God in song when the next leaders, Deborah and Barak, ensured another 45 years of peace (Judges 5:3, 31).

What did peace mean to the Israelites in these times? It meant children could go out and play freely, without worry of being kidnapped. It meant parents could sleep soundly at night. A farmer could work hard ... and use his earnings to take care of his family.

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PURSUE PEACE
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The Peace of God True peace cannot be manufactured; it is not a matter of our will. Consider what Jesus told his disciples during the Last Supper as he was preparing them for what was coming. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27). Notice that God called this my peace. It was supernatural. He modeled this peace, His peace in the midst of unthinkable mental, emotional, and physical pain during His trial and crucifixion. Later Paul wrote about the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. It was this peace that Paul said will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Heres the key. We need to take the weight that is bearing down on us and give it to God in prayer.

This is shalom~that wonderful Hebrew word that means completeness, wholeness, blessing for the total person.
Although many followers of Christ overlook this piece of heaven, the place of no tears, the place where shalom rules, and instead ask God to provide us with healing, better jobs, or more money, He wants to lavish His peace on us. He wants to lead us in the path of His peace in the midst of all of lifes circumstances. Satan, the enemy of our souls, is eager to prevent us from seeking or enjoying Gods peace~and he often uses four strategies to do so. He makes accusations, stirs up hostility, causes us to fret and worry, and fills our minds with rubbish. Recognizing the importance of peace in our lives, we must prepare ourselves to stand our ground against the enemy in the following ways: Resist accusations Expect Satan to bring up sins and failures of the past~thats part of who he is as the accuser of our brothers and sisters (Revelation 12:10). Defending ourselves against or arguing with Satan is a waste of time. Perhaps the best way to neutralize him is to rejoice in the Lord and thank God for what He has done for us, including the promise of eternal life with Him in heaven. Resolve animosity Harboring resentment and anger and concentrating on the wrongs we have suffered will deplete our peace. But God wants His peace to flow in our lives~and He has provided some basic instructions for proactively pursuing reconciliation in Matthew 5 and 18. God has placed a high priority on restoring peace and resolving animosity with others, particularly those within the family of God. Release anxiety When we become preoccupied with the cares of life~even those that are overwhelming~we miss out on experiencing Gods peace. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6 that instead of being anxious about these

There is an actual transfer here; we lift the weight up and off our backs, and He takes it for handling. The thing that has been too heavy for us is a light weight in His hand.
Renew your mental atmosphere We need to take great care in what we allow to take control of our mental state. We live in a world full of noise~and if we are not careful this noise will poison our minds until we cannot think straight. Paul advises us to focus our minds on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8-9). We need to stand guard over what we allow into our minds~ and the instant a thought that will pollute us enters our minds, we must be ready to tell Satan to take his garbage and get out.
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PURSUE PEACE
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You [God] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3).
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Volume 5, Issue 7
Publishers

Catherine & David Martin

Editors

Cheryl & Michael Chiapperino

Embrace Your Promise

In our world, promises are not always kept. Politicians are often unable to deliver on their campaign promises after they are elected. Those of us who are parents are well aware of the protests that will ensue if we try to break a promise we have made to our children. But we never need to remind God of His promises~He is an entirely reliable promise maker. Consider the confidence with which Joshua could march into Canaan and take on the enemy. He took God at His word when He told him He would be with him. Other Bible heroes~including Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and David~learned firsthand what it means to receive a promise from God. As we read their stories, we see how God taught these people to trust Him implicitly. Whenever we wonder if God will really make good on His promises, we can turn to Psalm 119:49, which simply states, Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. This word refers to the Bible, the rock-solid foundation for our faith where we find Gods irrevocable promises about many things. Never give up on His word. God keeps His promises~we can depend on Him.

Published on the World Wide Web at ChristianBookSummaries.com.

The mission of Christian Book Summaries is to enhance the ministry of thinking Christians by providing thorough and readable summaries of noteworthy books from Christian publishers. The opinions expressed are those of the original writers and are not necessarily those of Christian Book Summaries or its Council of Reference.

You Were Made for More by Jim Cymbala with Dean Merrill, copyright 2008 by Jim Cymbala. Summarized by permission of the publisher, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49530. ISBN: 78031241270. 222 pages. $19.99 U.S. Available at your favorite bookstore or online bookseller. The authors: Jim Cymbala has been the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle for more than 25 years. The author of many bestselling books, he lives in New York City with his wife, Carol Cymbala, who directs the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Dean Merrill, former publishing executive with Focus on the Family and International Bible Society, is author or coauthor of 33 books. He and his wife, Grace, live in Colorado Springs.

Underline Psalm 119:49 in your Bible. Turn to it often. Lift it up before God as a reinforcement of His covenant promise to you. Let it strengthen your confidence in Him.
As you walk in Gods promises and spend time asking Him how He wants to use you, He will invigorate you and direct your steps. He made you for more. You are His beloved child, and He is the best Father in the world. He will do what He has promised in your life.
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