CHAPTER 23: ASK GOD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE 2025
“Please, Lord, let me continue.” I bet that rings true for everybody on this phone, right? It occurred to me along the way that things were getting better, which reminded me that things had been worse. I also found myself tortured by confused/incorrect/Godless decisions of my past and how to avoid such issues in the future.
Romans 13:11-14 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
It was clear that on any given day, my destiny could change for the worst, or I could actually make a mistake, and die, game over. My choices at this time in my life had brought me to a realization of a mental melting pot of “what could’ve been and wasn’t.”
It is in God’s hands what happens ultimately, however my fleshly choices did cause great damage in my life and the life of others. Realizing this caused me great pain, even agony in my quiet moments.
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
Okay, so I move forward and try not to let my past get in the way of my thoughts. In His grace and mercy I have another day to continue, even this wretched sinner. But continue what? Well, there were a few things I’d started at this time and a few things I’d already been working on. I asked Him, if It be His will, I might continue these endeavors and proceed.
Ezra 9:8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place[a] in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.
In 1915, Albert Einstein apologetically offered “a note” to a messenger boy in lieu of a tip, saying that it could be worth far more one day than a tip. He was right. Some years later, 95 years to be exact “The note” bearing Einstein’s “Theory of Happiness” sold at auction for $1.56 million. It said, and I quote.
“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”
Look, I’ve never been truly calm and modesty has generally escaped me, still for me Einstein’s theory of happiness has merit. In a word it brings me to humbled. Being humbled, different than humility. Humility describes a state of mind, humbled describes a verb and action taken against me? Well, yes, but in God it is for my own good. The Lord humbled me, maybe not against me, but rather for me, in support and love.
Constant restlessness is something I relate to, I understand it and am comfortable with that understanding. With such experience Jesus uses it, what I think is horrible, Jesus used to help others experiencing the same. i.e., Jesus uses just such things for good.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
Share the scriptures that saved my life and be humbled, which in turn did, in fact, allow me the Opportunity to Continue in the Lord, a good path, better than mine, as long as I agreed to the whole thing, not just a few items that were convenient.
James 3:13-18 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Frank T. McAndrew, a Professor of Psychology at Knox College, wrote. “That’s why people who have supposedly reached the apex of happiness – lottery winners, successful entrepreneurs, and celebrities – often don’t seem much happier, sometimes even worse off.” That’s true, I see it in the news all the time. On the flip side of that, there’s me and you. The ‘ole, I’ll bet it all on the farm, borrow the money, run the risk and then what? Not so good, right? Some people call that faith. I don’t call it faith, I call it stupid. Chapter 23, makes more sense, however, if you’ve actually been stupid. That way it’s easier to know the difference between God’s Faith and My Stupid.
Deuteronomy 30:9, God will prosper the works of our hands if our hearts are fully turned towards him and we are walking in obedience.
5 THINGS THAT GIVE ME AN EXCUSE TO BE STUPID.
- Out of control schedule, nothing gets done
- Misplaced priorities (anything or anybody more important than our Lord)
- Discouragement – you decide your a victim and want out
- Abundance of the Flesh – too much of what I want
- Parasite sins: I feel so guilty that I disconnect.
James 4:13-14 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow [a]we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
I’m only here for a moment. It is important to praise and honor God for what He does while I’ve got the chance. How many seconds do I have left? What would I do if I knew it was a sixty second count down to the end of me? I don’t know! Makes more sense to continue right now, continue in His ways, maybe not my ways. You see at the time I asked to continue, I had just finished PrayerWerks, “God what can I do for You?” Well, he answered that prayer and low and behold it wasn’t what I’d been working on at all, it turned into, and still is TurnAround, the adventure, the job, the ministry, obedience, the impossible, the miracle, the gift. But I’ve had to say repeatedly “okay, God, I’ll do it, but I need Your help!”
Acts 20:24 that I may finish my [b]race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
There it is, asking for the opportunity to continue. Continue what? As it turned out, it was “continue breathing.” As I look back, that was a great gift, nothing else could’ve happened without breathing. Think about that. Without breathing I don’t get a second chance. We are not promised yet another moment, so in each moment, make the best of it.
Psalm 66:20 Blessed be God Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me…
We are sinners, given the opportunity to continue pursuing Heaven one more time, today. Christ, in the blood of the Lamb, opened the door forever to those who believe. And everyday the opportunity to continue His path, the path of the Master.
He was raised from the grave, conquered death and we are now free from the power of sin and death. The Opportunity to continue justification, sanctification, and glorification for all eternity.
Psalms 1–41 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers..but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
Another chance, another opportunity to continue. What I’m talking about here, is huge, the next chapter in every single day. A second chance, to realize I have more than I deserve, to realize it is a narrow gate to God, to realize I have another day to do something for God, to realize I have another day to be better than I was yesterday, to realize that life is hard and it should be, to realize my expectations are ridiculous, to realize I am here with a set of circumstances designed to help me, to realize fighting these circumstances is ridiculous, to realize God is keeping me in good order by a lot so that my day allows me to realize things I did not know, to realize today I have been given this opportunity by Him to make money at what I love (not to judge it, but to work it), to realize that I have been judgmental with what God has given me, resistant, stubborn and stupid, even yesterday, even today, realize I have another opportunity to continue at what He has given me today. Realize that I can continue winning in the Lord or sinning in my own stupid, by disregarding what He offers. Realize that I must grow or I will stubbornly return to a path that got me here in the first place. My friends this path is narrow, not everybody gets to own a business, a family, and a second chance escaping tens of thousands, millions of dollars, only to do what with it?
When I wrote this chapter, I realized people make up a convenient way of honoring God, be mindful there is no convenient way of walking the path of God, we all make up how good we’re doing, we wonder why things don’t work out. Are we any different than an employee on the floor refusing to be managed? Are we? An employee who does it their own way, and even does overtime and expects accolades and cash incentives for doing a whole bunch of things that are simply not necessary, rather than doing what needs to be done. I get it, ‘now.’ Rather than do what has been required since the beginning of time, why would I choose to find my own methods, my own anything that yields my own end? Because why? Because I deserve it? Right, sure I do. Think about it? Somebody said to me yesterday, “you don’t know what I do!” The answer to that statement as a teacher? I don’t know what you do. But I know what you don’t do. Let me give an example. All of us are driving a race car in the Indianapolis 500. The cars are highly built, super fast, super dangerous. I can’t decide, that in that race, I’m going to drive that car like I’m going to the grocery store and then expect to win the race or not get myself killed, or somebody else.
I can’t expect to drive that car anyway other than within the guidelines of a 200 plus mile an hour car traveling into the corner with a bunch of people who don’t care about me, want to beat me, put me out of the race and definitely take my position. God has given each and every one of us the opportunity to continue in a life that all of us nearly pissed away. Why do we decide that given the option to write an assignment, make a few calls, show up for meetings, read the book, do things a little different, try to keep it this time, stop fighting direction?
I don’t know when I realized it was a narrow gate, but I’m glad I did, because I could lose my second chance big time, I could lose everything, for just being stupid for what I considered the smallest request, or chore. It was below me, not necessary, an opinion, not a fact. God laid out a life for me. Am I going to look at it like the line in a buffet, picking the miracles I want and leaving the hard ones, like vegetables, I don’t want. He set, in front of each us on this phone, a set of guidelines and help that we are responsible to do and because of the comfort He has provided we decide it’s inconvenient.
Chapter 23, the Opportunity to Continue to do the hard work, or we will continue to be complacent, resistant and stupid in just one thing or another, or a list of things we don’t feel like doing. Get it? This ride is not pick and choose, it’s all. God’s will is all in, not pick and choose.
Tasks deemed unimportant by my vast intellect after the failures I caused. Say it isn’t so, no, no, no, I couldn’t do it, please help me God, stay the course even when I fell victim to my own short comings. I had to get up and write this chapter, do the homework for each day and struggle to align myself with Him and I assure you, it is not, has not and will not be easy, but He blesses those who try, I must and do believe that, based on historical evidence in my own life.
Many of you will be here next year and some won’t. Where will those people be who do not subscribe to such simple chores. I talk to them everyday, people who want it all and are not willing to follow simple direction. Well, you see, it became clear to me, people that did not want the path I’m walking, they did not have a path, they just had a list of things they want to do, when they want to do it, that’s not a plan, that’s a scattered, selfish brain. Borrow my plan until you get a better one, and if you don’t get a better one, this one is good enough to live another day, in the things you love, keeping them, instead of losing them. Well, I don’t like my job, well, change your mind, because that’s what He gave you to do, that’s what is required of you in His will, not mine.
Colossians 2:6: “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in your faith”.
Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 states that everything God created is good and to be received with thanksgiving.
Psalm 103:2 reminds us not to forget God’s benefits, which can include the blessings that make chores possible.
Lamentations 3:22-23 highlights God’s unfailing love and mercies which are new each morning, offering a perspective of renewal in daily routines.
In closing, my mind needs renewing in all areas, not such a few, and the Lord provides everything I need to do that. For me to pick and choose what I will do is like deciding I need new tires and just buying one. It is deciding that my company needs an excellent Controller and going with low bidder, person retired or just out of high school. It is deciding that I need to go to the Doctor but not mentioning all of the ailments because of the cost.
Chapter 23 Ask for the Opportunity to Continue 2025
To continue what? Trying desperately, desperately, to stop resisting those things that are vital to my very breathing of life and what God has in store for my next adventure. Trying to do what else? Get out of the way and obey, stop being so damn smart about everything, entitled and just be compliant and helpful to the Lord in His helping of you, and believe me, I say the same to myself every day. In the struggle I, you, become so much more.
Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and [a]mighty things, which you do not know.’
An overwhelming task to accomplish when God, for us, has done the impossible for me and you for how many days, months, years. Ask, what can I do for you, Lord?
Isaiah 6:8: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me’”.
Luke 12:48b For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Amen.
