 Image by József Kincse from PixabayMany years ago, while living in Brooklyn, New York, I was involved in sports. One of the people I greatly admired was a basketball player by the name of Michael Jeffrey Jordan. I not only admired him for his skill on the court, but also for staying focused on his purpose and his assignment. He didn’t allow anyone to get him involved in anything other than his craft. That is one of the things that made him so great as a player. There were many that thought he should get involved in the civil rights movement, but he stayed focused on his assignment and craft. To this very day many consider him the greatest basketball player of all time, including myself. He always gave his parents credit for his success, especially his mother Deloris. It was stated that she “constantly kept him focused on what things were good in life”. He is a great example of how important it is to know your purpose and to never lose focus on it and your assignment! Without that focus, you will never accomplish what your have been purposed to do. As I think back on my life, I recall my mother made me attend church, in sickness and in health! It was attending church that caused me to seek the Kingdom. I needed answers and the preacher didn’t have them. So I began seeking on my own! But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 If you want to be successful in your assignment, you need to pick your priorities and stay focused on God’s purpose for your life. King Jesus is our example of that throughout His time here on Earth! Even when He was twelve years old, He was focused on His purpose for being here. When His parents lost him, here was His response to their worry: And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Luke 2:49 Focus! Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, “I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” Luke 4:42-43 That is what we, as ambassadors of His Kingdom, are called to do. Stay focused on our Kingdom government and what our King says. Ambassadors do not get distracted or speak their opinions and feelings. They represent the King. The Lord Jesus never set out to be well known or famous. He even told people not to tell people when He healed them. Here is one example: As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Mark 1:42-44 His focus stayed on reintroducing God’s Kingdom government to the world. He didn’t come to start and build a new religion. He kept spreading the Kingdom Gospel to a dying world. Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Matthew 16:19 NLT Always remember, the Lord Jesus was on an assignment from His Father God, who is the King. He didn’t want to go through what He went through, but for the will of His Father, so be it. Three times He pleaded to His Father. His obedience was to His Father’s will. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Matthew 26:36-42 The Lord Jesus stayed focused on His assignment and purpose for coming to this earth. King Jesus didn’t allow Himself to get involved in the world’s activities. He knew He had a limited time here on earth and this was the last chance for mankind to come back to the King through His Son, Jesus the Christ. It was the appointed time and there could be no distractions. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 We live in a distracting world, with endless input vying for your attention. We all deal with it. Always be aware that the enemy—meaning Satan and all his demons—want to distract and hinder you from the Kingdom. If he can keep you busy and unfocused he can thwart your God-given purpose. One of the easiest ways is through religion of all kinds. With religion we believe we are doing “good”, while only advancing religion but not the Kingdom government as Jesus taught. It may be good, but it’s not Kingdom! Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT Remember, your faith in the King’s Word is your most valuable asset in His Kingdom. All scriptures are NKJV unless noted W.R. Luchie www.kingdomcitizens.org |
