I was recently told about the sudden death of a man I knew in Winnipeg. He dropped dead early one morning after completing his treadmill work out. He was in his early 50’s.

He was an elder in his church. He was a business leader. He was a good husband and father. He was a very good man. He was passionately engaged in spending his life, as best he knew, to create the greatest return for the Kingdom of God through his own leadership at home, in his business, in his church and in his community.

At his funeral the following Covenant of Purpose was shared:

“Today, I am stepping across the line.  I’m tired of waffling and I’m finished with wavering.  I’ve made my choice, the verdict is in, and my decision is irrevocable.  I’m going God’s way.  There’s no turning back!

I will live the rest of my life serving God’s purposes with God’s people on God’s planet for God’s glory!  I will use my life to celebrate His presence, cultivate His character, participate in His family, demonstrate His love, and communicate His Word.

Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose for living, and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, rival taking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying.  Instead, I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of His family.

Because this life is in preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, “we” over “me”, character over comfort, service ever status, and people over possessions, position and pleasures.  I know what matters most and I’ll give it all I’ve got.  I’ll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today!

I won’t be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil.  I’ll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me.  When times get tough, and I get tired, I won’t back up, back off, back down, back out or backslide!  I’ll just keep moving forward by God’s grace.  I’m Spirit-led, purpose-driven, and mission-focused so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I have finished the race.

I’m a trophy of God’s amazing grace so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for every day, and generous with everything that God entrusts to me.

To my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, I say – However, Whenever, Wherever, and Whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes!  Wherever you lead and whatever the cost I’m ready.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  Anyway. Whatever it takes, Lord; Whatever it takes!  I want to be used by you in such a way, that on that final day I’ll hear you say, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful one.  Come on in and let the eternal party begin!’”

This was read by the pastor because it was how he saw this man live. He did his best to be a man of purpose, living on purpose each and every day to leave a lasting legacy. May we follow his example and be Men Of Purpose, On Purpose. And, may our purpose be God’s kingdom coming and His will being done on earth, in and through us, as it is in heaven.

I felt very challenged when I read this Covenant. You may know that a Covenant is like a ‘contract’: this is a ‘Contract’ of Purpose. It is a deep pledge, a contract written in blood per se, to walk wholeheartedly with Jesus, knowing that it is only by His Spirit in us that we can walk with Him. He actually makes us willing and able to walk with Him.

I am challenged to make this Covenant of Purpose a daily declaration and a daily prayer. To set my will, by the grace of God, to walk wholeheartedly with God.

We are all going to leave a legacy of some sort. What will your legacy be?

Philippians 2:12-13

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Luke 9:23-26

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.’”

We were surrounded – completely surrounded. We found ourselves deep in the heart of darkness, and on the defensive.

Strip clubs, “gentlemen’s” clubs, street drunkenness, voodoo gardens, voodoo lounges, voodoo marts and occult practitioners were everywhere. The blackness in the spiritual atmosphere was almost tangible. And now we found ourselves, with all the other conference attendees, in the New Orleans House of Blues.

The music was pretty awesome, though overpoweringly loud. Our small band of believers had gathered together to try to connect amidst the cacophony and chaos of the overcrowded club. We were having a good time enjoying some beverages and chowing down on some local delicacies: which included bread pudding with caramel sauce – much to my delight.

Even though we were well watered and well fed, we were still thirsty. So, we spied out another room separate from the main performance area with comfy chairs, its own bar and smorgasbord, and a big screen showing the main stage, but without the overwhelming loudness from which we were seeking shelter.

The four of us settled into a cozy conversation circle of 4 brothers and 1 sister.

And then it happened… Jesus showed up.

Rob began to share how he met Jesus, how Jesus had changed his life. Stu followed suit and shared the miracle of God’s great goodness and His good greatness. John then told the story of how Jesus miraculously broke into his life during a personal development retreat. Patti shared a delightfully feminine perspective on her beloved rescuer. Then I rounded things out with my story of redemption, mercy, grace, love, forgiveness and freedom.

There we were, 5 friends simply trying to stay out of trouble, huddled together for defensive purposes – actually not! Au contraire! When we stood back and looked through the eyes of faith we began to realize that we were actually Spiritual Special Forces. We were on a covert mission in the heart of darkness to bring the light and love of Jesus.

That night as we began to share our Jesus Journeys, our “testimonies”, Jesus entered the room with us. He commanded His angels to surround us as well. Even when we stand alone, we are not alone. The forces of heaven stand with us. That night the House of Blues became the House of The Risen Son.

As John began sharing his Jesus Journey, from my perspective silhouetted by the big screen, the band began to sing The House of the Rising Sun. The song that powerfully depicts a man who lost his life to the debauchery he discovered in New Orleans, ironically became the back drop for the story of a man who was miraculously saved out of darkness into light. And the stories of light and life we shared surrounded us with light and life.

We were now in the House of the Risen Son.

The Lord helped us to see that we were indeed a team of Spiritual Special Forces – Navy SEALS – on a covert mission to bring light and life into the darkness. The simplicity of “testifying” to the goodness of God and the power of the “Blood of the Lamb” changed the atmosphere. We were detonating claymores of light and flash bangs of faith into the spiritual realm.

The Lord revealed the significance of the evening to John early the next morning. Something I love about John is that he is deaf in his right ear. The Lord told John he is deaf in that ear, so the Lord can speak clearly to him through that ear.

We must all learn to hear the inaudible, see the invisible and feel the intangible – that is living by faith!

Let’s recognize who we are in the Spirit. We are beloved children of our heavenly Father, filled with the Spirit of God to be Kingdom ambassadors for the Government of God – the righteousness, peace and joy of our Lord. We are each uniquely gifted and graced to play a key role in God’s covert plans; called to walk as allies in this battle to ‘appropriate’ all the abundant life Jesus has for us, and for others through us.

Yes, we are Spiritual Special Forces called to overcome darkness with the light, life and love of God, walking together as allies to transform Houses of Blues into Houses of the Risen Son.

Revelation 12:11

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Matthew 18:20

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Click to watch “Let Us Pray” video.

“How many hours a day do you pray?”

The question stopped my friend in his tracks.

“What did he just ask me?”, he thought. What do you mean, “How many hours a day do I pray?” I am a busy guy. I own and operate a number of businesses. I am married with a young family. Do you know how much time that consumes?

Deep down though, he knew the Lord was putting His finger on something…

My friend was a passionate Jesus follower. He often talked about his relationship with Jesus with his customers, suppliers, employees and friends. In fact, he gave out cases of the book Born Again by Charles Colson to these people.

According to Amazon, “Born Again is the autobiography of one of the most influential men of our time.” It is not only a remarkable story of one man’s redemption in Christ, but a fascinating look inside the events of the Watergate scandal, one of our generation’s most riveting sagas. Born Again has brought hope and encouragement to millions in a dozen languages.

My friend wanted to share the profound lifesaving story of Charles Colson with as many people as he could. In fact, he came up with the grandiose idea of inviting Mr. Colson to come to Canada to speak at a BBQ in his back yard to all the people to whom he had given the book Born Again. That is why he was now in Washington DC meeting with Mr. Colson’s Executive Director, along with a number of other men who wanted to connect with Mr. Colson, at a luncheon in an upscale downtown DC hotel.

Prior to this meeting, my friend’s wife has been encouraging him to cultivate his private relationship with Christ; to develop a devotional life. To take time out of his busy schedule to spend alone with Jesus – to pray.

Amidst this group at the upscale hotel in DC, the Lord ambushed my friend through the question posed by Mr. Colson’s Executive Director. He tried to bumble through an animated response of how much time he was devoting to Jesus, but he knew he was busted. He knew the Lord was inviting him to develop a devotional life: to instigate the Holy Habit of spending time alone with Jesus for the sole purpose of communing with Him.

That’s called prayer.

The only way we can follow Jesus deeper into all that He has invited us into is if we choose to set aside time to commune with Him. To listen. To intercede. To worship. To do warfare. To petition. To repent. To be thankful. There are many different ways to pray, but the point remains the same: to commune with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It’s been said prayer is like the mooring lines on a boat: they are designed to bring the boat closer to the dock, not to pull the dock closer to the boat. Prayer brings us closer to the heart of God. Prayer changes us. Sure, there are examples in scripture of how prayer appears to sway the will of God, but I believe that primarily prayer shifts our hearts toward God.

And, prayer plays a critical role in setting the purposes of God into play. I don’t understand how or why our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign God enables us to play a role in His purposes through prayer, but He has and He does. It has been said that without God we cannot, and without us God will not.

Prayer is powerful, and prayer has been ordained by God to play a significant role in the outworking of His purposes. If we are serious about being alive in Christ, we must breathe in His life through prayer.

Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

Let us set aside time alone with Jesus to listen; to pour out our hearts to Him; to lift up the needs of others; to fight against our spiritual enemy; to worship God; to express gratitude; to repent, and to breathe in the life of Christ.

Yes, let us pray!

Ephesians 6:18

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Colossians 4:12

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

“pray continually,”

Matthew 6:6

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

“Mover of Men and Mountains”, by R.G. LeTourneau was one of the first Christian books I read as a teenager. I will never forget the occasion…

I was invited by my church youth leader to go down to Lake Samish and waterski for the weekend. He had set up a slalom course on the lake and he was going to take the weekend to show me how to ski a course. I must have been about 15 at the time.

Over the course of the weekend we talked about many things; many of which I have no recollection of. However, he also gave me a copy of LeTourneau’s book with the recommendation that it was an excellent book about a businessman walking with Jesus wholeheartedly.

Why on earth would a youth leader think that was a good book to give to a 15 year old? I don’t know, but it clearly made a positive impression on me.

I remember being struck by LeTourneau’s big thinking and by his radical trust in and obedience to Jesus. He truly was an amazing man. According to Wikipedia:

“Robert Gilmour LeTourneau (November 30, 1888 – June 1, 1969), was born in Richford, Vermont, and was a prolific inventor of earthmoving machinery. His machines represented nearly 70 percent of the earthmoving equipment and engineering vehicles used during World War II, and over the course of his life he secured nearly 300 patents. With the help of his wife, the late Evelyn Peterson (1900-1987), he founded LeTourneau University, a private, Christian institution, in Longview, Texas. LeTourneau was widely known as a devoted Christian and generous philanthropist to Christian causes, including the “LeTourneau Christian Center” camp and conference grounds in Rushville, New York. LeTourneau was often referred to by his contemporaries as ‘God’s businessman.’”

He is remembered for many incredible accomplishments, but there is one of his quotes that has stuck in my psyche over the years,

“It’s not about how much of my money I give to God, but how much of God’s money I keep for myself.”

R.G. LeTourneau knew that everything he had was from God.

The Lord tells us in Deuteronomy 8:18 that He is the one who gives us the ability to produce wealth. LeTourneau knew that. He knew that his or anyone’s ability to produce wealth is from God. He also believed that a man’s faith must impact his wallet.

It’s really all a matter of trust isn’t it? Do we trust that God is the one who gives us the ability to produce wealth; that He is the one who provides for all of our needs, and, therefore, we can freely give of our finances as an act of worship to Him? Or, do we not trust the Lord to provide for us and, therefore, have to provide for ourselves?

I believe that tithing 10% of our gross income (pre-tax) – the Bible calls this our “first fruits” – is the basic responsibility of every follower of Jesus. Gifts and offerings are in addition to that.

It’s all a matter of trust: do I trust the Lord to provide for all my needs? That is why giving of our finances is an act of worship. It’s saying, “Lord I believe you will take care of me.”

I have heard some people say that they cannot afford to tithe. I believe we cannot afford not to tithe. Do you know that tithing is actually a form of spiritual warfare?

Listen to what the Lord says in Malachi 3:9-11,

“’You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (NASB)

When we tithe, the Lord “rebukes the devourer”. We can’t afford not to tithe: when we don’t, we’re cursed.

Whose money is it anyway? It’s the Lord’s, and “…it’s not about how much of my money I give to God, but how much of God’s money I keep for myself.”

2 Corinthians 9:2-8

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”