0:00:00 - 0:00:29 So when I was a kid in school, uh they taught us this story about how Columbus came to the Americas looking for an alternate route to the Indies. And it's interesting, whatever truth might be or not be in that. Um It's interesting to think about how sometimes the best route to a place is the opposite 0:00:29 - 0:00:59 of conventional wisdom, what conventional wisdom might suggest. So sometimes the now he didn't get to his objective. Um but sometimes the the quickest path or best path to where you're going is the opposite way you expected to get there. And I want to share with you a thought on that related to repenting 0:00:58 - 0:01:34 from all of your sins and coming to the point where you are truly living, how you sincerely believe God would in your place. Um Yeah, I just wanna apologize. I'm a bit choked up at the moment. Um I, I was just looking for some scriptures and I came across some that really hit me hard. So, and that's 0:01:34 - 0:02:32 one of the reasons that I want to make this video right now because uh whenever my heart overflows with joy, yes, and gratitude for all the things that God has done for me and uh whenever he helps me see the good things he does for others, for all of us. Um I'm just overwhelmed with a desire to do anything 0:02:32 - 0:03:02 I can to help other people to see that s to see Him in his goodness. So here's a thought that I'd like to share with you that I hope you get as much mileage out of as I have. And it's this he who adopts the purpose of a king will encounter the blessings of a king. I could share with you several scriptures 0:03:02 - 0:03:29 that embody this concept. Um For example, when Jesus was talking about how different people perceived him, he, he mentioned how um some people thought he was a wise teacher and they would receive the reward of perceiving him as a wise teacher. Some people saw him as a prophet and they would receive the 0:03:29 - 0:03:57 reward of seeing him as a prophet. And he said, even if you just give a cup of cold water to someone who's thirsty, you will, will receive the reward of that. And uh that's such a deeper lesson than some kind of uh a quid pro quo reciprocity. It's much more than that. So um I don't wanna go down that 0:03:57 - 0:04:21 road right now. That that's a wonderful scripture and it's worth thinking about. And there's another uh connection to this in Ecclesiastes eight. But let's just stick to the, the little proverb sentence here he who adopts the purpose of a king will encounter the blessings of a king. It's an immensely 0:04:20 - 0:00:00 strong principle because you don't have to be a king. You don't have to worry about becoming a king. You just need to act like a king. And of course, I mean, this in a Godly sense, not in terms of, you know, compelling people or doing something Napoleonic, but a servant kinging, the nobility of God, 0:00:00 - 0:05:23 the kind nobility, I always have to be careful using the word kind because we've really perverted that. But um acting always in the benefit of others uh up to your full ability and capability. All right. So here's a, a snippet from a reflection on act 531 speaking of Jesus, he was God who provided the 0:05:23 - 0:05:55 example to us of how to be raised up by the father, through learning from him and becoming one with his purpose. So if you adopt the purpose of a king, you will encounter the blessings of a king. Why? Because you don't have to be a king to get into a kingdom, you just have to be a servant. And why am 0:05:55 - 0:06:26 I saying that? Like it's some kind of a hack because it is so a king is a much better person than a servant. Again, I'm speaking in a Godly sense in a merit, uh a meritocratic sense, meritocracy and who is the king of kings, Jesus Christ. If you adopt his purpose. He admits you into his kingdom and it's 0:06:26 - 0:06:58 not a quid pro quo, it's a case of you receiving his blessings, becoming aware of them, opening yourself to them because he's always ready. He, he emits these things at all times and in all places, but you have to receive them to perceive the joy in them because a gift that's given but not valued it 0:06:57 - 0:07:24 . Uh It's not noticed, it's, there's not as much benefit in that incomparably less benefit in that. It's not enough to have a good thing. You must also realize how good it is. You have to appreciate it. Do you know why God commands us to be grateful? It's not for him. Nothing he says is for him, his 0:07:24 - 0:08:01 work and his glory is our immortality and eternal life bringing to pass our benefit. That's, that's so central to, to what he desires to his purpose that he said that is his, not just his work, what he does, that is his glory. That is how he denominates his value. He loves us so much that if you ask 0:08:00 - 0:08:43 Him, what's important to you, I just point right at you. Yeah. And so how do we know how valuable we are to Him? Because everything he had, which is everything there is. He set aside and came here without the guarantee that he was going to get back to it. And he came here and he suffered all things for 0:08:43 - 0:00:00 us. And so if the measure of love is how much you're willing to suffer for someone else's benefit. There is no greater love because there is nothing more that a person can suffer here than what Jesus did and he did it for us. So that's how much he loves us. So it's interesting that when we think he, 0:00:00 - 0:09:41 he's like, well, you said this video is gonna be about repentance. We haven't talked about sin yet. A lot of times when people think of repenting of ceasing to sin, you say I need to quit this thing or I need to do this thing more or I need to do this thing better, but that's not the best way to do it 0:09:41 - 0:10:14 . There's a much better way that actually doesn't seem connected at all. But in reality, it is a fuller manifestation of exactly what's going on when we try to repent. And that is to adopt the purpose of Jesus in all things at all times. And it's crazy because there's this loop when you adopt his purpose 0:10:14 - 0:10:45 . Actually, all you're doing is you're running full speed and jumping onto this train that leads to your own exaltation. It's the weirdest thing in the world by turning completely away from yourself and totally towards Jesus. You are actually doing what most benefits yourself because that's his purpose 0:10:44 - 0:11:14 and he does it in a much better way than, than we would if left to our own devices incomparably better. And it will take us to incomparably better ends and the whole process will be uncomfortably better along the way. So, so it's the epitome of foolishness to resist this. You find the train, you'll hear 0:11:14 - 0:11:41 the, the toot, you run towards the toot, you run as fast as you can because the thing's moving, it's already moving in the right direction and you jump on and you just hold on for your dear life and you go wherever it goes. So I think I've shared this before, but I'll share it again here in Matthew 1128 0:11:39 - 0:12:05 to 30. The King James says, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Now, when you're doing this the wrong way 0:12:04 - 0:12:25 , I should say the far less effective way, you'll feel like you're bashing your head up against a brick wall when you try to be better and it's just so hard and it's grueling and you read this passage and you say what the heck this is, I mean, this is, this is uh this is straining my ability to believe 0:12:24 - 0:12:45 in scripture because it's so far from my experience. So you might feel that way because you try and you fall and you just keep trying and falling and each time it's not, not feeling any easier. Maybe it feels harder every time. So I encourage you to just turn the complete opposite way, not away from 0:12:45 - 0:13:14 Jesus, but towards him and, and quit making your compass specific things. Like I need to quit this. I need to start this. I need to do this better. Forget all that at all times and in all places just think what would Jesus do and why and why should I? And you'll find that a lot of times these answers 0:13:14 - 0:13:40 aren't so hard to come up with. Now, uh I wanna share the reflection I've got on that passage. But one thing I don't wanna forget to say is that if you find yourself at a loss to think of what Jesus would do in your place, ask him, ask him in the moment. And uh if you get something, just follow that 0:13:40 - 0:14:07 and if it takes a little while, keep asking and sometimes you can't wait because you have to act in the moment sometimes. So do your best and then write it down and then keep asking and open your scriptures and search and try to read these stories and see what you can adapt to the situation where you're 0:14:07 - 0:14:29 lacking guidance. And if you ask him, he will show you and just because he's shown you something in the past doesn't mean that that's still the answer today. It's a great place to start. But just keep asking because as you do what he would do in your place according to your present understanding, he 0:14:29 - 0:14:59 will give you future understanding, he will increment your your familiarity with how he is. And that's the whole point. See, that's not a bug. It's a feature creation was specifically designed like a precise machine to give each and every one of us every single day, the precise situation, we need to 0:14:59 - 0:15:28 draw as close to him as we can in that amount of time given where we are and what our exact capacity is now. So that's a true meaning of that, that bit where he uh in, in our translations of the Bible where he says sufficient unto the morrow is the evil thereof. It's a terrible, terrible translation 0:15:27 - 0:15:56 . But what he's saying is the father has provided exactly what you need each and every day so that you can draw as close to him as is possible given where you are, who you are and so on. It's all precisely orchestrated for the greatest possible benefit to you. All right. So here's my version of that 0:15:56 - 0:16:25 passage in Matthew 11. I shouldn't say virgin. This is my thought about it. Um Come to me all those who are cumbered by the burdens of this world and I will free you from them, make my burden your own. And in me, you will find freedom from the burdens of this world as I seek and do the father's will 0:16:24 - 0:16:54 in all things, he teaches me more of how he is. And in him, I overcome the world live as you understand me to be. I will teach you more about myself and the truth will make you free, dedicate yourself completely to my service. For everything I ask of you is for your greatest benefit. And there is no 0:16:54 - 0:17:13 easier way to overcome every challenge you face than by living according to my will. That's what he did and that's what we must do. There is no other way and there's certainly no better way.