The Quest 2023

A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. The word serves as a difficult journey towards a goal. In Scripture, the object of a quest requires great exertion on the part of the disciples, who must overcome many trials and tribulation, including self-denial. The objective of this quest is the evolution into love. The moral of this quest centers on the changed characteristic of the disciples.

All of us are on a quest: a quest for personal righteousness. Unfortunately, we spend so much time seeking righteousness through attempts at being good and perfect that we give up realizing we can never be what we feel God wants us to be, and we miss the true way of righteousness.

I like stories for in them are keys to life.

Jonny Quest is a science fiction-adventure media franchise that revolves around the titular boy named Jonny Quest, who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964–1965 television series of the same name and has come to include two subsequent television series. Unlike the story of redemption Jesus Christ came down through forty-two generations to subsequently free humanity from the bondage of sin. It would take several major events for this quest, His birth into the world, His death on the cross and His ultimate return.

When we see how powerfully God worked through the man Moses, we think, “Gee! He must have been a perfect saint! The Bible does say he was the humblest man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3)! Yet, in fact, Moses was punished for being Imperfect! He ended up just like the Israelites who wondered 40 years in the desert and died before entering the promised land because of his shortcomings! He was humble, but not without a temper…

Many follow the footsteps of that nation even today, never reaching our promised land because of our lack of faith and our unrighteousness… Don’t you want to be like those who went in and received the promise? Don’t you want to be a conduit of God’s power and Glory?

Don’t you want to go down as a righteous man or woman of God?

I know I do… You see, we are all traveler from a far-off land of sin! We have journeyed to seek righteousness. I should tell you that this is not an easy quest. Only through unrelenting diligence and determination can one succeed in such a task, but you are in luck. You are remarkably close to the end of your journey, but you have to begin with me in this now moment I AM is with you. I AM controlling all aspects of life. I AM the truth and the life of all living according to how I have designed; the good the bad and the ugly. Did you say that you want to know me? Well, I will be the judge of whether you are worthy of such knowledge. Together with my holy spirit, you will come to understand me by your trials and tribulations. They will be your determining factors of what you call “fate" and that which is considered "right." More than anything, I love what comes from a life that has been lived rightly. When people do what is right, even though it is not necessarily the “popular” opinion, it makes me happy beyond belief. I love to honor those people, and I do this with the help of others through the holy spirit. I must warn you; I equally deal out punishments. For everything that you do that is good and right will reward you for it. But likewise, for everything you do that is bad, you will be punished. It may not be immediate, but it will happen eventually! Ever heard of the phrase “you reap what you sow?”

Exodus 14:10-16, “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ’Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”

2023 CRISIS OF FAITH

Moses had to exercise enough faith to believe that GOD would part the waters if he extended his staff. Moses HAD to raise his staff with everyone watching and stretch out his hand. Everyone would anticipate something happening, and if nothing happened, Moses would surely have been killed by his own people. “What if I stretch out my hand and nothing happens?”

Have you ever been afraid to stretch out your faith in the presence of unbelievers? Suppose you were driving along and notice a car accident. If God told you to stop and run through a crowd of police to pray over the wounded victims, would you have the faith to follow through with the action, even with the possibility of being arrested?

Have you ever decided NOT to do something you were convicted with all your heart to do because you were afraid that if you did something, then nothing would happen and you would be left before the crowd, looking like a fool?

Moses felt the same pressures you have felt, even during this pinnacle moment in his life and ministry, but he HAD to do something. He BELIEVED GOD spoke to him, telling him to raise his staff and stretch out his hand over the water. He had a nation of unbelievers watching his every move. He acted on his conviction, raised the staff, showed the people their direction: INTO THE WATER. He obeyed the call of God, The Lord parted the waters with a mighty wind, and the rest is history… How many of us would be checking the weather channel to make sure it would be a good day for river crossing? Let us see what the meteorologist says today…

Moses had to believe God and ACT on that conviction that GOD would move on their behalf! He raised his staff toward Heaven, outstretched his hand toward earth, and God did the rest!

This is your year to ACT on what should be the Characteristics of Christ in your life. Nothing else will matter. It is the only things that will move you into the knowledge of Christ in God. We cannot put on the whole amour without these traits; for in them are the keys to eternal life.

Character of Christ

• Humble service (John 13:1-5)

• Holiness (I Peter 1:15-16)

• Righteousness (I John 3:7)

• Purity (I John 3:3)

• Love (Ephesians 5:1-2)

• Forgiveness (Colossians 3:13)

• Compassion (Ephesians 4:32)

• Endurance (Hebrews 12:2-4)

• Submission (I Peter 2:21-4)

• Humility, obedience (Philippians 2:5-8)

• Kindness (Luke 6:35)

• Generous giving (II Corinthians 8:1-9)

A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

Ecclesiastes 9:11...Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.

Revelation 2:10...Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

1 John 3:18…Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Point to Ponder

Matthew 24:3

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Trouble is indicative to your process of knowing God through Christ.

THE LOVE OF MANY WILL WAX COLD