Purpose

This is part two of “How to Know If You’re Called to Work for the Church.” To read part one first, click here. Key Point #3 – Must-Have Characteristics of Church Workers The third key point to consider if you are prayerfully discerning a call to vocational ministry is to ask and truly answer if you are willing and wanting to embrace the characteristics necessary of any man or woman who holds such a role. I do want and need to be careful with this key point because while the characteristics to follow are consistently lauded throughout the Scriptures, I will be the first to admit that there is no Biblical “spiritual checklist” that any person who desires to work for the Church must complete.  Neither is there, as was already said above, a demand for perfection in these following characteristics as a precursor to vocational ministry. One of the most humbling and challenging aspects of working for the local Church is that you are actively participating in strengthening and supporting the body of Christ alongside people who are similarly still undergoing sanctification—people who are still daily, or minute-by-minute, fighting to be more truly conformed with the image of Christ. In this vein, we will see that a conviction to fight for personal godliness and growth in each characteristic is vastly more desirable and necessary than a type of self-proclaimed perfectionism. The four characteristics I want to focus specifically on are unity, maturity, humility, and a serious commitment to living above reproach—that is, living a life worthy of the calling that you have received. You may look at the following characteristics and think, “Aren’t these necessary for any believer in any role or any job?” and the answer would be yes, to a degree. I believe there are specific and pointed attacks of the enemy for those who work within vocational ministry, attacks by which the enemy not only causes us to stumble but damages the reputation of our corporate and collective witness. You need only ask someone who has been hurt by the church to share their story, and you quickly begin to see the implications of our personal compromises in these characteristics spilling out into our corporate wounding of other’s hearts and souls.  While the bank, gym, or classroom suffers when believers fail to align their hearts with the Spirit, the one who sits in vocational ministry threatens to damage the perceived credibility of the entire body of Christ. Praise God that we are not the primary agents in the defense and proclamation of His glory, nor are we the sole agents of His salvation. This responsibility belongs to him and him alone. Therefore, our shortcomings are not the eternal nails in the proverbial coffin. However, I do think it is befitting for someone who is seeking a vocational position within the Church to weigh and consider their commitment to these particular characteristics. So, for those who are discerning a call to vocational ministry, I would encourage you to ask yourself these questions: Am I highly committed to the unity of the saints (Eph. 4:3-7), particularly those who would be working alongside me in the scope of ministry? Am I committed to their good and their growth, not utilizing gossip or slander, but using my words to build others up, using my hands to lift others, using my mind and intellect to serve others, all for the glory of God? Am I committed to rooting out comparison, jealousy, and selfish ambition?Am I highly committed to maturing up into the fullness of Christ, realizing that I am no longer able to simply settle for a lower common denominator of Christianity, but that I must press on to make the resurrection my own (Phil. 3:12), seeking continuously to be transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18)?Am I highly committed to the humility necessary of those who seek to strengthen and support the body of Christ, knowing that I am not the head and that every part of the body has a role to play (1 Cor. 12:14-25) in growing up in love into Christ, who is the head (Eph. 4:15)?Am I highly committed to living my life in a manner worthy of the calling that I have received (Phil. 1:27)? Am I willing to not just meet the line of “Christian” standard or ethic, but will I joyfully and consistently go beyond what is expected in purity, accountability, and personal holiness, not to, through legalism, achieve a type of works-based righteousness, but to live in such a way that even those who criticize and condemn Christianity would be moved to reflection by your character (1 Pet. 2:12)? These are essential characteristics of anyone who would serve and labor in the local Church for an extended period of time. If you are unwilling to grow in, or even further, are unwilling to entertain the ideas that you must be growing in these characteristics, then I would implore you not to work for the local Church. The body of Christ is not well served by divisive, immature, prideful, and ethically ambiguous men and women.  Lastly, a final characteristic that is necessary for someone who wants to work for the Church vocationally is a willingness to embrace the cost of such work. By this, I mean that it is a wild fantasy concocted by a Western world obsessed with self-power and self-image that we can choose to work for the Church and suffer no material or personal cost. We should not be tricked into believing that it is a sign of success for those who build the church to also have the West Elm living room staples; that Church work must afford the luxury of international vacations and the highest quality goods. Christ was clear in his Sermon on the Mount that for those who prioritize the kingdom of God, seeking God and his character first, that which they need would be added to them.  Likewise, embracing the cost of working for the church vocationally means that you put to death any desire that seeks to implant in your heart for fame, recognition, and societal praise and notoriety. There are many careers through which a person could seek to reach a certain level of prestige and cultural awareness. The Church should not be one of those callings. Throughout the Scriptures, the call inherent to all believers is to prioritize being last, lowest, and in most ways, hidden in Christ. That does not mean that those in other professions who excel and are well-known are sinning. But it does mean that within the context of the vocational Church, there is no room for ambition that aims at celebrity, fame, or worldly recognition. There is a reason that one of the three temptations the devil put before Christ in the wilderness was the fame and “rule” of the kingdoms of the world. In light of this “costliness” here and now, those who desire to work for the Church should be confident and compelled in their assurance of a coming, future reward. Paul often wrote of how he was looking forward to the coming reward, the crown of righteousness (and Paul didn’t technically work for the Church vocationally, or at the very least, he was bi-vocational). A deep confidence in the coming treasure of Christ will help embolden the Church worker to pass over the lesser trinkets of this world in favor of that great and coming glory. Next Steps and Encouragement My goal in writing these points is not to severely discourage the spirit of someone wrestling with a calling to Ministry, but I hope to share a glimpse into the gravity of the calling to build the Church. Too often, men and women accept a vocational role within the Church out of naive excitement, out of a desire to find Christian community, or out of a compulsion to do “holy” work. None of these are intrinsically wrong—working for the Church should be exciting, it should be a place of rich and fruitful community, and the work should be sanctified unto the Lord as your hands are daily and often directly serving those who are finding or growing in salvation. But left alone, these reasons are too shallow to support a call into vocational ministry. The call to work for the Church should ring deep and true in your Spirit. It’s been said by many church leaders that “if you can see yourself doing anything else other than working for the Church, go and do that.” I think this is a bit too obtuse and limiting; many talented Church workers could apply their skills to a wide variety of different avenues. However, there is some truth beneath the words in that being called to the Church vocationally should be distinctive and marking. There will come a time when you will be faced with the reality of your decision to build the Church, and instead of fleeing from those temptations, you must be so convinced of your calling that you double down and stay. So, these words are meant to communicate some of this gravity and weightiness, lest you step too quickly into this. And yet, with all things discovered, there will always be a journey to navigate, and some will start further ahead than others. Exploring and evaluating the realities of working for the Church is not sinful, nor should you be shamed if you think you are meant to work for the Church and then later come to find out that God has you moving in a different direction. There is a reason that the Scripture says in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” This is the posture each of us should seek to emulate. Ultimately, how can you know if you are called to work for the Church? Walk with Jesus. Stay in step with the Spirit. Ask the Father for wisdom and guidance, and believe that he will show up and lead you where he would have you go. Practically, start serving in your local Church. It doesn’t matter what ministry, but pick one and get involved. Show up regularly. Get to know the people in your orbit and give yourself to the Christian Community. If the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, the best hire a Church can make is to bring someone on who is already laboring for the sake of the Gospel in the seams of the day-to-day rhythms of the Church. No Church needs to hire people that they then have to convince to be laborers. So if you’re feeling stuck in the wrestling, start serving. If you are serving, keep serving, and look for opportunities to talk with the leaders of your ministry or to take on more responsibilities with joy and excellence. Ultimately, trust God with the timing. There is no model life for the Church worker to follow and emulate outside of Christ. You don’t have to start when you’re twenty-two, and you don’t have to end when you’re sixty-five. You don’t have to have gone to seminary, although seminary is, in my opinion, extremely helpful when done with wisdom. You don’t have to be single. You don’t have to be married. Remember 1 Corinthians 1 as quoted above—God calls the foolish, the weak, and the low and despised. He calls you and me, even when we had no merit of our own, to support and strengthen his body. But that is his grace in motion, and it’s the gift known to those who devote a portion or all of their lives to building the Church vocationally.

If you have ever wrestled with the question, “Is God calling me to work for the Church?” you’re not alone. From the birth of the Church and throughout every century since, people, young and old, who have felt the tug of ministry on their hearts have struggled to find clarity in discerning this assignment. So, while this is not a unique tension to today, there are distinctive characteristics of our Western culture and Church structure that tend to muddy the process of determining a call to ministry. This article, therefore, aims to speak to these unique characteristics while providing a clear and simple framework for approaching and eventually making this weighty decision. It will be said repeatedly throughout this article, but, to my knowledge, there are no silver bullets for determining a call to ministry. This framework is not the script for an infomercial promising a guaranteed solution. Because the assignment of vocationally building the Church is ignited and sustained via the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is God and is both intimate and unsearchable, a level of holy mystery accompanies this decision, similar to anything related to walking with God. Because of that, this article should be treated less like a GPS giving you turn-by-turn instructions and more like a survival guide, which outlines key equipment, addresses critical tensions, and points you to key resources.  For some, this framework will help bring confidence, as it will help even further illuminate the stirring of the Spirit in your heart to build Christ’s Church vocationally. For others, this might begin the process of finding further clarity, but the answers you are looking for may still be a good distance coming. This isn’t a loss. From the Scripture, we see that, while a teenager, David was anointed as the future King of Israel. Yet, it took years and a whole host of complicated, discouraging, and difficult circumstances until he stepped into that position. Wrestling with and waiting on God is never wasted; He is always doing something in us that He will later bring out and bear through us.  Lastly, for some others, this article may help shed light on the reality that working vocationally for the Church is not the next step in your professional journey. That is also not a loss. We have all been given different measures of grace and gifts for building up the body of Christ, some of which some of us will use in a professional, vocational context. However, the Scripture does not equate faithful service to Jesus with a particular vocation or calling. Consider that Jesus called some fishermen to follow him as his disciples and left others on their boats. He invited some tax collectors to leave their stations but left others to collect revenue for Rome. He brought in one zealot but not all the zealots; this is still his pattern today. The Spirit will draw some to carry that same mantle of the early Church builders in providing a communal space for worship, edification, community, and prayer. Others, just as equally important, will be invited to stay or step into all spheres of work and life carrying the mantle of the Christian commission to go and make disciples of all nations. So, I pray this is helpful to you wherever you land and that through these words, the God who searches hearts and knows what is the mind of the Spirit would intercede on your behalf in accordance with the will of God. When done properly, it is a a true honor to participate in such a weighty and joyous wrestling. Key Point #1 – Understanding the Nature of Calling In attempting to discern and wrestle with this question of being called to work for the Church, it is important first to take a step back and look at the idea of calling. The Scriptures provide us with numerous examples of someone being called by God, some more dramatic and vivid than others. We’ve already referenced the way that Jesus called many of his disciples. Andrew and Simon, known as Peter, were fishermen and were actively tending their nets when Jesus walked by and invited them to become fishers of men. Moses was a runaway, exiled prince of Egypt who had a face-to-face encounter with the presence of God in a bush that burned but was not consumed. As discussed earlier, David was brought in from tending his father’s sheep in a field to be anointed as the future king of Israel. Paul had a revelation of seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus. Joshua was commissioned by Moses, Elisha was commissioned by Elijah, and Timothy was commissioned by Paul.  Many of these leaders had a direct, God-initiated moment of calling into the work of ministry. Yet few of these people actually exclusively worked in a vocation of ministry, and even fewer still worked for what we now call the “local Church.”  So, we must first be careful to separate and distinguish the very real differences between the general calling of all believers to follow Jesus and the vocational calling for some to work within a local church context. This first and more general calling for all believers includes our mandate to make disciples, love the body of Christ, and grow up in maturity and sanctification, becoming more conformed to the image of Jesus as we begin to look more like him and less like this world. There should be no Christian on Earth who releases their responsibility for these Scriptural markers of the faith simply because they do not work professionally for a local church. In fact, Paul would write to the Colossians in chapter 3, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” It is quite possible that the will of God for your life can be boiled down to that one word, “whatever,” and that, for many, it is not a particular vocation that underlines God’s path but the invitation to abide and reside in the root of Christ.   If you find yourself waiting to practice the responsibilities of your general calling of believing in Christ until you are effectually working in a spiritually vocational setting, you are likely diluting the effectiveness of the ministry of the Church you work at. This can lead to a dangerous struggle of misplacing your identity in your vocation rather than your secured and established position in Christ—as a son or daughter of God. For those who know Christ, deepen your pursuit of your general calling to love him with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love others as yourself first. The Church doesn’t need more hard workers looking to build their identities. It needs more healthy followers of Jesus looking to lay their lives down for the advancement and deepening of the Gospel. The brief counter to this is that no man or woman called to work for the local Church will be perfect in their pursuit of Jesus at the time of their calling. There is no exact spiritual bar or standard that must be met to “qualify” for Church work. I’ve heard it said that if the men and women in the Scriptures submitted their resumes to a local church today, many of them would not be hired. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer. Paul, as Saul, was a persecutor of the Church. This is why Paul would go on to write to the Church in Corinth this encouragement: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) There is no boasting in our spiritual position (or lack thereof) before we are called. This is wonderful news because it means that the roles for working for the Church aren’t reserved for the Spiritual giants of the faith, but that everyday, ordinary people like you and me can be used by God, vocationally, to build his Church and to carry his kingdom forward. We must first aim to live a life worthy of our general calling. Then, if and as the Spirit prompts, often through means such as Scripture, prayer, and community (we’ll discuss this further down), prayerfully consider the invitation to step into the local Church vocationally.  Are you actively embracing the general calling of faith in your life? If so, do you also feel a tug in your heart towards a vocational ministry? Where and how have you most strongly felt this tug? Key Point #2 – Indicators You’re Being Drawn to Church Work If, after wading through key point #1, you still feel compelled to press into the possibility of working vocationally for your local church, I want to help identify a few indicators that may illuminate your metaphorical dashboard as you continue down this path. The first is that of a deepening and lingering desire to spend your working efforts engaged in this domain. Both adverbs are intentional and should be weighed with purpose in your processing. For many who were raised in Christian or faith environments or who know a family member or close family friend who worked in a church ministry context, a type of desire by association may find root in your heart. For some, this proximity to ministry actually acts as a repellent of any such desire, but for others, there is almost an unintentional acceptance of a way of thinking that says, “This (vocational church work) is just what ‘we’ do.” There can be a particular reverence in these circles for the office of the ministry, often at the expense of the One around whom the whole ministry is meant to orbit. And so, be guarded against such desires by association or any similar desires which have shallow roots. If you feel the Spirit guiding your heart to weigh this matter of vocational Church work, ask Him for a deepening of that desire in that it becomes more fervent, more pressing, and more vivid.  Ask that this desire also linger and not diminish with the passing of time or the opinions of others. There will very likely be some who do not understand your fascination with and eagerness to explore this avenue of vocational work; you must, with a humble unconcern, outlast their confusion. The enemy also will sense if you are seriously pondering spending your life, energy and talents to advance the mission of the Gospel through the structure of the local Church, and he will aim to derail this pursuit by putting all manner of questions before you. “Couldn’t you make more money elsewhere?” “Wouldn’t you be better off without seeing behind the curtain?” “Are you qualified to even truly consider this?” These, too, you must outlast, and you will, if the invitation to pursue ministry is truly instigated and sustained by the Spirit of God. The second indicator of being drawn to work vocationally for the Church is the affirmation of your spiritual community. Note that I said your spiritual community because, as stated above, for those who do not follow Christ (and even some who do), a vocation of Church ministry likely seems, at best, foolish and, at worst, irresponsible. But take heed of the words spoken by Godly mentors or Godly community. Look at 2 Timothy 1 as an example of this affirmation. Paul says of Timothy in verses 5-6, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Do not be afraid to ask, within the right context, for the opinions or discernment of your spiritual community if you do not feel that you are organically receiving that counsel.  Be wise and discerning in this process, however, to not put so much stock in the words of one or a few human beings when the words of God are meant to carry a far greater weight in our souls. Affirmation is beneficial as an indicator, but it is not the only indicator, nor is man’s opinion the barometer for truth.  The third indicator of being drawn to work vocationally for the Church is a wide door for effective ministry. This concept comes from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, when he said, “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” This indicator is perhaps the most mysterious of the three as there are no real identifiers of what these wide doors are or when they open, but we do know how they open, exclusively through the power of the Spirit. We know that a “wide door” is a particular favoring by the Spirit on a particular expression or moment of gospel advancement, but this “wide door” has very little to do with numbers, converts, or attendance.  Rather, a wide door for effective ministry could be a particularly rich and fruitful small group that you lead that the Spirit’s favor is on. It could be a particular project you take on within the area of your Church where you volunteer that is aligning supernaturally well with your talents and gifts. It could be a persistent conversation with an acquaintance who continually, and almost strangely, advocates on your behalf to the local church staff. Aiming to determine the exact application of your “wide door” could be a fruitless exercise; however, it is not unproductive to ask the Spirit to help you see and then step through the unique doors He is putting in your life. Lastly, when considering indicators that you are being drawn to vocational work within the Church, it is beneficial to summarize the categorical “types” of work that most often accompanied the local church in the early years surrounding Christ’s resurrection. These “types” of work, when compared to your respective passions and giftings, may give the most general guardrails for determining if a role in vocational ministry is your best next step. While there are likely far more than three categorical types of work, the three that I see most often represented in the Scriptures are preaching, pastoring/caring, and supporting.  Today, our local church structures have grown so much and have become so enmeshed with business ideologies that it is difficult to overlay the first-century church with the current Western Church. I do believe that while these categorical types are still present in today’s structures, there are now many more expressions of vocational ministry within the local church context. So, if you feel as if your strongest giftings are not in line with any of these three primary categories, know that that does not disqualify you from vocational ministry. Click here to read part two of  “How to Know If You’re Called to Work for the Church.”

When you’re under thirty, it’s easy to think you are always on your way to someplace else. You plan to graduate and move on. College is just what you’re doing for a set of semesters. Working as an assistant isn’t the career goal—this is what you’re doing until you have an assistant of your own. Someday, when you’re the boss or married, you’ll settle down and make an impact. Someday, you’ll finally reach the place where God can use you. But if you focus only on the future, you could miss what God is doing right now. God had a purpose for putting you in your current workplace, with your current roommates, in your current sorority, or on your current team. Right where you are, people need Jesus, and they could encounter his love, compassion, and grace through you. You are not where you are by accident. He chose this place for you and you for this place. In Jeremiah 17:7-8, the prophet describes an opportunity—a choice, to thrive by trusting in the Lord. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (NIV) In this passage, let’s find the vision to believe your present place is as essential as the down-the-road destination. You have been planted right where you are—for a purpose. Planted So People Can Watch You Love Jesus The star of the Jeremiah passage isn’t the tree; it’s the water. After all, the gospel life isn’t, “Try hard to be a better tree.” The gospel life is, “Send your roots into the stream.” Jesus is our living water. Delight yourself in the Lord. Abide in him. Soak in his word and spend time in worship. Then, show up to the meeting, apartment, or rehearsal with a full and satisfied heart. Mention how glad you are to know Jesus. Give him credit for answered prayer. Openly love him, thank him, and live the truth of Colossians 3:4, that Jesus is your life. Find your confidence in him and grow like Jeremiah’s tree—tall and healthy, a spreading canopy loaded with leaves, heavy with fruit. Planted So People Can Watch You Endure Heat Plans change, layoffs happen, rent goes up, and cars break down. Do not fear when the heat comes. With Jesus, nothing is wasted. A challenging season can be a fruitful season. If life takes a turn, be real about the disappointment while showing how a Christian holds on and endures. The scripture promises that the stream keeps the leaves green. Your green leaves become shade for others going through their own experience of heat. So, if things at work go sideways, or if a roommate announces they are moving out, do not fear. Quiet trust and steadfast hope persuade those watching that heat hits differently for followers of Jesus. Bad things still happen, but the foundation holds. Maybe God planted you where you are to give hope to those who will see him carry you through. Planted So People Can Watch You Trust God in a Drought A drought means waiting for much-needed rain. Waiting on God is difficult. It’s tempting to drift toward worry and panic, but God has a purpose in the delay. Your drought might be waiting to secure the internship required by your major. Or you’ve been waiting for that first promotion since getting hired. Or you’re waiting for your forever person, without a cloud in the sky, to suggest the dry spell will end soon. When your confidence is in the Lord, and you work to stiff-arm worry and resist panic—God is glorified. Let people around you see contentment and peace with God’s timing and plan. Many are also on their way to a future beyond graduation, into family life, and ascent through the workforce. Talking about your trust while waiting could help them meet Jesus. Planted So People Can Enjoy the Fruit God Produces This is the final part of our Jeremiah passage. The one who trusts in the Lord, whose roots rest deep in his life, becomes a bountiful source of good. Abide in the Son and keep in step with the Spirit where the Father has planted you—then watch him produce the fruit (John 15:5,8; Galatians 5:22-25). Fruitfulness glorifies God and blesses fraternity brothers, coworkers, group project teammates, and your weekend friend group. Part of why God planted you is to let others taste the goodness of what his life produces. So serve them, humble yourself, and do good for them. Demonstrate the unselfish love Jesus is growing in you. Show them honor—let them go first and choose to go last. Be generous and self-sacrificing—give them a ride, help them move, or cover this month’s grocery bill. If they share news of some difficulty, show up as a friend with care and support. And pray for them. Let them know you will ask God to respond to their needs. The Time is Now Kingdom influence and gospel impact are not someday opportunities. God wants to use you before you get the degree, the official title, or your own family. Trust Him. He will shepherd your steps into the future and work through your relationships right now. Put your confidence in him. Partner with the Father to bring glory to Jesus and to see lives change. Give thanks for this current season and thrive where you’ve been planted, making the most of every opportunity.

Dan and Jo Watson converse with Andrew Scott about identity, purpose, and sharing the Gospel. If we operate out of our purpose—to make more of Jesus—and live lives that show the fruit of the Spirit, we can point those around us to God’s glory and live on mission for what matters most.

Dan Watson continues in week two of Orbit, teaching through Acts 8:26-40 and highlighting what it looks like to truly live on mission as a follower of Jesus. Sharing the Good News is a matter of life and death, and we must treat it as such.

Through studying Matthew 9 and 10, Brett Younker continues in our collection Orbit to share the importance of prayer and intercession. When we pray for others, we have the opportunity to intercede on their behalf and ask God to use His resources to transform lives for our good and His glory.

For week two of Orbit, Brad Jones reminds us that God has an assignment and a purpose for our lives—to make Him known. In Acts 8, we see how God used Phillip, and Brad encourages us to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in the same way.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode of Further In, in which members of the Passion City Church DC team discuss the passage of scripture we’re studying and consider how to apply the truths of God’s word to our lives.     This Week’s Reading: Daniel 8, 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13 & 17 Before you read…   Daniel 8 takes us deeper into Daniel’s prophetic visions, this time with more specific focus. Unlike the broad, sweeping panorama of world empires in Daniel 7, this chapter zooms in on two significant kingdoms: Persia and Greece. The vision in Daniel 8 occurred in the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, roughly two years after the vision of the four beasts in Daniel 7. At this moment, Daniel is around 70 years old, serving faithfully despite the turbulent shifts in political power around him.    – Read Daniel 8 –   What did I just read? In Daniel 8, Daniel receives a vision that unfolds while he is at the fortress of Susa, a significant center for the Persian Empire (8:2). This vision centers around a ram and a goat, representing specific kingdoms that will dominate the scene of history.   The Ram (8:3-4). Daniel sees a ram with two horns, one longer than the other, symbolizing the Medo-Persian Empire. The longer horn indicates Persia’s dominance over Media. This ram charges west, north, and south, conquering with unstoppable force—a picture of the expansive power of the Medo-Persian Empire.   The Goat (8:5-8). Suddenly, a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes charges swiftly from the west. The goat is so fast that it never touches the ground. This goat represents Greece, with the prominent horn symbolizing Alexander the Great. The goat’s swift movement speaks to Alexander’s rapid and decisive victories over Persia. But at the height of its power, the horn breaks, symbolizing Alexander’s sudden death. In its place, four smaller horns arise, indicating the division of Alexander’s empire into four regions led by his generals.   The Little Horn (8:9-12; 22-25). From one of these four horns, another “little horn” emerges, growing exceedingly great toward the south, the east, and the “glorious land” (that is Israel). This horn represents a future ruler who will defy God, attack His people, and desecrate His temple. Historians agree that this figure is Antiochus IV Epiphanes– the Greek king who brutally persecuted the Jewish people and desecrated the temple in 167 BC. While this prophecy was fulfilled in Antiochus IV Epiphanes, it also foreshadows a future figure, often seen as a precursor to the figures described in the New Testament (2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13). Meditations God Foresees History Daniel 8 reveals God’s precise knowledge of future events. He knows the rise and fall of empires and the actions of kings long before they happen. The LORD is never surprised by the twists of history or the schemes of rulers– He sees it all and works through it all to accomplish His purposes.   Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you need to trust God’s foresight and sovereignty?   The Tension of Perspective Daniel’s vision exposes the tension of living between present realities and future prophecies. Heavenly perspective brings weightiness to his everyday life. Although Daniel was troubled by the vision, he faithfully continued his duties (8:27). This reminds us that while we may feel the weight of future concerns, we’re called to stay faithful in the present. God gives us glimpses of the future not to paralyze us, but to prepare us. Reflection: How can you stay focused on what God has called you to today, even as you long for His future promises? Prayer Lord, You are the One who sees the end from the beginning.   Help me trust You with the unknowns of my life.   Forgive me for doubting Your plans.  Strengthen me to stand firm, even when times are difficult.   I long for the day when all kingdoms bow before You.   Your kingdom come, Your will be done.   Amen

As the Believers in Babylon collection continues, Pastor Ben Stuart takes us through a portion of history that was prophesied about in Daniel 8. Since history often repeats itself, Ben gives us warnings to spur us to live and serve in our earthly kingdoms with God’s Kingdom in mind.

Grant Partrick kicks off week one of Orbit, a collection encouraging followers of Jesus to share the Good News. Through studying 2 Corinthians 5, we learn five takeaways that help guide us in this urgency for evangelism.

In this talk, Louie Giglio challenges us to reflect on who we are in light of the book of Revelation and the truths of God’s Word. Drawing from these insights, he inspires us to let Scripture be a lamp to our path, guiding us toward godly growth.

Louie Giglio teaches through some of the final words in the book of Revelation. In today’s reading, we see the promise of a new heaven and earth and rejoice over the hope of the new Jerusalem and our eternal dwelling with our Father.