We have established three of the four cardinal points on the compass using the map provided by biblical prophecy, which will help us to navigate through our times. These three points are:

1. Our main goal should be to understand what God is doing, not the devil. (This is our spiritual magnetic north from which all of the other points are determined in relation to biblical prophecy.)
2. The tragedies and destruction that come upon the world are the result of man trying to live without God in rebellion to Him. (Therefore, our goal should be to do all that we do with Him, and in obedience to Him.)
3. True discernment is based on love, not hatred or fear. (For this reason we are told in I Timothy 1:5, “...the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”)
4. This week we want to add the fourth cardinal point to our compass so we can begin navigating through the times using the biblical prophecies for our times. The fourth cardinal point is:  Our reason for being here in these times is to fulfill the Great Commission.  (By this we help build a bridge for this present world into the age to come—the kingdom of God on earth.)

In Matthew 28:18-20, the Lord summarized the purpose that His disciples were to be devoted to until He returns:

Here we see that the foundation of this commission is the Lord’s authority, which is above all. Therefore, to be messengers of His kingdom, and to fulfill the Great Commission, His authority must be growing in our life.

Now, just as a compass has 360 degrees, there are many other lesser purposes which are nevertheless purposes of God for us. However, once the main cardinal points are established it is much easier to find:

1. Where we are,
2. Where we are headed, and
3. How to change our course if we are not headed in the right direction.

If we are headed in the right direction, Christ will be the center of our life. This means that the compelling drive of our life will be to know Him and serve Him by doing His will.

If we are headed in the right direction, even though the systems of this world are collapsing, we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken, which we will be building upon in peace with righteousness and justice.

If we are headed in the right direction, as the evil in man matures, with sin and evil becoming more pronounced as in the days of Noah, we will be growing in love, faith, and the fruits of the Spirit which counters that which is growing in the world.

If we are headed in the right direction, our lives will revolve around our mission—fulfilling the Great Commission, daily seeking to take more ground for the kingdom of God by revealing the glory of our King and His kingdom.

If we are living as we should, our identity should be first and foremost who we are in Christ, not who we are in the world. By this I mean, if we think of ourselves as engineers, schoolteachers, or even a mother or father, we are not on course to be or to do what we are here for. This does not mean these cannot be an identity. However, if our identity is not first and foremost who we are in Christ, we are not on course. The time is coming when we will almost certainly be “lost at sea,” or lost with the rest of humanity.

That may sound alarmist, but make no mistake, as the Lord Jesus Himself warned when giving His main discourse about the end of the age, "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). He did not say that this would happen to “some,” or even “many,” but that it will happen to “most.” He then continued by saying in the next verse, "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

Just the fact that you are reading this Word for the Week is an indication that you are a seeker of God. You may just be a casual seeker, or even an occasional seeker, which is certainly better than not being a seeker at all, but it will not be enough to keep you when the storms come upon the world. If there is anything in our life that takes precedence over God, then it is an idol that has usurped His rightful place. If this is the case, for us to get on course He must be the main focus and greatest passion of our life. Anything else is a diversion and deception from the true Christian life.

Good can be the worst enemy of best. Good can also be the worst enemy of God in our life. It is right to be devoted to our family, our job, serving our neighbors through service organizations, etc., but if any of these eclipse God, and our service to Him, as the main focus and devotion of our life, then we have made idols of these otherwise good things.

To place anything above God in our life also greatly reduces our effectiveness in the very good things that may have taken His place. Man was created to walk with God, and we simply do not function right without being properly united with Him. We may accomplish some things, but it will be far less and far inferior to what we could have accomplished when rightly related to Him. That is why we are told in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

If we love God more than we love our family, we will love our family much more than we could otherwise. If we are walking in fellowship with God, obeying Him in all things, and abiding in Him so as to bear fruit, we will accomplish many times more what we could do for this world any other way.

If we are pursuing the Lord, seeking to do all that we do in obedience to Him, we are seeking His kingdom first. To seek His kingdom is to seek the place where He is King. If we are doing this, everything else we need will be given to us. That is the solemn promise of God. We are foolish to even want to do anything without Him.

If we are going to discern the truth of biblical prophecy, we must comprehend that understanding His truth is not just a matter of getting our principles and formulas lined up right. His truth is a river of living water that gives life. His truth is not meant to just give us facts, but it is meant to change us, to become our life. Therefore, if we are pursuing His kingdom and His righteousness, then He should be King of more and more of our life, and we should be growing in righteousness. Only then will our message of His kingdom have life in it.

So this is our pursuit, to understand the Biblical prophecies of our times, not just to know them, and to be a part of God’s purpose in our times. Living in fellowship and obedience to God is the only foundation for true understanding. We do not really know the Way or the Truth, if Jesus is not also our Life.

So this week, determine that you are going to seek to walk with Him in everything you do. Seek His kingdom in all that you do by seeking His Lordship in it. If we are on course with our life, His presence and His authority should be growing in everything we do, as we read last week in Philippians 1:9-11: