This summer has been going by fast, I just wanted to start with an update for Zadok New Heart Ministries. We at Zadok have been busy with the young adults at Natomas Life Church. We have also connected with the Living Stones Orphanage in Davao, Philippines. We are going to support them financially and any other way they may have a need. My request for you who read this is to pray for them and us as we move forward to our time again in the Philippines, which looks like March or April 2012. God has spoken to me about our focus for Zadok. I believe he is leading us to concentrate our main efforts toward the Philippines and our men’s retreat and to focus on the college age and young adults. With that in mind we are planning a Saturday night worship service to begin this month. It will be focused on worship and healing prayer for the young adults and anyone who has a hard time making Sunday morning church. Please pray that we are lead by the Holy Spirit each step of the way.

One of the many questions we have as followers of Jesus, is what is my calling or purpose. We find those through our desires which come from our hearts. It is through this process that we find our way with our Lord. Oswald Chambers said this, “We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself. What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now.”
We see in this quote that God is after our hearts during the journey of our life with Him. We must be present with Him at this very moment, for His purpose could be in this very moment.

Our desires will lead us to Him, we must be obedient to Him on the path they take us. Oswald Chambers again, “What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.”

Gary Barkalow from his book It’s your call, “God answered me with one sentence-Live like an artist.” This came from his question of God Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? He then describes what it means to live like an artist, “I believe that living like an artist means to create(to bring into form) that which is on your heart for the pure joy an curiosity of its potential beauty and benefit. I realized that God was telling me to live differently, not just do differently.” He goes on to say this, “Living the way of an artist would mean I would create and offer simply because God compels me to.”
That is when we find our calling, when we want to create and offer what is in our hearts just because it is the true us, not for financial gain or acceptance or appreciation, or validation from others.

What has God put in your heart that you desire to do? It is what you were created to do. Do not miss the journey that you are in right now, for God has much for us to learn on the way. We must find wisdom and revelation on this journey.

May the favor of God be with you and your families.

In the Love of Christ,
Michael Swain