As I write this month’s newsletter, Heather and I are in the middle of a 40-day journey outside the USA, and if all goes according to plan, we will end up at the site of Noah’s Ark in Eastern Turkey. A tremendous delight has been being on an assignment to believers in Russia—with Rick and Denise Renner!

Heather and Denise recorded a series of TV programs, while Rick and I recorded two weeks of television programs covering my new book Demystifying the Prophetic, which is still available for pre-order at JosephZ.com.

Leading up to our significant time in Moscow were the days we spent walking through all the seven churches in the Book of Revelation! Placing sights with scripture has been a real treasure of situational context. Of the many locations we visited, one massive highlight for me was standing where the apostle John lived—seeing his house location and where he must have stood to look down upon the temple of Artemis, which overlooked the city of Ephesus. John was tucked away in what would appear to be a strategic setting, avoiding the eyes of evil for the majority of his time there. God had a special protection on John. Even after his arrest, being boiled in oil, and exiled to the Island of Patmos, John returned to his home in Ephesus, the location we stood at, to finish writing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John and Revelation. John is a figure that was already powerful in my mind and heart; however, this journey opened a further understanding of who John was and the geographical location where he lived.

Among the amazing and too many to tell stories from the seven churches was a growing thought that turned into a strong focal point for me. It was this that of the vast majority of humanity who have lived before us and even those who accomplished magnificent feats beyond imagination, whether they were believers or not, eventually came to the end of their lives and are no longer on this earth. They are gone, their life ran its course, and whatever they accomplished for any reason is now over—the vast majority completely forgotten. A generation after some of the greatest exploits, those who did them are all but forgotten.

LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.

Psalm 39:4 

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

My thoughts and consideration on this matter have caused me to look deeper internally again. Ask important questions, such as why we do the things we do. Who is it for? What is the end purpose of it all? Many would answer nobly by saying things such as family are the end of all purpose, or it is wealth, notoriety, or to be remembered. How about building a better future for the generations to come? There is nothing wrong with planning for a better tomorrow and certainly nothing wrong with planning for the future of the generations long after us.

While considering this in the first part of our time, I talked to my friend Pastor Paul Brady, and he shared a related insight that I found helpful. We discussed how so many people strive to become that thing life has told you that you should be and must be to be valuable. In the process, we were also talking and recognizing the necessity of resting, even stopping where appropriate, and again working diligently where appropriate—he said a phrase that stood out to me, “Don’t mess with the grace…” This phrase got my attention! “Don’t mess with the grace?” I responded. “Yes,” he said. “You see, we know we are to do certain things and accomplish them in seasons, and with intensity, it is necessary and possible because of an assignment of grace that comes upon you.” He gave the example of different ones who would try to emulate the radical times of prayer he does routinely, and they are unable to do so. There are other times when some may discourage you from doing the thing you are doing with drive and enthusiasm.

It struck me that the measure of grace given you for any specific assignment, be it a lifelong or a seasonal one, is what you should apply all your efforts toward. From this place, you can answer if you are missing it or achieving the call of God. Now, in the case of unbelievers, they won’t know anything regarding the grace of God and will labor to whatever end best suits them.

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:26  

This idea of not messing with the grace given to you helped me regarding the larger and bigger pondering regarding how so many from history before us are remembered no more, really counting for very little in the grand scheme of history. What then should our part be? The answer is to do the will of God for your life! In this process, from season to season, discover the grace you are to walk in, and don’t mess with it!

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