Please remember this statement: Everything that a man does outside the Kingdom of God is motivated by the drive to meet personal needs.  Man, in his never-ending struggle for survival and significance, has separated himself from the Lord God who created him.  He has invented religion as a vehicle in his attempt to find the lost kingdom state of rulership and control earth's resources to meet his needs.  King Jesus made this statement while He was on planet earth: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  The Lord God promised, a restored government, never a religion called Christianity.  He promised us a Kingdom.  By the way, it is here.  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  He stated that the Kingdom of Heaven was here not Christianity or another religion.

Now a careful study of all forms of religion reveals that all religions are designed and built on the promise of meeting needs.  Here are just some:  Islam, Spiritualism, Baha'i, Hinduism, Humanism, Judaism, etc.  To this list you must add institutional Christianity.  Christianity in its most rigid, regulated, ritualistic and legalistic form is a religion run and controlled by men.  When it comes to finances, in some cases, I would refer to them as crooks.  It all boils down to one thing.  They are seeking the wrong priorities.

Another common characteristic of religion is that all religions are motivated by the pleasing of deity in order to secure their basic needs (crops, weather, protection, preservation, etc).  After man became separated from the Lord God because of his disobedience, he began to fear that his needs wouldn't be met.  So he began to worship gods of his own invention.  Man-made deities that were at best only the faintest shadow of the loving God that Adam and Eve knew in the Garden of Eden.  This is why human history is so full of gods.  The sun god, moon god, rain god, ocean god, god of fire, god of war, the god of sex and fertility--which saturates American culture.  Man invented religion in an effort to appease fearful and unknown deities into giving him what he needed for daily life.  In a religious mindset, people are afraid of dying, but those who have embraced the Kingdom concept, leaving this "dirt body" is just going back home.  I remember the word of encouragement from the ambassador:  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember, your faith in the Lord God's Word is your greatest asset in the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 11:12-13  Mark 1:15   I Corinthians 15:54-57
~~W.R. Luchie

I will continue by stating that from the beginning of creation of the human race, the Creator established His priority of man when He commanded the man to focus on dominion over Earth.  This mandate was one of the Kingdom rulership, management, stewardship and governmental administration over this earth.  It is essential to note that there was no mention of working for survival or food, but only for development and fulfillment.  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Knowing one's priority was never a problem in the Garden of Eden.  As long as Adam and his wife Eve walked in full and open fellowship with the Lord God, their Creator, they had no concerns or anxiety, because he provided for all their needs. Food,  water and other resources were in abundance and the perfectly temperate climate made clothing and shelter unnecessary.  Their daily interaction with God, purposeful, meaningful work caring for the Garden, and exercising dominion over the created order filled their lives with meaning and significance.  The first family's priority was executing leadership, definitely not pursuing resources (as many religions are doing today).  Mankind was preoccupied with living and life rather than making a living.   Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  

In the beginning, Adam's priority was ruling things rather than pursuing things.  Adam's provision for his daily living was inherent in his relationship of obedience and cooperation with his Lord and Creator; especially to the fulfillment of His plans for the planet Earth.  All of that changed when they lost their dominion through disobedience.  They were evicted from the Garden of Eden, and their fellowship with God was broken.  Now they had to pay attention to things they had once taken for granted, such as food, water, shelter, clothing or covering, and even survival itself.

It was that act of defiance that caused that tragic event that initiated the change in priorities for all mankind and refocused his life on daily survival.  

Please note the Words of the Creator God when He addressed the family of man after the act of defiance:  To the woman He said:  “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”  

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: 

“Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.   In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Keep in mind, this legacy of need was passed from generation to generation until it became, and remains, the consuming priority of mankind.  Also, God told them to be fruitful and multiply, which can only happen with a male and a female.  That is by the Lord God's creation and design.  Anything else is a perversion of God's design.  That is defiant disobedience.

Genesis 1:26   Genesis 1:28   Genesis 3:16-19
~~W.R. Luchie

People without priorities spend their time doing what is unnecessary. If you take a moment to think about it, most of what you do on a daily basis is not really necessary.  In a similar way, absence of priorities causes individuals to "major" in the unimportant.  If you have no priority, you wind up majoring in the minors.  For some reason, most of us are easily distracted or enticed away from focusing on the most important matters in life.  They concentrate on peripheral issues.  They fail to show vision.  Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.  Priorities help you in sharpening your vision so you can focus on the most important things.  Without it you have no sense of direction and are apt to pursue whatever suits your fancy at the time. Consequently, the absence of priorities results in preoccupation with the unimportant.  Not only do we focus on the unimportant, we become preoccupied with it, and have conferences on it until, by default, it becomes a de facto priority for us.  Even then it is still the wrong priority.  

What I have discovered is, preoccupation leads to investments, so absence of priorities causes us to invest in the less valuable.  Who would invest in something that could produce only one percent return instead of something that guarantees a fifty percent return?  Unless you know what is truly important, it is impossible for you to invest wisely.  So the end result of the absence of priorities is wasted resources.

Another consequence of the absence of priorities is ineffective activity.  No matter how busy you are or how much you believe you are accomplishing, if you are focused on the wrong thing or assignment, all your activity will count for nothing in the end.  You will still be ineffective because you didn't do what you were supposed to do.  Your first priority is to obey the Word of God's Constitution.  

King Saul failed by not obeying God's command:  And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

So Samuel said:  “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

Your first priority is to obey the Lord God's Word.

Proverbs 29:18   I Samuel 15:20-24
~~W.R. Luchie

There is nothing more tragic than a life without a purpose.  Why is having a purpose so important?  Purpose is the source of priorities.  Defining your life's priorities is extremely difficult unless you first discover and define your purpose.  Jesus knew His main priority and purpose for His being here on planet earth.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.  Now purpose is defined as the original reason and intent for the creation of a thing.  Therefore, purpose is the source of meaning and significance for all created things.  if your purpose isn't known, your priorities cannot be established and nothing that is significant or worthwhile in life can be accomplished.  In essence, if you don't know why you are on planet Earth, and possess a clear sense of your purpose and destiny; then the demand for priority is low or nonexistent.  The truth is, if you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.   Everyday life is constantly demanding our time, energy, talent, attention and focus.

Keep in mind, Jesus' dying on the cross was a means to an end.  Not the end.  His first priority was to deliver the Kingdom message to the world.  That was the good news of the Gospel (the Kingdom is here)  I cannot emphasize that enough.  It was so important that He instructed His disciples what to preach.   Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

In order for you to effectively manage the everyday demands, you must know what priorities come first.  No matter what you think about life, you have to live it everyday and give an account of your management.  I truly believe that one of the greatest challenges in life is the daily demands of choosing between competing alternatives that will consume our lives.  Just look around you.  So many believers have been sidetracked by things and "stuff".  If you don't have a clear and correct priority in your life and know what you should be doing, your life will be an exercise in futility.

The absence of priorities is very dangerous and detrimental.  This is why Jesus made this statement But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  In conclusion, we spend most of our time sweating, fretting and laboring over issues that, in the eternal scheme of things, are pointless.  In the meantime, those things that really matter go undone.

Luke 4:42-44   Luke 9:1-6   Matthew 6:33
~~W.R. Luchie

There is so much to mention concerning misplaced priorities that I find it difficult to know where to start.  But I will mention this:  I believe that every human being longs for a simple life.  We as humans are naturally attracted to people who exhibit a focused, purposeful, organized life and simplified lifestyle.

While Jesus the man was on this earth, that was the fundamental attraction of many individuals.  To this day, they see Him in that way.  There has never been an individual who displayed such a strong spirit of personal conviction, purpose, self-awareness, confidence, self-worth, and a sense of destiny as this one man.  The most impacting aspect of His life was a clear sense of His priority.  Jesus is the most focused and single-minded individual who has ever lived and yet, He never preached on Himself.  His entire life on earth was dedicated to one single theme:  "The Kingdom of Heaven".  Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  Even by the age of twelve, Jesus had already know His life's purpose and priority on the planet.  Remember, when His earthly parents were relieved to have found Him, His reply was: And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  Jesus has already had a singular focus on His Father's priority, and He never was sidetracked or lost sight of His focus.

Keep in mind, it was in part this singleness of mind, of this purpose and clarity of priorities that caused the Son of Man to stand out so clearly among the people of His day.  When you start embracing the Kingdom concept, you will most definitely stand out.  There will be times when you feel all alone.  But stand fast, you are in great company.  Unlike the Son of Man, people in general have a problem putting first things first.  When man lost his dominion in the Garden of Eden, he also lost his sense of proper priorities and purpose for living.  In fact, all humanity wrestles with two parallel problems related to priority: either absence of priority or misplaced priorities.  Both carry significant consequences.  Misplaced priorities result in wasting one's life pursuing the wrong thing, carrying out the wrong assignment.  People with misplaced priorities may be very focused individuals but they may be focused on the wrong thing.  Just take the time to listen to many of the religious individuals who call themselves preachers of the Gospel. A life absent of the first priority accomplishes nothing in the end, while a life of a misplaced priority may succeed in many things but not in that which is most important or effective.  Either way, the end result is a failed life.

Matthew 9:35   Luke 2:49
~~W.R. Luchie

Now, this brings us to the final point of the importance of priority:  the correct priority simplifies your life.  If you want your life to become simple, just find out what is your purpose and prioritize it and live accordingly.  That is really all there is to it.  Jesus the Christ traveled throughout the country, preaching to the multitudes and teaching the disciples concerning the Kingdom of Heaven.  Yet, He lived life more effectively than all others.  His life was very simple.  But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”  You see, Jesus knew His purpose and priorities.  As I write this lesson to you, I am in my purpose and I definitely know my priorities:  to write, preach, teach and encourage you to embrace the Kingdom.  This is what I call being obedient.  By the way, I am in great company.

When you know your purpose, you can speak boldly concerning the King's Constitution (His Word).  Question:  What was the secret to His amazingly effective life?  He reduced all of life to two simple pursuits:  1.  A Kingdom from a place called Heaven, and 2.  A concept He called righteousness.  In fact for the entire duration of His earthly ministry, He focused only on these two subjects and related all of His principles, precepts, laws and instructions on them.  As I have mentioned many times, He had only one message, the Kingdom of Heaven and righteousness.  He promised that those who made this pursuit their priority would lead a full and satisfied life.

The majority of those who claim to represent Him do not promote the message He taught and, I am sorry to say, many have never considered it.  It is hardly ever heard from the pulpits or the classrooms of the educational institutions that claim to train professional speakers and ministers to represent Him.  Time after time, Jesus stated:   Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”  And again:   “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”  Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”  They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”  The kingdom was so important that He prioritized it.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

As I leave you, I want to leave you with this statement of the King:  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Mark 1:38   Matthew 13:33   Matthew 13:47-52
   Matthew 6:33-34   Matthew 13:45-46
~~W.R. Luchie

Keep in mind, your decision making and correct priorities protect your discipline. Once again, it is that domino effect. People without priorities usually are undisciplined people. As you have noticed, Jesus always was cool, calm and collected in responding to the pretender (the devil).    Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:  ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you,[d] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.  He always quoted His Father's Word in responding to the pretender (Satan)  This is exactly what we as citizens of the Kingdom must do.  King Jesus is our perfect example.  Not Paul, not Peter, not John, but Jesus the Son of the living God.

Since individuals without priorities do not know which direction to go, they shoot out in every direction, following every whim, going nowhere and dissipating any possible effectiveness they could have.  Establishing correct priorities injects automatic discipline into your life because it gives your life a sharp and narrow focus with a laser-like intensity.  After Jesus left the wilderness, He was focused on His message.  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Remember, it was the gospel of the Kingdom, not the gospel of Himself (meaning Jesus didn't preach about Himself).  Priority induces discipline and protects you from wasting your valuable time, energy, effort, talents, gifts and especially your life.

Matthew 4:1-11   Matthew 4:17 & 23
~~W.R. Luchie

When it comes to God's Constitution, we should know our priorities.  Especially in regard to the world system, and may I add, religious customs and traditions of men.  Correct priorities also protect you from making wrong decisions.

As a citizen of the Lord God's government, your first priority is to obey the Word of the living God by reading and studying God's Constitution without reluctance.  Once you are aware what your priorities are, decision-making becomes very easy because you understand not only what you should be doing, but also what you should not be doing.   This knowledge gives you confidence to say  no to requests, even honorable ones that would distract you from your primary focus.  Keep in mind, Jesus always knew His priority.  Even when His cousin John refused to baptize Him in the Jordan River.  Jesus kept to the plan and purpose of His Father.  Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Jesus knew the first of His many priorities.

Remember this, every decision that you make, either assists or hinders you in fulfilling God's purpose for your life.  This is why it is so important to stay in prayer and read and study His Constitution.  Unless you are aware and know your priorities for your life, you have no guidelines to assist you in  making correct choices.  Settling your heart on God's priority (which is His purpose for your life) will enable you to make the right course and maximize your life's effectiveness.  Once Jesus completed that priority, He knew His next challenge that would lead Him to His next priority.  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:  ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

It was a step by step process.

I will continue this tomorrow in part 2.

Matthew 13:13-17   Matthew 4:1-11
~~W.R. Luchie

Before I continue with this series on priorities, I must share this thought with you:  Knowledge of God's Word is what is going to change your thinking.  Change your mind, change your world.  Now, having said that, allow me to continue with another reason for focusing on priorities:

Your correct priority protects your talents and gifts.  Knowing what your priorities are will help you avoid expending your talents and gifts on unimportant or unworthy endeavors and unnecessary things.  Most individuals today use their gifts and abilities in the pursuit of selfish and worldly goals that have nothing to do with the Kingdom of Heaven.  Just watch television and the internet and you will see many preachers, prophets, evangelists, teachers, ministers, etc, who are focusing on their own agenda.  This is especially evident in mega churches.  Their top priority is gratifying their own desires.  However, even good and honorable pursuits can become a problem if they distract us from other endeavors that are more important.  Remember, Saul, before his priorities were changed, thought what he was doing to the Believers in the Kingdom was correct. Now Saul was consenting to his death.  At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.  As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.  He had a gift, but the wrong priorities.

Imagine looking back on years of your life and realizing that you wasted your gifts and talents on the wrong purpose and never accomplished what you were put here on earth to do.  What a tragedy that would be!  Establishing correct priorities in your life now will assist and assure you that it will never happen.

King Jesus had to get Saul's attention on the Damascus road, to prioritize his priorities.  Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?"  Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”  

So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?"  Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”  And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Correct priorities mean the Lord God's priority, and the Lord God is seeking the Kingdom first!  With God's priority in place as your priority, you can pursue life with confidence and with no fear or later regrets.

Acts 8:1-3   Acts 9:1-9
~~W.R. Luchie

Now, in addition to assisting you to use your time effectively, there are numerous other significant reasons establishing priorities should be a priority to you.  And by you I really mean us.

Preoccupation with priority preserves and protects life.  From time to time individuals make it their business to come over to my wife and I  to commend me for opening the car door, where my wife Arlene is patiently waiting.  One of the reasons I maintain this practice is because she is my most precious commodity on this planet; so she is a priority and I treat her as such.

What is life?  Time.  What is priority?  Doing the right thing at the right time in the right way.  Priority will protect your life because doing the right thing at the right time, in the right way keeps us from doing the wrong thing, at the wrong time in the wrong way.  Once again, it is a domino effect.  Priority enables you to spend your days putting first things first.  My other thought is this:  Correct priorities are the principle of progress.  True progress is measured not by how much you get done, but by whether or not you are moving in the right direction.

When Jesus left the wilderness after being tempted of the pretender (Satan), He knew His first priority and acted on it.  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”   And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  He didn't waver on His purpose or His mission.  It is so important to move in the right direction and that means finding God's priority for your life with the short time that He has allotted you.  Aligning yourself with God's priority ensures that you will always travel in the right direction in life.  Now what was King Jesus' first priority?  The Kingdom first!  This is why it is so important to stay in the Word of God (Constitution).  The ambassador Paul instructed his young protege to study the Word so that he would be in line with the will of the King.   Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Having correct priorities also protects your time.  As I mentioned earlier, knowing and doing what is most important helps you avoid abusing time as well as wasting that precious currency (time).  In addition to protecting your time, correct priorities also protects your energy.  When your life is correctly prioritized, you can afford to exert your energy with confidence because you know you are using it effectively, correctly and for the right purpose.  You will notice that I didn't say a good purpose.  I stated the right purpose.  Your energy and God's priority are too important for you to wake up one morning to realize that everything you have done for the last twenty to forty years was off from God's intended target.  Your correct focus should be:  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

We will continue this tomorrow.

Matthew 4:17, 23   II Timothy 2:15   Matthew 6:33
~~W.R. Luchie

There was a commercial some years ago that went like this:  "First things first, quench your thirst".  It was advertising a soda commercial.  When you are thirsty, don't reach for a soda, reach for the thing that will give you the lasting effect and is most satisfying, water.  That is how you can distinguish priorities.  Many of us say that we love Jesus but fail to follow His mandate.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.  Without clear priorities, you run the danger of wasting precious time listening to the wrong voices or allowing ourselves to be drawn in the wrong direction.

Recently, I have been invited to speak in several countries.  I shared this information with my wife Arlene, and she quickly reminded me of my purpose and assignment.

Knowing your priorities will assist you in evaluating the voices pulling at you and identifying those that are most important.  In my case, it is my wife Arlene who helps me stay focused.  The best way to minimize confusion is to get into the habit of deciding beforehand how you will spend your precious time each day.  You can't give your time or attention to every competing voice, so let your priorities assist you to zero in on those that are the most important.  Then let the others go.  Coming full circle, you will see that the key to success is the effective use of time and the key to effective use of time is correct priorities.  Now, the only  way to spend your time (currency) effectively is to identify the correct priorities for your life.  If you do not know what you are supposed to do, where you are supposed to go, or how you are going to get there; then you are in constant danger of abusing your currency (time) and allowing others to do the same.  I am learning that nothing is more rewarding than waking up in the morning knowing exactly what to do and knowing that what I am doing is right and correct.  If you noticed, I didn't say "good".  Good isn't always right.  Many times we end up abusing our currency (time) because we are distracted by good things that take the place of right things, thereby causing us to be busy, but not effective.  Trust me when I say this:  The Lord God is not impressed with you being busy.  The only way for you to live effectively is to use your time on the correct priorities for your life.  It is very important to learn the difference.  Time wasted on incorrect priorities is currency that is gone forever.  It can never be regained.


I will continue in my next article.


Luke 12:28-31
~~W.R. Luchie

So many of us have our priorities in disarray.  It stands to reason that how we spend our time determines the quality of our life and death.  How will people feel when your pass on from this planet called earth?  Will they be sad or joyous?  The way you invest your time on this side of the grave will make the difference.  Your quality of life, and that of the individuals closest to you are directly related to how you spend your currency of time.  You will be healthy, wealthy, wise and spiritually mature in direct proportion to the time you invest in these things.  In a very real sense we become what we spend our time on.  This is why it is so important that you spend a lot of your time in reading and studying the Lord God's Constitution.  Seeking the Kingdom should always be our priority on a consistent basis.  In doing this, we will never have to concern ourselves with how we are going to survive when trials come our way:  Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

In the Kingdom of God, we are the priority (His citizens).  Then why is there so much anxiety among those who call themselves Believers?  Do you spend your time wondering how you are going to meet your financial obligations?  Your greatest asset is your faith in God's Word.  The Word of the living God should always be a priority in your life.  The Lord Jesus the Christ's Word will always be here.  Remember what Jesus stated:   Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

We don't have much time as individuals on earth.  We must use it wisely. Because time is currency and a very precious commodity, it should come as no surprise to discover that everything and everyone is after our time.  Modern life is a constant bombardment of voices, ideas, opinions, causes and expectations from in every degree of acquaintance; all fighting for our time and attention.  Some of it is worthwhile and deserves our attention.  Believe me when I say this:  most of it does not deserve our attention.

So guard yourself and how you use your time.

Luke 12:22-31   Mark 13:31
~~W.R. Luchie

To many people, success means different things.  Success in this life is how effectively you use the time that is given to you.  Each of us is the sum total of what we spend our time on.  The individual you are today is a result of how you have used your time in the past. For example, if you are overweight, it may be because you have spent too much time sitting around eating and watching television and not enough time exercising and being active in other ways.  Another example is, if you are ignorant (lacking in knowledge), you may be spending valuable time on aimless and unproductive activities that would be better spent on reading books and attending school that will give you a wealth of information.  When the Lord God spoke to Hosea, here's what He stated:  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.  The way you invest your time determines the level of your success.  That is true with anything.

We need to pay close attention to time because time is the true measure of life. Our life on Earth is essentially human consciousness residing in a physical dirt body that exists in a linear, but finite continuum of time and space.  In the life to come, in eternity, time will not be a factor at all but now it is.  In our physical existence we are bound by the constraint of time.  Time is also the currency of life.  Currency is the medium of exchange used in an economy to purchase goods and services.  Just as money is the currency of an economy, time is the currency of life.  Something to think about, wouldn't you say?  Just as we use money to purchase things, we use time to purchase life.  Financial success always involves  the wise investment of money to get the biggest possible return for the smallest outlay.  In the same way, success in this life means receiving the greatest returns and benefits--to ourselves as well as to others--for the time invested.   

Every morning we all wake up with the same amount of time (currency), 24 hours.  Where you go and how high you rise in life depends on how you spend and invest that irreplaceable currency (time).  How much time do you spend reading and studying the Lord God's Word?   God's Word is for the spirit man.  Remember what Jesus stated to His disciples.   But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”  Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Jesus didn't do His own Will.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Seek the Kingdom and discover your purpose for living.

Hosea 4:6  John 4:32-34   John 6:38-40
~~W.R. Luchie

Another great mistake many individuals make is being busy, but not effective. Being busy is a common human pastime. But just because you are busy doesn't mean that what you are doing is worth doing or productive in the Kingdom.  Many people deceive themselves into believing that being busy all the time gives their lives significance.  That definitely is not always true.  Significance has nothing to do with being busy, but everything to do with effectiveness.  While King Jesus was on planet earth, He was the most effective individual who ever lived, but He was never too busy.  Every single thing that Jesus did had a purpose.  Everything He said and did had a purpose, and was effective in some way.  Jesus always obeyed His Father, the Word, and we are to do the same.  “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  It is a tragedy to waste time and energy on things that are unfocused and non-productive.  Those resources, once expended, can never be regained.  We must learn how to be effective without being too busy.  King Solomon stated it correctly.  To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven

While King Jesus was here on earth, He made perfect use of His time, knowing that it was limited.  Keep in mind, we only have a certain amount of time to complete our purpose.  I should I say that you only have a certain amount of time.  Now it is personal.

Finally, the greatest failure in this life is being successful in the wrong assignment.  You see this every day if you take the time to read and observe.  Success alone isn't enough because you can be sincerely wrong.  Faithfulness alone is not enough, because you can be faithful to the wrong belief system as so many have.  Commitment alone isn't enough because you can be committed to the wrong cause, as so many are.  Succeeding in the wrong assignment is, therefore, failure.

The Lord God isn't impressed with your sincerity, faithfulness, commitment or even your success, unless you are pursuing the right assignment or purpose for YOUR life, His assignment.  Stay connected to Him.  Jesus made it very plain:    

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Abide in the vine, for anything else is failure.

John 15:9-12   Ecclesiastes 3:1   John 15:1-5
~~W.R. Luchie

I have learned that individuals who don't view God's Constitution from a Kingdom concept speak from a religious  mindset.  Religion separated the masses from seeing the Lord God's original purpose.  The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without knowing your purpose on this planet.  Many individuals in today's society are obsessed with finding ways to prolong their lives.  They are so caught up in trying to live longer that they never stop to consider why they are living at all.  The Lord God has already established our purpose in Jesus the Christ.  ...who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began  The ambassador Paul made this quite clear in his letters to Timothy.

People are drifting from one day to another without purpose, with untapped potential and unfulfilled dreams.  This is for many a fate worse than death.  The rising suicide rate in modern society bears this truth out.  Many individuals are drained of hope.  They take their own lives because they find death more appealing than continuing what is to them a meaningless existence.  This is because many fail to seek the Kingdom of God.  They have fallen into the trap of a religious  mindset instead of embracing the only message that Jesus came to restore (the Kingdom of God).  Jesus stated very plainly what one's priorities should be.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Finding our purpose in life is critically important.  The greatest challenge in life is knowing what to do.  You get up every day, and many of you go about your daily tasks or activities, and never give a thought to your purpose in life or what you are supposed to be doing.  Do you know what to do with your life?  What drives you to get out of bed every morning?  With each passing day you grow older and use up the time that God has given you.  You use up your energy on things that are temporal.  Do you even know what you want to do?  Now these are tough questions, but learning the answers is vital to your future.  The answers will cause you to live a more effective and productive life on this planet called earth.

The Lord God's representative made this very profound statement:  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

We will continue this in my next article.
II Timothy 1:9   Matthew 6:33   Isaiah 26:3
~~W.R. Luchie

One thing I know for certain, everyone is searching for a simple formula to be successful and have a fulfilled life.  They want to find the one key that will unlock the doors to the good life and answer the questions of their heart.  Unfortunately many have regarded the kingdom as an individual religious calling and seek to get others to come join their religion.  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  He made it quite clear that if they would stop seeking stuff and things and focus on seeking the kingdom first they would have all those things that they seek!  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Now, if you were to conduct a poll in any large city in this country, and ask people "What is the key to life?" you would get several different kinds of answers.  Some would say that the key to life is to acquire as much  money as you can, as quickly as  you can and hold on to is as long as you can.  Others would see gaining political power and influence as the key to life.  Then there are always those who would say there is no key to life.  Life is an accident and therefore has no key or significance.  If you believe that, you had just as well do whatever you desire.

The fact is, most people do not know the key to living an effective life.  This is why so many individuals live such tragic lives, especially in the religious realm and the church really doesn't know why they are here.  They haven't a clue how to make their time on planet earth count for something worthwhile.  Their existence is, in many ways, a kind of "living death", because a life without knowing one's purpose is not really a life at all.

So then, what is the key to life?  Finding your true purpose and living it to the fullest.  I know that this word "purpose" has been overused in the past few years. Many think they understand it, but I want to say that this most essential component in life has never, and can never, be exhausted.

In my next articles I will sum up keys to understanding the difference between a purpose filled life and a life with no meaning.

Matthew 4:17   Mathew 6:25-34
~~W.R. Luchie

In my last article I gave a synopsis of my foundation for living and who--not what--strengthens and encourages me.  It is God's Constitution, meaning the Word, which is life.  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Now allow me to share with you this piece of information.  Marriage is necessary to fulfill the Lord God's purpose, but it isn't necessary to fill the place the church and the world system has assigned it--to take two halves and make them whole.  To choose God instead of a spouse is still a higher calling, but don't choose the life of single-minded focus on the Lord Jesus unless you are positive that you can do it and that an unmarried lifestyle is His Will for your life.

Allow yourself to be filled with the teaching of the Kingdom (not religion).  Then the Holy Spirit will fill your life with His Presence.  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  If you choose an unmarried life out of religious pressure or some false spirituality or being "disappointed" in what you thought of as love--but really was lust; then you aren't giving God a whole single person.  You will be cheating Him and especially yourself.

If you know the unmarried life isn't for you, then begin to ask God to prepare you for marriage.  Being single doesn't mean you indulge in sexual relationships. That definitely is breaking the laws of the King, and you will definitely pay the price.   ...in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.  The ambassador Paul made it quite clear in God's Constitution.  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  Now, what was the ambassador Paul stating?  He was stating that those individuals who conduct themselves in that manner will not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of God will not reside in your mortal bodies.

In conclusion, if you aren't a whole (single) individual, ask the Lord God to assist you in becoming whole; not a "half person" or a leech and nonproductive.

John 6:63   Acts 1:8   Romans 2:16   I Corinthians 6:9-10
~~W.R. Luchie

Now the fifth gift of Adam was to cultivate. Adam's gift of cultivation meant that He could improve whatever he put his hands to.  Wherever Adam went and he did, things got better.  Is that the case with you?  Are you secured and self-assured enough in your own identity and with the Lord God that you can improve your environment wherever you are?  Before making a long-term commitment such as marriage, you need to consider this:  Are you a "weed" that will constantly choke off the relationship, or are you rich "fertilizer"  that will assist in cultivating and nurturing it?  King Jesus gave a great illustration of the sower:   “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”  Jesus explained the parable of the sower and the seed.  Jesus was very careful to not cast pearl before swines.  

The sixth gift was to protect.  God gave Adam the responsibility to protect and guard his environment and everything that was in it.  That meant that anything that was in Adam's presence was safe.  Can that be said about you?  Are people safe in your presence?  Do you safeguard their confidences, their trust, and their dignity, no matter what?  If you cannot be trusted to protect and honor the worth and parenthood of another person, you aren't ready for marriage.  It's just that simple.

Now the seventh was "God's Word".  Adam knew the Lord God's Word through a direct, face to face contact.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.  He understood the principles under which the Kingdom of God were to operate, and exactly what God expected of him.  It is only in the context of knowledge and obedience to the Word of God that any relationship can maximize its potential.  My question to you is how well do you know the Lord God's Word?  How much time do you spend reading, studying and meditating on it?  That isn't a trick question.  Just as a potential spouse should find you in Eden, he or she should also find you a diligent student of the Word of God, applying it to your life effectively every day.  The knowledge of God's Word is essential to any truly successful and effective marriage.

Now when you are manifesting these seven gifts in your life, at least to some degree, and increasing in them; that is when God says to you, as He did to Adam, "It isn't good that you should be alone".

Matthew 13:18-23   Genesis 1:28-30
~~W.R. Luchie

As I stated earlier, once you have established who you are in the Lord God, you will be able to take care of yourself using your own abilities, gifts and talents.  First we talked about the image of God.  Second, functioning like God.  Now allow us to move on to the third, His Presence.  In God's Constitution, King David was so secure in His Presence, that he made this statement: You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  Before Adam ever had or even needed the presence of another human being, Adam enjoyed the Presence of the Lord God.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam was in the correct environment to be protected from pollution and corruption.  God gave Adam His own presence, thus establishing an eternal principle.  The first presence that you need in your life is not the presence of a boyfriend or a girlfriend, but the presence of the Lord god.  Use your unmarried years to get to Jesus Christ and how He obeyed the Lord God's every command.  Pray, read and study God's Word.  Welcome the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life and become intimately familiar with God's Presence.  When a prospective spouse finds you, they should find you in Eden. Ultimately, the presence of the Lord God is all you ever need.  Remember, marriage is never appropriate until you are so complete within yourself and your relationship with god that you do not need marriage in order to define yourself. 

The fourth is work.  God gave Adam meaningful work to do so that he could become fully himself and manifest his fullest potential.  The Greek word for "work" is eregon, literally means "to become".  When the Lord God placed Adam in the garden and charged him to dress it and keep it, He was telling Adam to "become" himself.  In other words, Adam was to manifest who he really was. God has the same purpose for you.  He wants you to become yourself and manifest who you really are.  He has hidden inside you a truly awesome person with an awesome dream and awesome vision, an awesome design and some awesome abilities.  Those qualities are in latent form, and you must work to bring them out.  Your first focus should be on becoming yourself, and not on finding or becoming someone else.

In all you do, seek the Kingdom of God and He will show you who you really are. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I will continue tomorrow with part three.

Psalm 16:11  Matthew 6:33
~~W.R. Luchie