Nation transformation must be tangible and the premier social indicator is the alleviation (elimination) of systemic poverty. – Ed Silvoso

Mt 25:40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

I received an email recently from a subscriber of my daily e-prayer devotional with a fantastic message about life by Rick Warren. As many of you know, Rick is the author of The Purpose Driven Life, the best selling book which addresses the fundamental question “What on earth am I here for?” He is also the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In my opinion, Rick, sets a great example as a world leader for what the Body of Christ is supposed to be about – loving others as ourselves in practical ways. When the church functions as Jesus intends – ministering to the poor, the hungry, widows, orphans, prisoners, and the persecuted, then real and lasting transformation will occur. People will be drawn to Jesus.

Here are a few key comments that Rick Warren made while being interviewed by Paul Bradshaw on CNN:

People ask me: “What is the purpose of life?” And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems; you are either in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one.  The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore.  Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.  And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.  You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

Click the link below to read the rest of this great interview!

How are you preparing for eternity?

Prayer Power
Loving Father, thank You for Rick Warren and his leadership. Thank You for his book “The Purpose Driven Life” which has positively impacted so many people, including people who know You and those who don’t. Thank You that Rick and his family have not succumbed to greed. Bless the health of Kay Warren. Touch her with Your healing hand. Put on burden on the hearts of Your children to love and care for the people in this world who feel hopeless.

Link of the Day
Insights about Life from Rick Warren
[http://www.southasianconnection.com/blogs/18/Interview-with-Rick-Warren-by-Paul-Bradshaw.html]