John Bevere - Driven by Eternity: Making Your Life Count Today & Forever

Copyright 2006 by John Bevere Ministries, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version.

Scripture reference marked AMP are from the Amplified Bible, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked MES are taken from The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, 2002. Used by permission of Navpress.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the Holy Bible, New Century Version, 1991. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TEV are taken from the Holy Bible, Todays English Version, 1966, 1971, 1976 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Warner Faith

Hachette Book Group, USA

237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Visit our Web site at www.twbg.com .

ISBN: 978-0-7595-1553-6

First eBook Edition: June 2006

Contents

I dedicate this book...

to all who labor tirelessly to build lives for eternity.

Be encouraged in your quest.

His coming is certain and His reward is with Him.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. JOHN 17:3-4

W hat is it about the word eternity that catches our attention; in fact, has the potential to influence an entire nation? Such is the story of Arthur Stace, an Australian born into a life of hopelessness at the turn of the century. His life was that of a bum filled with petty crime and alcoholism between the First World War and the Great Depression. All this changed when he met Jesus on August 6, 1930, and soon afterward heard his pastor cry, I wish I could shout eternity through all the streets of Sydney! He felt driven to make this cry a reality.

Arthur would rise early each morning, pray for an hour, and leave his home between 5:00 and 5:30 A.M., to go wherever he felt God led him. For hours he would write one word, eternity, approximately every hundred feet on the sidewalks of Sydney. For more than twenty years his work was a mystery. Who was writing this single word that caused countless thousands to pause and ponder its meaning, both immediate and long range? Had this mystery man captured the impact and portion of this single words power? It wasnt until 1956 that the puzzle was solved.

Two years after Arthurs death in 1967, Sydney poet Douglas Stewart published these words and immortalized the word of this graffiti preacher:

That shy mysterious poet Arthur StaceWhose work was just one single mighty wordWalked in the utmost depths of time and spaceAnd there his word was spoken and he heardETERNITY, ETERNITY, it banged him like a bell

Dulcet from heaven sounding, sombre from hell.

A one-word sermon touched a nation. His message was secured for generations by architect Ridley Smith, who put it in copperplate in the Sydney Square. It was later viewed by over 4 billion souls worldwide as they watched by television the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics, and again when it was emblazoned in fireworks on the Sydney Harbor Bridge on the Eve of the new millennium.

Eternity arrests the attention of all mankind. No race, tribe, or gender can resist its draw. We were created with eternity in our hearts and sense the immanent unknown extension of our existence. Therefore, its wise to delve deeper into what our Creator says concerning eternity; after all, His word states, From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do (Isa. 43:13, TLB). It is the very reason youve picked up this book. I believe your choice was wise.

Lets pray together before beginning. Ive prayed this aloud in my study in anticipation of you praying with me:

Dear God of Eternity, Creator of all, and Lord of the Universe, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son. I ask in agreement with Your servant John Bevere that this day You would anoint my eyes to see; my ears to hear; and give me a heart to perceive and understand what You are saying to me through this message. I acknowledge my need for the Holy Spirits help to know Your will and ways for my life. It is my desire to please You all the days of my life as well as throughout all eternity. Show me not only Your ways, but Your heart, that I may know You, for this is eternal life to know You intimately as my Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your amazing faithfulness, grace, and mercy.

Lets begin knowing the Holy Spirit will give you insight and understanding that you couldnt have obtained on your own. How exciting!

THE ETERNAL

Teach us to make the most of our time... and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! PSALM 90:12, 17, NLT

T he desire of most people is to live a life that counts. This is a right and godly aspiration. It was Moses request in the above prayer. He began by asking for wisdom to make the most of time. Many things lost in life can be restored; however, time misused can never be recovered. Once the sun goes down, the day is forever gone.

His prayer concludes with, Make our efforts successful. The exact phrase is repeated. Why repeated? Moses didnt have a problem with grammar or memory. Rather, this represents a literary style found in Hebrew writing. The repetition is a form of emphasis. In English when we want to emphasize the importance of a word or phrase, we have several methods. We can make it bold, italicize it, underscore it, use all capitals, or add an exclamation point for emphasis. These are all ways of calling the readers attention to something that is very important. However, the Hebrew writers would write a word or phrase twice to bring emphasis, and they werent known to overstatethey were always careful with their words. The fact that this was repeated twice in Scripture shows it is not only Gods will for us to succeed, but He is passionate about it. He is the one who has placed emphasis on it.

We were created to be successful. God wants our life to be significant! It was Gods desire first, not ours. He makes this known throughout Scripture. Let me just list two, The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do (Deut. 30:9, NLT, emphasis mine). Notice the word everything , not some things ! Again we read: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous , and then you will have good success (Josh. 1:8, emphasis mine).

It takes godly wisdom to enjoy success. Scripture states, He who loves wisdom loves his own best interest and will be a success (Prov. 19:8, TLB). Wisdom gives us the knowledge and ability to make right choices at the opportune time. True wisdom is not given to the mentally sharp; it is for all who fear the Lord and are found in Christ. In order for you to build a life of eternal significance, you must do it through godly wisdom, and that is what this message is all about.

Wisdom breeds success, which brings enduring satisfaction and rewards, If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you (Prov. 9:12, NIV). Not only does the Lord desire your success, but He longs to reward you for it. Again we read, Day by day the Lord observes the good deeds done by godly men, and gives them eternal rewards (Ps. 37:18, TLB).

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