His Masterpiece: Discovering the Greatness Within

© 2014 by Carl Dulinsky

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2014

Print Edition ISBN: 9781938624780

eBook ISBN: 9781938624797

Kudu Publishing

kudupub.com

Edited by Kristen Stieffel

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked AMP are from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1987, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked GNT are from the Good News Translation, Copyright 1992 American Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked GW are from God’s Word, Copyright 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY?

1 MASTERPIECE

2 WHO AM I?

3 THE JOURNEY

4 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HIS MASTERPIECE?

5 BEING ON DISPLAY

6 THE PRICE

7 THE ANSWER

8 IN PROCESS

9 ONE STEP AT A TIME

10 LIMITLESS

11 RELEASE THE DREAMER WITHIN

12 WHAT IT TAKES

13 THE RESTING PLACE

14 THE RESULTS

15 TO KNOW HIM

CONCLUSION

PRAYER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

FOREWORD

It has been my honor to minister alongside Carl Dulinsky for many years, and during this time I have come to appreciate the intense desire, integrity, and commitment to the Lord and to his church that Carl demonstrates in everything he does. His Masterpiece is the latest of Carl’s expressions to this end. This book reveals his passionate heart and a desire to bring those around him into a deeper and more fervent relationship with their Lord Jesus Christ.

This volume will infuse you with an unwavering perception of your life and who you really are in Christ—most notably, how you are seen and understood by your Savior. As you dive into these pages, the reality of living as his masterpiece and the sure faith to apprehend all God has called you to be will unfold. The clarity this book will bring to your life will inspire you to walk with your God in realms people dream about and the Lord desires.

It is with anticipation and great joy that I enthusiastically recommend His Masterpiece as essential reading for those who hunger after a focused and vital walk with Jesus. The opportunity Carl has afforded us here is birthed from a life of intense love and gratitude for the Lord Jesus Christ. Open your heart, leap into the pages of this book, and begin to recognize that you really are his masterpiece.

Robert A. Wilk

Pastor, School of Ministry

Word of Life Fellowship, Inc.

INTRODUCTION

WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY?

What is the purpose of life? Who am I and why am I here?” We live in a day and age when people are longing and crying out for identity. It may not be said that way, but all the chasing after money, fame, acceptance, sex, and more is a clear sign that people have no idea who they are or how to find significance in life. On a daily basis, we see those who are looked up to and identified as role models by many fall into struggles or even worse, kill themselves. If you stop and pay attention you will hear the screams of humanity echoing forth, “What’s the point?”

People have never been so discouraged and without hope. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but one thing I know is that God has set eternity in the hearts of people, and all the chasing after the temporary things only makes us more and more unsatisfied. We are designed with an eternal, endless perspective, and none of the temporary things will ever satisfy that.

In January 2010 I was in the process of having my mind altered by the Master himself. I had diligently studied the Bible for over twelve years and still had no firm grasp on life and what it was all about. Yes, I had all the “right” answers and scriptures to quote, but the Word had not become alive in me yet. I had tried to fulfill the laws, obey the commandments, be kind, generous, and so on. You name it, I had tried it. Pray thirty minutes a day, read the Bible through each year, lead a Bible study, go to church faithfully, help those in need…

All of these things are completely necessary and biblical, but something was missing.

I had been trying to accomplish something, earn something from him. Not with any wrong intent but a desire to be close to him. I thought the more I did the happier the Master would be with me. The more I sacrificed the closer I would get to him, or so I thought.

One night, at a class designed to train leaders, I was listening to those around me answering questions about leadership. Their answers were in no way wrong; actually they were all correct and appropriate. I just had this deep longing for more. I sensed that something was missing from the conversation. Before I knew it, I was filled with an overwhelming reality of God’s love and his desire to see people live life to the fullest, having complete peace, joy, and hope in everyday life.

Choked up and unable to hold back the tears, I explained the emotions I felt as God touched my heart. It was as if God himself had reached into the very core of my being, squeezing my heart with his love and compassion for people. In a moment I felt his intense desire to see people find out who they are and how much he longs for them. As I wept, I shared that we must love on people. We needed to do all the things we had discussed, but it had to be done from a heart saturated in the love of our Master.

Jesus calls out to us through the centuries, expressing this same principle, saying, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28–30 MSG).

On another occasion I turned on the TV to check the news and saw a story of a little child who was found dead. An investigation found that the parents had committed this horrible crime. During the report I started crying uncontrollably. After what seemed like an eternity I pulled myself together, got ready for a class I was to teach that night, and headed off to pray and get ready. The sense of anger and sadness would not leave and during prayer, once again weeping uncontrollably, my attention turned to God, questioning why he would allow this.

I had never felt such sadness and confusion. As I continued my rant and questioning, God spoke. Clear as day. He said, “You are feeling my heart.” Nothing else needed to be said. I broke even further, asking forgiveness for blaming him and attacking him when all along Daddy was letting me feel as deeply as he feels. I learned that God weeps over the sickness that humanity walks in. He doesn’t sit up there allowing evil. He never intended for us to live this way. Sin and the death it brings were never part of his plan.

These events started the journey of discovery that led to the revelation that you are his masterpiece! He is in the process of doing everything necessary to ensure you become all he created you to be. In his love and mercy, he is not satisfied with mediocre—or even good for that matter. He created you for greatness.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.—Ephesians 2:10 NLT

My hope is to bring some light to the realities of who you are and why you are here. These questions have been answered by numerous people in numerous ways. My intent is not to try to reinvent the wheel or give some “new” revelation but to explain what the Lord has said about you. Hope has practically vanished from society, and I say it is time for us to get it back.

Will you put your life into the Master’s hands completely so he can fashion you into the masterpiece you are created to be? It all boils down to trusting in the Master who created you. I believe that you will long for him once again, or for the first time, when you realize the way he thinks of you. Enjoy this trip as God shows you what he really says about you.

CHAPTER 1

MASTERPIECE

WHAT IS A MASTERPIECE?

A masterpiece is a piece of work presented to a medieval guild as evidence or qualification for the rank of master. In other words, it’s a work done with extraordinary skill, especially a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement. Wow—could God have used a better word to describe us?

Do I mean to say that we are the piece of his creation that shows the he is the Master? In us is the evidence that proves his mastery? YES!

When people look at you, they see the very thing that qualifies God as Master. You are so amazingly qualified just because you are his creation. Every aspect of you has been fashioned by the Master Craftsman himself.

A masterpiece is an artist’s best work. Do you see this? Ignore the natural circumstances that surrounded you at conception and the ones that brought you to this point in life. God didn’t give you breath just so you could take up space on earth and hopefully one day make it to heaven. You’re not a mistake or a fleeting thought in the eyes of God. God fashioned and formed not only your body but also your life with purpose and direction.

David penned it this way: “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day” (Psalm 139:13–16 MSG).

You were specifically fashioned and have a God-inspired adventure to enjoy and live out. The Master has a journey full of hope and joy planned for you to walk out with him. He sees the greatness he has planted within you. John the apostle says that Jesus came to give us life—life more abundantly (John 10:10).

Is there anything better than knowing that the One in control is also the One who has made you his trophy, to be displayed to the entire world? You are the salt and light in a dark world that is able to preserve, direct and bring life to those who are wandering in life without direction or hope.

Get this! A synonym for masterpiece is magnum opus, an ancient Latin term meaning the greatest achievement of an artist or writer. God is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). God as the Author of all of life has once again made it very clear that we are the centerpiece of this divine creation. You are the one he had in mind when he set the mountains in place and set boundaries for the sea. When he caused the sun to rise and set with such beauty so you could enjoy and marvel at its magnificence. He holds the universe in the span of his hand and yet he is able to pay attention to every detail of your life. What amazing and extravagant love!

The Greek word used in Ephesians 2:10, translated masterpiece in the New Living Translation, is poiēma (poy’-ay-mah), which means a product or thing that is made. I know, I know, not very exciting, right? This gave me no excitement either when I first got this revelation until the Lord showed me this—In all of the creation we are the only thing created by the Master’s own hands!

The Lord says a lot by actually fashioning us with his own hands. He is saying, “Time out: I am going to make this one myself. Not just with words, but I am going to personally fashion and shape every minute feature, even those that may seem insignificant. I want to be involved in every detail of their lives. They are the reason for everything else I have created.”

If you think this is a little overboard, please re-read the first three chapters of Genesis, where you will see that we are created in his very image, given dominion on this earth to rule and reign with him. Not until he completed his clay masterpiece did he breathe life into Adam. I can just see the loving hand of the Master on the clay. Shaping, sculpting and smoothing without an error. God never makes mistakes. Thank you, Father, for your love and care.

Every hair counted. Every step ordered. Just imagine with me for a moment the love and care that went into fashioning you. You are completely unique. That statement may not bring you joy due to the way you look or how you feel about the way you are made. Maybe you have spent your life trying to be someone else or measure up to standards that have nothing to do with the Lord or his kingdom. Perhaps all you see when you look in the mirror is your faults and the things that bring disappointment. But God has made it crystal clear: you are designed completely matchless. There has never been another person like you and never will be. Not until recently in history could I prove this, but with advances in technology I can prove your uniqueness by three distinct traits you have that not a single other person on the planet has, has had, or will ever have again. You have a fingerprint that is exclusively yours, you have a retinal scan that only you have had in all of history, and last but not least your voice signature is yours and yours alone. Some of us wish we had a different voice, but God has given us the one he intended us to have.

This is all great but…The reality of life shows there is a disconnect somewhere, right? If we all have a God-given destiny and he desires the best for us, then why are so many not living it out? The answer lies in the second half of our theme verse in Ephesians 2:10, “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Whose plan are we following? The Word makes it clear that we are his masterpiece. It is just as clear that the reason is so we can live out the plan he has for us. Not so we can live how we want and still expect the same results or relationship. It is impossible to have relationship when the parties involved have totally different agendas. This is a subject we will discuss in depth in later chapters.

With a masterpiece defined and a glimpse at why we may be struggling, let’s discuss identity and its role in our lives as his masterpiece.

CHAPTER 2

WHO AM I?

THE MASTERPIECE

In a world that is crying out, “look at me” or “this is who I am—deal with it,” what are we to do as Christians? Follow the example of the world? Fit in? Clash and fight?

The battle lines have been drawn, and the war is being fought on the battlefield of identity. Who am I? Is there any purpose? If so, what is my purpose? Have I blown it and missed my chance?

Life is more than a culmination of random circumstances. With the Master there is no such thing as coincidence. Everything that happens in your life is in the plan to make you great (Romans 8:28–29). Your life is handcrafted by the Master himself. He fashioned you for greatness. Your life has purpose and is meant to be lived to the fullest. That is the whole reason Jesus came and gave his life. Jesus said it this way: “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (John 10:10 MSG).

Unfortunately, rooted deep in the heart of many today is a sense of defeat, or the feeling that we are just hanging in there until we get to heaven. I don’t see this in the Word of God or in his heart. We were created as his masterpiece, displaying all of his characteristics to the world around us. Life was not meant to be lived in fear and doubt, wondering if God loves us or not. He is Love, and you are the reason behind all of his actions. Everything you see in creation testifies of him and his love for you. He had you in mind when he fashioned all the beauty of creation. It was all created for you to enjoy, walking and talking with the Lord in everyday events.

In a world that is constantly trying to define us, we must make a stand and define ourselves. Or, better yet, be defined by the Master.

John writes that Jesus knew where he had come from and where he was going (John 8:14). Jesus only did what he saw the Father do and only said what he heard the Father say (John 5:19, 8:38). Matthew said he was born King (Matthew 2:2). Jesus, the Savior and Lord of all, accepted his identity from his Creator and Father. Circumstance and struggle could not deter him because he knew who he was and where he was going. Jesus never shied away from who he was. He knew his Father loved him and that his life had purpose. That was all he needed when times got tough and everything seemed to be against him.

In a day and age when fatherlessness is running rampant, it is no wonder that people have a real struggle with accepting God as a loving Father who gave his only Son for their good. We live in a time defined by running from your problems, not trying to find solutions. When things get difficult in marriage, we divorce. So we have a generation that defines fathers as those who couldn’t care less about you, or even worse, those who abandon you when times get rough. And so from an early age, children are learning to put up walls in an attempt to cope with the abandonment. The lack of love and care from a father causes our communication to get skewed.

Everyone communicates in one of three ways, regardless of whether they have struggled with fatherlessness or not. We live our lives in three different arenas when it comes to image.

One is our projected image. This is the way we project ourselves toward others. It is the way we act so others will see us the way we want them to see us.

The second is the perceived image. This is the way people actually see us. It has a lot to do with the way we project ourselves. But in the mix is also the belief system and thought process they use to filter our actions and words.

The third is actual image. The real you. The way you act with family and close friends around. This is the part of you that makes you feel vulnerable or inadequate. This is where we set up our walls of protection. When there are unresolved hurts and pains, there are walls we set up to protect us from those hurts and pains happening again.

These walls, intended to keep out the things that hurt, are the very things that keep us bound to those pains. Barriers are erected not only because of past hurts and pains but also because there are things in our lives that we are ashamed of and don’t want others to know about.

God loves you even though he is completely aware of all the baggage. He is not in the business of exposing you so you can be hurt but so others can see the greatness he has placed within you. You have something to offer that no one else has—YOU!

The unfortunate part of life is that we spend most of our time projecting an image we think everyone around us wants to see. We must reach a place where it is more important for us to see the Lord and be what he has made us to be than to satisfy the opinion of those who surround us. We have to allow ourselves to be defined by the Lord.

“The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG). Let’s move from feeble, anemic lives into spacious, free and powerful lives, living in the freedom that comes from trusting in the Lord.

There is an amazing encounter in the Word between Jesus and a man named Nathanael. Nathanael is living life with, from all appearances, an expectation that the promised Messiah was coming. Along comes Philip with the great news that they have found the one they have been waiting for! The response Philip received was not the one he expected. Instead of joy and excitement, he was met with questioning and doubt.

We are like that. We wait for and hope for something, but when it shows up in a way we didn’t expect or hope for, we tend to question and doubt. Philip is great though, he doesn’t even let the questions and doubt deter him, because he knew all it would take to dispel the doubt would be for Nathanael to see Jesus personally.

What does all this have to do with identity? Glad you asked.

When Nathanael comes before Jesus, he receives what I believe to be one of the greatest compliments in the entire Bible. Jesus says to him, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (John 1:47 KJV). The Good News Translation says, “there is nothing false in him.” The Greek word dolos means a trick or bait. Nathanael wasn’t trying to trick people by the way he spoke or acted. He didn’t live to bait people, drawing them into relationships based on false expectations and hopes. This man lived in his authentic identity, he was who he was and didn’t try to project something he was not.

We all want this, but are we willing to put in the work to make it possible? The cost is great—we will discuss that in later chapters.

The encounter between Jesus and Nathanael is a great example of a man living the way we are created to live. Unashamed and unafraid to be himself. This is not a license to act like a jerk and make excuses like “that’s just the way I am.” Life is full of joy and peace when you are comfortable in who you are and have nothing to hide from people. We need to grab hold of this if we want to live as his masterpiece.

When we live out of our actual image we have victory, joy, peace, and excitement in life. There is nothing to hide and no fear that something will come to the surface to destroy you or your reputation. Projecting an image that isn’t real is hard work, and really, it is hypocrisy. The Greek word translated hypocrisy in the Bible is hupokrisis and it means to speak or act under a false part. It is play acting, just like on a stage or in a movie. Acting a part instead of living who you are. The rebuke to those who live this way is severe. Listen to the words of Jesus: “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside. In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sin” (Matthew 23:27–28 GNT).

I pray that these words inspire you to be the real you, with all the imperfections and blemishes, the failures and successes. God designed you just the way he wanted you to be, and has a plan and purpose for you starting right where you are. It is a process to become more and more like him, without spot or blemish. He is okay with that. Are you?

Not only are you his masterpiece, as if that isn’t enough, you are his child. Created in his image and likeness, just like a child, we take on his character traits and qualities. You are heirs of his; all that he has is yours. A closer look at the parable of the prodigal son will show us how the Father really sees us.

In studying this parable we naturally focus on the son who leaves and the love of the father to give him room to grow and yet wait patiently for him to return to the place of love and safety. That is not what I will discuss here. Though I will say if this describes you as you are reading this book, God is waiting for you to take a step toward him and he will come running to bring restoration and love. You are the only one who can disqualify yourself from the promises of God, and you are the only one who can make a step back and be restored.

I want to focus on the older, faithful son. He spent his life doing all his father wanted of him, but he had a skewed view of who his father was. He reacts to the abundant love shown to his brother by saying, “all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me?” (Luke 15:29 GNT). All he saw was the work and obedience, so he missed out on the blessing.

Don’t we do this? We learn all the dos and don’ts and then comply without any real understanding of why. We find ourselves feeling trapped in relationship with God instead of walking in the blessings of that relationship. The difference comes when we realize we get to work with God. We don’t have to, we get to! We get to walk in obedience to the Father who wants the best for us. We have complete access to all the promises of God now! As we walk with him in obedience and surrender we walk in all the blessings that come with that intimacy. The Father has provided all things and wants us to enjoy them. Yet we will never take hold of them if we don’t understand the Father’s heart for us.

When our view of God is off, our whole life is affected. Some will be obedient and yet miserable because they feel like he doesn’t see or care. Others will rebel and run for many reasons, maybe thinking he is too hard on them, or maybe because they don’t believe he has their best in mind.

Jesus teaches a similar lesson, showing us that the way we see the Master will determine how we will invest our gifts. In Matthew 25, we see a man who has a twisted view of the Master. He says, “Sir, I know you are a hard man; you reap harvests where you did not plant, and you gather crops where you did not scatter seed. I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground” (verses 24–25 GNT). God is not hard and he is not a thief. It may seem like he is being hard or taking things from us. In actuality he is directing you into your greatness, and anything he takes away is not to steal your joy but to protect and broaden it.

As children of God we have access to him and all that he is. By the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus we have gained back what was lost in the garden by Adam. The veil being ripped apart when Jesus died was to show us that we can now enter into the throne room of grace and mercy with boldness because our Father has made a way where there was no way. Dive in and get close to the Master. It will be the most fulfilling relationship you could ever have.

Identity crisis comes when we try to find our purpose in anything other than a relationship with our Father. We find our purpose and gain fulfillment as we live in relationship with the Master; being who we were created to be. We are created for a specific purpose—if we go against that purpose, we are fighting the Master.

He has defined our lives. All that is left for us to do is be. We are to be Christians not do Christianity. Let the real you out. Be Christlike, don’t act like it in hopes of appeasing God or anyone else. You are his masterpiece. Not you hope to be or will be, but you are!

Love recklessly!

Live in absolute joy!

Let his peace invade your soul!

Walk with your head up as his child!

CHAPTER 3

THE JOURNEY

At this point I can just hear some saying, “This all sounds great, but I don’t feel much like a masterpiece. As a matter of fact, if you really knew me, this is not the message you would share.”

The problem is in the way you view yourself. In the end, you are what you think you are (Proverbs 23:17). If you think of yourself as worthless, that will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think you’re not a masterpiece, you’ll live like you’re not. We often feel this way because we have to look in the mirror. We see the flaws and shortcomings instead of the growth and success. The Master is okay with the process; we are the ones who expect greatness to come in a moment. We have to be willing to submit our perspective to his and let his definition of us be the definition we live by.

On multiple occasions the Word talks about learning from the example of others. The Bible makes it clear that we are to pay attention and allow these examples to affect our lifestyles. At times in our walk with God we need an example to spur us on. I want to share with you a story of a man who had every right to give up. He felt exactly like some of you may be feeling.

He was me.

I was born in 1977 to a broken and completely dysfunctional family. My mother was an alcoholic and a heroin addict. My father, though not addicted to drugs, was not around due to the constant friction and full-on fights.

Childhood became a blur of confusion and broken dreams. I found solace in sports and activities that kept me away from the house as much as possible. The only problem was that as soon as I got comfortable, I was uprooted because my mother’s current relationship would inevitably fall apart because of all the drugs and alcohol. Along my older sister and I went, from home to home, city to city, state to state—living with our mother at times and other relatives when we were too inconvenient for her to take care of. At times we sat in the car outside of bars for hours just waiting for our mother to finish doing God-knows-what so we could leave.

Everything seemed about to change for the better when I was eight. Out of the blue, I was taken from Mom and placed in foster care awaiting confirmation that my father had gotten custody. After what seemed like weeks, my father got custody and I was enveloped in a whole new world of money and seeming stability.

Whereas I had lived in poverty all my life until that point, Dad seemed to have endless supplies of money. Love was shown by gifts of every shape and color. All seemed great for a time. Then things started to turn as I realized that the money, which seemed endless, came from sources that would bring everything to a crashing halt.

I went from comfort to fear, dread, and concern. My father had been part of a major drug organization. It started with death threats. Then, sitting in the dark one night, I watched my father with guns loaded and ready to protect his family from the ones who were on their way. Nothing came that night but a lot of sleeplessness and fear.

Stability was gone.

One day, at the age of twelve, I came home from school to see the entire neighborhood looking on with amazement. The Drug Enforcement Agency had just left after raiding the house at gunpoint, disrupting every item, searching every corner for evidence of my father’s crimes. I remember the utter shame and embarrassment as some tried to comfort this poor little boy. When I finally got in the house, I found my own things destroyed. That straw broke the camel’s back. Weeping uncontrollably, I tried to make sense of it all.

For the next year I watched my father go in and out of court until finally one day I had to kiss Dad goodbye for the final time. For the crimes he had taken part in, my father received a twenty-two-year prison sentence.

The following years were a blur—once again I was shuttled from one home to another. Only this time I had actually been stable long enough to feel the tearing away from friends and school. Suddenly, just as in childhood, I was off to another town with another relative willing to help.

This time it was Grandma. Like my mother, Grandma was an alcoholic. She was a functioning alcoholic though. She would work all day and drink all night. During the next three years I found some stability. But still at times I would be ripped from one home into another. Either because my mother moved close by and promised to be “doing better,” or because my grandma just got too drunk and I was too much to handle and had to move out.

The difference this time was that I had made a friend who went to church. I would go with my friend thinking if nothing else there would be cute girls there. One thing led to another, and I started to accept what was being said at church.

During one of Grandma’s drunken states, she kicked me out, and I ended up living with this friend. Though he also came from a single-mother home, there seemed to be peace and stability most of the time. There was love, not the kind that is bought or just talked about, but real genuine care.

Unfortunately, the past caught up with me. I hated drugs and alcohol for what they had done to my family, to the point that I was on a mission to prove myself and make it even though no one else in my family had.

Then I started to smoke marijuana and drink, mostly to fit in at first. I had been living a lie from the day I moved in with my grandma. That I was a tough guy, once a part of a gang. When tested, I felt I had to prove myself. As time went on this meant doing the very things I despised.

By the age of eighteen I had graduated high school, and I went into the U.S. Navy. Because of drug use, I was discharged from the military, which led to a life of gangs, drugs, and everything else you can imagine with that lifestyle.

Within a year I was arrested twice for drug-related offenses. Then I was arrested for more serious crimes. The one who had been on a mission to prove himself was now facing life in prison. Within an eight-month period, I went from having no adult record to facing life in prison for committing five major felonies.

Just a naïve kid at the age of nineteen, I walked into county jail full of dread. I slept next to hardened criminals. One day in the yard I saw a man reading the Bible. For reasons I still can’t describe, I had to go talk to him. This man made it so simple and clear that God can and does forgive, and that he loves even when you fail.

My head spun. All I could remember was that church I had gone to when I was younger. I knew I had to write and ask them to pray, but I had no idea how. I knew the name of the church and the city it was in, but that was it. Despite the missing information, I wrote, asking for prayer because I knew my life hung in the balance. Within weeks I received a letter from a girl I had once met there. She encouraged me that they had received the letter and were praying.

Over the next four months as I went to court, I knew I had to do the right thing and be honest about what I had done. Something was happening to me. From that day in the prison yard when I spoke to the man reading the Bible, I dedicated myself to reading the Bible every day. The words started to change and break me. Everything I had thought important—my reputation and desire for acceptance—was washed away by the words in the Book. I would weep before the other inmates as the Lord touched my life. Instead of ridicule, like you would expect, the inmates would come to me for advice because of the joy and peace I was living in.

I was facing life in prison, but in the end, with complete honesty and some circumstances that only God could have set in place, I received a ten-year sentence. I was so happy that my lawyer couldn’t even understand. You see, I came to grips with the fact that I deserved the consequence—anything less was just the mercy of God.

Over the next four years, eleven months and nine days—yes, I remember every one of them—I studied the word of God, taught a Bible study, pastored the men at the prison, and most importantly learned what it means to be forgiven and have a relationship with God.

During this time God was also at work. The girl who had written to me originally continued to write and share how God had touched her life and how she was so in love with him. We wrote for the entire time I was incarcerated. About a year and a half before I was to be released, I wanted to be up-front with this girl and let her know that I had developed feelings for her. To my relief she felt the same, but we decided not to make any commitments or decisions but to wait and see what God would do.

I saw how important I am to my Father even though I had done such horrible things. In 2002 I walked out of prison a free man in more ways than one.

And now I am married to that girl, the girl of my dreams. We have a beautiful daughter and are in full-time ministry together, discipling young adults and teaching them about their greatness in the eyes of their Daddy in heaven.

The consequences of my actions brought about repentance in my life and the life of my entire immediate family. My father, mother, and sister have all accepted Jesus as their Lord. I have the joy of serving Jesus with my sister to this day.

I lived every one of those moments, and wouldn’t change them for the world, except for the pain I caused others. To this day, I pray that they heal and come to God. He made me through that process, and like Paul I can say he loves the worst of sinners! He didn’t choose this path for me, I did. I just love the fact that the Master Craftsman can make beauty from ashes. He has set me on The Rock and given me above and beyond all that I could even think to ask for.

I remember the day I walked out of that prison, despite the fear of the unknown. I knew I would be okay and that God would finish what he had started.

God wants to do the same for you. Do you find yourself in a broken place, either by choice or through circumstances out of your control? Turn to God. You are his masterpiece. He has created you to be loved and cared for. You are destined for greatness—not the fake and temporal that we see so often, but eternal greatness. You were designed to have a relationship with God that is based in love and care.

If he can take the broken pieces of my life and make them into what they are today, I have no doubt he can make your life beautiful. He wants to put you on display for all to see your beauty and how great he is to have made you that way.

Just look at what the Word of God says about those who have been though similar circumstances.

Some of you were locked in a dark cell, cruelly confined behind bars, Punished for defying God’s Word, for turning your back on the High God’s counsel—A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy, and not a soul in sight to help. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He led you out of your dark, dark cell, broke open the jail and led you out. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; he shattered the heavy jailhouse doors, he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!

—Psalm 107:10–16 MSG

In the following chapter we are going to discuss in great detail what God has to say about you.

CHAPTER 4

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HIS MASTERPIECE?

Hopefully by now you are coming to a place where you are ready to reject what you have thought of yourself and embrace the truth from your Master and Lord. We have discussed what a masterpiece is and how you come to be one. It is not earned, it isn’t for a select few. It is who you are!

But what in the world does that mean? What does our Father have to say about what his masterpiece looks like? Another great analogy, but how does this really look? Take a trip with me as we discover what the Master has to say about his masterpiece—you!

THE LOVE AFFAIR

The most amazing thing about God is that he is madly in love with you. More times than I could quote in this book, God says in no uncertain terms that he loves you unconditionally. He will leave the ninety-nine and go after you if you are in need. He will break all cultural norms and run after a son who has completely rejected him. In his great love he will correct and train, never satisfied with what we think to be “good enough.” He is the Master Builder and the great Potter, and as such he is working all things out for our best. Not some random happenstance and hope that it all works out. He is not some distant Creator who set up the earth and then turned his back, hoping the best for those he created. He longs to be close to you, walking out life at your side. His thoughts are always about you and the greatness of who you are and who you are designed to be (Psalm 139:17–18).

The entire Bible is a story about a loving God. We were designed and created to walk in a love affair with the Master himself, from the creation, when he designed paradise for us to live in, to the time when a new heaven and earth will come where we can walk in complete communion with God, face to face once again. That is a little hard to grasp at times as we read what happened throughout the Old Testament. But when you think about it, even the judgments and hard times were designed to draw the people back to God. The whole reason for the exile, the judges rising up to lead, and the prophets calling for repentance was to restore relationship.

I mean, come on: God set up a whole set of laws in mercy and love to guide his people and make a way where there wasn’t one. The way was broken by us, not him, yet his love would not leave it that way.

As we come to the New Testament, nothing changes. John the Baptist commands a turn from sin and a change of life. Why? Again, to bring the people back to a place where they could have a relationship with God. You see a Holy God doing everything he can to span the gap caused by our failure and sin (Isaiah 59:2). Our sins have hidden his face from us. In his mercy and love he has turned away instead of judging as we deserve. We see his mercy and desire to restore even when we are stubborn and have turned our backs on him. Then, in the ultimate act of mercy and grace, to restore relationship he sent Jesus.

In Jesus we have the fulfillment of the law, not the abolishing of it. Jesus is now our meditator and priest. He has paid the price. All we need do is receive and walk in what he has bought for us. So we can see God is love, and his whole desire is to restore us in love to a place where we can be all he designed us to be. He is not trying to get something out of us—just to get us to believe in him so he can accomplish something on earth. He is doing it all out of love for you!

Paul tells us about his great love by saying, that while we were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He makes it clear that God’s love flows out of his character and has nothing to do with us. Not how good we are or are not.

This will be critical to remember as we discuss how to live as his masterpiece in later chapters. As if that were not clear enough, John says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave…” (John 3:16). Yes, the world, that’s right, with all of its struggles and outright rejection of him. He never has and never will stop being in love with those he created. He is love (1 John 4:8), the very essence of the emotion and action we all talk about.

The love of the Father has to be understood if we are to understand what a masterpiece is. Calling someone “master” makes you feel weak or inferior. The Master/servant relationship is completely misunderstood in America—and most of the world, for that matter. The modern world has a what’s-in-it-for-me mentality. If there is no immediate benefit for the one doing the serving, then it is likely that no serving will be done. In God’s kingdom, however, the master/servant or better Master/masterpiece relationship is all about love, honor, and respect.

God is the Master. He has no need to make us feel inferior or weak to make himself feel better or superior. He doesn’t have a complex. He is not in an identity crisis, as we are. Our Father is not trying to figure out who he is. He is trying to share with us who he is because when we understand who he is, we can trust him and rely on all that he says about who we are in him!

BUT FRIENDS…

Not only is he madly in love with you, he created you with identity and purpose. We are no longer called slaves but friends (John 15:15). This doesn’t mean that we abandon submission and obedience. Instead we submit and obey more deeply because of the love relationship we share. John explains that our friendship is based on Jesus clearly sharing all the Father had told him. In other words, we are no longer slaves but friends because we are more intimate with the Father. The more you know about someone the closer you can become. We are friends with the Creator of heaven and earth—the One who gave everything so we could be in unhindered relationship with the Father! He laid down his life so we could have ours (John 15:12–15).

The whole reason for the cross and the resurrection of Jesus was to destroy the separation between us, enabling us to have a face-to-face relationship with the Master. His sacrifice gave us unhindered access to our Master and Dad.

Moses wrote of his relationship with the Master as a face-to-face friendship (Exodus 33:11). And Paul tells us of a time when we no longer just see a reflection of the Lord but will see him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). How exciting. Yet as close as we can be with the Lord now, it doesn’t compare to how close we will be.

Friendship with the Son is not a replacement for the Master/masterpiece relationship we have with the Father. In fact it enhances our ability to serve. We are now able to serve out of deep love because we understand better who he is.

A lie has crept into the church that we are no longer to live out of servanthood because we are no longer slaves but friends. But like other requirements of the New Testament church, adding one doesn’t replace the other. We haven’t lost our responsibility to walk as servants but have been given a greater responsibility to serve out of relationship. Now we are to serve with pure motive and love as you would serve a friend. We are now friends walking out of relationship and duty, not duty alone. We get to serve with our friend because we want to, not because we have to.

YOU’RE HIS CHILD

When asked how to pray, Jesus responded, “Our Father…” he didn’t tell his disciples to address God as Master, Lord, Friend, King, Creator or any other name you see in the Bible to define God.

This is a revelation you must grab hold of if you want to understand who you are.

Like any good Father, God is interested in doing all to see us fulfill the potential he sees in you. He encourages, corrects, and disciplines as is best for our character and growth. When you come to the Lord you are adopted (Romans 8:15–17). You have the right to call out to your Daddy. You take on the family name of God with all of its benefits. You are an heir of all his promises, just like a prince. You are born into royalty! We are made kings and priests to reign on earth with our Daddy (Revelation 5:10).

How awesome that you have access to God as sons or daughters. As in the parable of the prodigal son that we discussed earlier, you have the rights to all that is his. Healing, freedom, deliverance, victory, protection, provision, and most importantly access to your Daddy whenever you want. You don’t need anyone to go to God for you. Jesus made the way for you to go directly to your Father. If you’re hurting, come running to Daddy; he will comfort you. If you’re enjoying the blessing of life, share it with him and let him know how thankful you are.

Go to your Daddy! He is the best Dad; he will instruct along the way about what is proper and what isn’t. Don’t let all the how-tos get in the way. You don’t have to sit and debate how you are going to communicate with your natural dad. So it is with God. He wants us to be comfortable coming before him. He wants us to come to him with confidence that he hears us, cares about us, and wants to take care of us. Go to him. Rest in him.

But don’t forget you must come with an attitude of honor, respect, and a willingness to hear what he has to say. He knows best, and at times that means he will speak the hard things that are opposed to what you want or are interested in.

These are only a few of the examples of what the Master has to say about you as his masterpiece. I would have to quote the entire Bible if I were to give an exhaustive list of all the great things God has to say about who you are. Take a moment, close your eyes, and picture yourself as the object of his unlimited affection, as his friend and child ruling and reigning with him. That is the feeling the Lord wants us to live with every second of every day.

Can you imagine the difference in your life and the lives of those you affect as you walk in complete confidence of who you are created to be? Living in awareness that the God who created all things is on your side and is working at all times to see you become the best. He will never give up on the process of completing the masterpiece in you (Philippians 1:6).

CHAPTER 5

BEING ON DISPLAY

We live in a world of great confusion. People long to be seen for the good things they do on one hand, but on the other they don’t want to be judged for the things they do that they are not proud of. It’s like saying, “Look at what I’m doing but don’t judge me for it.” People only want to be seen for the things that bring reward, not consequence. Everything in culture seems to be about image, even church culture.

It gets even more difficult as we give our lives to the Master. At least that is what the enemy of your soul would like you to believe. His whole intent is to create confusion, because confusion is paralyzing.

When we come to the Lord, we are challenged to live humbly and not to perform so people will notice us. Sadly, we as believers have taken this teaching and turned it into an idol. We somehow feel like we are serving the Lord more if we remain obscure and unseen, as if God takes delight in our self-abasement. We have bought the lie of the enemy that we are walking in pride if we receive attention. Just look at how we respond to compliments. We go to great lengths to deflect, saying things like “it was all the Lord” or “I’m just a humble servant of the Lord.” The problem isn’t in giving the Lord glory, but in rejecting the greatness he created in you. All gifts and talents you have come from him, so he gets the glory every time you succeed.

Look at Matthew 5:14–16 (GNT) with me.

You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

The Holy Spirit ignited your spirit when you accepted Jesus, empowering you to shine brightly so others can see the Father in you (Proverbs 20:27). When the masterpiece shines the Master is glorified. Matthew’s words smack this humanistic humility message right in the face. We are not designed to live in obscurity and brokenness so we can glorify God. Instead we are to live as children of the Master with abundant life, overflowing life, life full and complete. The Word says that he is going to make us greater than all the nations in fame and honor (Deuteronomy 26:19, John 17:9–10). The greater we become the more he is honored and praised. If you get famous he gets famous! We are not talking about the worldly, attention-seeking fame, but the type that puts the Lord on display by your actions wherever you are, the house mom who shines for her children, the manager at McDonald’s who manages with integrity, allowing the Lord to shine.

It’s time to shine! You are the representatives of the Lord himself. Everything about you is to show the earth who he is. It’s time to shine the light of the truth of God on the lies of the enemy. You are designed to be the light of God on earth. Let your gifts shine, let your talents bring him glory. Invest your talents (Matthew 25:14–30), work at them, make them great, and as you shine remember where the talent came from and acknowledge his greatness.

Think of how brilliant the early believers were. Wherever they went, they affected the entire region. Peter’s shadow healed. His words brought salvation to three thousand at one time. Paul prayed and the dead came back to life. People came from all over to hear John and repent. Everywhere they went they let him shine through them. Will you?

BE WILLING TO SHINE

God will not share his glory with another nor will any man glory in his flesh (Isaiah 42:8). God never intended for us to shine and be glorified in our own strength. Nor is it his desire for us to receive glory for glory’s sake. His intention is to be glorified by the way we live. When we are glorified it brings him glory. It isn’t our intention to be famous or to shine for any reason other than to see him lifted up. We are not to intentionally take the places of honor, but we are to accept them when they are given in honor of the King who has opened that place. Our glory isn’t the goal, his is.

We can’t split hairs here though. As his masterpiece we reflect the image of the Master and therefore many will glorify us in our process of shining for him. In these times we need to be humble and give honor the Lord.

Like Paul, you need to come to the place where you can say, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). This is in no way an excuse to be full of pride or to use God as a means to gain recognition or personal success. It is all about motive. If you represent or serve him to be seen, then whatever reward you get at that point will be all you receive (Matthew 6:1–5). But if you represent him and serve him in truth then many will be drawn to the Master through you, his masterpiece.

The Lord said to Samuel the prophet, “Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 GNT). These words have been used as an excuse to live however we want because, we say, “God knows my heart.” This causes a lack of reverence and respect for the Lord. The point isn’t to excuse our actions because God knows our heart and people shouldn’t be judgmental. It is a fact that humans will look at the way we act. Our actions speak more than our words or intentions. Our actions are the only scale that people have to weigh our motives and intentions.

As his masterpiece we are on display for all to see. How awesome is that? You are a living love letter from the Lord to each and every person he brings into your life. This should bring an awesome sense of responsibility and excitement. You may be the only Gospel of Jesus some people ever see. As mere humans, we look at outward appearances, so be willing to be looked at, examined, scrutinized, and judged without getting offended or upset. Let people see him through your life. People cannot judge your intentions. We are judged by our actions, so let them be on display for all to see.

Masterpieces show what the Master has accomplished. He has put you on display to show you off! You are his trophy piece. It is like the Master is saying, “Look at them—that is exactly what I made them to be!”

When masterpieces are on display they draw people to their beauty. They connect people to the source of their brilliance. Like Mount Rushmore or the Sistine Chapel, you give evidence of the mastery of your Master. Your life draws people to the Master, connecting people with the Lord. Your life will make people stand in awe of the One who created and saved you.

Being on display as his masterpiece requires us to change some convictions we hold. First, overcoming the false doctrine that says humility means to remain obscure and hidden, that we are sinning when we shine too brightly and people take notice. Second, that being on display is an opportunity for us to take the glory and shine for our own benefit. Third, that people shouldn’t pay such close attention to your life, that they shouldn’t examine your life intently. Be excited that people are looking instead of taking offence. They are looking for hope through you, even if it looks like judgment. Be hope for them! Be all things to all people in hopes of saving some. If something hinders them, set it aside. It is not for you to overcome their obstacles. Just show them how you overcame yours.

Let it shine. Put in the time and effort, staying full of his Spirit and anointing so you have the fuel to be a constant light for others to come to and follow. Don’t try to do this in your own strength. That will turn into religion and bondage. Remember, we aren’t to act but live it out. Be a light, don’t act like one.

Be exposed. Give your life as a living sacrifice on the altar of the Lord so it will always be him living through you (Romans 12:1).

Live so you have nothing to hide. Then you will rejoice in being on display for all to see, knowing that you are re-presenting him. Don’t allow the enemy to steal the opportunity to shine because you feel you are being judged.

CHAPTER 6

THE PRICE

THE ULTIMATE PRICE

The cross.

Jesus’ sacrifice opened up the paths we just discussed. It is the starting point of any masterpiece. It is the place where we exchange all our failures and disappointments for all his success and promises. Without his resurrection all that we have talked about is just a pipe dream. We are still stuck in our sin and the resulting consequence of death (Romans 6:23). His victory, when applied to our lives, gives us the same victory. We become conquerors and overcomers through that shed blood and the power of his resurrection.

He did this for us even when we despised and rejected him, living as we wanted with no regard for anything or anyone else (Romans 5:8). He endured all the pain and abandonment for you (Hebrews 12:1–2)—the ultimate display of unconditional love.

For the next several chapters we will discuss how to live a life in which the Master is on display through you. It is one thing to be called to be his masterpiece but another altogether to live a life in complete abandonment and surrender to the Master. Countless stories are told of people who had endless potential but never measured up. Perhaps it got too hard and they gave up, or they thought they knew what was best and wouldn’t listen to those trying to direct them. God always finishes what he starts. The potential he placed in us is destined to become reality, not a missed opportunity.

In the Scripture where we are called his masterpiece we are also told the reason: “so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). Paul is showing us through this verse that we glorify the Master by performing good works.

The Amplified Bible makes it even more clear, declaring we are his workmanship “that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which he prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live].” How awesome is that? He has prearranged a specific path for you to follow, leading to the “good life.” Just in case that were not enough, he went ahead of you and “made ready.” The path is prepared for you to walk on.

This should make counting the cost easy, considering that he didn’t predestine us to destruction or disaster but greatness. He didn’t create us to flounder around with no identity or purpose. He has taken the time to lay out the precise plan for each of us that leads to abundant life. But we must do our part.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.”—Luke 14:27–30

In another place, Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is such a “pearl of great price” that a person would be willing to give up everything to acquire it (Matthew 13:45–46). Now think about this. In leaving heaven to come to earth, Jesus gave up everything he had so the Father could get access to you. You are also a pearl of great price.

Yet we do have to choose to walk with him on this journey. The only thing that will hinder us is our perception. Is it worth the price? Does he really care that much?

It is wise to count the cost before you start so you don’t look like a fool when you can’t finish. Becoming the masterpiece is not all peaches and cream. There will be times of trial and faith-building exercises. It will not always be pleasant when the heat gets turned up or the Master starts working on areas in your life that you thought were okay. You are his masterpiece, and he knows what he has planned for you, and what may be all right for others may not be for you. As the road narrows and your relationship with God becomes more focused, will you continue on his way, or will you start to look at life as your own, complaining that God is just trying to squeeze the life out of you?

The plans he has for you come with a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). He has the best arranged and plotted out for you—will you accept it?

Keep these questions in mind as we dig into what the cost of being a masterpiece really is. Don’t let the price overwhelm you. Keep it in light of all the great promises already discussed. He doesn’t ask to take anything from us or give anything to us that isn’t for our best interest.

YOUR CROSS

Our Master suffered the loss of a son, the brokenness of rejection by those he was giving up everything to help, and the despair of watching on as his masterpieces destroyed themselves. All so he could call us his.

If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me. —Matthew 10:38–39 MSG

You have to die if you really want to live (Mark 8:35–36).

You have to choose who you will serve (Joshua 24:15).

You are not your own; you have been bought with a price, so glorify him with your life (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, 7:23).

Take up your cross and follow him (Luke 9:23).

Give your life as a sacrifice on the altar of the Master so he can direct everything (Romans 12:1–2).

This struggle of identity is fought on the field of faith and trust. Will you put yourself in the arms of the Master and stay there, knowing he is interested in your best? As his masterpiece you have to trust him. That is hard to do if you haven’t heard what he has to say about you or if you don’t have confidence in what he has to say about you. It is just as difficult if you have only heard of the cost of serving God without the reasons and benefits. Rules without relationship will always lead to rebellion.

Our relationship with the Lord has to be based on faith; we will never fully understand or see the whole picture. If we see the full picture where would faith be (2 Corinthians 5:7)? This means we have to take action; faith isn’t faith unless it is active.

We are blessed to search for him, finding out what he has to say about himself and our relationship to him. He has left us a love letter telling us what pleases him and the benefits of being in relationship with him. Get in the Word and find out all the tremendous promises and blessings that are yours as his masterpiece.

If you will trust him with all your heart and submit to the plan he has for you, allowing him to order your steps, you will have a life full of peace and contentment—not to mention success and victory.

A masterpiece belongs to the Master.

There is no debate from the masterpiece, nor is there any input as to what it should look like or what its function should be. This is why we see so few masterpieces walking around. So many have taken their destiny into their own hands trying to “make something” of themselves, comparing themselves with others, desiring what others have. This creates a lifestyle of lust, greed, murder, and everything opposed to the Master. Lust will drive you insane. It is never satisfied and only creates jealousy and envy.

The difficulty comes when we get out of balance or forget who the Master is. He doesn’t elevate one person above another, or the things one person does over the things another person does. He is establishing a kingdom, and in that kingdom every person is of great importance. In 1 Corinthians chapters 12 through 14, we see the Lord putting the church in order. He makes it clear that it doesn’t matter what part you play as long as it is the part he has assigned. It doesn’t matter if you’re an eye or ear, a foot or hand. All that matters is that we function together.

Everything we do is to be out of love, otherwise he calls it “worthless.” Human pride makes one person or calling seem more important than another, pitting the very people who are supposed to complement each other against one another. The truth is, without each and every one doing their part, the whole body doesn’t function properly. If we were all hands we couldn’t walk well. If we were all mouths we couldn’t hear well.

Like the talents mentioned in Matthew 25, it doesn’t matter if we have five or one, all that matters is that we understand the Master we are serving and that we invest what he has entrusted to us. God, by the Holy Spirit, has assigned each of us gifts and talents. Not just those used in church but all that is used to function in life.

We are all living stones built on Jesus, the chief cornerstone (1 Peter 2:5). The gifts we have been given are to build up the church, his body (1 Corinthians 12:12). We are the literal body of Jesus on earth; he now works through us to love the world. We are his hands that bring healing and deliverance, his feet that bring the truth that sets free, and his mouthpiece that tells of his great love and care.

Jesus entrusted us with the mission of making disciples of the nations. As we lift him up he will draw all men unto himself. It is vital to realize in all of this that our identity is wrapped up in being a part of the body of Christ. This is why it is not enough to have a relationship with God apart from the rest of his body. It is insanity to try that type of walk. A hand can’t get where it needs to be without the rest of the body to get it there. You have talents and gifts I need to be encouraged and built up by, and you need the gifts and talents of others.

Our Master is either in complete control or not. We can’t keep putting ourselves on the Potter’s wheel and jumping off every time it gets uncomfortable or we don’t like the way the product is coming out. The process of being crucified with Christ isn’t easy. He never promised that. In fact he warned clearly that we would suffer for his name and have many trials in this world. However in the very next breath he uttered, “Take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). What he did promise is that it is worth it. We have got to quit trying to discipline the old self and crucify it. If we have died with Jesus, then Jesus lives in and through us now (Galatians 2:20).

Remember God is in perfect balance, so throughout the process he is still our Daddy and friend, loving us and guiding us toward what’s best for us. He isn’t just using us. The world uses. God walks with us in relationship to see lives changed. He labors alongside us.

We get to choose if we want the life he has planned for us or not. He is a gentleman and doesn’t force anything on us. Jesus refers to us as gifts given to him and treats us as such (John 17:24 AMP). He doesn’t see us as some project. He doesn’t come in rage or anger because we just don’t get it. Even in our failures he is merciful. It cost him a great price, one we may never understand, to be able to show such mercy and grace to us. It is a complete joy to him to live with and love on us.

The sacrifices we make and sufferings we go through are not for torture but to help us become masterpieces. Just like the clay on the pottery wheel or in the kiln, we must undergo pressure and heat to get the desired result. Truly, none of us change much when we are comfortable and content—we like it there and do as much as possible to protect that place.

When we take life into our own hands, trying to figure it out, we come up with ideas that leave us lacking purpose and satisfaction. A sense of desperation and despair sets in as one attempt after another falls short of bringing any lasting fulfillment. No career, spouse, money, vacation, or fame will ever measure up to the gratification that comes from being his masterpiece.

On the flip side, when you place yourself in the Master’s hands you find ultimate contentment and rest. You find out who you are and why you are here. There is no greater joy than being comfortable in your own skin. Like Jesus you will live out your destiny knowing where you have come from and where you are going.

CHAPTER 7

THE ANSWER

In all the chaos and confusion of life the Lord has provided a solution: you!

In love and mercy the Lord himself is preparing you to be the answer to a sick and dying world. As the world continues to distance itself from the Lord, you will shine ever brighter like the sun at noon (Psalm 37:6, Isaiah 60:1–3). As you allow the Lord to shine through you, his power and anointing will draw many. The more we lift him up, the more he draws those around us to himself (John 12:32).

Some equipping must take place before we can shine (Ephesians 4:11–13). Every masterpiece has to pass under the Master’s skilled hands to become what he envisions.

I can hear you saying, “Wait a second. Jesus is the answer, not us.” I couldn’t agree more that Jesus is the answer. The reality on earth, however, is that he has chosen to draw people to himself through us. That is the most amazing thing about being a masterpiece; we are on display to express the Master’s heart. He has commanded and empowered us to be his witness in all the earth (Matthew 28:19–20, Acts 1:8). Before you shut this down, take a look at some examples throughout the Word with me.

MOSES

Born a slave in Egypt, destined to work the brick fields for a lifetime, Moses wasn’t born into ideal conditions for training as the next great leader. Had his mother not been willing to rebel against the edict of the murderous leader of the time, Moses never would have made it out of his birth clothes. He ended up being raised by the princess in the palace as royalty.

But Moses could not forget his family. One day as he was going around he saw an Israelite being tortured by an Egyptian. He took matters into his own hands, killing the slave driver in hopes of delivering the oppressed. He was the answer—or so he thought. The Word says, he supposed that his brothers understood that God was granting them deliverance through him (Acts 7:25).

You see God had much bigger plans than saving one or two through Moses, but he needed some training before he would be ready. God knew where this masterpiece was really to be on display. Moses needed the forty years on the back side of the wilderness, being fashioned and shaped into a man of abandoned trust and commitment to the Lord. The time of training turned this man into one who knew he couldn’t make things happen in his own power.

Many times we think we’re ready because we have taken part in things—but are we? If the Master still has you on his pottery wheel, don’t get discouraged or feel passed by. He is the Master Craftsman and knows exactly what is needed in your life to fulfill your destiny. His thoughts are so much higher than ours, his ways beyond our limited view and understanding. Lie back against your Daddy and trust him. Moses would have failed miserably if he had tried to accomplish the tasks assigned to him before the forty years of training he received in the desert, because he wasn’t equipped for the fight. The fight of faith is a good fight, but it is a fight and we must endure training to win.

The man who came into Egypt from the wilderness was not the same one who had run away forty years prior. He came with power and anointing because he was appointed as the answer. Then, when he faced the trials of his faith, he stood strong. When he feared or didn’t understand he didn’t run. He sought the Master for answers and direction. He stood his ground, putting the Master on display. It is easy to read the story of Moses and think of it as a fable because it is so foreign to us, but it isn’t. He stood against the most powerful man on earth with the strongest army of the time. God’s people were being mistreated, and he was the deliverer who needed to stand in the gap for them. He was the answer!

He didn’t just bring answers; he brought solutions. Moses responded to the call of God with complete humility and obedience in all things but one: the willingness to speak (Exodus 3:9–4:17). Moses had a different view of himself now. He no longer thought it was about him being the deliverer but about God delivering his people through him. Moses, having been raised in the palace, had the greatest education. Not to mention that “he was a man of power in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22).

It is said later of Moses that he was the most humble man on earth. God will always build character first. Moses knew who he was to the point that he gave up all the blessing of being royalty in Egypt to endure with those he was called to serve (Hebrews 11:24–27). Early on, though, he needed some humbling so that when he did shine, it was the Lord shining, not Moses.

Moses proves that it doesn’t matter where you’re born or who your parents are. What is needed is a heart willing to be trained and equipped, even if that training seems to be in a desolate place and the things we are doing during that time seem insignificant. Moses learned to care for the people of God by caring for the sheep entrusted to him. The people of Israel were stubborn at times, just like sheep could be, yet Moses was unwilling to let any go.

Moses would have never been the answer if he had rejected his call because he had tried and the people didn’t understand (Acts 7:24–25).

Too often, in our instant-everything world, if we don’t get immediate results we give up or assume it wasn’t God. We say things like “I must have missed the mark” or “people are holding me back.” Moses could have taken this road, but he didn’t. He put his head down and did the work at hand, not fully understanding that all along the Lord was training him to be the man he thought he already was. It is one thing to be called and quite another to be called and equipped.

Submit to the process.

Allow the Master to shape and fashion you.

Don’t run ahead of him or hide out in the shadows.

JOSHUA

Maybe you can’t relate to Moses. You don’t really know what you are called to do or be. You are willing to do whatever it takes to walk with Jesus and help out, but you don’t have any interest in being a leader. That’s completely okay. Neither did Joshua.

This is the man or woman that is at church when you get there and will stay long after everyone leaves. When everyone is going about life, these people are taking care of God’s things. They are always spending time with God in prayer and sharing what the Lord has been showing them.

Joshua was sold out for God and did whatever was needed to care for those who were leading the people of God. The Bible describes Joshua as the “minister” or “servant” of Moses. He didn’t see any task as too menial for him to perform. He grabbed hold of the vision the Lord gave Moses and made it his own, pursuing God for every detail in it.

When he was called on to devise a plan of attack to claim the land the Lord promised them, he maintained God’s perspective. Twelve men went out, but only two came back seeing the land the way the Lord had described it. When the other ten men gave their reports, they saw only that they were too small or weak to overcome the enemy. Joshua and Caleb saw it altogether differently. God had promised. In their view, the towns and their giants, no matter how big and strong, were already defeated. They saw only the promises the Master had given; that the land truly was blessed and abundant (Numbers 13–14).

Little did Joshua know, but all along God had been training him to lead by teaching him how to serve. When the time came to enter the land they had longed to take for forty years, Joshua found himself leading instead of attending to the needs of the leaders. It is the Master’s heart to put those on display whom he can trust because they are servants. Joshua was the answer because he served. Not because he was fearless. As a matter of fact, he was so fearful and discouraged by the task and his position that the Lord told him over and over again, “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:2–9).

Like Joshua you may be content to serve and stay behind the scenes where you are not seen. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you’re not burying your talents and gifts due to fear. You must be willing to arise (Joshua 1:2) when the Lord taps you on the shoulder. It’s not about being a leader. It is about being the answer in whatever situation the Lord tells you that you are the answer.

For every Moses there has to be a Joshua. One is not greater than the other. Take one away and the other doesn’t function properly. Leaders are only as good as those who follow them.

Be content with the calling on your life. My faith has been built more by the silent, faithful followers of Christ than the ones who stand on platforms. It takes courage to give your life to the Lord in this way.

GIDEON

What about those of us who struggle with this whole “I am the answer” idea? Coming from a place of insignificance, having been told by society and family that you are irrelevant and won’t amount to anything. There is hope! This is exactly where we find Gideon as the Lord comes to tell him of his greatness. Gideon’s story is told in Judges 6–8.

Gideon lived in fear, having to hide from invaders just to be able to prepare food for himself and his family. He must have questioned where the God of miracles and deliverance had vanished to. One day as Gideon is going about his oppressed and “worthless” life, an angel shows up to speak into his destiny. “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” That is, you are not what society, family, circumstance, or your heart has told you. You are strong and more than able to accomplish all that I ask of you.

From paralyzing fear to a willingness to act in spite of fear, with assurance from the Master, Gideon was ready to be on display. Gideon shows us that God is okay with our concerns, fears, and need for greater faith. Though he was called and even after he had a victory under his belt, when greater faith was needed to move forward he asked, and God proved himself.

If you find yourself in Gideon’s shoes, God has spoken to you things you don’t believe. Choose to believe what he says about you. If he says you can do it, then you can. If he says you are the answer, then you are the answer, despite how you feel and despite your lapses in faith along the way. Don’t be afraid to be honest with God and let him prove himself to you. Of course, we are more blessed if we believe and have not seen, but life is real and circumstances arise where we need some real direction and encouragement from our Daddy.

Don’t give up!

PAUL

We are introduced to Paul as one who persecuted Jesus and those trying to follow him. He did whatever it took: prison or death, it didn’t matter as long as he put an end to this “lie against God” (Acts 8:1–3). Paul was full of zeal and “knew” what was needed to please and serve the Lord. One day as he was doing what he thought was the Lord’s will he came face to face with Jesus (Acts 9). Boy, did that change everything.

In one encounter, Paul was transformed from a confident and ruthless man to one who was broken and in need of the mercy of the Master. He gave his entire life, suffering upon suffering, so the Gospel could reach all. He did whatever was necessary to reach people with the love and truth of God, becoming whatever was needed so they could receive (1 Corinthians 9:22–23). He wasn’t concerned with what it cost him as long as people got the opportunity to meet the same Jesus he had met on that road. He served the Master without reservation. It didn’t matter what direction he was told to go or what things he had to give up. He would change every behavior, including what he ate, so others could come to the embrace of Jesus.

He was not afraid of the process. He was okay with having to prove himself to those he formerly persecuted. He trusted the Lord and because of that he became a man the Master could trust. Paul is a masterpiece put on display throughout the centuries for us to see, showing us what it means to lay your life down at the feet of the Master. His voice continues to echo, causing us to long for a deeper relationship with the Lord. He taught us that we are the answer to the needs of those around us. If there is a physical need, take care of it as you have been taken care of. If the need is emotional, love on them, pray for them, and direct them into freedom. If the need is spiritual, pray for them and bring them to victory in Christ, their Lord.

May we hear the words of this great man. Long for the King! Live to please him and watch as others share in the benefit of knowing Jesus because of your relationship with him.

O God, let us once again give our all so others can be drawn by your sweet love and mercy. Help us count the cost and find you worthy of it no matter what we have to invest. Show us how to shine so brightly that others take notice and have to respond.

Be the answer!

Arise and shine with his glory!

CHAPTER 8

IN PROCESS

Considering all that has been said, why do so few of us shine like Jesus or Paul? Why are so few seen as examples of Christ? Why do we Christians look more like lightning bolts, shining brightly one minute and gone the next? We have moments of greatness where others see his face in ours and then, as if a light were switched off, we have nothing to offer.

I believe this seeming contradiction happens because we are in process. No great masterpiece ends the way it starts. We are not all that we were designed to be. The Master is at work as we speak. Problems start when we get uncomfortable or impatient with the process, thinking it is taking too long or going the wrong way. We don’t like where we are or who we are because we don’t see what he wants us to be. We start to look around and compare ourselves with others, trying to find out what they have or do that has gotten them “further” than us. This is poison straight from the enemy. You can’t compare yourself with others. They are not the mirror for you to look into. You are his masterpiece and so are they, but with completely different purposes. Giving in to this pattern will cause you to either try to succeed on your own or give up, thinking the goal is impossible.

It boils down to the question we all have to answer: “Do I trust him?”

God is patient. If we get uncomfortable and back out of the process, he will wait, ready to pick it up again when we are ready. He is the Author of the process. It doesn’t happen overnight or at the snap of a finger. In a microwave culture where everything we want is a click away, it is getting harder and harder to embrace God’s long-term process.

David is one of many examples of the Master showing mercy and grace. Like David, you are more than able to have a great relationship with the Lord if you are “after his heart.” David made mistakes that would have doomed him today. He would have lost his ministry, heck, his life, when it was made clear that he committed adultery and then had the women’s husband murdered (2 Samuel 11). When is the last time you hired a hit man to cover up your mistakes?

Yet we find our Daddy calling David back because deep within David was a desire to please the King. When our heart is bent on pleasing God we cause him joy and excitement even when we stumble. David’s son Solomon learned this when he penned the proverb a righteous man falls seven times, and yet gets up (Proverbs 24:16). If Jesus loved us before we even tried to do right, how much more so when we turn to him, accept what he has done for us, and live to be who he asks us to be? If you find yourself in this place, get up, repent, and move on in the love of your Daddy.

Masterpieces cost an incredible price and take time to create. It took Michelangelo more than four years to paint the Sistine Chapel. It cost him his eyesight and agonizing back pain because he had to paint bent over backward. Mount Rushmore took fourteen years to finish, and when there was a problem they destroyed eighteen months’ worth of work so the masterpiece would look exactly as the master intended. What do we do when the Master seems to be going backward in our lives?

The cost was absorbed by the master in these examples, and so it is with us. Our Master has paid the price to make us great in him. And yet the enemy of our souls has done a great job of getting us to focus on the process instead of the Author. The Master says we must simply set our eyes on him (Hebrews 12:2). Just look at him.

He died for you!

He lives for you!

His whole desire and affection is set on you!

Everything that is in your Master’s heart for you is greatness, success, hope, and beauty. He wants to fulfill all of our dreams and ideas as they line up with what he has fashioned us for (Psalm 37:4).

Enjoy the process. He does. He looks down with joy and excitement as you commit to walking in a relationship with him. Embrace the walk, not focused on the results of it but the course itself. He wants to share life with us, not just stand by molding us and making us until one day he can finally love us or embrace us. It is called grace, and we walk in it. It empowers us to be all the Master has called us to be. It is there for us if we fail, not so we have an excuse to fail.

With a slight twist of the Word we have taken the bait of the enemy and focused on all the have-tos and missed out on the reasons why we do what we do. Scriptures like “He must increase, but I must decrease” have been twisted to mean we must be poor and bankrupt to really honor God. Instead of seeing the life and joy that comes as we focus on our relationship with the Master, all we see is the price. With our sight blurred and our focus off, all we see are the rules and regulations we are to obey instead of the love relationship we are to live in. We look at things that have to be endured or given up, and we don’t really see value because we have been blinded to the love and care of our Master.

What if nature started doing this? If the caterpillar said, “Hey, this process takes too long and I kinda like this crawling thing. I can get where others can’t. I’m not going to go through this transformation; I’m going to stay just like I am.” He doesn’t realize the greatness and beauty that await him on the other side of the metamorphosis.

It seems ridiculous, but that is exactly what we do when we accept the lie of the enemy that the price is too high. When we focus on the things we have to give up or miss out on, we are blind to the love of our Daddy, which is beyond anything we have ever seen or imagined.

Some, out of duty and requirement, have given up things and “missed out” on life, but they regret it and blame God for holding them back from their dreams and desires. Just like the son who stayed with his father in the parable we call “The Prodigal Son.” Never understanding that everything the Father has is at their disposal.

Come on, get this! You have access to all the Father is and all he possesses. It is his pleasure to give us the kingdom. The Master has a desire for us to soar.

When we embrace the process, then words like we are crucified with Christ and yet we still live take on another meaning altogether. We no longer stop at the cost but see the result, namely, that we are alive again because Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). God is not focused on the dying that has to take place but on the life that comes forth through it. That is why Jesus says, How can a grain of wheat bear fruit unless it first falls to the earth and dies? (John 12:24). After all, how can a masterpiece that is dead be put out on display? If death is the process to his life, then far be it for me to try to redefine it. We are to be crucified so we can live a resurrected life, an abundant and lavish life, full of the love and the power of the Master himself.

In the following chapters we will go over the process itself. But far too often we focus on it and play right into the hand of the enemy by adding a bunch of regulations to our lives without reason or explanation. It’s critical to adjust our focus back onto God and his love and care before mentioning how we are to be. Please note I said “be” not “do.” We are to be Christians, Christ-like, not do religion through duties or actions. Jesus walked and talked with the Father; he didn’t leave us here to do it some other way. Everything we will discuss will come down to our Daddy doing everything to teach us how to walk and talk with him. He is so good to direct our steps and love on us even when we are not aware he is doing it.

We don’t give up anything compared to what he has given for us. He made us able to come and lie back against our Daddy. We are his kids and he would do it all again. This is not some guilt trip to get us to conform but the reality of how blessed we are. Anything our Father demands of us is for our good. Anything! I pray that God opens hearts to receive the truth no matter what the cost. Bottom line—he is worth all of it.

CHAPTER 9

ONE STEP AT A TIME

The hardest part of walking is the first step. Similarly, the hardest part of the process of becoming his masterpiece is stepping toward him in submission to his plan. There is no way around this truth; we can call it different things or alter the wording to try to make it more relevant. But submission is submission. Without it we walk our own path and do whatever we think is right.

Now you have seen the way he truly feels for you, his deep love and care as Daddy. Hopefully you grasp that your submission is not to some ogre in the sky trying to get people to follow his way because he is on a power trip. He longs to walk and talk with us, bringing us into a loving and exciting relationship.

The Word makes it clear that if we love him we will obey him (John 14:15, 23, 15:10; 1 John 5:2–3). Submission and obedience go hand in hand. Where there is one the other is not far behind. These two words or concepts have been turned into signs of weakness by our society in America. Rebellion has been lifted up as if it were a good thing.

Masterpieces, however, cannot live by the world’s viewpoint but only by the Master’s. We have a part to play. We have to trust him and place ourselves in his care. We have been purchased and our lives are not our own. We can’t reflect his glory if we are living in our own.

Everyone who has ever walked with the Lord has started with one step. Abraham had to leave everything to follow the Lord, going to a country he didn’t even know about. Moses had to start the journey back to Egypt despite his fear of Pharaoh. Esther had to get prayer and support to step into the king’s chamber uninvited. Peter had to step out of the boat to experience the reality that walking with Jesus enabled him to overcome any storm. Matthew and the other eleven disciples had to give up their way of life to follow the Master.

Our first step is to believe in the Son. Accepting all that he has done for us on the cross, bringing us back into relationship with the Father. Giving us back all that was lost in the fall of Adam. We now have the right to shine as his masterpiece, experiencing complete victory now.

If we look at the journey as a whole, it can be overwhelming. It’s a faith journey. We walk this walk, one step at a time, in complete reliance and trust in the One who created us. This walk is illuminated by the Word of God (Psalm 119:105). This Scripture refers to a time when travelers would light their way using torches or small oil lamps, casting just enough light for the next step.

We would all like the path mapped out clearly with specific details. But if it were, where would faith come in? We hope because we don’t know. It’s exciting to wait and see how it will all play out. Enjoy the trip. Take the next step with full assurance that you are one step closer to the Master.

Your first steps were difficult and ended in stumbling and falling. You needed assistance and support to make them. However, the more you walked the easier it became and the less you had to focus on the process. Soon you found yourself able to walk without thinking twice about it. So with the Master. The more you walk with him the less you’re aware of the steps and the more you can enjoy the walk itself. You come into stride with him.

As the good Daddy, he picks us up, holds our hands and urges us on. Just picture it: your Master and Father always right there to direct and encourage you. Urging you on to greatness. Understanding what you need to live life to the fullest.

Jesus says it this way: “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.…Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28–30 MSG). It’s simple—not easy, but simple. Take the step and be amazed at how much freedom and peace invade your life. Just being with Jesus gives security and takes away all worry and concern. He is knocking on the door of your heart, longing to come in and hang out with you.

Are you listening?

Will you open the door?

The Master defines this walk in many ways. He likens it to the interactions between the Potter and the clay, the Gardener with his garden, the Vinedresser and his vines, the Carpenter/Architect and his building, the Daddy and his kids and the Husband and his bride. The common theme in all these examples is that we have to lay ourselves in his hands, trusting that he loves and cares for us, that his intentions are great and that his desire is to bring out the best of who we are.

If we are unplugged, how do we shine?

If we remove ourselves from the vine, how do we bear fruit?

If we rebel instead of submitting, how can we expect to be what he made us to be?

This process or walk is directed by the Master (Proverbs 16:9, 20:24). Though we don’t see the whole picture, he does, and he has set boundaries in place to get us to the desired destination. Often we kick against these, thinking they are too constricting or binding.

That is rebellion.

We want things our way. We want all the good that comes from our relationship with Daddy, but we don’t always want his rules, which define the relationship.

Sorry! Every relationship has boundaries or guidelines. They are for the good of the relationship and set it up for success. In marriage, you agree to be faithful to one person, loving them and caring for them all the days of your life. Those promises aren’t maintained without some boundaries. You make sure not to set your affections on others. You don’t look over the fence to see what else is out there. You learn what your spouse needs from you and then take time to meet those needs. This doesn’t seem burdensome because of the love you have and the agreement you have made to share life together (Matthew 11:28–30).

It is the same with the Master. He has written us a love letter, the Bible, full of things he enjoys and needs from us. He has revealed himself to us so we don’t have to guess what pleases or displeases him. He has also shared with us all the promises that come from walking in love. Could you imagine living in a marriage where you had to guess what your spouse wanted from you? God’s rules, or boundaries, give us direction, making our relationship with the Master successful and beautiful. Removing the guesswork makes it easier to communicate and share life together in joy and happiness.

If your spouse said, “don’t do that, I don’t like it,” you wouldn’t say, “yes you do.” As a good partner, you would change your behavior to please your mate. Yet we fight with God, because we think we know what he needs or wants from us better than he does.

How absurd! We can’t even figure out the needs of those around us without asking. Let’s love him the way he has explained to us that he wants to be loved.

Freedom isn’t the absence of rules or boundaries—that is chaos.

Let me give you another example. Consider the rules of any game. Are they there to constrict or restrain the competitors, or to give them freedom as long as they play by the rules? The more the players understand the rules, the more unrestricted they are to accomplish the task of competing. They are not focused on the rules; they are focused on the competition. So with the Lord the boundaries or rules are there to direct us. They liberate us to compete.

We follow the rules or laws of God not to earn brownie points or some greater place of love. We follow them out of a love affair. Doing everything right but with wrong motives and intentions is called “dead works” in the Bible (Hebrews 6:1, 9:14). In other words, we can have all the right answers and do everything just right and yet be dead wrong.

That changes things quickly. You mean to say what I do is of no value if it isn’t done out of love? Exactly (1 Corinthians 13).

Jesus speaks to an amazing church about all their works and how they don’t put up with evil. Then he reprimands them pretty harshly, demanding they repent and change direction. All because what they were doing was not out of love. He corrects them for leaving their “first love,” that is, him (Revelation 2:4).

That’s not the only example. Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for being clean on the outside but full of death on the inside (Matthew 23:27). When Jesus instructs us how to pray, fast, and give, he makes clear that if you do it to be seen by people, that will be your only reward (Matthew 6:1, 6, 16). As if that were not enough, Jesus quotes Isaiah, saying, “They draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” He goes on to say that their worship is useless because of this (Matthew 15:8–9).

The Master is to take first place in our hearts, minds, and life. If we will search for him with all our heart we will find him. He pulls close to those who come close to him. He wants more than a knowledge-based relationship. He wants our hearts and the love that is birthed in them. He has even poured out his love in us by giving us his Holy Spirit to make this possible (Romans 5:5).

Take the first step. Submit to the One who loves you for you, takes your hand, and walks with you no matter what comes your way. He has your name engraved in the palm of his hand and nothing can take you out of his love (Isaiah 49:16, Romans 8:38–39). You are his joy (Hebrews 12:2). Learn what he requires and do it (Ephesians 5:10), not because we have to but because we get to. Embrace the boundaries so you can live with freedom, joy, and peace.

Truly unlimited!

CHAPTER 10

LIMITLESS

God’s whole desire is to bless us and love us. He wants your life to be lived without limits. When you love him with everything you have in complete obedience and surrender, you enable him to lavish on you all the promised things.

Yes, I said “enable.”

It is hard to imagine that we could hinder God, but the Word is clear about it. Jesus himself was hindered in places because people lacked faith. The Ephesian church in Revelation hindered God despite all the good things they did because they didn’t act out of love. Prayer is hindered by sin or not having a right relationship with your spouse (Isaiah 59:2, 1 Peter 3:7).

Wait, wait, wait. I’m a masterpiece; he made me that way. Why are you telling me that I have things to do?

The whole reason we are created as masterpieces is to do good works. But we can’t get so focused on the doing that we miss the being. The doing comes out of being. You are a masterpiece—you are not doing these things to become one.

Mary of Bethany learned this when she gave her time to sit at the Master’s feet to learn and worship instead of serve. Both are necessary, but serving is second only because it must come out of who we are. This has caused a lot of confusion and brokenness in his church for years, because we have allowed performance to determine righteousness instead of relationship.

Paul explained to the Galatian church that they were set free to be free. Period. End of discussion. He explained that freedom is lived out in service to others, not to oneself (Galatians 5:1, 13).

What matters isn’t what we do so much as why we do it. This is not an excuse to do nothing and explain away the requirements of the Master. We have to out of relationship, not for relationship. We still have to—it’s just the motive that matters. It is also important to understand there will be times where you don’t feel like it, but you still have to do it. This isn’t hypocrisy but submission and love. I don’t feel like taking out the trash, but I do it out of love and respect.

As you grow you will shine more and more, for all to see and glorify him. But masterpieces only shine to the extent that the light of the Son shines through them, or they don’t shine at all.

We are his ambassadors, begging others to come to the grace and love we have experienced. If we try to do this in our own power or with our own ideas instead of the power and truth of the Master, we are no longer ambassadors but deceivers. We misrepresent the One who sent us, saying things he has not said. Any masterpiece not signed, or authenticated, by the master is a fake or fraud.

We have taken on his name, not just as family, but as his possession. We are to live for him, for his glory and honor. This is impossible if we are trying to shine for our own glory or trying to honor him our own way. We have to put on the Lord himself and allow him to shine through us.

He is our friend and Dad yet still our Master, Lord, and King. We are the royal family. Princes and princesses, even more than that we are kings, ruling with him. We have the amazing privilege of serving a Master who just happens to be our Dad as well.

Think about it: we are not just servants. We serve in the kingdom we were born to rule. We are destined to reign with him (Revelation 5:10).

This is why we have such freedom with the Master. We can come to him no matter where we are, and he will hear us. You could be in the slums of San Francisco or a penthouse in Dubai. It doesn’t matter. He will show up, embracing and teaching you. Limitless!

Being a child of the King can be detrimental though, if it is taken advantage of. As Masterpieces we should give more attention and care, not less. Freedom isn’t permission to live however you want because you’re family. An old adage says, “never hire family.” Being adopted into his family, we should serve all the more, and not live as if we were entitled to rule and it doesn’t matter how we act.

We have to be balanced. It is easy to embrace Daddy when he cares for and loves us in a way that feels good. But when tough love comes, it’s easy to fight it and run. We call him harsh or feel like he doesn’t understand.

It is easy to embrace the Master when we think of the results of the process—that we are his masterpiece. It is much more difficult to do so when all the sculpting and pressure is being applied to get us to the desired result.

It is easy to receive the King when he is leading us where we like to go, but much more trying when he is taking us through the valley to get us into the high places.

It is easy to follow the Lord when his plan lines up with yours, but when the desires of your heart are opposed to his intentions for your life, conflict arises.

This is the stage on which your relationship with God is played out. All too often we are hindered because we follow only when everything lines up with our visions, dreams and purposes. But we stand still or worse, turn back when he is trying to direct our lives in a different direction.

He is all of his character all the time. He doesn’t show up as King and leave Daddy behind, nor does he show up as Savior and leave the Consuming Fire behind. He is perfectly balanced, so as we walk with him we can’t accept some attributes of his character and deny others. Doing that denies all of him, because his qualities are inseparable.

How awesome! We serve a limitless God and King. He is the Deliverer and Healer, and so are you. You are created in his image. One muscle at a time he fashioned you in your mother’s womb. He aligned every aspect of your being. You were created exactly as he wanted you, with all your good traits and those you don’t like so much. In his image. Limitless. Able to calm seas, raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons and, most importantly, shine so others can see the love of the Father (Matthew 10:8).

Dare to dream! Don’t compare yourself with others. Not your looks, talents, and abilities or your relationship with the Father. Like Esther, you were born for this specific time, to rescue those who have been oppressed and destroyed by their enemy. Will you take the steps necessary to be the deliverer and healer to those the Master has made you to touch?

Be a masterpiece. Shine brightly so all can see! Allow yourself to be all that your Daddy has said you are. Focus on the greatness in you, not the lack. We have to see the beauty he has placed in us, not the flaws and shortcomings. Live in his reflection, not the one you see in the mirror.

Dream big!

Dream for the impossible!

CHAPTER 11

RELEASE THE DREAMER WITHIN

Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he who keeps the law, he is blessed.—Proverbs 29:18

Often we take inventory of our lives and wonder why we are not where we want to be. Or maybe we’re not doing the things we expect of ourselves. It doesn’t take a long examination to find that most times we have lost the joy of our relationship with the Master, and in turn the dreamer in us has been extinguished.

We don’t have to live in constant strain, hoping we will measure up. Our relationship with the Lord should be one of stability and strength, bringing joy and peace, not confusion and frustration.

Who you are created to be is God’s gift to you. Who you become is your gift to God. We are designed to live with hope and faith, a life full of expectation in the One who created us for greatness. As masterpieces we must dream again, having lives full of vision and purpose.

Take a moment with me and examine what our “get-to-dos” are in this whole process of being his masterpiece. Choose to look at the requirements of the Lord in light of his desire to direct you toward greatness so others can come into this amazing relationship you have found.

Let’s D.R.E.A.M. together:

Draw near to him.

Run after him.

Embrace him.

Adore him.

Make him your first love.

DRAW NEAR TO HIM

God is never far from us. We are not on some treasure hunt hoping we will find him. He wants to be found. Our Master wants to have a deep, meaningful relationship with you—more than you could imagine. Yet he is the ultimate gentlemen and will not force himself on you. So it is up to us to draw near to him with our whole heart.

We have taken certain scriptures and allowed ourselves to become comfortable with God chasing us. So, when we find ourselves doing our own thing we expect God to come running to our rescue. When he doesn’t, we are full of questions and accusations. If God were to come running to us every time we cry out to him while walking our own way, what would that teach us? Wouldn’t we naturally ascertain that we’re okay where we are and not have much motivation to change and draw closer to him? Truth be told, we would end up further away from him.

Scriptures like the one about the man who will leave the ninety-nine sheep and go after the one that’s lost and the parable of the prodigal son whose father comes running after him when he comes home have been turned into a doctrine of their own. But at closer look, the father in the parable, though he longed to see the son and looked for him with hope and expectation, didn’t go running after him until the son came toward the father.

Our Daddy wasn’t teaching us that if we run he will chase us, as if we were in some game of cat and mouse. No, he was showing that his love is unconditional. It can’t be changed, it is who he is, but our relationship is affected by how we act.

Yes, God will at times rescue us when we cry out, but that is not his greatest desire. Yes, we love him because he first loved us, and everything we are is because he sent his Son to die for us. However, God is looking for those who will hunger and thirst for him.

David is called a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), not because he didn’t make any mistakes but because he looked for God like a man dying of thirst would look for water (Psalm 63:1).

John records how Jesus wouldn’t go chasing after those who didn’t want to walk with him. He records Jesus turning to his disciples and asking them if they wanted to walk away too (John 6:66–67). This all took place after he was teaching things that demanded greater faith, which caused some to walk away because they were unwilling to receive the teaching.

James commands us to draw near to God with the promise that if we do he will draw near to us (James 4:8). So really, what does all this mean? Let’s move away from ethereal ideas into some realities of how this works in everyday life.

Drawing near to God requires action. Faith itself is an action word—meaning without action it isn’t faith. James explained that faith without works is dead and that our works show our faith (James 2:15–18).

But how do we practice something if we don’t know what we are trying to accomplish? It is like stepping on a baseball field with a basketball or a football. No matter how hard you try, you can’t play baseball with those tools.

Likewise, if we try to please God with the tools we have naturally, we may find ourselves making up a god that we believe to be God. No matter how hard we try to walk in relationship with him that way, we will not get there. We have to take the time to find out what he says about himself. What better way than to take hold of the love letter he has written us? The Word is the supreme authority on the Master (Psalm 138:2). It is the way he has chosen to reveal himself to us. Nothing takes precedence over it. No wonder throughout history various power mongers have sought to control or destroy this book, hoping that if they could get rid of the love letter they would extinguish the love.

The first step in drawing near to your Master is committing yourself to read, study, meditate on, and implement the Word in your life. David put it this way: “Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone, rolls virtue around on his tongue. His heart pumps God’s Word like blood through his veins; his feet are as sure as a cat’s” (Psalm 37:30–31 MSG). What a picture of devotion.

While growing up I had a pit bull, and I can’t think of a greater picture of devotion and commitment than that dog with his bone. He would lie there for days, gums bleeding and all, chewing on that bone. Nothing could deter him from the goal of finishing off that bone. I had a cat as well, and I vividly remember the day I stood in amazement as it ran full-speed across the top of a wooden slat fence. Every step as sure as the last, it seemed as if the cat were running on solid ground.

What a picture of how we are to be as masterpieces. We are to be determined, focused, sure, and unwavering in our commitment to the Master. To accomplish this, our hearts must pump God’s Word like blood through our veins. This doesn’t happen by osmosis. We can’t just hope we’ll get it. It comes by putting our nose in the book, meditating on it, and digesting it. Like any other knowledge, you have to apply yourself to study and application if you want it as part of who you are. The difference is that this Word is the very thing that gives us life. It is likened to water, food, and life. Without it our spirits will be sickly and malnourished, just as our bodies are without food and water.

The Bible is the word of God. It contains all the answers to life. As masterpieces we can see our reflection in it. All of the greatness and destiny that has been placed within you is exposed as you search for him as you would for anything of great value. At times it reveals flaws that must be dealt with. At others it unearths the hidden beauty within. Sometimes the price may be high, and you may “miss out” on what is going on around you. But there is no better joy and security than knowing and doing the will of the Master.

Look at what the writer of Proverbs has to say about those who don’t take the time to find him. “Whoever despises God’s words will pay the penalty, but the one who fears God’s commands will be rewarded” (Proverbs 13:13 GW). The penalty isn’t a punishment imposed on you by God. The penalty is a life empty of the blessings and benefits that your Master longs to pour out on you.

Solomon, in all his wisdom, said, “Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills,” and “If you desert God’s law, you’re free to embrace depravity; if you love God’s law, you fight for it tooth and nail” (Proverbs 19:16, 28:4 MSG). Clearly, we must discipline our lives under the Word of God. It is the source of life and is to be fought for no matter the cost.

He has given us a mirror to look into and see his reflection in us. It is a mirror that doesn’t cheat or lie to us. Stand before the mirror of God and let it examine you—don’t examine it as if you’re God and have the ability to judge it. Don’t be childish. Step up and be adults in your thinking. Children are emotion driven. As adults, we have to allow the Word to mold and make us even when it doesn’t feel good. Be exposed before the Lord and listen to what he says about you. You’ll be surprised that he talks more about how great you are than how much you need to change (1 Corinthians 13:11–12).

Let him teach you how to walk out the royalty he placed in you. You are his representation on earth. Do you really think he would make you flawed? If you have accepted Jesus, received his Holy Spirit, and been baptized in water, you have all the keys to see the kingdom he has designed you to rule and reign in. Now you just need to find out what that looks like and apply active faith to see it come to pass.

Once you have stood before the mirror of the Word and been exposed to his love, you will want to talk to him about it—that is, pray. Sometimes to gain understanding, other times to repent. Either way, prayer is a natural response to a God who has embraced you with so much care and mercy. There is a tremendous amount of direction in the Word about prayer: how to do it, when to do it, and why. The bottom line when it comes to prayer is this: draw near to God by talking to him and letting him talk to you.

Yes, letting him talk to you. Prayer is not simply a time where you spew out all of your requests and then run off into your day. It is a time where you sit at the Master’s feet and let him speak to you. He will tell you of things coming your way, things you need to adjust, and the beauty he sees in you.

Prayer is communication in the most intimate way. You come baring your heart with all your needs, desires, joys, pains, and concerns. In return, he answers with security, peace, and confidence. It is a life exchange. He takes all your cares and concerns, desires, and fears and in their place you get life, joy and rest. When we sit before our Daddy, allowing him to pull us close, the cares and concerns of life are absorbed by his unfailing love and mercy. Come to him if you’re weary and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Prayer is a literal, natural expression of faith in which you entrust your heart to the hands of the Master to do with it whatever he thinks is best.

It doesn’t have to be some mechanical procedure done at certain times of the day using certain words already prepared. It doesn’t have to be eloquent or in some other language you don’t naturally speak. You know what I mean! You don’t have to speak King James for God to hear you. The wording doesn’t matter as much as the heart. Don’t get me wrong. Words matter, but a broken heart always gets the Lord’s attention.

We get to come to God with boldness and confidence because of the price Jesus paid (Mark 15:38, Hebrews 10:19). Jesus’ sacrifice is the ultimate expression of God’s desire to be intimate with you. Jesus paid the price to redeem you, making it possible for you to come to the Father with absolute assurance that you will find him. We are sons and daughters coming to our Daddy, but he is still the King and Judge of the universe. That means we come with assurance and yet with the utmost of respect. Don’t take it for granted.

Come to him. Build a deep, lasting and loving relationship with your Father.

Be honest and transparent. Look at the Psalms of David in comparison to Job. It seems at times that David is in a debate with God, yet he always ends with respect, faith, and trust. Job, on the other hand, wanted to prove to God that he was being wronged. His prayers came from an attitude that he was right and he was going to explain himself to the Master. That is why we see Job corrected by the Lord, telling him in essence, “Who do you think you are?” (Job 40–42). Yet David is considered the man after God’s heart. The difference was the trust and confidence David had in God no matter the circumstances. Job didn’t sin, nor was he wrong to complain and make requests of the Father. Where he erred was in assuming he was right and somehow God had wronged him.

Jesus warns that we are not heard because of the length of our prayer (Matthew 6:7). Don’t make prayer some religious duty, just another one of the requirements of the day to ensure God is happy with you. Make it your life. Pray about everything, no matter where you are and no matter who is around.

Pray habitually.

Pray standing up, sitting down, lying in bed, face to the carpet.

Pray with fervency at the top of your lungs, quietly as you take care of the needs of the day. Pray in your heart when you can’t pray out loud.

Pray in the Spirit and pray with your intelligence.

Pray, pray, pray.

When you find yourself drawing back, repent and pray again. Start again to spend time with your Master and Daddy. The only thing that can stop you is your giving up.

Draw near to the One who holds you in the palm of his hands, the hands that carry the nail-shaped scars so you don’t have to, the hands that fashioned all of creation for you to enjoy, the hands that measure out the universe and hold all the waters, the hands that fashioned every aspect of your being with care and love, the hands that provide you with all that is needed for life, the hands that hold back the enemy of your soul, keeping the storms at bay.

Take his hand and walk with him in all the amazement children have as their daddy takes their hands and leads them on an adventure! Be bold and carefree with your Daddy.

Draw near to him. Let him love on you, teaching you his ways and how to live a lavish life, a life free from the pollution of the world and all its brokenness. A life full of peace and joy no matter the circumstances that may come your way.

Dust off the Bible, fall on your knees, and find him in a deeper way. Your Master is waiting to lead you with his loving hands.

RUN AFTER HIM

Devoted, committed, determined, and focused. These are adjectives that all of us want to be identified with. When people exhibit these characteristics, we notice them with admiration and respect. There is a tinge of jealousy for all that they accomplish. They seem to be on top of things and able to achieve anything. Well, I have news for you. Those qualities are part of your DNA. They come from having eternity in our hearts, but these traits have to be nurtured to be lived out in day-to-day life. When you received Jesus, he brought all of his attributes.

The only thing that separates those who possess these characteristics and those who don’t is practice and discipline. So live with one purpose and don’t let anything get in the way. Set your minds like flint to know him and don’t let anything shake you (Isaiah 50:7). Make it your desire to know the Master intimately and discipline yourself to see it happen. “It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God” (Proverbs 16:20 MSG).

In this view, life—with all its curveballs—is all part of the training. Greatness doesn’t come by mistake or luck—it takes work and commitment. No matter what comes your way, it will be met immediately with thankfulness and examination. Set your attention on it to see how it applies to the process the Master is leading you through. Nothing is considered coincidence, because you completely understand and trust that the Lord is in control.

We are in for a fight. Instead of trying to ignore it or bury our head in the sand, let’s train, bringing our bodies into subjection by disciplining them according to the Word of God (1 Timothy 6:12). Look in the mirror and let it examine you. With a fire burning in your soul, stir up the gifts within you (2 Timothy 1:6). Put them into action.

You have a real enemy that is doing everything he can to keep you from becoming a masterpiece. He will do whatever he can to distract you from your purpose and destiny. Like a roaring lion he is trying to cause fear, doubt or discouragement in hopes of getting you to stop training. The only way he can gain ground is if you give up. Fight! Go to your Master, get your orders, and you will win the battles of life. This is a fight to keep faith, not to earn something. We have to fight to keep ourselves in the arms of the Master and not trust in ourselves. That is faith.

We are commanded to run the race to win (1 Corinthians 9:24–27). Impossible without training and discipline. When race day comes, you will not be prepared to run if you haven’t trained. Yet we live this way at times. Doing things halfheartedly, hoping that’s enough. Like any good trainer, God encourages us on to greatness, reminds us of the goal, and pushes us forward because he sees something in us that we don’t see ourselves. When we are weak he makes us strong in his strength (2 Corinthians 12:10). He turns our failures into opportunities for growth and training. We are created to be a reflection of his greatness. He will never settle for mediocre in our lives. We are to be like Jesus.

We can’t put our hand to the plow and then turn back (Luke 9:62). David put it this way when instructing Solomon how to reign as king: “If you go to him, he will accept you; but if you turn away from him, he will abandon you forever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9 GNT). This race takes all we have. At times it gets harder than we can handle. If we turn to him at those times, we learn that he is faithful and can be trusted to much deeper levels.

It’s okay when you feel overwhelmed. You are not alone and you haven’t blown it. You were born for this moment, destined to impact the world with the love of the Father. If you stop now, if you don’t press forward because it gets hard, the enemy has won. The Master is your refuge and strength in times of need. He longs to be your shelter from the storm and the shoulder you can cry on.

Run to him. Let him train your hands to war. Have confidence he has not left you alone in the battle. He has provided you with the Holy Spirit. He empowers you, enables you, and causes you to walk in victory. When you receive the Holy Spirit, as Danielle Dulinsky says, “you have the most powerful being in the universe living in you.”

CHAPTER 12

WHAT IT TAKES

EMBRACE HIM

As you draw near to him and run after him, a transformation happens. You’ll start looking and acting like the Master. At times this will happen just from being in his presence. At other times your determination will arise, and you will implement change according to his Word. Your life will begin to reflect the glory of the Master. As time goes on, you will live based on his motives and intentions, not just boundaries or regulations.

Embracing him is more than just putting your arms around him to express or receive love. It is definitely that, but so much more. It is accepting his ways and his plan for your life, adopting his methods and mode of operation as the guide for your life. The trust that is required for this step of faith only comes as you draw near to him.

Your Master takes his time as you submit to him, seeking him in the Word and prayer, to allow trust to be built. As you run after him, undergoing the training necessary for the race, he is at work building confidence and assurance in your relationship. He knows the process he is asking us to endure as masterpieces isn’t easy. So he takes his time to build a solid foundation of love and grace. He moves at our pace, not wanting to discourage us or cause us to walk in defeat.

This is how it works in the world of boxing for those who show championship potential. Opponents are selected who can help them work on certain areas or skills. As they are groomed the challengers may get tougher, but they are always handpicked so the up-and-coming champion will improve. Only when the trainers see that all of the skills are perfected will they begin to put their prize fighter before those who are a real test. By that time, the fighter has come to trust and rely on his corner for direction. When it gets hard in the ring he is willing to embrace their direction and fight plan. He is keenly aware that their perspective is better because they are able to see the whole picture.

The Master treats us the same way. His desire and goal is that we be just like Jesus (Ephesians 4:11–15), having him as the standard for life. Perfected. Yes, as in perfect, without sin. Crazy huh? More like impossible, until you realize it is his desire and he has provided all the tools to make it happen (2 Peter 1:3). He has given his Son as Savior, his Holy Spirit to empower and teach, and through water baptism we receive a new heart where he writes his Word (John 3:16, Acts 1:8, Ezekiel 36:26, Colossians 2:11–12). As if that were not enough, he has promised to finish what he started (Philippians 1:6).

It doesn’t happen overnight, and he is completely okay with that. Are you?

Masterpieces are trained just like boxing champs. They submit to the training, accepting the process and entrusting themselves into the hand of the Master. They have disciplined their lives. They are uncompromising when it comes to their training. Nothing is going to get in the way. Trials are looked at as opportunities to hone their faith, instead of times to complain and grumble as if God has left them alone or doesn’t care anymore. They have put on the mind of Christ and realize life is about much more than personal comfort.

Their spiritual muscle structure is solid. They are on board for whatever is necessary to see the will of the Master in their lives. They know that an undisciplined life is stunted, while an obedient life is expansive (Proverbs 15:32 MSG). The preparation they have been through has brought them to a spacious life where they can enjoy their relationship with the Master. He can trust them in little or much. Their potential is limitless.

Wherever the Lord needs a representative, he can call on them. They are ones who echo the words of Isaiah “send me!” Or David who protested, “Who is this Philistine to defy…God.” They know the battle isn’t theirs but the Master’s. They have been shaped by the Master himself. It doesn’t matter what circumstances come up or what tools are available for the battle, they rise to the occasion, trusting in the training the Master has provided.

All of you can be this person! He has provided all that is needed to be a champ! But it takes the training or refining process to make it a reality. Even though we are saved, we still have to work out the salvation he has worked in us (Philippians 2:12–13). You are working it out, not working for salvation. You take the thing the Lord has accomplished and make it a reality here and now as he causes you to do as he desires.

Will you embrace him on this level? This costs everything.

Embracing the Master requires full acceptance of his plan and the process necessary to fulfill it. You must come to him with complete surrender and trust, placing your life in his capable hands. If you don’t, then when fiery trials come you will run from them instead of allowing them to burn away your useless dross and refine the gold within you.

Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person’s heart is tested by the Lord.—Proverbs 17:3 GNT

Masterpieces are sculpted by the hands of the Master himself. The process isn’t always pretty or easy on the media being used. Like the clay, we get to place ourselves in the trustworthy hands of the Potter. The clay must go through a tremendous process to be fit for molding into a masterpiece.

First, it is removed from its place. Like Abraham, we are called to come out of our country to the land he will show us. We are called to walk by faith, being in the world but not of it. This separation isn’t to isolate but to equip. Many have separated themselves from the world system completely, but that is not what is being said by the Lord. What he is saying is to be separated from the world’s philosophies and ideas. Don’t allow the world to define you or corrupt your thinking. If we take ourselves out of the world, how can we be a light in it? Separation is about being a light that shines in the dark, giving the world a place to come and be healed.

Second, the clay is soaked in water to soften it for sifting. This is time of immersion in the Word when we get refreshed and encouraged. Next comes the sifting. Not always easy but completely necessary. The Master goes through our lives with a fine-tooth comb, getting rid of anything that would weaken or destroy us in the firing process. One imperfection in the clay during firing can result in an explosion, destroying the entire piece.

Afterword the clay is placed back in the water to soak, making it more pliable for molding. This might be the hardest part of the refining process, because it seems like nothing is happening. In a fast-paced world, sitting still and allowing God to soften us is difficult. Some find it impossible and remain stuck right here. They never take the time to marinate in the presence of God. The Word is never absorbed and their prayer life never becomes consistent.

Once the clay is malleable it can be molded. On the table it goes, to be formed by the hands of the Master. Before he can start sculpting, the clay must be kneaded to ensure there are no air bubbles. Ever feel stretched and pulled apart? Embrace it. In the end it makes you more flexible in every area of life. This is the suffering discussed so often by Jesus himself. The only way to stomach the suffering is to hold onto the dream. It is said that Jesus endured because of the joy set before him. You will suffer, so resolve yourself to live by vision and hope. Trials are not used to get rid of sin—that is a misconception. Trials are to produce his character in us and show us that we can trust him. Our faith is directly proportionate to our trust in him. The more we trust him the deeper our faith will be.

One turn at a time, the Potter shapes the masterpiece according to his vision. Sometimes he uses light pressure and at others he applies a heavier hand to manipulate the clay into the proper shape. Either way, there is constant pressure on the clay to keep it from flying apart. David asked God to look away from him because this process got so intense (Psalm 51:9).

Be resolute. He is loving on you. When the pressure is intense, remind yourself of the purpose.

Once the Master is satisfied with the piece it is placed into the fire to make it stable and lasting. So often we pray against or run from the fires of life, blaming the enemy instead of seeing that the Lord is solidifying us. Let the fire burn away the rough edges and cause you to shine. Once a piece is fired in the kiln it can be used to hold things. Likewise we are enabled to be vessels that hold the glory of God, pouring it out on all.

All this should bring peace. He is molding each of us. Instead of questioning our Daddy at each little crossroad, we can lie back against him and know that he is working everything out for our good, fashioning us into the masterpiece we are created to be. We don’t have to figure it all out or know all the details, because he does.

Knowing how the process works doesn’t make it easy to go through. At times the sifting, molding, and firing hurts. However, understanding the process brings confidence and peace because we know we are right where we need to be. Regardless of what stage of the process you are in, be assured: you are in the best place you can be.

Don’t take yourself off the Potter’s wheel. Don’t give in or give up. The suffering that comes during the process is nothing compared to the promises that await those who endure (Romans 8:17–18). Submit to the hands of the Master and watch as he fashions you into his masterpiece.

Praise him! He cares so much about us that he works with each of us individually, making us what were destined to be. What a relief that we don’t have to make ourselves. Our job is to submit, trust, and obey. Be who he says you are, not what you think you should be or what others have said you are.

Don’t allow yourself to fall into a victim mentality, as if God doesn’t love you. Exactly the opposite is true. The Master is loving you and bringing you into his arms. Lie back against him, listen as his every heartbeat reassures and comforts you.

This is where we should abide!

Rely on him!

Take him at his Word!

CHAPTER 13

THE RESTING PLACE

ADORE HIM

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and body, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36–39). Everything else hinges on these two commands, but how can you command someone to love? Love is an emotion that you either feel or not, right? Oh, and by the way, not only are we to love, but love like God. You know—that unconditional, undeserved type of love that compelled Jesus to endure the worst of punishments in our place with joy.

But hey, it’s a command, so off we go to fulfill it. We clench our fists, grit our teeth, and do everything we can to love, often feeling guilty that we are not doing enough. Give more, pray more. Act out of what we think love should look like: never get irritated, do everything you are asked to do, never say anything that will offend someone, fall all over ourselves apologizing for things that may or may not need apologizing for. Yet, as with every other command, if we will take the time and draw near to him, he will teach us what it really means.

Love doesn’t come because of a commandment, it comes because you have been loved (1 John 4:19). In other words, God doesn’t expect us to love simply because he said so. He can demand love from us because he has given us a perfect example. And because he has poured his love in our hearts (Romans 5:5).

Get this: he doesn’t command the impossible. He hasn’t placed a burden on us that we can’t possibly carry. His ability to love is in us by the work of the Holy Spirit. If he had not done this, then the command would be impossible, and he would be ruthless to require us to do the impossible.

From the first mention, the command to love with everything we have comes with instructions. If you love me you will obey my commandments (Deuteronomy 6:5–6, 11:1; John 14:15; 1 John 5:1–3). That is a broad brush to paint with, to say the least. The Master wants it to be clear that love is the chief thing, it must direct everything we do. This type of love is not driven by emotions. It is the love a father has for his kids. No matter what may happen, this love doesn’t fade. Even when his children are acting up he provides for them, protects them, and does everything in his power to ensure they have a bright future. If discipline is needed, then it is offered. If a gentle answer is needed, then it is given.

In this scenario, is the father being phony or just acting as if he loves? Absolutely not! Yet we allow the enemy to whisper in our ears that it isn’t love unless we feel it. Truth is, the greatest love is the love that sacrifices itself, putting others first regardless, of how you feel. There is no greater way to love than to lay down your life for someone else. Jesus displayed that on the cross, but his entire life was a sacrifice. Paul wrote to the Philippian church that they should take on the same way of thinking that Jesus had: that others should be considered as more important than themselves (Philippians 2:3–7). God-love is sacrifice for others. Paul went on to say that if his life were defined as helping their lives be more pleasing to the Master, he would be more than happy (Philippians 2:17).

Jesus gave a real example of how to love this way in the parable we call “The Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:30–36). A man had been robbed and left for dead. Those who claimed to serve God passed by, staying as far away as possible. They didn’t want to get involved because it would cost them too much. You see, if the man were dead, or if he were to die in their hands, they would be excluded from public worship services until they had gone through ritual purification. The Samaritan came on the scene and leaped into action without a second thought. To him the man lying half-dead was more important than his plans. He went the second mile, not only getting the man cleaned up, but also placing him on his animal while he walked alongside. Talk about putting yourself aside. He brought the injured man to an inn and paid for his stay until he recovered.

Now that is love! This man had no emotional connection to the one injured. He could have assumed that he deserved his fate and moved on. He could have continued his journey because he had things to take care of. Instead he loved like the Father. Love is always defined by putting others first. Let us love with total abandonment of self so others can be blessed. Let’s pour our lives out for the Lord by loving unconditionally.

Love has to be the foundation of our lives. When our lives are rooted in love every thought and action will help others see how deeply the Master loves them (Ephesians 3:17). We are on display to reflect all his love and compassion. When you love sacrificially, it doesn’t matter what comes your way because you are not focused on yourself but him and those he died to save.

You may say, wait a second, I thought we were talking about adoring God, not man. We are. Look at what John says: “Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ but hates another believer is a liar. People who don’t love other believers, whom they have seen, can’t love God, whom they have not seen. Christ has given us this commandment: The person who loves God must also love other believers.…Everyone who loves the Father also loves his children. We know that we love God’s children when we love God by obeying his commandments. To love God means that we obey his commandments.” (1 John 4:20–5:3 GW). Can’t get clearer than that.

Love is not some emotion-driven, unexplainable concept that we hope will overtake us so we can live by it. We love him by loving those who have embraced him or we don’t love him at all. That really messes up the idea that we can love God and not really care for people. He is madly in love with his church. To despise those who make it up is to despise the Lord’s greatest love (Ephesians 5:25).

The masterpiece of the Lord is not complete without you, and you are not complete without it. The church of God is better understood as the body of Christ himself. We all have a vital part to play. As a matter of fact, you are the only one intended to do your part. Sure, others could do it if you refuse to. But they will never do it with the same effectiveness as you would have, because the Master created you with all the tools to fulfill that part of the body. If we will embrace our parts, setting aside pride and competition, we will see the Master revealed on earth through his body, the church, the way he has always intended (1 Corinthians 12). I will talk more about this in “Making Him Known.”

We can say we love God all we want. If we don’t exhibit love by obedience to his Word and actual love for those in his family, it is a lie. It can be more difficult to love those you serve the Lord with, because we expect more from them. When this happens, we have to apply our faith, disciplining ourselves to love as we are commanded to. It is easy to demand our own way, but to love like Jesus, remaining silent in the face of assault so others can benefit is a whole other level of faith. Forgiving those who offend and hurt you, accepting that they act in ignorance, gives them a place to run to when hard times come. Love is always patient and never gives up.

Love God! He has given us all the tools to love like him. The only thing that hinders now is our pride—thinking of ourselves as more important than others. You are of the greatest importance to the Master. This is where we have to trust that he has our backs and will care for us as we love ridiculously. Just as the Father cared for Jesus as he poured out his life on earth. As we give our lives to display his love he fills us with more to give, and suddenly life takes on new meaning and vibrancy.

This is so opposed to the world’s view of love. The world’s idea of love is better described as lust. The world teaches to love as long as they feel like it. It is a “love” only interested in what it can get out of the exchange. Solomon tells us that “lust just never quits” (Proverbs 27:20 MSG). It is never satisfied, it always hungers for more. No matter how much you feed lust, it never brings contentment. In the Lord’s kingdom we are to love without expecting anything in return.

Clearly, adoration of our Daddy has to do with more than worshipping him on Sundays or when we feel like it. To adore him means giving him and his love for people greater significance than we place on ourselves.

Speaking of adoring him through worship, this is birthed out of the same heart attitude. It is not about feelings. It is called “a sacrifice of praise” when we praise him by giving thanks when everything seems to demand that we do otherwise (Hebrews 13:15). Or when we lift our hands and sing about his love and mercy when life isn’t going the way we had hoped. Again we have to trust that the Master is hard at work with our best in mind. Praise him, regardless of how you feel. You’re not being fake, you’re being obedient, and his blessing will flow. He longs to be with you, and when we praise him that is exactly what happens (Psalm 22:3).

Trust in him and abandon yourself to love like him.

CHAPTER 14

THE RESULTS

MAKE HIM KNOWN

The more intimate you get with the Lord, the more you want others to know him. As you draw near to the Master, you die to yourself and live for him, realizing how greatly he desires to be with you. Like Jesus, you’ll give your life to see others come into their destiny.

We are commanded and empowered to make disciples (Matthew 28:19–20, Acts 1:8). But how do we do that?

Live for him! Give everything into the hands of the Master and watch him draw people through you because you have lifted him up. We have discussed how that looks in the last couple of chapters.

What does this have to do with church? Why do we go, why do we give our time and money, why is it important to God?

The church is the literal body of Christ: he is the head and we are his body (Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 12). Simply put, the church is the living, everyday manifestation of the Master on earth. “The church” is not the buildings we meet in. Believers form the church. We are the material that the Master fashions into his body (1 Peter 2:5, 1 Corinthians 6:19).

Church is where we come together to fellowship with each other. Fellowship is a fifty-cent word that means to be intimate with, and partner with, each other. It is so much more than just some Christian word used to describe communication. Fellowship is the process of walking life out together, learning to trust and rely on each other as the body of Jesus. As we get together, we encourage each other in our faith. At least, that is what is intended. Trust in the Lord, like love, has to be exhibited on earth first.

Church is the training ground for the army of the Lord. God has set up structure and order in the church, giving people as gifts to the body to help equip it (Ephesians 4:11–13). God sets people in their positions. There is no room for rivalry and competition. These generals are gifts that teach and lead us into Christlikeness. There is healing in the church because it’s God’s desire to heal and deliver. But church is not a hospital for sick and feeble people to come and live out the rest of their days being waited on and cared for like invalids. It is the place where we sharpen one another, the same way iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). To put it plainly, we help each other even while we are rubbing each other the wrong way. Because we learn to overcome, forgive, and walk in love.

We all come sick and feeble, regardless of whether we want to admit it or not. Yet he replaces our weakness with his strength, and he trains our hands for war (2 Corinthians 12:10, Psalm 144:1). We are at war not with people but with the enemy of our souls. He is not happy with you serving the Lord, and he will not sit by idly as you reach out and make him known to others. This is why we have been empowered to trample him under our feet (Luke 10:19). So we are commanded to put on some armor, stand alert, and give no ground (Ephesians 6:11–19, 1 Peter 5:8).

The church is the pillar of the truth—1 Timothy 3:15

We all have a place in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). If we fight, desiring to do someone else’s duty, we are saying God doesn’t know what he is doing. If we draw back, or accept the lie of the enemy that one person is more important than another, all suffer. If you don’t think so, test it. Simply cut off your pinky toe and try to walk. Your balance and stability come from that little member that you never think about.

Accept what the Lord says about you, and don’t let insecurity and competition keep you from living in peace as his masterpiece. He didn’t make a mistake; he didn’t forget you or put you in the wrong place.

It’s time to change. It’s time to embrace the call of God on your life and run after it with all you are. It is critical that the body of Jesus step up and start following directions from the Head. If not, we will find ourselves like those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, in which the body is disconnected from the brain’s commands. The body moves on its own and slowly but surely loses function completely.

We have to encourage one another. The world is constantly discouraging and telling us what we can’t do and saying God is a myth or a crutch. It is time for the church to come together in unity to shine in a dark world, making him known. We all shine as we follow him, yet we are intended to connect and shine brighter, exposing more darkness to his love and grace. Imagine a room with one light in it. There are a lot of unlighted places because it is impossible for it to reach every area. Now envision the same room with lights in every corner and recessed lights all over the ceiling. Now the room is illuminated and darkness has no place. When we connect and shine, the darkness has no chance. The loving embrace of our Daddy reaches everywhere.

We don’t shine as lights and expose the darkness to judge it, but to reach into it with mercy and grace the way the Lord reached into your darkness. We are his ambassadors and our job is to plead with others to be reunited to the Master through Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are not agents of judgment. Let the Holy Spirit do the convicting. He is far better at it and knows how to do it with love and mercy (John 16:7–10).

We are fishermen. You don’t clean the fish before you catch them, do you? Trust the Master to sculpt his masterpiece the same way he has been sculpting you. Jesus loves the world and gave himself for you while you were still living against him. When we love on those who are living in opposition to the Master, it is not a sign of compromise. Jesus was in the world for all to see and yet he never sinned. The church can’t shrink back or recoil from the world. If we do, who will be the light?

This doesn’t mean that we are not careful. The Word is clear that we must be vigilant not to get burned when you are reaching out to those trapped in darkness (Jude 1:23). It is simple—hate the sin, not the sinner. When this is a reality, the things they are trapped in will repulse you, not attract you. Jesus never compromised his purity and holiness to reach out, and neither do we. None of us are above being tempted, so beware and don’t compromise your walk to reach those who are not interested in the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:12). When there is something in your life that you are gaining the victory in, don’t go out into it to try and rescue others. Pray for them. Ask the Lord to send laborers to them who are not tempted that way (Matthew 9:38).

Some will ask, “What about Jesus, when he ate with sinners?” Great question.

We always have to remember the history of the event. In those times the word sinner had a little different meaning. These were not men who had denied God and given themselves over to a life of complete rebellion. They were greedy for money and were considered traitors because they helped in the taxation of the Jewish people. All other instances of Jesus’ outreach to unbelievers came because he was a beacon that attracted all who were hungry.

The best way to make him known is not with a bullhorn on the corner but with a sacrificial life. Give yourself to God so completely that others see and hunger for what you have. Reflect his glory. Give your life as a sacrifice to the Lord, submitting to the plan of the Master.

Shine as the Son! Be his hands and feet delivering his love and mercy to all.

Go after the lost with passion and excitement!

God has shared his glory with you (Romans 8:30). The greatest power in the universe lives in you, giving you life and empowering you to reach out with ridiculous love (Romans 8:11). What are you going to do with it?

CHAPTER 15

TO KNOW HIM

That I might know him and the power of his resurrection. — Philippians 3:10

There is no greater security and peace than the assurance that comes when we realize who we are. Acceptance of what the Master has created us to be brings confidence and strength expelling fear or doubt. The longing to be accepted is absorbed by the love and approval of your Daddy. We find ourselves overwhelmed by his lavish love and uncompromising desire to be with us. Wrapped in his embrace, we can rest from all the striving to gain our approval from people.

There has been a lot of discussion up to this point about who we are and how to live as masterpieces of God. I would like to shift gears for a second and have a time of reflection, examining our motive and desires.

Difficulties and struggles come when we expect something in return for walking with God. We turn our relationship with God into an employer-employee relationship instead of one of Master and servant. We work with an expectation of payment. As if we deserve something for the things we do for him. And so when things don’t go right or we don’t get the raise or promotion that we “deserve,” we feel slighted by the Master. As if he has overlooked us or hasn’t held up his end of the bargain.

Do we serve him for what we get from him?

Is our relationship with him based solely on what his has to offer us?

Would you serve him if all you got in return was a relationship with him?

What if all you got from bending your knee before him was him? Would you still do it? Paul, when writing to the Philippians, said he would give everything just to be able to know him (Philippians 3:8–14).

Are you identified with all the promises of the Master or with the One who promised them?

If he asked you to give up a dream of yours, would you do it?

If he asked you to surrender your aspirations to pursue him, not some calling or title, would you?

As God promotes you, walk in it and honor him. Just don’t live to be seen or promoted (Proverbs 25:6–7, 27:2 MSG).

There must be a cry that rises up in our hearts saying, “All I have is yours, I just want to know you!” We have to come to the place where our lives are so absorbed in him that we can’t imagine life without him. Paul said it this way: “In him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28 KJV). Imagine a life so intimate with the Master that we do and say what we see and hear him do and say. Life lived with purpose in every action and word.

Israel finally had great victory over their enemies as the Lord promised. The Lord had led them into the Promised Land after forty years of wandering, and he assigned land to the different tribes. Yet one tribe got no land because they were separated for the service of the Lord. It is said that “their share is the privilege of being the Lord’s priests” (Deuteronomy 18:2 GNT). While some would say this is unfair, the Levites embraced this because they understood that there was nothing greater than being in the presence of God and knowing him.

Oh, that we would get this.

We are to live our lives on earth as aliens passing through. Our chief desire must be to know him and the power of his resurrection. Paul makes it clear that to get to this place we have to take part in his sufferings—taking part in his death so we can take part in his resurrection.

What does this mean? Die so that you can live.

We are eternal. As citizens of heaven, let’s live with a different perspective than the world. Give everything to know him. Submit to the process that changes our perception. If life seems difficult, ask the Master what he is trying to do, and bend your will to his.

Like Jesus we have to lay our lives down voluntarily (John 10:18). The Master will not make us do his will, he sculpts those who want him and his will.

What am I trying to say? I mean, here we go again with all this “doing” stuff.

No. All I am trying to say is this: “I want to know him!” No matter the cost. I want to see my Daddy and Master. If everything else fades away, I want to stand by his side and hear his heart beating with love and compassion for me. I am not talking about doing things as much as I am talking about giving everything up. Suffering the loss of everything, if necessary, so I may behold his heart for those he has given all for. His love is so deep, wide, and long that we will never fully understand. Yet I want to spend my life getting to know the One who loves so deeply.

When you hear him whisper, “Will you do it for me?” how will you respond?

We can compare ourselves with others and say things like “How come they don’t have to?” or we can submit to his hand as the Master. I am talking about being what you are destined to be, not what someone else is designed to be. Each piece the Master touches is unique and has a distinctive purpose. As his masterpiece, if you will embrace this you will find rest and joy in your identity instead of trying to fit into someone else’s mold.

Let your heart cry out today: “I want to know you, Master. I give all that I may hear your heart’s cry. I will forget the past and press on to know you more. I will not allow the past to dictate my future. I choose to believe all you have said about me. I am royalty. I am an heir of the King of kings. I am your child. I can do all things through your strength. I am more than just a conqueror or overcomer. I am the vessel you are using to reach out and show your love” (1 John 4:17). “The earth is in my care and I am going to do my best to let the light of the Master shine through me” (Psalm 115:12–16 MSG).

The world is crying out to see those who live as true sons of the Master (Romans 8:19). They are looking forward to the freedom that comes as we live out our God-given identity.

CONCLUSION

Masterpieces: pieces of the Master. You are the evidence of his greatness, the sign that he is the Master. As each of us walks out our God-given destiny we will see the pieces come together into one beautiful tapestry reflecting his glory and splendor.

You were not designed to live a life of bondage to fear and doubt but one of peace and joy, a life full of the abundant love of the Lord. Your life can be limitless as you learn to lie back against your Daddy with absolute surrender and trust. He will bring you close and cause you to hear his heartbeat for the world he longs to bring love and mercy to.

Draw near to the Lord.

Run after him with all you have.

Embrace the process that leads to your good.

Adore him with every fiber of your being.

Make him known so all can experience the same joy and rest you have gained.

Let your greatness shine. When all around you seems to be imploding, don’t give up. Rest in his arms once more and allow the Master’s hands to mold, shape, and fashion you. When you make a mistake and feel like you have gone too far and he can’t possibly forgive you, remember nothing can separate you from his love (Romans 8:36–38). Turn back to him, admit you have blown it, change your behavior, and allow him to once again go to work.

Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up.

—Psalm 31:24 MSG

Find out what pleases God and do it. The Holy Spirit is the Helper, not the doer, so get involved and watch as the Lord moves in and through you. Don’t allow the enemy to take you out of the game by causing you to focus on the here and now. We have eternity in our hearts, so stay focused on the eternal things that don’t fade away.

PRAYER

To Walk in Relationship

With the Lord as His Masterpiece

God’s greatest desire is to embrace you as his child. Make him your Father today by receiving the free gift of salvation. He accomplished what we never could in making us righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus. Pray the following prayer with complete sincerity, and you will find the greatest joy of walking hand in hand with your Daddy and Master.

Father,

You loved us so much that you gave your only begotten son to die for our sins, so that whoever believes in you will not die, but have everlasting life.

Your Word shows us that we are saved by grace through faith. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation; it is a gift freely given as we believe.

I believe and confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is your son, the Savior of the world. I believe he died on the cross for me and bore my sin, paying the price in full. I believe in my heart that you raised him from the dead.

I ask you to forgive my sins. I confess Jesus is my Lord. According to your Word, I am saved and will spend eternity with you! Thanks, Daddy, I am more than grateful! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Look up the following scriptures to better understand the free gift of restored relationship with your Father.

• John 3:16

• Ephesians 2:8-10

• Romans 10:9-10

• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

• 1 John 1:9; 4:14-16; 5:1,12-13

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carl Dulinsky is known for his passion and excitement to know God and make him known. This intense desire compels him to train others to walk in the greatness God has placed within them. He and his wife, Danielle, are the founders and directors of CrossWalk Discipleship Program, where young adults are trained and equipped to impact the world with the love and mercy of God.

After a turbulent childhood that led to drug abuse and a prison term, Carl found freedom in Christ. He has been teaching the Word of God since 1998 and has been in full-time ministry since 2009. Carl and Danielle are the proud parents of a beautiful daughter, Moriah. They make their home in Northern California.

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Carl Dulinsky

P.O. Box 575, Mi-Wuk Village,

California 95346

(209) 768-9219

or

carl@crosswalkdp.com

For more information regarding the author or

CrossWalk Discipleship Program

Visit us at www.crosswalkdp.com

Table of Contents

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY?

1

MASTERPIECE

2

WHO AM I?

3

THE JOURNEY

4

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HIS MASTERPIECE?

5

BEING ON DISPLAY

6

THE PRICE

7

THE ANSWER

8

IN PROCESS

9

ONE STEP AT A TIME

10

LIMITLESS

11

RELEASE THE DREAMER WITHIN

12

WHAT IT TAKES

13

THE RESTING PLACE

14

THE RESULTS

15

TO KNOW HIM

CONCLUSION

PRAYER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CONTACT THE AUTHOR