Tag Archives: Calling

Almost Missed Jesus

Posted on by

0

Listen to what happens today in John 1:45-49. It’s a powerful passage and can be a warning to us today:

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

What happened here? What is the big deal? Something big. Something huge. Something nearly life changing.  Nathanael almost missed Jesus. He almost missed His chance to encounter Jesus.

Why?

Philip came to him and said, we’ve found the Messiah. Nathanael, when he heard Jesus was from Nazareth assumed nothing good could come from there. Nothing.

So, because of his preconceived ideas, he almost missed Jesus. Because he had prejudged who he though that Jesus was, he almost missed Jesus

That’s a real lesson to us today. Jesus may appear to us in ways that we don’t expect. He may speak to us through things that we’d never expect. He may call us through people we’d never expect.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that when we serve the least of these among us, we are serving Him. In Hebrews, we are reminded to show hospitality, for we never know when we may be entertaining angels.

Believe it not, God wants to speak to you today. Today, quiet yourself. Allow yourself to hear His voice. Allow yourself to really listen for Him today.

And know that He may come to you today in unexpected ways. Through a child. Through someone you don’t like. Through a stranger. Through a trial. Through a challenge.

Though some way you would never expect.

Nathanael almost missed Jesus today. Let’s not make the same mistake. May we be on the lookout for all the ways that Jesus want to speak to us today. And may we be listening.

Because of the Tender Mercy of our God

Posted on by

0

In the passage today that we are reflecting upon, we see Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, praise God for what God is going to do through his son. We know from the story of John the Baptist, that he was a man that, shall we say, lived outside the norm.

John lived away from it all, and he lived a life with a singular purpose – to point the way and prepare the people for the coming of Christ. He was the baptizer, out by the river, calling folks to righteousness, calling them to repent, calling them to follow the path of God.

And calling them to get ready for the one that would save the people from their sin. Calling them to salvation.

Why? Why did John do this? Why did God call him to this, and why did God give Zechariah and Elizabeth at their advanced age this child that would grow into this man? Listen to what Luke says in Luke 1:74-79:

that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

We see – because of His tender mercy. Because of His mercy, God gives light. Because of His mercy, God gives hope. Because of his tender mercy, God gives the freedom to serve.

Look at what it also says in verse 74 – we might serve Him without fear.

God desires today that you serve Him, but not out of fear. Out of love. Out of grace. Out of His tender mercy. He loves you. He gives His son for you. He gives us each folks pointing the way to Him.

And He wants us to respond. To serve. To love. To care. To obey. Because of the tender mercy of our God we have been given grace and salvation.

And He wants us to serve Him without fear. Today, and each day, may we do that!

The Chief End of Man

Posted on by

0

Paul today reminds us what we were made for by God. We were not created for destruction. God did not make us to condemn us. We were made for salvation, made for relationship with Him.

As the statement is said, What is the chief end of man? To know God and to enjoy Him forever. That is what you

were made for. That is what I was made for. That is what each of us is made for.

To know God. And to enjoy Him now upon the earth to to enjoy Him forever in eternity. That’s our purpose in being created.

Listen to what Paul writes today in 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11:

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Now Paul reminds of two very important things this morning. First, that we receive this purpose and this benefit not through our own worth, but through all that God has done for us.

First, He created us in His image. Second, Jesus died (and rose again) for our salvation. The joy of knowing and walking with God is not because of anything we have done, it is all because of what He has done.

Jesus Christ purchased our salvation today.

 

That should encourage us. That should make us happy. That should fill us with joy and peace and life and just make our lives complete.

And that should then help us encourage each other. If God made me for that, He made you for that as well. And part of the reason why I am here today is to encourage you. If I’ve been saved and know His grace, part of my job isto encourage others. Help them to know that grace. That love. That mercy. That joy. Help them to know that God loves them.

So, today, you are commanded to be an encouragement to others. Who will you encourage? Who will you be an encouragement to? You’re created to know God and love Him.

Does that encourage you?

Will you use that joy you feel know to encourage others? That’s what we are here for. May we be faithful.

Keep Moving

Posted on by

2

Remember back in school, after a big lunch, how hard it was to pay attention in the class that followed?  In college, I tried to always have something active after lunch, a lab, a PE, something that would get me up and moving.

Because I knew, that no matter how much I loved history (and I did, I really did love history) that after a big lunch, being in a classroom sitting still listening to a lecture was just the perfect way to put me to sleep.

We all know that feeling of being tired and sluggish, don’t we? Sometimes, occasionally, but not often, we may even feel that way in church! 🙂

The author of Hebrews talks a little about this today in a reading from chapter 6. Except he’s not talking about being physically sluggish, he’s talking about being spiritual sluggish.  Listen to what he says:

And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

We are reminded today to remember the hope that we’ve been called to. To remember where we are going, to remember what God has called us to. And to keep moving towards it.

God has placed a high calling and a high purpose on you and for you. You’ve got something amazing to do for Him. You are called to a high purpose in this life and your highest purpose in it all was that you were created to spend all of eternity with Him.

You are made in His image, called by His spirit, and given His grace.  So. . .

Keep going.  Keep walking. Keep moving. Don’t stop. Don’t get sluggish. Don’t stop chasing after Him. Don’t stop being faithful. Even if life is hard. Even if it’s not perfect. Even if it’s not what you want or what you’d do.

Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t forget. You are called a high purpose in life. For God. And for eternity.  Don’t quit moving. Keep going.

We are all Preachers

Posted on by

0

John the Baptist had one calling in his life.  He was called to prepare the way for Jesus.

He was out in the wilderness preaching, teaching, baptizing, and pointing.

He spent his life telling folks about the one that was to come after him.

He was sent to let folks know about Jesus.  We see that talked about in Mark’s Gospel today:

2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,”‘

That was his mission, and honestly, it’s our mission as well.

We have the same calling.

Now, we are not going be going out to the wilderness preaching (I don’t think).

But, we will be preaching.  We are all preachers.

Maybe with out lips. But with our lives.

Everyday, we preach the goodness and grace of Jesus Christ.

With way you say, how you live, how you love.

Today, you are like John the Baptist.  You are here, pointing to Jesus. With all you do, all you say, all you are.

You are an arrow, pointing to heaven.

Today, with all we do, all we say, all we are, may we point to Jesus.

Today, we are all preachers.