Friday, July 26, 2013
The Storm
"Matthew 8:23-27 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Jesus was sleeping in he boat! There was a storm! The waves were crashing against and over the boat! The boat was rocking and filling with water! The disciples were working to save the boat and themselves from this terrible storm that had come to claim there lives along with everything that God had called them to do. This, in their eyes was a completely hopeless situation. So much so that they woke Jesus from His slumber and said "Save us Lord; we are perishing." Our Savior on the other hand was resting comfortably. He was not in panic mode. He had no reason to worry. The storm did not surprise Him. He was fully God, fully man and fully in charge of the entire situation! He was in charge of the boat, He was in charge of the storm and He was in charge of the men in the boat. He created them all and He was in orchestration of them all. There was a lesson in store for those disciples in the boat. They would learn that not even the winds and the waves are outside of His power. They would learn that God had a clear purpose and reason for their lives and no situation would keep them from that purpose. They would see that through a storm that they can be brought closer to their savior and at the same time He would grow their faith. They would step out of that boat on the other side of the lake changed men! They would be even better outfitted for the calling on their lives to serve their God! Am I saying that Jesus caused the same storm that He rebuked and commanded to be still? Absolutely without a doubt! How many storms have you faced? How many times have you said, Jesus I am perishing please save me." I personally have had many opportunities to call upon my Lord in many storms. Let me assure you that our storms do not shake or startle our mighty God! He is not surprised by them. As a matter of fact He is in full orchestration and control of them and every storm has a lesson. Every storm calls us closer to His side. Every storm calls us to prayer, every storm is a display of His awesome power. Thank you Jesus for the storm.
Monday, July 15, 2013
A True Disciple
"Discipleship"
I have been thinking a lot lately about how a disciple of Jesus should show that he is a disciple. I think the first thing to keep in mind is this. A disciple is a learner, a student of Jesus. A disciple will never arrive at his pinnacle. Although we are trying to attain to the stature of Christ we are a continuous work in progress. We will always fall short so we can relax when it comes to trying to meet His expectations. He has already accomplished that through the cross. ( 2 Corinthians 5:21)
However there is something that I believe is of vital importance. We must always be mindful of our moments of strength and our moments of weakness. Have we developed a pattern? Do we find ourselves as fearless followers one moment and cowardly deniers the next. We see a good example of this in John eighteen. Peter was swinging his sword and cutting off the ear of Malcus when he had his boys with him and Jesus had just knocked them all down with the words that He spoke. Of course bravery and valor come in moments like these. However it is a much different story in the court of Chiaphas the high priest. Things didn't look very favorable for the follower of Jesus according to circumstances. Although Christ was still King and He was still in charge. Peter let his surroundings fool him. This is what we must be careful of! The bravery and valor of a disciple must not have anything to do with surroundings or circumstances. It must have everything to do with our commitment to our Lord and Savior! We must have a complete understanding that His way is perfect, His strength is perfect and His will is perfect! Everything that He works in us is working toward our becoming more like Jesus. When I consider my own life and ministry I realize that I am much like Peter. I am a bold preacher on Sundays at church when all my peeps are there. Many times people are moved by the power of God's word as we should be! I have yet to break out a sword and start swinging it but I have thought about it. However my boldness slips away when we drive from church to the local restaurant. Something's happens to me from the church to the restaurant! I become a coward! Why? My surroundings and circumstances have changed. I'm not saying that I should do a sermon sequel over a chicken burrito but where are those powerful words? What happened to my passion and love for Jesus? Shouldn't it be as strong outside the walls of my church as the inside. When Jesus is placed on trial before my eyes by an unbelieving world what am I testifying? Is He my King? Do I follow Him? My life is seen in John eighteen! People may look at me and make a good guess. They may ask, "are you a follower of Jesus?" Many are asking! It may not be audible but believe me they are asking. So my question is how are we answering?
1 Peter 3:15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Message of the Cross
1Corinthians 1:18 "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Just what is the word of the cross? What can we express in our message about the cross? What can we truthfully preach about it? This is crucial for the believer to know because the cross is the message of salvation to others and a deeper walk with Jesus for all who believe. We will never outgrow the message of the cross. It is EVERYTHING to us!
I would like to point out that it is through the cross of Jesus that we are justified, sanctified and glorified.
The message of the cross is justification and not good morals or religion! We want so badly to provide our own way of justification that we can "almost" justify any of our own wrongs by our own reasoning or standard. The problem with that is, we aren't going to be judged according to our own reasoning or standard. God is our judge. He is righteous, and according to His standard our penalty is death and separation from Him! The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of God's glory." Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life." The gift of eternal life came through the cross! The sin debt was paid! We are justified through the Cross of Christ!
The message of the cross is sanctification and not self preservation. It's is not a message of safety! Too many believers are trying to live safe and self-preserving lives: bigger houses, nicer cars and more money in the bank.... "The American Dream". Jesus went to the cross with nothing to gain on this earth. Giving all for the salvation of the world. In Luke chapter nine, He made statements like this: (Verse23) "If anyone would come after me let him first deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me"; (Verse 25) "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself." Earlier in the chapter Jesus says that foxes have holes and birds have nest but the Son of man has no where to lay His head. As we give up our lives and take up our own cross then the message of the cross is sanctification as we experience God's incredible provision as we follow Him. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." It is impossible to experience sanctification and live as though we are in self preservation mode. The message of the cross is to take it up and follow Jesus wherever He may lead.
Finally, the message of the cross is Glorification and not lamentation. We tend to look at the cross as something to be sad about. There is an element of dread that comes with the cross and rightfully so. Jesus prayed that the cup of the cross would pass from Him. However, we must remember that it was through His obedience to the Father that victory came by way of His cross! He took our sin. It went to the cross with Him and He took it upon Himself! (2 Corinthians 5:21) We have no reason to morn or feel shame or guilt. Jesus took it on the cross! Jesus knew something as He endured all of this pain and suffering! He had an assurance. In Hebrews 12:2 the Bible says, "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Jesus had joy in front of Him. He would provide a way for us to be with Him and He would be seated at the right hand of the Father! This gives us great hope in the cross. We can take it up knowing that we have a home in Heaven. It won't always be like this! We won't always deal with the pain and suffering of this world. One day we will be glorified with Him. He will redeem what He has paid for with His own blood! Take up your cross with confidence and not dread. One day He is coming oh glorious day!
I want to challenge every believer to preach the message of the cross. Through the cross of Jesus we are justified, sanctified and we will be glorified! Be bold for the message of the Cross!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Conveinience
Salvation, God's great act of love. We all need it but not all will receive it. I sit here in the quiet, the outside is peaceful, there is no noise to speak of. It has been a quiet and uneventful morning. To be truthful, morning came too soon. All though the outside is quiet, on the inside there is a violent rush of thought. My heart races and my mind will not be quiet! I have prayed that God would give me a heart like His. I have asked Him to help me to see how He sees and I believe He has given me a little part of His heart and vision. The reason I say a "little part" is because I do not posses the strength, the emotion nor the mental faculty to handle God's full heart and vision. He loves us so much and desires that all people should be saved! But not all people will! People will rebel against and reject the message of the GOSPEL. They will not accept it no matter how it is presented. My heart is heavy and sad because of this fact.
Even people who say they have trusted this GOSPEL do not honor Him. I don't understand this! It breaks my heart. Why or How can a person confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe that He rose from the grave, know that they will one day be with Him in heaven, yet shun worship like it means nothing! How can someone who has heard the story of the cross and believed it, place anything above the worship of the One who gave Himself for us? Maybe people do not fully grasp the passion that Jesus has for us. The word "inconvenience" comes to mind when I think about this. I believe that it is because of this lack of understanding and hardened hearts that people view God as an inconvenience. You name it: time, talents, money, etc. are spent elsewhere because to spend them on God would be an inconvenience. For many people who confess that Jesus has saved them it seems to be an inconvenience to place Him very high on their priority list. Surely we are missing something here! What's wrong? It must be the fault of the churches we attend. Yes!!! We can blame them! They do not hold the services at a convenient time for me to worship God. Maybe they should rearrange their schedule to fit mine. The worship services to God are too long and it is simply not convenient for me. I don't have that kind of time. There are people there that make me feel uncomfortable, they are too needy or they sin more than I do. I just can't have my children in that kind of environment. The church is always asking me to give money and help serve in a ministry and I'm just not into that. Besides to do something like that would cause me to depend on Jesus more than myself and that would be very inconvenient. Yeah, it's gotta be the church... the leadership is just a bunch of fanatics who have nothing else to do with their time. If they had all these bills to pay or worked the long ours that I work they would be just like me. They just don't have anything better to do with their time, talents and money.
It could be the Pastor's fault! He never preaches what I want to hear. He is just not feeding me spiritually! He just doesn't live in my reality. How can he understand me and my circumstances? He just spends his time studying the Bible and praying. He is totally dependent on the church. He doesn't live in the real world. He doesn't even know the meaning of inconvenience.
I know! It is God's fault, Yes!!! He expects way too much of me. He knows nothing of inconvenience. Sure, He sent Jesus, but God is timeless so was that really a big deal?
I wonder if Jesus had thought it too inconvenient to leave perfection to walk in a world of harsh elements, sin and death, how would that effect me? Would I still know that God loves me? What if it would have been too inconvenient for Him to take my place on the cross? Would I have my assurance of God's love for me? If God had decided that I wasn't worth wasting His time on because there were bigger priorities in Heaven, would I walk in the peace and comfort of His awesome love? The evidence is overwhelming that we are not an inconvenience to God! The Bible says, "For God so loved the world" and the very actions of our God prove this to be true! So I will close with a statement then a question. Those who are saved confess to LOVE Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Is there enough evidence in your life to prove it or is Jesus an inconvenience?
Even people who say they have trusted this GOSPEL do not honor Him. I don't understand this! It breaks my heart. Why or How can a person confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe that He rose from the grave, know that they will one day be with Him in heaven, yet shun worship like it means nothing! How can someone who has heard the story of the cross and believed it, place anything above the worship of the One who gave Himself for us? Maybe people do not fully grasp the passion that Jesus has for us. The word "inconvenience" comes to mind when I think about this. I believe that it is because of this lack of understanding and hardened hearts that people view God as an inconvenience. You name it: time, talents, money, etc. are spent elsewhere because to spend them on God would be an inconvenience. For many people who confess that Jesus has saved them it seems to be an inconvenience to place Him very high on their priority list. Surely we are missing something here! What's wrong? It must be the fault of the churches we attend. Yes!!! We can blame them! They do not hold the services at a convenient time for me to worship God. Maybe they should rearrange their schedule to fit mine. The worship services to God are too long and it is simply not convenient for me. I don't have that kind of time. There are people there that make me feel uncomfortable, they are too needy or they sin more than I do. I just can't have my children in that kind of environment. The church is always asking me to give money and help serve in a ministry and I'm just not into that. Besides to do something like that would cause me to depend on Jesus more than myself and that would be very inconvenient. Yeah, it's gotta be the church... the leadership is just a bunch of fanatics who have nothing else to do with their time. If they had all these bills to pay or worked the long ours that I work they would be just like me. They just don't have anything better to do with their time, talents and money.
It could be the Pastor's fault! He never preaches what I want to hear. He is just not feeding me spiritually! He just doesn't live in my reality. How can he understand me and my circumstances? He just spends his time studying the Bible and praying. He is totally dependent on the church. He doesn't live in the real world. He doesn't even know the meaning of inconvenience.
I know! It is God's fault, Yes!!! He expects way too much of me. He knows nothing of inconvenience. Sure, He sent Jesus, but God is timeless so was that really a big deal?
I wonder if Jesus had thought it too inconvenient to leave perfection to walk in a world of harsh elements, sin and death, how would that effect me? Would I still know that God loves me? What if it would have been too inconvenient for Him to take my place on the cross? Would I have my assurance of God's love for me? If God had decided that I wasn't worth wasting His time on because there were bigger priorities in Heaven, would I walk in the peace and comfort of His awesome love? The evidence is overwhelming that we are not an inconvenience to God! The Bible says, "For God so loved the world" and the very actions of our God prove this to be true! So I will close with a statement then a question. Those who are saved confess to LOVE Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Is there enough evidence in your life to prove it or is Jesus an inconvenience?
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sleepless Nights
Romans 8:31
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Well it is another sleepless Saturday night. Sleep doesn't often come easy for me. (especially on Saturday) Usually by the time I get to sleep it's late and then it only last for couple of hours and I'm wide awake again. I am a pastor. God has placed it in me to love people and the fact is.... I truly do love people. My pastor friends and ministry partners who have surrendered their lives to God's call feel the same way. The calling to be a pastor is affirmed by the love that God grows in us for people. People are the reason for the calling of pastoral ministry. In my time as a pastor I have witnessed first hand how pastors become overwhelmed and overworked and burned out as a result of their love for people. I have seen them agonize over the fact that someone is upset with them and worry that they may leave the church never speak to them again. I have had these same worries many times over again. Then my thoughts turn to Jesus. He was perfect and sinless. He never made one mistake yet the only time He was popular was when He was healing or feeding people. Every time He started preaching the hard truths such as taking up your cross, "your own personal instrument of death," the masses would leave Him in droves! Oh some would stay behind to try and kill Him but for the most part they didn't like the things He was asking of them. Finally the haters got what they wanted. In the same city and within the time frame of a week. They cried out "blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," as Jesus rode into town. The very next weekend some of the same people cried out "Crucify Him!" Wow! Can this be true? Can people turn and change their minds so quickly about their leader?.... My answer.... "ABSOLUTELY!" I am not saying this to anger anyone or to guilt anyone in to taking their pastor to dinner, "although that would be a nice thing to do! After all it is pastor appreciation month, hint hint." I am certainly not trying to compare the crucifixion of our Savior to the trials I face as a pastor. I am saying that it is because of what Jesus did for me that I have the incredible call and strength to be a pastor. I know that God called me, hence He is for me! I know that since it is God who called me, it is God who loves people through me. I also know that He is perfect and I am far from it. My mistakes are many, my abilities are inadequate and my knowledge is limited. It amazes me that God uses imperfect people like me to carry out His perfect plan. I know that my hopes are high, my heart is to serve and my motives are pure. In the middle of my imperfection I am equipped by a perfect, awesome, unstoppable God! So I have a word of encouragement to all who have answered this call. Wether you are a pastor, youth pastor, deacon, sunday school teacher, children's minister or nursery volunteer. The bible tells us in Romans 11:29 that the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. He won't take them back. He has called so we have no choice but to answer! No matter what or who may not agree, God is for us! Stand in His strength! If it means facing the devil himself remember that no weapon formed against you will remain. Psalm 121 says, "I will lift my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth. My prayer today is that the people of God will stand and not be moved! God bless you all and have a great day of worship this "Lord's Day."
In His service, Pastor Wade
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Well it is another sleepless Saturday night. Sleep doesn't often come easy for me. (especially on Saturday) Usually by the time I get to sleep it's late and then it only last for couple of hours and I'm wide awake again. I am a pastor. God has placed it in me to love people and the fact is.... I truly do love people. My pastor friends and ministry partners who have surrendered their lives to God's call feel the same way. The calling to be a pastor is affirmed by the love that God grows in us for people. People are the reason for the calling of pastoral ministry. In my time as a pastor I have witnessed first hand how pastors become overwhelmed and overworked and burned out as a result of their love for people. I have seen them agonize over the fact that someone is upset with them and worry that they may leave the church never speak to them again. I have had these same worries many times over again. Then my thoughts turn to Jesus. He was perfect and sinless. He never made one mistake yet the only time He was popular was when He was healing or feeding people. Every time He started preaching the hard truths such as taking up your cross, "your own personal instrument of death," the masses would leave Him in droves! Oh some would stay behind to try and kill Him but for the most part they didn't like the things He was asking of them. Finally the haters got what they wanted. In the same city and within the time frame of a week. They cried out "blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," as Jesus rode into town. The very next weekend some of the same people cried out "Crucify Him!" Wow! Can this be true? Can people turn and change their minds so quickly about their leader?.... My answer.... "ABSOLUTELY!" I am not saying this to anger anyone or to guilt anyone in to taking their pastor to dinner, "although that would be a nice thing to do! After all it is pastor appreciation month, hint hint." I am certainly not trying to compare the crucifixion of our Savior to the trials I face as a pastor. I am saying that it is because of what Jesus did for me that I have the incredible call and strength to be a pastor. I know that God called me, hence He is for me! I know that since it is God who called me, it is God who loves people through me. I also know that He is perfect and I am far from it. My mistakes are many, my abilities are inadequate and my knowledge is limited. It amazes me that God uses imperfect people like me to carry out His perfect plan. I know that my hopes are high, my heart is to serve and my motives are pure. In the middle of my imperfection I am equipped by a perfect, awesome, unstoppable God! So I have a word of encouragement to all who have answered this call. Wether you are a pastor, youth pastor, deacon, sunday school teacher, children's minister or nursery volunteer. The bible tells us in Romans 11:29 that the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. He won't take them back. He has called so we have no choice but to answer! No matter what or who may not agree, God is for us! Stand in His strength! If it means facing the devil himself remember that no weapon formed against you will remain. Psalm 121 says, "I will lift my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth. My prayer today is that the people of God will stand and not be moved! God bless you all and have a great day of worship this "Lord's Day."
In His service, Pastor Wade
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Love and Loyalty
Love and Loyalty
Luke 9:57- 58
Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
What is the price of loyalty? To say to our Savior that you will follow Him wherever He goes is to say that you have no ties to this world. It is to say that you are in a pilgrimage. To follow Jesus is to have a temporary view of earthly life and to realize that you have a permanent home in an eternal place called Heaven. This place is not make believe or something we just conger up in our imagination. It is the place prepared for all who follow Jesus. It is the very dwelling and presence of God. Heaven has a consistence and existence so real that it is more real than we could ever imagine. We are literally following Jesus to this place when we say that we will follow Him where ever He goes. Heaven is our ultimate destination! It is the ultimate destination not for selfish reasons like seeing loved ones, the perfection of paradise or even the streets of gold, pearly gates or crystal sea that are so vividly talked about. Although these things are all true and will be a great benefit to being in Heaven. It is the ultimate destination because of the one we follow, "JESUS!" How can we presume to love Jesus in Heaven if do not love Him here on Earth? And how can we say we love Him on earth unless we are willing to follow Him on a pilgrimage to Heaven? That is to live life as if Jesus is our ultimate goal. To become like Him, to love what He loves and to be heart broken over the same things that break His heart. To be totally selfless and love the person in front of you no matter who that person is. To be a risk taker and invest in people no matter if they hurt you. To be a God pleaser not worrying about the opinion or attitude of those around us as to weather they approve of our obedience to God or not. To be faith walker knowing that we are in the hands of a loving Heavenly Father. To be a gospel preacher so that others may know the good news of the cross. To be a prayer warrior so that you make your request known to God. To be a church goer so you may honor Him in worship and fellowship. To always place God at the top of the list so that no one or nothing is more important than Him. To be a disciple maker so that others may become the same. Our ultimate goal is Jesus. The riches of this goal are endless, their depth and width are beyond compare. His resources are endless, His love is enormous, His power is limitless and His call is without a doubt suited to all of these things. We can not follow Jesus unless we have a God sized heart for our future home. Let's do it church! Let's follow Jesus like this! Why should we keep a foot in this world while we know that this world has nothing to offer us. Let the foxes and the birds have it. We have much greater and bigger things to do than build earthly homes. We have a heavenly one!
Luke 9:57- 58
Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
What is the price of loyalty? To say to our Savior that you will follow Him wherever He goes is to say that you have no ties to this world. It is to say that you are in a pilgrimage. To follow Jesus is to have a temporary view of earthly life and to realize that you have a permanent home in an eternal place called Heaven. This place is not make believe or something we just conger up in our imagination. It is the place prepared for all who follow Jesus. It is the very dwelling and presence of God. Heaven has a consistence and existence so real that it is more real than we could ever imagine. We are literally following Jesus to this place when we say that we will follow Him where ever He goes. Heaven is our ultimate destination! It is the ultimate destination not for selfish reasons like seeing loved ones, the perfection of paradise or even the streets of gold, pearly gates or crystal sea that are so vividly talked about. Although these things are all true and will be a great benefit to being in Heaven. It is the ultimate destination because of the one we follow, "JESUS!" How can we presume to love Jesus in Heaven if do not love Him here on Earth? And how can we say we love Him on earth unless we are willing to follow Him on a pilgrimage to Heaven? That is to live life as if Jesus is our ultimate goal. To become like Him, to love what He loves and to be heart broken over the same things that break His heart. To be totally selfless and love the person in front of you no matter who that person is. To be a risk taker and invest in people no matter if they hurt you. To be a God pleaser not worrying about the opinion or attitude of those around us as to weather they approve of our obedience to God or not. To be faith walker knowing that we are in the hands of a loving Heavenly Father. To be a gospel preacher so that others may know the good news of the cross. To be a prayer warrior so that you make your request known to God. To be a church goer so you may honor Him in worship and fellowship. To always place God at the top of the list so that no one or nothing is more important than Him. To be a disciple maker so that others may become the same. Our ultimate goal is Jesus. The riches of this goal are endless, their depth and width are beyond compare. His resources are endless, His love is enormous, His power is limitless and His call is without a doubt suited to all of these things. We can not follow Jesus unless we have a God sized heart for our future home. Let's do it church! Let's follow Jesus like this! Why should we keep a foot in this world while we know that this world has nothing to offer us. Let the foxes and the birds have it. We have much greater and bigger things to do than build earthly homes. We have a heavenly one!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
"Jesus Calling"
Matthew 4:18-20
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them,"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Is this how it's supposed to be? Jesus calls, we drop everything? How do we know it's Jesus that is calling? What exactly are we supposed to do? How do we even get started? "Jesus calls" Big questions always come behind these two words. The truth of the matter is, it's not that complicated or difficult. It is really about faith and trusting that the Holy Spirit is in the lead. God never gives us all the particulars before we follow Him. He simply puts what He would have for us to do on our hearts. We don't need all the particulars, Proverbs 3:5-7 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct a your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil." God will always be the initiator of His work and He is the one who will show us if we are looking. Jesus told us in scripture that The Holy Spirit would come and teach us and lead us. Jesus has led countless people to radical, faith trying, world denying work for Him. He can do it without programs, seminars or classrooms. Our knowing what God has called us to do; always has and always will come by one way. If we truly want to know what God has called us to, it is as simple as an individual intimate relationship with Him! How can we possibly know what God wants us to do without first knowing God? If we study the scripture we will see that when Jesus called Peter and Andrew this was not the first time they had heard of Him, they had already experienced Him. They had heard Him teach and they had seen Him perform miracles. (Luke5)
We have to know Him as He reveals Himself to us. We have to seek and find. Christ call to a radical life seldom comes to the "Sunday Morning" one hour a week Christian. We have to learn from Him and depend on Him. In Luke 9:23 we read, " Then He said to them all,"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." The key word here is "DAILY." following the call of Jesus has everything to do with a daily walk with Him! Psalms 119:105
says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path."
His word gives us step by step instruction to live and walk by, a lamp to our feet. Jesus said to take no thought for tomorrow but today is enough to worry about. We spend too much time over analyzing, over emphasizing and over amplifying the call of Jesus when He is just saying, "Drop what your doing that is earthly and start working toward things that are Heavenly. What is God calling us to do that is a radical move of Kingdom building proportions? It starts with a radical move of earth shattering denial of self! There is not a program, seminar or a class we can take that will make us do that. It is as simple as obedience. Jesus told the pharisees and the law makers that He desires obedience and not sacrifice. (Matthew 9:13) Our mindless, heartless routine traditions do not impress God but He blesses our obedience to Him! My challenge to every believer today is nothing less than absolute surrender to Him. Be willing, He will not forsake your willing obedience to follow Him. He will guide you in every step of your journey! John 16:13-14 says " When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." What greater confirmation can we possibly need than this?
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them,"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Is this how it's supposed to be? Jesus calls, we drop everything? How do we know it's Jesus that is calling? What exactly are we supposed to do? How do we even get started? "Jesus calls" Big questions always come behind these two words. The truth of the matter is, it's not that complicated or difficult. It is really about faith and trusting that the Holy Spirit is in the lead. God never gives us all the particulars before we follow Him. He simply puts what He would have for us to do on our hearts. We don't need all the particulars, Proverbs 3:5-7 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct a your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil." God will always be the initiator of His work and He is the one who will show us if we are looking. Jesus told us in scripture that The Holy Spirit would come and teach us and lead us. Jesus has led countless people to radical, faith trying, world denying work for Him. He can do it without programs, seminars or classrooms. Our knowing what God has called us to do; always has and always will come by one way. If we truly want to know what God has called us to, it is as simple as an individual intimate relationship with Him! How can we possibly know what God wants us to do without first knowing God? If we study the scripture we will see that when Jesus called Peter and Andrew this was not the first time they had heard of Him, they had already experienced Him. They had heard Him teach and they had seen Him perform miracles. (Luke5)
We have to know Him as He reveals Himself to us. We have to seek and find. Christ call to a radical life seldom comes to the "Sunday Morning" one hour a week Christian. We have to learn from Him and depend on Him. In Luke 9:23 we read, " Then He said to them all,"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." The key word here is "DAILY." following the call of Jesus has everything to do with a daily walk with Him! Psalms 119:105
says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path."
His word gives us step by step instruction to live and walk by, a lamp to our feet. Jesus said to take no thought for tomorrow but today is enough to worry about. We spend too much time over analyzing, over emphasizing and over amplifying the call of Jesus when He is just saying, "Drop what your doing that is earthly and start working toward things that are Heavenly. What is God calling us to do that is a radical move of Kingdom building proportions? It starts with a radical move of earth shattering denial of self! There is not a program, seminar or a class we can take that will make us do that. It is as simple as obedience. Jesus told the pharisees and the law makers that He desires obedience and not sacrifice. (Matthew 9:13) Our mindless, heartless routine traditions do not impress God but He blesses our obedience to Him! My challenge to every believer today is nothing less than absolute surrender to Him. Be willing, He will not forsake your willing obedience to follow Him. He will guide you in every step of your journey! John 16:13-14 says " When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." What greater confirmation can we possibly need than this?
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