THE LORD GOD CALLS AND APPOINTS WHOMEVER

PROCLAMATION

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah as He called him into service to speak to the kings and the people of Judah. (Jeremiah 1:1-10)  Jeremiah thought that he was too young for such an assignment, but The Lord told him not to be afraid, that He would put His words in his mouth. (Jeremiah 1:7-10)  The Lord God was about to pronounce judgment upon Judah and Jeremiah was to deliver that very unpopular message to them. (Jeremiah 1:16-19)

APPLICATION

The Lord God can use whomever He wants to do whatever He wants done.  He doesn’t call the qualified individuals; He calls the unqualified and He prepares them.  He qualifies whomever He calls for His purpose.  He knows all about us.  He knew us when we were in our mother’s womb before we were born. (Psalm 139:13-16)  He has a purpose for each of us to fulfill.  That is the reason that we were born, and we will not die until we have completed all of the work  that He has for us to do. (2 Timothy 1:9)  Let us pray that He will reveal to us His plans for our life.  Let us also pray for the courage and conviction to do whatever it is instead of running the other way as Jonah did. (Jonah 1:1-2)

WE ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE WE BELONG TO GOD

Proclamation:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  Peter began this second chapter by telling them to rid themselves of all malice and evil traits and to crave The Word of God like newborn babies crave milk. (1 Peter 2:1-3)  Then he told them that they were a special people, like living stones built into a spiritual house similar to Christ who is the spiritual cornerstone. (1 Peter 2:4-7)  He told them that they were also special because they were chosen by God to be His special possession.  They were part of a royal priesthood, a holy nation, called by God.  Then he urged them to abstain from sinful desires and to live good lives among the pagans of the world. (1 Peter 2:11-12)  He told them to obey the law of the land, as long as it did not conflict with the law of God. (1 Peter 2:13-17)  He ended by reminding them of the things that Christ went through and suffered before he bore all of their sins on the cross. (1 Peter 2:21-25)

Application:

It is sometimes hard to see ourselves as a special people when we are suffering and going through the midst of a storm, but we are the elect people of God, chosen from before the beginning of time.  We have a special calling on our lives, we are His people.  Here we are reminded to crave The Word of God and to abstain from sinful worldly desires.  We are to live Christ-like lives as we walk among the lost in this sin-sick world.  We are the light of the world, (Matthew 5:14) a beacon light to lead to lost to Christ.  All of us may not be called to be preachers, but we all can live in such a way that others can see Christ within us.  We are a purchased people; Christ paid it all for us.

GOD'S FAVOR IS UPON US

Proclamation:

"May the favor of The Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands."  Psalms 90:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy spirit of God by Moses.  This is the only psalm written by Moses.  He ends it by asking God to grant His favor to the people of God and to grant that their life and their life's work may have meaning and be what God has called them to be.  After being in the wilderness for forty years the Children of Israel had done no work and had produced nothing.

Application:

Only with God's favor and His blessing can we be productive and lead productive lives.  Unfortunately, we do not give God the credit for all that we do.  We think and act like we did it ourselves.  Only in God do we live, move, and have our very being. (Acts 17:28)  Through Him were all things made, and without Him nothing was made. (John 1:3)  We should thank God for all that we do, all that we accomplish, and for every talent, skill, and ability that we have.  Since all of these were blessings from The Lord and nothing that we produced or accomplished would have been possible without His help.  We have been blessed and favored by God and we should be grateful and acknowledge His influence in our lives.  We should pray that our life and our life’s work will be pleasing to Him. 

WE ARE ALL CALLED TO SERVE GOD

Proclamation:

"I keep asking that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you ..." Ephesians 1:17-18 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this prayer were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Ephesus.  Paul prayed that God would bless them to know Him better, and that they would embrace that which The Lord had set forth for them to do for His glory.

Application:
God has a special purpose for each one of us. (Jeremiah 29:11)  We are not all called to preach the gospel or to teach it.  However we are all called by The Lord God to serve Him in some capacity.  We are not all given the same gifts or abilities, but we all have been blessed with at least one gift that we can use in His service. (1 Corinthians 12:7)  We should all pray for ourselves and for each other that we would recognize our gifts that we have been blessed with, and with the wisdom and understanding to know how we can use our gifts for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

GOD CAN USE US WHERE WE ARE

Proclamation:

"Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that The Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. ... Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him."  1 Corinthians 7:17 and 20 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle Paul began this chapter to the believers in Corinth with a discussion on being married versus being single.  However, he also discussed being circumcised versus uncircumcised and being a slave versus being free.  His point was, with respect to God's call on their life, they should stay in the situation that they were in when God called them, and focus on what God has for them to do and not focus on their situation.

Application:

God can use us, wherever we are in life, regardless of our status, station, or situation.  What is important to God is our focus being on Him and our behavior, not our employment status, marital status, our health status, or economic status.  God has a purpose for each of us, and it is important that we bloom where He has planted us. (2 Corinthians 5:5 and Philippians 2:13)  God has blessed us to be in whatever situation we find ourselves in, and He will work it for our good. (Roman 8:28)  We need to appreciate wherever we are planted and count it all as joy. (James 1:2)  Whatever we do, we should do it to the best of our ability. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)  For whatever it is that we do, it should be done to the glory of God, because it is for Him that we are working. (1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:23)  

All For Our Good

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Under the divine guidance of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul wrote these words of encouragement to the believers in the Church at Rome.  Although they were being persecuted for their belief in Christ, Paul said that all of their suffering God would use for their benefit.

All that occurs to us is part of the permissive will of God.  The devil and our enemies may do things to us to harm us which The Lord can use to our benefit.  God can make something good out of what appears to be a bad situation.  As Joseph told his brothers, you meant it for evil, but God meant for good. (Genesis 50:20)   Today's storms, trials, and tribulations may just be preparation for better things yet to come.  We cannot control the events which come our way, but we can control how we respond to them.  We should face everything in life with a Christ-like attitude and joyfully consider the storms of life as preparation for blessings yet to be received. (James 1:2)  

Follow The Lord

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  At once they left their nets and followed Him."  Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew recorded that at the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus called the disciples which He chose to be His followers, and they answered the call and followed Him.

All of us follow someone.  The person that we follow is the one who has influence over our behavior.  Often we make a conscious decision to follow someone, but sometimes a person's influence on us is subtle and we are unaware of the effect on us until later on. The devil is very subtle in his ways of influence. (Genesis 3:1)   We are influenced by what we hear (Luke 11:28), read (2 Timothy 2:15), and see or watch (Psalms 101:3).  That is why we are encouraged to read and study the Bible, to fellowship with other believers, and to be very careful about what we allow to come before our eyes.  Those of us who choose to follow Christ must deny and resist the worldly influences on our lives, and submit to The Lord. (James 4:7)  God wants all of us to be saved. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)  However, many are called but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)  The choice is up to us.  We cannot follow and serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13)   With respect to the salvation of our soul, we must choose who we will follow. (Joshua 24:15 and John 14:6)

Called For A Purpose

"May God Himself, The God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NIV)

This is the Apostle Paul's prayer for the believers in Thessaloniki as he closes his letter to them.  He knows that God can bless and keep them, and he ends by saying that The God who called them is faithful, and He will do it.  God can and will bless and keep them.

I realize that this is Paul's prayer for a group of people that he loved.  He began this letter by telling them that he always remembered them in his prayers. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4)  But what struck me, as I prayed over this passage of scripture was verse 24: "The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."  Each of us has a special calling on our lives, to do a work for The Lord, not just preachers.  We need to know that God prepares, protects, and provides for those He calls and chooses. (Matthew 22:14, 1 Peter 2:9 and Revelation 17:14)  God wants to use us, but we have to answer His call. (Revelation 3:20)  He can enable those of us who are willing to be used in His service.  He can, "and He will do it."

God Can Use Us Where We Are

"Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that The Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. ... Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him."  1 Corinthians 7:17 & 20 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul began this chapter to the believers in Corinth with a discussion on being married versus being single.  However, he also discussed being circumcised versus uncircumcised, and being a slave versus being free.  His point was, with respect to God's call on their life, they should stay in the situation that they were in when God called them, and focus on what God has for them to do and not focus on their situation.

God can use us, wherever we are in life, regardless of our status, station, or situation.  What is important to God is our focus being on Him and our behavior, not our employment status, marital status, our health status, or economic status.  God has a purpose for each of us, and it is important that we bloom where He has planted us. (2 Corinthians 5:5 and Philippians 2:13)  God has blessed us to be in whatever situation we find ourselves in, and He will work it for our good. (Roman 8:28)  We need to appreciate wherever we are planted and count it all as joy. (James 1:2)  Whatever we do, we should do it to the best of our ability. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)  For whatever it is that we do, it should be done to the glory of God, because it is for Him that we are working. (1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:23) 

Time Spent With The Lord Is Good

"Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him.  He appointed twelve, designating them apostles, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons."  Mark 3:13-15 (NIV)

John, whose surname was Mark, a companion of the Apostle Paul, addressed the gospel according to Mark to the Gentiles in Rome.  He depicted Jesus as a suffering servant of God, demonstrating the humanity of Christ.  Here John Mark records that Jesus called the twelve apostles, or disciples, another name for students.  He wanted them to be with Him, close to Him, in fellowship.   He wanted to give them authority, to share His power with them and to send them out into the world to preach and teach.  Jesus wanted companions that He could teach, and that would do His will.

We would all benefit if we spent more time with The Lord.  The disciples clearly benefited from the time that they spent with Jesus.  Today, we are His disciples.  We need to spend more time with His Word and in fellowship with Him.  As His disciples we are His students, and by our study of The Word of God, He can teach and train us.  Afterwards, He can bless us and share some of His power with us.  Then He can use us to spread His Word to others and be a blessing to them.  So let us make a commitment to spend a little more time each day in fellowship with, and learning from The Lord.  Let Him bless us and use us as He sees fit, according to His purpose.

We Are All Called To Serve God

"I keep asking that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you ..." Ephesians 1:17-18 (NIV)

This was the prayer of the apostle Paul for the Christians in Ephesus.

We are not all called to preach the gospel, but we are all called by God to serve Him in some capacity. We are not all given the same gifts or abilities but we all have at least one gift that we can use in His service. We should all pray for each other that we would recognize our gifts and how we can use them for the glory of God.