- araratchurch
- Oct 20, 2023
- 4 min read
“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”
Romans 8:28 AMP
After the golden calf incident with the children of Israel, Moses went back up on Mount Sinai where the Lord would again write His commandments on stone tablets, replacing those Moses had broken.
What Moses did not know was that as he spent time with the Lord, something was happening to his appearance.
“Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.”
Exodus 34:29-30, 35 NKJV
Yes, Moses had “residue” from the glory of God such that his face shined! But, he did not know his appearance had changed.
You see, Moses didn’t go up on Mount Sinai to get a shiny face, he obediently went up on Mount Sinai to talk to the Lord.
Yesterday we discussed the fact that some people obsessively attempt to search out their individual calling, while not doing the things clearly put forth for ALL of us to do.
But, what about those who are obedient to the Lord? Should they obsess over whether or not they are fulfilling their calling?
I will submit to you that if you are being led by the Spirit of God, walking in obedience to His voice, you will not fail to fulfill your personal calling. Indeed, the Holy Spirit will never lead you out of your personal calling!
You see, just as Moses did not know that his face was shining, we may not realize until the next life what our part is/was in the plan of God. But, as we stay before Him, we can’t help but be transformed into what we are to be, what part of His plan we complete.
Allow me to share with you an example the Lord recently gave me for someone who was wondering if they had missed, or might be missing, some part of their personal calling:
I want you to see a stadium; you are looking at people in the stands. Each of them is holding up a card on which is some part of a picture or image you are observing (perhaps their mascot, a flag, a slogan, etc).
Now, I want you to consider what the people holding up the cards are seeing from their perspective.
Each of these individuals arrived at the stadium and went to the seat assigned to them. There they found the card they are now holding up in front of their face. And, that’s all they are seeing: the back of a card. They may not even know what the other people are seeing who are looking at the group holding up all the cards!
However, even though the card-holding individuals may not know what is on the other side of their card, they hear the other people cheer upon seeing the complete picture.
Again, each of these people simply arrived at the stadium, went to their assigned seats, and at the proper time, lifted up the card. And—as insignificant as it might seem to the one person holding up one card—the image on the other side, to be complete, needed their participation.
Friend, as I spoke to the person with whom I originally shared this example, many times in our lives we may simply arrive where we are supposed to be at that point in time, and do what is in front of us to do, not realizing that this is an “appointment” of any sort. But, as we do this, and continue to do this, whether we recognize it or not, we are walking in and fulfilling our calling!
In our opening scripture we see a verse—the full implication of which—we may be missing. You see, being called according to His purpose means walking in obedience to His instructions for you. As such, if you remain obedient, then all things, whether done to you or through you, will work toward producing the part of God’s picture you have been called to be.
Consider this:
We’ve probably all seen those images that are actually made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of individual photos of people. These individual photos are not visible except by zooming in on it.
Indeed, these compound images actually illustrate how your calling and God’s overall will are connected.
As you walk in obedience to the Lord, you are creating the image God has called you to be. And—most amazing of all—along with all the saints who have gone before you, or will come after you, you are an integral part of God’s wonderful, eternal, perfect plan!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Oct 20, 2023
- 4 min read
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14:15 NKJV
We started out our discussion this week by looking into the fact that we have all been called to be saved through Jesus Christ. Sadly, we know that not all will take that invitation.
Yesterday we discussed the fact that throughout the Bible we see people who had specific time-sensitive missions. Some of these missions were fulfilled at one moment in time. Others, would require a lifetime to be fulfilled.
Esther, who we referenced yesterday, basically did what she was sent to do over the span of just a few days.
On the other hand, considering Moses’ call, he would spend 40 years walking out his mission.
Now we turn to look at the part of our call common to all Christians and requiring a lifetime of obedient devotion.
Peter said something which may seem ambiguous, looking at it in isolation from its context:
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
II Peter 1:10-11 NKJV
So, how do we make our call and election “sure”? For that, let’s look at this statement in its context:
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
II Peter 1:2-11 NKJV
Ah! We must act on our calling by “adding” the qualities that will set us apart from the world, while keeping us walking in obedience to God’s call in Jesus Christ.
Indeed, the apostle Paul instructs that an examination of our own behavior will indicate whether we are walking in the Faith (being true to our calling).
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”
II Corinthians 13:5 NKJV
Ironically, and sadly, there are many people who spend extensive time trying to figure out what their individual calling is, when they have not answered the general call by walking according to the clear instruction given to all those who are in Christ.
Worrying about what your specific—or “greater” call is—without first doing what all Christians are called to do, truly is like picking a nat out of your food, but swallowing a camel sharing the dinner plate with your hamburger.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”
Matthew 23:23-24 NKJV
In our opening scripture we see Jesus making a very simple statement. Yes, all who answer the call to follow after Christ will follow His commands.
John further illuminated this very fact.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
I John 5:3 NKJV
Being called by God through Jesus Christ means that we all should live in such a way that the world sees Him through us.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV
Tomorrow we will bring all of this together.
For now we leave you with a wonderful promise, accompanied by powerful instruction, as to what all the children of God should be doing now.
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
I John 3:1-3, 8 NKJV
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Oct 19, 2023
- 4 min read
“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”
I Corinthians 9:16 NKJV
Esther was literally sitting pretty as queen over the Persian Empire when her relative, Mordecai, having learned of Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews, sought for her to appeal the Jew’s cause to the king.
At first, Esther resisted, saying that she could not approach the king unless called by him. Mordecai sent her this reply:
“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?””
Esther 4:14 NKJV
Esther, convinced by Mordecai’s argument that she was actually chosen as queen to do this mission, accepts the call.
“Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!””
Esther 4:15-16 NKJV
Now, we know that Esther fulfilled her mission. Haman was brought to justice, the Jews were saved, and Esther and Mordecai were given great authority, all because Esther chose to act even if it would cost her everything to do so.
Prophet Isaiah gives a wonderful account of God’s call to him.
“Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.””
Isaiah 6:8-10 NLT
Isaiah was to be a prophet to his own people, speaking the judgment of God in the period leading up to the Babylonian Captivity, as well as revealing God’s plans to send salvation to His people. Indeed, Isaiah saw the Suffering Servant Who would prove to be Jesus Christ!
“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:3-5 NKJV
Yes, it was granted to Isaiah to see the ultimate Sacrifice, as well as His everlasting Kingdom to come.
“But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.”
Isaiah 11:4-6, 9 NKJV
Isaiah saw all these wonderful things, becoming one of the greatest among the prophets, simply because he responded to the call of God, saying, “Here am I! Send me.”
Indeed, the Bible is full of people who emerge from obscurity to do great things, simply because they accepted a specific call from God, in a specific timeframe.
Paul, after describing his call from the Lord to King Agrippa, declares that he had accepted the call of Christ, and had remained faithful to it.
“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.”
Acts 26:19-20 NKJV
Bear in mind, the Lord, in ordering Ananias to go pray for Paul, painted quite a solemn picture of what Paul was being called to do.
“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.””
Acts 9:15-16 NKJV
And, yes, Ananias accepted his own specific call!
“And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.”
Acts 9:17-18 NKJV
Now—just imagine—all the wonderful things the apostle Paul did—as well as being accredited to Paul—are accredited to the faithful servant, Ananias, who prayed for Paul at the request of the Lord!
In our opening scripture we see Paul expressing the urgency he felt concerning his call. And, he was faithful to it unto death.
Next time we’ll discuss more about answering God’s call.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!