https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKSofu9YlyQ&sns=em
Do we truly understand how important God’s love is? Do we really know the message of the Good News of the Gospel? God Loves You As You Are, Not As You Should Be.
My thanks to the person who emailed this video link to me today. Thank you, Father, for loving me unconditionally just the way I am and not the way I think I should be.
We have all experienced the need for “starting over”. It can be a painful prospect, but in many cases, a reset is the only solution.
Setting a new course can be just the thing necessary to set us free from heartache, guilt, doubt, addiction, unfruitfulness; or in the case of spiritual warfare, a total rebirth:
“7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’. 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear the sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ~ John 3:7-8 (NIV)
God chose a flood to wipe out the wickedness that man had caused on the earth (Genesis 6). Rather than destroy man completely, God provided a way of escape for Noah and his family by calling upon Noah to build an ark. Through faith, Noah was allowed a means of starting over – a reset, if you will. The victorious reset in history over mankind’s separation from God is the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after His crucifixion. Praise God, we serve a Living Christ! Another major reset for mankind will take place in the future when our Messiah returns and sets up His kingdom on earth – the Millennial Age. These examples of God’s resets show that God’s love for us is not to be defeated. He has not given up on us, but His plan requires starting over.
I chose this feature photo because the rainbow reminds me of God’s faithful promise to never again consume the earth with a flood. He placed the rainbow in the skies as evidence of His promise. After the rains, the flooding will pass.
Starting over is like that for me. The world consumed me like a flood, but the flooding has passed. God’s magnificent rainbow of promise lies before me, and I rejoice in starting over in Him.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” ~ James 4:8a (ESV)
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” ~ Galations 6:9 (KJV)
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide you a way out so that you can endure it.” ~ I Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
Great is the Lord, and Greatly to be Praised!
God bless you.
The Word of God is living and active. It pries, prods, kicks and squirms;twists, shoves, rips and tears its way into every crook and cranny of the minds and hearts of men until all is “open and laid bare”. Then – redemption.
The Apostle Paul sums up Dad’s message in the most compelling statement:
12″For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before Him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” ~ Hebrews 4:12-13 (Dad’s NT Bible)
Paul points out that God’s works were finished from the foundation of the world. Then He rested on the seventh day (Sabbath). God intended for man to enter into that rest with Him, but man rebelled (Heb. 4:1-5). Without accepting God’s plan of redemption through faith in Jesus , man may never enter God’s rest. Without acknowledging his sin, and accepting Jesus as Messiah, man is eternally barred from entering into an everlasting relationship with his Creator.
BUT GOD! In His infinite mercy and grace, God provided His living Word as a testament to His abiding love for all men. He made a plan for redemption. His Son fulfilled the Father’s plan on the cross. Christ defeated death, and God gave His Living Word to proclaim the Good News to let men know about it.
again He sets a certain day, “Today”, saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” ~ Hebrews 4:7 (Dad’s NT Bible)
I thank and praise God for laying my sins bare. His living Word pursued me like a Lion. It found my hidden parts; then pierced my mind and heart, dividing me asunder. I give Him glory everlasting and thank Him for allowing me to strive for rest in Him. When I get discouraged it’s usually because I have spent too much time caught up in the “cares of this world” with less time in God’s Word. Those distractions cause me to be fruitless, while choking God’s Word (Mark 4:18-19).
So here is the last part of the message of encouragement that Dad marked at the bottom of page 381:
I think it means perseverance. What do you think?
“22But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror: 24for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.” ~ James 1:22-25 (Dad’s NT Bible)
What does a “doer of the Word” look like? A good picture could be found in Matthew chapter 11. John the Baptist was imprisoned by King Herod and sent two of his disciples to Jesus:
3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” ~ Matthew 11:3-6 (NIV)
So, do what Jesus did. He lived the Father’s plan for His life on earth. He didn’t just read the redemption plan up in heaven and never came to earth to fulfill it. Believers are to live out God’s plan for them in the same way; not just read about it in His Word.
A hearer of the Word remembers to look at himself in the mirror every morning but forgets the Word as soon as he leaves the house. A “doer of the Word” forgets to look in the mirror in the morning but remembers the Word as soon as he leaves the house – and does it.
What does it take to be a “doer that acts”? Faith that is genuine. Even though Dad may have become discouraged in his walk with Christ, his faith was genuine. He has been gone for almost 40 years but neighbors still mention him not as just a “good guy”, but as a man who lived for God. Some still don’t believe in Jesus, but they respect Dad for showing that he did.
The great news is that a doer of the Word shall be blessed in his doing!
6 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy ,9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” ~ 1 Peter 1:6-10 (NIV)
Encouragement – “see pg 381” is the last notations from Dad in his NT Bible and contains the most important message that he personally left in my keepsake from him on encouragement.
God bless.
There are many gods, but only one Savior.
9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.” 10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no Savior. ~ Isaiah 43:9-11 (NIV)
The heart of the servant is what God looks at. Being encouraged to do God’s will is not always what we want to hear. We want Him to support us doing OUR will.
41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” 42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” ~ Luke 12:41-48(NIV)
“The Heart of a Servant” would have been a good title for this post. Jesus declared Himself to be a “Servant of the Father” many times in scripture. What was His heart? Plainly, He loved us so much that He gave ALL on the cross for us. Christ took our severe punishment (death) which we deserve even though He was blameless. He was the One who has given much. Therefore, since believers are to be like Him, much will be required of His followers.
Jesus is teaching in Luke 12:41-48 that there are basically three groups of servants and how a master dealt with each group:
Group One: The faithful obedient servants – This is the group that all Christians believe (or hope) they have membership in. Group One will inherit God’s kingdom, but Jesus also reveals that it does not come without cost (verse 48b). It’s called taking up our cross and following Him. The cross of every believer is to be the same as His cross. Men will always exact a heavy penalty for those who they consider to be against the establishment. The world will scoff, ridicule and persecute every believer who is dedicated to being a servant of the Father (like Jesus). Verses 43 and 44 are the scriptures that all believers love to hear, though; the ones that mention reward for faithful service. Jesus gives a detailed description of Group One, represented by the churches of Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11) and Philadelphia (Rev. 3:8-12). The church of Smyrna is the poor, but spiritually rich church, to which Jesus promises He will give the crown of life. The church of Philadelphia is known as the church that is loyal to Christ; the church that perseveres and is watchful for His coming. Jesus promises the church of Philadelphia not only a crown of life, but for overcomers, a pillar in the temple of God and a permanent home in the temple of God; that the name of God, the new name of Christ, a brand new name for the church, and a new name for the New Jerusalem, will all be written upon them. Group One is the group Jesus loves to love.
Group Two: The unfaithful disobedient servants – The master cuts them to ribbons and then banishes them from His kingdom as unbelievers! Harsh? That is what Jesus said they deserved. “Wouldn’t it be fair to just let us repent and forgive us?” cries Group Two. It is the saddest thing to contemplate, but God knows the heart. Evidently, Group Two does not have loyalty to the master or the heart of a servant.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” ~ James 1:22 NIV
Group Three: The innocently disobedient servants – This group could possibly be servants that Group Two influenced, trained, or misled. They may not be doers of the Word simply because they don’t know what the Word says. Maybe they never read it. Or, they may have fallen prey to false teaching, immorality, or idolatry. Skeptical? A better description of Group Three is given by Jesus in His message to the seven churches found in the Book of Revelation chapters 2-3. The other five churches besides Smyrna and Philadelphia are listed:
“Weren’t we just carnal Christians or backsliders?” asks Group Three. Jesus encourages Group Three to repent and be overcomers.
Page 130 of Dad’s Bible contains Christ’s instructional encouragement to believers. Instructional encouragement is based on “here is the truth. These are your options and there are consequences – you choose”.
The “take-away” for this writer in layman’s language is:
Jesus lovingly instructed Group One, “Great job! Keep doing what you are doing. I will be back soon. Hold down the fort until I come. If you need help, I left more instructions in My Word. Send me messages for guidance. I will answer. Stand strong, don’t give up, and you will be rewarded.”
Jesus banished Group Two with “Depart from Me! I never knew you!”
Jesus praised Group Three, “I know you thought you were serving me, but you have made some mistakes, and have been suffering the consequences of your bad decisions. Now that you are aware, turn back to me and I will forgive you. Don’t be discouraged. Study My Word, and share it with others; persevere, and I will bring your reward with me when I come back.”
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” ~ Rev 3:19 (NIV)
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” ~ Rev. 22:12 (NIV)
Maranatha! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
The next posting Encouragement – “See pg 397” will be coming out soon, Lord willing. Don’t miss it by following ImportantStuff.live!
God bless.
Here is a link to a brief commentary from LifeHope &Truth that highlights the encouragements that Jesus gave to each of the Seven Churches of Revelation .
Page 49 of Dad’s New Testament Bible has a faint penciled box around verses 37-40 of Matthew 25. It is as if Dad could not boldly circle these verses in ink; just humbly and gently scribe the page with a blunt pencil; as a servant awed by the sheer power and majesty of his Almighty King. When I first read the noted verses 37-40, I was not seeing a message of encouragement. In the words of Jesus Himself:
“37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’“ ~ Matthew 25:37-40
Matthew scripture chapter 25, verses 31-46 is known in modern times as “The Parable of the Sheep and Goats”. It is the last parable that Jesus spoke to His disciples privately at the location of the Mount of Olives just two days before his betrayal and arrest during Passover in Jerusalem. Jesus is speaking of the judgment of the nations in this passage which will take place at His Second Coming. I encourage you to read the entire passage if you have not already. A link is provided at the end of this post. The parable’s meaning is very controversial; even to the point that there is no agreement as to whether it is a parable or not! I have avoided links to opposing views on this parable, but feel that we can surely ascertain that the verses speak of King Jesus separating the goat nations to His left for everlasting punishment, and the righteous sheep nations to His right hand for eternal life, based upon their treatment of “the least of these My brethren”.
But what does this mean? Who are the least? Scripture supports, explains, or backs up scripture, so let’s look at a passage in Exodus:
“21Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. 23If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, 24And My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. 25If thou lend money to any of My people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. 26If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: 27For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto Me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.” ~ Exodus 22:21-27 (KJV)
Consider: Here in Alaska it would be thought inhumane in extremely cold weather to accept the coat of another unless the circumstances were dire (survival related) or the recipient of the coat knew it was a spare coat of the giver. Yes, and return it by nightfall! But I can also witness that some Alaskans will go out of their way to cover a freezing homeless person with their own coats in sub-zero weather. Whether believers or not, I cannot say, but the gesture of mercy for the poor and naked is not lost on this writer, nor with Jesus, I am confident.
Don’t forget “My brethren” are fellow believers, the Jews (Yeshua was definitely a Jew). Show kindness to one another. Help one another. Pray for and lift up all men, as only God knows who is of the sheep nations or who is of the goat nations. We are not to discriminate or judge anyone.
I hear all the time that there is no salvation in good works. Baloney! True, Jesus is our Messiah, and He is our Redeemer. There is no other way to salvation but through belief in Him. Yet His ministry on earth was a life of good works. He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. Let His example be our guide, in order to be more like Him.
I think James, the Lord’s brother, clarifies the question of good works :
“14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” ~ James 2:14-18 (KJV)
So where is the message of encouragement on page 49 of Dad’s Bible? For me, it is “THE PROMISE” of great reward that Jesus taught us: He knows His sheep, and is known by them. King Jesus is The Great Shepherd who carefully tends His flock (sheep nations) and keeps it safe from God’s wrath. He refers to His sheep as being “righteous”. But Jesus warned, in His own words, that there is a terrible and final consequence for the goat nations who are not charitable; who do not feed the poor, but rob the poor; who do not help orphans or widows, but abuse and sell them into slavery; who love themselves more than their neighbors; who judge the sins of others as being worse than their own.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ is to love one another, as the King loved us. As we walk that out, take encouragement from pg. 49 of Dad’s Bible. Jesus rewards the faithful and obedient servants of His Word with everlasting life. How much more encouragement do we need?
The cost:
There is nothing on pg. 49 of Dad’s Bible that will make us prosperous by the world’s standards. The Gospel is totally free as our gift from our Father in heaven. He sacrificed His Son for us. There is no way to take up our cross and follow Him except to humbly serve others less fortunate and without expecting personal gain or earthly honor. Our true reward is His spiritual blessing of life everlasting with Him; which is treasure immeasurable.
“20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Hebrews 13:20-21 (KJV)
God bless!
Note: I apologize to the readers of these “encouragement posts” for lack of citing Bible translation versions of the scriptures that Dad circled or otherwise referenced in his New Testament. The reason I cannot cite is because I am transcribing the featured scripture text verbatim from his Bible (other than taking liberty to capitalize His Holy Name out of reverence). The first 12 numbered pages of his Bible, which would have included Matthew chapter 1-7 are entirely gone; including the title, publishing and copyright pages. The Bible text begins simply on page 13 with verse 12b of Matthew chapter 8. I could guess at the version, but will forbear. Fortunately, there is nothing noted at the bottom of each page by Dad which references those missing pages, so we at least have Dad’s complete message. Thank you for following the “encouragement posts” in spite of this issue. YOU are giving ME great encouragement!
Thanks also, to those following importantstuff.live. The next post Encouragement – “see pg 130” will be posted soon, Lord willing.
Here is a link to the entire scriptural passage on the Parable of the Sheep and Goats for those interested at biblegateway.com.
Encouragement – “see pg 289” could also be titled, Oh! By the Way…
There is no one church leader, prophet, apostle, pastor, teacher, marriage counselor, group, or Christian friend who has the power to solve a spiritual problem. There is only one Truth – the Master Jesus whom we serve. But in what manner are we to serve? Let it be willingly and humbly – with no one believer greater than the rest and none to be idolized.
Chapter 3 of I Corinthians is part of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth. Dad actually circled four verses from chapter 3 on pages 288 and 289 of his New Testament Bible. I am not even going to try to unravel the mystery of it, and appreciate the context of the scriptures by commenting on the passage of verses 3-9. Chapter 3 was Paul’s way of dealing with a bunch of weak believers who Paul referred to as “babes in Christ”. He was exasperated with them. Evidently they were more focused on glorifying the missionaries than they were on growing their relationship with Jesus – a fleshly pursuit. The result was disunity – division and strife in the body of Christ. There have been multitudes of believers in history that have been sucked up into the same bowl of beans.
I am not at all categorizing anyone experiencing discouragement as a “weak believer”. Far from it! Paul wrote at length about his own discouragements and I would not consider him to be weak in the faith. Yet his strength came from faith in Jesus – not men.
I am also not saying that fellow believers are unworthy of your time when you need encouragement. They most certainly should be of help in pointing you to God’s Word for answers. There is power in the brethren praying for one another, no doubt. Seek their guidance, respect their calling, but listen to what Paul had to say:
“3For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? 4For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” Are you not merely men? 5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are equal, and each shall receive his wages according to his labor. 9For we are fellow workers for God: you are God’s field, God’s building.” ~ I Corinthians 3:3-9
And by the way: When it comes to encouragement, God’s Word is The Authority. There is no one – NO ONE – more trustworthy than our Messiah, Jesus the Christ, the Living God. No matter what is going on in your life that is causing you to feel defeated, you can take it to Him in prayer for peace, resolution, and victory. Believe in His love, grace, and compassion; which is sufficient and matchless.
Another “By the way”: Although each believer is called, we are called to different purposes, according to God’s plan. So be encouraged not to try to be God’s yardstick. We stumble when we compare ourselves to fellow believers – be they great or small in our eyes. Apollos and Paul were merely “servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each” (emphasis added).
More “By the way”: Be encouraged by this: “but God gave the growth”. A famer plants the seed, and waters it, but only God produces the crop. That is supernatural power. The farmer does not own the crop, or other laborers in the field. God does. The farmer has no ability whatsoever to make the seed miraculously turn into a mature plant: “you are God’s field, God’s building.” The farmer is not to be glorified for just planting and watering. The farmer is doing that for his own benefit – nothing to idolize there! God owns the dirt. Man is dust. Don’t idolize dust! Seek encouragement in your daily walk from the Creator of dust through His Word. He will take care of you if you just believe, ask, and trust Him.
“21So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; 23and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” ~ I Corinthians 3:21-23
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” ~ I Corinthians 4:1
Oh! By the way: Remember that “you are Christ’s” and He is all powerful. Be encouraged that He is Wisdom and is our Counsellor, our Friend, our High Tower, our Healer, our Redeemer, and is Mighty to Save. No problem is bigger than Jesus. He takes our ugly and wraps it in His Beauty.
Final “By the way”: The world is watching. We are to be “stewards of the mysteries of God” instead of “behaving as ordinary men”. Pray for one another always.
If you are looking forward to discovering with me another segment of Dad’s message about encouragement, follow www.importantstuff.live and check out the next blog titled “Encouragement – “see pg 49”. God Bless.
Note: For another viewpoint on divisions in the early church of Corinth, here is a link to an article written by John Reed: “1COR3v18to23: THE CURE FOR CHRISTIAN DISUNITY”
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” ~Philippians 3:12.
We are to press on. We are not perfect, and we won’t do a perfect job for Jesus; but we belong to Him. Jesus continually makes intercession for us in heaven because we are His! PRAISE GOD!! Our victory is secured in Him through faith – not of ourselves, should any boast.
“Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ.” ~ Philippians 3:8.
Very few of us living in America have “suffered the loss of all things” for Christ; but crushing persecution was part of everyday life for believers in the early church (as it is for believers in many areas of the world today):
“35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, for Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” ~ Romans 8:35-37
The greatest encouragement for the believer is that troubles do not separate us from the love of Jesus. Quite the opposite is true:
“38For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~ Romans 8: 38-39
No, we are not perfect, but we are to press on, because nothing we do (or don’t do) can separate us from our Messiah. He is holding us up. We are not holding Him up!
The next posting of Encouragement – “see pg 289” could also be titled, Oh! By the Way…
For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he has not. ~2 Corinthians 8:12.
This scripture reminds me of the humble lifestyle of my childhood. Dad was a good provider for our family, and God blessed us in all the things that count. But there were definitely times when Dad felt that he just wasn’t “Living the American Dream”. All that changed when God opened new doors in Dad’s life. Because Dad was willingly obedient to God’s calling, our entire family has reaped the earthly and the spiritual reward for four generations.
I remember that Dad regretted not having a college education. I could tell by his conversations with me growing up that he seriously wanted his children to get more education that he had. Yet he was so gifted that he achieved far more in his brief life than I claim for my own life (having more formal education and outliving him by almost 20 years). Dad used what God blessed him with by tithing, supporting gospel ministries, teaching Sunday School classes, helping build youth camps and church buildings with limited materials, actively serving as an ordained deacon in his local church, and by sharing God’s Word with ordinary folks he met in ordinary circumstances. Dad made sure he was the spiritual leader of our family. He declared Sunday as “Family Day” and took us to church; then afterward he took us on picnics all over the place. He became a pilot and flew us to uninhabited places you wouldn’t believe just so we could enjoy hot dogs together on a deserted beach; then beach comb until sunset. When he could no longer fly his plane due to health reasons he made sure it went into service in the mission fields of the far north Alaskan bush villages. Dad really took care of the important stuff. I am convinced that God can and does call each person without regard for attributes that men would esteem. When I observe believers who share their faith in amazing ways through giving, music, preaching, teaching, charity, care giving, or a myriad of other ways, I am struck by God’s love for diversity in His chosen.
It must be a very sad thing to God when believers are unwilling to use what they DO have in service for the Gospel. When we make excuses for not sharing Jesus, it is such a paradox! If we truly believed that we have no skills, talents, or resources with which to share the Bible message, what about our mouths? Wouldn’t our verbal skill be better used for glorifying Jesus through witness than for making those excuses?
Sometimes God has opened doors of opportunity to me but when I demonstrated willingness He shut the doors. Was He just testing my willingness? Was my faith alone acceptable, even though I was poorly equipped to handle the assignment? God is so kind and merciful. He never expects us to do more than we are able at the time. One particular example of God’s tenderness was revealed to me personally about ten years ago. A new job opportunity that I felt was God’s will for me came out of nowhere and I accepted the job. I was so excited and hurriedly packed my bags, as the job location was in a remote area of Alaska. Then suddenly God let me know that I should not go. I was so confused until I realized that God had slammed that door shut out of love for me. I had been depressed and needed more healing before leaving home and family. He just wanted to know that I was willing. My readiness was acceptable, but He would not expect from me what I did not possess. Later, God blessed me with complete healing of depression and then opened new doors for service to Him. Has your willingness been tested? What do you lack that God is not great enough to provide or help you to overcome?
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28 KJV
Even though I had memorized this verse as a child, I seem to have missed one important word in the verse – the. Them who are “the” called” is so much more personal than ”them who are called”. I am so honored to have a new designation; to be a member of a select group; I am a part of “the called”, not just “called”.
Talk about encouragement! I feel so dumb that I missed that for so long. Thanks, Dad.
There is more of Dad’s New Testament message ahead in Encouragement – “see pg 343”. If you don’t want to miss the next part of the message just follow along here at importantstuff.live.
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