May 2024

Happy Mother's Day! Our relationship with our mom varies for each of us, from the greatest to none at all. Regardless, God had a divine design for us from our mother's womb. The key is to recognize it, have faith in God and move on in life no matter what. The Psalmist David proclaimed to the Lord:

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. . .You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day passed" (Psalm 139:13,16, NLT).

Questions About Our Calling . . .

Jason wrote: "I hope this letter finds you well. I have known your name for a good portion of my life but only recently learned that you are an ordained minister." 

"What brought you into God's service? I ask because, for the last 20 years, I have found myself on an intense spiritual journey. I was raised in a Methodist household but strayed as I grew older. I had a lot of questions and doubts about what I had learned in the church. Over the years, my journey brought me through everything from dabbling in pagan practices to Buddhism and, most recently, to Orthodox Christianity. They all 'felt right' initially, but as usual I had my doubts as time passed.

"Orthodox Christianity was different, though. When I walked in and participated in the service and had fellowship afterwards it felt as if I had 'come home', if that makes sense? At the same time, it was terrifying. What if I had finally found where I belonged? How did you know when you were called? Were you scared or apprehensive at first? I look forward to hearing from you and learning more about you and your ministry. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Sincerely, Jason, New Jersey."

Our Call Into Service . . .

Christianity is not a man-made service. We are called into God's service when we are born again, meaning born not only physically but Spiritually from above (John 3:1-21; 1Peter 1:23). Due to Adam and Eve's fall in the old creation, their sin caused spiritual death to pass upon all mankind (Romans 5:6-21). But through faith in Christ, we are new creations, reconciled to God and ambassadors for Christ. The apostle Paul wrote: "We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!' For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, NLT). Paul also said that God ". . . separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . ." (Galatians 1:15,16, NKJV).

We, too, are called by God to do what we can not do in the flesh. Throughout the four (4) Gospels, Jesus made it clear that it was impossible to keep the commandments, to love God and one another and to obey His Word without being born again. He said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:16-26, NKJV). When we're born of the Spirit, He comforts, gives peace, teaches, testifies, convicts, guides and turns our sorrow into joy (John, chapters 14-16). Jesus said we would do ". . . greater works . . . because I go unto my Father" (John 14:12). Moreover, He said, ". . . for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7, KJV). Then on the day of Pentecost, Jesus sent the power of the Holy Spirit so it would be possible for us to do the greater works (Acts 1:8; chapters 2 & 3). Simply, we must be born again and overflowing with the Holy Spirit to do the works our Heavenly Father called us to do.

A Divine Call . . .

The LORD called Jeremiah, saying: "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations" (1:5, NLT). The Life Recovery Bible notes, "God probably won't call us to be a prophet like Jeremiah, but He does have a plan for each of us. If we have failed, it is our responsibility to cooperate with God now so we can return to the path He intended for us" (page 930). God's desire is for you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior so that His plan can take place in your life. He said in Jeremiah 29:11-13, that His plans are ". . .for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me" (NLT). Otherwise, you are going to follow your own plans.

"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11, NKJV).

The goal is for you to get to the place in your Spiritual life where you can hear the divine call and say, "Here I am, Lord, use me, speak to me!" If the apostle Paul had not heard The Macedonian Call to preach the gospel in Philippi, Lydia would not have been saved at that time, nor the Philippines and the jailer and his family (Acts 16:6-34). Jesus said, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8, NKJV). The Lord fills our sails from moment to moment to do things that would be impossible without the anointing, ". . .for prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21, NKJV). For this reason, I suggest that you listen to my podcast "The Call Of God", after reading the blurb of some of its contents below:

The Call Of God . . .

In Isaiah 6:8, we read: "Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me'" (NKJV). Isaiah was called to give the people a choice: to hear the Word of God and live; or reject the Word of God and face His wrath. We are called to deliver a similar message: Receive God's Word [Jesus] and accept His salvation; or reject it and be left to God's wrath. God gave His Word to Prophets, Kings, and leaders, and now He has given it to us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We become equipped to share it with others. Matthew wrote: "But when He [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'" (Matthew 9:36-38, NKJV). Are you willing to answer the call of Jesus? The apostle Paul wrote: "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 NKJV). Because of Christ's love, we are "compelled" to live for Him, sharing His grace with others. The number one commission for us as believers is to win souls. We are joined in union with Jesus Christ in this mission. We no longer live for ourselves, which brings us to the main point: To answer the call of God, we must be willing. Are you willing?

Click here to listen to the Abounding Love Podcast, #239A - "The Call Of God" & #239B - "How To Be Used By God" episodes.

A Prayer For You . . .

Heavenly Father, I thank You that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what You want us to pray for. But Your Word tells us that the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And You who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with Your own will. And we know that You cause everything to work together for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose for them. For You knew us in advance, and You chose us to become like Your Son, so that Jesus would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen us, You called us to come to Jesus. And having called us, You gave us right standing with Yourself. And having given us right standing, You gave us Your glory.

Father, what shall we say about such wonderful things? If You are for us, who can ever be against us? And since You did not spare even Your own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't You also freely give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom You have chosen for Your own? No one -- for You have given us right standing with Yourself. Who then will condemn us? No one -- for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at Your right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean that He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or persecuted , or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, "For Your sake we are killed everyday; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us. So let it be, Lord, according to Your Word! Amen. [See Romans 8:26-37, NLT].