Accept Your Call

Something to think about.

Accept Your Call

even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

Jesus, the son of God, came to serve humanity, even unto his own death. For this is why he came. Of all the ways Christ could have served humanity, He accepted the assignment of his father and came as teacher and leader and sacrifice for us.

What has God called you to? And have you accepted the call? We want to do what we perceive as being important. As being noticeable. We want to be recognized for our good works. But if we follow the example of Jesus, we will find that our call may not bring us the attention we desire. It is easy and desirable to be a leader and teacher but are you ready to be the sacrifice. Are you willing to give it all for what Jesus has called you to do?

I am not suggesting that every call of God requires you to physically sacrifice yourself for another. I am asking, you are you willing to accept the call of God for your life regardless of what that is? Regardless of what it would cost you.

The truth is you begin down the path of submission to God expecting and believing that it will result in your ultimate benefit. What you don't know is submission to God will lead you to a sacrifice of self. It will lead you to a place where you will accept the price that was paid for you and realize that price was not symbolic it was actual.  If you accept the sacrifice that Christ made for you and understand is not just a sacrifice but also a payment for you; you, in all honesty, will realize you are a slave of God.

The call of God on your life is all-consuming it will lead you too full acceptance of your position as a purchased slave of God. Better it is to be a slave of God than to be a free man of sin. The free man of sin will ultimately receive his just judgment. The slave of God will receive his adoption as a son of God. Our acceptance of the call of God will lead us into the freedom of our position as adopted children of the most high God.

The call of God is not one-dimensional. It is not simply a service to God it is the doorway to the full benefit of adoption. By accepting the call of God, we begin the necessary transformation into the kingdom of God. We begin to know God when we accept the sacrifice of his son and accept the call he has given us.  We will know God when we take on the full implication of the cross. The quilt, the payment, the sacrifice, and our position as slaves of God. 

As slaves of God we are not idle we are not without purpose. We are called by our owner to do His will. God would not have sacrifice His son for our redemption and salvation for us to be idle. He has a call on your life, a call, and a claim.   

Submission to God though difficult at times will lead us into His Kingdom as His adopted and transformed children.  Heaven will be populated by the transformed slaves of God.

Leia Mais…

Court

Something to think about.

Court

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Psalm 84:10 (NIV)

The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure. It can also refer to the physical residence of the monarch where the court resides or a series of complexes.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_(royal)

It is better to be an attendant of God than to be associated with the wicked.   David is saying,  service to God is incomparably better than freedom to sin. The greatest pleasure of sin is not equal to the being part of the court (attendants) of God.

The greatest fallacy that humanity has accepted, ingested propagated and believed is the idea that sin is more pleasurable and desirable than being in the presence of God.  We try to negotiate with God, allow me this sinful pleasure. As if any sinful desire is equal to the least of Gods blessing. David is advocating the exact opposite there is no sin that is equal to the benefit of being, (pay attention) simply being in His presence. His presence, without Him doing anything at all, is better than any and all sinful pleasures.

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A Stumbling Block

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A Stumbling Block

²⁵ But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ²⁶ It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸ even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 (ESV)

 What do we do with these verses? They directly contradict everything  our culture and education espouse. In essence, it is saying deny yourself, do not seek power, control, authority, do not seek those things that your culture esteems as being of great value. It says sacrifice yourself as Christ sacrificed himself for humanity. Remember the sacrifice; Christ gave up omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, immortality, and so much more, to come and be a servant to man. He is telling us to follow Him, and become as He became a servant to your fellow man. This call, this command is a daily stumbling block we must continually overcome.   

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Bondservant

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Bondservant

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7

It is one thing to be born a servant. It is quite a different thing to be the King Of Kings, and willingly become a servant to the very same people He rules. That is what Jesus did, He gave up his power, prestige, authority, sovereignty, majesty, glory, and all the other kingly attributes, to become a servant to man. To be Christ-like is to be a bondservant of Christ. It is to willingly lay down all of our titles and take up our positions behind our King and becomes as He was a servant.  

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Aspirations

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Aspirations

For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. Luke 22:27

We aspire to great things, both in the church and out. We dream great dreams; we ingest inspiration as if it were food in our quest for accomplishment. With the mad rush of our lives and culture, we miss the essence of greatness. Our highest calling, our highest aspiration will never be higher, greater, more impactful, than emulating Christ. He exemplified the highest calling of man, not for His benefit but for ours. Our highest calling regardless of our gifts is to serve each other. In doing so, we exemplify Christ and are recognized as great. 

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The Prize

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The Prize

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

We like to quote this scripture, for reasons of inspiration, motivation, and self-assuredness in the righteousness of our work.  But I ask you do you even know what the prize is? It is not salvation, salvation can not be earned, It is not righteousness as "our righteous acts are like filthy rags" it not justification as we are "justified by faith." 

What is it then, what is the prize? The prize is fulfilling the purpose that God created you for. The prize is fulfilling the call of a servant. The prize is hearing God say to you in person well done "good and faithful servant." To be a servant of God, you must forget all of your past, your hurts, victories disappointments, and successes. You must change the paradigm of your life and press forward in the work the Lord has prepared you for. So you can look forward to the prize of  "well done good and faithful servant."   

Leia Mais…