“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life; not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:7-10
Pastor Jim Haynes and I were talking recently and the topic of how to best witness to people who are Christians but still seem to struggle at times with the topic of ‘grace’ and is it really ‘free’ and ‘sufficient’ to cover ‘their’ sins; what more should they do on this side of Heaven? I’ve spoken with people like that and I struggle to finds the words of assurance that there is nothing that they can do try to scrub a little harder on their sins to whiten the blemishes where they have erred. My last quote this week from the John Ortberg book that I am reading; “A career can be disrupted by any number of events, but not a calling. When God calls people, He enables them to fulfill their callings even in the worst unlikely circumstances.” I didn’t receive a Call from a Seminary and was never ordained in a church as that was not God’s plan for my life’s journey. I do believe that our Heavenly Father nudges each of us to plant seeds of Hope in other people’s lives and that the Holy Spirit can then begin His work with them. And those nudges can happen at a funeral, in a restaurant, at a sports event or even when we have an opportunity to help provide a meal for a Haitian child from a vodou family who is attending a Christian school in Haiti; it can happen anywhere, anytime…but it will happen. How much time left on your clock? Are you waiting and watching for that nudge? Are you ready to walk on the water? You got to get out of the boat.
“Some days seem long, though life is brief and death is waiting like a thief. When vision fades and dreams go dry we will on unseen things rely. Our stories take up but a page, but Your’s goes on from age to age. I AM forever WHO I AM. Above you, beneath you, around you and within you; be still and know that I am God.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay