God Called Who?
Beloved,
I am so excited about what God is doing in our growing church, Zion Memorial. I pray that you are proud, in a good way, of your church family and regularly share with others about how God is blessing us with new ways to continue His working ministry.
The Food Pantry and the Clothing Closet having gotten off to a wonderful start. Please talk to someone associated with it to learn more.
The Leadership Conference is coming up on Friday and Saturday. And, who are the leaders who should attend? The WHOLE church family. We are all leaders.
In being leaders, we need to make sure that we are followers of Jesus the Christ as guided by the Holy Spirit, as was preached about on Sunday, at all times.
In being followers and leaders, we may be surprised by who God brings into our lives.
God may bring that person who you had animosity against, the one who wronged you, the one who hurt you, the one who gets on your last nerve, the one who embarrassed you, the one who you feared into your life.
And, you may find yourself asking, “God, why did you bring them into my life?”
And, you may find God responding, “Because I am calling them to me and you will play a part in them coming to me.”
And, you may then find yourself saying, “God called who?”
In Acts 9, we find such a situation during the conversion of Saul, the Apostle also known as Paul.
He was a Hell raiser and a Christian chaser, out of ignorance; but, he was very effective and caused a great deal of fear among Christians.
But, then God called him and Jesus came to him on the road to Damascus.
I encourage you to read the chapter; but, I want to focus on a couple of verses.
In verses 13-15, we have a “God called who?” moment.
“But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;’”
Over time, I have learned not to look on the outside of people. I have been in the company of the well-dressed, the well-heeled, the highly compensated, the rich, the famous. I have also felt that sometimes being in the company of such has meant I have had to be in the company of the unholy.
I have also been in the company of the downtrodden, the depressed, the unliked, the marginalized, the forgotten, the undesirable. And, with some of them, I have also felt as if I am sometimes in the company of the unholy.
I share this because the wide ranges of economic, social, political, religious, gender gaps and divides that exist do not confer upon anyone holiness.
It is a decision that each individual makes.
And, it might be people on either extreme or anywhere inbetween who choose to come to God.
Their backstory is simply a platform for God’s future glory.
And, we are not to judge what God has deemed to be holy.
We are to embrace and support so that we can too be participants in God’s future glory.
And, why do I feel so compelled by this message?
It is because at one time, I was not holy. I had not received the Gospel. I did not know Jesus the Christ as my Lord and my Savior.
But, when I did, my whole world changed.
And, I am the man of God that I am now because others saw me for who I could be in God, not who I had been in the world.
So, when I say, “God called who?”, I am sometimes saying it while looking in the mirror. And, I thank God every time that I can say, “God called me.”
Beloved, help others in your life to experience the “God called me” moments by sharing the Good News about Jesus the Christ.
Do not start with a book, chapter or verse from the Holy Bible. We can get there in Sunday School, Worship Service, and Bible Study. Start with your own “God called who?” moment that led to your “God called me” experience.
I love all of you who are called and who have answered the call as we seek to increase the kingdom of God.
Be blessed,
Rev. Cain
