We are called!!

I came across this article from DaySpring. It was such a blessing to me that I decided to post it so it could be read by others!

GOD HAS CALLED YOU

God has called each of us to serve Him in the place He has us. In His eyes we all have a ministry. Many serve Him in a local church through a variety of ministries, such as music, teaching, youth work, or by being a part of the church staff. Others serve on the mission field, on the job, at school, or at home.

God knows you and He knows your heart desires to serve Him. You are someone that He will use to make a difference, to share His love, and to touch the hearts of others. What has qualified you for this high privilege of being used by Him? Is it your talents, your personality, your education, your influence or your resume? It is none of these; rather it is the response of your heart toward Him. God is always searching for those whose hearts are yielded to Him so that He can work mightily through them. (2 Chronicles 16:9a - "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.)

Sometimes we can be led to think that God’s work is dependent upon us, upon what we do, and upon what we know. The truth is that God wants us to be totally dependent on Him. He is the Treasure, we are the vessels; He is the Vine, we are the branches; He is the Living Water, we are the channels through which He flows.

The apostle Peter was someone who needed to learn this important truth. Jesus taught him the futility of trying to get results through his own efforts by allowing him, an expert fisherman, to labor all night and come up empty. Afterward, when He followed Jesus’ word to cast out into the deep, Peter pulled in a catch that was beyond his dreams.

As His servant, remember that your ministry is His idea not yours. He is the One who knows you, who has called you and who has equipped you to serve Him. Remain true, remain faithful, remain restful, and remain totally dependent upon Him.

God is not looking for those who are clever, but for those in whom He can be wise; He is not looking for those who are talented, But for those to whom He can be all sufficient; He is not looking for those who are powerful, But for those through whom He can be almighty.

My Favorite Quotes

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." Galileo Galilei

"Too many of us have a Christian vocabulary rather than a Christian experience. We think we are doing our duty when we're only talking about it." - Charles F. Banning

"The Kingdom of Heaven is not for the well-meaning: it is for the desperate." James Denney

Transformation

Just as a butterfly is completely transformed from its former caterpillar state, when we truly accept Christ there is a dramatic transformation in our lives. I have been listening to John MacArthur's sermon series, "The Way to Heaven" the past two days. This series so challenges the thinking of the modern day "church" concerning salvation. The text in this series is Matthew 7:13-29. In this passage, Jesus is bringing his Sermon on the Mount to a close. This is the passage of Scripture that Dr. Sewell was preaching from the night I received Christ as my Savior in February of 1981. There are so many people sitting in church who have gone forward, said a prayer, filled out a card and believe that they are saved, but there has been no evidence of a transformation in their lives. That is the point that I was at!! I had gone to church probably every Sunday since my birth. I had made a "profession of faith" at least 3 times in my childhood. I had been baptized at least 3 times. I sang in the choir, worked in children's church, grew up in the Youth group, was attending Bible College, but I did not know Christ. Yes, there was a head knowledge of who He was and what He did for me, but I did not give my life to Him until I came face to face with the truth of verses 21 to 23 - "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Thank you, Father, for loving me enough to reach down into a church pew and show me that I needed you. I had so long given lip service to You, but my life was not surrendered to your will. Please continue to transform me into the likeness of your Son so that others who find themselves sitting in the pew without you may also see their need.

"The only validation you will ever have of your salvation is a life of obedience." - John MacArthur