Why Go?

THE FOUR CALLS

The question, “Why will I seek first the kingdom of God?” may be answered because you heard the four calls.

1. The CALL from ABOVE

When Isaiah’s sin is purged he begins to hear the call of God.  We may need to confess our sin before God (1 John 1:9) to be able to hear His call.  Can you hear God calling you to join Him in the harvest fields?

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah 6:8

2. The CALL from BELOW

If we could open up Hell we would hear the cries and calls from the Lost dead.  They would be calling out to us to go and warn our families.  The question is sometimes asked, “If the gospel is true what about my Hindu father, mother, grandmother, etc who has died without Jesus”?  I would tell such a person that if they could speak to you now they would cry out to you to repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ alone.  They would want someone to warn you of the place where they are.  Can you hear their cries?

The rich man said to Abraham “I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.” Luke 16:27-28

3. The CALL from WITHIN

The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of sin, instructs us in righteousness, and burdens us for the Lost.  He gives us God’s burden for a lost world.  Only as we are sensitive to His leading will we hear His call.  But once we hear Him we will not be able to escape His call.  Do you share His burden?

“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, 

I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.” 1 Corinthians 9:16-17

4.  The CALL from WITHOUT

God is the One who is seeking to save the Lost.  He is the One who draws people to Himself with conviction of sin.  As God is at work among a people they begin to call out for someone to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ.

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.  And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”  Acts 16:9-10

~ source John Charping

Safety in the Storm

Personal protection is something important to everyone, especially during these chaotic days. Noah teaches us three important lessons.

1. Noah was protected because he was righteous (Genesis 6:8-9a)

2. Noah was righteous because he walked with God (Genesis 6: 9b)

3. Noah walked with God because he trusted and obeyed God (Genesis 6: 22 & Hebrews 11:7).

To summarize, if you trust and obey God, you will walk with God, and if you walk with God you will live righteously, and if you live righteously God will protect you!

Life's Greatest Lesson

The children of Israel were on the cusp of greatness. They had miraculously escaped Egypt and were about to enter the Promised Land. But at the last second they blinked. 

Here are three lessons we must learn from the failure of the Israelites. 

DON'T LOOK AT YOUR DIFFICULTIES (Numbers 13:28)

DON'T LOOK AT YOUR INADEQUACIES (Numbers 13:31).

DO LOOK AT GOD'S PROMISES (Numbers 13:1).

Today when we stand before frightful obstacles the challenge remains: Will we walk by sight or by faith?

Know, Be, Do, Teach

The healthy Christian life is marked by growth along four stages of development.

Daniel explained the path in this way, "The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many" (Daniel 11:32-33).

1. The people who know their God: The Christian experience begins with a knowledge of God and requires a change of mind. The word 'repent' means a change of mind and no one can come to God unless they repent.
2. Shall be strong: A saving relationship with God results in new life. The born again one is empowered by the Spirit and becomes a new creation. 
3. And carry out great exploits: Then (and only then) with their inside transformed, the young Christian is ready to 'do.' The growing Christian is ready to live out the gospel in faith and good works. 
4. And the people who understand shall instruct many: Once a person has been radically changed by the gospel they are ready to share with others. This then becomes the apex of Christian maturity, when one is assisting others on their spiritual journey. 

Where do you see yourself on this path? What is the next stage in your development?

A Difficult Assignment

It is rising in my spirit like a quiet unwelcomed intruder, but I hear it. I know what I have to do. God is calling me to fast. What is fasting? Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. I have fasted before and it's not fun. The results are wonderful but the process is painful. Like you, I like to eat. I like to be full. I like to nourish my body. But sometimes you have to do what is unpleasant. I think I need to fast. Here's what Jesus said.

1. Jesus said His followers will fast. In Mark 2:20 he explained that after He left planet earth His followers would fast. 
2. Jesus said His followers must fast. When the disciples were unable to cast the demon out of the boy. They asked Jesus, "Why?" He explained that extra tough situations require prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). 

Would you pray for me that I'd be obedient to this difficult assignment?

Maybe you are in a dire situation and perhaps you too should consider this spiritual discipline. 

The Cure for Double-Mindedness

In his one and only epistle, the Apostle James discusses double-mindedness. In Chapter One he shares the symptoms and in Chapter Four he reveals the cure. How does one overcome double-mindedness? See James 4:7.

1. "Submit to God." Literally this means to stand under. Like a soldier we are to obey our commanding officer Jesus Christ. God's way is the best way. 
2. "Resist the devil." Literally this means to stand against. We must oppose and withstand the advances of the wicked one.

Overcoming double-mindedness involves growing faith and eliminating doubt. Thus, it is important to know who will help us and who will hurt us. God inspires faith and Satan creates doubt. So, stand under God and stand against the devil.