Our Calling or Legacy…What is our calling? Peter said to make our calling and election “sure” and “then” we will never fall.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 2 Peter 1:10.
There are some people’s legacies that inspire on for several generations. Some people like Joel Osteen had a legacy passed on by his father, John Osteen. His father was a great missionary. J.F. Kennedy, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were remembered as a great president. Steve Jobs was remembering as a leader in Apple technology. I like to listen to Lester Sumrall and Billy Graham (age 93) passed on great legacies to their sons. Some legacies are passed down even to the grandchildren. David in the Bible, his own legacy was adultery and murder, but his legacy with God is that he killed over a nine foot tall giant. According to God’s plan, David and Noah did fulfill their calling to their generations.
Mandy Moore and Shawn West starred in a movie, “A Walk to Remember.” It was about a minister’s daughter who had leukemia, but before she passed away, a teenage boy became interested in her and changed his ways after going through a period of rebellion and trouble in his life. He married her for one summer to fulfill her wish to be married in the chapel that her mother and father were married in (her mother was deceased) before she passed away of leukemia. The legacy of many people will not be remembered. It compares our life to a vapor or a puff of smoke.
I witnessed to many of my friends and my family when I became a Christian. A few of those friends are now Christians and my father finally accepted the Lord on his death bed at 77 years old. There is something inside of me that tells me when I leave this life, that I’m not going to regret helping a person too much, giving my money into God’s work too much, loved my husband, children and grandchildren too much, reading my Bible too much, praying for others too much, and sharing God’s love too much. On the contrary, why can’t I do more? The greatest gift we can give away are the words of eternal life. (Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6:68)
An urban legend is God helps those who help themselves. That is not in the Bible. I believe it should be God helps those who help others, such as the case of Lazarus and the rich man. It was not that the rich man was wealthy, God has nothing against wealth. Solomon and David were wealthy and God caused them to be prosperous. What the problem was that the rich man was selfish and he refused to share his wealth. God is not some socialist. The early church shared out of their hearts willingly and God loves a cheerful giver. If we give out of compulsive or that we “have” to give to get something in return than we are robbing ourselves out of the blessing. JOY= Jesus, others then you.
I’ve done many things in life I’m not particularly proud of in the past, and I remember getting a girl to smoke marijuana when I was a teenager and then seeing her life go downhill, I felt bad even as unbeliever. I thought I was doing her a favor in getting her to loosen up and have fun, but it led to demise in her life. I don’t want to be remembered as that. Fortunately, that is under the blood of Jesus in my past. That would have been Mary’s legacy (not God’s legacy!) (Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Romans 8:33)
Judas was remembered as the betrayer to Jesus. Herodias was remembered as holding a grudge against John so she got his head. Ahab and Jezebel were remembered as evil, like Bonnie and Clyde. Annias and Sapphria were remembered as liars and selfish in the church. The rich man walked away sorrowful because he trusted in riches more than God. What will be our legacy?
I missionary dated once in my young life and that was my brother’s best friend. I had an agreement that I would go on a date with my brother’s friend if he would go to church with me. I kept my end of the bargain, but he did not. But three years ago, I attended my brother’s high school reunion. My brother is five years older than me and his high school best guy friend came up to me, “I remember you as the girl that was always trying to save me.” So I asked him “What is wrong with that?” Then my brother made some joke that “He is not worth saving.” I am glad that he remembers me as the girl telling him about Jesus. If I am going to be remembered as anything I prefer that. I may have not had a strong knowledge of God, but I had a strong zeal and love for the Lord like the woman in the movie. (For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Romans 10:2)
I have found in my walk with God, it has been to "test” out the waters/ministries where there is a fit or an anointing for me to do something. I did street evangelism for nine years and had a “niche” for it. I tried playing music for a nursing home in my early 20’s, and did not like it. Mainly because many of the people had Alzeheimer’s, although the person I filled in for said that some of the older people said, “She sounded like an angel.” Recently, I went Christmas caroling at a nursing home, and really felt I could relate to some of the older widows. I worked with preschool children in church when I had preschool children, and my husband lead teen skiing socials at church when we had teens. I like hosting parties at my house, but I prefer smaller parties because the clean-up is not as bad. I can’t help but notice that when a single man hosts a party that he gets all the help he wants, but I’ve only found a few single women that will help me clean up after my party. My favorite ministry was the women’s prison ministry that I signed up to do again right before my husband passed away, so I hope to get back into that.
I don’t like a single’s Bible study where you sit at tables, because I noticed that many people don’t know the word of God very well, and then they won’t speak. So unless I purposely sit at a table with people who are older Christians to me this is like playing Euchre cards with those who do not know what they are doing. It is too frustrating to sit with a bunch of people at a table who do not know the Bible. I prefer home fellowships where people are not forced to answer questions if they don’t want to.
Our calling as a “planter” of God’s seed is to trust God for a harvest. I spent about six months in mentoring an orphan in the girl’s school on Sundays who had gotten in trouble. In going into the prison ministry, I such as sense of the “reality” of God’s word in my life. It became more of the living word in my life rather than just a head knowledge. It says that as sowers of God word it’s not us. It’s Christ in us the hope of glory. It’s I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. We were are called to walk in the works that God has pre-ordained that we walk in, and it’s finding those works that God has in our life (our calling) for us to do.
I started my younger Christian years in street evangelism (about 7-9 years of that) and I remember one time going out on the street in Washington D.C. in a red light district and another woman, and I witnessed to these two prostitutes—all we said was “Jesus Loves You” and then two pimps came up to us and threaten us, because they said we bothered their girls that they would not pick up men. So who knows maybe when Sue and I stand before God in heaven, we will run into those two prostitutes again, maybe that “Jesus Love You” stuck with them their whole life and they will remember it. Maybe like Rahab who was a prostitute who hid the spies and ended up becoming the wife or Boaz and the ancestry to Christ, these two prostitutes had a change in their life eventually. I was at the missionary convention with the group last September and one man talked about hearing “Jesus Loves You” on a street corner from an old grandma lady and it actually caused him to give his life to the Lord. It was a band of long-haired guys that lead me to the Lord, and I was actually interested in them, but instead I got Jesus. God knows how to make us fishers of men and he may use some nice/cute looking bait, and he told the disciples, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17-18
A Walk to Remember/Only Hope:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnH9xU5qyVo&feature=related
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 2 Peter 1:10.
There are some people’s legacies that inspire on for several generations. Some people like Joel Osteen had a legacy passed on by his father, John Osteen. His father was a great missionary. J.F. Kennedy, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were remembered as a great president. Steve Jobs was remembering as a leader in Apple technology. I like to listen to Lester Sumrall and Billy Graham (age 93) passed on great legacies to their sons. Some legacies are passed down even to the grandchildren. David in the Bible, his own legacy was adultery and murder, but his legacy with God is that he killed over a nine foot tall giant. According to God’s plan, David and Noah did fulfill their calling to their generations.
For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. Acts 13:36
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9
A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14
Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow Psalm 144:4
I witnessed to many of my friends and my family when I became a Christian. A few of those friends are now Christians and my father finally accepted the Lord on his death bed at 77 years old. There is something inside of me that tells me when I leave this life, that I’m not going to regret helping a person too much, giving my money into God’s work too much, loved my husband, children and grandchildren too much, reading my Bible too much, praying for others too much, and sharing God’s love too much. On the contrary, why can’t I do more? The greatest gift we can give away are the words of eternal life. (Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6:68)
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Mark 6:21
Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:22
I’ve done many things in life I’m not particularly proud of in the past, and I remember getting a girl to smoke marijuana when I was a teenager and then seeing her life go downhill, I felt bad even as unbeliever. I thought I was doing her a favor in getting her to loosen up and have fun, but it led to demise in her life. I don’t want to be remembered as that. Fortunately, that is under the blood of Jesus in my past. That would have been Mary’s legacy (not God’s legacy!) (Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Romans 8:33)
Judas was remembered as the betrayer to Jesus. Herodias was remembered as holding a grudge against John so she got his head. Ahab and Jezebel were remembered as evil, like Bonnie and Clyde. Annias and Sapphria were remembered as liars and selfish in the church. The rich man walked away sorrowful because he trusted in riches more than God. What will be our legacy?
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. Romans 10:1
I missionary dated once in my young life and that was my brother’s best friend. I had an agreement that I would go on a date with my brother’s friend if he would go to church with me. I kept my end of the bargain, but he did not. But three years ago, I attended my brother’s high school reunion. My brother is five years older than me and his high school best guy friend came up to me, “I remember you as the girl that was always trying to save me.” So I asked him “What is wrong with that?” Then my brother made some joke that “He is not worth saving.” I am glad that he remembers me as the girl telling him about Jesus. If I am going to be remembered as anything I prefer that. I may have not had a strong knowledge of God, but I had a strong zeal and love for the Lord like the woman in the movie. (For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Romans 10:2)
I have found in my walk with God, it has been to "test” out the waters/ministries where there is a fit or an anointing for me to do something. I did street evangelism for nine years and had a “niche” for it. I tried playing music for a nursing home in my early 20’s, and did not like it. Mainly because many of the people had Alzeheimer’s, although the person I filled in for said that some of the older people said, “She sounded like an angel.” Recently, I went Christmas caroling at a nursing home, and really felt I could relate to some of the older widows. I worked with preschool children in church when I had preschool children, and my husband lead teen skiing socials at church when we had teens. I like hosting parties at my house, but I prefer smaller parties because the clean-up is not as bad. I can’t help but notice that when a single man hosts a party that he gets all the help he wants, but I’ve only found a few single women that will help me clean up after my party. My favorite ministry was the women’s prison ministry that I signed up to do again right before my husband passed away, so I hope to get back into that.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 1 Cor. 3:6-8
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Cor. 9:10
I started my younger Christian years in street evangelism (about 7-9 years of that) and I remember one time going out on the street in Washington D.C. in a red light district and another woman, and I witnessed to these two prostitutes—all we said was “Jesus Loves You” and then two pimps came up to us and threaten us, because they said we bothered their girls that they would not pick up men. So who knows maybe when Sue and I stand before God in heaven, we will run into those two prostitutes again, maybe that “Jesus Love You” stuck with them their whole life and they will remember it. Maybe like Rahab who was a prostitute who hid the spies and ended up becoming the wife or Boaz and the ancestry to Christ, these two prostitutes had a change in their life eventually. I was at the missionary convention with the group last September and one man talked about hearing “Jesus Loves You” on a street corner from an old grandma lady and it actually caused him to give his life to the Lord. It was a band of long-haired guys that lead me to the Lord, and I was actually interested in them, but instead I got Jesus. God knows how to make us fishers of men and he may use some nice/cute looking bait, and he told the disciples, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17-18
A Walk to Remember/Only Hope:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnH9xU5qyVo&feature=related
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