“Now go…”

            God hears, God calls, and God sends.

            In the “Great Commission” Jesus sent us to proclaim the Gospel unto all the nations of the world.  This is a commandment, if it were not; it would be called the “Great Suggestion” or something similar.

            God commands us to “go”, but before we can go, we must fill our hearts with pure love.  If we love God, then we will obey Him in whatever “mission” he has designed for us.  If we love God, we will also be imbued with His love for the lost souls of the world.  Let’s face it; only God can turn an egocentric human being into a selfless soul, willing to sacrifice his “reputation”, in order to reach others with God’s message.

            This commandment is also urgent.  God told Moses “NOW go…” 

             In 2 Corinthians 6:2, Paul says “…now is the acceptable time.”  The reason behind this urgency is the uncertainty of tomorrow.  We live TODAY, and we must preach TODAY. Tomorrow may never come for us or for those that need to hear the Good News.

            God is sending us today, right now.  Do not reject this great privilege; do not be disobedient to his commandment.  You can serve God regardless of your situation.  Paul preached while in prison; Stephen preached while he was being stoned to death, and the early believers preached in spite of severe persecution.  As you can see, we have no excuse.  Moses tried to exclude himself from the ministry, but to no avail.  If God sends you (and he does), he will give you all the tools you need to finish your mission. 

            Will we go? 

             A. G.

             “…God called to him…”

            “Moses, Moses!” In this manner God called out to Moses from the burning bush at Horeb, the mountain of God.

            I have heard many sermons about God’s calling for our lives. He has a plan and a purpose for us, and we would do well to find it and follow it. Today, however, we will examine not the call of God, but the God who calls us.

            Have you ever wondered why God called Moses and why he calls us today? He has placed his calling in our hearts because he loves us. We were not able to reach God because there was a wall of separation called sin. Notwithstanding, God loved us and drew near to us, so close that his call came as a whisper (I Kings 19:12). He called us to be saved from sin and death, and he calls us now to serve him.

            Secondly, God calls us because he knows us intimately. He knows our gifts because he gave them to us in the first place! He knows our strengths (and weaknesses), and he puts us in the place where we can be more useful to his agenda. He knows our capabilities, and he can “read” everything that is written in our hearts. He knows us better than we can ever know ourselves!

            Finally, God calls us simply because he wants to use us for his glory. Never forget that God has millions of angels “drooling” for the opportunity to serve God in the ministry of the gospel. They are willing and ready to work for God twenty-four hours a day, God, however, insists on using us, weak and unstable as we are. Only God knows this mystery. Have you heard God calling you? Have you answered?

            A. G.

             “…their cry for help rose up to God.”

            Life is hard, no doubt about it.  The problems of this life sometimes reach the realm of the unbelievable.  All of us have experienced on occasion, what it seems to be an insurmountable degree of pain; we have been in dark tunnels with no end in sight; we have almost drown in a sea of sorrows, but we have survived by the grace of God.

            What shall we do then, when the water is up to our necks?  To whom shall we go when “Mr. Pain” is knocking on our door?  The answer is Jesus.  The problem is that we can’t fix most of our problems.  We need to call on God, better yet; we need to cry to God for help.

            The people of Israel were in slavery in a foreign land.  This “double trouble” proved to be too much for them.  Nevertheless they learned to do the right thing:  They elevated their prayers to “El Shaddai”, the only one able and available to save them.

            A few years ago the movie “Ghostbusters” became extremely popular and the song “Who you gonna’ call” based on this movie, reached the top of the charts.  They trusted in a group of ghost “killers”, but you and I must depend only on God.

            Who are you going to call?

            “God heard their groaning…”

            Jesus hears our prayers and he feels our pain.  He knows your circumstances and he will answer in His time and according to his sovereign pleasure.  Do not despair, keep trusting and waiting in the Lord, for he is good and he will bless us in due time.  Call on God, my brethren, call only on God.

            A. G. 

             “…so that the land was filled with them.”

            On one occasion, a little child decided to conduct the following “scientific” experiment:  He filled a glass of water all the way to the brim and proceeded to run as fast as he could through the garden in the back of the house.  His objective was to calm his father’s thirst in the most efficient and quick way possible.

            However, as he was running, all the water was dispersed through the garden and when he gave the empty glass to his father, he expected the worst.  He knew he had failed miserably; now his father would be angry and…

            “Thank you my son!”  The father exclaimed with a bright smile across his face.  “You watered the new flowers I planted yesterday!”

            In the same manner, we must water this dry and thirsty world with God’s living water: The Gospel of salvation.  Only as we patiently and methodically, plant and water the “seed” of faith in the hearts of many, the earth will be populated with God’s children that love and worship the Father. 

            Egypt was literally inundated with the chosen people of God.  The people of Israel multiplied in spite of slavery, taxes and the threat of extinction.  Not even the mighty Pharaoh was able to detain the overwhelming growth of the Israelites!

            What can stop the church of Jesus Christ today?  Can the devil and hell prevail against us?  Certainly not! (Matthew 16:18). The Living Water is yearning to flow out of our hearts (John 7:38), into the desert of this world.  Let our lives be an oasis of hope.  Let us plant the seed of the Gospel, but let us do it…one heart at a time.   

             A.  G.        

             “But Joseph said to them…”

            There have been times in my life when revenge has taken roots in my heart. As a teacher, I have desired to pour out my entire wrath upon my offending pupils. I despise being disrespected in any way and revenge seems like the only way out of this situation.

            Jacob, the father of Joseph died.  This was Joseph’s opportunity to get rid once and for all, of his evil brothers.  The brothers, saddened by their father’s death and afraid of Joseph’s “revenge,” came asking for forgiveness.

            And what did Joseph do?  He didn’t avenge all the “lost years” of his youth. He didn’t make them pay for all the time he had been away from his beloved father, or for all the years he had to spend in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He spoke to their hearts; he wept with them; and he renewed his pledge to preserve their lives.

            The only way our words will reach someone else’s heart, is if we speak from our hearts.  This is the kind of communication that God practices.  In fact, we could say that the Bible, the Word of God, is a revelation of God’s heart.

            Heart to heart communication is what God expects from his children.  How is your heart today?  Is it pure, holy, and sensitive to God’s voice?  It is important that we communicate from our hearts, but it is also extremely vital to guard our hearts “for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34).

            Let us begin to practice the art of transparent and sincere conversation.  We must speak from the heart to each other and in our daily prayers to God.  To speak in any other way is hypocrisy and we are not hypocrites.  Are we?

            A. G.