The Vineyard
Dear Friends,
Why don’t we “take the call” and do what He whispers to us that we ought to do? We make excuses. My personal heroes are the Abrahams and Saint Pauls: those that immediately obeyed God—-instantly. They’re giants because of their non-whimpering, abrupt compliance. But most of us act like Moses, Jonah or Adam and find excuses, such as:
1-We’re too old—-but what about Abraham, Moses? They were as old as dirt(!) but Abraham quickly surrendered, and Moses eventually did the same. It’s not a matter of years behind you but the years He has set aside ahead of you.
2-We’ve got too many other things going on right now. But what’s more essential and what will matter the most when you’re gone? How can you stand before God and offer any suggestion that there were more important things I had to do and He would have to find someone else! What an insane defense!!! “I was too busy with my family, my career, my hobbies, my retirement, my garden, by investments……”. Those things and relationships might be significant, but we’re standing in the presence of God and assume we can recuse ourselves?
3.-We’re not qualified. Perhaps not, but all the qualified folks are gone so He’s calling and prepared to qualify you! It’s nothing short of impertinent to suggest that God cannot qualify us beyond any other man or woman’s qualifications to complete His tasks!
4-We don’t really love Him as much as want others—and Him—to think that we do. And that, my friends, is the real reason we don’t harken to His call. We are deceiving ourselves when we say that we are surrendered Him, that “Jesus is Lord, or that “I love Him as my all-in all”, but fail to take up our cross and follow.
But what can we expect to receive if we listen to His call?
-Renewed energy and the power of the holy spirit—-Caleb and Jacob. The divine One that created us is quite capable of renewing your strength, mind, stamina and heart.
-More time than we realized—the One that can stop time can also help you to accomplish far more if you put Him first. Try it.
-He qualifies us with extraordinary insight and sublime gifts. God does not tease us or lead us into frustration—He is more than able to open our mouths, minds, imaginations to complete the assignments He tasks us with and He is prepared to tax the last star for the resources we need to faithfully execute the commission He gives us. In a word, God blesses when we obey and follow.
-We find ourselves falling into love with Him—-and those He sends us to care for. But isn’t that the way it is in life anyway? I mean, you talk about liking someone or respecting them, but then, after you are decide to work with them, very closely, or you share a man-hole with them in war, or you go through a heartache or loss with them, you come to love them—-because you really starting knowing them. You cannot draw closer to God and not be energized and set on fire by His love!
Haven’t you heard about how Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Peter, John and countless others acquired this insane devotion and love for God that caused them to be willing to walk around Jerusalem naked for months, or endure absolute rejection from every other human being and yet remain full of the ultimate measure of love and joy! How??? Because they got connected to this unimaginable power source of love—-God Himself. And all because they answered His call to be poured out wine and broken bread—they gave up their rights and careers and their choices of priorities and exclaimed: Here am! Send me…..
Warmly,
Dean Barley
The Vineyard
Dean@VineyardCamp.com
336 351 2070
919 360 8493 (Mobile)
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