Exceptional or Significant - Doesn't Matter, DO YOU!

DO YOU!

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-9, Paul is telling the Corinthian church about the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul is telling the listeners of the bodily resurrection, not of a spirit that was seen, but Christ Himself in the flesh.

He is telling the story of how all of Jesus' Disciples at different times saw Christ, as did many others. He explains that Jesus was seen first of Cephas (which is Peter), then Jesus was seen by the Twelve. After that, Jesus was seen by about 500 at once, and then after that Jesus was seen by James; then of the Apostles. Then Paul says, "And LAST of all He was seen of me also, as one born out of due time. For I am THE LEAST of the Apostles..."

You see, Paul thought himself not as one of those who walked with Jesus, because he didn't. Paul felt lower because he didn't eat with Jesus, again because he didn't. Paul didn't pray with Jesus, he wasn't discipled by Jesus, he never witnessed a miracle performed by Jesus and he was never touched by Jesus! However, Paul was "CALLED" by Jesus and Paul believed in, and trusted in, and had strong faith in, the CALL that was upon his life.

He made up in his mind that no matter how hard he tried that he would never be like one of the Twelve that actually walked with Jesus. Paul couldn't do anything except to be himself and to live out the life that Jesus CALLED him to live and to minister the Gospel according to what Jesus gave him and to whom Jesus sent him to minister to!

Paul may not have had the reputation nor the prestiege of the Twelve, but Paul had an understanding of what God had for him to do, and that's exactly what Paul did...and nothing else. Paul would end up writing more New Testament Letters than any other of the Disciples combined.

I shared all of this to encourage someone this morning to STOP trying to be like everyone else; STOP comparing your CALL with that of someone else!!! JUST DO YOU!!!

I wrote this note to tell somebody...and perhaps to remind myself, that:

You don't have to be exceptional in order to be significant!!! Again, DO YOU, as one day, YOU will have to give an account on what YOU DID with what God gave you!

Listen To Him

Next Level Living Will Require Listening!

“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7b)

Peter, James and John got to see an amazing thing, something that no one had ever seen before! They witnessed Christ transfigured reflecting His majesty, radiant in appearance, regal, royal, exulted, perfect and divine.

As I think back, they saw Jesus turn water into wine, walk on water, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, feed the multitudes (twice...5,000 Jews and then 4,000 Jews and Gentiles), by Him the deaf could hear and the dead were raised. They saw a lot; they witnessed a lot and they could surely testify to a lot of what they saw.

When Peter, James and John saw this they were mesmerized and couldn't take their eyes off of Him, but God spoke through a cloud and quickly admonished them by saying, "This is my Son, whom I love. LISTEN TO HIM!"

You see, God sent His Son Jesus (whom He loved), not to be amazing or to be a spectacle and especially not to be  entertainment for us, but He sent Him to tell us about The Kingdom of God; to tell us who we are and whose we are; to tell us that God is making a way out of no way!

We have been looking in His Word; we've been looking at His Word; we've been looking for Him in our churches, on our jobs and in our homes...we've been trying our best to see Him in our lives!

Where we've failed is that we've been steady looking at Him and not listening as we've been told.

If we would simply listen then we would know that we don't have a need to look for Him because He is always with us.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

If we listen then we would know that He has already given us His peace and encouragement in this world and life.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

If we would but listen we would have heard Him say "IT IS FINISHED" (John 19:30).

On this NEXT LEVEL God is correcting us by saying don't just look upon my Son, LISTEN TO HIM, for He is the very Word of God that has now become flesh.

Speak Lord  Speak, I ask for ears to hear you clearly on this and every level that you take me.
#NextLevel