Not surprised…
This disciple messenger was not surprised when, at 3 a.m. on August 28, 2023, God gave the word that those who consider themselves church need some guidance. This guidance was to be given through woes made specific for church mixed with a reminder of what church is meant to be. It took over an hour for the information to be given and received. Even now, as I am recording, more ‘bits and pieces’ of what is to be included is coming through.
Putting the horse before the cart…
The first order of business must be to give the necessary background – in other words, I am to put the horse before the cart so that God’s ways may move forward instead of man’s ways being pushed along by those in church who put the cart before the horse. The reason for this introduction is that there are still too many of the ‘churched’ who have misguided ideas about the messages/teachings being put out by the church — mixing of politics with religion with political views often overcoming Biblical truths –, and who may deliver those messages. Man’s ways over God’s ways are too often becoming the order. Just the opposite should be the case.
There is the argument about the role of women in God’s work. It is causing division when division is not part of God’s plan of reconciliation. Division causes souls to be lost. God’s goal is for souls to be saved. God is determined to save the soul of the church.
To help you discern between the ones truly called and the ones who are false teachers and self-proclaimed prophets, you have only to look at their words and actions.
** The ones who are false and self-promoted speak about destruction, doing harm to others to promote themselves and ones who think or look like them, cause division and discord, are extremists, claim to be helpers when it should be apparent that they are only helping themselves, who speak hate not love, who call for violent, wrathful actions to be taken against others, who shun others not like them, who push themselves to the forefront – thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think, who are hate-filled, whose ways seem to be man’s ways instead of God’s ways. Their work spreads darkness.
**The ones who have heard and answered God’s call will speak in ways that let you know they are God’s ways. The outcomes of their actions will be uplifting and positive. You will hear about love, compassion, justice, equality, helping one another. They will never cause harm to another, they will never call for violence for they are peace loving, warm and welcoming — extending the hand of fellowship to everyone. Their work reflects God’s light.
Women called to carry God’s messages…
God says, tell them: Women have been used through the ages to carry God’s messages and to do God’s work.
**How you can say that women cannot carry messages knowing that Mary literally carried and delivered The Word (Jesus). How you can question whether Mary knew she gave birth to the Son of God knowing it was disclosed in the Bible that she was told, she believed, and consented.
**Read the book of Ruth to learn Ruth’s story. It is a beautiful story with a relevant lesson for today. The immorality yet taking no responsibility for the wrongs that was present in those Biblical days is the same kind of immorality and lack of responsibility we have today. The story tells how God used Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth – lost everything, home, husbands — to make something good out of bad. Ruth’s love, devotion, and answering the call is an example of how God’s grace can miraculously turn bad into good. Ruth’s great-grandson was David, whose own story is beautifully given in the Bible.
**Esther’s response to the call to help the Jewish people was not an easy one. It took great courage. She had to be led to the right time and right place for it to work. Risking her life to answer her call and save her people, Esther used respect and courtesy to successfully accomplish the task. Read her story in the Old Testament book of Esther.
**Mother Teresa answered her first call to service when she became a teaching nun. God was not finished with her and later called her to serve the poorest of the poor. She answered that call. She was known for her compassion, concern, and love for all, especially for the least of the least. Her example of Light and Love resulted in sick becoming well, the uneducated having their minds filled with knowledge and their hearts filled with love, and many of those with whom she dealt committing their lives to Christ. Mother Teresa offered herself as an instrument of service and love.
**Corrie ten Boom, a Christian who believed that all people were created and loved equally by their Heavenly Father, was instrumental in helping many Jews escape the curses of WWII. Before, during, and after the war, she felt called to ministry by sharing God’s messages of love. Her strong voice – both audible and written — helped many come to know of God’s love.
**At a young age, Greta Thunberg accepted the call to care for the earth and its inhabitants and to work to get others onboard for helping save the earth. She has stayed faithful to the task. The call Greta answered is the call to which we should all respond, but too many have made it political instead of Biblical and have refused to accept any responsibility. It has not been easy for Greta Thunberg. She has been threatened, doubted, accused of spreading false information about climate and care of the earth, and arrested for protesting. Nothing has dampened her enthusiasm to carry on the work of her calling. Her voice has grown stronger with each wall encountered.
**In January 2011, Gabby Giffords was shot in an assassination attempt. It has been a long, hard-fought battle to recovery – a recovery pathway on which she continues to walk. Her ex-astronaut and now U. S. Senator husband, Mark Kelly has been her rock-solid support. Both Kelly and Giffords have acknowledged that prayer has played an important part in this recovery process. In her political life, areas of concern for Gabby Giffords were jobs, infrastructure, health care, public education, immigration, care of the earth, sensible border control, and life-saving safety measures. She worked for bipartisanship so that more positive actions would be the result. Bipartisanship to gain positive results is in line with God’s call for reconciliation by speaking and acting with a Christian heart. After the assassination attempt, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly have maintained an interest in all the areas of concern that Gabby had while serving as U. S. Representative for Arizona then adding to that list oversight of guns and other means man has used to gain power and control. Sensible gun control measures aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people became a top priority. Gabby Giffords personally knows the pain and suffering gun violence can cause. She has taken on the calling of being a strong, effective advocate of legislation for tougher laws on guns. Prayer is the way Giffords and Kelly stay connected to God. Prayer has seen Giffords and Kelly through times of joy and times of trouble. Using her voice of influence to carry out her calling is in line with God’s will and God’s ways. During times when she has been voiceless, her husband has taken on the mantle. They are team players on God’s team.
The above-named are but a fraction of the many women called to carry God’s messages. The disciple messenger was called by God to carry his message of Reconciliation to the world in November 2014. This messenger has been on a prayer journey with God. It is God’s suggestion that instead of telling more about this messenger in this blog entry, it would be better to begin a new entry. That is not to suggest that she is any more important or any less important than the above or than any others asked to carry God’s messages through the ages. It is done, instead, to show that God is a Master Matchmaker. Knowing what is in the heart, he always masterfully and miraculously matches the person with the job. Telling a bit more about this disciple messenger will show why he called this one to the ministry of Reconciliation.
Upcoming: God’s Disciple Messenger Called to carry the Reconciliation Message