Chosen

Wow.... what a couple months it has been for our family. First and foremost I want to thank those of you that follow the blog regularly for allowing us this time for our family. November was a time of uncertainty as Tanja's blood pressure fluctuated immensely. But November 28th was one of the best days of our life as our daughter Oakley was born into this world. December has been a time of getting to know her and spending time with family. I didn't know when I would get back to posting regularly, but, this morning, as I was listening to Russel Johnson's sermon from Pursuit NW from this past weekend I was hit with a message that I knew I was supposed to share. Sometimes you just feel it like the wind has been knocked out of you.

Russel's sermon was on being Chosen. He talked about how just through us crying out to God we can rest assured that we have been chosen. He talked about how God used so many flawed characters to do great things. How God doesn't often choose the person who has it all together. He choses liars, doubters, prostitutes, drug addicts, and criminals. He chooses many who have lived a life of pride, sexual immorality. He chooses people who have fallen short in every way. This was a great reminder for me as I didn't walk with the Lord for most of my adult life. For those that know my story, it includes many times of turning my back from God and running towards sin. To accept that God has chosen me at times can be difficult. I always tend to convince myself that there is someone more qualified. That there is a better communicator. That someone else knows the intricacies a little better. That someone else went to school for this. I tend to find reasons to deem myself inadequate. But that's where this all becomes so real. In inadequacy, greatness is born. God didn't make a mistake when he chose me or when he chose you. He did so for a reason.

Although this "Chosen" message is great, and something I personally need to constantly remind myself of, it is not the reason I was jolted into hopping on and writing this morning. Instead it was this.... Deeper into the sermon Pastor Johnson said he almost felt like he needed to apologize to his church. That when individuals begin attending they don't quite know what they are signing up for. See when God is moving in a community... when revival is happening in an area... when lives are being transformed and people are finding freedom... the enemy isn't happy and the church is attacked in every way imaginable.

This instantly made me recognize what God is doing in our local community. It made me meditate on what God is doing through our church. We are seeing incredible life transformation happen. We are seeing freedom found constantly and even more incredibly, people remaining free. We are seeing physical healing. And all of this is in turn having an impact on our community. See I often hear numbers being discussed, or questions of "How many new people are walking through the door?" But there is something so much more important going on than that. There is a WAR going on for every one of our souls and true life transformation can't always be quantified through numbers walking through the door. I've been to many a church where the numbers keep increasing but the messages are shallow and true life change is rare.

So I guess as I was listening to all of this this morning and reflecting on what is currently happening in our community, and the transformation that is happening in our lives and those of so many around us, I was challenged in a big big way. God chose me. God chose you. Take a second and read that again, and internalize it. GOD CHOSE YOU. If God chose someone who has fallen short so many times, and failed in all the ways I have failed... If he still chooses me again and again and again... How am I going to respond? It's time for me to wake up and commit even further. It's time for me to take a look at what more can I be doing to continue to bring revival to my community. Because at the end of the day, the Kingdom is the ONLY thing that matters. It doesn't matter what the guy down the street thinks of me. It doesn't matter what my neighbor thinks of my lawn. It doesn't matter who's making the coffee. It doesn't matter what our job titles are. All that matters is that we are chosen, and that we are doing absolutely everything we can to impact our communities for the kingdom of God.

So this morning was once again what has become an ongoing wake up call for me. It's time to dig even deeper into Loving God and Loving People. It's time to refocus on what I can be doing each and every day to have a direct impact on the kingdom. Because literally NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.

So this holiday season, as we spend time with family, as we gather around the table, I encourage you all just as I am challenging myself, to dig a little deeper, love a little harder, allow your light to shine a little brighter. Take note of what more you can do today for the Kingdom. Make that call, send that message. Love on an extra person today. We were chosen when we definitely did not deserve it. So it's time for me, for us, to act in response of that in an even bigger way.

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9 NLT)

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)