FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

"And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"  (Esther 4:14 NIV)

This past weekend my wife and I attended the retirement celebration for a former colleague and friend at the church I served for 25 years. In very specific ways, she told of her calling in regard to the many roles she has served there for the last eight years. I mentioned that God had called her “for such a time as this… and this… and this… and this.”

In moments of uncertainty, when fear or doubt whispers louder than faith, the biblical story of Esther reminds us that divine purpose often hides within ordinary circumstances. Her courage wasn’t born from confidence in herself -- it was rooted in the possibility that God had placed her exactly where she needed to be. “For such a time as this” isn’t just a phrase -- it’s a call to awaken to the sacred opportunities tucked inside our daily lives. Whether we stand in palaces or pews, boardrooms or kitchens, sports arenas or schools God invites us to respond with boldness, trusting that our presence, our voice, and our obedience may be the very answer to someone’s prayer.

My colleague’s presence, her voice and her obedience were the answer to many people’s prayers, mine included. Thanks for responding to your call, Lina. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™ 

#6232

CONFORMING TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

There is a change that should be occurring in every Christian’s life right now. It is a progressive change that begins the moment one becomes a Christian and continues until the day one dies. God is in the business of changing Christians to become just like Jesus Christ in character: “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29 NIV). The verse that immediately precedes this verse is one of the most-loved and oft-quoted passages of the Bible: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Yes, God does work all things together for good. But what is “good”? And what about the qualifying phrase “of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”? Verse 29 answers both of those questions. God’s idea of “good” is to use every circumstance in your life to mold you into the image of His Son. How much difference is there between your character and the character of Jesus Christ? The answer to that question will give you a clue as to how much change you can expect in your life!

God’s sovereign purpose is to change us into the image of His Son. 

-- Robert Jeffress in “Choose Your Attitude, Change Your Life” 

#5971

CELEBRATING WHO WE ARE

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (John 1:12-14 NKJV)

Knowing the stories of our faith, and how they connect with our own life experiences, means that we can celebrate the faithfulness and grace-bestowing love of God that was given to Abraham and Sarah, to the Israelites in Egypt and in the wilderness, and to the disciples. We can celebrate what is given to us as we join others in claiming God’s purpose and rejoicing in God’s love as we gather at the Lord’s table. We can celebrate what will be given to us and to all creation in times yet to come because God is faithful and God keeps His promises.

We know who we are -- children of God loved and forgiven and called by God! And we know Whose we are -- children of God called to be witnesses to God’s love and care for all the world. We are therefore able to share in festivity that grows out of our shared stories and visions. Our identity as God’s children -- His beloved sons and daughters -- causes us to seek ways to celebrate and repeatedly affirm that we are who we are! 

-- Adapted from “Rituals for Resurrection” by Linda J. Vogel

#5740

CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  (John 1:12-13 NKJV)

Why do we gather for worship? Why do we gather as a church? We gather as the people of God to hear our true names being called. When we are baptized, the heavens break open and we hear God saying to us, “Thou art my beloved son, thou art my beloved daughter,” because God knows our true names.

I think of my forefathers and foremothers in the time of slavery. They were called everything except children of God. But they did not derive their identity from the names that their slave masters called them. Instead, they stole away and sang: “Hush, hush, somebody’s calling my name. Hush, hush, somebody’s calling my name.” And then they sang another verse: “It sounds like Jesus, somebody’s calling me name. It sounds like Jesus, somebody’s calling my name. 

-- Zan W. Holmes, Jr. in “Encountering Jesus”

#5665

CALLED TOGETHER BY GOD

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our LORD.”  (1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV)

Central to the Bible’s description of the church is the idea of “call.” It is cradled in the word most often used to designate the church, the Greek term “ekklesia,” which is built upon the root of the verb meaning “to call.” The “ekklesia,” then, is the community called together by God and sent forth into the world to serve in His name.

The church, as the Bible describes it, is more than an aggregation -- people who have chosen to come together, as American culture preaches. It is a congregation, a people called together by the Word of God, the gospel of Christ’s love and forgiveness. God comes first, then the church. His call to salvation precedes the gathering of the people. As the apostle Paul puts it, we are called into “the fellowship of God’s Son.” That fellowship is the essence of the Christian community life and the Christian mission to the world.

-- Bruce Shelley & Marshall Shelley in “The Consumer Church”


#4756

BY HIS GRACE

“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”  (Ephesians 2:8 NLT)

Life is not an aimless groping.  We are called.  "By His grace" means that God does not look around to see who will best suit His purposes and then single them out because He is pretty sure that they will do a good job.  It means that God has a capacity so large in love and purpose that He calls us in order to do something for us -- to give us something.  Grace. 

-- Eugene Peterson


#4448

ON BEING CHOSEN

Jesus said, “You did not choose Me but I chose you” (John 15:16). This statement could ruffle some feathers because we always want to be the ones doing the choosing. Providing choices has become a marketable asset, from the supermarket’s staggering array of options to the infinite amount of choices we make each day concerning what we will eat, wear, and visit.

Inversely, not being chosen can have its negative sides. A humiliating childhood memory concerns recess when I was the last kid chosen for a team activity. Worse than being chosen last, I felt merely tolerated by my teammates.

Our desire to be chosen is why Gospel stories such as the parable of the ninety-nine sheep are so powerful for many of us. Jesus left all the rest and came looking for me! Amazing things happen when Jesus calls a person by name. To be named is to be called; to be called is to be chosen; to be chosen is to be claimed. When Peter, James, and John heard their names, each of them immediately abandoned what they were about, all that they had, and whom they had become. Jesus has this uncanny ability to make a person feel chosen.

-- W. Paul Jones in Becoming Who God Wants You to Be

#3829