Tag: Gleanings

  • The Calling

    Image of a wayerfall with the text "THE CALLING"

    Every human being has a purpose. Above and beyond that, every Christian believer has a divine calling from God. We are literally on a mission from God. There are specific callings to certain ministries, but every believer has a calling on their life.

    In Ephesians, Paul speaks of our calling. Ephesians 1:3-12 is a blessing that traces salvation from God’s eternal plan to its realization in Christ.

    In the balance of chapter one, Paul prays that we will understand the depth of our calling. In chapter two, Paul speaks of our calling into one nation, Jews and Gentiles alike, saved by grace and faith in what Christ has done.

    In chapter three he asks that believers be strengthened inwardly, rooted in love, and able to comprehend the vast dimensions of Christ’s love that surpass knowledge. The section closes with a doxology, affirming that God’s power is able to accomplish far more than human expectation.

    It is God’s power that enables us to deal with the practicalities of the calling.

    Starting in verse 4, Paul reminds us how to live out our calling as children of God, called to serve Him and bring Him glory.

    Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond Ephesians 4:1-3

    In a short list, reminiscent of the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul reminds us of how we are to live. It’s Spirit-powered and impossible under our flesh to do.

    It’s a more powerful list than any checklist of dos and don’ts. It cuts right to the heart of the matter, our changed nature. Walking in a way worthy of our calling causes us to evaluate every situation through the lens of Jesus and live appropriately.

    It runs counter culturally to everything the world declares. It’s radical, upside-down thinking. It stands out in a crowd, pointing people to the God who changes us.

    None of us has yet reached the point of living this way every moment, but it is a process that’s being worked in us. God promises to finish it.

    Are you living a life worthy of your great calling from God?

    Be blessed
    Kevin

     

    Key Takeaways

    • Every Christian has a divine calling from God, as outlined in Ephesians.
    • Paul emphasizes understanding our calling and living it out in unity and love.
    • The calling requires humility, gentleness, and patience while reflecting Christ’s love.
    • Living worthy of our calling is a transformative process that God will complete.
    • Evaluate your life: Are you living in a manner consistent with your calling?

    The gospel is the best news you will ever hear.

    Famous Last Words

    Our quest, a holy calling

  • SHEEP ARE SMARTER THAN YOU THINK –

    like sheep, we need a shepherd

    Let’s clear up a misconception about sheep this morning.

    Many people consider sheep unintelligent, but scientific research tells a different story. Sheep can recognize and remember dozens of individual faces, both other sheep and humans, and retain those memories for years. They learn simple tasks, solve problems, and navigate their environment through memory and experience.

    Their reputation for foolishness comes largely from one behavior: they follow the flock. But this is not stupidity. It is survival. Prey animals are safer together than alone, and what looks like mindless copying is actually a deeply practical instinct honed over thousands of years. Their caution around unfamiliar situations tells the same story. What reads as hesitation is often careful decision-making.

    Sheep also possess complex social skills, recognize hierarchies within the flock, and experience a genuine emotional life. Fear, stress, comfort, contentment. They feel more than most people expect.

    So, when the Bible compares us to sheep, it is not calling us dumb. It is saying we need a shepherd for the same reasons sheep do. We go astray easily. We follow the crowd. We are vulnerable creatures who fare better under wise guidance than on our own.

    The comparison is not an insult. It is a diagnosis. And thankfully, it comes with a prescription.

    Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures;
    He leads me beside quiet waters.
    He restores my soul;
    He guides me in the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake. 

    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I fear no evil, for You are with me;
    Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
    You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
    You have anointed my head with oil;
    My cup overflows.
    Surely goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me all the days of my life,
    And I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever. Psalm 23

    He knows our problems, and He cares. He gives us the remedy and guidance. The LORD adopts us into the flock by faith in what He has already done and gives us His Spirit and His Word.

    He understands our propensity to wander and stray yet leaves the 99 behind to find the one.

    He blesses us and protects us in this life and beyond. Praise the Lord, for He is the Good Shepherd who knows His own sheep. Praise Him who has given us ears to hear His voice calling.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God) 

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    SUMMARY

    Sheep are far more capable than their reputation suggests, and understanding that reframes what it means when Scripture calls us sheep. The comparison is not about our intelligence, but our need for a shepherd, a relationship Psalm 23 describes beautifully.

    KEY POINTS:

    Sheep are smarter than we think, which makes the biblical comparison more meaningful, not less.

    Like sheep, we are vulnerable, prone to wander, and designed to thrive under wise guidance rather than on our own.

    Yahweh (the LORD) is the Good Shepherd who knows us, seeks us when we stray, and blesses us in this life and beyond.

    Some others you may enjoy

    Close to the Master: Embracing Life’s Journey

    The Gospel: The best news you will ever hear.

    The Great Transfer – From darkness to light