God Chosen

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 11-12, King James Version). This lesson sticks with me because knowing even if people mistreat me, or talk about me, I can keep my head held high because my father in heaven will comfort me with his love and grace. The lessons in the book of Luke (15-31, King James Version) Jesus uses stories to explain how people may stray away, but how we as Christians should either bring or welcome them back. Today’s society forgets these lessons and sees their fellow men as nuisances as back then. Therefore Jesus had to perform miracles for people to see what he said was real.

God also asks all of his followers to forgive other because he has forgiven them. With the immense amount of grace that He has it’s hard to not obey him. God has so much power and is so strong that Christians are to obey him and his will. Christians fear the Lord not out of sacredness but instead out of awe of his almighty power and mercy. Although forgiving for selfish reasons do have benefits, it isn’t the right way to approach the situation of forgiveness.

Not realizing that he needed God just made the gap larger. Upon the death of his friend, he had metaphorically stretched the hole out so much that when it reopened it caused him immense pain. He tried to use material cures to heal himself, but once again “These delights were succeeded not by new sorrows, but by the causes of new sorrows” (60). Looking back, Augustine sees that it takes him an extremely long time to put his faith in God. Even after he states that he should turn to God he turns to the visible world and is once again let down by the results.

We should pray because God calls on us to be faithful and obedient to him. Sometimes we pray to God without even realizing it. There are so many things in this world that connect us to God that we don’t even know about. The spreading of good news is what we do when we share the good that Christ has done for us. It is a personal calling for each person to gladly accept him from an eternity in hell and to show that he cares for us by rescuing us from Satan’s corruptions.

To summarize the meaning of ministry calling and worship should cause one to reflect on the majesty and graciousness of God and Christ, contrasted to our own unworthiness. Our worship not only honors and magnifies God, but it is also of our own edification and strength. Worship helps us develop a God like and Christ like character. We become like unto those we admire and worship. When we worship God, we tend to value what God values and gradually take on the characteristics and qualities of God.

God can be trusted as he has proven his love in many ways. According to the Bible, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Suffering is part of humanity because when people believe in God, but sometimes wonder they begin to suffer because they are at fault. (Hiles & Smith, 2014). When a person begins to wonder why God is taking so long to hear their prayer, they begin to think they are not a fault.

Accepting Jesus as fully human is as important as accepting him as fully divine. Jesus experienced stress, anger, frustration and loneliness but he chose never to respond sinfully to these experiences. Given the choice between popularity and telling people the truth, he chose the path that ultimately turned people against him and led to his death. Jesus is a role model for me. Like Jesus I have been baptized in the faith.

When God created man in His image he had the ability to communicate with Him. This was a journey with many challenges and sacrifices, where obedience was a requirement. “Us reveal that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in relationship.”(Genesis1:26 Jeremiah Study Bible) Nevertheless, God had a relationship with His creation; they walk and talk together. “God does not love us because we are so valuable; we are valuable because God loves us”. (Sire, 2009) However, learning to integrate the two into our everyday lives can prove challenging by building and developing successfully and ethically sound relationships; everyone is accountable, not just responsible for something but also ultimately for our actions.

When someone is lost it is common to lean on the shoulder of another. For many Christians that shoulder to lean on is God. From the words of Isaiah, “God is with you, he will strengthen you, help you, and hold up up with his righteous right hand.” Mack was blind to the spirit of God within him that it took a stronger sign to pull him closer to God. This is a sign that even when we are on the border of being lost with no return, God will find a way to reach us and pull us back into the light. He puts precedence

Each member of the body of Christ longs to be remembered as “a man after God’s own heart,” (Acts 13:22) constantly praising The LORD, as King David did (Psalm 34:1). As Yeshua’s chosen ones, we strive to flee from sin, yet each of have fallen short (Romans 3:23). Without doubt, our mere human efforts cannot equate to righteousness. David was well aware of his human limitations, and trusted His God is all things. (Psalm 25:1) Forgiveness is often recognized as a focal point of the New Testament, but God’s relationship with David highlights His gentle heart and open arms that existed even before the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus Christ.