Friday, August 8, 2008

YOU CALLED ME!!!

When Kelly and I first got married, we always dreaded the phone bill coming at the end of the month. We lived in Virgina and both of our families lived out of state and we loved talking to them. When the bill arrived, we didn't like it so much. A few years ago one of the carriers came up with unlimited long distance. What a great idea!! (wish I had thought of it years before) We were constantly trying to get our families to call us so they would have to pay the bill. You see the company always bills the person who places the call. You make the call, you take care of the bill.

Evidently, God feels the same way. In John 15:16, Jesus says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you...". Jesus picked us out to place His great grace and favor on our lives. Since he placed the call then He assumes the responsibility for the payment. That just makes me smile while I sit here typing. Someone else has to pay besides me. When God takes responsibility, he fulfills all the letter of the agreement. He never runs out of resources, gets tired or decides to quit. HE IS RESPONSIBLE! Not out of obligation but because He really wants to be our caregiver.

Jesus goes on in this verse to say, "...and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." God confirms His call by adding some pretty incredible benefits. He appoints us to be fruitful. An appointment can only be removed by the one who made it. God's commitment is fruitfulness that lasts. Early in the 15th chapter of John He says He will reposition us, prune us and even burn away dead parts to keeps us fruitful.

The other great part of this responsibility is the last part of verse 16. He gives us whatever we ask the Father in His name. That is AWESOME!! What else should we expect though from someone who is willing to pay a bill that's not His? He Called Us!!!!


See ya Sunday, Expect great things from our God,

Pastor Kevin

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