July 4
2 Kings 23:31-25:30 | PS 2:1-12 | Prov 18:13 | Acts 22:17-23:10
We know that we are doing something wrong when we either find ourselves not trusting or arguing with God. This ministry, The One Year Bible Challenge/Plan, was initiated after a conversation I had with Pastor Lloyd. After I asked him a question, I saw his heart for revival. I prayed on these thoughts for months and this ministry began to unfold in my mind. I found the Holy Spirit leading me like never before, at times being awoken in the middle of the night, when I would get out of bed and write some things down. But since I had never done much of what I felt that I was being called to do, I began doubting and seeking who I might delegate to. Though the Holy Spirit was convicting, I was doubting in my flesh. I had never been on FaceBook and was extremely computer illiterate. Through what the Holy Spirit was doing and illuminating, the Bible Challenge took form, and was implemented by myself along with some of the members and pastors at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge. I felt that was my responsibility only, to help launch it, then to quietly remove myself. For the first twenty days that the Bible Challenge began in 2017, though I heard the Holy Spirit literally giving me small messages to deliver, I was resistant and did nothing. After stopping my resistance my wife taught me how to post. Amazingly, as I pick up God's Word daily with fear and trembling, I feel moved by the Spirit daily as to what direction to write. On vacation a number of years ago, while in prayer, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to add worship to the Bible Challenge. For whatever reason, I have always been more of a message listener, and I'm embarrassed to admit, that I would often play the worship music in the car when my brain was fried and I simply wanted to mindlessly sing. So, when I felt this leading, I thought it made sense, but immediately again started to think, whom shall I ask to do this for me? But as I was listening on the beach to worship music, the words were literally screaming at me. I was literally seeing verses and portions of Scripture come to mind as I was listening. So, with pen in hand, I began jotting them down. The Holy Spirit has transformed this area in my life.
Paul, being such a devout Jew, felt a compulsion to reach his fellow Jew. But this was not his calling or his commission. Paul loved the Jewish people so much that he wrote in Romans 9:3, "For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,". He had tried on numerous occasions. In Damascus, they wanted to kill him, and they had to help him escape by letting him down in a basket outside the wall (Acts 9:23-25). In every city, that he preached, he first went to the synagogue to reach the Jewish people in the city, but though some listened, the majority would usually respond in anger and either seek his harm or run him out of town. Finally, it seems like Paul's deepest desire was to come true. He was given a platform to approach the masses in Jerusalem. This despite as we read in Acts 22:17-21, that was not Paul's calling, "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me'. So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles,." Paul was arguing with God. We can rest assure that every time we argue with God, He is right and we are wrong. Paul was recanting this message that was delivered to him seventeen years beforehand, but God had not changed His mind on the issue, Paul still must have thought that God was wrong or miscalculated. So here was Paul, giving his testimony, with the masses of the people quietly listening. As soon as Paul mentioned the Gentiles, the crowds once again screamed for his death.
Like Paul, God is speaking to each and every one of us. He might be telling us to or not to do something. We might hear these thoughts in prayer, when we worship, when we are in His Word, or listening to a message at church. When we get that message, how do we respond? Do we question it? Do we wait and ask for more validation before acting? Do we actually argue with God, and feel that He is wrong and that we are right? God does not need us, but He chooses to partner with us and accomplish His will through us. But we must either allow ourselves to be willing vessels, or not. He can accomplish anything He wants through us, despite our own innate inadequacies. When God is calling us into His service, we should respond, "Yes". When God is leading us away from something, we should likewise be sensitive to His leading. God wants to use us, what will our answer be?
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: