When
God does something to make an impact, he always does it with a select few. The
battle is not ours, but the Lord’s. God designed it so that victories are
ultimately in His hands not ours. Without Him, we are nothing.
1
Corinthians 1:27 "God has chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise and to nullify the things of
the world so that no man can boast."
God always works through the “underdogs”. He
proved this when He ordinary people, like you and me, to be His
disciples. He could have chosen the rich and powerful of this world.
However, He chose a “ragtag” group of nobodies to change the world. God wants
to take nobodies to make them into some-bodies. A “nobody” is a person of no
influence. If we're influencers, we influence others not by the world's
ways but by allowing God to work in us and through us to will and to do of His
good pleasure.
The
world's definition of “success” is those who accomplish great feats of
influence and power and accomplishment. They are "gifted" in
their own power. Jesus said, "Seeketh
thou great things for yourself? Seek them not." Contrary to
the world's standards, God's success code is what John the Baptist said, "I must decrease that he may increase."
The
world says, "Those Christians are nobodies, you can forget about
them." The Christian church does not consist of those whom the world
holds in high esteem. God never chose His men and women to compete with
the world on the world's terms. According to Romans 12, "Be not squeezed into the world's mold...be
not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." The
heart's desire of a person of God is to learn to become just like their master,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
As
Christians in America, we've been conditioned to gravitate toward worldliness.
The wisdom of this world is earthly sensual and devilishness. However, when the
Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost, Christians were “born again”
into a supernatural world. When a man or woman comes to the Lord, how do
you explain the change in that person's life? Peter himself had been
radically changed on the day of Pentecost. The crowd took notice that he
had been with Jesus. He was an unlearned Galilean and spoke not as others with
enticing words of man's wisdom, but with the power of God in
manifestation.
In
John
6, when Jesus said that you can't follow me unless you partake of my
flesh and blood, the crowds decided not to follow him. Jesus said to His
disciples, will you also leave me? Peter answered, "Where else can we go? You have the
words of eternal life." Jesus said, "Follow me." We do not know the destination ... but we can
trust that He knows the way. A fool is a person who is lacking reason and
prudence; one without good sense and composure, and one who takes no thought
for the consequences of his actions. Everyone is someone's fool. Whose fool are
you?
As
nobodies, the world thinks that we're nothing. Great Christians are marked by
humility. When Mother Theresa was touring Washington, a congressman
looking for a photo-op approached her and gave her a million dollar check for
her charity "Sisters of Mercy." She said to the man, "Please give this donation to someone who
needs it more that we do. God has always met our needs and he will
provide. God works best with nothing."
To
change the world, God has called us as "Fools for Christ." He
has used the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. Jeremiah
9:23-24 says, “Thus saith the Lord,
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in
his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that
glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the
LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth:
for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”
According
to 2
Corinthians 4:7, "For we
have this treasure (the Holy Spirit) in an earthen vessel that the excellency
of the power may be of God and not of us."
May
God richly bless you!
Your
brother in Christ, Michael
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