Are you of the ones who have been called? If you haven’t responded yet, he’s waiting for you to answer. Some are asking, “Called me to what?” “Called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is faithful.” (1 Corinthians 1: 9) This is our first calling–to Him.
Paul is exhorting the Corinthian believers to be in fellowship with Jesus, and to be in unity with each other.
- If we are in fellowship with Jesus, we should be unified with other believers.
The reality is, however, there is disunity and dysfunction among believers. It existed in Biblical days with the early church and still happens today. Here’s how Paul addressed the issue: “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Corinthians 1: 10)
- Make an appeal to God, then to the brothers and sisters.
- Being united in mind and thought requires open dialogue and listening to each other.
- Shutting the door too quickly and not hearing one another may set the stage for disunity.
- Listening to one another with respect, without assumptions, honors God.
How are we kept strong in the Lord, especially, if there is division? Learn to think as the Lord thinks. How do we think as the Lord thinks and exude His character? Through the Holy Spirit and by using our gifts.
“For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all your speaking, and in all your knowledge.” (1 Corinthians 1: 5-6)
- Learn to discern.
“We do not lack any spiritual gift, as we eagerly await for our Lord Jesus to be revealed.” (1 Corinthians 1: 7)
- When the gifts are in operation, we will reveal His will as we reveal Him, through our lives.
- It’s the Holy Spirit that enables one to minister to the needs of the body.
- We have been called, not in ourselves, but in Him. (Shared from 1 Corinthians 1: 1-17, Modified)
Joel, the prophet, is seeing the joy of mankind being withered away, as he prophecies. He’s calling back those who minister to repent, for “The grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.” (Joel 1: 13)
What does that indicate? Nothing is producing, so there is nothing to give or bring to the house of God. Joel is seeing the vine dried up and the grain being destroyed. He laments and, “He declares a holy fast; call a sacred assembly.” (Joel 1: 14)
He’s calling forth people to cry out to the Lord. He is proclaiming that restoration and blessing shall come, only after judgment and repentance. It is often the role of the prophet to call back the people of God, to God, in purity and sincerity.
(Shared from Joel 1, Modified)
King Jeroboam is not calling his people to God; he is modeling turning away from God. He is appointing priests, from all sorts of people, even though they are not Levites, to prepare the sacrifices. This in itself is a desecration. The priests were commanded by God to be holy, set apart, appointed, and anointed; and only from the Levite tribe. He instituted a festival to offer sacrifices on the altar.
A man of God from Judah, a prophet, comes to him and says, “This is what the Lord says, “A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.” (1 Kings 13: 2)
Jeroboam heard what the man of God was saying and he stretched out his hand from the altar saying, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched toward the man of God shriveled up. The altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God–by God’s word.
So King Jeroboam asks the man to intercede with the Lord so his hand will be restored. The man intercedes with the Lord and the man’s hand is restored.
- God wants to use the hands of prophetic men and women to intercede with the Lord.
- Jesus is our Great Intercessor waiting for the hands of man to pray and intercede for restoration.
Will YOU answer this call? It may be a hidden place, but you are with the Lord, which is a secret place.
Jeroboam asks the man of God to come home with him, but he refuses as God instructed him. Another old man of God, an old prophet, says to this man of God from Judah, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water. (But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.” (1 Kings 13: 18-19)
- Be careful who you listen to, even if the title prophet is given.
- Always obey God’s words to you.
- A prophet is not subject to the words of another prophet.
- A prophet is subject to the words of God.
- Learn to listen to the voice of God yourself.
- Let the prophetic word be a confirmation of what God has already spoken to you.
A man lost his life by the mouth of a lion. It is the mouth of the lion who comes to roar and devour. Discern which lion. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him.” (1 Peter 5: 8)
Let the Lion of Judah roar over you. This is whom you are called to. “See the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David has triumphed.” (Revelation 5: 5)
(Shared from 1 Kings 12: 32-13: 34, Modified)
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
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