#the called

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Should I try again or give up on it?

So that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory" 1 Th 2:12 Sometimes I think we give a pretty bad testimony as Christians, and often people don't even know who the Christians are that they're surrounded by. When I was an atheist I didn't think or know that anyone around me was a Christian, except for one of my good friends grandmas that would talk to me about Jesus. My soul must've been open to it and God must've been calling me without me even realizing it, because although I was uncomfortable at times, I would sit there and listen to her, later, this became very relevant in my life. God used that old lady to save me from the pit of hell. However, if not for God's saving grace that came to through an old and bold lady, I may have never known that any of those around me were christians. Apparently after I was saved and my whole life changed, it was ok for them to tell me they were Christians, but if you would've asked me beforehand, I thought I was surrounded by atheists. They often lived just as bad as me, if not worse. So when I found out they were Christians after I got saved, I thought it was cool, but looking at things now, I probably shouldn't have been hanging out with them, or better yet, they shouldn't have been hanging out with me, or if they were, they should've been lights in my life, and not living worse than everyone else I knew. I remember hearing a sermon from a pastor saying that he has Christians in his life and yet none of them ever told him about the gospel, and it wasn't until after that he said, they must've really hated him, because none of them ever tried to save him from the pit of hell. Now, I don't want to get too crazy, but I think this scripture is relevant for all of our lives. If Paul could say that he had not yet attained, than I think there's parts of our life that we could all allow to become more worthy for God's calling. The interesting thing about these friends is that, after I became a Christian and began to change my life, most of them didn't like that or necessarily want any part of them, and several of them were departing or trying to depart from the faith, in fact, after seeing what God was doing in my life, one of them decided to give me his bible case, and told me that I was a better man than him and that he wanted to give it to me because he no longer had need of it. At the time I didn't realize how sad this was, but I have still have my friends bible case and I hope he comes back for it one day. God has blessed him even in his disobedience as he has worked for google and Facebook, the man is a genius and may the lord bring him back to Himself. Another friend was a mathematician who I believe is a teacher at cal state la, whom God healed from cancer, he fell away after that, but prior to that God used him to give me an nasb bible that I had been praying to receive, and shortly after his miraculous healing, he fell away from the church. I pray that the lord brings him back as well. These are both sad stories, and for almost ten years now, I've been carrying one friends bible in another friend's case, hoping that God will bring them both back to repentance. I mention these two brothers because the life they are living now is not worthy of the calling that God has placed on their life and it is not worthy of the God who has called them into His kingdom and glory, but I pray that one day it will be, I also pray that whoever reads this, including myself who is writing this, will be convicted by the Holy Spirit and change their lives, repent from their sins, and walk in a manner that is worthy of the God who has called us into His kingdom and glory.

"Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it" https://ref.ly/Mt10.11-12;nrsv The Lord gave some pretty crazy instructions when He sent the Twelve out to, "proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons." https://ref.ly/Mt10.7-8;nrsv However, What's funny to me, is that the Lord really highlighted and brought me to verses 11-12 rather than 7 and 8. Normally when I would read this passage, that is, Jesus commissioning the Twelve disciples, I would often focus on the outstanding miraculous signs, that they would cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons. Yet, God really wanted me to focus on the miraculous signs that followed those ones. Jesus simply told the disciples to travel to a town or village and proclaim the good news that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near, a pretty radical statement the more I think about it. God is telling them to tell everyone that, the Kingdom of God has come near, His kingdom is near to us, It's approaching, it's at hand. God's kingdom is here and is coming, that's an insane statement. If God's kingdom is near and is coming, what does that look like, or what does that mean? The signs that follow seem to show or provide meaning, when God's Kingdom is near, the sick are cured, the dead are raised, the lepers are cleansed, and demons are cast out. These signs speak for themselves, and the good news they're proclaiming is that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near, these are the amazing things that happen only when God's kingdom is near or at hand, think of what will happen when it's fully realized and we're living in a new heaven and a new earth. The beauty is just what these signs are saying, that in God's Kingdom there will be no sick, no death, no lepers, and demons have no place there. As is said in the book of Revelation, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” Rev 21:3-4 NRSV When God's kingdom is near, these wrongs are righted for those to whom the gospel of the kingdom of heaven was proclaimed, but when the Kingdom is here, those things will be no more.

ATHEISTS: It Is Not Your Choice ! That The Purpose Of God According To Election Might Stand. Not Of Works, But Of Him That Calleth.   Romans 9:1-18. THEREFORE: He Hath Mercy On Whom He Will Have Mercy And Whom He Will He Hardeneth.