God Chooses You

A few weeks ago, our pastor was teaching from the book of Ephesians.  He mentioned that at the time Paul wrote this letter (around 60 A.D) that the city of Ephesus was considered the Slave Capital of the world.
 

He went on to explain that Ephesus was a city built on attaining physical perfection and status.  In Ephesus, they would actually discard babies who they viewed as “less than” outside the city gate.  Babies were discarded and tossed away because they did not measure up to someone’s idea of perfection. 

 

Consequently, if someone in the city of Ephesus desired to own a slave, they would simply go outside the city gate to buy one. 

 

From c.100 B.C. to c. A.D. 100 Ephesus was the world capital of the slave trade.

 

Paul is writing to a city that communicated to its people that if you didn’t measure up to “the standard” then you were unworthy.  You were unacceptable and unlovable.  

 

But Paul writes to remind them that since they now belong to Christ, they must start living their lives accordingly. They need to hold fast to the ways of God rather than the ways of the world. 

 

Ephesians 1:11 tells us that In Him we are chosen! 

 

When the world tells us that we don’t matter, we can take comfort in knowing that God chooses us!  In Him, we are adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven.  He calls us His own and places us in His family.

 
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. (Eph 1:5 NLT)
 

One of the saddest interactions I’ve ever had with someone who was in The Life was a 25 year-old young woman.  After letting her know that there were people who wanted to support her and point her to resources she said,

 

“I’m too old to be helped.  Why don’t you help the younger girls?”

 

At just 25 years old, this young woman had convinced herself that this was all her life was ever going to be.  She had deemed her life unworthy of anything more. 

 

To her, and to all the other women just like her, I want to say that the message you are being told is a lie.  You do matter.  And you are loved.  GOD chooses you.  He pursues you.  In love, he adopted you.  In His eyes you are perfect, holy and blameless. 

 

Around Christmas, my daughter got a shirt that says, “I woke up flawless.”  And that’s the beauty of the cross.  Because of Jesus’ death on the cross we are deemed flawless.  We are given a new identity.  The old is gone and the new has begun.  We are given a new beginning.  That new beginning is available to anyone who chooses it.  It doesn’t matter your age, your background, or your occupation.  God chooses you.

xx

Casting Our Net

 

Many of you know that I have recently been blessed with the opportunity to work for an organization called Refuge For Women and that we have been in the process of locating a home for our ministry for quite some time now. 

 

Since last Fall we have been in talks with another non-profit regarding the ownership of a home that they were no longer using.  Our hopes were that this organization would transfer ownership of this home to Refuge.  Since last Fall we have been in a holding pattern to see if this lead would come to fruition. 

We were informed this morning that their governance board, under direction from their funding board, has voted to try to sell the house that they had at first intended to give us.  Their financial resources are dwindling and this could be a way to address that.  While wondering about this turn of events, we trust God and are reminded of Acts 16:6-7 where the Spirit blocked Paul from going to Asia so that he would go to Macedonia.  .

While this is an obvious setback, we remain faithful that He indeed has a house for us, just not that one.

During this time of waiting, we have been like the women with their oil lamps burning.  We are ready to move ahead as soon as God makes His move in telling us where the home will be located. We have been preparing our volunteers, selecting our program director, building connections and partnerships, and fundraising to be able to establish this house well.

As we wait for God to establish the house that He will use for ministry, we are also reminded of Peter’s calling to cast down his net in Luke chapter 5.  Simon (later called Peter) was a fisherman by trade.  He had been fishing all day, but had not been successful. But after being obedient to Jesus’ command, he casts his net and is supplied with more fish than he could ever ask or imagine.

Our efforts in locating a home have not been successful thus far.  But we feel as if God is telling us to cast our net again.  Cast it wider and with more certainty than before.  Cast our net with full confidence that He will fill it to overflowing and provide more than we could ever ask or imagine.  Perhaps God does not have just one house in mind for us.  Perhaps he has 3 homes to fill our net.  And so, dear friends, we are now casting our net in faith.  Let those who have ears to hear, hear this need and pay attention to any promptings they may have to partner with Refuge.  We are asking you to help us stretch our net far and wide.  Do you have a house or know someone that has a house that could be used for ministry? Please let others know that Refuge needs a house. 

Once Peter answered the Lords call, his focus changed from fishing for actual fish and earning a days wage to fishing for people. His focus shifted from the here and now to the eternal.  Fishing for souls and bringing them to Christ. Once God establishes the home, we too will shift our focus.  We will become fishers of women and souls for eternity.  We will then begin the good work that he has started in KY and begin the healing work the Lord has for women who have been exploited in our city and community.

Luke 5

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,  and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

One Word For 2016 - Choose

 

I’m finally getting around to posting my One Word for 2016.  This past year I have really struggled with keeping my emotions in check.  When praying for God to give me a word for 2016 I kept sensing something along the lines of perspective or choice.  So the word that I’ve settled on is choose.

God created us with free will.  The power to choose.

Each and every day we have choices to make.  Simple things like am I going to hit the snooze button just once more and risk being late or will I get up and get moving now so the rest of my morning goes smoothly. And more important choices like how I will react to certain situations or comments.  Will I let my anger rise up and respond with something I’ll regret or will I bite my tongue until I have a chance to calm down.  I have to choose.

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” (Prov. 10:19).

I find it interesting that one of the ways to sign the word sin in sign language is by pointing your index fingers at the corners of your mouth and then doing a circular motion away from the mouth with your fingers. So often we can sin by what comes out of our mouth.  Our words or even the tone of our words can cause us to sin. We can choose if our words will build up or tear down.  It’s something I want to be more mindful of this year. 

And as I think about this word choose and the power it has over my life, I can’t help but think about this power at work in the lives of women who are in The Life.  As we reach out to them, we are presenting them with a different option. We let them know that there are people who care and resources that are available.  We place this information in their lap, but they have to be the one to choose what to do with that information. 

For you and I, this choice might seem obvious, but to them it is not that simple.  Their life may seem chaotic, unstable and even scary at times to us, but to them it’s what they know.  It’s what is familiar. And don’t we all love to cling to what’s familiar even though it may not be God’s best for us? That quick temper – we justify it by saying “Well that’s just the way I am.”  No, it’s what is familiar to you, but not God’s best for you.  

Ultimately, for these women we reach out to, our hope is that they choose life.  The biggest and most life altering choice we all must make in our lifetime is whether we choose life or death.

Jesus and His death on the cross offers us life.  An abundant life.  Eternal Life.  We are all just one choice away from forever.  You, me, my neighbor down the street.  We all have to choose.  And that choice will last forever, into eternity.

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."  Joshua 24:15