Few are Chosen!

(Matthew22:14) “For many are called, but few are chosen."

The Bible is very clear on what it would look like if we were enlisted amongst the elite of God’s calling, the special forces of God, a company of heroes! It would be easy to recognize them, as the world would view them as the scourge of the earth, “Oxygen thieves” would be bandied about amongst the heathen. And yet God would bellow words to his Celestial world like we read in Hebrew chapter 11; “of whom the world was not worthy.” And yet so many of us long to be amongst this number, I know I do! To be marked by God as one who is worthy to be called His son whom is learning to be obedient, and yet I know in many areas of my life this is not true. I am still view by the world as acceptable. “Wishy washy” would be a good description to my commitment of the role I play as a believer. Like a youngster singing in the mirror hoping one day to be a star. We all have dreams, what are your dreams? Maybe an alteration on your existing house, “just a little bigger”, would be nice! This is not the way of the “elite”; they went without so others could have! It is not rocket science and don’t pretend to be in a place you are not. I will not go there any longer! If I now give that thought consideration, do I still long to be amongst the elite of God? My answer would have to be, yes! What greater accolade could one ever receive than to hear these great Words from the only true God! - “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelations 21:7)

So then what will it take to be amongst the number that conquers, well obviously it will only be those who are born again and have received Christ’s Spirit. Those who have been called, those who have been predestines by God to be conformed into the image of His Son. Yet having said that, they will have a certain look to them and this is what they should not look like; just another cog in the wheel of society! It is easy to single out common sin, but we must be careful not to deceive ourselves with daily living as acceptable.

Let us not kid ourselves, this then is what the elite of God look like; they look forward to a city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God; They all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth; are we? But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city; And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-- of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. This is what God’s Elite look like!

I recall my military service; almost everybody amongst our number liked the idea of becoming an elite soldier as they were recognised as the best of the best. But in order to qualify, they needed to go through some very vigorous training and very few even made the first selection. The cost from the outset needed to be counted! So too is it with this great call from God, this call is the highest of calls and it will cost us our lives if we are serious about it. One could never be an elite soldier in God’s army if we walk around with leeks and garlic in our pockets. All this proves is that we are amongst the pretenders. Those who want to be someone they are not!

Now with that in mind, do I still want to be amongst the special forces of God? My answer Father God would be yes if I was to find favour in your eyes. On the merits of my life I would never qualify, never ever! But if God so wills something who could ever stop Him? So much time wasted in my life, maybe it is because I have so longed to hang on to the little I have, leaving me like a going cymbal, very loud but with very little effect.

If my thoughts be sincere, (God Knows) where to from here? I suppose I could wait like Jonah to be swallowed by a large fish and eventually spat out where I need to be. That journey must have been full of life lessons, his total dependence of the intake of a mammal’s oxygen level, a fish that lived under water. Something totally foreign to him, in fact so out of the ordinary that it brought about a change in his heart and he ended up doing God’s bidding anyway. Life’s lessons at play! He had been chosen!

Nevertheless it is God who chooses, it is no different to the Lord singling out the twelve disciples’; “And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:19-20) – This in itself is miraculous!

So to be real, it is not up to the individual, we must first receive the invitation, but have we not all received that bidding, have we not found strength to fall to our knees and cry out to the only One who has the power to forgive and to forget and to open our eyes to heaven and its calling. If you confess Jesus as Lord then this must be true!

We all now stand before him as enlisted soldiers as allotment now need to take place, and for most it has, as you are actively involved with a body of believers; you have found your place of fellowship where you meet with others and supply one to another as God has intended right from the outset of His call. But there may be some that now linger in the shadows not knowing what it is we are exactly meant to be doing. Something along the way has robbed us of that initial call, could it be the lust of my own hearts, probably, but after an assessment it is time to at least by the grace of God call out and says I have counted the cost, and I am willing to put my hand up. There is no more a person can do, except respond in obedience when shown direction by God, His Word and His people. We often fall amongst the pretenders, our intentions may be misguided, and we may like the idea of true Christianity but be unable to endure life’s difficulties. (God alone Knows), but we must, or I must at least put up my/our hand and say hear my/our cry our great Jehovah.

Signing off

Tyrone