A little encouragement

Have you ever felt the nudge or call to do something? What pains you right down to the bone? What gnaws at you until you have to do something because it just won't leave you alone? Did you ever fell that maybe God was calling you? Do you feel too young, too old, too weak, too unable, too busy, to do something about these nudges? Do you pray "God, is this something You want me to involve myself in? Do You want me to further Your Kingdom in this way?" Are you ready to throw yourself so deep into God's call on your life so that you can feel God holding you and watch Him show up in magnificent ways? I am. Can you truly say that: "I am", to God, truly? I'm ready. With God's strength, I'm ready. Can you say, "God use me here, use me anywhere You want me to be? Not what I will, but YOUR WILL BE DONE."? YOUR WAY, NOT my way. WHERE YOU WANT, NOT where I want. YOUR TIME, NOT my time. YOUR PEOPLE, NOT who I want to be with. Yes, God has drilled into you desires and dreams that can be used to further His kingdom, but it is because GOD PUT THEM THERE! Are you willing to say "Take out of me any desire that is not Your own!"? To young people: The call of Jeremiah Jeremiah 1:4-10 4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ” 6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” To everyone: Acts 2:1-4,13-17 The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost 2 When the day of Pentecost came, they [the disciples] were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.God has a purpose for each one of us! DON'T waste your life chasing temporal things when God's kingdom is COMING SOON! No one knows the day or the hour, but we know that His kingdom could come at ANY unsuspecting moment! Do you want to fulfill your life's purpose that God uniquely ordained for YOUR life BEFORE you were born?? 2 Timothy 4:1-8 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Fighting the Good Fight is NOT, and will NEVER be, impossible! It WILL, without a doubt, be very hard. You may have family members, and friends turn against you. But this happened to Jesus too. His own home town didn't accept Him and His ministry. The people in the area where He grew up would not listen to him. He had to talk with people He didn't know, go into situations that wouldn't be comfortable to us. He died an excruciating death that we will probably NEVER have to experience! For us, a group of sinners, who have the choice to turn away from Him and to refuse His free gift if we choose so. So, if you experience defeat, ridicule, hardship, remember Who fought the good fight to save all Humanity. Pray, and ask God to make it clear where He wants you. I'm going to be praying hard. I'm going to struggle, I'm going to fail. But, with the mercy and grace of God, I'm going to get back up again and try it over. And if you ask, I'll pray for you too. I'm not perfect and the Lord knows I need a lot of help. I'd appreciate your prayers too. DON'T QUIT! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, wait PATIENTLY through hardships, GLORIFY your FATHER, and RECEIVE GRATEFULLY the CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS at the end. I know that it's going to be WORTH IT! "The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." -- 2 Timothy 4:22