The Divine Exchange 2

 Divine Exchange 2:

This episode I take a moment to explain my thought process behind the first several episodes and the track we are on. I sure pray this is a blessing and encouragement to both you now and those who will listen in the future.  

My call in to ministry. I totally felt like I was not worthy, or had anything to offer the Lord or His people. I mean I just got saved and was still on prohibition from my DUI. My life was still changing and it was changing quickly. The next morning after the Lord had spoken to me from Mark’s gospel I remember waking up and my dog had ate my entire can of Copenhagen tobacco Snuff, my mom took my last couple of dollars I had laid on the table and then getting in the work truck and telling my cousin whom I worked with that I believe the Lord might be calling me to serve Him. I will never forget what he said. He looked across the front seat of the truck as I leaned against the door craving a dip of snuff and said, “DUH, I thought you knew that.”

Apostle Paul must have felt some of the same feelings of not being worthy to serve Jesus. Grace is an amazing thing that our life and mind can’t fully comprehend. Paul had been persecuting the Church of Jesus and was doing it with zeal. He was present at the stoning of Stephen and then went on a rampage soon after chasing, capturing, and trying in his own ability to destroy the people of the WAY.

In Acts 9 it records the events, “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

 

Paul who was named Saul would never be the same. His life was interrupted by GRACE. He was a murder of God’s people, He was working against the very plan of God and the people of God, but Jesus stops Paul in his tracks to tell Paul that He wanted him. Jesus Himself said that Paul’s attacks were attacks directly on Him, but Jesus still wanted him and had a plan for his life. Saul was blinded and led to Damascus and for 3 days stayed there until the Lord sent His servant to go and pray for Paul and tell him what lied ahead.

 

Paul would write in 1 Timothy 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

 

Paul had to feel just awful when he found out that he was actually working against the Lord and killing the people of God. No wonder he saw himself as the chief of sinners. I heard a testimony by a Israeli pastor talking about his time in the IDF air force and how one of his fellow soldiers was doing a fly over patrol and saw a brigade of tanks rolling across the mountains. He had to act quick and used no time to report back but acted quickly and destroyed the tanks. He returns to base expecting to be the hero only to find out that he had destroyed his own brothers. This must have been the same feeling Paul had. BUT GOD and His Holy Spirit could exchange sin, shame for righteousness.

 

That afternoon it only seemed obvious to me to go to my pastor and share with him what I felt the Lord calling me to do. I shared with him that I simply wanted to start mowing the Church’s yard for I felt like that was the only thing I could offer the Lord and if He could use a nice looking yard at the Church and someone seeing that and coming to the Church to know Him then it is all worth it. Now mind you this property at the Church would literally take me 2 ½ to 3 hours to cut it by push lawn mower. It was huge. He told me that was a great offer and I should be baptized. Going to my pastor and telling him I wanted to serve by mowing the Church’s yard

Visiting so many friends and family with my pastor to tell them about what Jesus had done.

My pastor telling me the best advice I have ever had for ministry and in serving the Lord, “PRAY”.