What Is In A Name?

My wife and I recently had a baby boy. As we were discussing names ahead of time we felt like it was important that his name be more than just a name we liked, we wanted it to mean something. We looked at many names and the one we felt was the one for him was Caleb. Who was Caleb? He was a man the Bible says followed God wholeheartedly. That would be a great legacy to leave.

After the 12 spies came back from the Promised Land with their report, 10 say the physical issues and 2 saw God. The people of Israel began to grumble and Caleb stood up and addressed the whole assembly. He remembered what God had done for them in the past knew what God would do. How many times do we see God working in our lives, maybe we even have seen God provide a miracle and yet we don't trust Him with the things he says he will do?

God takes each of us on a journey in life, sometimes the journey is a scary time if we look at the physical problems. The issues may look to large to handle on our own strength but with God's help we can do it! I was thinking many of us have cars, we think nothing of jumping in the car and making a trip downtown or even 100 or 200 Km from home, even in weather that is not the nicest. What would you think of someone who wouldn't go anywhere they couldn't walk to even though they had access to the car? We would think that funny if they stayed home when their car would get them there no problem. We have God. He asks us to enter situations that are no problem with Him, yet we say I can't do it on my own strength so I am not going to do it. That is just something to think about.

Caleb saw the need for God, it wasn't that he didn't see how nerve-wracking it would be, but with God's help he was ready to take on giants.

Do I have to?

Jesus when he walked this earth spoke many times of heart issues. Here at Elim we have been looking at what the church looks like over the last 3 months. Last week we looked at the story of Jonah. There were 2 things that hit me SMACK in the face that I didn't notice all the other times that I have read or heard the story before.

1. It was easier for God to get 120,000 pagans to follow His will than it was to get Jonah to. I understand that Jonah had an excuse to not want to go, I understand he may not feel that they deserved to be able to repent but thank goodness God didn't think like Jonah. Jonah much like ourselves messed up and God doesn't come back to us and say "sorry you don't deserve it!"

My Question is why was it easier to get the people of Nineveh to repent than it was to get Jonah to, and how often is it easier for God to speak to us through non-Christians than it is to get us speak into each others lives? Why do people feel as though christians are less likely to have their back than their non-Christian friends?

2. My second thought was one that my mother-in-law heard, when we obey God we must not be like Jonah and do it begrudgingly. Here is Jonah seen God save him from a big fish, he goes to Nineveh they repent and he throws a hissy fit. God didn't do it his way. Ours is not to question why but to obey and obey joyfully.

God does not want us to do as he asks because we have to but because we want to. It makes Kourtnay happier when I do something she asks because I want to instead of because I feel like I have do. It shows the relationship we have with God and what we think of Him when we obey while "throwing a fit" or if we do it because God has done so much for us.

These are my thoughts today.

Connections

Our world is so interconnected, we have phones at home, if you can't get us there you can leave a message on our voicemail which we can check anywhere in the world that has a phone. If you need to connect sooner than that, you can call the cell phone that everyone has, which also has voicemail. if that doesn't work you can text the person so they know why it is that you are wanting to get ahold of them. Then there is the whole BlackBerry Craze that is going on, where you can email and it goes directly to the person where ever they are. 

Now please don't get me wrong I enjoy technology and I myself have a BlackBerry, I am not railing against being connected. What I want to say is we must look at the time we spend being connected with others and the time we are connected with God. I live in a small town in western Canada, where most people are still happy getting their news from the local coffee shop. This brings connections with those here in town, but not all that is said in these coffee shops is truth. It bothers most people when rumors are spread about them but are willing to pass on the news of others who may not have released the info. Why is it that we are so willing to pass on these tidbits of information but when it comes to the Gospel we fail to have the guts to do so?

I like Jesus. I enjoy the fact that He came to the earth lived among us, died for us even though He knew that we were going to turn around and deny Him. He searched us out so much that when we wouldn't answer his call, he came looking for us. Next time the phone rings or you see that you have a new text, remember God is trying to get our attention, He wants to have a relationship with us, not because he doesn't have friends on facebook, or followers on Twitter, but because he knows you and what you need and He wants to be there for you.

Pastor Trent Kemsley