United Church of God

Letter From Jim Tuck January 13, 2018

Letter From Jim Tuck

January 13, 2018

Greetings brethren,

 

 

 

Billions of people in this world float along aimlessly not knowing why they exist.  Life for most humans who are seeking to know the answers, is finding a purpose to latch onto and something for which they can devote themselves.

 

 

 

Some think their purpose is to save the whales or other wild life on this planet. Others have the goal of feeding the hungry or providing healthcare for the poor.

 

 

 

I remember as a boy reading books about Albert Schweitzer, a medical doctor, theologian, and humanitarian who journeyed to Gabon, Africa in the early 1900s and established hospitals providing medical care for the sick and infirmed.  I remember being intrigued with the idea of venturing to Africa to help the disadvantaged, and so I decided the medical profession would the best way to fulfill that ambition.

 

 

 

It was a worthy goal to pursue, but God had other things in mind. We make plans in our lives, but sometimes unexpected turns occur which are God directs.  Little could we know how important those turns are in the eternal scheme of things.  God determined to call each of us, and He sets us on a course in life to fulfill a calling.

 

 Often it is true of many who lives are redirected.  Proverbs 16:9 tells us, " A man's heart plans his way,   But the Lord directs his steps."
 

The calling of God either into the church or ministry answers the nagging questions we have in life--why were you born and why do you exist?

 

 

 

We exist because God is building a family and we will be among the first as first fruits to enter His family.  It is not just a guess because it is the sum of the gospel we preach.  The Kingdom of God is coming, and the kingdom is the spiritual family of God ruling in the future for the benefit of all humankind.

 

 

 

We are called for the purpose of helping with the preaching of the gospel to the world.  God is calling us to learn how to be teachers and to provide our assistance in supporting and helping with the promulgation of the gospel to the whole world.

 

 

 

I Corinthians 1:26-27    "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty."

 

 

 

God hasn't called many rich or titled people of this world, but chiefly He has called the common folk to accomplish this magnanimous goal of taking a message of hope to the entire world.  He hasn't called very many to do the job, but relatively few to do it.

 

 

 

We do not have to guess or wonder what our purpose for existence is, but it would do us well to ask ourselves from time to time, "Do we see our calling?"

 

 

 

Have a wonderful Sabbath and weekend!

 

                       

 

Your friend and brother in Christ,

 

 

 

  Jim Tuck