When I was in seminary and about to graduate, a friend of mine shared a calling from God to go to inner-city Chicago to minister on the streets. I was scared for him and tried to persuade him to choose something else. He was young, bright, well-educated and my friend. I thought I knew what was best for him. He told me he had to do what the Lord Jesus told him to do. I accepted it.
Often the Christian people we know make decisions we do not understand. They often seem to be motivated by something besides money, prestige, position, ego, and family. They sometimes make decisions to go places and do things that seem risky and even unwise, impractical, and strange. If we know them well, we often discover that what is more important to them than all these other considerations is an Encounter with Jesus. The Risen Christ is alive and active in accomplishing His Cosmic plan of redemption and spiritual transformation. When that kind of experience comes to a person nothing else is more important. Everything, every other relationship, opportunity, challenge, and love fades in comparison to the experience, the encounter that person has had with Christ. The person has a revelation from God, they contemplate it, miracles happen to open the door to God’s will and great thanksgiving is the result. Oh what a difference that fresh encounter with Jesus makes. God grant us all revival; a fresh encounter with Jesus.
