“But then God called me by His grace; and in love, He chose me from my birth to be His. God’s grace unveiled His Son in me so that I would proclaim Him to the non-Jewish people of the world. ” (Galatians 1:15-16)

Paul the Apostle was chosen.  He used to believe that he ought to do everything that he can to oppose the name of Jesus in which he did.  He caused many believers to be sent to prison and condemned them to death.  He witnessed Stephen who was full of the Holy Spirit stoned to death and the other witnesses even laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, who later on became Paul. (Acts 7:58)

He was so violently opposed to them who believed in the Name of Jesus even to the point of chasing them down in foreign cities.  And one day, while hunting them down on the road to Damascus, the Lord showed Himself strong and undeniable with the Light of His love that was irresistible.

“One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.  About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.  We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’

‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness.”  (Acts 26:12-16 NLT)

What an amazing testimony of conversion.  When He shows Himself strong and mighty before our very eyes, how can we withstand His power and authority?  It was not mentioned that Paul wrestled.  No!  When the light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down and he heard a voice, his response was “Who are you, Lord?”  Such response would somehow cause a question to rise in one’s head.  Why did Paul call Jesus, Lord?  In fact, he was against Him.  To call someone, “Lord”, denotes one who possesses you in absolute ownership,  That means the “Lord” is your master or ruler, someone you are surrendered and obedient to.

There are powerful divine encounters in our lives that no one can put in words let alone argue. I never used to believe that Jesus IS The ONLY Way, The ONLY Truth and The ONLY Life.  It was far from my belief that no one comes to the Father except ONLY through Him.  I thought that all beliefs are just like different rivers flowing in one direction that ends up into one ocean.  Until one day when I, too, had a “Damascus Encounter” in a very personal way that brought me to repentance and was evidently changed.

Indeed, ONE touch of Jesus in one’s life can change the direction of one’s entire being.  Nobody had to explain to me what had happened.  I just knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He powerfully yet tenderly touched the very core of my heart that made me a NEW CREATION in Christ.

Just as Paul was chosen to write two thirds of the New Testament, I became the chosen one to personally bring this message to you 😇.  With God, nothing just happens. Everything in Him is purposeful. Did I ever dream of sharing the gospel through a blog?  Hmmmm … never in my wildest dreams.  But God had this written in my life’s blueprint. He graced me to respond to the invitation of making Jesus as my Lord and my Savior, for me TO KNOW HIM and TO MAKE HIM KNOWN.

Mary was the ONE chosen to be the mother of Jesus. She was highly favored to be the one who will carry in her womb the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Was it easy?  I’m sure not!  Becoming pregnant as a virgin teenager was unheard of, but by the grace of God she responded, “Be it done to me according to Your Word.” (Luke 1:38)  To break the news to Joseph who believed God most probably was a challenge, too, for her situation was EXTRAORDINARY. There was nothing like it in the history of mankind.

Did Joseph receive it easily? I don’t think so either.  In Matthew 1:19 it says, “And her husband Joseph being a JUST man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

God had to intervene the plans of Joseph in a dream for him to RECEIVE the word spoken to him by an angel of the Lord. When he awoke from his sleep, he DID as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He stood as the husband to Mary and father to Jesus.

Mary and Joseph were the chosen ones to bring up Jesus until He was at the ripe age of being ANOINTED as the Beloved Son of God at the Jordan River. Thereafter, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing ALL who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”(Acts 10:38)

I have a funny testimony regarding the chosen one.  I was believing to travel way across the globe to attend a wedding in which I was chosen to be the maid of honor.  My best friend who was the bride told me that ever since we became friends, she chose me and promised me that I would be her maid of honor on her wedding.  17 years had passed before that wedding day came and I never even remembered her promise to me, BUT God did.  I believe He recorded it when my friend made that promise to me hahaha!

And so, my gown was ready, my passport with visa were set, but I still had no provision for my airfare.  The Lord impressed in my heart to WAIT and so I did.

One day, my friend, the bride, called.  She wanted to stay with me overnight because she and her husband-to-be tried to do her booking for the last three days but to no avail.  So, when she came, I got to my computer and in a flash her flight was booked!  Oh how I wish I had a camera to capture the look on her face.  Only then she mentioned to me that the Lord told her that my hands will be the one to book her flight.  Hmmmm … I was stunned because she is used to doing it every so often.  But when God chose me to do it, who can come against it?

A few minutes later, she asked me, “How about your ticket?”  And I gracefully replied, “The Lord told me to wait and so I am waiting.”  Then, she handed me her credit card and told me to book my flight.  Hallelujah!  How the Lord surprises us in ways we couldn’t comprehend.

After booking my flight, she said, “I knew I was going to be the one to buy your ticket.” And I replied, “Hmmmm … why did you wait then until now?”  Her answer was, “I was waiting.  Maybe the Lord will tell someone else to buy it for you.”  Oh how we chuckled that whole evening.  And I told her, “when God chose you to be the one, He will not speak to anyone else.  He is a God of order, otherwise I will probably end up with more than one booking.”

In our seemingly ordinary days, God supernaturally blesses us and graces us with a “YES” cry in our hearts. My bride friend did not out-rightly obey the voice of God though she heard Him, but when He stepped in, her “YES” was birthed into existence and an overwhelming miracle happened.

Indeed, He knows the A to Z and to eternity where we will be sent, the kind of voice we will have and the scope of influence we can be. He knows the seed of greatness that He deposited in us before He created us and the potential of that seed to fulfill what He called us to do.

Wherever you are right now, KNOW that He has positioned you to be at the right place at the right time.  Know what He has chosen you for at this point in time and learn from the Holy Spirit, be led by Him to do what He has called you to do.  Keep renewing your thinking by the Word of God to tap into His thoughts and His ways that He has for you and never for a moment entertain a thought that He does not have of you.  Keep filling your heart with what is hopeful, thankful, joyful and praiseworthy for out of it flows the issues of your life.

It is in this glorious journey of being, walking, communing with Him shall we find ourselves confident in knowing who we are, where we are and why we are doing what we are doing that gives Him all the glory, for it is He Who is the author and the finisher of our faith.

Know that Jesus is interceding for us that our faith will not fail.  Know that the Holy Spirit is helping us and interceding for us that we will walk according to God’s will.  When we confidently know who we are and whose we are, we can be rest assured that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

So, be of good cheer wherever we find ourselves TODAY!  With the Lord with us, in us and for us, He will show Himself strong in and through us.  We are born in such a time as this and are positioned by God to be BLESSED to be a blessing, LOVED to love and FULL OF HOPE to bring hope.  It is He Who orders our steps, therefore enjoy the journey of living a glorious life with Him.  Together, Him in us, in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and us IN HIM, is the the greatest relationship we could ever have. 

Whatever each day brings, KNOW that He is JOY, He is PEACE, He is COMFORT, He is STRENGTH and He is LOVE.  His grace is always sufficient.  What He chose us to do, He will fully equip us and anoint us to do.  “It is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.” (Zechariah 4:6)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You that You have called and chosen me to come to KNOW You through Your only Begotten and Beloved Son Jesus Christ, Whom You sent to be Your exact representation and the expression of Your love.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for revealing Yourself to me in ways and means that only the depths of my heart can comprehend.  Continue to unveil my eyes to see You face to face and commune with You heart to heart by the power of Your Word.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for making this relationship a tangible reality and I pray that You will constantly supply Me with the bountiful measure of Your presence each day of my life.  Amen!