[Mark Welch] Why me? I would think you likely have in one form or another probably a number of times, I know I have. I'm sure that Moses asked that question. And for a number of reasons, you know, Moses certainly asked that question, so did Jeremiah, so did Gideon, Isaiah. Noah, I would think in 120 years, he probably asked himself that many, many times. Why me, Master? Why me? Now, when a person goes through an interviewing process, they're looking for a job, there's a number of candidates, but this person has chosen he's the one or she's the one, I'm sure, sometimes that person asks, why me? What made the difference? Generally, a person, one who's interviewing selects others, another person, or maybe a few people over others, because they have their reasons. It's not just random, they don't just flip a coin, they have reasons. Perhaps they feel the person is more qualified. Maybe they believe the person has more experience and will do a better job, maybe they believe they have a better personality, maybe they're just more convincing.

Possibly the person has more integrity in the mind of the interviewer. Maybe he comes across as more teachable. There may be a whole host of other reasons and factors. Now, God doesn't really tell us a whole lot about why He chose you. Why He chose me, why He individually chose us to be called at this time to be a part of the firstfruits, those who will be in the first resurrection. But perhaps we can have a better idea as to why me God if we focus on this issue during the sermon today. So, today, we're going to examine why God may have chosen you, why He may have chosen me. What does the Bible say about this? Are there characteristics that God is looking for in those He calls? These are all valid questions that we should ask ourselves at this time. So, let's consider some issues relative to this topic. Let's first set the stage. Now, we all know that God created Adam and Eve, and He began a human family. Yes, made after the God kind, but also human beings. So, He made them, but why? Why did God create Adam and Eve?

Well, we know He created them so they could reproduce, so they could have children. Let's go to Malachi 2:15 because it tells us why God created a human family. Malachi 2:15, and this is an amazing little book. We don't have time to go into the context of it today. But I would encourage you to do that. I do want to go to verse 14. Well, let's go back to verse 13, we'll get a little context. “And this is the second thing that you do,” this is what God is saying. He says, "You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; so He does not regard the offering any more,” so, Malachi is saying that you feign one thing while doing something else, you're not genuine, “nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say ‘For what reason?’ because the Lord the Eternal has been witness between you and the wife of your youth,” God has a problem with you. Why? “Because you have dealt treacherously with the wife of your youth. She is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one,” did He not make Adam and Eve one?

They were to become one flesh, they were to have children and be as one. “Did not He make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? And here's the answer. The big answer, because “He seeks godly offspring.” God wants godly offspring. He doesn't just want offspring, He wants godly offspring. That's what God's looking for. Going on, He says, "Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth." So what He's saying is, take care of your wives, husbands, and do it from day one, take care of them while you're both young, and set the right example, as a father and as a husband. And that way, you're at least more likely to have godly offspring. Do your part “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce,” and we know that God wishes that we would all stick together in unity and love each other and just set the right example for each other in every way. So, God desires godly offspring. It's important that we know that.

And as I look around today, I notice we have a number of families represented here. You know, what about the Phelps clan, or the Creech clan, or the Smith clan, or, you know, there's a lot of different people represented here, but many of them are related in one way or the other. God does work through families. The Evans family, He works through them, there's several generations here. You know, I could name many, many others. The Antion family, there's many families here that God has been working with, the Shoemaker family. There's a few Shoemakers around in the church. Adam and Eve and the human family as a whole, however, we know that they rebelled against God. Adam and Eve rebelled right off the bat, so to speak, and God kicked them out of an idyllic, beautiful garden. Why was that? Well, because they disobeyed Him and He wants godly offspring. So, he had to teach them a lesson. He had to show them a better way. So, He did kick them out of the garden because of their disobedience.

He had told them not to eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they did anyway. And it wasn't long before they had children and Cain killed Abel. How tragic was that? In fact, in Genesis 6, it says, all the thoughts of their hearts were evil continually. All mankind had corrupted itself upon the earth. There was violence, there was immorality, and every thought of their heart was evil continually. So, God decided He needed to start over. And so, He picked a man named Noah. And he did so because Noah was different. There was something about Noah, Noah was different, Noah was righteous. Noah was someone He could count on. Noah was someone who was faithful, someone who was obedient. So, brethren, I think we get the drift. You know, it wasn't long after that, though then the earth started to be corrupted again. Nimrod came on the scene, a lot of pagan religions sprung up. We don't have time to rehearse the whole story. But frankly, we're in a sad state of affairs right now. There's chaos in the world today.

Lots of chaos and it's because people have not, in general, followed God, they haven't obeyed God, they haven't done what they were supposed to do. They are not godly offspring. And that's why we have a lot of issues today. Let's go to Deuteronomy 7, and consider that God did choose a nation. And while we're doing that, though, why did He choose Abraham in the first place? Why did God choose Abraham? Because Abraham obeyed My voice, kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws. This was a memory verse that I learned way back about 40 years ago. It was because Abraham obeyed God's voice, kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His laws. That's why He started to work through the family of Abraham, and then there was Isaac and Jacob. So, God Has been working with families throughout history. And in Deuteronomy 7 because the children of Israel are about to go into the promised land. Deuteronomy 7, let's go there for a moment. Consider some of what God has to say here.

Deuteronomy 7:6, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself. Chosen because they are to be a special treasure above all peoples on the face of the earth. The Eternal did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people,” it wasn't because they had tremendous power, or there was a tremendous bunch of them. There were many other people living. He says, "For you were the least of our peoples, you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers,” to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, God keeps His covenant as well. And that covenant was made through Abraham, for the reason I gave you. He would “keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, the Eternal has brought you out with a mighty hand, He's redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh and of Egypt. Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and those who keep His commandments.”

And notice, it says “He also repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them, He will not be slack with Him who hates Him; He will repay Him to his face. Therefore you shall keep the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which I command you today, to observe them.” So, this is what God was hoping they would do. Of course, God knows the end from the beginning, nothing surprises Him. He's, you know, He's understanding of how things go. He knows human nature. Jesus Christ, of course, by direction of His Father created mankind, so He fully understands, and Jesus came and lived as a human being as well. So, they know what's likely to happen with flesh. So, brethren, I think it's important that we consider this as we ask ourselves again, why me?

Now, we know why He picked Abraham. Why He worked through Isaac and Jacob, but why me? I believe God chose you because He's all about developing the character of God in those He is calling. I didn't say you had such great character and that's why God called you. Although some of you may have shown a certain amount of character and God may have said, "Yes, I can work with this person." So, you know, I don't speak for God but I do speak biblical principles and I think we can learn. So, let's go to Deuteronomy 30 and consider this, what it says here in regard to this issue that we're discussing today. Deuteronomy 30, we'll pick it up in verse 19. And again, the context of this would be helpful. But we only have so much time and we do the best we can. Verse 19, Deuteronomy 30:19, "I call heaven and earth,” this is what God says, “as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life. Choose life that both you and your descendants may live."

So, God is calling these people but He has made them free moral agents. They get to choose. They get to choose life, they get to choose death, they get to choose blessing and cursing. He says, "Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him,” God wants us to cling to Him, no COVID-type hugs. God wants a full embrace. He wants us to really look to Him, to embrace Him, to love Him and He does the same for us. “To cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore, the Eternal swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” So, here we see that God calls heaven and earth to record this day way back then, against those Israelites that were then living. But again, the principle applies to us today. He has set life before us and instructed us how to live productive, successful lives. If God chooses you, He knows that you have what it takes. We're going to talk more about what it takes.

God promises blessings or curses depending on the choices that you and I make. He wants us to choose well, to choose obedience to Him, so that we may live well and so that we may live a long time. He wants us to love Him and look to Him as a loving merciful Father who has children who desire to honor and obey Him again so they can live long upon the earth. And then ultimately, He will give us the gift have eternal life. So, this is our day of salvation. Those of us who've been called now who've been chosen out of this world, out of billions and billions and billions of people who have lived throughout the ages, God is calling you, now as your day of salvation. God has His reasons why He called you. I believe God believes in you, He believes in you. He believes in your capacity, to obey Him, to serve Him, and to do whatever it takes for Him to give you the gift of eternal life. You can’t earn your salvation, you can’t earn it. God gives us eternal life through grace, because God loves us.

And Mr. Rangel talked about being rooted in Christ, you know, Christ is the answer. We have to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. We have to accept His sacrifice for us, we come under the blood of Jesus Christ, His blood was shed that we might be forgiven our sins. So, obviously, God's looking for repentant people. God's looking for people who can admit when they sin. If you can't admit that you're a sinner, then you won't be in His Kingdom. You got to get to the point where you see your sins, admit your sins, and God will then grant you repentance when you're truly sorry for your sins. So, brethren, choose life. Choose eternal life. Again, He's calling us to be among the firstfruits. He's looking for people who choose well, who know how to make good decisions, who will stick by them, who produce the fruit of His Spirit. Who are loving people and joyful people? People who are kind and compassionate, merciful, faithful, yes, God wants us to produce the fruit of His Spirit. He's looking for people who will do that. And He gives us the strength and the capacity and He gives us His Spirit that makes that all possible.

So, again, why me? He's looking again, for someone who will obey Him. And God will look at your heart too. God looks at our hearts, He knows what's in your heart. And God is calling you to be His Son's Bride. The firstfruits certainly will be a part if not, they will be the Bride of Christ. That's one analogy that's used. Certainly, we know that Christ is also our elder Brother. So, we know that analogies only go so far but they do mean a lot, all of them. It's wonderful to have an elder brother like Jesus Christ. But it's also to consider the fact that we can be married to Jesus Christ. Because you see, Christ laid His life down for us. And that's what a good husband will do. If you have a faithful husband, you ladies, and I'm assuming that you want a faithful husband, he will lay down his life for you, just as Christ laid down His life for the Church. And that's the example again, God wants godly offspring. So, in order to have godly offspring, we have to have husbands, fathers who will lay their lives down for their family.

Really, God wants us to become like Christ. You know, Christ was willing to lay His life down for all people. “For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son.” And that was for the whole world, not just for the firstfruits, but the whole world. And ultimately, that's what God wants to see in you. He wants to see in you a person who's reflecting the very character, and becoming to the full stature in the measure of His Son, Jesus Christ because He wants to give you the family, He wants you to be a part of His family for all eternity. So, one thing to consider is, back in the ancient Jewish wedding, it was always the father who chose the bride for his son. It was the father who chose. God's the one that has chosen you, the Father has chosen you. John 6:44, He's chosen you to be a part of the Bride of Christ. You're one of the many that God is going to call who will have to be chosen and then faithful to become the bride of Christ. But in John 6:44, the scripture says, "No man can come to Me except the Father which has sent Me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day.”

So, Christ and the Father work together. The Father calls or draws the bride to His Son, and His son will raise him up at the last day. He's going to resurrect us at the last day and we shall become born into the family of God at the return of Jesus Christ. The Father does the choosing for His Son's Bride, and the Father chooses well. He chooses well, and He chose you. Now, let's consider 1 Corinthians 1, we have to consider this in a sermon such as the one I'm giving today. Because 1 Corinthians 1 helps us understand more fully, again, why God has called us. 1 Corinthians 1:26, and the apostle Paul is writing to the Church at Corinth. And the Church at Corinth, we know had its problems, right. The Church at Corinth, they were not yet perfected. They had a lot of issues. They were divisive at times, you know, they were sinful at times, they were human beings. And that's the same problem you and I have. We're human beings, we're flesh.

He says in verse 26, of chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians, "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh." Now, some people will stop and say, "Now, wait a minute, it says, ‘not many wise.’ So, I must be the exception.” Well, I really don't think that's how we should look at this verse. He's saying not many out of the billions that there are throughout history. “For you see your calling, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 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; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh…” he's clearly talking about flesh. He's talking about human beings, “that no flesh should glory in His presence.” In other words, we're not to exalt ourselves and think so highly of ourselves, that God called me because I'm wonderful and I'm so righteous, and just, you know, always do the right thing, always make the right choices. You know, I don't think I've ever sinned.

You know, that certainly not what God is looking for in a person because God knows the heart, and God knows the truth. And the fact is, the Scripture tells us clearly that if “you think you have no sin, you're a liar and the truth is not in you.” So, God has called the weak of this world, “that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus,” again, rooted in Christ. We are to be rooted in “Christ, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification,” being sanctified by the Spirit of God that God gives us. “And redemption,” redeemed through the blood of Christ, “that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord… let him glory in the Eternal.’” Let's thank God for our calling. And let's be so very grateful that God has seen fit for whatever reasons He has. Maybe we're the basest or maybe He saw in us a willingness to humble ourselves, a willingness to work with Him, and a willingness to put sin out of our lives. God shall provide all that we need to succeed as His Son's Bride.

The mighty of this world who live in pride, frankly, are going to be humbled by the success of the weak and the frail. No telling how many people will be surprised that I am in the first resurrection. Those who know me well, you know, I think of my grandmother, grandma Thompson, we called her, she was a real hoot. She was, as I say, bigger than life. She was a character. She had a big impact on our family. She was very outspoken. She made her mind known very clearly. And I don't think she was overly crazy about the crazy religion that my sister, a couple of my brothers that I got into, that my mother got into her daughter. We had some run-ins, my grandmother and I about Christmas and about giving gifts to my children. And we loved each other and, you know, we never let it get so bad that we didn't continue to love each other. But there were some issues and I think she's going to be a little shocked when she comes up in the resurrection.

And hopefully, I would have been around for about 1,000 years prior to that, because I don't think she was called, this was not her day of salvation. But she's probably going to be astonished. “I can't believe it. My daughter, my grandchildren… they knew all about this, and I didn't pick up on it?” So, anyway, it'll be interesting to see how it all works out in the future. Of course, we need to be around so we know how it all works out. God shall provide all that we need to succeed as His Son's Bride. We simply need to have faith in God's love. We need to have faith in God's love and His mercy and we need to act accordingly. Don't be a hypocrite. Now, when you sin, admit that you've sinned. Don't try to cover up. God knows you're frail, God knows you're weak. That's why he called you. That's what the Scripture says. In Micah 6:8, He tells us what God is looking for as well. It kind of just brings it right down to just a few words in Micah 6. Jonah, Micah, right after Jonah. We find Micah 6:8.

Here it says, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Eternal the Lord require of you." So, we should pay attention, this is what God requires. “But to do justly,” to be a just person, to be a righteous person, to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, “to love mercy.” Remember, you're going to be forgiven in the same manner that you're willing to forgive other people. And if you're one who holds grudges, now, that isn't a good thing.

So, you need to be willing to forgive others because God is looking for someone who will “do justly, who will love mercy, and will walk humbly with your God,” someone who will humble themselves and walk with God. In other words, two cannot walk together unless they are agreed. So, we have to agree with God. It's not the other way around. We have to agree with God, we have to walk with Him and follow Him. So, it's not that complicated, in many ways. If we will just humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God and allow Him to work through us through the power of His Spirit, we have really nothing to fear because God is the Redeemer. Christ is the Savior.

It is through the Father and the Son that we will be given the gift of eternal life. So, why me, Master? Again, so that we can mystify, I don't think that's the right word. So people can be astonished by the fact that we are there and they had to wait a while. You know, that will help them in hopefully accepting God and realizing that God is all-powerful. If God could make this motley crew into His children, His sons, and His daughters in His Kingdom, then He will do the same with them. Again, God looks on our heart and God wants us to have a pure heart. So, another reason, why does God call us? Again, so He may be rightly exalted. He wants people that will look to Him, that will glorify Him, that will bow before Him, every knee must bow before Christ or they won't be in His Kingdom. So, we have to bow before Jesus Christ, bow before the Father. God is certainly worthy of worship, Jesus Christ is worthy of worship, worthy of praise, worthy of honor, worthy of glory.

In 1 Corinthians 15. This is the resurrection chapter. And it clearly shows that God is looking for people who are willing to change, who want to change, who long for change. That's what this chapter is all about, 1 Corinthians 15, we'll start reading in verse 50. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” The flesh is corrupt. The older I get, the more I realize how corrupt, the more doctor visits to the dermatologist I realize, you know, I'm not going to live forever in the flesh. It's not looking that great. I mean, I'm doing well, don't worry, I'm okay. But as far as I know, I hopefully, will live quite a bit longer. But we do grow more corrupt, the older we get in the flesh, and “corruption will not inherit incorruption.” Verse 51, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible, this flesh, this mortal must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’”

I'm longing for the day when there will be no more death, there'll be no more crying, no more sorrow, no more tears. That's a better day. We're not there yet. We should all long for that day. So, God wants to be rightly exalted, and He's the only one that can change us from flesh to spirit. We know that when Christ returns, we will be like Him, we're going to see Him as He is, and we're going to be like Him. That's what the book of Revelation says, Christ walked this earth as a human being but He was resurrected, the Father resurrected Him to spirit eternal, immortal life. So again, why me? I think there's another important reason. He's looking for people who are willing to work together, who are willing to do a job, to do His job, to fulfill His commission. He wants us to do a great work. He wants us to fulfill His will and He wants us to do it together. And that's very clear in the Scripture, in Matthew 24:14, and we know this is a prophetic chapter called the Olivet prophecy here in Matthew 24:14, a very familiar scripture.

“And this gospel of the kingdom…” the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and that's what we've been talking about today. The gospel of the Kingdom, where we can be born into the family and the Kingdom of God and live forever with God. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations.” There is a great deal of deception, a great deal of all types of deception, certainly religious deception. Satan has deceived the whole world. But He has revealed to us His truth, He's opened our minds to our truth. Again, not because we're so intelligent but because He has His reasons. I can't speak exactly what those reasons are. But He has His reasons. And I'm encouraged by that. I'm glad that God called me now, I think the first resurrection is no doubt the better resurrection and it's exciting to have this opportunity. It's not something we should take for granted at all. And again, I don't think there's some big lottery in the sky, where, okay, we'll spin the dial and, okay, you get to be chosen because your number came up.

And your number came up and your number in the back, way in the back, your number came up. That's not why. No, God knows us all intimately. He loves us all intimately. And God called you, He chose you, He ordained you. And so, He has a job for you. And that job is to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, to be a part of a greater work, to preach the gospel of the Kingdom in all the world as a witness to all the nations. You know, we can't convert anyone by ourselves, we know that. God is the one who does the calling. But the big job is to go out as a witness. Now we know that there will be two witnesses that will come on the scene. Personally, I don't believe we should wait for them. I believe we have a job to do now and God wants to see if we'll do that job together. And unfortunately, we haven't always done the best job of sticking together so that we can have more power together as a small flock, as a small Body. I believe that's important to God. Will we work together? Will we stay together? Will we live up to our name, the United Church of God. Who knows what God could do with us?

I know God could do wonderful, great things with us if we would truly be humble if we would be just if we would walk justly and humbly with Him. If we would have mercy toward others, if we would love others, then God would certainly work with us in miraculous ways. And then in Matthew 28, to further discuss this commission that God gives us. Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, to His disciples. And he said, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’" The Father has given Him all authority, of course, that accepts the Father, we understand that, but He has authority over everything else. He's the head of the Church. He's the head of His one true Church. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son.” So, it's not just to witness, it's also to allow God to call disciples. God does the calling, but we're to do the teaching, to make disciples of all the nations, to take care of those God is calling, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you.”

This is what he said to His disciples before He went up into the heavens. He now sits at the right hand of God, He makes intercession for us because He understands us, He understands our weakness and our frailty. And He loves us so much, and the Father does as well and Christ is there for you, just go to him. If you're having any problems, any troubles, any trials, go to God, go to Jesus Christ. Ask them to forgive, ask them to restore, ask them to grant you salvation, because they will surely do it. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” I believe we're getting closer to the end of the age. I believe God is with us. He's with us now, He's with us today, He's here with us right now. And he wants to bless us, He wants us to just humble ourselves before Him, to be His instruments, to allow Him to do His work in us. So, brethren, we can't know exactly why God chose us, specifically, individually, we can't know exactly, but I think we can have a pretty good idea.

He's called us because we're weak, because we're frail, and because we know it. Do you know it? Do you see that? If you don't see that, then there will come a time when you will. God has a way of working with us. And we will come to that reality one day if we're not already there. But we're frail and we're weak and we know it and we're humbled by it. It's frustrating, isn't it? To be humbled over and over again by our humanity, by our weakness? I will admit that, yes, that's frustrating to me. I wish I would just learn my lesson and not sin again. That's what I desire, that's my heart, but I haven't been able to do that. And Paul talked to that, the things that I don't want to do I find myself doing. Not all the time but sometimes. The things that we should do, we don't do. The things we ought to do, you know, we don't do. You know how it goes, you know what Paul said about that. “Oh, wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me?” Well, he gives us the answer. I think God through Jesus Christ.

They will deliver us but we have to have faith, believe, and trust in Them. So, the main thing to consider is if God has chosen me, He does have His reasons and He knows what He's doing. He has His reasons, He knows what He's doing. Perhaps God has chosen you because you're willing to exalt Him, to walk with Him in humility. You're willing to change, to repent, to grow. God has chosen you as part of His family, part of a team, a member in the greater Body of His Son, Jesus Christ, a part of His Church. Brethren, we're called to a great purpose. We're called to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to this world, and to make disciples, and to teach others all things, to be a witness to all people, and to teach them everything that God has commanded us to do ourselves. So, brethren, learn to love your enemies. That's not an easy task, but that's something Jesus Christ did. He loved his enemies. He prayed for them and He told us to do the same thing.

So, God is changing our hearts. You know, the Bible says that the human heart is deceitful above all things. He says it's desperately wicked. He asked the question, who can know it? Well, God can. God knows the heart. God wants us to learn more and more about ourselves, our hearts. He wants us to come to grips with that and He wants us to take that stony heart and let Him change it into a soft malleable heart, a pure heart, a heart that He can work with. That's why He's called you. He knows he can work with you. He knows that you're a repentant person. Now, ultimately it is up to you. You're the one who gets to choose. You're a free moral agent. You get to choose whether or not you're going to stay with the program. You know, the Bible says many are called, but few are chosen. And why are they chosen? Because they humble themselves and because they respond to Him and they continue to respond and they don't let anything get in the way.

The Bible is clear that we're to come out of this world. You know, this world will distract us. As Mr. Rangel said, it's done a pretty good job of distracting him. It's distracted all of us, hasn't it? The world will distract us, but we must not allow that to go on. I can say that we need to learn to focus, to put God first in our lives. So, let's all together say, Master, thank You. We know why You called us. We know why You called me. And that's an awesome thing. Thank You for calling me now, help me to do the job that You've given me to do, help me to remain faithful. You've chosen me now, help me stay faithful to you. So, brethren let us all work together, let us be about our Father's business.