The Call

10.22.14

Acts 15.9-10 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. – St. Luke's Narrative (ESV)

We had missionaries at Church on Sunday – two of them felt called to go to a foreign country and minister amidst an un-churched people group. The had visited several times and had sought God for direction on where, when, and if to go. Enter the Hazelnut (or as it is called in Oregon: the Filbert).

It seems one half of the couple had been raised on a filbert farm in western Oregon and had taken extensive college studies in one of our universities in horticulture. He knows nuts and how to grow them. (You don’t have to be nuts to be in the Kingdom of God, but it helps.) It seems the area where they want to go and live produces about 70% of the filberts (Hazelnuts) in the world – go figure. He says he can help them double their yield… Wow.

The apostle Paul was having a dream one night while sleeping in Troas. He dreamed of a man in Macedonia who appeared to be asking him: Can you come and help us? Help was what Paul was all about, and the next day he packed his bags for Macedon, concluding that God had called [them] to preach the gospel to them. Had any visions lately? Filberts?

The challenge from the missionary was to use what we have and offer it up to God. Lord take what I have and use it to help others somewhere in the world and let me be Jesus to them while I’m at it. I have a filbert on my desk to remind me to ask God for just that: Lord, use what You’ve given me to help others.

Filberts attract filberts. The need attracts helpers. An God will use whatever I have if I just ask Him to – and keep asking. He’s looking to see where my heart is and how serious I am about going to Macedonia, somewhere else, or perhaps, just across the street to my neighbor. All I have to do is devotedly offer what I have to God.

What the missionaries we had in church and the Apostle Paul had in common was this: they offered themselves to God and expected His call to go wherever, whenever. The call can be literally a call – like on a phone. It can be a call in a dream: Come over to where we are and help us. Or it can be as simple as a stinkin’ filbert – and the knowledge of how to care for those trees so they grow much fruit… The call is the call.

Father, You called Paul because he was constantly thinking about You and how to introduce you to others who hadn’t met You. Our friends are going to a foreign place because they know nuts and how to grow them; and they constantly think about You and how to introduce You to others who don’t know You yet. They’ll share Jesus along the way. Help me to see what I can offer and then use it to help others come to know You – I ask in Jesus’ Name, amen.