Placeholders
June 17, 2009
The life of Jesus. Read Today: Herod fears John the Baptist has risen; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9
Sometimes we like to think that we are important. That we are the only ones that can do God's work and the only ones that can do the job we are doing for others. Many times God will use people as placeholders, to tide things over till the right person can get there. That my case years ago. I never felt called to do anything in the church but a wise minister took me aside one day and saw the skills I did not see in myself. I took care of the sound in that little church and I was happy with it.
Then one day the person who ran the ministry for teens left for no real reason. The pastor and I prayed and I took on the job. I felt like I was doing too much but that God gave me the strength to do it. About six months later a man came in to the church. When I looked at him I knew that he was to be the new youth minister. There was nothing special about him that gave it away, just a knowledge that only could have come from the Lord. Two weeks later the pastor came to me and asked me to step back from the youth, he had found someone new to take the position. I could have fought and said I deserve this, I took a few kids and grew it to where it is now, but I knew I was not the one to do it. In the end, when they laid hands on him to put him into that position during a public service, I felt the anointing come off of me. God had told me that my time was up, and it was time to get on with my actual calling.
John the Baptist was a placeholder. He was not the one that was to be lifted up. He knew this and he willingly gave up his life so that he could point the way to Jesus. And it worked. After his death some things happened.
Mark 6:14-16 ESV
(14) King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."
(15) But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."
(16) But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."
We have to ask ourselves sometimes if we are placeholders in the things gave us to do. Even if what we are to do is our full calling, we need to look and see that if we were not there, could the ministry be taken over by others and run with. In our ministry, do we point to Jesus, or to ourselves?
Sometimes we like to think that we are important. That we are the only ones that can do God's work and the only ones that can do the job we are doing for others. Many times God will use people as placeholders, to tide things over till the right person can get there. That my case years ago. I never felt called to do anything in the church but a wise minister took me aside one day and saw the skills I did not see in myself. I took care of the sound in that little church and I was happy with it.
Then one day the person who ran the ministry for teens left for no real reason. The pastor and I prayed and I took on the job. I felt like I was doing too much but that God gave me the strength to do it. About six months later a man came in to the church. When I looked at him I knew that he was to be the new youth minister. There was nothing special about him that gave it away, just a knowledge that only could have come from the Lord. Two weeks later the pastor came to me and asked me to step back from the youth, he had found someone new to take the position. I could have fought and said I deserve this, I took a few kids and grew it to where it is now, but I knew I was not the one to do it. In the end, when they laid hands on him to put him into that position during a public service, I felt the anointing come off of me. God had told me that my time was up, and it was time to get on with my actual calling.
John the Baptist was a placeholder. He was not the one that was to be lifted up. He knew this and he willingly gave up his life so that he could point the way to Jesus. And it worked. After his death some things happened.
Mark 6:14-16 ESV
(14) King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."
(15) But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."
(16) But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."
We have to ask ourselves sometimes if we are placeholders in the things gave us to do. Even if what we are to do is our full calling, we need to look and see that if we were not there, could the ministry be taken over by others and run with. In our ministry, do we point to Jesus, or to ourselves?
Read for tomorrow: 12 return and they withdraw; Matthew 14:13; Mark 6:30-32; Luke 9:10; John 6:1
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