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Healthy Homes & Families Natural, Biblical, Healthy Living WisconsinChristianNews.com
Volume 24, Issue 9
Would You Be Willing?
By Chris McMahan F e b r u a r y 2024 “Would you be willing to be a refer- ence for me?” The question
Pursuit, by definition, re- quires action and intention- ality.
tion? What would it look like if we all pursued gen- erosity? Righteousness? Mercy? Joy? Peace? Heal- ing? Evangelism?
willing to save us, but He seeks us out, chases us down, and brings us into the flock. Jesus is not only willing to love us, but He
He said what He did in Matthew 10:8 because He desires for us to be inten- tional and to put His words into action. I’m willing to be healed… But am I pursuing my own inner healing? Am I pursu- ing my own physical heal- ing? Am I pursuing the healing of others? Or am I simply willing to observe if God decides to work a mir- acle among us? When I pursue that which God has a heart for, I get to be in- cluded in the miracle. I get to be used by Him as an in- strument in His hands. Pursuit of God’s call on my life is my choice to move from a life of passive belief to active faith. When Jesus called the first disciples into His min- istry, and the kingdom of God. He did not ask them if they were willing. He invited them to come and pursue Him and the things of the kingdom. I believe the same invitation is still available for each of us today. I be- lieve the same voice of Jesus calls to each of us. It is an invitation that goes beyond a show of hands for who has a willing heart. It is an invitation to PURSUE. “And He said to them, ‘Fol- low Me….’” (Matthew 4:19a ESV). Chris McMahan Email: Happy1970@icloud.com
I believe God made us to
came recently from a friend. They are a great person, so of course, I said yes. My past experience with this has been that most of the time, however, I never get a call. So while I’m willing, I rarely give the referral. Willingness is an interest- ing thing and something God has me pondering lately. At the start of the new year, my husband and I were talking about some of our goals for 2024. One of our topics was finances. My husband made a comment about us being willing to be generous. I quickly agreed, but was just as quickly stopped by the Holy Spirit. Yes, God wants us to be generous. He wants us to be willing to be generous. But in that moment, I felt like the Holy Spirit pushed me a little further, and said ‘I want you to pursue gen- erosity.’ There is a big difference between a willingness to do something and a pursuit of that activity. Like the job re- ferral, a willingness may or may not end up in a need for action; but when we pursue something, it imme- diately results in action.
be people who pursue…who pursue Him, who pursue the Kingdom, who pursue others to bring them into a life with Christ. The Merriam Webster def- inition of pursue is: “to find or employ measures to ob- tain or accomplish : SEEK, pursue a goal.” What would it look like if, with intentionality and ac- tion, we began to go after the things God has called us to do? If we took that step beyond willingness and intentionally pursued ac-
pursues us to bring us into relationship with Him.
In Scripture, Jesus both models this for us and then calls us to follow His exam- ple. The best model of pur- suit is perhaps found in Matthew 18:2 NIV, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” Jesus pursues each one of us, like a lost sheep, through the power of the Holy Spirit to bring us to salvation. He is not just
This is also the call he puts on our lives… to pur- sue Him as He has pursued us and to do for others what He has done for us. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have re- ceived; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8 NIV.” One of the things Jesus told us to go out and pur- sue is healing in His name.
This is What I’ve Learned...
... From A Mule Named ‘Roy!’
By Layton Howerton Well, as an old retired par- son, I’ve gone from feeding
dearly departed old friend of mine once shared with me, who said, “Layton, when someone shows you who they are…be-
because that’s His job, and I figured out a long time ago that He doesn’t need my help. So if you’re dealing with a stubborn ol’ Roy in your life, just remember it not your job to get the hee-haw out of ‘em, it’s God’s. And that it might be in your best interest to mind your own disposition, and not only theirs. For the Bible says, “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.” Psalm 32:9 (The Message). This is Layton Howerton encour- aging you to be patient and kind to God’s creatures, who have ornery dispositions…even when they’re actin’ like, an “unmitigated mule” along the way. “Highlights with Layton Hower- ton” is a national Christian radio feature, that airs weekly on Christian Radio networks from coast to coast!
God’s flock on Sundays, to feeding four horses and a mule named “Roy” in the mornin’s here in Montana, and
I’m enjoying it. Now over the years of my pastoral life, I’ve tended to some folks who were pretty tuff sheep, along with a few goats, and occasionally dealt with some stubborn mules as well. I had a great uncle get kicked in the head by a mule, who lost an eye and was disfigured for life…so I know you’ve got to be careful when- ever you’re around a mule. But I’ve learned how to deal with some crit- ters who can, from time to time, display an ornery disposition, and how to be patient with them. By recognizing a true statement that a
lieve them.” Now, it’s never been my job to try to cor- rect the nature of any of God’s creatures,
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