Chosen

July 12, 2019

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“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.”

— 1 Corinthians 1:27

God has a pattern of choosing the people whom the world would never choose. For instance, take Ishmael. God chose him even though his birth was not in line with God’s plan for Abraham and Sarah. But Ishmael is the perfect example that the circumstances of one’s birth do not affect who one is, or how God sees His creation. On two separate occasions, God sent an angel to Hagar, Ishmael’s mother, and prophesied a blessing on his life. Ishmael was chosen to be part of God’s plan not because he was perfectly planned by his parents, or born from a loving relationship. He was chosen because the Lord heard the affliction of a young Egyptian girl and cared about her life and the life of her unborn child.

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“And the Angel of the Lord said to her: ‘Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction.’
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— Genesis 16:11

By His grace and mercy, God chose Mary, a young Jewish girl with no wealth or social influence, to be the mother of Jesus–God incarnate and the ruler of the world. God did not choose her because she was impressive by the world’s standards, but because He saw her heart and He favored her. In the end, that what mattered to the Lord.

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“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

— Luke 1:28

Even today, God is choosing the most unlikely people to be at the forefront of His Kingdom plans. In Iran, which is the fastest growing Church in the world, women are reported as being at the front line of the movement. In a culture that is male dominated and highly suppressive of women, this is clearly a plan that only the Lord could and would initiate. In several surveys, it has been reported that 80% of missionaries going overseas, giving their lives and safety for the Kingdom of Heaven, are single women. Even though women are less esteemed and valued in many cultures, the Lord is raising up women like sheep among wolves who are called to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

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“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

— Matthew 10:16

You may not feel that you are anyone special, or have anything to offer. But you are, like these, chosen of God to be alive at this moment in history for the plans and purposes of God. You are a part of this story we see unfolding. Your prayers, your voice, and how you influence those around you are all part of the divine purpose of God in this hour. Thank you for joining with us today and supporting the underground church.

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We believe the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are inspired by God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Peter 1:21)

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent who has revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Luke 3:22)

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for us, in His present rule as Head of the Church, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31)

We believe in the creation of mankind in God’s image, and the fall of man, resulting in universal guilt and total depravity; and the necessity, therefore, of redemption and restoration; that all men and women are lost spiritually and face the judgment of God, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, and that repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for regeneration by the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:17)

We believe salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47, John 3:3)

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life in the presence of our Lord, and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43-48)

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the Church, which has the duty to preach the Gospel to every person. (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:22)

We believe that we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of teaching, preaching, the prophetic, the apostolic, and evangelism. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

We believe in upholding the ordinances of the church of water baptism and holy communion.

The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded by the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 10:47,48, Romans 6:4)

The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26), and is enjoined on all believers “till He comes!”