In one of the first blogs five years ago I talked about Matt. 4 when Jesus says to Peter and Andrew, "Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." As I said earlier we tend to emphasize the last part neglecting the first part. Jesus call for us to come to Him is really our call to worship. If we are to experience the leading and power of God in our lives we must first come to Him. The more literal translation is come follow to me. It is not just an invitation to follow Him, but to get to know Him. "If you follow me, I will lead you to myself, follow me to me. Jesus is both the journey and the destination! Col. 3:4, "Christ . . . is our life." This is our invitation to be true God-worshippers. The pursuit of Jesus and following Him with all our heart, mind, and soul is true worship.
That is what I have tried to do with God's call on my life. If you count when I became church pianist and accompanist for the adult choir in my home church, I have been in music ministry for right at 54 years. One Sunday night as a junior in high school, determined to be a band director, God spoke to me as I was playing "Wherever He Leads, I'll Go" for the invitation. I left the piano, went to my pastor and told him that God wanted me in music ministry. I followed through with all of my adult years being spent in music ministry in Texas and Oklahoma. I spent some 7 years as a music missionary to Zimbabwe. At God's leading I came to FBC, Rockwall 25 years ago.
I have always known ahead of time when God was about to lead me in a new direction. A few months ago, he began working on me again. I had asked Him for the last two or three years to please let me know when it was time to retire from full-time ministry. Note: not retiring from ministry, just full-time ministry. God has given Fran and me a complete peace that now is the time. God's peace has amazed me as I have had to face what I am walking away from. God is so good and merciful. Thanks to so many of you who have been so faithful to pray for us all these years of ministry together. I am not worried in the least about you because if God has made it so clear to me that this is the time, then He has something much better for you. God's richest blessings on you as you continue to worship Him with all your heart, mind, and soul. mjm
