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Pastor Lud Golz
Pastor Lud Golz

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  Home | Transcript Archive | October | October 15, 2018

Monday, October 15, 2018

As we continue reading our way through the remaining books of the Bible before the end of this year keep your heart open for God to speak to you.  Pray for insight.  Then ask God to help you apply what you’re learning to your own life.  That’s how we grow as Christians.  It’s been said, “The Lord looks not for ability, or inability, but availability.”  You’ll see this beautifully illustrated when you read Philemon.

Being Philemon’s slave, Onesimus was not ready to accept Philemon’s Christianity.  He probably thought to himself, “If I was free and rich like him then I’d become a Christian too.”  Instead he became a runaway slave, but God led him to Paul who was in prison.  Circumstances made him see that Christianity was not only for the privileged.  It was also for forgotten people like prisoners and slaves.  Paul was used to win Onesimus to the Savior. 

As Onesimus made himself available to God he became profitable to Paul.  He helped Paul in any way he could.  But Paul felt obligated to send him back to Philemon, his master.  Having discipled him, Paul was confident he would also be profitable to Philemon. 

This letter was written to encourage Philemon to be an available instrument in the hands of God to lovingly accept Onesimus back and help this young convert.  Paul expected him to do this, and even more. 

Yes, availability is the name of the game!  Ask yourself, “Am I available to God for whatever He might ask of me?”  I hope you are.

 

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