9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Those words can bring encouragement to our hearts, as we reflect on what Jesus has done in our hearts, bringing us into a relationship with Himself and giving us unique characteristics that are consistent with our new nature. He calls us to be willing to be obedient to Him, sensitive to needs around, and ready at all times to reach out in His name. Perhaps at times our activity will be considered heroic, but at all times we are called to allow the life and power of Christ to make an impact through us.
I want to focus on 3 separate verses from 2nd Timothy chapter 4 that emphasize our call and attitude as believers in Christ:
2Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
So, we are called to have an attitude of readiness to minister to other people, with a sensitivity to God's Spirit as He makes opportunities available:5But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Paul looked back at his life and realized that he had been faithful to Christ's call:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
He said that it wasn't that big of a deal, His name is Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw, and he addressed reporters at a press conference at Trinity Medical Center where he is a neurosurgeon.
AL.com reported that last Tuesday, the Birmingham doctor Hrynkiw walked 6 miles in the snow from one hospital -- Brookwood Medical Center, where he was assisting another brain surgeon -- to another, Trinity, dressed in hospital scrubs. The journey included stops to help push stranded motorists stuck in the roadway due to the paralyzing snowstorm and a stop to sit in an ambulance to warm up from the below 20-degree weather.
The doctor had a dying patient at Trinity and he was stuck at Brookwood. He saw the patient's CT scans over his wireless phone. Based on what he saw, he determined the patient had a 90 percent chance of dying, so he decided to set out on foot, and the 62-year-old doctor, who has had a liver transplant, said he never doubted he would make it.
He said, "It was kind of a nice day for a walk." The doctor plays tennis and walks to stay in shape.
The doctor had a dying patient at Trinity and he was stuck at Brookwood. He saw the patient's CT scans over his wireless phone. Based on what he saw, he determined the patient had a 90 percent chance of dying, so he decided to set out on foot, and the 62-year-old doctor, who has had a liver transplant, said he never doubted he would make it.
He said, "It was kind of a nice day for a walk." The doctor plays tennis and walks to stay in shape.
Dr. Hrynkiw has the stuff of a hero...
So does Pastor Neil Crass of Roane County, Tennessee. CBSAtlanta.com reports on his daring rescue of 3 boys who were trapped in freezing waters on Watts Bar Lake recently.
Police say that three boys between the ages of 12 and 14 were at a birthday party when they decided to leave and go fishing and fell through the ice. Some of the children at the party heard the screams and ran for help.
Pastor Crass said he'd just returned home when he found out what happened.
The pastor and his son, Hunter, got their boat and hurried to the scene. They found the boys clinging to a buoy. Crass said, "You can see a lot of people panicking and you can see the boys about 75 yards into the river." He and Hunter and some other people helped get the boat on the freezing waters.
Hunter was confident. He said, "I knew we would get the boat in the water...And, just get in there as fast as possible and get out there and make sure they were safe."
Emergency crews made it to the scene shortly after, but it was the Crasses and the other men who were able to get the boys out of the water after a few tries.
Pastor Crass' motto has always been that everything has a meaning and a purpose.
"We thank God we were able to take part in it, and how everything was so synchronized, and God pulled those things together."
Police say that three boys between the ages of 12 and 14 were at a birthday party when they decided to leave and go fishing and fell through the ice. Some of the children at the party heard the screams and ran for help.
Pastor Crass said he'd just returned home when he found out what happened.
The pastor and his son, Hunter, got their boat and hurried to the scene. They found the boys clinging to a buoy. Crass said, "You can see a lot of people panicking and you can see the boys about 75 yards into the river." He and Hunter and some other people helped get the boat on the freezing waters.
Hunter was confident. He said, "I knew we would get the boat in the water...And, just get in there as fast as possible and get out there and make sure they were safe."
Emergency crews made it to the scene shortly after, but it was the Crasses and the other men who were able to get the boys out of the water after a few tries.
Pastor Crass' motto has always been that everything has a meaning and a purpose.
"We thank God we were able to take part in it, and how everything was so synchronized, and God pulled those things together."
Here are two instances of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in adverse circumstances. They were driven to overcome the challenges in order to save lives. And, they weren't necessarily in the right place in the right time - the doctor walked 6 miles, the Crasses had to get their boat into freezing waters. But, they responded admirably when a need arose.
For us, these two stories can challenge our thinking and our walk with Christ as we think about His character being developed in us. Because we have the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we possess the stuff to be heroic. That recipe includes: sensitivity. There are cries all around us, and we may be called or designated to help in ways that don't include a physical rescue. A person with whom we come in contact may have a marriage crisis or is suffering from a lack of hope. Someone who doesn't know Christ may be searching for Him, and you have an opportunity to share truth or merely to demonstrate His loves. There could be a potentially life-saving opportunity near you today.
The list of heroic characteristics includes willingness. These guys didn't ignore the cry or ask someone else to complete the rescue - they were willing to take matters into their own hands, or in Pastor Crass' case, he believed that God synchronized the events. It's important that we have a heart that is attuned to need and that we are willing to be used of God in a particular situation.
We also have to possess readiness. If Dr. Hrynkiw had not been in good physical shape, chances are that he could not have made a 6-mile trek in the snow. Pastor Crass had some boating skills and was fearless when facing the prospect of navigating a frozen lake - as he said, he was uniquely prepared for God to use. I think good physical shape has a lot of benefits and we should attempt to be healthy for His glory. Being in good spiritual shape can be rewarding for us and could produce excellent, perhaps life-saving results for those to whom we are sent.
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