Here I am, Lord! E-Book

Edir Macedo

• Herausgeber: Unipro
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 189

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

"Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" "Here I am!" was the prophet Isaiah's answer to God's great question, but do you know the secret that it holds? The Most High is looking for servants, and has well-defined criteria for whoever He chooses. It's not about time in church membership, a vast biblical knowledge, or in intellectual abilities. God is searching for servants who will offer their lives to Him in sincerity, purity, and wholeness. And this is exactly what Edir Macedo explains in this book. In a clear and detailed way, the author addresses various aspects of a servant's life, such as behaviour, character, choices, struggles, faith, and salvation. This book is a true treasure for those who value the privilege of being called and chosen to serve God.

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Copyright © 2021 by Unipro Editora

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All Scripture quotations in this book, except those marked otherwise, are from the New King James Version (NKJV). Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editorial coordination: Sandra Gouvêa

Copy-editing: Evelyn Higginbotham

Art direction: Paulo Junior

Project design and typesetting: Luiz Felipe Kessler and Paulo Junior

Cover design: Willian de Souza

Editorial assistance: Ricardo Rodrigues

eBook version: Gabriela Arruda

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Macedo, Edir.

Here I am, Lord!: God’s criteria for choosing His servants / Edir Macedo ; translated by Sandra Gouvêa. – 1. Ed. – São Paulo : Unipro Editora, 2021.

Original title: Eis-me aqui, Senhor!

ISBN 978-65-89769-29-3

1. Servants. 2. Work of God. I. Gouvêa, Sandra. II. Title.

DCC 211

Rua João Boemer, 296 — São Paulo / SP

CEP: 03018-000 — Brasil

[phone]

unipro.com.br

[email protected]

Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank God for Núbia Siqueira, who said “here I am” to Him and helped me in the preparation of this book.

Contents

My biggest wish on my 70th birthday

Introduction

CHAPTER 1

Here I am!

God’s big question

The implications of God’s call

Who is the person God is looking for?

CHAPTER 2

The Son as our model

The servant who gives pleasure

“Here I am,” said Jesus

What it cost Jesus to become a Servant

The obedient Servant

The Lord and the slave

CHAPTER 3

Jesus as Servant

How does God feel when He sees a sacrifice?

How much does it cost to enter the Kingdom of God?

Losing to win

The pillar that must not be neglected

If anyone serves Me, My Father will honour him

CHAPTER 4

Sacrificing dreams and personal projects

Easier said than done

The cry of the crowds

A burden or a privilege?

The joy of cooperating with God

CHAPTER 5

The servant in the Body

A servant’s position

A servant’s conscience

A servant and his name

Why does God rebuke a servant?

God who removes the lampstand

CHAPTER 6

The servant and holiness to the Lord

Able men

You must be castrated!

Sparing yourself or surrendering

Servants violate themselves

CHAPTER 7

The credential of God’s servant

A servant of God or a servant of men

Wrong expectations

Unless you die

CHAPTER 8

A servant, his salvation, and the salvation of others

Those who believe and those who don’t

How is a servant born?

The plant that My Father did not plant

The two types of servants

Satan and sacrifice

CHAPTER 9

Who did the Father’s will?

Servants in the furnace

The discipline of a servant

A servant’s language of faith

A servant’s boldness

A servant’s rights

CHAPTER 10

Servants of justice

Servants like Thomas

A servant’s prayer

The chosen and the rejected

Forged in tribulations

CHAPTER 11

A cup of blessings or curses

When there’s fraud in the offering

We serve the God whose name is feared

How can you serve Someone you don’t know?

The faithful and the unfaithful

Fakes among the real ones

Curse in the time of grace

CHAPTER 12

Servants and their testimony

The testimony of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

Servants and years of experience in the faith

The Lord tests the righteous

The recipe for overcoming temptations

Strength in weakness

To remain standing

Dependence on the Holy Spirit

You shall call, and He will answer, “Here I am”

My biggest wish on my 70th birthday

In 2015, I turned 70 and said a prayer. I asked God to use me to win more souls in the final years of my life than He had ever used me before. I wanted to start over as if I had never done anything during the fifty years that I’d been walking with Him.

I also made another request to the Lord: I asked Him to broaden my vision and open new doors so that my service to Him would be more fruitful, more abundant. Since then, I have been even more absorbed by the desire to serve my God, so that fruitless secular affairs and activities (which are basically useless), have completely lost their place in my daily life.

I have become more aware of the importance of my vocation and the high privilege of doing what I do and for WHOM I do it. My thoughts and intentions revolve around just one question: How can I honour my Lord more?

He has been telling me that the best way to show my love is to serve Him with all my strength. In fact, unconditional obedience to God is the only proof that my devotion to Him is true, as it is written:

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”

Luke 10:27

I live each day seeking to give joy to the heart of the One who saved me by bringing as many people to salvation as I can. I can’t just keep this joy—along with many other experiences I’ve had—for myself and others who live with me. I want to share it with you who are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that your hearts burn with love for our Saviour, and that you stand firm in the only purpose that is worth living and dying for in this world: to serve God Most High for as long as we live, which is exactly what we’ll be doing for all eternity.

I invite you to walk with the Lord through these pages so that you may be renewed in your faith and in your service to Him.

Introduction

How can I glorify the One who is the glory Himself?

The heavens speak of God’s mighty works. If even the firmament proclaims the glory of the Most High to the inhabitants of the earth, how could I not honour my Lord as well?

But how can a vulnerable, inconstant, and mortal being be of any service to the unchanging, eternal God who is completely loyal to His promises?

He is the incorruptible and eternally perfect God who gives corruptible and imperfect people an opportunity to worship and serve Him. He is the humble God who possesses everything. He is the only One who can offer gifts and help to all human beings without ever becoming poor or weak. He is the God who cannot improve Himself nor become superior, for He was, is, and forever will be excellent in all His attributes. He is the only One who can be called the Living God; all others are but inanimate idols. How could I have the gall to deny Him anything?

He is the omnipotent and good God who opened my eyes to see Him and my mind to perceive Him. I never would have been able to find God by myself, even if I’d sought Him with all my strength and intelligence. He not only revealed Himself to me, but let me find Him by faith, so how could I not seek Him?

If the God who has countless riches and such wonderful creations at His disposal chooses the lowliest, the despised, and the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are, how could I not feel privileged to serve Him? How would I not fear and tremble to know that the God who is the purest of all wants to dwell in me? He whose holiness is proclaimed unceasingly and with one accord by the angels in Heaven?

How could I not be faithful and walk in righteousness now that I know God, who is perfectly just to all who He has created? How could I desire glory for myself if the Son of God only sought the glory of the Father in everything He did? How could I not obey Almighty God, who has the power to repay the good and avenge evil? How could I ever escape the eyes of the One who sees, searches and judges all things? How could I praise men if You alone deserve the glory? The Lord has given us body, soul and spirit to live as well as faith to seek Him.

So, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth” (Psalm 115:1).

And so, before God Most High, who calls so sublimely, I can only say:

Here I am, Lord!

Chapter 1

Here I am!

“Hineni Shlacheni” was the prophet Isaiah’s response when the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8). The translation of this expression into English is “Here I am, send me.”

“Hineni” is the combination of two words: “hine” (look, see, observe, or notice this place, right here) and “ani” (I, me). We could say that, in other words, Isaiah said, “Hey, Lord, I’m here, ready and willing to obey Your orders! Look at me! You can count on me, no matter what! I’m ready to serve You with my whole life!”

“Here I am” is one of the most profound expressions in the Bible. In a broad sense, it expresses the seriousness of a commitment—or vow—that’s made to God. It involves the total sacrifice of one’s life to Him with no turning back.

We can also see “hineni” in Abraham’s answer to God:

God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Genesis 22:1

And in Jacob’s answer to the Angel:

Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, “Jacob.” And I said, “Here I am.”

Genesis 31:11

And in young Samuel’s reply to Eli when he was in the temple:

Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.”

1 Samuel 3:16

So, with the real meaning of the “hineni” concept in mind, it’s rare to find someone who confesses it out of a true commitment, not just with their lips.

God doesn’t want servants who only serve Him physically, to boost their numbers and fill the empty spaces in their lives. The Most High is searching for people who are reliable, of good character, who keep their word and never go back on it.

The Almighty is a God of His Word and seeks out people who keep their word as well, to serve Him.

[...] you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness [...]

Exodus 18:21

We rarely see servants of this calibre since the concept of “hineni” is far too radical in a world that is growing more superficial, frivolous and irresponsible. Our current culture is extremely toxic. It’s easy to find people who don’t keep their word, who don’t uphold good values and who change opinions according to what’s most convenient. That’s why modern marriages have become disposable and why many church assistants and pastors just make temporary pit stops in God’s harvest.

It’s become common for people to serve God only when it’s easy and convenient; but when circumstances are unpleasant, they turn their backs on His call.

We live in the most crucial moment in human history. There has never been such a need for men and women who refuse to deviate from their responsibility and respond to God’s call with “hineni”.

Saying “here I am” implies that we are fighting against ourselves, our fleshly desires, and our unstable emotions every day. We can’t commit to serving God and then cowardly run away like the prophet Jonah did.

“I am here for the Lord and forever will be” is a way of life that is completely committed to doing His will.

If you’ve already taken this step, then keep your commitment in faith, faithfulness, and love. But if you haven’t yet made up your mind, just know that serving the Most High is the only way for this life to be worth living.

There are no excuses or justifications for refusing God’s call, since the One who called you is completely able to equip you.

God’s big question

The plural “Us” in the phrase, “Whom shall I send, and who shall go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8), refers to the Holy Trinity in a sort of heavenly council.

Although God is Almighty, He doesn’t force people to serve Him, or do anything, for that matter. Notice that Abraham wasn’t coerced by God to leave his land, nor was he forced to live like a nomad in distant lands all his life; Abraham voluntarily said yes to His call, and in so doing, became the patriarch of Israel.

The same thing happened to Moses when he heard the voice of the Most High on Sinai. God did not force him to go to Egypt to deliver the Hebrews. Rather, Moses understood that the Lord was giving him a unique opportunity to be His spokesman. So, he spontaneously answered God’s call, even though he felt incapable of such an important mission.

God seeks and desires to find servants who will fulfil His wishes and plans in a pleasing and voluntary way. Finding people on a densely populated planet of almost 8 billion human beings isn’t hard to do. Yet finding men and women who can fulfil the most important of all tasks in this world is extremely rare. It’s because most people are more interested in fulfilling their own dreams, enjoying their own lives, and solving their own problems. They have no motivation to make their lives available to God to cooperate with His plans.

It’s interesting that just as human beings have the privilege of being called, they also have the freedom not to respond to God’s call. With that said, whoever has had an encounter with God, has received His invitation to serve Him. His call resonates so extraordinarily that His command seems undeniable, since the voice of their Lord is irresistible.

They are the ones who step forward to join the ranks of the army of the Living God. They are aware that they need courage because, from the moment they enlist, their lives are completely dependent on the Most High. It means that they now have to live entirely by their own faith.

The implications of God’s call

Let’s use the prophet Isaiah’s call as an illustration of the greatness of serving the Lord. The way the prophet answered God’s question in his vision by offering himself up, shows that he was ready for anything. Though he was young and inexperienced, he was willing to make the sacrifice the mission required.

The Bible says:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’”

Isaiah 6:1-9

As you can see, the Lord was looking for a servant to send to the people of Israel. The nation had strayed from faith and was plunged into apostasy. Uzziah’s 52-year reign (see 2 Chronicles 26:3) had been marked by prosperity as well as stability. But in the last ten years of his reign, he contracted leprosy, which was a deadly disease at that time. His sickness was the result of his disrespect and rebellion against the laws of Moses regarding the temple’s holy service.

Uzziah had become so proud that one day he walked into the sanctuary to burn incense, something only priests were allowed to do (see 2 Chronicles 26:16-18). He used his royal authority to do as he pleased, not to honour his nation, much less glorify God. And so, Uzziah had to give up his duties and his son Jotham became king in his place. Uzziah had stopped serving God to serve himself and do things his way. As a result, he died of leprosy (see 2 Chronicles 26:21-23).

That was when Israel began to go through a period of crisis. The nation was in spiritual chaos and the Northern Kingdom was going to be taken over by Assyria (722 BC). Its capital, Samaria, would be completely razed and its citizens taken into Assyrian captivity.

A few years later, Judah would also suffer the consequences of its continued moral and spiritual decline. The disobedience of their kings, Ahaz, and Zedekiah (who allied themselves with foreign nations to try to survive the Assyrian and Babylonian empires), would result in Jerusalem’s invasion and destruction (586 BC).

In the face of this coming devastation, the Lord was looking for a servant to convey His message to the people. God had a mission and wanted to give it to someone, but the question was: who would have the faith and willingness to leave everything behind and put God’s will first?

It’s worth mentioning that there were thousands of priests and Levites at the time, but they were servants in name only. Most of them were hypocrites and self-centred, who pursued their own interests, which displeased God that they even set foot in the temple.

When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.

Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 1:12-15

Among all of those men, Isaiah was different. According to Bible scholars, he was in his mid-twenties when he was called by God. As a possible nephew of King Uzziah, Isaiah belonged to the highest level of aristocracy at the time, and his noble lineage gave him a good education and excellent prospects for the future. Yet he left it all behind to willingly attend to God’s call. He did it without setting any conditions or limits to carry out his mission, nor did he ask if there might be any undesireable implications once he took on the role of prophet for a rebellious people.

Isaiah’s attitude was quite different from what can be seen in some “servants” today, who want to dictate the rules of their “service” to the Lord. They say things like, “I’ll submit to this person, but not to that person... I don’t want to go to that place; it’s too far and too difficult to work there... Don’t ask me to do this or that; I don’t like it!” These statements, show that these so-called “servants” are in charge of their own lives and that God’s will matters little to them. They assume that they’re in the right to determine how they will “serve” the Lord.

God has myriads of angels at His complete disposal (including the bright and fearful seraphim around His throne). If the Lord wants, He has the power to do anything perfectly and all by Himself, but He prefers to choose imperfect human beings so that they can work in cooperation with His Kingdom. Shouldn’t these men and women feel honoured with such a privilege? Isn’t it reason enough to gladly submit to the precious service of the Lord? Even though it’s an act of sacrifice, it’s also a tremendous honour.

In fact, to treat the Almighty’s personal choice with coldness and indifference is spiritual insanity.

Who is the person God is looking for?

The Most High’s question when Isaiah was called, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” still resonates loudly in our days, mainly because we are living in the “perilous times” that precede the return of the Lord Jesus (see 2 Timothy 3:1). If God had been urgently calling the Jews to repent back in the time before the Babylonian invasion, He’s even more eager to give people an opportunity for salvation today, before the final judgement.

God is searching for people, but who is ready to surrender one hundred per cent of his life to serve Him? Who is ready to endure self-denial, and become worthy to put his hand to the plough in the Kingdom of God?

We say this because a servant of God must become a sacrifice himself, like the Lord Jesus did when He came into this world. Or like Abraham, who obeyed the voice of the Most High every time He called him.

The Creator’s commitment to His creation is so great that even if just one soul could be rescued from hell, it would be worth sending His Only Son into the world. Now imagine rescuing millions of souls throughout the history of humanity!

This was why the Almighty made His plan to save souls. He obligated Himself to send His Only Son to be sacrificed until the last drop of blood was shed. This is the model of servanthood that the Lord expects of those who want to cooperate in His work to save souls from hell. If our Lord Jesus sacrificed Himself to the last drop of blood to save us, I think His servants should be ready to sacrifice their own will, dreams, and personal projects as well, to deliver those who are racing headlong towards eternal condemnation.

If attempting to find an easy path to serve the Lord turns into an enormous difficulty for a servant to carry out his work, his difficulties in serving God are transformed to enable him to continue his work more easily. It’s a contradiction, but it’s exactly what happens in our ministry.

So, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit’s question, “Who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8) can only be answered by those who truly understand that the salvation of a soul comes at a high cost. It cost the Lord Jesus His own life and His servants must pay a high price as well.

Chapter 2

The Son as our model

Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 42:1

In this verse, the Most High reveals the high degree of the Lord Jesus’ surrender when He embraced His mission to come into the world to give His life. All those who are baptised in the Holy Spirit—children and heirs of God—must also meet this same standard.