Called

When I was born my parents named me William Erick Kangas and that was that. From that point on that was my name. I had no say in it I had no input I had no way to argue. I grew up being William Erick Kangas and I will probably die being William Erick Kangas. That’s what I am Called and that’s what I respond to. I am William Erick Kangas like it or not.

When My father was Born he was named William Erick Kangas. He was Named after his Grandfather William Kangas., and his other Grandfather Erick Eckstrum, who we both named what they were named when they were born and had no say in the matter.

William Erick Kangas means Resolute Protector, Mighty One, Keeper of the forest.

William Erick Kangas is a wonderful name and I’m glad to have it.

Others are not so fortunate: Abbie Birthday, Ima Hogg, Shanda Lear. These are the names of real people who were not christened so gracefully.

I was named after my father

What were you named after? What does your name mean? Who are you?

There was a family that had three daughters. One day the oldest, rose, came up to her mother and asked her why she was named rose. Her mother replied that when they were taking her home from the hospital a rose petal landed on her forehead and they thought it was so beautiful they named her rose. The second daughter, Lilly, also came and asked them why she was so named. The responded that when she was only a few days old a Lilly landed on her head and just stayed there it was so serene and calm they thought it would make a marvelous name. The next day their third daughter cinder block asked them MAAH MAHH GAA

In Genesis 1, when God creates the world, there is an interesting pattern that emerges. We see God creating something and then calling it something

He creates light and calls it day

He creates an expanse and calls it sky

He creates dry ground and calls it land

But when he creates man he doesn’t call man anything.

God deals with people a different way, he calls us as individuals.

So who are you?

The Hebrew word for call is kaw-raw’

In exodus 31 it states

Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-

The word for chosen in this passage is kaw-raw’

kaw-raw’ goes beyond your name. You have been called, but that means you have also been called out. You have been appointed

Ephesisans 2:10 states “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

You have A Calling

You are here for a reason

You are more then an accident

It doesn’t matter how you got here God wanted you here and he has a plan for you, a calling, and a name.

How do we know this?

Because he tells us.

Jeremiah 1:5a: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.

Pslam 139:16 “your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Epesians 1:4 “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.”

Sometimes we know the calling of God, sometimes we don’t, but God is on a mission to catch you in his dreams.

The Bible tells us the story of Jacob. Jacob was the father of all the tribes of Israel. God had called him before hand to be so.

He was the younger of two brothers, twins.

God had told his mother before he was born

"Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger." (Genesis 25:23)

Jacob had a calling with a capitol C. He was to found a nation, and all his life he knew his calling.

He spent much of his life trying to grab hold of this calling, and most of his life falling short.

He manipulated his brother.

He lied to his father.

He stole his birthright.

He dressed up and pretended to be his brother just so he could receive his fathers blessing.

He tried to be someone else, just so he could be who he was called to be, and wound up with nothing.