Music City (ADVENT-URE DAY 23)

As we continue to explore the Faith Radio Advent Guide during this 25-Day Christmas Adventure this week before Christmas, we are considering more "players" related to the Christmas story.  And, be assured, that story didn't begin nor end at the manger in Bethlehem.  Nor in the last verse of Luke 2 after Jesus stunned the teachers at the Temple.  Or the preservation of Jesus and His family when they returned to Nazareth.

Beginning this past Sunday, we began to look at Jesus assembling the group of 12 men known as His disciples, or the Apostles.  Earlier, we looked at the call to Andrew, who told his brother, Simon Peter, that "We have found the Messiah," the verse (John 1:41) that adorns the wonderful cover of our latest Faith Radio Ministry Magazine, where our Advent Guide is housed - you can access it online at FaithRadio.org.

In addition to Andrew and Peter, Jesus called James and John.  Matthew chapter 4 states:
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ”
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

James and John, the "Sons of Thunder."  We see from verse 22 that they "Immediately" left their boat, they left Zebedee, their father, and followed Jesus.  We can learn from James and John that when God calls, we can respond readily.

And, they didn't stand still.  Verse 23 said they went "throughout" all Galilee.

So, we are called to move as God moves.  And, it seems, according to a CBN online story, that you have a significant number of Christians who are moving to Middle Tennessee. That can't make a woman named Aftyn Behn happy - she recently was defeated in a run for Congress to represent - Nashville.  According to Christian Post article, in a 2020 podcast, she reportedly said: “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it..."  

And, she's certainly not fond of public, constitutional prayers by officials who are Christians; the Post article quoted from a Daily Caller piece that reported that she said in a podcast: “Some committees open up with prayer, we also stand for the pledge. And there are also prayer groups in the legislature who meet routinely. There are Christian pastors that have a lot of say and proximity to power in the legislature and dictate a lot of what the power players do. And it is uncomfortable, and I think it makes a lot of my constituents who represent a diversity of religion deeply uncomfortable.”

Sorry, Ms. Behn - it appears the Christians are coming to your town.  The afore-mentioned CBN article said, "Long-time Nashville realtor Kellie Seboa...told CBN News the trend of more Christians and Christian ministries feeling called to Nashville and the surrounding areas is real."  

The article went on to say:

Christians are moving to Nashville for a variety of reasons, and some aren't sure why they're here but many sense this city will play a big part in what God is getting ready to do.
 
"I believe He (God) has a target on Nashville. The Holy Spirit does that. I believe this is going to be ground zero for revival," said Barbara Ann Jeter of the Kings Hill House of Prayer.

The piece adds:

Long-time missionary, author, and President of CityTable Jon Peterson and his wife Mindy moved to Nashville from Colorado three years ago for one reason.

"Friendship. The Kingdom operates on friendship. It moves at the speed of friendship. So, I've been coming in since the nineties to Nashville, have dear friends here, and about three years ago, four years ago, stuff started shifting here. You could feel it; you could feel the move. People were moving, as you know, and had no clue why they were coming. I had absolutely no clue, but they knew God had called them," said Peterson.

Peterson believes the migration also has to do with prayers prayed years or even centuries ago.
 
"Yes, prayers were prayed, covenants were made, people were brought by God, and they were high-impact people, and they loved Jesus. But we need to say we can't move forward until we go backwards and reclaim the roots that God birthed. So, He's (God) always somewhere first. And He puts His thumbprint in the land and then He says, realign with what my intention for this area was," Peterson said.

Chris Guerra, who is a comedian who moved to the Nashville area with his wife, Kelsey Cooke, from California - they opened a "clean comedy" theatre in Franklin.  They experienced people in that suburb praying for them as they sought God's direction upon migrating to the area.  Chris says: 

"I think God brought us here for us to get closer to Him. I don't think it has anything to do with the film industry or improv or any of that stuff," Guerra said.

"And I don't think He's really revealed the greater purpose right now," Cooke said. "I don't think we've really seen that. But we're grabbing people going, oh my gosh, you're here for the exact same reason. Oh my gosh, your story is exactly the same as mine. That's so weird. And we're all kind of gravitating towards each other. And so, I've just been saying it's kind of a gathering of the light. We don't all know why we're here, but we know we're supposed to be working together," Cooke said.

In the Scriptures, as Jesus assembled His team of disciples, He acquired followers who were devoted to go wherever He moved.  James, our character in "The Story For the Ages" for today, is an example of someone who didn't delay, he and his brother immediately changed the course of their lives.

So, the question for today is not only are we willing to go where God directs us, but are we willing to go now?  I'm not talking about being impulsive - seeking God is certainly a key element.  But, when the time comes and the call is issued, will you be ready?  That may be a change of location, or a change of mission, without a major physical move.  We must be ready for change as the Lord uses us to accomplish His purposes.