Anagkazo - The compelling Power

Friend of God ✨

Hi everyone, it’s been a while!

We just finished a camp meeting at church with the theme "Anagkazo." It was the first time I had heard the word, and after researching its meaning and the context in which it’s used in the Bible, I was deeply compelled by it. 👀😁

Anagkazo is a Greek word meaning to “compel” or to “urge.” It was famously used in a parable by Jesus in Luke 14. In verse 23, the master tells his servants to compel people to come until the house is full:

“Go out into the country lanes and out behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house is full.

Being a Greek word, Anagkazo was primarily used in the New Testament. However, the concept of Anagkazo can be found throughout the Bible, including the Old Testament.

My personal favorite example of Anagkazo in the Old Testament is God's call to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, which is an amazing demonstration of God's love for humanity. Abraham was not just called by God to be blessed and to receive Isaac, but primarily to usher in the Messiah and the salvation of all our souls.

God always calls us to something greater than we can ever think, ask, or imagine. Ephesians 3:20-21 💝

Still, we must be like Abraham and obey God immediately. He always followed God's instructions, even when they were difficult—leaving his family, living in a land with strangers, and being willing to sacrifice his only son. Abraham’s life was a story of obedience and faith in God.

Abraham had faith in God, even as the years passed, and he and Sarah grew older. He still trusted God, holding on to the promises given to him in Genesis 12, knowing the faithfulness of the God he served.

Because of all this, Abraham became a friend of God. Anagkazo is God calling us to be His friends. Think about it... really think about it. The Creator of the universe wants to be friends with you! Isaiah 41:8, John 15:15

I am always filled with so much joy and reverence when I think about it—that God has redeemed, justified, and called us to be His friends.

So, as Christians, let’s continue to obey God’s word in faith because we know the nature of God, our friend.

Have an amazing day! ✨