2Kings 14:25 He restored the coast of Israel from
the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the
LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of
Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.
His
ministry requires that he respects the commission and instructions of the One
who has called him! Jonah is not allowed the luxury of picking and choosing
what he wants to do and where he wants to do it or what he does not want to do.
He
is not to be in any way biased based on his own personal or patriotic
prejudice. He is to remain faithful to the One who called him. He has to be
true to the message despite its unpopularity and probable unacceptability. As a
servant and messenger of Yahweh, recognize that in the majority of occasions, your
message may not be accepted, and it may sometimes subject you to vile and
violent repercussions.
When
it comes to God’s call, we do not have the option to color, change, modify or
manipulate...we are to remain faithful. Why? It’s because we are called
according to His purpose not our own.
And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose. Romans 8:28 KJV
Every
child of God has a definite calling on their life. Many of us have consistently
avoided or ignored or soft pedaled (de-emphasized or downplayed that call with
what may oftentimes be referred to a sense of false humility!
Before
we are called to service we are first called to salvation, submission and sanctification.
It's vital to
our eternal well being that we respond positively to God when called!
According to the
Word of God we are called to:
A HIGH CALLING!
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 KJV
A HOLY CALLING!
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of
our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of
the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with
an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Timothy
1:8-9 KJV
A HEAVENLY
CALLING!
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all
his house. Hebrews 3:1-2 KJV
Among
other things in this calling we are called unto Eternal Life: Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 KJV
We
are called into His Marvelous Light: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light: 1 Peter 2:9 KJV
We
are called unto Liberty: For, brethren, ye have been called unto
liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve
one another. Galatians 5:13 KJV
We
are called into Fellowship: God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto
the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV
We
are called unto Peace: But if the unbelieving depart, let him
depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath
called us to peace. 1 Corinthians 7:15
KJV
We
are called unto His Eternal Glory, Virtue and Kingdom: According as his divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 2 Peter 1:3 KJV
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto
his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make
you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1 Peter 5:10 KJV
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged
every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of
God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
KJV
We
are called unto Holiness: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who
hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 KJV
Jesus
enlightens us about choice and ordination when He said: Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name, he may give it you. John 15:16 KJV
His
choosing and ordination is for a purpose that we be fruitful and not only
fruitful but enduring fruitfulness. This requires that those who are called and
chosen maintain a faithfulness to His calling for we are no longer our own! We
belong to Him, Purchased by His Blood, Sanctified by His Word, and Empowered by
His Spirit in order that we may glorify Him in our mortal bodies!
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV
Remember
those who are Called and Chosen are to be Faithful to remain with Him:!
Rev. 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and
the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and
they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Irrespective
of our personal prejudices we are called to be faithful
Ananias
queried the safety of approaching Saul but went after being assured by God.
We
do not have a record of Jonah questioning the truth of his commission.
Elisha
ministered to his own people and also to the Syrian general Naaman who had in
his household Israeli prisoners. In fact the Israeli maid bore strong witness
to Yahweh's power and the prophetic ministry.
Jesus
ministered to the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman. Jesus commended her in
fact and praised her faith above that of all Israel. He went out of His way to
reach a Samaritan village despite the fact that Jews were prejudiced against
the Samaritans!
The prophetic
ministry is of vital importance in the church, community and cosmos.
Jesus
said in Luke 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and tomorrow, and the day
following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Recognize
today that there is a calling on your life and it comes from Him! He has a
purpose for you and it brings glory to Him! Ignoring, neglecting, and running
away will only bring frustration, grief and dissatisfaction. Do you wonder why
sometimes you always seem so dissatisfied with the way things are in church? It
generally stems from an incomplete surrender for service to Him. The danger in
continuously ignoring this is that we may become hardened and resistant to His promptings,
because of fear of failure, and fear of making a complete ‘idiot’ of our
selves! We always want to do the sensible thing but God continuously uses the
foolish things of this world to confound the wise. In retrospect what was wise
about an eternally omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient Being putting limits on
Himself in order to become a sacrifice for a planet of seriously ungrateful,
uncaring, irritating misfits who are so full of themselves that they are not
deserving of any good thing? Yet the Messiah did that just for us!
In
every congregation of saints God has placed ministry gifts as He sees fit. In
the smallest of gatherings (two or three!) He desires to be present. When we
gather in His Name He is present through promise! It's a no-brainer!
When
Paul said ye may all prophesy it wasn't trivial talk. 1Cor. 14:31 For ye may all
prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Cor. 14:29
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
Grow where you
are planted and start bearing fruits!
A tree that
keeps on being uprooted and transplanted runs the risk of an untimely
unfruitful death!
As
we are faithful to His calling and our responsibility it is imperative that we
abide in the calling where we are called.
1Cor. 7:17 But as God hath distributed to every man,
as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all
churches.
1Cor. 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling
wherein he was called.
Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called,
therein abide with God. 1 Corinthians
7:24 KJV
2Pet. 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give
diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye
shall never fall:
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