Knowing Your Calling
It is so important for each one of us to know who and what we are in God's eyes. He has a plan for each of us, and it is special for us and valuable to His Kingdom. I know there has been a lot of discussion on this topic, but an old pastor of mine recently passed away and I wanted to share something that I learned from him that might help someone to find their purpose or rekindle the fire that was once lit in their life and in their spirit.
Isaiah 40:3
New International Version (NIV)
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.[b]
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.[b]
9 You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c]
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c]
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
God is calling those who will prepare the way for His second coming. There are many ministries and many media available to do that, but people need to rise up above what they are currently doing to achieve that. If the Holy Spirit is leading you to lead others, then you need to trust Him to help you do it and to lead you in the way that you should go. You already know that it is what He wants to do, because it is in line with what needs to be done to prepare for Jesus to come again. These verses are describing John the Baptist as he went before Jesus calling people to repentance to prepare them to accept the salvation and calling that Jesus would come to bring. The same is true in this age as we need to remind the world that He is coming again and His requirements and calling have not changed. He will never change. He is looking for voices in this day to go before Him and prepare the way for Him to come again. He is coming either way, so we may as well prepare.
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Clearly none of us should think of ourselves as equal to Isaiah or John the Baptist, but with God all things are possible and He can use us the same way that He used prophets and teachers and evangelists of other eras. Today is the day of salvation and we can be His voices in this present age. But first we need to hear His voice, know His calling, understand our gifts that we have received from the Holy Spirit, and be willing and not afraid to speak His Word. We live in a world that is not unlike Sodom and Gomorrah, or Ninevah, or Babylon, or Egypt, or any of the other nations that God saw were so corrupt and ungoldly that He felt the need to send prophets and warriors into to save the few that were righteous, or destroy them altogether. He is coming soon. Let's join His Army and help prepare the Way for Him.
Peter 1
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
http://www.biblegateway.com/ All scripture is copied from this site using the NIV translation. They offer a daily scripture for your encouragement. You can also visit http://www.klove.com/ for additional prayer requests and live Christian music and encouragement. We all need encouragement. There is a war for God's people to fight and in times of war there needs to be times of refreshing. Please seek out people and media that fill you with encouragement so you can fight the good fight of faith on a daily basis.
Isaiah 6
New International Version (NIV)
Isaiah’s Commission
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Clearly none of us should think of ourselves as equal to Isaiah or John the Baptist, but with God all things are possible and He can use us the same way that He used prophets and teachers and evangelists of other eras. Today is the day of salvation and we can be His voices in this present age. But first we need to hear His voice, know His calling, understand our gifts that we have received from the Holy Spirit, and be willing and not afraid to speak His Word. We live in a world that is not unlike Sodom and Gomorrah, or Ninevah, or Babylon, or Egypt, or any of the other nations that God saw were so corrupt and ungoldly that He felt the need to send prophets and warriors into to save the few that were righteous, or destroy them altogether. He is coming soon. Let's join His Army and help prepare the Way for Him.
Peter 1
New International Version (NIV)
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
