Taking Hold of Your Destiny Part 3 THE CALL OF GOD

Taking Hold of Your Destiny  Part  3

THE CALL OF GOD

Matthew 4:21

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

II Timothy 1:9

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,

One of the most asked questions by Christians is, “how do I find the will of God for my life?” Many Christians struggle with this issue many never resolving it in their lifetime. We need to realise that God wants you to know His will or purpose for your life, and He has not made it hard for you to know what it is. However the real issue is do you really want to know His will for your life and if the Lord makes it plain to you, WILL YOU DO IT?

If you really want to know Gods will for your life and you will do it if he reveals it, THE WILL OF GOD WILL FIND YOU.  You won’t have to go looking for it; it will catch up with you. The question needs to be asked, which is the harder, to know the will of God; or to do the will of God.  Willing to do comes before knowing; and the reason for this is that the consequences of knowing and not doing  is scary.  It is better for you to not know than to know and not do it.

The first prerequisite for knowing the will of God is settling clearly and firmly in your heart that you will do the will of God whatever it may mean, whatever it will cost you.

Primary and Secondary Callings

Romans 8:29	For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30	Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31	What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Our first calling and purpose is to be conformed to the image of Jesus while here on this earth, and in this life before Jesus returns, the image and the likeness of Jesus, His character being formed in us. This is your first and highest call and purpose in this life.

Many Christians want to do things for God when God is more interested in what you are becoming, or should I say who you are becoming.  Developing gifts of the spirit without the fruit of the spirit being established in our lives has been the demise of the Pentecostal Movements over the last hundred or so years. Who you are is far more important than what you can do.

Our first and highest calling is to become like Jesus, this and this alone will determine our position, rank, and place of honour in heaven.

Secondary Callings

1 Corinthians 12:28	And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29	Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30	Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31	But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.

Any of these various functions can be given to us given in order to reach out with the character of Jesus to a needy world. However the Apostle Paul made it very clear that unless the character of Jesus is formed in us our service for Him amounts to nothing

1 Corinthians 13:1	Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2	And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.
3	And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4	Love  suffereth long, and is kind; love  envieth not; love  vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5	Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6	Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7	Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8	love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

God is love and when you become love, God will give you power to love with. One of the greatest healing miracle moves of God ever known to the church is about to break out and cover the face of this earth but, God will only use those who have become love, His character.

The primary calling has to be a part of the secondary calling

2 Peter 1:3	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:
4	Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We are called to Virtue and Glory

Glory means the goodness of God     Exodus 33:19 Character

Virtue means life giving substance     Luke 6:19        Power

God is about to anoint and release a people who know their God and have some likeness of Him in them. These people will demonstrate the love of God to this world, in great power and the final harvest will begin

God Bless youJames N Johnson © 2005