125. GOD IS CALLING YOU.

You may not think so, or even want to think about it right now. But it may be in your best interest to at least consider it. In Romans1:1 we read “Paul was called to be an Apostle.” How did that happen? God reached into Paul’s background, and found some very useful things there. They weren’t all spiritual things, some were academic and some cultural Now, if you or I were given the task of selecting one of the Pillars of this new church, we certainly would have struck Paul from the list of potential prospects, on the grounds of his intense hatred for Christians. However, God in His wisdom could see Paul’s unique qualifications and potential. he was a Pharisee, well versed in Jewish law, so was his father before him, so He had been well trained as to what was expected of him not only in Pharisaical circles, but throughout Jewish Israel, he understood the Scriptures and also the mindset of those who would oppose him with spiritual blindness which gave him a deep compassion for the lost. God used both the good and bad experiences in Paul’s life. And He can do the same for you! Think about it; When God looked for a man to be an early leader in His church, someone to write down the theology of His church, to debate with the other religious leaders of the day who would argue against this new-found church, to advance the cause of Christ in academic and social arenas, to carry the message of the Gospel all the way from the lowest person on the street to the throne of Caesar. God found a man who had the necessary attributes and qualifications – And that man was Paul. This is how God works – First, He seeks you out, then He prepares you, next, He positions you, only then will He empower you to do what He knows you can do most effectively. Obeying the call of God, is the most satisfying way you will be happy in this world and subsequently reap heaven’s benefits in the next. All because you heeded God’s call. So think about it. Is God calling you? Is he preparing you? Is He positioning you? Is He empowering you? Your highest level of Joy, satisfaction and and fulfilment in this life is when you surrender to Him and say “Yes” to Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah (1:5) we read, “I Sanctified you; I Ordained you” The word Sanctified means “to be set apart for the exclusive use of”. The word Ordained means “Ordered according to a plan.” Two things to know here are; God doesn’t waste anything He created, and He doesn’t waste anyone He can use, but you have a free will and He needs your permission to use it for His purposes. Before you were saved, God permitted experiences in your life, both good and bad, that were equipping you for what He had in mind for you. That includes who your parents were, the places they came from, where you were born, lived and educated, the number of years you spent in school, the jobs you held and the training you received. It also includes things God put inside you at the time of your birth. Even though some of those things may have seemed to have worked against you while you were growing up. Do you tend to hold on to ideas like a pit-bull? God can use that. Do you enjoy poring through books and research? God can use that. Are you quick to confront, excited to run right at the enemy? God can use that? Do you enjoy caring for children or the elderly, or nursing the sick, God can use that. To day you may feel you are in the wrong place, doing the wrong things, with the wrong people. You may be wondering how are you going to dig yourself out of the hole you have got yourself in to, or turn your life around?. And truthfully,.. the answer may be that you can’t. But God can! He makes miracles out of mistakes. So give Him the things in your life that aren’t so good, The things you’re not proud of, and say, Lord, “Here they are, I wish my life was different, but it’s not. I wish I could change it, but I can’t. Then allow God to go to work in your life. Trust Him. I did! It works, and doesn’t hurt. God wants you to do His Will, but you will never reach the place of spiritual maturity in which you’re ‘Satan-free’ You can overcome him, but you can’t eliminate hm. Look at Peter. He had only one gear; ‘Overdrive’ He was always in the middle of everything that was going on, but he wasn’t always on top of everything that was going on. The man who ended up leading the church, first denied even knowing or being a disciple of Jesus, Not just once, but three times. Pretty shocking eh! But look how he grew!! Nothing about us surprises God. He doesn’t call you and then say “I hope you’re the right person for the job.” No; Jesus told Peter (Luke 22;31-32) “Satan has asked to sift...you as wheat. but I have prayed for you...that your faith may not fail.” Isn’t that an amazing revelation? Even when you don’t know how to pray for yourself, Jesus is praying for you. The writer of Hebrews (7:25) tells us He always lives to make intercession for them” Jesus told Peter, (Luke22-32) “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Out of the mess you find yourself in to day, a ministry can come to others. Not only can God turn your life around, He can use you to turn the lives of others around as well. And one more thing: God isn’t apt to think you’re worth ‘nothing’ if you aren’t doing something right in the first place. Sifting is a method of purifying, or straining out the debris and refining the remainder. That means there has to be something worth salvaging in your life at present. God is calling you. Don’t waste another moment, surrender your life to Him now and allow Him to show you what it is. Thank you for reading these few words regarding God’s call on your life. It’s worth remembering, we are here only once for a very short time and for a very good reason. ...To full-fill His Will. And to help us attain this, He sent us His Holy Spirit, so that we can confidently say,“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil.4:!3. God bless Phaline.