A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call To Serve God's Purpose

 

    2 Timothy 1:9

He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.

    GOD's GOOD PURPOSE

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 1:4-6

For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

    Romans 8:28,29

For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.

    Philippians 2:13

For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

FULFILLING GOD's PURPOSE

    God knows you. He formed you, created you. He calls you and I to be one with Him through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. The call, the invitation, still cries out to the lost, the dying, the hopeless, the despairing, the lonely, the homeless. 

    His servants go into the alleys, the streets, highways and the thoroughfares, preaching the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ; teaching holiness and discipleship in the power of The Holy Spirit. We go that His purpose might be fulfilled not only in us but in those who believe and receive the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

    The kingdom of God advances every time a soul gets saved. Every time a sinner repents and is baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Savior of their lives, the enemy of our souls-Satan-loses another battle and The Lord gains a faithful follower and friend. 

    Everyone is predestined to salvation but not everyone will accept it. It is such an incredible thing to believe that Someone would die for us! It boggles the mind. But if the seed lands in the heart, then the heart begins the search for the Truth. Jesus Christ is The TRUTH. Therefore, everything He speaks and does is TRUTH. That's a fact that cannot be broken or misconstrued. 

    Paul tells in Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." That's me. That's you. 

    THE HOLY CALLING

Holy means set apart, sacred. Calling means invitation. God is giving us a sacred invitation to come near to Him. He calls us to repent of the sins which keep us separated from Him; for He is a holy God and requires His people to be holy as well. This can only happen when we keep a penitent heart, a humble spirit, a loving attitude towards God.

    Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD: "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

    Diving Love calls us into God's presence, where we recognize and realize that His love exceeds our sins and covers us completely when we sincerely let go of the desire to do that which has kept us separated from Him. As we reach God's presence, we drop all pretence and cry out to God to save us. And He does. 

    I am a sinner saved by grace. God's grace. God's purpose is being fulfilled in me. Who I was before my sins were forgiven is now who I am now that I am forgiven.

Ephesians 2:8-10

    (paraphrased) By grace am I saved through faith; not of myself: it is the Gift of God. 

    Not by works {that I have done}, so I cannot boast {of this miracle wrought in me}. 

    I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as my way of life.

FULFILLING GOD's PURPOSE

God So Loved - We The Kingdom

 Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened - Petra

Have My Heart - Maverick City/TRIBL

 You Come For The Broken - UPPERROOM

God Has His Purpose - ASOP

 Refiner - Maverick City

Fly Eagle Fly - Whiteheart

 All My Hope - Crowder

Whosoever Meaneth Me - classic hymn

 Above All - Michael W. Smith

    

    

    

How is better than Why

The manner in which one endures 
                                                has a greater impact 
                                          than that which one has to endure.




I would rather rejoice over being chosen to walk this road

than complain , "Why me?"  .

When God calls us to service, He doesn't call us to paved roads and fine houses. Those things are our rewards in heaven: golden streets and beautiful mansions built by the Master Carpenter.

Instead God calls us to serve others. And He takes us out of our comfort zones to do it. 

All of Jesus' disciples were working men. Of the first 12, some were fishermen. One collected taxes. One was a doctor. He did not call them to serve in the fields they had trained in. He called them to serve in His fields, doing His work. Matthew 10:6-8.

But the skills they had learned in their various trades, they were able to apply working in God's fields. He told the ones who fished that they would be "fishers of men". The doctor learned to heal the sick with the power and authority of Christ, not with the learned knowledge he had already acquired. He sent them without money, papers or supplies into the surrounding cities and communities. They learned what it means to exercise your faith. 

Their personal principles came with them:

1. Obey the teacher, the master. Apprenticeship requires self-discipline.

2. Finish the work started. A job half-done is not done at all.

3. Apply yourself. Put your heart into it and your work will be recognized.

I have been called out of my comfort zone. I was trained by my parents to lead a good life. I was trained by my teachers to be a secretary (when I was in high school, they still had us studying gender specific skills). I was trained by my colleagues to be a good pharmacy technician. I ignored the good life and settled for less. I sucked at secretarial skills, but excelled at writing. I was a pretty good pharmacy tech for a few years. But then I got sick. And I hadn't been trained for that.

I have learned to exercise my faith. I have little to no money of my own now (soc. sec. dis.). I stutter when I have been speaking for more than a few minutes. And just speaking clearly is difficult (even people who know me make me repeat myself and I hate that). I am a licensed minister, but not an ordained one. My schooling was done through Pentecostal Church of God. My training is on-going. The self-discipline of living my life is now coming back around again. 

Nobody is ever ready to suffer a major tragedy or lose their job because of a major illness. I am no exception. But when God calls us to service, He qualifies the unqualified. That's part of His job.

This is mine.

We Are Called

We Are Called

Hebrews 9:15

"And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."

By Whom are we called?

Called by Christ.......

in righteousness --- Isaiah 42:6 " I the Lord have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and will give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles."

by His Name --- Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found, and I did eat them; and Your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by Your Name, O Lord God of hosts"

He knows our names --- Isaiah 43:1 "But now, thus saith the Lord that created you, O Jacob, and He that formed you, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, you are mine."

Where did He call us from?

Called from sin.........

out of darkness --- 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;that you should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

out of the night --- 1 Samuel 3:3, 4 "And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep: that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, Here am I."

out of Egypt (bondage) --- Matthew 2:15 ".........out of Egypt have I called my son..." {though this verse refers to Christ and his earthly parents, we understand that Egypt also represents sin and the bonds of sin, so I used it here}

Why are we called?

Called into His service.........

to Peace --- 1 Corinthians 7:15 "....but God has called us to peace..."

to Glory & Virtue --- "According as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue...."

to Friendship --- John 15:15 "From here on I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

to Witness --- Isaiah 43:10 "You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me."

Why should we answer God's call?

Called to Salvation...........

Come and See --- John 4:29 "Come, see a man, which told me all the things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"

Come and Dine --- John 21:12 "Jesus said unto them, Come and dine. And none of them dared ask Him, Who are you? knowing that it was the Lord."

Come and Live --- Revelation 22:17 "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

I heard God call my name and I answered Him.