CALLINGS

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. 1 Corinthians 7:17a

Each of us is called to relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are called by Him, to Him, and for Him. Once we enter that relationship with Christ, we are called into the physical expression of that relationship. This is where our vocations are manifested as a result, not as an end in themselves.

All of us have been called to follow Christ and live our lives in obedience to Him. Many of us have a sense to go in one direction or another based on our life experiences and giftedness. This, too, is God's calling.

Calling goes beyond our work and includes our relationships to others: our spouses, our children, our neighbors-and our coworkers. We must remember this in order that our "work calling" does not become elevated at the expense of the other important aspects of our lives. This is the holistic approach to the gospel in which God made all of life equally important.

Therefore, the next time someone says, "I was called into the ministry" or "I am in full-time Christian work," stop him or her and tell him or her we are all in full-time Christian work. There is no secular and religious in the economy of God. I have a dear friend who often says, "I am a servant of the living God masquerading as a dentist." So, too, are you first a servant of the living God.

AS FAR AS MINISTRY IS CONCERNED, WE ARE NOT IN THE MINISTRY, THE MINISTRY IS IN US.

Then exactly what are we called to do.

A proper self image comes from knowing who you are in Him, how much God loves you and from knowing your purpose in God. If you want to know your purpose, go in faith to the one who created you; knowing that if you seek Him, you will find Him.

If you want to know the purpose of a thing, you go to the creator to find out.

If you don't know the purpose of a thing, you will abuse that thing.

(If we do not understand our purpose, abuse occurs.)

Go to God to find out your purpose. Your purpose then will propel you into your destiny. As you realize what He has put in you, you will realize how important you are to the one who created the universe. A proper self image comes from knowing how much you mean to God and through agreeing with Him.

The Callings of God

You are called to have fellowship with His Son.

1Cor 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are called to walk in the light.

1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

You are called to live in peace. (2Co 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

You are called into the grace of God.

(Grace is the God given ability to do what he has purposed for us to do.)

You are called according to His purpose.

Rom 8:28-38 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. 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. 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.

You are called unto liberty.

Gal 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

You are called with a holy calling according to His purpose which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

2Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with a 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...

You are called out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light…

You were called to inherit a blessing.

1Pet 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

You were called to be a saint.

The hope of your calling is Jesus who lives in you. His glory is within you.

Eph 1:17-23

You are called into His Kingdom and Glory.

1Thess 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

You are called to be justified and glorified.

Rom 8:30 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.

You are called to be a vessel of mercy and grace.

Rom 9:23-24

You are called to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Just to name a few, there are many more.

JESUS, YESHUA HA'MASHIACH, IN THE 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

Jesus in the SIXTY-SIX BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

Consider the themes of the sixty-six books:

In Genesis, He is the Creator God.

In Exodus, He is the Redeemer.

In Leviticus, He is your sanctification.

In Numbers, He is your guide.

In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher.

In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror.

In Judges, He gives victory over enemies.

In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your redeemer.

In I Samuel, he is the root of Jesse;

In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David.

In 1 Kings and 2 Kings, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords

In 1st and 2nd Chronicles, He is your intercessor and High Priest.

In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship.

In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies.

In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies.

In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles,

but has the power to do something about them.

In Psalms, He is your song-and your reason to sing.

In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live

it successfully.

In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity.

In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon.

In Isaiah, He is the mighty counselor, the prince of peace, the

everlasting father, and more. In short, He's everything you need.

In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your

sin-sick soul.

In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one upon whom you can depend.

In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel-the one who

assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again.

In Daniel, He is the ancient of days, the everlasting God who never runs

out of time.

In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to come

back-even when you have abandoned Him.

In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble.

In Amos, He is the husbandman, the one you can depend on to stay by your

side.

In Obadiah, He is Lord of the Kingdom.

In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back within His will.

In Micah, He is judge of the nation.

In Nahum, He is the jealous God.

In Habakkuk, He is the Holy One.

In Zephaniah, He is the witness.

In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies

In Zechariah, He is Lord of Hosts.

In Malachi, He is the messenger God.

In Matthew, He is king of the Jews.

In Mark, He is the servant.

In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.

In John, He is the Son of God.

In Acts, He is Savior of the world.

In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.

In I Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel.

In II Corinthians, He is the triumphant one, giving victory.

In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free.

In Ephesians, He is head of the Church.

In Philippians, He is your joy.

In Colossians, He is your completeness.

In I Thessalonians, He is your hope.

In II Thessalonians, He is your patience and discipline.

In I Timothy, He is your faith.

In II Timothy, He is your stability.

In Titus, He is the truth.

In Philemon, He is your benefactor.

In Hebrews, He is your perfection.

In James, He is the power behind your faith.

In I Peter, He is your example.

In II Peter, He is your purity.

In I John, He is your life.

In II John, He is your pattern.

In III John, He is your motivation.

In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith.

In the Revelation, He is your coming King.

From the beginning of the world to its end, there is no place you can

look and not see Jesus. He is everywhere. He is everything. "He is

before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

(Colossians 1:17)

SPIRITUAL MATURITY

SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY

1. Having the Word in your heart and speaking it.

(Rom 10:6-8) But the righteousness of faith says this: "Do not say in your heart, Who shall ascend into Heaven?" that is, to bring Christ down; or "Who shall descend into the deep?"; that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. But what does it say? "The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart"; that is, the Word of Faith which we proclaim;

2 . Being a Doer of the Word

(Jas 1:23) For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror.

3. Grown up, now taking the meat of the Word

(1Co 3:2-3) I have fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not yet able to bear it; nor are you able even now. For you are yet carnal. For in that there is among you envyings and strife and divisions, are you not carnal, and do you not walk according to men?

4. Coming into the unity of the faith and Not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine

(Eph 4:13-14) And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit.

5. Being cleansed by the Word

(Eph 5:26) that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,

6. Being transformed into the image of Christ

(Rom 12:2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

7. Knowing who you are in Christ and who He is in you.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1 NIV).

8. Daily renewing the mind and being renewed in knowledge

"put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:10).

9. Speaking the truth in love

10. Knowing you are becoming better

You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you" (Colossians 3:10 NCV).

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete it" (Philippians 1:6).

THE GOD OF PEACE

"Rule In The Midst Of Your Enemies--Crush Satan With The Victory Of Peace!"

"There is a place of walking with God where you simply 'fear no evil.'"

True peace does not come from extreme indifference, nor does it originate from becoming so "spiritual" that you fail to notice the world around you. Peace is the fruit of being confident in God's love; it is born of the revelation that, regardless of the battle, "...greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). You are not self-assured, you are God-assured.

The God Of Peace Will Crush Satan

The apostle Paul taught, "The God of peace will soon crush satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). When we maintain peace during warfare, it is a crushing deathblow to satanic oppression and fear. Our victory never comes from our emotions or our intellect. Our victory comes by refusing to judge by what our eyes see or our ears hear and by trusting that what God has promised will come to pass.

When you truly have authority over something, you can look at that thing without worry, fear or intimidation. Your peace is the proof of your victory. Jesus' authority over the violent storm (see Matthew 8:23-27) was the exercise and expansion of His peace over the elements. He did not fight against the storm, nor did He fear it. He faced its fury and subdued it with His authority in perfect peace.

Wherever you have peace--you have victory. When the enemy hurls his darts against you, the more peace you have during adversity, the more truly you are walking in Christ's victory.

Paul tells us to be "...in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you" (Philipians 1:28). Your peace, your immovable stand upon the Word of God is a sign that you are positioned correctly in focused submission to the will of God. The very fact that you are "in no way alarmed" by your adversary is a sign that you have authority over him.

Peacemakers Are Sons Of God

Peace is spirit power. Peace is an attribute of the Holy Spirit, and when you are walking in peace, you are walking in power. A peacemaker is not merely someone who protests against war; he is one who is inwardly so yielded to Christ in spirit and purpose, that he can be called a son of God (see Matthew 5:9). Where he goes, God goes and where God goes, he goes. A peacemaker is fearless, calm and bold. Peace emanates from him the way light and heat radiate from fire.

In the 23rd Psalm, David declared, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me" (verse 4). There is a place of walking with God where you simply "fear no evil." During his lifetime, David faced many enemies including a lion, a bear and a giant. In this Psalm, he stood in the "shadow of death" itself, yet he feared no evil. David's trust was in the Lord. He said, "You are with me." Because God is with you, every adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God. David continued, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (verse 5). The battle you are in will soon become a meal to you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.

Rest precedes rule. Peace precedes power. Do not seek to rule over the enemy until you are submitting to God's rule over you. The focal point of all victory comes from seeking God until you find Him, and having found Him, allowing His presence to fill your spirit with His peace. From full assurance at His right hand, as you rest in His victory, so will you rule in the midst of your enemies.

LEGAL AND VITAL SIDE OF REDEMPTION

LEGAL SIDE (SPIRIT MAN)

(What God did in Christ for us, finished work)

New Creation

Mind of Christ

More than a Conqueror

Overcomer

Full salvation; sin, no dominion over us/Right to healing, prosperity, safety

Sons and daughters of God

Heirs of God

Joint heirs with Jesus Christ

Redeemed/Justified/

Made righteous

Free from guilt and condemnation

Partaker of His divine nature(love)

Authority given/Legal right to use His Name

Perfect fellowship with God

Destiny sealed

Ministers of reconciliation

Faith of God

Ability to speak the creative Word

VITAL SIDE( SOUL/BODY)

(What the Holy Spirit through the Word and the Power does in us daily, progressively)

Daily renewed in spirit; mind is renewed

Overcoming by the blood and the word of our testimony; not loving our lives to death

Being saved, sanctified in soul and body

Maturing into manifested sons of God, pure spotless

Prospering as soul prospers

By faith and obedience righteousness accounted to us

Walking in the Spirit, being led by the Spirit

Walking in love, love shed abroad in our hearts

Lay hands on sick, cast out demons, Word

Communion/intimacy, no veil

Being led by spirit, Word a light to pathway

Repairers of the breach, restoring,

Growing in faith, as Word is seeded in heart

Decree and Declare, see the establishment