God calls for His service if we understand that we will be able to do more effective in our mission for the Lord.
How to identify God’s calling? Let see the following!
A. We must understand the types or levels of God’s calling. There are four types of God’s calling in our lives. They are
1. General call: Every calling start with this one. God calls for everyone to be holy, everyone to be saved, everyone to know Jesus Christ and everyone must walk in Truth. Isaiah was able to seen God in Holy Nature first. That is the first understanding of God. We are cleansed by His blood and become access to His second level of the highest call.
2. Heavenly call/ Highest call: when we respond to the general call saying oh Lord we are sinners and unclean in our spirit and look for His salvation with the convictions and confessions of sins, God leads us to the second level of His calling that is heavenly call. We are blessed with the blessings that are in the heavenly realm. God touched Isaiah with His heavenly unction. Without this heavenly unction of second level of His calling we cannot go further. We must experience the touch from Heaven that is His power of the Holy spirit only then we will be able to be bestowed with fruits and gifts of Holy Spirit for every good things come from above. We become His children and are able to call Him appa Father blessed with spirit of sonship.
3. Special call: As we walk with Him with the experience of heavenly blessings God choose few people to be very close to Him with the special dedication leaving their jobs, family and world. They choose to be with Him always with the special commitment. God choose to reveal them the special revelation and seecrts of His kingdom and conceds them with the keys of His kingdom. They are special day royal people of God, mostly the calling of Apostles. God had choosen Moses, Elijah and other prophets to be special in His sights. This is the stage of full dedication to God either individually or with family. The total surrender to God and His services. They walk with God, think with God and move with God for the next level. God trains them under training schools with proper leadership.
4. Specific Call: This is the fourth level of God’s calling. Everyone must come to this understanding before the end of our Christian life here on earth. Some called to be like Abraham to be a godly generation, some to be called like Nehemiah to build the wall, some to be like David to establish the nation so with NT God called some to be Apostles, some to be prophets, some to be teachers and shepherd and some to be evangelistic mission.
These four level one must go through to understand His call. We are generally with the Highest call to be special in His sight and finally move to specific Call. Please identify where are you now? Are you still not responding His general call? Are you still enjoying with His heavenly Call? Are you still spending more time with God enjoying? Or Are you walking in the fourth call that is the specific Call in your lives? Check and identify.
B. Secondly we must understand the purpose of God’s call. The major purpose of God’s calling is to be with Him, preaching and teaching of His kingdom with mighty wonders and deeds. It could be classified into to According to Jesus
1. To be with Him, to be like Him, to learn of Him, to get unction of His power with doing signs and wonders. To be clothed in His likeness.
2. To be witness for Him and to represent His kingdom. That’s what His grace, power, authority and gifts are
given and we are commissioned to go around the world.
For such reasons God is blessing us with His divine gifts and power. So thirdly
C. We must understand and identify our given gifts and skills of His call. God has bestowed upon us with lots of heavenly gifts as we walk close to Him.
- The gifts are different but giver is one and given with the one purpose. I Cor 12.
- Gifts are not given to boast but to serve God Rom 12.
- Gifts are given not to build our own Kingdom but to build His body. Eph 4
- Gifts are given to proclaim Hid majesty and goodness. I Petr 2.
We must study above biblical references and observe the gifts that God has given us. We must identify the gifts given to us in line with God’s purpose.
D. Fourthly we must know the postion or offices of God’s calling and try to fit where we ought to be. We must identify our gifts and try to fit in the following offices.
The major purpose of God’s given office.
1. To evangelise the globe with His gospel that is evangelistic mission. The office for this mission is given in Eph 4.
a. Apostle: He must decide where to send evangelists.
b. Prophets: He must warn and guide when to
c. Evangelist: They must preach the goodness under their leadership then there will be signs and wonders. Then Apostles to take over the follow up. That will be called church.
2. Secondly to edify the church. The line of this office is given in I Cor 12 and Eph 4.
a. Apostles; They must take over the church with the intial teachings and doctrines.
b. Prophets: must come and go to warn and guide them in realisation of their move in every aspect.
c. Shepherd: Church is handed over to pastors to express pastoral care, concern, correction and guidance.
d. Teachers: Mostly shepherd calling are accompanied by teaching call as well. Teaching and forming them as disciples and training them to obey and make them go into all the world with His gospel.
e. Evangelist: they are in the church serving because serving is the greatest attitude to perform wonders and miracles out side the Church.
Likewise God works through with these offices to spread His gospel and edify His church because the greatest purpose of all is to see Him in eternity. Therefore find out where do you fit in His offices.
These are the ways God has given us to identify His call in our ministries. May the Lord and His spirit with His words may teach us to understand His call in our mission.
God bless
Selin.