The wise man will simplify his life by going to the center of it. He will look well to the foundations and, having done that, he will not worry about the rest.

Life as we know it in our painfully intricate civilization can be deadly unless we learn to distinguish the things that matter from those that do not. It is never the major things that destroy us, but invariably the multitude of trifling things which are mistakenly thought to be of major importance.”

Romans 8:28

Calling. God’s calling. What is it and what does it mean to be called according to His purpose? And how what does it mean specifically in our lives as 21st century believers?

Let’s start by a general discussion and definition of “calling.” Calling is often thought of as something that only happens when a Christian “surrenders” to the “call” to the professional ministry. Ie. to be a pastor, missionary, etc. This is a cultural misunderstanding of the term. While it does apply to the offices within the Church (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher – Eph 4:11) it is by no means limited to them. It may be that no other misunderstanding of God’s Truth has so handicapped the work of Christ and held back the Kingdom of God in the Earth. The fact is that EVERY believer is “called” to full time ministry in the Church. (Church = The Body of Christ)

In this sense “calling is destiny.” We each have a destiny in God.

Each person is a unique design, specifically created to do very specific things that are intended to contribute to the completion of the wonderful Plan that God has had in His mind since before He created the Earth. (Eph 2:10) Every one of His children who respond to His offer of forgiveness and reconciliation in Jesus Christ is born again, not only to inherit eternal life with Him in heaven, but also to do meaningful and specific things in His Kingdom building on Earth. The true “calling” of God is to “Come, follow Me.” To follow Him in the work that He has set aside for each of us to do, to “run the race that is set before us. (Heb.12:1) Notice that He picks the race. He picks it and calls us to follow Him in it.

Life’s highest honor and definition of success is to obey and to fulfill His purpose and “calling.”

Life’s greatest challenge is to find that purpose and live it out faithfully.

Our greatest enemy is the Deceiver whose sole purpose in the life of a believer, since he can’t steal our salvation, is to obscure, deflect, discourage, or if possible, prevent our understanding God’s call and block the fruit that would be borne within it. Our call and the fruitfulness potential within it is only realized in the center of God’s will for us. This is at least true in the sense of maximum potential. God will use us even when we are not centered in His will but the fruit produced in any other place will never be all that it could be. That’s why the Deceiver works so hard to deflect us. If he can’t steal our salvation he will try to steal our fruit. And he will steal just as much as we allow him to, even causing some to end their race barren and beaten.

The Deceiver offers his distractions in many forms. He knows our weaknesses in our flesh and he plays on them incessantly. His offerings always appear to be attractive but they all have in common that they deflect us from God’s call and lead us on a different path. He often uses money, either the hope of getting some or the fear of loss of some.

God doesn’t make junk! He doesn’t make or design any person without specific purpose for that life. Each and every piece (life) is designed to fit perfectly into His Eternal Plan.

He gives perfect gifts, talents, abilities, and provides perfect training and preparation for each one to follow His calling and to participate in His plan.

He will provide every thing each of us needs to fulfill His plan and calling in our lives. He must or He is not the Sovereign God. God will meet every need of one living within His call.

His calling is always accomplished within His order, never contrary to His Word, and always produces His fruit.

Some characteristics regarding God’s calling:

1)      Finding and fulfilling it will require faith. (Heb 11:6) Finishing in it will require endurance.(Heb. 10:36)

2)      It will require sacrifice and may fly in the face of worldly wisdom or custom. (Phil. 1:28,29 -  I Cor.1:26) It is very possible that following God in His calling will not be the most financially rewarding thing that we could do. It very well might mean that others will not appreciate us or what we do. We will be asked to walk by faith and not by sight. (Habakkuk 2:4)

3)      No matter how it may appear to the flesh or the world, it is in the center of God’s will and in fulfilling His call that the highest fulfillment in life, the greatest peace, joy, and purpose are found. (I Peter 1:1-7)

4)      Our commitment to God’s calling will always be tested by adversity. Often it will be challenged to the very point of breaking, the point where there is nothing left to hold on to except the knowledge that God has called and is able. (I Peter 5:8,9 – 4:19) There is a storeroom in Heaven where the forfeited rewards lost to those who have been deterred from pressing in to God’s calling rest, wasted to them forever, waiting to be passed to those who have faithfully persevered. (Matt 25:28,29)

5)      God desperately wants us to know His will and in it to fulfill His calling! He does not play games with us or try to confuse us. When confusion comes it is not from God. (I Cor.14:33 – Romans 12:1,2 – II Chron. 16:9)

6)      Once we know our calling we can’t not do it and have peace. (James 4:17) Sin destroys peace.

Are you “called?”

If you aren’t sure you are called, at least not yet, pray and fast if necessary but waste no more time. Do what you have to do to get on God’s agenda and stay there. Here, there, or anywhere. Just get there for your sake and for the Kingdom!

You give the first 10th or more of you gross income away for Christ’s Kingdom

You have a daily “quiet time or have read the Bible every day for 5 years or more.

You have ever shared your faith with a stranger. Even more with a friend.

You have not done something that you really wanted to do simply because Jesus said “Don’t do it.”

You believe that the gifts of God’s Spirit still work.

You believe in miracles and look for them.

You’re starting to think that heaven might be actually better than earth.

You would rather have the approval of God than man.

You think that ministry is your job and your pastor’s is to teach you how to do it.

You know that God is the source of all you have and that you’re a steward of all of it.

You believe that you can’t separate your faith from your public life.

You know that abortion is murder and marriage is between one man and one woman.

You have enough “stuff.”

You know and accept that you are in the minority in the church and don’t really care.

You are willing to call sin sin and not mistakes or bad choices.

If you’r a radical, rejoice! If not, repent!

The evil one has implanted such distortion in our perception of reality! We need to step back and refocus, rethink, and in many of our lives redirect our energy.

One step in that process might be to spend some time learning about our true home, heaven. If you resonate with the brief introductory challenge you might well find the following outline helpful and actually very exciting. The more we learn of what our real home is truly like the less we will feel the need to hang on to this sin-scarred place. For your eternal blessing:

Heaven

What is heaven like?

Physically –

1. Beautiful beyond imagination – 1 Corinth. 2:9 – Rev. 21-22
2. A place where our home will be – John 14:2
3. A place with no night or day, lighted by the presence of God and Jesus – Rev.21:23

Emotionally – What won’t be there?

1. Hunger or thirst – Rev.7:16,17
2. Tears – Rev 21:4 – What causes tears?
3. Death – Rev 21:4 – What causes death?
4. Sorrow – Rev21:4 – What causes sorrow?
5. Crying – Rev 21:4 – What causes crying?
6. Pain – Rev 21:4 – What causes Pain? (3 kinds of pain – Physical. Emotional. Spiritual.)
7. Curse – Rev 22:3 – no more curse – What are the effects of the “Curse” – (Gen. 3:15-24)

Relationally – If all of the above is true, and all those things and all that causes them are gone, what kind of relationships will exist in heaven? What things hinder or hurt relationships on earth as we experience this temporary physical experience?

1. selfish agendas
2. love with strings
3. jealousy, envy
4. manipulation
5. bitterness
6. dishonesty
7. unforgiveness
8. disappointment
9. comparison, competition

What would a perfect relationship be like?

1. no strings
2. no hang-ups
3. no jealousy
4. no competition or comparison
5. total acceptance
6. total transparency
7. no hidden or selfish agenda
8. other…

In heaven we will have nothing less than or other than perfect relationships. Not only that, there won’t even be the possibility of any thing that hurts!!! How much time and effort do we spend now in trying to protect ourselves against those things that hurt?!!!!!

Who will we relate to/with in Heaven?

1. God, our Father, Jesus our Savior, The holy Spirit, the angels, the Saints who are our brothers and sisters – Our ultimate family!

What will I be like in Heaven?

1. I John 3:2
2. Luke 24:16 & 36-43
3. John 20:16 – John 20:27
4. Luke 16_19-31
5. I Cornith. 15:35-49

God created us to be human. Why would He save us to be something totally different? We will be a new and changed us, not a different kind of us. A new car is still a car.

What will we do in Heaven?

1. a. We will reign with Jesus – II Timothy 2:12 – Rev 3:21 – (reign – The exercise of sovereign power)
2. We will rule over “many things” – Matthew 25:14-21,23 (rule –

1. to exercise control, dominion, or direction over, to govern)

2. governing power or its possession or use; authority

3. to dominate by powerful influence

4. to decide or declare judicially or authoritatively; decree

5. to be in total control or command, exercise supreme authority.)

1. c. We will “have authority” over cities.” Luke 19:17-19 (authority – the power to enforce laws, exact obedience command, determine or judge; power assigned by another, authorization)
2. d. We will serve Jesus – Rev 7:15 – Rev 22:3 (serve –
   1. 1. To work for
   2. 2. To be a servant to
   3. 3. To give homage and obedience
   4. 4. To be employed as a servant
   5. 5. To act in a particular capacity
   6. 6. To meet requirements or needs

What about rewards? Are there rewards in Heaven?

1. Matt.6:1-19 – Matt 10:41,42 – Matt 19:21
2. Hebrews 11:6
3. Luke 14:12-14 –12:33 – 18:22 – 6:21-23
4. John 6:27
5. Mark 9:41 – 10:21

What are rewards? Define: Something earned or attained by or for specific performance, behavior, actions.

The law of rewards: Our faith determines our eternal destination. Our behavior determines our eternal rewards.

Works = what we have done with our resources (time, energy, money, possessions, reputation, etc.).

What determines rewards? The “Bema” judgment of “works.” “Things done in the Body”

1. Matt. 16:27, Luke 12:48
2. John 5:28,29
3. Matt 7:24-26
4. Rev 20:22-15
5. II Corinth. 5:10
6. Romans 14:12
7. Matt 12:36
8. I Corinth 3:11-15
9. John 15:1-8

What is “fruit?” Eternal fruit = Lives turned toward God Fruit is the result of “good works.”

What does God say about works?

1. Titus 1:15,16 – 2:7 – 2:14 – 3:14
2. Matt 5:16
3. Ephesians 2:10
4. I Timothy 2:10 – 6:18,19
5. II Thessalonians 2:16,17
6. Rev. 14:13 – Rev 2:2 Rev 2:23 Rev 19:7,8
7. II Peter 1:10,11
8. II Timothy 3:16,17 – I Timothy 5:254

How then shall we live? Our answers will demonstrate our true values and create the basis for our eternal experience.

Think friends, please think!

First the macro. These are indeed difficult times and many of us are yearning for the return of the good times of the recent past. In this we are like the children of Israel who longed to return to Egypt. Egypt in the Bible represents the world and its strength and prosperity. Our ancestors had a very consistent record of turning to idolatry after a season of the Lord’s blessing and also first looking to Egypt for help when He brought chastisement on them for their sin. They cycled through this process multiple times.

Again, in the macro view I believe that this is a picture of our national situation. We aren’t Israel, but our nation was surely founded on the principles of God and intended to honor Him and to encourage us to live according to His ways. In many ways this commitment brought His blessings to our nation. As a nation we have been challenged in our understanding and application of this concept over the years but until just after He delivered us from evil attack
at the end of WWII we stood pretty true. The late 50s and 60s ushered in a season of rebellion and resistance to all authority including God, and to the worship of a materialistic, hedonistic form of life,basically idolatry, which has grown steadily to this day, leavening even our church culture.

I believe that, in the manner of our spiritual forefathers Israel when they sinned and turned from God, we are now in a time of chastening as a nation. Chastening always increases in intensity with the purpose of leading God’s people to repentance and restoration. God will not relent and the severity will increase until repentance is manifest. If and when true repentance comes God’s blessing is restored, but not before or until. In the Old Testament this most often came as a result of a prophet calling out leadership. (We are presently in a season where we are short of both!)

I’m sure that there were many in Israel who were not directly involved in the national sin but just sort of lukewarm as the nation slid down the slippery slope of turning from God to idols, but when the hammer fell, they were punished along with the worst offenders. As an example, although they weren’t guilty at all of the sin of the majority, Joshua and Caleb marched in the desert with all the rest for 40 years until the generation that sinned died off. There are always sinners and always a remnant, but there is also a “tipping point” with  God it seems. There comes a time where He says “Enough!” I believe that we are near or at that point right now.

Personally I believe that those hoping for a quick return to our recent past prosperity are going to be very disappointed as, in my opinion, things are likely to get worse, maybe much worse, before they can get better. The macro view can be discouraging, even depressing.

That’s why I praise God for the micro view. “I will always have all I need to do all God asks.” Each individual who responds in obedience to the call of God is taken under His wings in a way that the material world or the flesh will never know or understand. Each of us has been identified and called out by God to walk with Him and extend His Kingdom. As such the promise of constant supply is ours. Our area of influence is the marketplace. It is a critically important niche at this point of history. Business is the language of the world, perhaps the most universal form of communication since
Babel. If our country and our world is to be led in a turn from idolatry it will never happen apart from our niche and, it is very possible, if not likely, that it will lead it. Each of us has been given a holy work to do in His Kingdom and actually selected for such a time as this and equipped by God for the work from “before the foundation of the earth.” We are truly called to our role in the marketplace. May we walk worthy of our calling.

Two more points; Of course it is hard. It always has been. It’s not nearly as hard for us as it is for most of our brothers and sisters in the world, but it is hard in comparison to the spoiled life that we recently had, and had come to think that we deserve. Yes, it’s hard,but no one is dieing here, no one is starving, or tortured, or really persecuted – yet.

We are called not to a life of ease and pleasure but to a life of sacrifice and obedience that is centered in our service to others while being conformed to the image of our King as we walk His narrow path with Him.

Our associates are suffering under the pressure of the prolonged economic recession and the uncertainty of the ever-changing globalization process . Many of them are hurting and fearful because of the loss of, or threat to, idols such as personal wealth, reputation and financial security. So are some of us. Some of them will quit and run for Egypt.
Of course they will, they always have. Will we? Should we cry to our Father for a return to Egypt? Or should we expect to be exempted from the trials that those we are called to serve endure? I say NO! We are called to lead in faith under trial and in perseverance through adversity. How can we model these qualities to them and truly lead them if we are unwilling to be example to them? We are called to remind them that “God works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose” and show them what that looks like applied by faith to real life. Our light shines brightest in adversity. Ours is a role that is true leadership, Christ-like, servant leadership. It is our destiny.

You will note that there is a question mark after the word ”Encouragement” in the subject line above. These words are surely not the “feel-good” fluff and “I’m OK, you’re OK” babble that many mistake for encouragement in our day, but they are reality. Our God, His call, and our life in Jesus Christ and His in us are reality. Eternal life and the rewards God has promised to His faithful servants are reality. His sovereign supply to do all He asks is reality. The cross and the
narrow path are reality and they guard the way to the joy of our Lord.

I pray that reality may bring refreshment to remind and to renew. May the joy of our Lord be our strength! Press on!

For the King our God and for the Lamb! Forever!

First, the style of music that is dominant in the “seeker” or “emergent” churches; was it developed in the church and taken into the world, or was it developed in the world and brought into the church? You know what I mean; the driving drum beat, amplified guitars, strutting “praise leaders”, music so loud that you can’t hear the person next to you singing repeated over and over and over and louder each time? Where did all that come from?

Second, the dress that we see most common in the churches today, you know, pastors in jeans with jelled hair, and their shirts unbuttoned, women and teeny-boppers with all they have out for all to see etc., was that developed in the church and adopted by the world, or is it the other way around?

And, as we watch church attendance decline, and see out nation sliding further and further into amoral “whatever”-  my question is “how’s it workin’ for ya?”  Think we’re OK? Headed in the right direction?

Do you really think that the way to win the world is to bring it into the church? Really?