DUST ON THE BIBLE

Have you been called?

1Peter 2:9 KJV But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

I was nine years old when I received "The Call" and then for forty one years I ran as hard and as fast as I could to escape my calling. At the age of fifty I found out why God is called "The Hound of Heaven." During those forty one years that I was running, I can recall seven occurrences that happened in my life where I was told no one should have survived what I went through and in two of the accidents the person with me didn't. I finally came to realize that I wasn't leading a charmed life. I wasn't just "lucky!" I was being protected by God because He had a calling on my life. My call to salvation came when I was nine during a three month stay at a home for delinquent boys. I had no understanding at the time what it all meant. I really didn't even know who God was but during the years that followed I slowly learned. It seems God was always working on me. Through my teenage years I was constantly in and out of boy's homes where Church on Sunday was mandatory and then there were house parents who would teach us the scriptures a couple of nights a week. I gained a lot of knowledge about God but resisted surrendering all to Him even though I knew in my heart He was calling me.

I am revealing this to you in hopes someone will read this who is trying to run from their calling. I, like a lot of people, believed I would have to give up my dreams and everything I wanted to do and go preach the Bible to everyone I met. This scared me to death as I was a shy young boy who had a difficult time even talking to someone I already knew. I was always attracted to people with stronger personalities than mine so I could kind of just stand in the background. I was very easily led astray willing to go along to please the people I was with.

As I neared my late forties I started to gain the understanding that what God wanted was for me to live my life. He wanted to be seen in me so that when He made those divine appointments for me I would be willing, when I felt the tug of the Holy Spirit, to share my faith with those He put in my path.

Surrendering your heart completely to the Lord is a very difficult thing to do for a carnal Christian but as I learned that is exactly what God wants if you are to answer your calling. A calling is doing what God wants you to do. It doesn't have to be as a pastor or religious icon of some kind, for He gives each of us a talent He wants us to use. There are many work place Christians today who make a great deal of difference to those around them. In fact, I believe Christians in the work place make more of a difference than many pastors in churches because of the number of people God puts in their path who see God in no other way because they don't attend a church or meet many Christians willing to share their faith.

With a "call" from God comes a talent you may not even know you have been given. In my case, I had no idea I could write until I finally surrendered to His will for my life. I have learned that each Christian makes up a part of the body of Christ. Each has a specific task and when each does what he has been called to do then Christ can be seen. The eyes cannot do what the ears need to do so that everything works in harmony. I cannot stand in a pulpit every Sunday and preach the word of God and I can not stand on a street corner and preach the word of God but I can write the words God gives me so as to glorify Him.

God does not call those best equipped to do His will --- He calls those who will give their hearts to Him and then equips them with the talent they need to fit into the body of Christ. There are many gifts of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul's teachings to the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12 speaks to us today with much wisdom.

<MARQUEE>1 Corinthians, Chapter 12</MARQUEE>

If you have been chosen it is now up to you to decide to resist or surrender. Resistance will bring a life of strife and discord until the "Hound of Heaven" brings you to your knees. Surrender brings a life of trials to teach and grow you so you can learn God's will for your life and He can give you the abundant life He promises. If you suffer for the cause of Christ consider it a privilege and honor because you will know that your' Lord and Saviour will be right there in the midst of your sufferings. He never allows us to go through anything alone.

Romans 8:18 KJV for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

I praise God for allowing the things in my life which brought me to my knees so I could learn of His marvelous love and grace. He is calling all those who have been chosen to use the talents He has given them so that Christ may be seen. As the battle heats up for the souls of man we know that Satan is doing all he can to take away the knowledge of Christ. Shouldn't we, who are called by His name, be doing all we can to bring the name of Jesus to all who will listen by using the talent He has given us. Our task is to use the talents we have been given so that others will see Christ through us.

If you have answered the calling God has put on your life then plant all the seeds you possibly can and know your reward awaits you with the coming of your Lord. If you have resisted your calling then now is the time to wake up to the fact that we have come to the end of the Church Age and your Lord is at the door. Will you continue to resist or will you open the door and invite Him in?

Bob Goulding ©

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