The High Calling

10/06/2008 Estreitta 0 Comments

I was inspired to go through some old mail this afternoon and I came across this message from Christ for the Nations, a Global Ministry my husband and I support.  I guess it was printed the in the first magazine Gordon and Freda Lindsay, founders of Christ for the Nations, published back in 1970
It is awesome that the same words written 30 yrs ago have the same impact, as if it was written today. 

==============


THE HIGH CALLING


Author - Unknown


If God has called you to be really like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put on you such demands of obedience, that he will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways he will seem to let other good people do things which he has not let you do.

Other Christians and Ministers who seem very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot  do it; and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure  and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.  Others can brag on themselves, on their work, on their success, on their writings, But the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it he will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them or i having luxuries, But God may supply you daily because He wants you to have something far better than gold, and that is a helpless defense on Him, that He may Have the privilege of providing your needs day by day out of the unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored, and put forward and keep you hid away in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His Coming Glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God will Let others be great, but keep you small.  He will let others do the work for Him, and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; And then to make your work still precious, He will  let others get the credit for the work you have done. and this will make your reward ten times great when Jesus comes.  The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do as he pleases with his own, and has a right to do as he pleases with His own,  and he will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in dealing with you.  God will take you at your Word; And if you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in jealous love, and let you settle it forever, that you deal directly with the Holy Spirit and that He is to have the privileged of tying your tongue or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes in ways that others are not dealt with.

Now when you are possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, please and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the entrance of heaven.

  
=====================


While typing this out I was reminded about the Word from the Lord that a minister spoke to me while at youth camp.  This minster didn't really know me or my name, or what it meant.  He spoke this Message from the Lord to a 13 year old Girl who was so open and ready to do what God called her to do.



What he said 20 years ago, are as real to me today as when he spoke them:


  
"The Lord says. I have called you to be a bright light in a big darkness.  I have called you out of the darkness to be a light for those to see and know me.  Those I have called you to, are those who feel inadequate or have insecurities, those who keep things hidden from the world but are hurting on the inside.  These things I will reveal to you. You are called to show them my love. You are bright light in a big darkness; I have designed you to be will be a beacon of my love."



 Knowing you are called to do something for the Lord has many challenges.  Since I received that word, I have diligently sought the Lord on how to fulfill what he has called me to. While at college, I felt the degree I sought was assisting me in the fulfillment of that Calling.  Now for the past few months I have been grappling with what this calling means, how to accomplish it, what are the means in which I will fulfill it.  I am always asking God, "WHEN God, When."


I have so many different dreams and goals that I have developed over the past 20 years.  When I envision them it's like they are as real today as they were when I dreamt them.  Some of the Dreams I have are:
  1. Opening up Christian Clubs
  2. Making documentaries of inner-city youth
  3. Developing movie scripts into movies
  4. Planning and coordinating City Wide Worship Services
  5. Training and Sending youth to do ministry in the heart of each major city
  6. Becoming a Christian Counselor
  7. Writing worship music
  8. Painting Spirit-led Art
  9. Doing Podcast on Marriage and Worship
  10. Ministering to Engaged and Married Couples
  11. Doing Voiceovers and jingles
  12. Writing a book about my experience with relationships and God (1/2 written)
  13. Become a foster parent
  14. Have 6 kids
  15. Adopt kids that are deemed "unadoptable"
  16. Minister to the homeless
  17. Talk to young women about protecting their hearts and virginity
  18. Praying for Revival in our country and world
  19. Have a production studio in my home to produce documentaries and podcasts

  I feel like God gave me these dreams along the way, and I think they are all achievable and some I have already started in some form or fashion.  I don't feel hopeless or anything, I just need God's direction.   









-----------------------
My Space Comments:
This was a big blessing to me today, Little Star. I've been in that boat of feeling now allowed to be/do what every other Christian is "allowed" to do, having to rely on His daily provision, never getting ahead. It's been frustrating and discouraging at times. It's tempting to want to be cut loose from the high calling. Go for the easier road. But we'd never be at peace, never have joy in that. We're not the type to settle - cuz settling always ends badly.
Posted by H. on Sunday, October 19, 2008 - 11:27 AM
===============
I'm so thankful that I read this in full today. I'd started it earlier, and today was the day to read it in completion. Thank you for typing out your thoughts and dreams and your questions to God. I feel I'm in a very similar place. You're doing the right things with your time, Estreitta-- whether or not it feels that way.
HUGS!
Posted by Ranny on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 12:45 PM

0 comments :