“Then Jesus wept.” – John 11:35. This verse illustrates the heart of compassion and indeed sadness that Jesus felt on some occasions. There are some occasions that the Lord allows His people to feel His emotions about a situation like Paul did here: Acts 17:16 “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.” Paul was grieved in his spirit when he saw such an incredible level of idolatry. I say this because it is one thing to receive a word from the Lord, but it is another thing for that word to be accompanied with the emotion of God as well.
When the Lord revealed that He is releasing a “Final Call” to believers it shook me to the core. I felt a sadness, heaviness and seriousness I have never felt accompany any word from the Lord. Therefore, it is with a sober mind and heavy heart that I share this word. “Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow to start God’s work and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” – Luke 9:62. If we have ever made a commitment to the call of God – it is time to honour that commitment, without looking in the rear view mirror any longer. The hard to believe reality is that the window of grace to truly choose His will for our lives is closing. This will come as a shock to believers, so it is important to clarify from the start that this is not talking about salvation.
The focus here is the specific God given purpose and reason God put us on earth in the first place. Salvation is only the beginning of our journey with God and if His best and only plan for us was Heaven, He would take us home the minute we are born again. However, God has plans and purposes for us in this life and one day we will have to give an account of our lives and whether we completed our God given assignment. 2 Timothy 1:9 “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our own works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time.”
For most believers the mere thought that God would draw a line in the sand and release a “Final Call” would be unthinkable. However, it is a pattern throughout scripture that very few want to consider, lest they find out the truth that it is part of God’s ways. This will be shown here, as believers will need to see the scriptural principle and precedence for this in order to fully realize just how serious this is. Some believers are in for a huge shock at what scripture actually says regarding this issue.
God is a God of grace, mercy and patience, but throughout scripture we see lines drawn by God and windows of grace closed. Those who argue with this will have a hard time explaining how the entire known world perished at Noah’s flood and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. That is only 2 clear examples. People will contest “they were wicked unbelievers.” Then how does a believer explain how a whole generation of God’s chosen people the Israelites died in the desert and how King Saul had his kingship removed and lost his life. These will be looked at closely as they are in scripture for our benefit and their downfall was primarily due to disobedience to the call of God.
NO MORE GAMES – DISCERNING THE TIMES & SEASONS
We are in a New Era where we will see the glory of God and greater works Jesus promised in John 14:12. The Body of Christ is going to rise to prominence around the world like we have never seen, akin to Joseph and his global impact. The Body of Christ will not remain irrelevant and mocked forever, we serve a victorious risen Saviour who has won the battle. This “Final Call” is one of the final pieces of God’s Kingdom jigsaw, so that the army of prepared believers are ready to “Arise and Shine for our light has come” – Isaiah 60:1. So we are not in an Era of doom and gloom but the seriousness of this message will appear so heavy and serious that it will seem doom and gloom.
However, it is only doom and gloom for those who reject the call of God for their lives, like King Saul did. 1 Chronicles 12:32 “The Sons of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times and seasons , and knew what Israel ought to do.” Many believers have not discerned this time and season we have been in. The global pandemic has brought panic and confusion and many within the body of Christ have strived to return to the old normality. Somehow there are others who still think it is “business as usual” instead of discerning this was the most important period to get our lives ready before God.
The world as we know it has changed and will never return to normality. This is not only because of a global pandemic, but God’s bigger plans for man. This is an “Epoch” moment in history, a before and after moment of mankind and believers have no idea just how much the world is about to shift. Believers needed to discern this many months ago, as the time to prepare and get oil in our lamps to align ourselves with God correctly is so short. God means business, the time of playing games and man’s methods of Christianity is over. The urgency of the hour we live in requires serious and drastic action to ensure we are prepared.
DOES IT MATTER IF I MISS MY CALLING? – PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
Matthew 25:24-25 “He who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours. But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.” This parable is one of the most significant of our time. This parable shows us that Jesus expects a return on what He has given to each one of us. Those who do nothing with it, He calls “wicked and slothful”. This is not talking about unbelievers. God has put specific gifts and talents within each of us and He fully expects us to use them for His glory.
Romans 11:29 “God never changes His mind when He gives gifts or when He calls someone.” Each person has unique gifts and talents – why? Each person has a unique calling and purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans I have for you”. Despite such scriptures, there is a perspective that some have that God does not have a specific purpose or plan for each believer. This goes totally against all scripture, as from Genesis to Revelation God has specific callings and purposes for each person. That view is simply an easy opt-out for a believer from having to seek God’s will and plan for their life and gives them licence to live as they please.
That will not be accepted when we stand before God to give an account of our lives. This will be fully established when we look at the Judgement Seat of Christ, which has nothing to do with sin or salvation, but rewards based on our obedience to God’s specific call. Hebrews 12:1 “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” God has a specific plan and life journey for each of us. Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s high calling in Christ Jesus.” Paul encourages us to press on to the high calling – this is because it does not automatically happen.
Out of hunger we need to seek God for His plans for us. Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and confirm what God’s will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.” If we allow God to renew our minds we will be able to discover and confirm God’s perfect will for our lives. Therefore, scripture is clear that God’s calling is not only important, but can also be discovered and fulfilled, but only if we seek Him. We will see several examples of just how costly it is to disobey the call of God in our lives.
JONAH RUNS FROM GOD’S CALL – NO MORE RESCUE TEAMS
Jonah 1:2-3 “The Lord said to Jonah: Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are. But Jonah got up and ran in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He bought a ticket and went on board the ship, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.” Jonah is one of the clearest examples of running from the call of God. There are many reasons we can find to disobey the call of God and run from His divine purpose for our life. In Jonah’s case, he felt it was an unjust calling for him to preach to Nineveh, so that God would grant the “wicked people” repentance.
What the Lord spoke through the story of Jonah was this: “The time is coming when there will be no rescue teams sent to rescue those disobedient to the call of God”. This is a serious warning for this generation. If Jonah had not been rescued by a whale, his life would have been over and he would have missed the call of God for his life. God in His grace supernaturally rescued him. There is coming a time where believers will be allowed to follow Jonah in running in the opposite direction to God. However, God will not force them to come back or send a rescue team to stop them missing it. Please note the potential consequences of Jonah’s disobedience – the whole town of Nineveh would have perished for their wickedness.
Jonah’s disobedience would have led to a whole town going to hell – please keep this in mind as the consequences of our disobedience, is why our callings are so important. If believers deliberately choose to jump on a ship that is sailing in the opposite direction to God’s calling – they need to be ready for the consequences of the storm they will face for being out of God’s will as we see here. It is important to remember that God allowed Adam & Evil to choose to disobey and the consequences were eternal and impacted all of mankind. So the bible is perfectly clear that there can be catastrophic consequences for disobeying God. This is a serious warning to believers that we must take the call of God seriously or we may miss our destiny in this life completely.
RICH YOUNG RULER – CALL OF GOD WAS TOO BIG A SACRIFICE
Some of us have been asked hard things by the Lord in order to fulfil our destiny. Luke 18:22 “When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.” The Rich Young Ruler was asked by Jesus to sell all he had and follow Him. Please note again how specific the call of God is for each believer. This Ruler was not simply told “come and follow me”, like the other disciples.
He was specifically told to sell all and then follow Jesus. Jesus knew that money held this man more than God did. So God reached for the one hindrance to this mans destiny – his love of money. We all have that one thing we would struggle to let go of to fulfil God’s will for our lives. This is the season to let go of the hindrances and fully commit to God’s call. Similar to this man – Jesus will allow us to walk away with our “things” or personal idols that prevent God truly using us. Total and complete surrender is the only hope here. Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said His to disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
NO TIME FOR GOD’S CALL – THEY ALL BEGAN MAKING EXCUSES
Luke 4:18 “But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.” The season of excuses is truly past. The Final Call is going out and there is no reasons that will be accepted for us rejecting the call of God. Whatever, our alleged personal hindrances or life’s demands – if we truly surrender God will make a way for us. God is not unjust, He will not call us to a task that He has not already made provision for. That is the reason we are so accountable because He has already made provision for us.
If we think rejecting God’s invitation always leads to a second chance then the end of this parable corrects that perspective, Luke 14:24 “I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” This further proves that there are some things in the Kingdom of God that are time sensitive. Moses said this to God in Exodus 4:12-13 “The Lord said to Moses: Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say. But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses.”
Even Moses was reluctant and felt inadequate for the call of God. The Lord was displeased with Moses because he did not trust God to equip him for the calling. As we all know, Moses later said yes and yielded his shortcomings to the Lord and was used as mightily as anyone in history. We should all know that God qualifies the called and does not call the qualified. So no believer has any excuse or get out clause. No matter how big or small the call of God may appear we must be faithful to fulfil it. This is how the religious people of Jesus’ time responded to God’s plan for them: Luke 7:30 “The Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.”
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MISSED THEIR FINAL CALL
The children of Israel are well known for their disobedience and rebellion against God. However, here we will look specifically at their rebellion against God’s call and the grave consequences. As we know the 12 spies went out to spy the Promised Land and were to enter it. But 10 brought a bad report and refused to believe God. This was God’s response Numbers 14:30 “Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” A whole generation missed the call of God to the Promised Land due to disobedience.
Incredibly the story does not end there. Despite the Lord telling them they had missed their “Final Call” to their purpose in the Promised Land – a group of them thought they could ignore this Final Call. They thought they could just enter the Promised Land anyway after they had disobeyed the call of God. Look what happens here. Numbers 14:40 “Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the LORD promised. Surely we have sinned! But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the LORD’s command? This will not succeed!“
Moses knew they had already missed their “Final Call” to Destiny so tried to warn them and look at the consequences verse 45: “Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived there attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hormah.” This is one of the most serious warnings in the entire word of God. This proves that the call of God can be time sensitive as the Lord burned on my heart about this current window. The children of Israel found out to their cost that once that window shuts – it is shut.
Some of them died because they presumed there was no such thing as a “Final Call” from God and that they could just go to the Promised Land anyway. Believers would do well to heed this warning and not take any chances about obeying the call of God in this window. Any believer who still thinks that God does not issue “Final Calls” should carefully study the serious judgments on the children of Israel and this section of their presumption. The Lord gives this stern warning about refusing His call: Zechariah 7:13 “Therefore just as I called them and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.”
ESAU – HATED BY GOD FOR REJECTING HIS CALLING AND BIRTHRIGHT
Romans 9:13 “So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” We may wonder why God would use such strong language over Esau. This is because Esau despised his birth-right or his calling as first born child. Hebrews 12:16 “Make sure that no one is immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. You know how he later wanted it back. But it was too late for him to change things, even though he begged his father and cried.”
Esau exchanged his God-given inheritance and calling for a bowl of soup. Esau did not realize that this foolish act or negligence of his God-given calling, made him cross a line of no return. This illustrates just how displeased God is with those who do not prioritize the call of God in their lives. This is another scriptural example of how the call of God can be time sensitive and for Esau it was too late. Proverbs 1:24 “I called you so often, but you refused to come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.”
KING SAUL – LOST CALL OF GOD & SALVATION
While this is not about salvation, it is important to remember the grave example of King Saul. He lost everything because he disobeyed the commands of God which were part of his calling as King. 1 Samuel 15: 26 “But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!” Saul was rejected by God, lost his kingly calling and committed suicide. It is unlikely any believer can present a legitimate case for Saul being in Heaven. Therefore, it is a serious consideration that neglecting the call of God can have eternal consequences.
By exploring parts of the life of Saul we can learn so much regarding the significance of the call of God. We may think it was extreme or even harsh consequences for Saul – but the consequences for Israel would have been captivity to their enemy. 1 Samuel 15:10-11 “Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” What a desperately sad indictment that the Lord regretted making Saul King.
Most believers do not realize how important God sees our specific calling, the consequences of Saul’s disobedience should rectify that. So here is the reality of why Saul lost everything – disobedience to the call of God. 1 Chronicles 10:13 “So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD’s command.” His disobedience would have left Israel barren and subject to their wicked enemy, the Philistines, when he had been anointed to free them. This is why David had to be anointed to replace him as God still had a significant calling to be fulfilled.
So if any of us want to realize how important our calls are – think of the consequences of your personal disobedience. When a believer rejects the call of God – souls will miss salvation and go to Hell. Now depending on the magnitude of your calling that could be millions of people. John G Lake, David Livingstone and Reinhard Bonnke were used by God to see millions saved. Now imagine they had all rejected the call of God – millions could have been lost for eternity.
No matter how big or small we may think our calling is, there is a purpose that only we can fulfil and souls are linked to it. Our “No” to God matters as there is a spiritual domino effect of a believer rejecting God’s call like Saul did. Ezekiel tells us of the serious accountability that our lives have: Ezekiel 3:18 “If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his sin, and I will hold you responsible for his blood.”
GRACE FOR OUR CALLING – DECLINE OUTSIDE OF GOD’S WILL
Believers must realize a vital biblical principle in this time. There is a specific grace God gives each of us to fulfil our calling. Through years of preparation it builds up in the secret place. For example King David was prepared for Goliath by defeating the bear and the lion. Joseph was prepared for ruling in Egypt by being an excellent steward in the prison and Potiphar’s house. If a believer is in the perfect will of God, they will receive all the grace required to succeed. This does not mean there are no challenges or opposition. However, God’s grace covers and sustains us. Paul was in prison, shipwrecked and beaten, yet he was in God’s perfect will for his life. He had the grace to persevere and could say “His grace is sufficient for me” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 and “I count it all as loss.” – Philippians 3:8.
Whereas, if a believer chooses to go outside of God’s will and purpose, look at the disastrous consequences of King Saul – 2 Samuel 7:15 “But My loving devotion and mercy will never depart from David as I removed it from Saul, whom I moved out of your way.” Saul did not even know God had left him. This is how dangerous it is to live outside of God’s calling grace. A believer becomes open to the enemy and even God’s hand was lifted from Saul. I do not believe any believer wants to find out how that feels. There is a serious risk of finding ourselves victims of tough circumstances, if we choose to live outside God’s will.
God has tried to get the attention of some believers for years and prepare them for their high calling. Opportunity after opportunity, but they refuse to yield to the process of preparation and like the Rich Young Ruler refused to make the sacrifices. Now He will give believers their free will choice – the lower calling and standard Christian life with minimal fruit and no reward. 2 Timothy 2:20 “In a large house there are vessels not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are vessels of honor for special purposes and some for common use.” God’s desire is for us to be vessels of honor that are used powerfully by God, but if we do not surrender we will have to settle for being for “common use.”
Some who miss this window and end up outside of God’s plan for them will begin to experience an almost unnoticeable decline. All of a sudden the dreams and visions they had no longer excite or interest them. They slowly begin to settle for mediocrity. The deep things of God no longer appeal to them. The comfort of TV and hobbies are more appealing than the word of God. Suddenly Christian basics such as His word, the gathering of the saints and prayer become hard and apathy sets in. Worse still they begin to resent and be jealous of those who do get used by God. Next sin creeps in and before you know it they are questioning their faith. This is the slippery slope believers risk in this critical time. Dear believer if your heart is not right and you are not serious about the call of God, this can easily happen.
It is a time to do what the disciples did – drop everything to follow the call of God. Does this mean we all quit our jobs and run into ministry – certainly not. We are not all called to ministry in the first place. However, it is a time to put aside all distractions and commit our lives to whatever the call of God is. For some this is the final window, if they miss it, that’s it. They will remain in a place of “their personal will be done” instead of God’s will and plan being done. Does remaining in our current path instead of God’s call mean we live evil or bad lives? No. However, it does mean we will never have true fulfilment in this life, have the impact God wants us to have and importantly, have no rewards when we reach Heaven.
ESTHER – RESPONDED TO HER “FINAL CALL”
The life of Esther demonstrates the serious time sensitive nature of the call of God and the potential consequences of disobedience. Esther received her first call to destiny here: Esther 4:9 “Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.” Esther refused this first call. Then Mordecai sent her the “Final Call” here: Esther 4:14 “If you remain silent at this time, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were called to the Kingdom for just such a time as this?” It is important to closely examine the magnitude of what is going on here as everything God is saying is in that one verse.
Haman had released a decree that would annihilate all the Jews – this would mean the lineage of Christ would be affected. This shows the unimaginable consequences if Esther disobeyed the call of God. Esther had been raised up specifically to stop this evil plan as Mordecai said. However, Esther did not recognize the magnitude of her calling and the severe personal consequences awaiting her if she disobeyed. So Mordecai explained to her that God would replace her, as the plan of God to deliver Israel must be fulfilled. In addition, he gave a clear warning that Esther and her family would die. Not only would the call of God be cut short, but her and her family would die. It is important we let that sink in.
Through Mordecai, Esther received her “Final Call” to Destiny. Please note this key part “If you remain silent at this time” – the clear time sensitive nature of Esther’s calling. So if any believer still holds to a belief that God does not issue “Final Calls” they need to realize it is not a scriptural belief and has been proven without doubt with several scriptures. In this window those who run in the opposite direction like Jonah will not be rescued. Those who reject the Final Call like Esther received, will miss their destiny and those who disobey God’s call like Saul may loose everything. It could not be clearer or more serious than that. Proverbs further emphasizes this biblical principle of being repeatedly corrected and warned of the Lord and then your chance suddenly ends. Proverbs 29:1 “He who hardens his heart after being often corrected – will soon be cut off and that without remedy.”
JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST – REWARDS FOR OBEDIENCE TO GODS CALL
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Every believer will have to stand before God one day to give an account of their lives on earth. As previously stated this is nothing to do with sin or salvation, it is all about being rewarded if we have been faithful to God’s call. 1 Corinthians 3:12 “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
The “quality test” is whether it is according to God’s will for our lives and what He had prepared before we were even created. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We can all find a path in life that we see as “good” but unless it is God’s will – it will not be rewarded fully. The test is whether it is in line with God’s specific will and purpose for our lives. King Saul lost his entire kingdom because he did a religious act of sacrificing to God. Today we would class that as a “good work”. Look what God thought of it: 1 Samuel 15:22 “But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and following instructions is better than offering the fat of rams.” We can be certain that Saul received no reward for that normally good religious act.
There is much more to this, but at the Lord’s guidance this will be made so clear that no believer can miss it. Imagine a contractor is hired to build a shop and they build a swimming pool instead. Can they really expect to be rewarded or their work accepted when it is finally inspected? Certainly not. Or if someone was called by God to be a business man to fund the gospel to reach millions but they choose to be a missionary instead and have virtually no impact – will they be rewarded? No. In simple terms that is exactly what the Judgement Seat is all about. There is kingdom work that God has called each of us to do and given us talents to accomplish it. If we choose to do our own work instead it will be burnt up on that Day.
Here is a question for every believer, so that they know where they stand in view of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Do you know your calling and purpose? The majority of believers do not know their God-given purpose. Here is the huge problem with that – if you do not know your purpose – how then can you fulfil it? It is not done by accident and we are even told this: Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be foolish, but discover and know what the Lord’s will is.” So we all have a responsibility to find this out, if we do not we loose out on God’s calling and rewards. As the Judgement Seat of Christ tells us – we can only be rewarded for doing the will of God and what He called us to do – not our own plans and agenda. This should ensure every believer presses into to find the will of God and walk in it. Or all we can expect is to have our works burnt up on Judgement Day, that is the sad reality.
MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE – IN THE SECRET PLACE
2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” The scripture tells us to make every effort to make our calling sure, as it is possible to be not sure, like many believers today. Those who do not respond to this call are rolling the dice with their spiritual destiny. This word will be a hard realisation for some believers about the importance of the call of God and how there are clear Final Calls in scripture. However, it is part of Gods ways and it is vital we leave behind old beliefs and embrace God’s ways.
The only way to make our calling secure is in the secret place with the Lord. Now more than ever believers must prioritize time with the Lord and to seek Him for clarity on their specific calling. Allowing the “cares of this world” or indeed anything to distract us in this season could mean the difference between fulfilling destiny or not. The phrase “Now or Never” is too easily used, but it applies now more than ever for some believers. That is how serious this moment is.
I earnestly pray that no believer chooses to test God on whether this is really the “Final Call” for their destiny and instead seeks the face of God like never before to make their calling and election sure. This truly is an Esther moment that if a believer misses – the door to destiny could be permanently shut. The Lord has released a Final Call in the Spirit and it is up to each believer whether they respond or not. The seriousness of this word cannot be conveyed fully by words, so I pray the Holy Spirit will speak to the hearts of believers. Therefore, I simply end with this: Revelation 2:29 “Whoever who has ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Author
His divine empowerment knows no end, regardless of the opinions of others.
Dear Thomas Harry and Joan Adcox,
I owe you two a debt of gratitude.
If you had not shared this word, Thomas, and you had not shared that testimony, Joan, I am convinced that I would have, in all probability, missed out on my final call and forfeited my spiritual destiny.
In a sense, reading this word was my “Esther” moment, and you, Thomas, were my Mordecai. And when I read the testimony you shared, Joan, I had this inner knowing that if I would not step up to do what I believed the Lord was calling me to do, yet which I was petrified of doing, just like the woman in your testimony, I would be haunted by it for the rest of my life.
Going through with the Lord’s desire was going to cost me, and probably dearly so, yet not yielding to His desire was also going to cost me . . . much, much more. I didn’t want to pay the cost either way. For days and nights, I wrestled within trying to find a way to do the Lord’s will yet avoid paying the cost. There was none. I besought the Lord to make another way, but the Lord did not relent. I listed out every reason I had, but they weren’t enough.
There were days when my resolve to do the Lord’s will was as steel, but I would wait to see if the Lord would change His mind. He wouldn’t, and in that period of waiting, my resolve would melt away. But upon reading this word and that testimony, I was at a point where I couldn’t dilly-dallly anymore. I knew exactly what the Lord wanted me to do, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And the question stared me in the face, bigger and starker than ever: “What are you going to do, Sujit?” Even then, I didn’t know what I was going to do.
My steps though, gradually, but oh ever so reluctantly, turned in the direction of the Lord, yet till the very last possible minute I kept hoping and petitioning the Lord to please consent to change direction, to please have mercy and consider an alternate course of action . . . nothing doing. . . . There was a huge iceberg right in front of my ship, and my orders were to head straight for it full steam . . . not tomorrow, not after a meal, now!
My ship collided with the iceberg, and in that selfsame terrifying moment, I fully expected my ship to break up into innumerable unrecognizable pieces and my wretched, miserable soul to sink into the icy depths of the bottomless ocean and all memory and trace of me to vanish into the blackness of the heartless night.
. . .
But my ship didn’t break apart . . . rather, the iceberg cracked and broke up and gave way. My exhausted soul then sank into the warmth of my bed, and not the icy depths. The dark night gave way to a bright sunlit morning . . . and, by the grace of the Most High, I did not vanish into the night but, come dawn, was still here.
Thank you, Thomas, and thank you, Joan.
Suit reading your story….i am standing on holy ground.
Yes Sujit! I am proud of you my brother! Hang in there and keep pressing. Eye hath not seen!
Bill
Sujit – How wonderful! ?. May your path be blessed! I will be praying for you my Brother In Christ. May you find “success”, whatever that looks like, on the path that lies ahead! I wish we all could gather & meet but given that impossibility, I will add you to my nightly prayers!
Many blessings to you! ??
Thank you so much, Expat Gal.
Hi Sujit, Greetings dear brother. Apologies took so long to respond. That is an incredible testimony of the Lord confirming your destiny move. That is so exciting. We are in one of the most crucial times in history, so obedience and timing are key. May God continue to bless and guide your obedience. Blessings
Truly a very balanced word for this hour and so many Biblical examples given ..Gods words or methods never change He is the same yesterday, today & forever ; for Eternity.
May we all endeavour to run the race that is set before us and walk in the destiny our Father in Heavenly places has designated for each one of us : the calling for each persons life .His perfect will be done. Surely he has been training us ( the training ground ) the preparation & equipping of the saints to do his will . Maybe for some if not all : this can take several years- ..years or more of preparation depending on what he has called each one to.
I do believe there are times of testing & seasons.. Some highs and .. ,some lows ..battles that we have here on earth.. But so important to never never give up or give into the enemy. Do not let the enemy thwart the plans & destinies that the Father has for us..
Also a very sobering but encouraging word… I am reminded of that word : The enemy only comes but to rob, steal ( kill) & destroy but Jesus and the Father give life to us more abundantly.
Here’s an AMAZING (at moments word-for-word) confirmation from Pastor Song with Lighthouse Global: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht6864QZaV4
thank you Heather. What a beautiful spirit this woman of faith has.
Beautiful!!! Confirmation.
This is one of the best message founded in The Truth that I have heard in this season. Thank you for taking the time to post. The Secret Place with our Messiah Yeshua, Love Him & others. Follow Him and be obedient. The Father seeks worshippers in Spirit and Truth. Again, thank you. Blessings to you and your family.
Thank you Pastor Thomas for putting such clarity and urgency on discovering and operating IN the will of God NOW – for the heavenly call is truly “all hands on deck”!
Indeed, the fact that the window doesn’t remain open forever, is not something that I had really considered in more than a cursory way, but it is true. I don’t want to “miss it” and grieve my Lord, or fail someone who I might have been party to having snatched from the grasping claws of the creatures of the kingdom of darkness.
Far too often I have been guilty of the thought that if I don’t meet my calling, God will send someone else to do the job. God sometimes does send another, as He would have in Esther’s time, but what if that doesn’t happen, or the next person He sends, fails their calling too and a person’s soul is required of them before they hear the true Gospel? [Luke 12:20]
Some years back I was of the opinion that if I go to Heaven, even if only living on the outskirts in a pup tent because I’d truly done nothing to earn the reward of something better, that would be enough. Kind of thinking “Hey, streets of gold are streets of gold and Heavenly pup tents must still be pretty fabulous, so why concern myself with working towards more”?
That is no longer enough BY FAR, I want to see a smile on my Saviors face and for Him to be able to say to me “well done”! I’ve a ways to go, but too, by His grace and mercy I have come far from where I was. He is faithful to continue and complete His work in me, if I truly desire it above all else, following where/when He leads, doing what He tells me to do. By this I may impact the lives of others, showing them the way to truly belong to Jesus and be part of His/our family forever!
This message is a keeper to review again and again and to forward to others as well!
How do I find my calling? I realize that I need to read God’s word and pray, but maybe I’ve already missed it and not even realized it…
Billie, I don’t know if this will answer your question but here goes…
In my experience, I have never heard God tell me “Your calling is XYZ.” He has opened doors for opportunities and put people in my life, and then at other times closed doors and ended chapters with people and places. I’ve often felt very alone and I’ve gone through some incredibly difficult seasons of dryness, sickness, poor finances, and fatigue. At times I’ve had to push harder than ever to be able to stand on Jesus’s promise that He came to give us life abundantly! I’ve continued to forgive, to serve, to make do, to practice saying “It is well with my soul.” Life has felt like treading water. During these times, I have experienced moments of the Lord’s loving comfort…then I’m back in the sea struggling to stay afloat.
Whenever I do hear from the Lord, it’s always about some seemingly tiny thing like “Call that person,” “Confess that secret,” “Put that back, it’s not yours.” Never the “big” things. Each time He gives me one of these, I struggle for a bit and then just do it, only to realize He went ahead of me and gave me grace for it.
I’ve always believed that my life has been some incomprehensible training ground for some big moment (or eternity?) and that it will all make sense when I get there. I trust that I’m where I am for a reason and when He says “move” then it’s time for the next step. I have no idea what comes next. I trust as long as we make up our minds to follow Him no matter what, we are exactly where He wants us.
Hugs and love to you!
Thank you…That does help.
Hi Billy, just adding a thought to Heather’s good post. It was a humble church meeting and I still remember the speaker’s name…Jerry Clause. He prayed for me and said God had called me to the ministry of helps…that I would help people over the hard places of their lives and that some people would never have made it unless I helped them. At first I was a little disappointed as I wanted to be a great minister like Kathryn Kulhman or John G Lake or Jackie Pullinger…etc. Then I realized how the Lord was blessing my life through helping people, even re-arranging my life to help people, and that it is my motivating force. That HE is totally involved in my calling in the ministry of helps. At first living in a success oriented society I thought helping the ‘important’ people would give me kudos with God. But as years pass, I finally realize the intrinsic value of every person on planet earth. That each one is the ‘important’ person to our holy, loving, God. I shall pray for you tonight that the Lord God will send that anointed minister to you personally in regard to helping you recognize your Holy Spirit calling.
Thank you so much
Amen!! Confirmation!!!
Thomas – Wow! What a powerful article & truly, “A Call to Action”! God is telling us, through His servant (you), that it is Time to Get Into The Game! Your post resonates with what I have been feeling in my Spirit for some time but with an urgency in the past 6 months unmatched with any other time in my life. Your post is one of the most impactful articles I have read in my lifetime & carries very “high stakes” if people disregard this warning from God to accept & embrace His call & will for our lives in His timing.
I want to add one important piece that I have personally experienced since accepting His call on my life (it was the SECOND call that I answered & have since repented for the myriad of excuses including self-doubt & busyness that kept me from answering His call the first time). When we do not accept His call on our life, we may negatively impact God’s call on other people’s lives whom we are connected to! I had never thought of this until experiencing how my answer to His call on my life has resulted in His reaching others in my life through the work He is calling me to.
We are all interconnected and by us selfishly refusing to answer God’s call on our lives, we can interfere with God’s plans to impact others! This shows why it is so critical for each of us to use our God-given talents for God’s plan. We must understand what role He has identified for us & be willing to use our skills, talents & knowledge in the way He wants us to which builds His Kingdom, regardless of our personal interests which may differ from God’s.
Thank you for this “meat”. I pray my Brothers & Sisters on Z3 News will take this to heart as I am doing. We are in a very pivotal time and I pray God’s Army will be exactly what God plans it to be. That all of us will set aside our own worldly interests to dedicate ourselves to God and His plans & at the time, He needs for us to do so! ????
Thank you my brother! Has the Holy Spirit been informing you of what he has been emphasizing to me the past several months?
I can’t even put into words how powerful this word was, it is not only a RIGHT NOW word to every one of us that is watching and waiting for our Lord soon return but this word was straight from the Heart of Our Great and Merciful God in these last and finial moments, He wants us in HIS will and if we were Chosen Generation and we know and believe the word of God that we were born for such a time as this then we all have a BEYOND VITAL call on our lives , no matter how big or small it may seem to us in the Natural it is a call that God knows must be obeyed for his will to be complete just prior to the Trumpet sounding. Not only should we be examining our hearts and allowing the Holy Spirit to continue to Refine us to make us a Bride without Spot or blemish we must be walking in our calling Simultaneously during this! When the Bride of Christ is in ONE ACCORD all over the Globe and the last Voice of Warnings have went out to the Ungodly and the Backslidden, Compromised, lukewarm church the trumpet will sound. I firmly believe that the Being the Bride of Christ and who goes in the Rapture is not a Salvation issue, Those that will go in the Rapture will be the Overcoming, Obedient, Bride that has allowed the Holy Spirit to refine them and make our Robes White, It will not be all people that are awake to the signs of the end times, it will not be those that became Lazy Spirituality, it will not be those that did not die daily to their flesh and allow the Lord to FINISH the work in us that HE allow began in us, it will be those completely surrendered to the Lords will, it will be those that Obeyed the Lord and through that Obedience came Sacrifice etc… I pray we all continue to not only watch the signs but to OBEY and OBEY quickly when we know the voice of God has spoken to us to do or let go of anything. Again thank you so much for this message it was definitely a MUCH needed word for us all and I have re-examined my own heart and life and pray the Lord continues to show me what his call is for my life and gives me a more Obedient heart to walk in that call that he alone will Prepare us for. God bless
Amen Tracie to your comment as well! I absolutely agree with everything you wrote! There is so much power in this post given the significance of the times we are in.
I pray none of us are left waiting on the sidelines because we missed God’s call, missed God’s timing or failed to be obedient. God wants us using the talents & Spiritual Gifts He has given us.
Very powerful warnings provided as to what is likely to happen should we fail to embrace God’s call on our lives.
That was an amazing message.
Well done sir! You cant argue with the plain truth.
It reminds me of the concept of HIS perfect will for our lives
(what the LORD intended for us) and HIS permissible will (what HE allows us to do because we rejected or waited too long to do what HE chose for us)
Thank you Brother Thomas!
Excellent message I shall be meditating on! I was especially reminded how serious it is not to walk through His door of GO! as that door will not remain open always. Years ago I read a story that I have never been able to forget in regard to this subject. They were a Christian couple and the man shared how he lost his wife in her early forties. She had a calling to be a missionary but he convinced her to marry him instead and remain home. She was haunted by that calling throughout their married life. The husband believed that when the Lord God saw that she was never going to walk through that door of obedience that her life work was over and HE brought her home to heaven early. His story struck a nerve in me and warned me not to hesitate too long when His door of GO! is before me.
all I can say is Amen!
I totally receive the whole message, Amen!