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letsgetbusy
Member



Joined: 2004/9/28
Posts: 957
Cleveland, Georgia

 Re:

I believe this was from God, you be the judge.

I was sitting in my living room one day watching some kids walk down the street. Suddenly two of them spun thier heads 180 degrees to the rear. Someone seemed to have called them. It then hit me, if someone is called, they will turn their head.

Likewise I believe when one is called of God (and yes, I believe we are all called to repentance, faith, evangelism, holiness, etc), their life and focus will turn. They then have a different direction they travel in, and a different outlook. Just as one is, no doubt, not born of the Spirit if nothing ever changed in their life, one who has not answered their call in their Christian life has surely had nothing change in their walk with Jesus.

It sounds like you might do well to teach us about answering our call after hearing about that experience.


_________________
Hal Bachman

 2006/6/24 8:48Profile
irunbarefoot
Member



Joined: 2006/6/15
Posts: 35


 Re:

That's an amazing illustration about the turning of the head. I love it! It perfectly describes the spiritual reality of things.


-Sean
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www.SeanDietrich.com
"All of my music is free for download."

 2006/6/24 9:54Profile
hmmhmm
Member



Joined: 2006/1/31
Posts: 4994
Sweden

 Re:

its a good one... atleast in my life it would fit in.... following sin and then jesus called and i just turned..


_________________
CHRISTIAN

 2006/6/24 10:09Profile
KingJimmy
Member



Joined: 2003/5/8
Posts: 4419
Charlotte, NC

 Re: How did you know you were called?

Sometimes understanding one's particular calling is very direct. For example, Jeremiah's calling from God was pretty straight forward:

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; [b]I have appointed you a prophet to the nations;[/b]

On the other hand, there are individuals like Esther whose calling wasn't so direct, and sort of just unfolded as she went along.

Esther 4:13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. [b]And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"[/b]

I think most people fall into Esther's category. Her purpose and calling was revealed to her as she simply went about her days, attempting to be faithful to God. And as circumstances changed, she simply remained faithful to God to do the good thing she knew to do in each circumstance.

Likewise, our individual callings from God are often just revealed to us as we go about simply living our lives in devotion to God, and doing the good we know to do in every circumstance. In the process, as you grow in the Lord, you'll probably begin to discern in what specific area God has gifted you in.

Just keep being faithful to God, and seek the leading of His Spirit. Perhaps God might have you to go share a word to somebody on the street, or perhaps He'll prompt you to say something during a church service, or perhaps He'll put a burning desire to go to another country and share the gospel. Or perhaps you'll feel moved on by God to help out in a soup kitchen at a homeless shelter. The possibilities are as vast as God. Simply be open to doing faithfully whatever you find yourself able to do.



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Jimmy H

 2006/6/24 10:33Profile
ChrisJD
Member



Joined: 2006/2/11
Posts: 2895
Philadelphia PA

 Re:

Hi everyone.

Christian, I'm glad you brought this up as I'd like the opportunity to share with the Lord's people here what I took to be the answer to my seeking God about this. I welcome any discernement and wisdom you all might have to share in Christ.

I do not intend to put this here as an example for anyone; I see us all here sharing our thoughts in seeking to know and do God's will in our lives, though not for comparison.

A few years ago I began seeking after God for His will for my life. Sometime after this, as the thought was on my mind, I 'heard' or was impressed with the words 'libation specialist'.

If that sounds funny to you, it sounded funny to me too! In fact my wife thought it sounded a bit funny also, but not in a demeaning or trivial way(this was not the first time I had 'heard' some obscure sounding word in regards to seeking after God). I kept thinking...'libation specialist???' what is that!!

Well, eventually I put the thought on the 'back burner' so to speak, though I did look into the meaning of the word and found that it did have some correspondence with the Bible.

Some time later we moved here and I began seeking God again in earnest concering His will for my life, especially now since at the time I was unemployed! During this time I felt led to begin reading the Bible again from the beginning. I would read between one and three chapters every morning, going very slowly through each chapter, even underlining many passages as I read through.

This went on for some time.

One night as I remember it, I had stayed up late seeking after God in much distress and anguish of soul. In the morning I got up and read the chapters as usuall and the thought of 'libation specialist' was on my mind. I was reading through untill I came to this passage, I'll use the RSV to qoute....

Quote:
and wine for the drink offering, a fourth of a hin, you shall prepare with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.



Now, I mentioned earlier that libationist does have some correspondence to the Bible, and this is that. According the the American Heritage Dictionary, a libation is...

Quote:
1.a. The pouring of a liquid offering as a religious ritual.



So, having paused to ponder this, my wife having gotten up came out of the room and said 'Chris, God want's you to be a libationist.'

I was .....amazed.

She went on to tell me how all night long she kept hearing 'libationist...libationist..' in her sleep. Later she told me how she had been dreaming of this room wherein were all these lighted candles and that she was taking care of the candles.

Thinking of all the possibilities, the odds of this, I thought this has to be the answer! How on earth could such a coincidence be...so many days of reading the Bible and to come across THAT passage...and then she had THAT dream hearing what she did and to come out and tell me at THAT moment???

I suppose I should share now how I have understood this. Someone before mentioned burden and I thought it was a good expression for our subject. I have, from the time of my conversion, had a burden to share the faith with those who are lost, without Christ and have sought to do it.
And that's how I have understood these events; that I believe God wanted me to offer the people the blood of Christ which was shed for thier sins.

So, I'm a libationist. :-D

Thank you all for sharing this with me,

Love in Christ.


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Christopher Joel Dandrow

 2006/6/24 11:34Profile
hmmhmm
Member



Joined: 2006/1/31
Posts: 4994
Sweden

 Re:

thank you all for your testimonies, it gives me some light i dont ruch in to things i belive god is going to show me the way to what he will have me do, i reading a book just now and i came to a chapter called gods will and i read and the author (r a torrey) wrote that many christians want to know gods will for there entire life, but god often revils his will one step at the time, but i was confused becuse ive listend to sermons by ray comfort and mark cahill, i love their sermons and i was so motivated, go witness i belive we all should do this, but then i listen to a sermon by art katz were he said something that good intentions could be wrong, even when it comes to "do the right thing" if it wasent god who told you to do it, ´so now i just trust the lord to lead me, if i start the day in prayor and ask his spirit to lead me i have to belive that he will.
i rest in that haleluja

gods peace to you
christian


_________________
CHRISTIAN

 2006/6/24 12:42Profile









 Re:

Quote:

letsgetbusy wrote:
I believe this was from God, you be the judge.

I was sitting in my living room one day watching some kids walk down the street. Suddenly two of them spun thier heads 180 degrees to the rear. Someone seemed to have called them. It then hit me, if someone is called, they will turn their head.

Likewise I believe when one is called of God (and yes, I believe we are all called to repentance, faith, evangelism, holiness, etc), their life and focus will turn. They then have a different direction they travel in, and a different outlook. Just as one is, no doubt, not born of the Spirit if nothing ever changed in their life, one who has not answered their call in their Christian life has surely had nothing change in their walk with Jesus.

It sounds like you might do well to teach us about answering our call after hearing about that experience.



But then, why are few chosen?


:-(rm

 2006/6/25 15:15
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: who are chosen

Quote:
But then, why are few chosen?


Because the way is narrow and few find it.

The parable of the seed and the sower reminds us that many start out with good intentions but when trials come, they back out. That reminds me of something Richard Owen Roberts said: "It's not how you start that counts, it's how you end."

Only he who endures to the end will be saved.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life... " James 1:12 Those are the ones who are chosen.

Diane


_________________
Diane

 2006/6/25 19:41Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: How did I receive my "calling"

One day when I was 17 the Lord gave me such a powerful sense of destiny that I wrote it down. From then on I KNEW that I would be used by God to bring souls into the kingdom.

After that day my mind did some foolish recalculating. During those days, the only two “callings” ever mentioned were pastor or missionary. I felt I wouldn’t be a pastor, so that meant I would be a missionary. That stuck in my mind for years.

My husband and I were indeed missionaries some years later. However he decided to leave after a term. I was devastated, because I knew God had called me to be a missionary. It took me a long time to get over the sense of having failed God, even though I had no choice.

Then one day, years later, I discovered the words I had written at 17. To my surprise I had not written the word, “missionary” at all! Over the years I had unwittingly squeezed God’s calling on me into man’s traditions.

Scripture reveals that God does not necessarily put his chosen in traditional roles in traditional missionary boards, or religious institutions. It was that way for the prophets and the apostles. Even Christ did not take a role in the religious system in any way. God hasn’t changed. He often works through people from the “outside” of the system – for very strategic reasons.

God has been shaping my destiny, preparing and leading me. I must be submissive to the voice of his Spirit, and seek his face. Where he leads me, I will follow.

Diane


_________________
Diane

 2006/6/25 20:15Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: calling

I meant to post this earlier:

Logic said:

Quote:
every one has the same call



I have to agree with you, Logic. I once did a word study on “calling”, and to my surprise, I discovered that in the Bible it is used very differently than the way we use it. Really, it refers to God calling on us into the kingdom.


Hmmhmm said:
Quote:
then i listen to a sermon by art katz were he said something that good intentions could be wrong, even when it comes to "do the right thing" if it wasent god who told you to do it,



Good point! In other words, our senses of “calling” does not determine our choices. Rather it is our ongoing obedience and sensitivity to God’s Spirit.
Diane


_________________
Diane

 2006/6/25 20:34Profile





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