NO QUITTING…PRESS ON!

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This is a word of encouragement for those who know God has called them to serve Him. Yes, we are all called and expected to serve God wherever we are and in whatever situation we find ourselves in, however, there are those that have a clear and specific call to serve Him in and through a specific ministry. If that’s you then read on…

When God calls you, He has a plan and knows exactly what He is doing, so fear not. His gifts and callings are irrevocable…He doesn’t change his mind, so He hasn’t changed his mind about you, his beloved child.

If you feel like you are not really fulfilling God’s call in your life, it could very well be that you are being prepared for it. You are perhaps being trained and equipped for the assignment. We all are being molded and transformed to become more Christlike as we continue growing in knowing Him. Only then will any ministry we are involved in become fruitful and the fruit we bear will not only last, but will also bring the Father glory! So, worry not beloved…the Bible is littered with examples of people who were called by God for specific assignments but had to wait and go through stuff before they could step into their destinies or walk in their calls, as it were.

When God calls us out for a specific ministry or assignment, usually the first thing that goes through our mind is “no not me, no way” or “why me, there are others more qualified” and we sometimes even suggest names to the Lord… If you really think about it, it is actually the height of pride to attempt to “correct” God. How dare we? We will do well to humbly respond in the affirmative, not unlike Mary, the mother of Jesus:

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.- Luke 1:38 ESV

Now if we persist in being reluctant then God in his mercy might send others to encourage us to pursue the ministry or gifting they perceive on our lives thus confirming what God has already told us. This is usually through prophetic words spoken over us. No wonder we are instructed not to despise prophecy but rather to test prophecies before accepting or rejecting them.  

No one who has stepped out to answer God’s call on their life has ever been spared opposition, so yeah you will face opposition, both from the enemy of our souls and from others. When that happens do not be discouraged, instead hold on to what God has spoken to you concerning the assignment He has for you. Wage war with that word from the Lord just like Paul charged Timothy to do as he continued to grow in his ministry. You will have to make this practice your way of life…talk about living by every word that proceeds from God…

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, - 1 Tim 1:18 ESV

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So beloved child of the Most High, continue faithfully where you currently are, don’t sit idly by waiting for what we sometimes deem as God’s timing but actually it is our subtle pride and/or fear. In many cases it is God who is waiting for us, not the other way round. Remember, in Christ all of God’s promises are yes and we say amen by our words and more so, our actions. There’s one man of God who said something along the lines of – “it is easier to steer a moving car, so get moving and God will give you specific directions if needed”.

So keep on growing in your knowledge of God and His Christ and as opportunities to do with your call present themselves boldly step out by faith and grow in fulfilling your ministry in the Lord.

Let me end here by echoing the apostle Paul's very relevant words to Archippus in Colossee: 

And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” - Colossians 4:17 ESV

Keep pressing on!

Be a Believer, not an Unbeliever!

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⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. – 1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV

We resist the devil by steadfastly holding on to what God, through Christ Jesus (not Moses), says to us. God cannot lie and doesn't go back on His promises to us, He is not a meanie who would promise us one thing and then turn around and do the opposite as the devil would have us believe. If there is anyone trustworthy, it’s our Heavenly Father who loves us eternally. The Scriptures assure us time and time again “let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

The enemy cannot block what God has promised to do in, to and through our lives. The enemy cannot limit what God can do in our lives, but we can. Satan tries to deceive us into cutting ourselves off from God's ever increasing grace towards us by planting seeds of doubt and unbelief in our minds, for he knows once we entertain doubt and unbelief, we will effectively be limiting what God can do in our lives.

The story of the children of Israel is a good example of what not to do! God wanted to bring them into the land that He had promised them but because of their unbelief, they limited what God wanted to do, in, for and through them. The result: an entire generation perished in the wilderness, they short-circuited the will and plan of God for their lives. That’s how evil unbelief is…beloved let’s not entertain it...even for a second!

Unbelief may manifest as “wisdom”, “concern”, “being real or practical” or any other form but whichever way it rears its ugly head, it will ultimately cast a shadow of doubt over the very Nature and Character of God. Thankfully, by the grace of God, we are not ignorant of the enemy’s devices.

The enemy wants us to look at our failures as the reason why God isn’t going to bless us, but the truth is, if we are in Christ, our sins and failures have already been dealt with once and for all - Christ Jesus is our Eternal High Priest, should we sin, He is our Advocate with the Father and on top of that God remembers our sin no more! And what's more...in Christ we already have been blessed with every spritual blessing. No wonder we go from faith to faith, from victory to victory, from glory to glory! Isn't our Abba Father good?!

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Let us keep on fighting the good fight of faith by holding on to the assurance of what we hope for and by being convinced of what we cannot yet see (Hebrews 11:1). He who has promised is faithful and He will do it. 

Let’s keep on walking by faith!