Jonah is recognized as a prophet of God. Jonah already has a definite ministry.
2Kings 14:25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.
His ministry requires that he respects the commission and instructions of the One who has called him! Jonah is not allowed the luxury of picking and choosing what he wants to do and where he wants to do it or what he does not want to do.
He is not to be in any way biased based on his own personal or patriotic prejudice. He is to remain faithful to the One who called him. He has to be true to the message despite its unpopularity and probable unacceptability. As a servant and messenger of Yahweh, recognize that in the majority of occasions, your message may not be accepted, and it may sometimes subject you to vile and violent repercussions.
When it comes to God’s call, we do not have the option to color, change, modify or manipulate...we are to remain faithful. Why? It’s because we are called according to His purpose not our own.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 KJV
Every child of God has a definite calling on their life. Many of us have consistently avoided or ignored or soft pedaled (de-emphasized or downplayed that call with what may oftentimes be referred to a sense of false humility!
Before we are called to service we are first called to salvation, submission and sanctification.
It’s vital to our eternal well being that we respond positively to God when called!
According to the Word of God we are called to:
A HIGH CALLING!
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 KJV
A HOLY CALLING!
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Timothy 1:8-9 KJV
A HEAVENLY CALLING!
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. Hebrews 3:1-2 KJV
Among other things in this calling we are called unto Eternal Life: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 KJV
We are called into His Marvelous Light: 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: 1 Peter 2:9 KJV
We are called unto Liberty: For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13 KJV
We are called into Fellowship: God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV
We are called unto Peace: But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 1 Corinthians 7:15 KJV
We are called unto His Eternal Glory, Virtue and Kingdom: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 2 Peter 1:3 KJV
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10 KJV
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 KJV
We are called unto Holiness: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 KJV
Jesus enlightens us about choice and ordination when He said: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16 KJV
His choosing and ordination is for a purpose that we be fruitful and not only fruitful but enduring fruitfulness. This requires that those who are called and chosen maintain a faithfulness to His calling for we are no longer our own! We belong to Him, Purchased by His Blood, Sanctified by His Word, and Empowered by His Spirit in order that we may glorify Him in our mortal bodies!
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV
Remember those who are Called and Chosen are to be Faithful to remain with Him:!
Rev. 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Irrespective of our personal prejudices we are called to be faithful
Ananias queried the safety of approaching Saul but went after being assured by God.
We do not have a record of Jonah questioning the truth of his commission.
Elisha ministered to his own people and also to the Syrian general Naaman who had in his household Israeli prisoners. In fact the Israeli maid bore strong witness to Yahweh’s power and the prophetic ministry.
Jesus ministered to the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman. Jesus commended her in fact and praised her faith above that of all Israel. He went out of His way to reach a Samaritan village despite the fact that Jews were prejudiced against the Samaritans!
The prophetic ministry is of vital importance in the church, community and cosmos.
Jesus said in Luke 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and tomorrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Recognize today that there is a calling on your life and it comes from Him! He has a purpose for you and it brings glory to Him! Ignoring, neglecting, and running away will only bring frustration, grief and dissatisfaction. Do you wonder why sometimes you always seem so dissatisfied with the way things are in church? It generally stems from an incomplete surrender for service to Him. The danger in continuously ignoring this is that we may become hardened and resistant to His promptings, because of fear of failure, and fear of making a complete ‘idiot’ of our selves! We always want to do the sensible thing but God continuously uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. In retrospect what was wise about an eternally omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient Being putting limits on Himself in order to become a sacrifice for a planet of seriously ungrateful, uncaring, irritating misfits who are so full of themselves that they are not deserving of any good thing? Yet the Messiah did that just for us!
In every congregation of saints God has placed ministry gifts as He sees fit. In the smallest of gatherings (two or three!) He desires to be present. When we gather in His Name He is present through promise! It’s a no-brainer!
When Paul said ye may all prophesy it wasn’t trivial talk. 1Cor. 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Cor. 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
Grow where you are planted and start bearing fruits!
A tree that keeps on being uprooted and transplanted runs the risk of an untimely unfruitful death!
As we are faithful to His calling and our responsibility it is imperative that we abide in the calling where we are called.
1Cor. 7:17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
1Cor. 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. 1 Corinthians 7:24 KJV
2Pet. 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
