YOUR CALLING
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (July 18, 2015)
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26, King James Version [called to serve as a counselor]).
Greetings in the Supreme Name of Christ Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, What is your calling? Do you know? Do you understand who you are in service through Christ Jesus to God Almighty? Or, are you still struggling with who you are and to whom you belong? Most importantly, are you struggling with the single most significant truth that the struggle with your calling relates to God's love for you---that you belong to Him---that is who you are, a child of God in the family of God, sisters and brothers of Christ Jesus.
Are you one who sees and hears the Comforter spirit of Christ Jesus to answer the call to serve Christ as a counselor? Do you spend a great deal of your time teaching and reminding everyone about the things Christ said to them? Obviously, your calling as a counselor in Christ Jesus is not as far-fetched a notion in your mind as it is familiar in spirit to you; for somehow you know and feel your calling. You must be led by the fire of the Spirit and not a captive to the imaginations---fantasies or the state of delusions of the world; including your own. I tell you when I told the government tax service with the power to tell me what was right for me my title in business, in turn, they still told me I was a counselor so I resolved that those things I professionally did and still do for the last 30 years were most closely related to the category of counseling.
In general, do you find when God calls you all the forces of the universe know it and there is no way to get away from it---you can not run and you can not hide, it is your calling. Moreover, there is no shame in answering the calling---your calling to service in Christ Jesus because nine out of ten times if you really think about it---it is what you are already doing but you just do not embrace the truth of what you are doing in your relationship to God's love for you. God chose you to do what you do before your birth the seed of your calling was planted---before your conception as Christ was called to service as a savior in the business of God. Now, that was truly the most difficult calling known to man but Christ Jesus served his calling well so much so that God said, "I am well pleased...well-done my good and faithful servant." Christ Jesus' course was not easy and in the Garden of Gethsemane he clearly understood what he faced to finish his course in the flesh even more so he understood as he hung on the cross that the business of God that he was called to sacrifice his flesh to save mankind was finally finished for he said, "It is finished." (St. Matthew 26:36; St. Mark 14:32; St. Luke 22:39, KJV [Jesus' agony in Gethsemane]).
Moreover, there was a man called to understand what a father is and teach the world what a father is so the world could better understand our Father in heaven, God Almighty. This man was called before his conception to answer the calling of understanding and teaching the world what a father is because you could see the determination in him since a baby---a strong-willed man not bent but intent on extracting the truth out of every situation for God did not leave us to guess the full meaning of fatherhood from our Christian relationships but a reflection that mirrored His relationship---His fellowship with Christ Jesus his son. This calling yet another calling that is not easy and the struggle was so intense at times in this man that this man called to teach us appeared to harshly judge his fellow man as he sought the truth of true fatherhood in man, many found him overly-critical and reasoned that man could not fulfill fatherhood as God the father because the flesh is too weak. The discipline of mind and heart was not too much to bear when God said that David was "a man after his own heart" which confirmed that Christ Jesus the promise would be born to the House of David ["Strength through the Spirit For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ", KJV Ephesians 3:14, KJV]. Has God's fatherly relationship to you as a Christian failed you but you must understand God is not a man that he can lie so he could not be a missing dad or a dead-beat dad for the scripture tells us he is present and he lifted man up out of death to eternal life, so what say you concerning the truth of your relationship with God your father in heaven?
Furthermore, there was a man called to know and enjoy God---understanding all things are possible in Christ Jesus---God will give us everything. This man was called to understand the happiness of man is truth not denied us, chipped away at bit-by-bit, selling us short, or robbed us by taking our nickels and dimes. Therefore, if the increase of our happiness is not denied us then the decrease of our happiness is not assured us. God will give us all things---if two or three agree then nothing will be denied you; God will supply your needs in Christ Jesus; faith is the substance of things hoped for; God will see you through and God will pull you over. This man called to teach the understanding of happiness had a heart of pure gold that did not see the disadvantages of man and reasoned that those who could not see their way through did not have any one on their side to support them to teach them the way. He could truly give his fellow man the shirt off his back as Jesus said to do. This man walked and talked the Words of God that Christ brought to the world in every fiber of his awakening his activities never failed to uplift man to the truth that God made the happiness of man, possible for every man, woman and child. I ask you could you give the shirt off your back when at that moment of another person's need---a cold day---it is the only shirt you have and remain a happy man?
Henceforth, there was a woman called to teach the concept of adoption to the world. This woman traveled extensively throughout the world in service to teach adoption to the hearts and minds, sustaining us in God's family whether you were brought in by the branch Christ Jesus, who is the vine as a Gentile Christian or a Hebrew (Jewish) Christian born in the family of God. All the saints in God's family received what was promised, a share in the inheritance of Christ Jesus to preserve us for God is a good father. This woman set her sights on lands near and far not to leave anyone behind as the disciples and apostles did during the time since the death of Christ to herald in the good news to the world. "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, KJV [God gives the world his son, Christ Jesus]).
More importantly, if you were called to teach faith to unbelievers who need to see to believe, to teach the world of the greatness of God, to teach the world of the greatness of God who made the stars in heaven, to teach the mystery that the Immortal Son of God died---the immortal tasted death and resurrected to save the world, to teach that faith is a part of our salvation plan [your mission is a part of your calling] which is our gift from God as the gift is a pardon and peace which faith gives to us, to mankind here on earth. Your calling is good and will serve you well as the fruit of the vine inasmuch as you serve God running your course in your true calling. It is right to answer your calling. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.
In closing, your calling symbolizes the cross. Do you wear the Star of David's gold cross around your neck or do you wear the cross that looks like the small "t" around your neck? The life you live is not your own for you belong to God for Christ Jesus paid the price to save you. To understand Christ Jesus' walk up Calvary carrying the cross every time you go to church is to answer the calling for you serve as a priest in the royal priesthood. Somehow our procession in church on Sundays is mostly apparent at funerals than regular service as it should reflect the pain and drudgery, needing strength to carry on to bear the weight of the cross just as Christ needed help after he beared the stripes wounded for our transgressions. We must help Christ to carry the weight as his sisters and brothers not just to celebrate the homegoing or homecoming of the dearly departed.
In the Name of Jesus. Have faith. So be it. Amen.
