Eph 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Not long after being born again. I had struggles. Even after experiencing a few miracles and awesome displays of love from God, I was still overcome by the world. The instability of my past was slowly being replaced by the stability of the Kingdom of Heaven. Over the years, I struggled to live a life worthy of the calling I had received. The trauma of my past, both received and delivered, haunted me. People strained my edgy temperament. It was really hard for me.
Some of us are impeded from living up to Christ. It may be a troubled childhood, a tough marriage, difficult children, or, having seen too much evil.
To each of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it (Eph 4:7)
It doesn’t happen just because we really, really want it or because we can master the will power. Rather, grace means letting the Holy Spirit supply what we need. The Holy Spirit is the gifter needed so that we can participate in His divine nature. Walking in Gods purpose, peace, power. Signs and wonders will follow those that believe.
I was a skeptic, then a seeker, then a believer. You can lose a lot of things in life and get them back if you keep your confidence. The devil cannot take your calling. God does not change His mind when you lose your way. Since the devil cannot take your calling, he attacks your confidence. If he can take your confidence then he can keep you from functioning in your calling. Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that what you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
In early 2017, I knew that I needed to work on my relationship with Jesus. I needed to know more about who He is and who I was in Him. When I felt that it was time to invest time into a structured program, my wife challenged me with answering the question – why? She had watched me spend three years on a secular doctorate degree and appreciated the time commitment. As a knowledge seeker, it was paramount that my time be spent getting to know Him and build my relationship. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge was not adequate.
Because I took this seriously, it took me almost three months to sincerely answer this question – why?
When asked by God to lead His people out of Egypt, Moses initially responded “Who am I to do this….?”. Since connecting with Jesus, I have often asked myself who am I to be a member of His family, or, convincing myself that I was not worthy. I have a passionate hunger for spiritual things, I am hungry to commune with God. I sense a drive to do wonderful things in the name of the Lord but I also felt a shortcoming in my preparation. I am a person wired to learn more things, yet without a deep relationship with Him I have nothing to apply. I have been out of balance with expectations.
In February 2017, I was awakened to the reality that “Christian” knowledge by itself can be dangerous without “spiritual” revelation. I have always been fully aware that wisdom is the application of knowledge, but I was neglecting revelation. I would read the scriptures, but I was still missing it because I was treating it like a book study. It was then that it was revealed to me that I was looking for answers on who I needed to be rather than anticipating who He is. I then found a teaching where I determined that one cannot get the experience of God simply by study, it must come by the revelation of who He is. This revelation led to a secondary revelation that I need to read and “reflect” on scripture (meditate/ponder), this will in turn lead me to wisdom and “revelation knowledge”. I simply need to be who I am, God is ok with me.
I am a veteran that thrives on structure, I am also a frequent consumer of knowledge. I am a vessel and a vessel is what it contains; I contain the gift of the Spirit through Jesus Christ. To balance my Spirit with my soul, I required a program of revelation that is structured and planned. I know how to learn at every level of secular academics, under His guidance, I am expanding this vessel (me) to the revelation knowledge of who I am in Jesus Christ.
My wife challenged me to answer the question “why?”. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, so I will provide what the Holy Ghost has given to me. Who am I? I am a vessel for Christ to impart his knowledge to those in need of His word. I am a vessel of wisdom to speak with those that are hard headed and out of balance with who they are in Jesus. I am a vessel that has plenty of space to increase my own revelation knowledge of who He is. When the Lord called Samuel, he answered “Here I am!”, but he did not know it was God; this was me. He later answered the Lord, after being guided by Eli “Speak, for Your servant hears.” Who am I? I am the Lord’s vessel to impart revelation knowledge on others. Here I am Lord.
Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
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