He is calling . . .

 

We took Dad to a specialist to have his hearing tested. During the examination, my mom said that she often talked to him and he didn’t respond, as if he didn’t hear her at all. My Dad, with his usual twinkle, said to the doctor, “Don’t you do that to your wife too?”

Everyone laughed, yet this is a frustration for many wives. I wonder about the emotions of Almighty God who CALLS people to Himself or calls His people to a special task and we don’t listen very well.

I’ve studied God’s call before, yet my to-do list sometimes overwhelms me usually because some items are not God-given. I need to continually reconsider what God is calling me to do, otherwise, I wind up spinning my wheels.

First, God’s call goes out in the message of the gospel to all people regardless of their skin color, belief system and nationality. Jesus told His followers in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” and in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All is prominent in both verses.

However, this universal call is not always responded to; rejection happens. Matthew 22:14 tells of the division: “For many are called, but few are chosen” and John 3:16–20 tells why this happens:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

Second, what makes this call effective is more than merely hearing it, even more than agreeing it is true. It goes deeper because the Holy Spirit effectively enlightens and sanctifies those God is calling. He enables them to receive the truth. Jesus says, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” He also said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him . . . “ (John 6:44)

People need to hear the gospel message yet Holy Spirit is a necessary translator who makes that message effective. Acts 16:14 tells of Lydia who worshiped God yet when Paul shared the gospel, “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said.”  

Acts 26:18 also explains the need of the Holy Spirit so hearers “may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith.”

Paul also asked “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory” to give the Ephesians “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” to enlighten their hearts so they would “know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”

Third, those who accept this call begin a relationship with the Lord and can also be called to a special task. This is true in both OT and NT.

Exodus 31:2–7. “See, I have called by name Bezalel . . . and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab . . . . And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent.”

Acts 13:2. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. Not only does the Lord call His people to work, He also calls us to rest, even says that the work He has for me is not burdensome: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30) This takes me back to re-examine my to-do list on His terms and trust Him to lighten my load!

 

Flesh vs. Spirit

I started today very aware of the flesh. I’m not talking about skin and bones but some of the attitudes that come from weak bodily flesh not working the way I’d like. This irregular heart is always there, not always felt but evident. It causes fluid retention and cannot deliver oxygen and blood needed for energy.

What is felt, at least for the past few days, is a knot in the back of one leg. It started with a muscle spasm or Charley horse as some call it, painful to the point of screaming. Painful still, reminding my mind and emotions that I’m human, challenging my will to feel sorry for me and mope around without thinking joyful thoughts or being productive.

The downer continued yesterday when I called the pacemaker clinic and was told they could not get this device hooked up until mid-January. Down. I barely had time to deal with the disappointment when they called back to say they found an opening and I can come in next Wednesday and get it done. Up. Leg exploded. Down. No sleep. Down. Slept ten hours. Should feel up. Don’t. Same old routine: my health and sense of well-being is like the weather in Alberta; we never know what to expect.

Normal does not exist. How does God want me to face the challenges of these up/downs? I’m suspecting that He will say to stop listening to the flesh . . . and He does . . .

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5–8)

Letting the flesh tell me how to feel is getting it backwards. This is not about the power of positive thinking. Grumbling and whining obviously are not pleasing to God. I’m not to operate from the perspective of flesh. He has given me another way to think . . .

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:9–11)

This up/down body is already useless when it comes to living a righteous life. Instead, I’m to let the Holy Spirit control me, take care of me, give me His emotions, His thoughts, His determination. Tozer says that the Holy Spirit is a Person so He can do that. He has no body to tell Him about pain and disappointment even though He is aware of what those feel like because of Jesus and Calvary. He knows, but His knowledge is far beyond how I understand knowledge. As Tozer says, “The Spirit is Himself God, the very true Nature of the Godhead subsisting in a form that can impart Himself to our consciousness.”

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, even though I know this is true, I do not understand how it happens or even why. The Holy Spirit comes to me like a gentle breeze, a whisper, a touch on my shoulder. He takes the weight of pain and perplexity off me like a strong man picks up my grocery bags and places them I know not where. Gone. He brings peace and joy and turns my thoughts from me, myself, and I to others, their pain, their needs, to what I can do for them. Even from my weakness and energy-less, You – the two of You – enable me to care and pray for others, and for myself — to look forward to that final giving of life to my mortal body as suggested by this small and daily pulling me out of the flesh and into the Spirit. Bless You.