Be Certain of Your Calling

Today I want to discuss something that we should all be thinking about during this month of Elul as we pray, repent, and draw closer to God. I’d like to talk about your “calling” or “your purpose” in God’s plan for your life. Do you know what your “calling” is? Do you know what you should be doing in God’s service? Do you have the anointing to walk out that calling on your life? How do you know what your “calling” is?

These are questions that I’ve asked myself many times. For the longest time I had no idea what my “calling” or what my “purpose” was in God’s plan. One thing is for certain. If you don’t know what your “calling” or your “purpose” is, then you definitely do not have the anointing to walk it out. I knew what I wanted my “calling” to be. I wanted to be, of all things, a preacher or a pastor. That’s what I wanted. That’s how I thought God should use me. However, my purpose was no where near what I wanted it to be. When I was trying to achieve what I wanted to do for God I was met repeatedly with deafening frustration. I was in an unholy state of unrest.

A pastor once told me that my purpose would be found in my pain. Whatever burdens were on my heart would dictate my purpose. However, he was terribly mistaken. I have a daughter with autism and a lot of my pain was for those families with special needs children. But every time I attempted to move in that direction, I met resounding failures. I have a heart for the lost and for the church. “My people perish for lack of knowledge” was a verse that was on my mind. I sought knowledge to help keep them from perishing. I thought I could accomplish that as a pastor or a preacher. But that was not happening. I’m talking about years of effort and waiting! Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I tried to do everything and anything that I could to make things happen. It just was not happening. I was beginning to buy into the lie that I was just not the kind of material that God could work with. Oh, how wrong I was!

It was true, I was a failure. But do you know why I was a failure? It’s because I wanted God to use me in a way that I wanted Him to use me instead of how God wanted to use me. I had not considered the possibility that God might have other plans for me. That was my failure! I had not considered that what I wanted and what God had planned for me were two distinct, different things! I was a man of much knowing and not much wisdom. Educated fool! That was me.

I’ve shared my testimony with you earlier in this series of articles. You know my story. I’ll not repeat it. It’s not necessary. But when the trumpet spoke to me, I knew I had been offered something although I had no idea of what was being offered. But I knew that it had to do with the trumpets in the Bible. I had to go and find out what it was that was being offered. I studied the biblical trumpets, exclusively, for two years. I thought it was all about the trumpets. Oh, how wrong I was. I was about to be “awakened” for a second time.

I was praying one day, asking for wisdom, and understanding. Then, it was if Holy Spirit nudged me and said, “Okay, are you ready to learn something?”

I was astounded! Had I not been learning, praying, and studying for the past two years? What had I missed? What was I failing to see? I submitted and sat still. I shut my mouth and just listened. I got nothing. For days I would pray briefly, asking Holy Spirit to show me what I had failed to see, and I listened. I began to see patterns emerge from the Holy Scriptures, patterns that were repeating. I began to see instructions repeated time and time again. Many times, as I prayed my only request was, “Let me see.” Then, one day, it opened up and I saw that it was not merely about the trumpets. The trumpet was deeply interwoven not only into praise, worship, the prophetic, spiritual warfare, warnings, and prayer, but it was even more deeply interwoven into God’s time, seasons, and the end days bringing about the end of time. The trumpets would usher in God’s Kingdom! The trumpets were a time piece marking and recording events on God’s time line!

Since that day, two and a half years ago, I’ve been chomping on the bit to convey and express these discoveries that are not really discoveries at all. They are not “new wine” or “new revelation” as many pastors and authors claim to have received exclusively. No, these “discoveries” are old wine left aging in the pages of the Bible that were swept under the rug, neglected, and forgotten before the foundations of the ancient church had settled! Since that day, two and a half years ago, every time I would sit down to write, record, or edit anything about what I had learned, Holy Spirit would simply shut me down. “Wait. Just wait.” That’s what that still, calm voice in my spirit was telling me. This frustrated me to no end.

However, I have learned that saying the right thing at the wrong time is pretty much the same as saying the wrong thing. There is a time for everything. No matter how excited I was or how revealing the material was, it was not God’s time to disclose what I was being shown. That is, until recently.

I was chosen to sound the shofar September 9, 2018. I studied and prayed relentlessly but it was not until October 20, 2019 that I received the anointing to walk out the calling for which I had been chosen. That is a story unto itself. How did I know that this was my calling? It consumed me. I could think about or do nothing else. When I was engaged within the endeavor, I was at peace. The frustrations became further and further apart. That’s not to say that there are still not any challenges. There are challenges, monumental challenges, hurdles, and events that would discourage most. But I am at peace with those frustrations and failures.

To be honest, I am somewhat disappointed with the response to these “40 Days of Awakening” thus far. But I heard the mandate clearly. I will not stop until it is complete.

My “calling” came out of the blue, from deep out of nowhere, suddenly and quite unexpectedly. I did not know that such a “calling” even existed!

Do you KNOW what your “calling” is? If so, how do you know? Have you received the anointing to walk in that “calling”? Remember, everyone wants the anointing until they discover that there is a crushing process associated with the anointing to obtain the oil. Have you scoured God’s Word to identify and confirm your “calling”? If you’ve been called, it’s in there. Does it CONSUME you? Can you think of nothing else? What are your motives?

During this month of Elul, it is important to come before God with a penitent heart. Ask for your “purpose” to be revealed to you. Don’t ask for what you want it to be. Ask for what God wants for you. When you find that purpose, hold fast to it. Learn and hold fast to it. Do not elevate the “calling” or the “gifting” or the “anointing”. ALL those things through you will elevate our God.

A “calling” is not the same as salvation! Hold fast to it for the enemy will do everything possible to rob you of that calling. He does not want to see the calling on your life come to fruition!

A case in point is my lovely wife Cheryl. She appears meek and withdrawn, and she is until she steps into intercessory prayer. When that woman prays, she goes loaded for bear and takes no prisoners! She is powerful in her prayer life. Whatever I am or have become, I know that I was shored up by her dedication in praying over me. Her decrees and declarations have been unwavering and, thus far, she has been on point. Also, she is brilliant when it comes to computers and getting things done digitally. I could not do any of what I do on this website, with video, or audio without the instruction she has provided and her hands on help. Another thing, I can attest to is that her intercessory prayer and laying on of her hands has channeled the power of God and healed my body on more than one occasion. Those are her “callings” and “giftings”. Most of the time she is not even aware of it. She steers from the spotlight, and prefers to remain behind the scenes.

Before I close let me make something clear. We are not all Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Evangelists, or Teachers. I am none of those things. I have been referred to as a prophet, but I make no such claims myself. I am a watchman. My duties are no more important than the pastor’s duties nor are they less important. My duties are no more important than the Sunday School teacher’s duties, or the janitor’s duties, or the greeter’s duties. Their duties are certainly no less than mine or the pastor’s duties. We all work together for the good of the whole church in our service to the Lord. I am not impressed with titles. Certainly, I honor the Pastor, Elder, Deacon, Evangelist, Teacher, and Prophet but they are no greater or less than I am. I count myself the least among you all! However, I watch over you all and I will sound this trumpet when necessary.

We are all in this together. Our destination in our faith is the same. Our tasks are different, but we are all necessary in support of the whole.

I leave you with 1 Corinthians 1:26-27:

1 Corinthians 1:26–27 (NASB95):  ” 26    For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;   27   but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,”

So, when you believe that you are certain of your “calling” or your “purpose”, consider that passage before you accept any “title” that may go along with it and do so as humbly as possible and in total humility. Remember this, above all else. It is not YOUR ministry. It is God’s ministry, and you are allowed to participate. It is your “calling” and you must cling to it. A “calling” your salvation. Your “calling” can be stolen from you if you are not diligent. Just so you know.

I am The Old Watchman, Ezekiel. You have been warned! Shalom!