The High Calling: Pressing on Towards the Mark

By JANE SIPHIWE GANDIYA

Do you feel like you have lost hope? Is your life going nowhere and you feel like you want to give up? Do you feel like you have had enough? Do you want to start afresh in life and try something new? Do you feel like nobody cares? Are you at a crossroads and you dont know what to do with yourself?

The High Calling will help you discover a new way of life and learn to lead that new life with success. The book will help you get revitalized, bounce back to your rightful position in Christ, and never let go. It will help you build your faith and confidence, which will enable you to withstand challenging situations that you could be facing right now. The book will equip you to overcome hurdles by the renewal of your mind. It will direct you to focus on God as well as learn to appreciate Him and His unique ways. The book will help you develop a godly character and become mature in the Lord your God. You will love Him, trust Him even more, understand Him, and become zealous for missions as you prepare for the Lords return.

As you press on toward the mark of your high calling, may you become who God has called you to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Nov 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477242414

Book preview

© 2012 by JANE SIPHIWE GANDIYA. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/01/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4240-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4241-4 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Author’s Note

Part 1: Responding To The High Calling

Chapter 1 Belongingness To A Family/Church

Chapter 2 Finding A Church

Chapter 3 God’s Revelation/Special Understanding

Chapter 4 Overcoming The Challenges Of Salvation

Chapter 5 Narrowly Escaping Death

Chapter 6 Do I Really Need Salvation?

Part 2: From Shepherd Boy To Governor

Chapter 7 The Challenges That Come With Obedience

Chapter 8 The Challenges Of Rejection

Chapter 9 Valleys, Pits, Prisons, And Graves

Chapter 10 Overcoming The Stronghold Of Lies

Chapter 11 Vengeance Is Mine

Chapter 12 Working Out Salvation

Chapter 13 Kingdom Of God Recruitment Agency (KOGRA)

To my beloved fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord,

To the Body of Christ at large,

And to the many more saints still to come.

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my thanks to everyone who has encouraged me to make this dream come true. I especially thank my husband, Sam Gandiya, and my beautiful daughters: Taffy, Tariro, Taida, and Charlene, for continuously encouraging me to write books even if it could have meant starting with booklets. Sam, honey, thank you for being the champion of this project.

I would also like to thank Godfrey and Veronica Nyarambi, the senior pastors of Praise Christian Centre International Church, for believing in me, giving me a chance and helping me discover this wonderful gift of teaching the Word and writing books.

I also thank Edward Issitt, the coordinator for Your Mission UK, for taking his time to read the manuscript and sharing his vast publishing experience.

I also thank my pastors, Sam and Sarah Masamba, of Praise Christian Centre International, Middlesbrough, and also Reverend John Venis of Power Chapel Worldwide Church for publicly prophesying on different occasions into my life and thus encouraging me on.

I would also like to thank Authorhouse Publishers, for their input and diligence in proofreading and editing the manuscript.

Lastly but not least, I would equally like to thank Lillian Munemo, Precious Charuma, Onasis Bakasa, and my sister-in-law, Faith Gandiya, for the tedious task of proofreading the manuscript.

This book is dedicated to a very special woman,

my mother,

Grace Virginia Mhlanga (nee Mwadira),

for having brought me up in a supportive environment by the hand of the Almighty God. Mom, you worked so hard to support me. I still have vivid memories of you accompanying me on those difficult journeys to boarding school after school vacations. You have been such a good model, Mom. You inspired in me the zeal to learn and to desire to be a woman of a good character. I am the woman that I am today because of you. I will forever be grateful.

I love you, Mom!

Jane

FOREWORD

• Having followed the teaching ministry of Jane Gandiya for a while now, this book does not come as a surprise. Jane’s passion for seeing the Church elevated to greater heights in maturity is reflected in every page of the book. Without a doubt, her ability to teach and instruct, coupled with her knowledge of the Word of God, come together to create this wonderfully constructed work. This book will not only strengthen your convictions but will also encourage you to identify the voice of God among a tapestry of voices. I am proud to say that this is definitely a MUST READ!

Godfrey Nyarambi

Senior Pastor and founder, Praise Christian Centre International, (UK & SA)

• The High Calling is excellent and much-needed teaching for today. All new converts and progressing disciples should read it. The emphasis on salvation, integration into a healthy church, growing through trials, renewing the mind by overcoming lies, and the zeal for mission and evangelism in preparation for the Lord’s return are vital issues for a good foundation in the Christian life.

Also, the study of the Old Testament story of Joseph is especially helpful. There are so many comparisons between the life of Joseph and the ministry of Christ. There are also many similarities between the pilgrimage of Joseph and the journey from faith to faith that all Christian believers have to make. You couldn’t have chosen a better character from the Old Testament to illustrate your teaching.

Edward Issitt

National Coordinator, Your Mission, UK

• Through this book, Jane Gandiya has broken new ground in that this is her very first book. This is a simple, short and reader friendly book which is pregnant with spiritual insights, spiritual truths and practical tips and lessons. I recommend this book as a useful guide and tool for all believers who want to press towards their high calling.

Davison Kanokanga

Senior Pastor, Impact Christian Centre

Director, The Marriage Centre

Author, Legal Practitioner and

Marriage Counsellor

• This book has brought me greater understanding of the Church through the illustration of the life of Joseph. He is Christ like and we as believers need to have a heart like Joseph. Despite rejection, suffering and false accusation, he focused on what God had already prepared for him. Jane broke down the Word into its simplest form that anyone can understand. It is a must for any library.

Onasis Bakasa

Pastor, Praise Christian Centre International, (UK & SA)

Author’s Note

I write this book with my heart burning and a very strong urgency from within, the reason being that God has given me a passion about people who after they have received Jesus Christ, begin to backslide as they encounter challenges along the way. These people begin to focus on the challenges that surround them. As a result, they begin to sink; the reason being that the challenges become a trap and finally their downfall. People then find themselves unable to do what God has called them to do, and yet these challenges are to be expected anyway, as clearly stated in the Bible that:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19, KJV)

As believers, we were never promised a bed of roses. God, however, will always see us through the challenges, for as long as we walk in obedience to Him. Remember, He says,

I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:20, KJV)

I have a passion to make people aware that once God has called them, it is a high calling and should be treated as such. Yes, challenges may come, and we all know it is difficult, but all we need to do is to believe that all is well, Jesus is in control, and just press on because God’s presence is always with His children as He has promised in His Word.

As people choose to focus on their challenges, they miss their high calling and delay themselves from doing that which God has called them to do. They delay their blessing which was going to come as they fulfil God’s purposes through their lives. I believe that one of the most common ways through which challenges come is through the sense of hearing and how we react to what we hear. As faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word, we can also say fear comes by entertaining and listening to the devil. The problem is that, when the devil speaks, he speaks through people. He speaks through whosoever he finds available and willing at the time. Not only does he speak but he appears to speak louder than the still soft voice of our Heavenly Father. The devil speaks through our friends. He speaks through our relatives. He speaks through our spouses. He speaks through our bosses. He speaks through our best friends (or people we might consider to be our best friends when actually they are not).

The problem is that we don’t see the devil behind the