Answering and Understanding the Call of God for Your Life

By Chinyere Nwakwue

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:1920).

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me (Isaiah 6:8).

How do you know God has called you into the ministry? How can you really tell in which area of the ministry he wants you to serve? For many, these can be frustrating and confusing questions. In Answering and Understanding the CALL of God for Your Life, author Chinyere Nwakwue provides guidance in responding to Gods call for your life and your lifes ministry.

Blending her personal experiences with a plethora of scriptural examples, Nwakwue walks you through the process and shows how this calling is a privilege God has given you. In her study, she considers

the factors involved in Gods calling;
the reasons that some people struggle with the call of God;
the Bible characters who struggled with answering Gods call;
the reasons that God called you;
the enemies of Christian life who will try to interrupt Gods call; and
ways to overcome the enemies.

Nwakwue communicates that your response to the call of God has significant effects in your life as you run your Christian race. Christ Jesus has called and commanded every individual to preach the gospel to all creatures. Are you ready?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781475960600

Chinyere Nwakwue

Chinyere Nwakwue after several years of serving the Lord now realized that God has a higher calling, greater plan and purpose for her life beyond her imagination. In May 2011, the Lord showed Chinyere some scriptures, which have tremendously transformed her entire life, family and her pursuit of God hence this book. Answering and Understanding the CALL of God for your Life. In the light of these scriptures, Chinyere has fully surrendered her entire life without reservations to The Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ-her Lord, friend, deliverer, savior and master. Chinyere has not seen the urgency to preach the gospel as now. Therefore, she encourages everyone to join her declare the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ to all the nations of the world in obedience and in reverence to him. “And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, Suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:57–62).

Book preview

Answering and Understanding the CALL

of God for Your Life.

Chinyere Nwakwue

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

Answering and Understanding the CALL of God for Your Life.

Copyright © 2013 Chinyere Nwakwue

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-6062-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6061-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6060-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012921076

iUniverse rev. date: 4/25/2013

CONTENTS

Chapter One

The Call Of God

Chapter Two

Reasons Why Some Believers Struggle With The Call Of God

Chapter Three

Some Characters In The Bible Who Struggled In Answering The Call Of God

Chapter Four

Faulty Foundation

Chapter Five

Curses, Kinds And How They Operate

Chapter Six

Why Did God Call You?

Chapter Seven

Reasons Why God’s Plans Are Sometimes Delayed

Chapter Eight

Do You Have To Answer The Call Of God?

Chapter Nine

Challenges Ministry Face Generally

Chapter Ten

How To Enhance A Smooth And Effective Ministry

Chapter Eleven

Points Worthy Of Note As You Answer The Call Of God

Chapter Twelve

The Enemies Of Your Christian Life

Chapter Thirteen

The Gospel We Preach

Chapter Fourteen

The Enemies Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Chapter Fifteen

I Am Deeply Concerned With Christianity In Our World Today

Chapter Sixteen

Strategies Of Satan To Entangle And Deceive Many In These Perilous Times (Beware)!

Chapter Seventeen

Things That Cannot Take You To Heaven

Answering and Understanding the CALL of God for Your Life.

The call of God is an opportunity God orchestrated before the foundation of the earth. His love for all humanity manifested through the death of his Son on the cross, which opened the door for anyone interested to witness his full grace and mercy—the gospel. Christ learned obedience through what he suffered. Therefore, your obedience to God in answering your call will reveal the full manifestations of his blessings in your life while disobedience shortens his hands from reaching out to save, and as well brings limitations to his plans for you. The command in Mark 16:15, is for all believers to fulfil. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Purpose—to preach the gospel, and set as many that believe in his name—Jesus free from bondage of Satan. Are you ready for God to use you as an instrument to fulfill his plans in your family, church, nation, and in the entire world? God is supreme; he is the same yesterday, today and forever. He did it during the Bible days with his prophets; he can still do it again today through you if you believe. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).

Brethren, your calling is a privilege God has given you. Therefore, walk in that grace of God by using every gift and opportunity for his kingdom. In his fullness of time, he will shower his blessings upon you according to his will and purpose for your life. Amen. The Bible declares in 1 Corinthians 1:26–29, For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

This book is dedicated to God Almighty-the creator of all humanity and to those who have answered the CALL of God. I thank you so deeply for responding to this high call in obedience, and in honor of our heavenly Master, friend, and Savior Jesus Christ—he will reward you in his time. God bless you richly in Jesus’ name. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Answering the call of God demands your consistent walk with God, and seeking his face daily for directions and leadership. When you answer your call, you are solely accountable to God for all your actions. However, as you are accountable to God, note equally that you are working with people daily whose knowledge and understanding differ from yours. Furthermore, consider the differences and levels of spiritual maturity of people you might be working with hence, there is a need for collaborative efforts, and walking with one mind in Christ to achieve a desired goal. Seeing the nature of the race we are running as pilgrims, there is a need for us to walk according to the leadership and directions of the Holy Spirit consistently.

Consequently, one of the struggles we encounter in the ministry today is; the Holy Spirit is not given the full opportunity to operate in our midst hence, strife and war in the body of Christ. However, be aware of the race we are running is a race between good and bad and between God and Satan. Both kingdoms are in a constant battle in the quest of which will defeat the other. Without question of course, we know that Jesus already has defeated Satan on the cross. Nevertheless, Satan is yet to face his judgment before God. Therefore, he employs his devilish tactics to fight God’s chosen people on earth in different sets of life—name homes, schools, churches, highways, workplaces, and even in our minds. When you are not allowing the Holy Spirit to be in charge, you might be causing confusion in the Body, and in the ministry at large. If you find yourself standing in the way of the Holy Spirit either by accident, or by omission, or by whatever reasons, this position might not be a good one to occupy. You might be indirectly presenting yourself to be a little god before your subordinates—you want them to carry out every command you give otherwise—conflict will be the order of the day. Repent and allow the Holy Spirit his rightful place so that the work of God might prosper. If you persistently refuse to repent and vigorously forge ahead in your own way, be reminded that you are bringing setbacks, limits, frustration, pain, agony, and grounds for the enemy to attack those working with you.

Subsequently, without doubt, God has placed you in a position of leadership and at whatever ability of call he allowed on you—glory be to God and praise his name for you. In addition, you might be the President and Founder—that is fine as well. However, for the sake of the gospel, allow the Holy Spirit to be in charge so that the purpose of God for allowing Christ to suffer on the cross might be fulfilled in the lives of his people. The kingdom of God is not about personal positions and achievements but rather about Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit is not in charge, there might be a power tussle among believers.

Nevertheless, a true believer might be willing to do the will of God but might not be in a position to do so—impossible to carry out the will of God. Even when spoken, might be of little or no effect because somebody is desperately not willing to yield to the Holy Spirit. Worst still, even when the true believer compromises (do what I say or follow the leader or unguarded leadership worship), the danger and consequences cannot be overemphasized. When born again Christians cannot walk together in unity and in harmony of the Spirit of God, somebody should examine his or her life. The word of God which is our only standard declares, Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things (2 Corinthians 6:3–10).

Answering and understanding the call of God could be confusing and challenging sometimes. To answer the call of God is one thing, and to understand exactly the call itself is another. However, how do you know God has called you into the ministry? How can you tell in which area of the ministry God wants you to serve?

Graciously speaking, if God has called you, he will make it clear to you through the help of the Holy Spirit. The call of God is one of the vital areas in a believer’s life—if for any reason one deviates from the path of God would make a significant difference—might not be a positive one unfortunately. It could be a setback in your spiritual and physical life touching every aspect: finances, career, or family until the message is well understood. In addition, with consistent prayer coupled with the grace and mercy of God, there will be clarity and direction on how to paddle the canoe—mind you this might take perseverance and longsuffering. God is always ready to help when you cry out to him.

Furthermore, God’s plan for all believers is for them to enjoy their walk with him. Sometimes because of error, oversight, or possibly disobedience, one might fall short hence, troubles, and chaos. Believers need to understand that God has the supreme power in the whole universe to do anything. He does not consult any person or authority besides himself to decide what to do—he commanded, and it came to pass. Therefore, we must obey him, if we want to serve him better—he can choose whomever he wishes for a particular office in his vineyard. He has given every individual gift according to his or her ability, and he knows which area that is best for you. If God has chosen you for a particular office, and you refuse to work in it for whatever reasons, you might be disobeying God. The Bible says in the book of 1 Samuel 15:22, And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Obedience will save you from sacrificing your precious time to fast and pray afterwards, and will deliver you from unnecessary warfare from the enemy. The adversary, and the accuser of the brethren devil, is an opportunist. If you open the door for him through your disobedience, he will come in. Surrendering to God will not only draw you closer to him, but will also give you God’s eternal peace which only he can give. When one is walking in disobedience to God, such a person might be like someone who married the wrong spouse because of your choices. I pray God will help you surrender to him, and yield to the Holy Spirit so your life might be what he has ordained it to be in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Furthermore, the call of God cannot be effective in your life without first having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is after you have accepted him, then the great commission to preach the gospel to every creature follows. Accepting him into your life opens the door for him to take preeminence in your life. To be successful in your walk with God demands your ability to discern by the grace of God, which area he wants you to work in his vineyard. As you do, the spiritual gift God has granted to you will begin to unfold and manifest in your life. When you walk in obedience to God and in total submission to the Holy Spirit, he will teach you, broaden your vision, knowledge and understanding to the ministry and work he has for you in the Body. For instance, God might bestow upon you the gift of healing which you are not even aware of for whatever reasons. Because of your ignorance, you are not walking and exercising on the gift of healing. However, you have been faithfully serving the Lord through other ministry channels—Bible study, leading prayer groups, hospitality, and encouragement other than the gift of healing. Thus, though you are still busy for the Lord in a different way, yet you are not fully walking in the ministry area God has called you. Are you working for the Lord? Possibly yes—something is not right and needs God’s intervention. Partial obedience does not bring the full manifestation of God’s blessings rather full obedience does.

However, one experiences a breakthrough walking in his or her calling—quick, instant, and most of the time without much effort as opposed to someone walking just on a general level. Children of God have the power to perform miracles, but the difference is clear when you have the gift for that specific need. Our God is a mysterious God; his gifts, and works among his people are incomprehensible too—he alone knows, as his wisdom is beyond mankind. If believers understand their calling, the race would be much easier thus, harmony in the spirit. Many have answered the wrong call, which is affecting the Body both physically and spiritually—answered somebody else’s call finally, the confusion and chaos in the ministry. Nevertheless, it is not too late to make a ‘U’ turn right now, and God will deliver you—first you need to realize on your own that you have made a mistake. Your ability to realize your mistakes put you in a better position to turn around and receive corrections. Otherwise, you might remain where you are thinking you are doing the right thing.

In this book, by the grace of God you will be exposed to how to understand and respond to the call of God and thus your ministry. I assure you by the grace of God that your life will never remain the same in Jesus’ name. Amen.

God in his power has chosen different individuals to do some specific work in his kingdom while some others willingly chose to do the work themselves. Whether God chose you or you chose for yourself, you still have a responsibility to shoulder—to obey God in all ways. These people have something significant in them. When you choose to do the work of God you are not under any mandate; you freely decided to do his work hence, it is your choice. On the other hand, if God has chosen you to do his work, you are under a mandate to do so. In this case, he chose and decided it for you and not you deciding for yourself. Under the authority and power of God, you must follow that specific route he has said you should follow. This is where it is very expedient that you yield to the Holy Spirit. You have no choice of your own than to obey him. Even when you try to present your choices they are not honored; hence, he does not want your personal affairs to interfere with his work. Even so, he will never force you to obey him. He gives a command, and lets you decide—obey, and you will not regret it. As he commanded the prophets of old in the Bible, in like-manner he is commanding us today. Will you obey him? I pray God Almighty that as you dig deeper into this book—to unfold every hidden word of his to you. Following circumspectly every direction he wants you to follow so you may be effective in his kingdom in Jesus’ name. Amen.

But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

(Matthew 19:11–12)

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

(Luke 1:13–17)

CHAPTER ONE

The Call of God

Who are called? John 1:12–13 declares, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that he died on the cross, and rose again from the grave on the third day—God gave them power to become his children.

Consequently, as you have believed and become a child of God, your daily walk with the Lord is also your call—how you live your life. God is pleased when you commit your whole life to him including his work, and live a righteous life before him. If you love the Lord, you would do those things that please him and those things he hates you would not venture to do them. God demands only one thing from all his children—obedience. God has the power to commission his children to do anything he feels they are capable of doing. He knows his children and the ability he has given to each one of them. God might not commission you to work for him if you do not truly know him. Does that mean everyone who does the work of God really knows him? God might have to answer for himself. Nobody has the right and ability to judge his or her fellow human being. Mathew 7:1 says, Judge not, that ye be not judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. It is not anybody’s responsibility to work hard to find out if everyone doing the work of God is truly his. He has given each one of us spiritual gifts to help us carry out his work effectively. God’s transcendent gift in you is for you to determine whether what is going on around you is right or wrong. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit—you will be able to determine which way to follow. However, for a total transformation to manifest in your life and in the work of God—God has to be in charge and his word given the right place in your heart—to bring about eternal change.

Furthermore, God’s spiritual gifts help prevent strife in the body of Christ. When you become aware of what is happening, you then take precaution, and walk in God’s wisdom to enhance a smooth flow of the Spirit. For instance, if God showed you someone is living in sin, and he or she is holding a well-recognized position in the Body, your duty at that point is not to condemn or judge but rather to pray. In addition, pray for God’s wisdom on how to stay focused—you might be perplexed and troubled on how to continue to love such a person without conditions as well doing the work of God with purity of heart. The reason God showed you such is not to bring confusion upon you, rather to remind you of what is possible in the Body—to be more cautious in your Christian walk. Otherwise, you might sheepishly become a prey to the enemy through your ignorance—as some never thought Satan could bring all kinds of evil manifestations in the church. Believe it the church is where Satan launches his worst attacks. Without that in mind, some would just think that everybody in the church is a true child of God until they receive the sting of Satan from the church then their eyes will be opened. However, if they had known, they would have taken some precautionary measures—walking in the spirit.

Furthermore, when people are living in sin, they create an avenue for the enemy to use them as an instrument to accomplish his evil plans and purposes anywhere available. Worse still, they might not be conscious of the damage the enemy is causing to their spiritual lives, though preaching the gospel—many might not even see beyond the physical realm. When you are not fully operating by the Spirit of God, be aware that Satan is very close to fight. Satan might use such openings as lies, and often times people call it simple or little lies. However, no lie is simple or little—every lie is a sin before God. Do not leave any stone unturned because Satan is very wicked, desperate to kill, and to destroy—God will continue to keep and protect his people. Apostle Paul says, no matter how anyone preaches—Christ is being preached anyhow. Philippians 1:15–18 says, Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

In conclusion, when God calls you to do his work, he equips you with everything you need to work with both spiritually and physically. One of the criteria to work for the Lord Jesus—have a personal testimony on how you met him. Then, you can transfer what you have witnessed including your experiences to somebody else. There has to be a personal encounter with Christ Jesus for effective calling to take place. The Bible says in Luke 9:1–2, Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Generally, you cannot just wake up in the morning, drive out to a facility, and begin to work as an employee of that place. This might be ridiculous, and would create an occasion to question your identity and personality. On the other hand, for you to be an employee of any facility there has to be a connection somehow, which will eventually allow you to become part of them? First, you have to decide what kind of job and location where you want to work. Second, there might be an interview to decide if you qualify for the position you are seeking. Third, there might be orientation to get you acquainted with the place if you qualify. Finally, after all the necessary familiarities, both parties will then decide whether to accept or to reject—a matter of choice from both ends. Because you have successfully completed an interview does not mean you will work there. You might or might not like the offer. On the other hand, the employer might or might not hire you for whatever reasons. God has the ultimate power over you hence he knows what is best for you. If he has called you and you are convinced, the best solution is to obey. Obedience will save you from unnecessary confusion and problems that might come up later.

Understanding The Call Of God

It takes the grace of God to understand the call of God. However, walking in obedience and in submission to the Holy Spirit will lead you into victory in Christ Jesus—without the grace of God, there is no effective call. Humanly speaking, sometimes we question God when he tells us his will concerning certain things in our lives. We might be angry and question why we should take such a route instead of ours. Even so, at other times there might be some struggles and doubts in us whether God is the one speaking—not what we expected or something we like and love to do. You may be thinking the devil is speaking to you as you engage in spiritual warfare—binding and loosing. Behold, it is God speaking to you and none other—what you are hearing is far from your own agenda—your negative reactions. If God is speaking to you, he will continue to manifest in a special way to you until you understand the message. With continual confirmations, the Spirit of God will convince you that he is the one. Then, it will be up to you to decide what you want to do—to obey or not. Certainly without question, you will know that it has gone beyond the ordinary—the Holy Spirit in you will convince you that it is God. Once you have been convinced that it is God, God himself will also know that you have understood the message; he will then sit back and watch your reactions to his command.

However, an individual’s level of yielding to the Holy Spirit plays an integral part in doing the will of God. A Holy Ghost filled life will always obey God in everything no matter the message and the task. A believer who selects what to obey and what not to—would be like someone standing on the fence. One part of the body is in, and the other part is out—always ready to make any move to whichever side favorable—a dangerous zone and position to be.

Furthermore, at some other times, you may have continuously remained preoccupied with your daily personal activities such that God had spoken to you, and you missed it because of your busy life. This also is a problem—as you might continue to pray for one thing repeatedly without knowing that God has said something about it. When this is the case, God will remain silent and watch you complain or murmur for him not doing anything about your problems. Moreover, we always find ourselves asking God for things he has already given to us—often blinded with our personal lives that we cannot see beyond our own circumstances. When we forget to step back for a few minutes to know what the mind of God is concerning the prayers we have prayed, we might miss the mark of our calling. Lives might not be delivered; people might continue to live in pain, agony—not the plan of God for his