Calling Understanding

Calling

Understanding 

At about 8 years old I felt the call of God and thought it was to Africa

At age 26 I went to Africa and realized Africa was not my calling

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Psalm 37:23-24

Understanding your call is a process

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:-6

Don’t worry about the things that don’t work out, like a mission trip to Africa

Because the bigger picture cannot be seen unless the little picture changes

Africa was a total failure

Yet it was one of God’s greatest accomplishments in my life

Failure is a part of understanding God’s call

God never fails, but we do

Understanding

Paul says we know in part and we prophesy in part.

1 Corinthians 13:10

Knowing the future is, at best,

like walking in a cloud.

You can get an image in your mine…

But the end results may not look

anything like you thought.

When I was about 8 years old, a

missionary to Africa spoke at our church.

That night at the evening service as he gave

the altar call, I felt a strong calling.

I knew it was to go to Africa.

I remember going to the altar and then

being instructed to go to a back room.

I went into a room, it was dark no one
ever came in, but God was there.

I told God I would go where ever He wanted

me to go and do whatever He wanted me to do.

Something permanently happened to me that night.

    

When I was 26 years of age I was

asked to go to Africa by two groups.

The one came to the church I

served as part of a pastor’s team.

Someone on the mission team felt very

strongly that I was to go with them to Africa.

The pastors I served with thought it

was good and gave strong support.

There was another minister friend who

we had also come to speak at our church

and He was going to Africa.

Both were going at about the same time.

The plan was I would go with the first group

than when the second minister friend

got there I would go on with him.

I had never been more than 300 miles from home

at that time so it was a big adventure for me.

When we got to Brussels, Belgium the team from around

the US had a couple days to get to know each other.

I was told the night before leaving to Africa that my

visa was not granted and I would have to stay behind

and try to get my visa with the Nigerian Consulate.

This was very scary, but in a couple of days I got my visa.

When I arrived in Kano, the capital of Nigeria, for

customs and layover I had a frightening experience.

When I got off the plane, I saw we were

surrounded by military with machine guns.

Going through customs I was treated like royalty,

but it quickly turned into a nightmare and

the large man helping me wanted my money.

By God’s grace I stood up the man and was

able to get to my contact at Sabena Airlines.

 

When I finely arrived in Lagos,

I meet the team for one day.

 In that day we were almost arrested as we had

to take a stand against police who wanted a bribe.

The place I stayed at had stone and concrete walls around

it with sharp pieces of glass cemented on the top.

My room had 5 or 6 locks on the

doors and bars on the windows.

At night a guard walked

around with a machete.

The group left and I was alone again.

A few days later I went to the

airport to meet my pastor friend.

He did not arrive and I was alone in a dangerous place.

I had a break down thinking I may

never see my wife and children again.

I tried crying but that only gave me a headache.

I remember God gave me a vision of a thimble.

God poured me into the thimble and

then put His finger in the thimble.

  

Up till that trip I felt I would change the world.

 My confidence and pride was at the top of the chart.

God humbled me and a thimble sits in my office

to remind me I am weak, but He is strong.

I can only do all things when I have His strength.

 

Without Him I can do nothing.

   

I realized after that trip I missed it…

I was not called to Africa.

The calling I felt as an 8 year old boy was mixed with

my love for animals, like lions and tigers of Africa…

 Which I did not see.

 Lagos had no wild animals roaming around

 but had so many cars, the even number license

plates drove one day and the odd the next.

When God calls us…

 We need to remember our minds filter the call.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that

night I went to the altar God was calling me.

 But to get me where He was called, He had to

remove preconceived ideas of what the call was.

I believe every one of us has a call to

be born again and a call to ministry.

Understanding that ministry will be a process…

A process of humbling and removing preconceived ideas.

As God is doing this…

 He is removing the fog, the clouds of confusion and

light begins to reveal images of where He wants us.

At age 66, I have seen amazing things as I

have followed the call on my life.

 But I still have a cloud keeping me from seeing clearly

 “the how the call will be fulfilled” in the future.

We never get to the place where we are not to follow Jesus.

  

I am called to be a leader, but I

cannot lead unless I follow Him.

Never will you or I get to a place where our

steps are not important in the big picture.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

Psalms 37:23-24

Understanding your call is a process.

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:-6

Don’t worry about the things that don’t

work out, like a mission trip to Africa.

Because the bigger picture cannot be

seen unless the little picture changes.

Africa was a total failure…

 Yet, it was one of God’s greatest accomplishments in my life.

Failure is a part of understanding God’s call.

God never fails, but we do.

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 NKJV

 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

Psalm 37:23-24 NKJV

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,

And He delights in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

Philippians 1:5-6 NIV

 6 being confident of this, that he who began

a good work in you will carry it on to

completion until the day of Christ Jesus.