It has nothing to do with gifts or worth: "God makes men what they are." We can't ever really be less or more than what God has created us as though it rarely appears the way it is on the surface. That's as far as worth is concerned; as for gifts, your gifts (like asking for the gift of prophecy) are not your calling. Your calling is who you really are (though you and no one else may ever know it, ever); it is the spiritual DNA or self that God placed the womb when you were conceived, and it can't change though it often lies undiscovered. You can share your testimony as much as you feel comfortable doing, but when it comes to your purpose, it's important for you to know it and not wonder and guess about it. The less a person knows of who he/she is, the more easily they can be manipulated and pressured to be other than who they are. People are confused and easily directed today because people rarely know what it is they are doing alive; not knowing their purpose (even among Christians), they are subject to every and any kind of control mechanism and to all kinds of loss and heartache. God wants us to know who we are and what our purpose is; that way, however we decide from there, at least we have clarity and all the facts.
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
T
I relate to what you say, that if you are confused about your calling then people will be able to easily manipulate you. I agree with you. But as for the gifts' relation to the calling, it seems to me that the gifts should be evidence, and also tools, of the calling. So I would think that whatever the gifts are, then the calling might be made more apparent because of these. I imagine that the first calling is love and the priority and the means by which the Lord brings us back if we happen to stray. Now to understand one's calling in life, that is the same as knowing the big picture vision of one's existence. If I cannot tell you exactly what will happen tomorrow, or even 5 years from now, or whether I will be doing this thing or that thing for the rest of my life, then is it true that I am therefore confused about my calling? And maybe I am. But my confusion disappears and passion begins where I see injustice - and I do not mean injustice as most see it, but injustice in a light which no one else is able to see it until it is pointed out. That much I do know. And it's a heavy burden, and it hurts some. For after my passion, then the confusion sets in again, knowing that I am against a force that has the ability to bruise me, to discern whether it is the enemy or punishment. But I suppose it is both.
The Jezebel spirit can have a field day with prophetic people for many reasons one of them being that people with a high measure of prophetic gifts or those called to be prophets tend to be easily confused by their passions and how they are so different from their lives or what goes on around them. The prophetic spirit is sort of a mystical or spiritual thing: dreams, visions, God, God, God. It is vertical; can you see how easy it would be to be confused if you are created to relate to God much more than you relate to people? You are stuck on this earth and your heart is in Heaven; but you are surrounded by earthly things. You see a lot of things as God sees them, especially as regards to equity and injustice. Jezebel (and others) can take full advantage of this and torment prophets and prophetic people. What is the antidote to the confusion? Paul says, "God is not the author of disorder (confusion) but of peace as in all the churches (congregations) of the Saints" (1Cor. 14:33). So, now we know God doesn't want us confused or accessible to a spirit of confusion or any reaching tendrils of witchcraft; the antidote is to know who you are on every side: "Therefore, put on the full armor of God", not just some of it. You need to come to know who God has made you to be on all sides, not just one or two sides: what disposition/personality did God give you (Rom. 12:6-8), what spiritual gifts did He give you permanently (1Cor. 12:7-11), what ministry has He called you to (1Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11), and what is the overall purpose of your existence? As you cover each of these basic <four> sides, you will begin to close the gaps to the enemy's ability to cause confusion and such.
You said, "s for the gifts' relation to the calling, it seems to me that the gifts should be evidence, and also tools, of the calling. So I would think that whatever the gifts are, then the calling might be made more apparent because of these." There are different types of gifts; I only mentioned the spiritual ones above; you have inherited as well as your own particular qualitative (like your character and the way you see people and the world) and quantitative (like physical abilities and talents). These gifts can help to point to your calling but don't necessarily do so. However, if God calls you to minister to millionaires who own yachts and planes, He may give you a specific talent to get wealth or/and favor with the wealthy so that you can not just go to them but be among them (because some are sent to get in and get out and some are sent to stay). It's all very mixed, and there's no one particular way to tell this or that. You've heard of people who have zeal without knowledge and then there's the other side: knowledge without zeal; you don't want to be either one of those. If you have knowledge, you need to add zeal to it and vice versa. Let me tell you a practical application of this: the Lord used to speak often to me by word of wisdom (which is the right way or the Lord's way to proceed; it always works) around '98-'00. My best friend had a lot of zeal for God and he felt I had wisdom; he wanted wisdom, and I wanted zeal. As we thought about it, I told him, "You pray for me to have the zeal you have, and I'll pray for you to have the wisdom I have." It sounded great to both of us (which is always what happens with a real word of wisdom; they shine light on the right way to proceed). Well, we did what was suggested, and it worked just as a word of wisdom always will. That short story is a reminder that those who have knowledge need to get zeal and those who have zeal need to get knowledge. The five ministries were given to build up or mature the Saints (so everyone knows who he is all around) so they can do the work of ministry rather than just pastors doing it (Eph. 4:11-16). You probably don't know several ministers who fit all those ministries, but you can ask God to show you: 1.) your motivation or the personality He gave you, 2.) what spiritual gifts He's given you, 3.) and what He has overall called you to. You may get it that way, but because it's multi-faceted for each person (no one is called to just one thing ever), these five-fold ministers are basically required, each 'fold' of the five teaching and imparting and revealing different facets in each person which is why all five are needed. Alone, the pastor teaches the Sheep to graze and laze, the teacher teaches the people to do nothing but study their Bibles, the evangelist tries to drag everyone on missionary and neighborhood trips to evangelize, the prophet never stops talking about all the sin and wrong in the world, and the apostle keeps everyone thinking about the overall picture and unable to address the minute details. All five are needed together (i.e. the ministry of each one which is able to come from just a few or even one person) to minister to each person, because together, they are the Lord's manifestation who is the Whole that we need.
You said, "s for the gifts' relation to the calling, it seems to me that the gifts should be evidence, and also tools, of the calling. So I would think that whatever the gifts are, then the calling might be made more apparent because of these." There are different types of gifts; I only mentioned the spiritual ones above; you have inherited as well as your own particular qualitative (like your character and the way you see people and the world) and quantitative (like physical abilities and talents). These gifts can help to point to your calling but don't necessarily do so. However, if God calls you to minister to millionaires who own yachts and planes, He may give you a specific talent to get wealth or/and favor with the wealthy so that you can not just go to them but be among them (because some are sent to get in and get out and some are sent to stay). It's all very mixed, and there's no one particular way to tell this or that. You've heard of people who have zeal without knowledge and then there's the other side: knowledge without zeal; you don't want to be either one of those. If you have knowledge, you need to add zeal to it and vice versa. Let me tell you a practical application of this: the Lord used to speak often to me by word of wisdom (which is the right way or the Lord's way to proceed; it always works) around '98-'00. My best friend had a lot of zeal for God and he felt I had wisdom; he wanted wisdom, and I wanted zeal. As we thought about it, I told him, "You pray for me to have the zeal you have, and I'll pray for you to have the wisdom I have." It sounded great to both of us (which is always what happens with a real word of wisdom; they shine light on the right way to proceed). Well, we did what was suggested, and it worked just as a word of wisdom always will. That short story is a reminder that those who have knowledge need to get zeal and those who have zeal need to get knowledge. The five ministries were given to build up or mature the Saints (so everyone knows who he is all around) so they can do the work of ministry rather than just pastors doing it (Eph. 4:11-16). You probably don't know several ministers who fit all those ministries, but you can ask God to show you: 1.) your motivation or the personality He gave you, 2.) what spiritual gifts He's given you, 3.) and what He has overall called you to. You may get it that way, but because it's multi-faceted for each person (no one is called to just one thing ever), these five-fold ministers are basically required, each 'fold' of the five teaching and imparting and revealing different facets in each person which is why all five are needed. Alone, the pastor teaches the Sheep to graze and laze, the teacher teaches the people to do nothing but study their Bibles, the evangelist tries to drag everyone on missionary and neighborhood trips to evangelize, the prophet never stops talking about all the sin and wrong in the world, and the apostle keeps everyone thinking about the overall picture and unable to address the minute details. All five are needed together (i.e. the ministry of each one which is able to come from just a few or even one person) to minister to each person, because together, they are the Lord's manifestation who is the Whole that we need.
Whatever the cause of the voices, The answer is the same. And that is, You have the authority to move the mountains of your life, And those thoughts are mountains.
You have the God given authority to bind those thoughts and voices In the name of Jesus.
Jesus has given His Church His name. And the name of Jesus has just as much authority that Jesus had while He was on the earth.
The Greek meaning for, "Authority" Is, [The will and command that we give, Has to be obeyed].
Jesus defeated the devil by saying what the Bible says, when the devil temped Jesus, Jesus said, "It is written".
Then He quoted the Old Testament, And that made the devil leave.
You can quote that you have a sound mind, 2 Tim 1: 7.
Heb 3: 1, Say7s Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, The Greek meaning for "Confession", Is,
"Agreeing with God, And saying the same as God", So if you agree that God said you have a sound mind, You can confess it, Then Jesus becomes the High Priest of you confession, and bring it to pass.
Rom 10: 8, says the word is in our mouth, Then in our heart, And medical science has proved thats as we speak the word Out loud, It goes into our inner ear and our spirit [Heart] believe a lot quicker.
Then rom 8: 10 says, with heart we believe [Because we have spoken it], and the mouth speaks words of faith.
Faith, binding and confessing = the victory.
Many Christians have been delivered from problems in the mind, By these principles.
I will stand with you for your victory.
Don't quit, quitters nether win, And winners nether quit.
The devil won't stop until he knows he can't beat us on any given plan that he has for us.
1 Pet 5: 8 tells us to be vigilant because the devil goes around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
And the one's he devours, Is found in V9. If we don't resist him, he will win, But if we resist his attack's , We will win.
Hebrews 4: 1`4 tells us to "Hold fast to our confession". Hebrews 10: tells us to hold fast without wavering, because God is faithful who has promised.
So keep confessing the victory until you know that you know he can't put wrong thoughts into your mind.
Revelation 12: 11,Says "They overcame the devil by the blood of Jesus", So you can plead the precious blood of Jesus and overcome.
Revelation 12: 11, Also says "They overcame by the word of their testimony".
The Greek meaning for that is,.
"God given power to support the one who speaks with authority".
So as you use your God given authority to command those thoughts to leave you, In the mighty name of Jesus, You have all of heaven backing you up.
We are more than conquerors, Rom 8: 37, God always causes us to triumph in Christ, 2 Cor 2: 14.
Faith gives us the victory that overcomes the world, [Including the devil], 1 John 5: 4--5.
WE WIN, If we stand firm.
I mat not have no scope as a physician, But I have the authority of the word of God.
And I have told MarriedWoman what the Bible says.
Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Heb 3: 1. The Greek meaning for "confession", Is
"Agreeing with God, And saying the same as God".
And God says He has give us a sound well balanced mind, 2 Tim 1: 7.
So we should agree with God, and say the same s what God has said.
I have seen many people set free by these wonderful principles, So I know it works.
Married woman Isn't mentally ill, She is healed by the stripes of Jesus, 1 Pet 2: 24. And if she agrees with that, and keeps confessing it, She will see the manifestation of her deliverance.