Christian Living
Do you believe God has called you to minister His Word but somehow you are not exactly sure if you are ready? Whether your call is as an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and/or Teacher (Ephesians 4:11), I believe that after becoming aware that you have a call, the next important thing is to know when you are ready. To be ready, you have to have gone through a preparatory process.
Preparation For Your Call
God is the One who calls us, He is the One who assigns each of the 5 ministry gifts.
“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”
Ephesians 4:7-8 NKJV
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,“
Ephesians 4:11 NKJV
As we see in Ephesians 4:12-13, God gives these gifts for the good of the Body of Christ.
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;“
Ephesians 4:12-13 NKJV
These gifts are actually offices and roles. So God doesn’t just give us the gifts, He prepares us to function effectively and efficiently in the different offices. I believe though, that God chooses how best to accomplish this, depending on the assigned office. For example, Peter did not have the same preparatory experience as Paul.
Through the Gospels, we find that Jesus walked His disciples through a preparatory process. Teaching, Coaching, Mentoring, Field Work (sent them out 2/2), Faith Exploits, etc, then He Breathed on them before the actual baptism in Acts 1:8. So Jesus groomed the 12 disciples Himself, they went through stages of preparation. Paul had a different preparatory experience.
Preparation for ministry cannot be by-passed. We just have to be sensitive as to how God is leading us by working closely with and obeying the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes really, we may not know what stage of preparation we are in and whether it is Time. In this blogpost, drawing from Acts 10:38, I share 5 signs that indicate readiness to function in these offices. Note that these may not be the only indicators, but I believe they are key.
Acts 10:38….
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV
Sign #1
- You are anointed with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God’s special gift to the Church (the body of Christ). He indwells us.
“I am writing this letter about those who are trying to lead you into the wrong way. Christ gave you a special gift. You still have this gift in you. So you don’t need anyone to teach you. The gift he gave you teaches you about everything. It is a true gift, not a false one. So continue to live in Christ, as his gift taught you.”
1 John 2:26-27 ERV
At the new birth we become born of the Spirit of God and at Holy Ghost baptism we become filled with the Spirit of God.
The first evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is Speaking in tongues.
“And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.”
Speaking in tongues is not the only job of the Holy Spirit in us.
The Holy Spirit is our;
Helper (John 14:16, 15:26), Teacher (John 14:26), Guide (John 16:13), Companion (John 14:16), Comforter (2 Corinthians 1:4), Intercessor (Romans 8:26). He Witnesses Christ (John 15:26).
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever”
John 14:16 AMP
The Holy Spirit manifests the Fruit of the Spirit in us (Galatians 5:22).
The diversity of Manifestations we see in the Body of Christ are from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12: 8-11).
What Does It Mean To Be Anointed?
In a recent blogpost “When God Anoints You” I shared some major things that happen when someone becomes anointed of God.
To be anointed, as used in Acts 10:38 is to become consecrated for an office or for a service. To consecrate, is to become formally dedicated or ordained for a purpose.
Notice from Acts 10:38 that this anointing is administered directly by God…..it says…..”how God anointed Jesus”
In the old testament, a priest, prophet or a dedicated vessel carries out the physical act of pouring oil on someone to anoint to them for service. The Early Church must have understood that, that is not necessarily the anointing for service, neither is it the process for seperation for service. They chose rather to pray and lay hands.
“They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].”
Acts 6:6 AMP
Acts 10:38 says God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was never anointed with oil, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. This is the only form of anointing recorded of Jesus in the Bible.
The special anointing/power you require to function in the 5-fold ministry gifts is given by the Holy Spirit; This Special anointing with the Holy Spirit is what prepares us for every good work/service.
“As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].”
1 John 2:27 AMP
When anointed with the Holy Spirit, we operate fully in the Spirit of the Lord.
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord .”
Isaiah 11:2 NKJV
Sign #2
- You are anointed with Power.
Power is inherent strength (ability) and expressed strength (might). Jesus’ power came from the Holy Spirit.
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV
And Jesus said that’s how his followers, disciples are to receive power.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 NKJV
He also gave authority to His disciples to function on earth. So we have both power and authority to act..
“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
Power is therefore very necessary for fulfilling your call; …
To witness boldly.
To teach
To make disciples
To perform miracles, signs and wonders.
You will never know how much power that is at work in you until you put your faith to work (selah).
Sign #3
- You know Your Office.
Having a job title/description appropriately identifies you and also clarifies your role. It gives you focus. Jesus came as Saviour/Messiah of all and He went about doing good and healing all.
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV
“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11 NKJV
Paul was an apostle, there is no doubt about that. His various letters to different Churches/groups attests to this (Colossians, Thessalonians, Ephesians, Hebrews, etc).
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,“
I Timothy 1:1 NKJV
One of Jesus’s admonitions to Peter was to ‘feed my sheep‘ (John 21:17). That wasn’t about physical food, but the Spiritual food of the Word. I believe Peter’s office was to teach about Christ-The Word.
Which of the 5 Ministry Gifts is yours?
“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.”
I Corinthians 12:28 NKJV
Have you located your office? Be a good steward of the gifts and talents entrusted to your care (Luke 19:11-26). Trust God enough to launch out, walk with the Holy Spirit.
Sign #4
- You know your Target Population and your message. Jesus’s target population was ALL who are oppressed/bound/limited by the devil.
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV
Paul was sent to the Gentiles.
“For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,”
Romans 11:13 NKJV
You may be sent to a local Church, to a nation, tribe, people or on a global mission. Who is your target audience?
Secondly, what area of grace are you primarily appointed to operate in?; faith, love, hope, prosperity, leadership, etc. (I think this kind of connects with who you are).
Thirdly, each of these 5 Ministry Gifts is a leadership role. Have you ever thought about that? Are you ready to lead? If you want followers then you have to be ready to lead. Are you ready for influence and responsibility?
Sign #5
- You recognize the central role God plays in your calling.
Jesus having come on earth as man, could only accomplish His work because “God was with Him”; hence He needed the Special anointing by the Holy Spirit
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 NKJV
As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].”
1 John 2:27 AMP
Without the Vine, the branch can do nothing. So, what stage of preparation are you in right now? Are you ready for your call? ….
That is the same question I am asking myself? 🙂
May The Lord Bless and Keep you
