God’s Call

Greetings in Jesus’ Joy!

We celebrated Pentecost Sunday. Theologically, Pentecost is "The Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter”. 2. In Judaism, it is the Jewish festival of Shavuoth. All over Christendom, we express honor in knowing that the Almighty Father, Jesus Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit are alive in the life of the Believer.

If we just take the following six Sundays to gleam in “The period "after Pentecost" (so-called, without refer- once to Trinity) devotion to "The Christian Life", under the various headings for six Sundays, of "God's Call", "Bible”, “Church, and Sacraments", "The Life of Devotion", "Life in the World", "The End" will be orated through scripture.

Trinity Sunday is an invitation to us, to contemplate and reflect upon the mystery of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Listen to this week's reflection by the Rev. Dr. Bettye Walker Broomfield, St. Paul AME Church, North Charleston, SC.

The Topic is “God’s Call.” The scripture is I Corinthians 7:17: “Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.”

Have you ever question your God Calling? Webster, “Definition of calling. 1: a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence. 2: the vocation or profession in which one customarily engages." Embracing the second definition as a believer it is your vocation or profession in which you customarily engage. Your God Calling birth through the Gospel that gives you as a true believer the following:

a. sets you free by Christ, that frees you from sin, death, and condemnation

b. as a True Believer, having an abundance of life now throughout your life

c. Inherit eternal life

d. having the privilege of ruling and reigning with Christ forever

e. that the Lord Jesus Christ shall return

f. that God does not show favoritism; all men are equal before Him.

h. that the sin and corruption of this world shall be done away with, and God shall make a new heaven and earth.

This is the revolutionary Truth. The Gospel changes your status as a Believer. Your life is no longer the same. Believers will then engulf a plethora of hope, faith, and joy. He or she will become a dreamer. Looking forward to a future of peace and love. It was the Revolutionary nature of the gospel that caused some believers in Corinth to begin….

1. Breaking their social ties

2. Changing their profession

3. Breaking their religious ties

4. Cutting loose from their family and public obligations.

This kind of behavior disrupted the Corinthians and if you can recall in your life, we to were disrupted in cutting family ties, friends, and associates to walk in the new life. The Corinthians broke loose from everything. Family, friends, and spouses were separated because of this perpetuation of God's Word. At the beginning of your new walk with God, you too broke social ties. We were told as believers not to be unequally yoked. How many of you went through a divorce? How many of you are listening that you should leave your jobs, walk away from your children, etc? Paul on this concern in verses 12-16. It was only that Paul said to the Corinthians to get away from the rituals and duties of religions because they were saved by faith and not by religion.

Even yet today believer after believer was questioning his or her lot in life and becoming very dissatisfied, feeling that you have been dealt a terrible hand in life. You feel a need to change everything and aligned your lot up, no matter who it affects or hurt. You can change your job, religion, friend, and or even break up with your families to change your lot in life. Matthew 6:33, "Strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

I Corinthians 7:17 deals with the believer’s lot in life: his status, condition, circumstances, and relationships throughout society. It is a much-needed message to the newcomer and those that have been misinformed.

Fact 1. God calls people from all lots in life, from all conditions and levels of society. (v. 17)

Fact 2. Religious distinctions do not matter. (v. 18-19)

Fact 3. Vocations and social conditions do not matter (v. 20-23)

Fact 4. Be faithful in your lot (v. 24)

My Christian friends, I Corinthians 7:17 is dealing with your life, Lot in circumstances how you walk as a Believer! First of all, God Calls people from all lots in life, from all conditions and levels of society. Note that both God and Christ are involved in your life.

n God, Himself has distributed gifts and abilities to everyone

n The Lord Jesus Christ has called every believer to serve Him and His cause upon earth no matter where you are.

Therefore, let everyone walk where he is using his gifts and abilities for Christ and His cause. Christ calls the person to be a witness for Him right where you work, live, unless you are engaged in some activity that is not in alignment with the Word. A person’s lot in life – his circumstances, position, social location/standing, employment, marital status—does not have a bearing on Christ saving him/her. You who believe in Christ are ordered to be God called no matter where you are. That saying, "the devil made me do it," or I did not realize my mistake is not acceptable. Your circumstances or conditions should not determine your lot. On the contrary, you are given the power of Christ to roll the stone away. The stone of fear, oppression, depression, anger, jealousy, hatred, any of those things that will place you in a dark place.

You are to serve Christ no matter what your lot maybe.

Listen, Romans 6 tells us, "That we were, therefore, buried with Him through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

2 Corinthians 5:7, "We live by faith, not by sight."

Ephesians 5:15, "Be very careful, then, how you live----not as unwise but as wise."

The execution of life is “You are God Called. Dr. Broomfield