"How Do You Know You Are Called?"

Today I had a young man who is called to ministry but is going through a time of uncertainty, ask me a simple but powerful question. He said, "How do you know you are called to ministry"?

First let me say that everyone is called to ministry. In the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost people from every nation experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit releasing them into ministry causing entire cities to be impacted. There was a Exponential rate of growth in the Church as God added, added greatly, multiplied, and multiplied greatly. Power was demonstrated outside the four walls of the Church. Businessmen such as Phillip and Stephen become mighty ministers of God's miraculous power.

Why is it, that we show up once or twice a week to see a power demonstration so we can get our latest fix, and hopefully be sustained till the next Church service? We go to Church to get power when power was already given in Acts 2 not understanding that we don't go to Church, we are the Church. Because of our addiction to convenience and comfort, we have attributed Church to four songs, a sermon and an altar call, when it is not that at all. All that is is a dress rehearsal for the real thing. Church is when we go into the marketplace and turn our place of assignment upside down and inside out be demonstrating along with Godly character a spirit filled life. the greatest hour of the Church is yet to come. It will be when the anointing is flowing from the pew (corporate Church) and not the pulpit (idols, icons, one man shows). It will be when the extraordinary (Benny Hinn) becomes ordinary and the rare becomes common. It will not be uncommon in that day for blind eyes and deaf ears to be opened in the market place (on the job). And entire wings of the hospital will be cleared out because the saints are walking down the halls. In fact the corporate anointing (Bride of Christ) will be so strong that miracles will take place wherever the believers are. I see a day when CNN will have news reports simultaneously breaking all over the US as they that know their God do great exploits (Dan. 11:32)

Sunday at Church I heard the Lord say, many are waiting by the pool for the angels to come down and stir the waters, not realizing what Jesus meant when He said "Out of you will flow rivers of living (life giving) water (rivers being plural). The water that is stirred is inside of you, and God intends for you to become the pool of miracles and signs and wonders not on Sunday but on your job, in your neighborhood...

How do you know you are called? I will answer this with what has enabled me to continue in the ministry in times of great questioning and uncertainty.

1) The stories of those who have been impacted by God's power and words through me. There is nothing more meaningful to me than when someone tells me how I have made a difference in their lives. Every letter, card, email, gift gives me Popeye power at the lowest times. It is and always will be about changed lives.

2) What is in your heart? What do you love? What do you hate that you are a solution to? What moves you to tears? What do you dream about? If money was not a factor what would you do with your life?

3) What is in your hand? What are you great at? What gives you the greatest sense of fulfillment after you have completed a task? What do people draw from you? Silver nor gold I do not have but what I have I give to you. People will see what is in you and make a demand on it. Your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men. Favor and Increase will follow what is in your hand.

4) Go back to when God first called you. I will never forget when I was thirteen one Sunday after Church when I was making a peanut and jelly sandwich, God called me to preach. The best part is I called my best friend who had the same visitation at the same time making the same thing. We are both doing what God has called us to do.

5) Someone over you will point you out. Jesus was anointed as a child but he was not released into His ministry till someone pointed him out. Someone over you will see your gift and point you out for greatness. Listen to Mentors, those who truly love you, they know you. I'm not talking about your critics.

Blessings,
Craig Sloan