Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. Praise God for a cool sunny day. I felt like my body finally came down from a “high gear” mode of last weekend, and is craving for sleep right now. Even though I slept well last night, my body wants more. There are a lot of exciting study and work in my ministry that I can’t afford to be sleepy. Pray that God will grant me new strength to deal with them in an orderly manner.

"When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16). We easily forget the mystical, supernatural touch of God. If you can tell where you got the call of God and all about it, I question whether you have ever had a call. The call of God does not come like that, it is much more supernatural. The realization of God’s calling in a man's life may come with a sudden thunder-clap or with a gradual dawning, but in whatever way it comes, it comes with the undercurrent of the supernatural, something that cannot be put into words, it is always accompanied with a glow. At any moment there may break the sudden consciousness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life - "I have chosen you." The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. It is not because you are sanctified that you are therefore called to preach the gospel; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a necessity laid upon him.

If you have been ignoring the great super natural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances and see where God has not been first, but your ideas of service, or your temperamental abilities. Paul said - "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" He had realized the call of God, and there was no distraction from this focus.

If a man or woman is called of God, it does not matter how unpleasant circumstances are, every force that has been at work will tell for God's purpose in the end. If you agree with God's purpose He will bring not only your conscious life, but all the deeper regions of your life which you cannot get at, into harmony.

It sounds very profound and supernatural about the calling to preach the gospel. But I believe Brother Chambers responded to what Paul described as the “compelling call” in preaching the gospel to the gentiles, which was prohibited among Jews at that time of history. Using our current vocabulary, this compelling call may be to do cross-cultural mission. You will not naturally reach out to an ethnic group that is totally foreign to you. But when the Spirit of God comes upon you, you suddenly feel a compelling push to preach the gospel to this group of people, without any conscious explanation. But you know you need to do it as though if you don’t, you will be in great trouble.

I agree with Brother Chambers that this calling has nothing to do with our salvation or sanctification. It is a special anointment from God at a certain circumstances. The “woe to me” does not necessarily mean “final judgment or eternal punishment.” It signifies that compelling sentiment to answer God’s call. One may have no clue why God suddenly dawn on him to do such a mission. This person may not be able to pin-point a particular experience or Scripture that gave him such a vision. But the inner spirit recognized with certainty of this leading. Somehow it requires submission of a believer to respond to this kind of supernatural experience. But the consequence is a totally indescribable joy and fulfillment that rise up from within. I am sure you can have a glimpse of this joy when you obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit in caring or reaching out to a total stranger in your office or school. You could not explain why you have such prompting. But if you simply follow such leading by faith, you will discover how amazing God at work in your life or through your life.

Let’s encourage each other to be sensitive to His guidance in our lives!

Love you in His name,
Lawrence