There were some days when I didn't want to preach. I didn't want to be known as the boy who saw heaven. I just wanted to be an anonymous teenager. I wanted to live a normal teenage life.
The devil really fought, but I couldn't get away from hearing Jesus' voice saying to me, "Go, go, go..." There are some calls that are so vital to the Body of Christ today that a person either obeys the call or dies!
If you're called, you'll know it. Then it's up to you to obey it. The Apostle Paul was one man who knew that he knew that he knew he was called. He'd had quite an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. When that bright light knocked him down, it affected him. Let's see how.
Even though Paul was stoned, imprisoned, beaten, and shipwrecked, he never once wondered if he was saved, baptized with the Holy Spirit, or called. He just kept on going. Acts 26:1 says,
"Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself."
I like that phrase. Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself. You're going to have to do some talking for yourself. Quit depending on other people to help you out. You've got to know how to do some things yourself.
"I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
"Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently"
(verses 2,3).
Never be in a rush when you start talking about the things of God and defending your life for Him. Be patient. Take your time. Paul said, "Be patient with me."
Paul continued,
"My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews:
"Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
"Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
"Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
"I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
"Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
"And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
"Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
"At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
"And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
"And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
"But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
"Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
"Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision."
(verses 4-19)
Paul had an encounter with God, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was called. No one could talk him out of it. No matter what happened to him, that knowledge that he was called kept him going. (Sometimes it may be the only thing that keeps you going.)
When you go out into the field, you must have that same type of knowing. An encounter with God does not mean that you have to have a visitation like Paul did. But you'll know that you are called, and nothing will shake you from it.
I have responsibilities and pressures many older preachers do not have. As a teenager, it would be easy for me to give up when the going gets rough. I could use the excuse, "Listen, I'm just a teenager. I can do what I want." But you see, I can't, because I know I am called.
When it gets hard, it's easy to sit down and start to wonder if it's really worth it. At times my mind wanders and the devil sneaks in with his crazy thoughts, saying, "You're not really called. You're not supposed to be doing this now. You're too young anyway!"
But I know. I've known since the day Jesus said, "Go, go, go..." that I was called.
When He said those three words to me, I realized that I was called to preach whether anybody else was or not. Nothing can take that away from me. No matter how hard the circumstances get, no matter how hard the pressures get, I know.
When God calls you, He takes care of you. Don't worry about the circumstances. If you're walking in what you should walk in, if you're doing what you should be doing, you'll do all right. If you're not despising the call, if you're not trying to get rid of the call, you'll do fine. Some preachers have tried to run from the call of God on their lives. That's dangerous territory.
Look what happened to Jonah when he ran from the call of God. You may not wind up on the belly of a great fish like Jonah did, but you might wind up in a few other places that are worse!
Power comes on you when you accept that call. The power that comes with the anointing of God is strong.
Dr. Lester Sumrall is one man of God with a strong anointing on his life. He only sleeps a few hours every night, and he's over 70 years old! He is a constant, diligent worker. When I ask people who know him how he gets by with a moderate amount of sleep at night, the only reason they can give me is the call of God on his life! With the call came the anointing and the power. The strong anointing affected his natural man with natural strength.
The anointing of God will increase as you grow spiritually and mature in the ministry. You can get to the point, like Dr. Sumrall, where you'll flow and flow and flow in God's power all day and night. There will be no stopping you. A constant flow of God's anointing and power can come with the calling of God on your life.
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