The calling of God

BY DR. PETER KAYODE
Over 50 years ago, when I was learning how to walk and talk as a toddler, my father and mum were considered Alfa and Omega of my life because they provided food, shelter, security, and every other thing for my comfort.
But, as I grew up, and started following them to church, I developed the belief that our pastors at that time, were my spiritual fathers who must be respected and honoured, because they were considered ambassadors of God who have been sent to the world to direct us to salvation and abundant blessings.
I saw them as special people who were filled with supernatural powers and abilities to do exploits on behalf of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, I even had the erroneous view that the white pastors who were posted from the London head office of the church were not human.
I believed that they were special angels of God who dropped from heaven and are superior with greater anointing than the blacks because of their colour and the special treatment accorded them by the church.
As I grew in strength, grace, and revelation knowledge about God, his words, will and ways, I discovered that there were special people irrespective of their colour, tribes, or race whom God has set aside for his service.
God in his wisdom does not consider human criteria such as education, wealth, fame, race, and age before calling a person into his service. In fact, he will not even consult your parents, nor your boss, friends and spouse before blessing you with spiritual gifts for effective Christian service.
The qualification is GRACE.
What is grace? GRACE is an undeserved and unmerited blessings which God bestowed on us freely without using our past to judge us, but he rather washed, renewed, regenerated and prepared us for his service.
Therefore, the first qualification for God’s calling is the GRACE OF GOD. ONLY GOD KNOWS THOSE HE HAD SET ASIDE FOR HIS SERVICE BY GRACE. HE MAY ALSO REVEAL IT TO HIS PROPHETS AND SOMETIMES, GOD HIMSELF COULD SPEAK DIRECTLY OR MANIFEST THROUGH DREAMS.
In my case, God spoke to me in a dream, announced me to the world with a gift of a white coloured HOLY Bible as an AWAKENER who will preach the good news of salvation with signs and wonders.
I was not qualified but God chose me by Grace.
I AM WHAT GOD SAYS IAM AND NOT WHAT PEOPLE SAY I AM.
BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE, I CAN DO WHAT GOD SAYS I CAN DO.
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing and renewal by the Holy Spirit,’’ Titus 3 verse5.
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world and things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.” 1st Corinthians 1 verse 27-28.
The disciples of Jesus Christ were human beings like you and me. They had their weaknesses and carnality as they came from various socio-cultural backgrounds with their negative forces. But when Jesus Christ discovered and called them, their lives changed.
Moses, who was tasked by God to deliver the Israelites, was a murderer.
He killed in Egypt and ran away, but because he had been destined to be a deliverer, at the appointed time, God ignored his transgressions and made him an instrument of deliverance.
What about Apostle Paul, the famous persecutor of believers, who later became a powerful Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ through whom great and wonderful miracles were performed.
THIS IS THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD WHICH IS GIVEN TO THOSE WHO ARE CALLED AND ALSO THOSE WHO MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE FOR GOD’S WORKS.
How can we identify those who are called?
This particular question needs to be treated again and again because of the perception that there are many fake men of God in our society who have turned the church into a money-making venture without caring and ensuring that the spiritual and physical needs of their members are met.
These categories of pastors are stupendously wealthy with various business empires being operated by them and their cronies.
I am not saying that men of God should be poor and become persistent beggars, but rather they should channel the wealth towards they get towards the welfare and growth of members so that poverty could be eradicated in our society.
A true man of God must be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
He must be led by the spirit and be a person of divine authority to overcome all works of the devil.
A true man of God will not seek his own comfort or have the motive of enriching himself.
A true man of God will not take glory for anything he does.
He will always allow God to take glory because he acknowledges God as the doer and not him.
A true man of God is gentle, caring, loving, not arrogant and proud, but full of love, humility and concerns for the spiritual and physical needs of his people.
A true man of God must be firmly rooted in God’s word for effective teaching on righteousness to the congregants.
A good pastor is a man of prayer and faith in the finished works of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
A true pastor must be honest, transparent and truthful, not become a lover of money and worldliness.
A true man of God operates under the level of grace and gifts given him; he does not arrogate to himself the power he does not possess.
He is not envious of the gifts of others, but humbles himself always.
A true man of God cannot fall into the traps of conspiracy from detractors who are not comfortable with the gifts of God in him.

What distinguishes a person as a man of God is not the numerous degrees and certificates in theology and biblical studies, including various religious titles such as Doctor Bishop, Deacon Rev, Dr. etcetera.
But the anointing of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit which God gives directly to the chosen ones secures a position for you before God.
A man of God is a person who has been set aside for God’s work and known by God from his mother’s womb.
Many people have these titles and certificates, yet they are not known by God as they are still being tormented by sickness and affliction which come from satan.
I do not intend to downplay the need for a man of God to be educated, knowledgeable, well-trained thereby adding value to his calling.
But my contention is without the Holy Spirit empowerment, there can’t be effective and result-oriented Christian service and our position before God is not determined by certificates but the level of Grace and Holy Spirit in us, because those who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God.
Watch out for these qualities, and you will know who is a true man of God.
You are blessed in Jesus name.
Super miracle day for business executives, professionals, spinsters/bachelors, students, barren, afflicted and the sick, including job seekers.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, 3RD NOVEMBER, 2010
VENUE: AWAKENERS CHAPEL INTL., CITY OF MIRACLES, OFF PENTECOST JUCTION, AWAKENERS BUS STOP ABLEKUMA ACCRA. TIME: 9AM.
GOD’S SUPERNATURAL POWER FOR BREAKTHROUGH AWAITS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.