A Higher Calling ~~~~~ By: Jo Smith ~~~~~~ December 7. 2018

Philippians 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

The above is the only two times in all of God’s word that the word ‘prize’ is mentioned. Seems that Paul is the only one who had this great revelation of a high calling which is a great PRIZE.

God has just revealed to me what that higher calling is. He has shown me what that PRIZE IS. You cannot say it is eternal life or the glorified body, for this is not for just one or a special few. But see that Paul said only one would receive this PRIZE. Many are running in this race, but only one will get to that goal or the Mark of that Prize. So what is this prize? What is this higher calling? (Does not mean just 1 person; but it means the ONE who diligently seeks for this prize).

Let’s go back to Moses for a starting place to find this answer. 
Exodus 14: 15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? SPEAK unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 but lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

(This DIVIDING is part of that high prize; divide the night from the day). Work of Apostles and we who reach this higher calling.

This puzzled me when I first heard it. ‘why cry to me? SPEAK to the children of Israel. God told Moses, why are you crying to me? You can speak and you can divide that sea.

Marvelous. So Moses had advanced beyond having to cry unto the Lord for everything. He had been told by God to just SPEAK AND IT SHALL BE.

Hosea 6:3
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

You have a goal to reach. You have 100 miles to travel. You ask directions. Someone said, go right here. That will get you there. So you take that first step and stop. But that only got you a foot down that long road. But it was a start.

So now you wish to end up in heaven and you ask directions. Someone says, just BELIEVE. That will get you there. But that is just the first STEP. That is just a starting place. You must then FOLLOW on to KNOW THE LORD.

You BELIEVE. But you must come to KNOW. It is not the same thing. Would you say, I believe that I have a mother? No. You KNOW that you have a Mother. It is not something you just believe. It is the same way with God. Millions believe but they never follow on to KNOW THE LORD.

Matthew 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Over and over and over Jesus told people to FOLLOW me. He did not say BELIEVE ME.

Matthew 19:21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Here Jesus is speaking of that prize. The way to obtain this prize is to FOLLOW JESUS.

We must follow him all the way. Not to church. Not to a party. Not to prayer. We must follow on till we can SPEAK the Word and it will be.

(Now don’t get me wrong, Prayer is to be used along the way. But I am going to show you a higher calling than Prayer). If you never get beyond praying you did not reach the goal.

Believing is not enough; it must bear fruit: Mark 16:17
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
These signs MUST FOLLOW believing. This gets you further down that road toward that mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. But it is not the end of the way nor is it the prize.

Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Now here we get a few more instructions on how to reach that goal. Deny yourself daily, take up your cross and follow Jesus.

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
You must know the voice of Jesus to follow him. He must know you.

John 12:26
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Now here is a part of that goal you are reaching for…. to be where he is. He could speak and it happened.

Here is more instruction on how to reach this great goal: 1 Timothy 6:11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Follow after RIGHTEOUSNESS, godliness, faith love patience and meekness. We must obtain these Godly attributes.

This shows you how to help reach that goal:
2 Timothy 2:22
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Flee lusts and follow righteousness.

Matthew 9:6
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Read that verse carefully. It did not say, so that ye may know I am God, as many lying preachers say. It said, that ye may KNOW THAT THE SON OF MAN has power on earth to forgive sins.

HE also showed here that he had power to heal the sick. This is part of reaching that end goal. Jesus later told his disciples, whosoever sins you remit they are remitted. Or you may retain them. See, they also had power to do this. It is part of that goal.

Here we see Jesus in full possession of that prize = knowing that what he speaks will be:
John 12:50
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Now I want to show you how Jesus spoke when He had reached that lofty goal for the mark of the Higher calling in God:
John 11: 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Martha told Jesus, I know that whatsoever you ASK he will give it thee. He, speaking from KNOWING, NOT BELIEVING, said, Thy brother shall rise again.

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Notice something very important to understanding the higher calling… Jesus was not praying here. He was not asking God….
He was thanking God for he said, I knew that you hear me always, but because of the people I said it, that they may believe that you sent me.

Jesus was not trying to make folks believe that he was God; He wanted them to know that God sent him. He had reached that higher calling. He had reached that prize. He knew He could now just SPEAK AND IT WOULD BE DONE. BUT He did not want the glory for himself. He wanted it to still go to God, his Father.

He had reached that place where Moses stood when God said to Moses, why cry to me; just speak to the people.

So Jesus spoke to the dead and the dead arose. He had reached that higher calling.

Now to show you proof of how Paul had reached this lofty goal. (and when I said only one can reach it, that does not mean the number 1. It means the one who truly presses toward that mark. You truly seek it and do all you can to reach it. I have shown here a few of the things one must do to reach this higher calling.)

Acts 13:11
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

Notice that Paul did not get down on his knees and pray or stand and pray and ask God to strike this man blind. He just SPOKE IT. He knew he had the faith and the power to do this. He had reached that goal; He had that prize.

Acts 8: 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 
19 saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Here Peter exhibits the same high calling: He had the power and knowledge to judge this man and set him apart as defying God. He told this man you have no part with us in this matter. Peter did not have to pray and ask God to show him what to do about this. He already knew.

There are many other instances in the Word of God that prove the actions of one who has reached this higher calling. 
But the main one I wish to get to in this message is here:

Psalm 149: 
Let the saints be joyful in glory:
let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6 
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
and a twoedged sword in their hand;
7 
to execute vengeance upon the heathen,
and punishments upon the people;
8 
to bind their kings with chains,
and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9 
to execute upon them the judgment written:
this honour have all his saints.
Praise ye the Lord.

Yes, the ultimate goal is to be in this group of people who are set to bring the wrath of the Lamb on this earth and to cleanse it from all the wickedness, violence and evil that is upon it.

We will know who is and who is not serving God. We will have been given the power to speak destruction to them.
We will have been given the power to execute all the written judgments on them.

We will be SPEAKING this on them. It is something that only those who reach this HIGHER CALLING will be able to understand or do.

Rev 11: 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

See these witnesses of Jesus will have power to SPEAK wrath upon the ungodly. They will have FIRE coming out of their MOUTHS as they SPEAK judgment on this sinful world.
They will not be walking around PRAYING. They will be SPEAKING.

SO THE ABILITY TO SPEAK IS A HIGHER CALLING THAN PRAYING. 
KNOWING IS A HIGHER CALLING THAN BELIEVING.

Believing will only get you started. It will not cause you to reach that end goal. You must FOLLOW ON TO KNOW…. YES, KNOW THAT YOU CAN SPEAK AND IT WILL BE….YOU CAN SPEAK TO A STORM AND IT WILL OBEY YOU.

JESUS DID NOT KNEEL AND PRAY AND ASK GOD TO STOP THAT STORM. HE SPOKE TO IT AND IT STOPPED. 
I know, most of you think he was God so you will never know any truth.

Praise our Holy God for this great message of a HIGHER CALLING.