The Apostle Paul said, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind [all the valleys and the battles], and reaching forth unto those things which are before [the things before us right now] (Philippians 3:13). Paul lived life one day at a time, and he made every day count. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

If you are in a race and pressing toward the finish line to win the prize, you cannot cater to your flesh. You have to ignore your feelings and use every bit of your energy to reach that finish line. You must press on in the Lord just as Paul did because there are great rewards in the high calling of God through Christ Jesus. You must forget all of the trouble and sorrow of the past and move forward.

Enoch received the prize of the high calling when God took him to Heaven alive. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:24). If you want to please God, you will have to walk with Him being free from every sin and full of all the holiness and righteousness of God.

Elijah received the same prize of the high calling. And it came to pass, as they [Elijah and Elisha] still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11).

Receiving the Holy Ghost is a baptism of fire. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Luke 3:16). And those who are baptized with the fire of the Holy Ghost will go up with the whirlwind, too, when Jesus comes, but it will take that fire to make people ready.

Seek God’s High Calling

The high calling of God is not just an ordinary call but a special call from Heaven. It requires going beyond what may be considered acceptable and into a life of total surrender to the will of God. You must be willing to suffer, to endure all things and to pay any price for Christ’s name’s sake. Those following the high calling of God are a called-out people from a called-out people.

In the high calling of God, every fiber of your spiritual being wants perfect holiness. God said, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:16). You must never be satisfied with anything less than perfect holiness.

Jesus said, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). When Jesus was on Earth, He had perfect holiness; and He brought it from Heaven for us.

Paul never thought that he had made it to where he should be in the Lord; he always wanted more of God. He knew there would always be much more of divinity for him to learn, to experience and to add to his life. Some people are content to be saved and sanctified while others go on to get the Holy Ghost and are always seeking to go deeper with the Lord.

Paul wanted Christ’s humility in everything. Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews (Acts 20:19). I always seek to serve the Lord like that, but it took many long fasts for me to get all I have received from God. You must obey the Lord and do whatever He calls on you to do.

Paul wanted to know the power of Christ’s resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, and those sufferings were not sicknesses and diseases. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection [the power that brought Him out of the grave], and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death (Philippians 3:10). “Conformable” means to be obedient or submissive. You must submit yourself completely to everything God, the Son and the Holy Ghost want.

Paul wanted everything he did to be enriched by Christ, and it was his desire for others to be enriched in all things, too. That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge (I Corinthians 1:5). I have never sought after the riches of the world; I want the riches of the Lord and to be just like Jesus.

Seek to Be Like Jesus

The Lord is preparing His people for this hour of perfect love so He can perform perfect miracles for them and through them just as He did when He was here on Earth. That preparation includes receiving Christ’s humility and knowing His grace is sufficient for you. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). You must depend on that grace knowing that God is mindful of His children.

This is not a time for idle words. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:36,37). When your speech is perfect, then your heart is right with God. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body (James 3:2).

There are people who gossip, but that is the devil’s language. God’s true people who follow His high calling will speak Heaven’s love language. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

You must not spread gossip because God’s Bible strictly teaches that if your tongue is not right, your heart is not right. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (James 1:26). Only the devil uses idle words; and if you gossip, that means you believe what the devil tells you. Thus saith the Lord, you are deceived. You don’t even know you are talking the devil’s language rather than the language of Heaven, and you will not be in Heaven.

People who gossip, stir up trouble and carry bad news are enemies of the Cross; and Paul wept over such people. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:18,19).

Depend on Divinity

You must strive to be just like Jesus; and in doing that, there are things you will have to lay aside because you can have no hindrances. You have to be temperate in all things. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things (I Corinthians 9:25). That is why it is essential to have the Holy Ghost as your teacher. He is so sensitive to what God wants, and He can touch you in a way that people can’t. He can show you even the smallest thing that may be hindering you from getting your prayers through to Heaven. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).

You must want the Holy Ghost to watch you closely and to move you in the right direction at all times and not just when you are in a hard place. The Holy Spirit is strict; but you must appreciate Him checking you for idle words, wasting time or not yielding to His gentle urgings. You must welcome His warnings when you draw back from God even a tiny bit. You cannot take liberties that other Christians do and feel good about them because, although those things may not be sinful, they will still weigh down your spirit.

When you are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, you will not want even one tiny grain of sand to get between you and your Lord. Just one little grain of sand in your eye can shut down your whole body, and it works the same way in the Lord with people who gossip or do things they should not. Those things shut down their whole body to the Holy Ghost. How awful it is to be deceived and think you are full of the Holy Ghost and on your way to Heaven and then wind up in hell.

Deceit brings ego, and ego is of the devil. The Holy Spirit is not pleased when you boast about your talents as though you received them by your own hand. Some preachers are full of ego and like to use big words, but I want to preach in simplicity just like Jesus did so that all people can understand what I am saying. Jesus taught in such simplicity that even children could understand Him. The Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7 is the greatest sermon ever preached; and there are no big words in it.

Whether God lifts you up before people or keeps you hidden, you must be content. You must want to do whatever brings the most glory to Him. Paul said, Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11).

This is a restless hour, and only people who follow God’s high calling will be completely content. Some people are robbed of much of their prayer life because they feel like they have to be with others all the time, but I want to be with God; and those in God’s high calling will feel the same way.

You must know and admit the weaknesses of your flesh and depend mightily upon the arm and the Spirit of the living God. His Son came to Earth and took on flesh like we have, and He used the things He brought to show us that they would work for our weak flesh. People will say, “I am just human”; but that is no excuse. We are called of God to overcome the flesh, and God gives us what it takes to do that. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14).

Jesus said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18). Then Jesus gave that power to His disciples when He said, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19,20).

God Gives Back

God may not allow you to have an abundance of earthly riches, but He will supply your needs. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Then He will give you something better than riches—a healthy trust and dependence upon Him through which He can bless you daily from His heavenly storehouse. Always remember that Jesus became poor to make you rich. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (II Corinthians 8:9).

For God to be able to bless you from His storehouse, you must tithe. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it (Malachi 3:10).

Only when you are obedient and tithe will you be blessed, but some people will not give God the tenth. They may give offerings and call it tithing, but that is not tithing. The Bible says, Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:8). You do not give your tithes to the Lord; you pay them. Then whatever you choose to give above the tenth is your love offering gift to the Lord. The tenth shall be holy unto the LORD (Leviticus 27:32). You won’t dare touch that which the Lord has said is holy unto Him when you have old-time religion.

In the high calling of God, thus saith the Lord, you will give freely of what He has blessed you with. Then God will anoint you to prosper through your giving, yet some people are afraid to give to God because they are afraid to trust Him. The Lord delights in those who will trust Him with no doubt. He will make the way for them, and their obedience will bring it about.

You Must Have the Holy Ghost

Thus saith the Lord, you must have the Holy Ghost to have the high calling of God. Jesus was the Son of God; but when He took on the form of flesh, He had to be baptized in the Holy Ghost. He did not begin His Earth ministry until He had received the Spirit. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:13,16,17). As a man, Jesus needed the power of the Holy Ghost; but many people stop with regeneration and never go into the depths of the Holy Spirit. If they would go on into real sanctification, it would lead them to the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Those who are made holy through the truth of God will receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, but those who are satisfied to climb up on the bank and just sit there and ignore that great baptism are not pleasing God. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). You are not truly believing God if you do not accept His Word that says, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).

You have no right to reject the Holy Ghost, the third person in the Trinity of the Godhead; yet many people do it. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:39).

Jesus commanded the disciples to receive the baptism. And [Jesus], being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me (Acts 1:4).

The disciples had trouble following Jesus all the way until they had received the Holy Ghost, and you cannot keep up with Jesus either unless you receive not only salvation but also the baptism of the Spirit. He will live inside of you. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:16,17).

Let the Spirit Guide You

Once you receive the Holy Ghost, you have to deal directly with Him and give Him free reign in your life. You will have opinions of your own, but you must always lay them out before the Lord to see if they match His; and the Holy Ghost will let you know whether they do or not.

You must allow the Spirit to be your teacher, and He will help you understand the Bible. The devil will tell you that you will never be able to understand the Word; but with the Holy Ghost, you can. All the answers you need are in the Bible, so you never have to look anywhere else.

Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24). Everyone has a cross to bear, but you have to deny yourself. Carrying that cross is a calling from God; and you must do it with His power, grace, wisdom and knowledge. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth [that means to continue to follow] after me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:38).

If you are not worthy of the Lord today, you will never make the one flight out. The Lord doesn’t want you to be left behind; but He can’t take you unless you are without spot, wrinkle or blemish. That he [Jesus] might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). A blemish can be so tiny that you would need a magnifying glass to see it; but the Holy Ghost will use the Word of God to magnify that blemish, and you will want to get rid of it.

To be without even a blemish, you must be yielded to the Lord and stay yielded. You may not always understand what He is doing, but that cannot stop you from yielding because you must desire for His will to be done. When you give yourself completely to Him, He delights in you and in the fact that you are letting Him work. God wants to work without limitations in our lives, but so many hinder Him by catering to the flesh. That is why you have to press on and deny yourself.

When you become a vessel who can say to God, “I want your holy, complete, divine will in my life no matter what,” that thrills His heart. Then He will take you and use you in ways you never thought possible because you have given Him that permission. He will also put you on the potter’s wheel. He may press hard on you at times so He can move you into the place where He wants you to be, but that does not mean you are backslidden. It means you have accepted the high calling of God, and you are letting Him work to make you be without one blemish.

Vessels of Honor

Paul wanted to be filled with all the fullness of God. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God (Ephesians 3:19). The love of Christ is greater than anything you could ever receive in the world; so you must put more value on it than houses, lands, money or anything else.

The love of God is priceless, yet it is freely given. Heaven never runs short on love, and it is all available to you. If you did not have love when you were growing up, you have God’s love now; so never doubt His love for you and never look back. Then you must use that divine love and serve it to others.

God knows those who love Him and belong to Him. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity (II Timothy 2:19). God knows what kind of mind you have and what kind of mouth you have. He knows if you speak only holiness or if you are contaminated with gossip.

Paul wanted to be a vessel of honor, and so must you. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work (II Timothy 2:20,21). “Sanctified” means to be made holy, so you have to purge yourself from everything that is unlike God.

Then the Lord said you are to think deep. O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep (Psalm 92:5). I always want to go deeper with God, but that can only happen through prayer and fasting. This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29).

If you don’t have that perfection, you are not really looking for Jesus to come; and He is only coming for those who are looking for Him. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them (Luke 12:37).

Do Not Depend on Flesh

If you think the high calling of God sounds depressing, it is because you can’t see past yourself. You think you can provide yourself a life with more joy and happiness than God can, but only in the high calling of God will you find divine peace and joy unspeakable. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (I Peter 1:8). That kind of joy brings strength.

For thirty years, the Apostle Paul was beaten, mobbed, stoned, imprisoned and falsely accused; and yet, he was full of joy, peace and contentment. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness (II Corinthians 11:24-27).

Only divinity can produce true joy and happiness, and children of God are anointed with His oil of gladness. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows (Hebrews 1:9). I am a happy person; but when the Lord took my wife, Angel, home to be with Him, all my happiness was gone, and I didn’t think I could ever really smile or laugh again. But I had the good Holy Ghost, and only with His help did I make it. There is no valley deeper than that of losing a loved one; and I knew that when I climbed out of that valley, I could have victory in any valley no matter how deep it seemed.

I never would have made it by depending on flesh; and in the high calling of God, you will learn to have no confidence in the flesh. That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (I Corinthians 1:29-31). Redemption only comes through Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross, and you can’t separate Jesus from the power of that Cross.

For we are the circumcision [circumcised in heart], which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). People understand physical circumcision, but they don’t understand spiritual circumcision. Circumcision of the heart comes through the divine blood and brings holiness. Your heart must be perfect and as holy as God’s heart. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

Go Beyond

If you are a believer who walks in the high calling of God, you may look like a fool to those in the world because they despise your humility and your desire to be like Jesus. Those who are strong in self will ridicule your selfless, humble life; and even some of your own family members will resent you.

Before Jesus went to the Cross, many people praised and adored Him; and the disciples said they would stick by Him until the bitter end, but they didn’t. The Bible says, Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled (Matthew 26:56). Nevertheless, the Lord says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5). Our God is a good God, and He is good all the time.

You have to go beyond what man says and does so that your righteousness will exceed the righteousness of many so-called religious people. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).

Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness (Matthew 23:27). Today, you can find many people who are like the scribes and Pharisees.

We all must yield to God’s righteousness and never seek to establish our own. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). No one has to be ignorant to God’s righteousness today, and Paul said we must have it. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness (Romans 6:19).

We must yield ourselves as instruments of righteousness unto God so He can do His work in us and through us. But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God (Romans 6:13). Every member of your body is to be righteous unto God. You must have the hands of God to do His work, the mouth of God to speak the things of Him and the feet of God to walk in His paths.

Press on, Child of God, and go beyond what the world calls normal and let God move you into the position He wants you to be in. Thus saith the Lord, if you will do this, you will be all right. Do the things God is giving you in this message, and you will have more light than you have ever had. You will understand more of what God wants of you, and you will know that He needs you to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth.

Yield

To remain in the high calling of God, you can’t just yield to God some of the time; you have to stay yielded all the time. The Lord yearns for His people to yield to Him, and that means you must surrender and submit your spirit to His Holy Spirit so He can do His works through you; and there are many works He needs you to do.

Always remember that you become a servant to whatever you yield to. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness (Romans 6:16)? Are you a servant of the Lord, or are you a servant to yourself and to those who flatter and praise you only so they can pull you into their evil company? Do you let your unsaved family members keep you out of church? If so, then you are not steadfast and unmovable.

You don’t have to act like other people; you must be different. You must walk close to God, live holy and believe the whole truth; however, many people will only follow the Lord until the way gets rough. Then they become weary and quit because they allow the hardships of life to defeat them. Instead of continuing to yield to the will of God like Jesus did, they willfully choose to lay down their cross. How pathetic!

You have to realize that God has given everything for mankind; so you must yield to Him until you can say, “I will yield completely to you just as Jesus did when He was here. I will be your child just as He was.” For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).

It is up to you to yield to the divine blood, to the Holy Ghost and to the Word of the living God. You have to eat the Word and digest the Word, and God and the Holy Spirit will help you to understand it. Then when troubles and sorrows come, you will have the Word that endures forever to help you. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). No man or devil can ever destroy the Word.

Jesus Bowed to God’s Will

If a load is truly too much for someone to bear, God will send help if the person really wants His help. When Jesus became exceedingly burdened and sorrowful in the Garden of Gethsemane, God sent an angel to strengthen Him. And he [Jesus] was withdrawn from them [the disciples] about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him (Luke 22:41-43). In spite of the suffering, Jesus wanted only God’s will.

The disciples should have been there to support Jesus during that time, but they failed. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder (Matthew 26:36). Jesus will never ask you to go beyond what He would do.

And he [Jesus] taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy (Mark 14:33). Jesus was amazed by the severity of the pain and sorrow He was experiencing. His body of flesh was at its human limit, but that did not stop Him; and He held on to His Father.

Jesus took on flesh to show us how to use all that He had brought from Heaven, and He wanted God’s will to be done above everything else. Then saith he [Jesus] unto them [the disciples], My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matthew 26:38,39).

And he [Jesus] cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:40,41). Jesus was trying to teach the disciples an important lesson before He left them, but they would not stay awake.

Are you staying awake and listening to the Lord? Are you waiting for His answers? If you wait on the Lord in perfect obedience, you will get the perfect answers. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day (Psalm 25:5).

Jesus was obedient to God’s will, and He was yielded to the very end. On the Cross, He cried, It is finished (John 19:30). That meant the work God had sent Him to do was finished, the plan of redemption was completed. Each one of us must also be able to cry to the Lord at the end of our journey that our work is finished.

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom (Mark 15:37,38). When Jesus died, there was no longer a veil separating man from his God. Man would have torn the veil in the temple from bottom to top, but it was torn from top to bottom, signifying that God had done it.

Obey the Lord

Jesus longed for His disciples to stay yielded to Him, and He tried in so many ways to show them why they must do that. Nevertheless, after Jesus had been crucified and was risen from the dead, Peter had gone back to being a fisherman; and some of the other disciples had followed him. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee (John 21:2,3). When Peter failed, it caused others to fail, too; and the same thing will happen if we fail.

Then one night after some of the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus appeared unto them and said, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No (John 21:5). The disciples were tired and discouraged; but then Jesus said, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes (John 21:6). When the disciples yielded to the instructions of Jesus, they brought in a great harvest. Jesus showed the disciples that He would supply their needs if they would obey Him.

The Lord is saying to His children today, “Cast your net on the right side, and you will find the souls I have marked for you to win.” If you will obey Him and do that, the Lord will supply all your needs just as He promised to do in the Sermon on the Mount. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things (Matthew 6:31,32).

After the disciples had caught all of those fish and finished eating, Jesus asked Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? [Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him more than fishing.] He [Peter] saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs (John 21:15).

Jesus had called the disciples to be fishers of men, and He wanted them to continue doing that; but He knew Peter had gone back to being a fisher of fish. Peter was not thinking about being Jesus’ hands, feet, eyes or voice even though he was well aware that he could not be the soul winner Jesus wanted him to be while being a fisherman.

Jesus asked Peter a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep (John 21:16). Then Jesus asked a third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus [calmly] saith unto him, Feed my sheep (John 21:17). Peter was getting upset that Jesus kept asking him the same question and not any of the other disciples.

When Jesus had first called Peter, He said, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). It is not wrong to fish, but Peter had been chosen above many others; and Jesus wanted him to be a vessel who would love souls as much as He loved them. However, Jesus knew that Peter had not yet been to the Upper Room to receive the Holy Ghost, the divine guide. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).

Put Souls First

When you are in the high calling of God, you will be a soul winner like Jesus was; and He came to make us sons and daughters of God through His divine blood. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons [or daughters] of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12,13).

Carrying your cross for lost souls is the most important thing you could ever do; but you must be full of the power of God to be able to draw men, women, boys and girls to the place where they can be made as holy as the angels themselves and be ready for Heaven.

When Jesus was on His way to Calvary, God chose to use a man to help Him carry His Cross because He had been tortured so much and become so weak that it was too heavy for Him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross (Mark 15:21). Jesus had given all He had, and Simon stepped in to help Jesus make a miracle that changed the whole world—the plan of redemption.

We must help God make miracles, too; but we must be in spiritual shape to help Him, or we won’t have the great anointing we need to be victorious over the devil every moment of the day. We must die as many deaths to the flesh as we need to so that we can say as Jesus did, “Not my will, but thy will be done.”

If you are a child of God, He watches over you, cares for you and does everything He can to bring you into a place where you will feel the weight of souls like Jesus did on the way to Calvary; but many will not stay yielded to Him. When you follow Jesus and do what He wants you to do, He will take care of your troubles and burdens. He said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

We have to reach the world and give everyone a chance to accept Christ. Sure, we will have to sacrifice, but Jesus sacrificed His life for us; so how could we ever do less than give our lives for the lost humanity He died for? There are many evangelists and preachers in the world today who have their own agenda, and the Lord can’t get their attention. They don’t hear Jesus saying, “Feed my sheep.”

If Jesus is your first love, you will follow Him and yield to His call in everything. He said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). That is a love command full of divine grace, wisdom and knowledge; and it must be paramount in your life.

The Lord has called you to make any sacrifice necessary for souls. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:25). You can’t give a little time to the Lord each day just to ease your conscience and then give a whole lot of time to earthly things. That is not losing your life for Christ’s sake.

You must plan special events around God’s interests, not yours; yet some of you will let family get-togethers keep you out of church. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul (Matthew 16:26)? At this time, God is holding the whole world in His left hand; and in His right hand, there is an eternal Heaven for you.

Those who obtain the prize of the high calling of God will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air on Rapture Day. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:16,17). But you must have the Holy Ghost to be in that number.

Win the Lost

Today, God is using those who will yield completely to the Holy Ghost and listen to what He is saying so the great harvest can be brought in. Everyone has a calling from God, so be sensitive to God’s call on your life. If you don’t know what it is, spend time with the Word until you do know.

Everybody has a specific place in the body of Christ, but all of us are called to help win the lost at any cost. Do you hear Jesus asking, “Do you love lost souls enough to fast, pray and stay yielded to my commands? Do you love me more than yourself and your own agenda, more than family and friends, more than the TV, the computer, worldly entertainments or anything else?” If so, then you must make any sacrifice you are called on to make for souls.

There is nothing more God can do to give us a burden for souls. He gave His only begotten Son to save us; and since then, He has waited patiently for us to get the harvest in. He is even giving us borrowed time so we can finish His work. Can’t you see His great love, longsuffering and how much He cares for lost humanity?

The great falling away is happening today, and even entire denominations are failing because people want their own way of life—they want to entertain themselves. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (II Timothy 3:1-5).

Because of that, true children of God must work harder than ever before. We must yield everything to God and follow only His truth. We must hold up each other’s hands and encourage people to be steadfast, to yield completely to God and to stay yielded.

The devil will try to discourage you, but pay no attention to what he, your unsaved family members or anybody else might say about you. That is idle talk, and idle talk is devil talk. I never listen to the devil. I fight him through the Spirit of God, and the Lord has given us His armor to help us do that; but we must use it. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17).

The devil has never been able to defeat the armor of God, and God has put stories in His Word to prove it. Job, Joseph, Daniel, the Hebrew boys and many more used the armor of God.

Let God Use You

God will use anyone who is yielded to Him. Samuel was just a young boy who was helping Eli in the temple, but God began to talk to Samuel and use him because Eli had failed.

One night after they had both gone to bed, The LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down (I Samuel 3:4,5). That happened three times; and finally, Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth (I Samuel 3:8-10). The Lord went on to tell Samuel how He would destroy Eli and his sons because Eli’s sons did things that brought shame to God, and Eli did not stop them.

The next morning, Eli wanted to know what God had said to Samuel because he was afraid God was going to destroy him. Then Eli called Samuel…And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me…And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good (I Samuel 3:16-18).

God did destroy Eli and his sons just as He had said He would. One day, a messenger rushed to Eli from the battlefield and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy (I Samuel 4:17,18).

Samuel means “asked of God.” His mother had asked God for a son; and she promised that if He would give her a son, she would let the Lord use him all the days of his life. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her…and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD (I Samuel 1:20,24,26-28).

I am sure Hannah’s heart must have bled to give up her son, but she remembered what she had promised God. Then God blessed her with more children. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD (I Samuel 2:21).

You Can Be Saved and Healed

Are you living in God’s high calling today? If you are lukewarm or not serving God, you must get right with Him today because it could be your last chance. People are receiving their last call in this final hour, so you had better move fast while the Spirit is still dealing with you. Pray with me right now: Oh, God, I am so sorry that I have sinned against you. I have failed you, and I have failed myself; but I give myself to you today, Lord. Forgive me, and I will never go away again. I will do your will, and I will want your smile above everything else. I know that there is no real life, sunshine or joy without your smile. Come into my heart now and wash everything away that is unlike you. Forgive me, Jesus, and come on in!

If you meant that prayer, you can say, Hallelujah! Jesus has come. Hallelujah! He is mine. Now, you have to keep that salvation through prayer, fasting and living in the Word. Jesus said, Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21).

With a clean heart, you can have a miracle. The Lord not only wants to heal you; He wants you to be made whole, but He cannot do that for you if you grumble and complain. It is not the will of the Lord for you to be sick any more than it is His will for you to be sinful. Sickness doesn’t come from God; only good and perfect gifts come from Him, and I have never seen a perfect sickness or disease. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17).

Lord, I call healing down upon the sick and afflicted today, and I ask you to get them well. Nothing is too hard for you, Lord. You have healed untold thousands through this Jesus ministry, and you can heal every affliction and every disease these people have. Heal them now through the all-powerful, blood name of Jesus. Heal! Heal!

Feel the presence of the Lord as He heals you now. Let Him wipe away everything that distresses you, and then close your case and get well. If you have any more pain, realize that it is just a false symptom that the devil is trying to use to rob you; and don’t let him do it!

Receive the Holy Ghost

If you don’t feel like you have the high calling of God today, do you really want it? Do you really believe that this is the Bride’s hour of visitation and revelation? Do you believe the Lord is calling you to move up higher? God is sending down His heart to His people today, so you must know your heart; and you must want it to be just like God’s heart. Jesus is coming soon, so don’t fail Him.

Accept God’s high calling for you and do all He wants you to do, and you will be fine; but you will never have that calling or make the Rapture without the Holy Ghost. You will be left behind when Jesus comes, and you will be ready to surrender to the Spirit then; but it will be too late.

The Bible says that the Lord will give the Holy Ghost to those who obey Him. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him (Acts 5:32).

If you do not have the Holy Ghost, this could be your last call. You can continue to reject Him, but it won’t be long until Jesus comes. If you really were saved, you would hunger and thirst after the baptism. Then you would be filled. Jesus said, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). I cry for you today, but you will be the one crying for yourself tomorrow if you are left behind.

Thus Saith the Lord

Yea, saith the Lord, I am here to anoint you to prosper and for the high calling. I have called you with a high calling, and I am depending on you. If you fail, many, many will die and go to hell. But I am trusting you not to fail, and I will bless you like I blessed Abraham; and I will make you a blessing, saith the Lord.

I must have your total love. I must have you 100 percent in every way. You must not hinder me in anything that I seek to do. You must not be a stumbling block. You must be yielded to my Spirit so I can use you. Be yielded to me, not part time but all the time. You must not fail or souls will go to hell, and they could be your very own family. You must do my holy will. You must not be careless with your life in any way. Your life must be on my altar, a holy life to be used by your Lord in this great plan of redemption. Be all that I want you to be and you will be glad for all eternity that you gave yourself completely to your Lord and did not fail Him in the final hour, saith the Lord.