ONE year ago FEBRUARY 16th 2011, I became an ORDAINED MINISTER .
My Calling, My Story.
June 2, 1999 while sitting at my desk doing my daily study with the Lord in my Keego Harbor home, I heard a calling come over my life. Yes it really sounds weird but it was PROFOUND. I began to draw circles around things I was reading. I am looking now at those SAME circles I drew around scriptures over 13 years ago.
2 TIMOTHY 4:1-5 ..."In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
Preach(Heather) the word; be prepared(Heather) in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage (Heather)—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
But you, (Heather) keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist (Heather), discharge all the duties of your ministry.
God has CONTINUED to reveal many things about my calling and gifts in the years and will continue to reveal in the years to come!
No matter what hardships came my way, I always remembered that day with the Lord. His dreams are still coming together for my life.
We're all called to act on the verse I shared above. God has a way He needs to use you today.
However, some calls into ministry can look a bit different. My story is the "bit different" if I may say!
If God has a "specific" call on your life, He will make it evident to you.
Do not try to be something you are not!
Be led by the Holy Spirit.
Be God's servant.
Immerse yourself in the Word of God.
I was Ordained and set apart for His service the day I chose to really hand God my life and calling. Last February I gathered with a church assembly that has been drawn by God to be a part of my journey.
Pastor Dave from Bay Valley Christian Church has stood next to me on this journey, always in awe of the glory to come through my calling, always helping me understand Gods voice and direction for my life.
Pastor Dave helped me recognize my calling and embraced me on this journey. I knew God had something specific but needed the help and understanding of what that deeper call meant.
I was embraced by a team to help me navigate through the details of this ongoing destiny!
This I will always be grateful.
I also cannot thank my friends and family for supporting Gods activity in my life, especially in the year or two in which I struggled with understanding this calling.
Thank you again Pastor Dave for stepping up and outside of your ordinary to help me GRASP and DEVELOP more of this extraordinary calling, this mystery.
Let me share a brief devotion about a certain passage of scripture from today's reading and as I apply to my personal story please be open to how God may be speaking to you.
Allow God to touch your life today. He wants you to be set apart in your families, parenting, schooling, careers, ministry and more.
God is perfect and His word always confirms your situations and circumstances.
After doing today's daily reading God reminded me of what took place ONE year ago as my husband stood with me through the most beautiful and profound ceremony.
A ceremony and spiritual marker in my life that will not be forgotten.
In Leviticus chapters 8-10, the passage of scripture describes the ORDINATION of Aaron and his sons. This was the first time God performed an ordination ceremony for ministry in the Old Testament.
Lets zoom in on this portion of scripture...
LEVITICUS 8:22-24 "He then presented the other ram, the ram for ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot. Moses also brought Aaron's son forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on their big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the alter on all sides."
All the animal sacrifices done in the Old Testament are prophetic, foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. God included all these different sacrifices at the first ordination service because each one illustrates a different facet or aspect of Jesus' work, the salvation we have through His blood.
The New Testament now proclaims "But you are a CHOSEN people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him WHO CALLED YOU OUT of darkness and into His wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9).
The ORDINATION that took place here in scripture was for a very specific purpose.
To consecrate and SET APART Aaron for His priestly service. Moses took the blood of the offering and placed it on three parts of Aaron's body, his EAR, his right THUMB, and his big TOE.
Let me break this down and explain why...
The EAR speaks of hearing and revelation. We must come attentive to the Holy Spirit.
We cannot serve God without hearing revelation.
Revelation revolutionizes things.
The BLOOD OF JESUS friends enables us to receive revelations and gifts.
The THUMB or hand speaks of work or service to the Lord; there is much work for us to do.
The blood of Jesus enables us to be productive persons in God's work.
The BIG TOE or foot speaks of our walk, how we live our daily lives and the journey God is leading us on.
As we live our daily lives through the blood of Jesus, God directs our steps, leading us into opportunities to share faith or receive blessings.
Aaron's EAR (which hears truth), the FOOT(which walks along the way) and the HAND (Which accomplishes the things that define a man's life) are consecrated during this ceremony through the blood so that He may know and desire the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE in his experiences ahead.
Apply this Friends:
God has a calling on your life. He first wants to be in a relationship with you, then will direct and define your life. Allow Him to touch your EAR, THUMB and TOE today!
A touch from God alters your senses
Today I still stand ready...waiting, watching and listening to how God is moving and shaping my calling.
I am grateful for the reminder of that ceremony as the annointed oil touched my EAR, THUMB & BIG TOE.
I know that God called me into ministry personally over 16 years ago. I remember the CIRCLE around the promise and calling which is still marked up in my oldest study bible today .
I remember walking away from my degree from college and surrendering all to His training and calling.
It has been an interesting journey that has kept me moving and adjusting along the way.
I cannot see all the details to this journey but I have seen God work through people and circumstances to place me in the position of my calling . My Ears open, Hands ready to serve and Feet ready to move and adjust!
God will always keep placing a chosen few to help move you along into your calling.
Sometimes He needs to MOVE you to new places to shape that calling.
God has opened a new effective door the past couple years that will lead me to grow more into the call upon my life.
Is God considering a CHANGE in your life?
New relationships are HUGE.
Today I am again thankful for Bay Valley Church, RLCI, Northridge Church and the speaking opportunities through HB MINISTRIES. I stand ready and waiting for God to Shape this calling even more in 2012.
I would like you to take a moment now and make a personal application from my story today.
Are you allowing God to touch your life?
I believe God sees something in you my friend.
I encourage you to touch your EAR, THUMB and TOE.
As weird as this may seem, ask God to open your ears to hear a NEW and fresh revelation.
Touch your thumb and ask God to lead you to NEW opportunities to match your gifts and talents for His service.
Lastly touch that BIG TOE and ask God to help you in your walk and realtionship with the Lord because He will lead and guide you to all the places He has positioned.
God has a journey and destination for your life.
Blessings on your jouney,
Take out a pen and jot down a PLAN, PRAISE and PRAYER from today's devotion.
