The traditional churches believe that their main mission is to convert everyone to Christianity in this church age. They go to great length to 'preach the Gospel' to every tribes and nations even at the cost of the lives of the missionaries and their loved ones. But if that is the will of God to save every soul under heaven in this age, then Satan must have the upper hand, since the large majority of mankind on planet earth had never heard the Gospel message, let alone understand and believe the truth! If those who had never heard the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are going to eternal hellfire, then God is a respecter of persons when He chose the Jews to be the bearer of the truth.
Two millennia ago, Jesus Christ came to earth to qualify Himself as the King of the coming kingdom of God - the world government of Almighty God that will rule over all the earth. He did this by overcoming the temptations of Satan and all who are called into the one true church of God will have to overcome the temptations of this world - as Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4; Gal 1:4) - in order to become kings in the kingdom of God. Empowered with the Spirit of Christ, all of Christ's true disciples who are called and obeyed His commandments will do the Works of God. There are basically two great commissions for the church of God to do in this age - to preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God and to equip the saints with God's truth so that they can develop the character of Christ and qualify to become members of God's Family when born again as spirit beings at the first resurrection.
In this age, God is calling only a small group of people to form the firstfruits, with Christ as the firstborn among many brethren (meaning the first to resurrect among the firstfruits who are the called of this age) - Rom 8:29. 'For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called' - 1 Cor 1:26. Christ made this clear when He said, 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day - John 6:44. The Lord was referring to the end of the church age when those who are called and chosen will be in the first resurrection at the last trumpet call. That is why Christ spoke to His called and chosen disciples in parables so that those who are not called in this time will not understand His teaching - ' Because it is given unto you (the called) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (God), but to them (those not called) it is not given.' -Matt 13:11. The calling is something given unto those who are being called. The church is the firstfruits (James 1:18), and there will be subsequent fruits from subsequent harvests yet of the future.
Many people wrongly assumed that if they are given a wonderful opportunity too good to be true or are having some kind of unexplained emotional feeling, then God has 'called' them into some kind of ministry or some missionary work in a foreign land. But this is not what the Bible is talking about. Simply put, a calling is when a person begins to understand the truth of God like never before when he reads, sees or hears them. Things begin to make sense and not be deceived by false doctrine and sway by all kinds of man-made teachings and practices. The question is - do you begin to understand the Bible like never before and all its teachings like the Gospel of the kingdom of God, God's Plan for mankind, Bible prophecy and the one true church begin to make sense to you? If it does, God is calling you. Those who are not called will find it almost imposible to understand and make sense of what the Bible is teaching despite reading it umpteen times!
Does it mean that those who are not called in this age are being discriminated upon? The answer is NO. The vast majority of mankind who has ever lived are neither saved nor lost as they are not being called now but their time for salvation is yet future when the whole truth will be made known to them at God's timing. Those who are called in this age will be given the task to teach and minister to the countless billions who will be resurrected in the second resurrection to come towards the end of the Millennial Age. They will be given the whole truth and opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and hence eternal life (Acts 4:12). The true church of God is like the advance party called to be trained to help reap the great harvest yet to come during the Millennial Age.
The Apostle Paul stated this clearly in Romans 8:29-30, 'For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he (Christ) might be the firstborn among many brethren. Morever whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.' The meaning of these two verses are impregnated with the truth of God's Plan for those whom He called at this time - before the Second Coming of Christ. God knows the motivation and make-up of each of those whom He intends to call before they were even born - from the time they were in their mother's womb - foreknow. Next, God helps them to chart the course of their life to know and understand the truth of God so that they might be set apart from Satan's worldview and value system - predestinate. They would then be sealed and empowered with the Holy Spirit to be overcomers and conform to the image of Christ to have the Christ-like character essential for membership into the Royal Family of God when borm again into immortality - justified. Lastly, those called with be in the first resurrection on the last trumpet call (1 Cor 15:52) at the Second Coming of Christ - glorified!
However, many churches are still part of the Babylon's system of this world and God's will for them is to come out of her (Rev 18:4) so that they will not be partakers of her sins. Are you being called, and if so, will you obey the call of God and be counted worthy to be in the first resurrection - a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35). The choice is yours to make.
Two millennia ago, Jesus Christ came to earth to qualify Himself as the King of the coming kingdom of God - the world government of Almighty God that will rule over all the earth. He did this by overcoming the temptations of Satan and all who are called into the one true church of God will have to overcome the temptations of this world - as Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4; Gal 1:4) - in order to become kings in the kingdom of God. Empowered with the Spirit of Christ, all of Christ's true disciples who are called and obeyed His commandments will do the Works of God. There are basically two great commissions for the church of God to do in this age - to preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God and to equip the saints with God's truth so that they can develop the character of Christ and qualify to become members of God's Family when born again as spirit beings at the first resurrection.
In this age, God is calling only a small group of people to form the firstfruits, with Christ as the firstborn among many brethren (meaning the first to resurrect among the firstfruits who are the called of this age) - Rom 8:29. 'For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called' - 1 Cor 1:26. Christ made this clear when He said, 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day - John 6:44. The Lord was referring to the end of the church age when those who are called and chosen will be in the first resurrection at the last trumpet call. That is why Christ spoke to His called and chosen disciples in parables so that those who are not called in this time will not understand His teaching - ' Because it is given unto you (the called) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (God), but to them (those not called) it is not given.' -Matt 13:11. The calling is something given unto those who are being called. The church is the firstfruits (James 1:18), and there will be subsequent fruits from subsequent harvests yet of the future.
Many people wrongly assumed that if they are given a wonderful opportunity too good to be true or are having some kind of unexplained emotional feeling, then God has 'called' them into some kind of ministry or some missionary work in a foreign land. But this is not what the Bible is talking about. Simply put, a calling is when a person begins to understand the truth of God like never before when he reads, sees or hears them. Things begin to make sense and not be deceived by false doctrine and sway by all kinds of man-made teachings and practices. The question is - do you begin to understand the Bible like never before and all its teachings like the Gospel of the kingdom of God, God's Plan for mankind, Bible prophecy and the one true church begin to make sense to you? If it does, God is calling you. Those who are not called will find it almost imposible to understand and make sense of what the Bible is teaching despite reading it umpteen times!
Does it mean that those who are not called in this age are being discriminated upon? The answer is NO. The vast majority of mankind who has ever lived are neither saved nor lost as they are not being called now but their time for salvation is yet future when the whole truth will be made known to them at God's timing. Those who are called in this age will be given the task to teach and minister to the countless billions who will be resurrected in the second resurrection to come towards the end of the Millennial Age. They will be given the whole truth and opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and hence eternal life (Acts 4:12). The true church of God is like the advance party called to be trained to help reap the great harvest yet to come during the Millennial Age.
The Apostle Paul stated this clearly in Romans 8:29-30, 'For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he (Christ) might be the firstborn among many brethren. Morever whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.' The meaning of these two verses are impregnated with the truth of God's Plan for those whom He called at this time - before the Second Coming of Christ. God knows the motivation and make-up of each of those whom He intends to call before they were even born - from the time they were in their mother's womb - foreknow. Next, God helps them to chart the course of their life to know and understand the truth of God so that they might be set apart from Satan's worldview and value system - predestinate. They would then be sealed and empowered with the Holy Spirit to be overcomers and conform to the image of Christ to have the Christ-like character essential for membership into the Royal Family of God when borm again into immortality - justified. Lastly, those called with be in the first resurrection on the last trumpet call (1 Cor 15:52) at the Second Coming of Christ - glorified!
However, many churches are still part of the Babylon's system of this world and God's will for them is to come out of her (Rev 18:4) so that they will not be partakers of her sins. Are you being called, and if so, will you obey the call of God and be counted worthy to be in the first resurrection - a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35). The choice is yours to make.
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