HOW MANY TIMES DOES THE LORD CALL YOU?
"God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God."
- Psalm 62:11 (Amp)
I cannot remember the number of times I have been furious with people because I have had to call them several times. It gets worse when the person is just within a hearing distance but makes you echo your throat out. It is worst when the person intentionally ignores you or concentrates on something or someone else without any excuse.
There is another kind when what communication experts call "noise" interferes with your call. Your call is not heard or well deciphered because of some situational hinderances.
Spiritually, things like these happen. Many times, God calls out to His people but they abruptly ignore Him.
The psalmist says, once has God called him but twice has he heard that call. This statement is so powerful. God has no need to call out to His own more than once. His voice resounds in the believers' ears because it sounds so soothing and warmly welcoming.
Jesus once said He knows His sheep and His sheep know His voice. The Shepherd says His voice is so unique that it cannot be lost on the sheep.
The question is, are you the Shepherd's sheep? There is no rush in answering this question. How well do you hear when the Shepherd calls?
In scripture, all those who had a prior relationship with God were called by name only once. However, the Lord had to call others who were not in good standing with Him twice or some thrice before they could fathom that still clear voice.
Let's take a look at a few instances. With Moses' first encounter with God, He had to call him more than once (Exodus 3:4). Later times, God just spoke and at once Moses heard his Lord (Exodus 6:2,10).
Samuel had the same initial trouble hearing from God (1 Samuel 3:4-9). With him too, things changed once he got intimate with God (1 Samuel 16:1).
In the New Testament, we see a similar challenge with people who needed to stand right with God. Below are a few examples:
Martha, sister of Lazarus, whom scripture says Jesus loved had to be called twice when she got distracted by food ( Luke 10:41).
Her sister Mary, who had a closer and spiritual walk with Christ was called once and she knew Who called (John 20:16).
Saul, who became Paul, at his Damascus encounter with Jesus also had a multiple call (Acts 9:4).
Time won't permit us to search the scriptures on more of these phenomenon, but it is a spiritual truth that people who are in constant tune with God have their spiritual antennas well positioned to receive unimpaired signals from Christ.
If you are not hearing from the throne room, or if God has to shout and call out to you several times before there is a response from you, it is a sign you are out of touch with His voice.
You need the Peter kind of awakening and restoration.
The Peter kind of awakening and restoration comes when you come face to face with the Shepherd and rededicate your life and being to Him.
In effect, you close the world around you and make the Author and Finisher of your faith your main focus. You will then press on towards that goal of intimacy with God.
Before we look into detail how Peter was restored, let's look at some of the situations that blind and make us deaf to hearing the Shepherd.
1.Lack of concentration and focus: Moses had this problem. Along the line, he dealt with it but it reared its ugly head once in awhile and cumulated in ruining his ministry. He was a man of zeal but didn't know what was expected of him. He had a wandering life; into Egypt outskirts resulting in murder, self-imposed exile; and nomadic lifestyle. People who lack focus and concentration cannot hear God when He speaks once. A careful study of the life of Moses shows God had always been whispering to him though he lacked concentration.
Today, many ministers are so busy with a thousand ideas they are failing to hear what God wants them to do.
Some Christians too are just walking around from one church or prayer camp to the other 'eating' all kinds of spiritual food. This only results in a 'spiritual diarrhoea'.
No wonder God asked him to remove his sandals [stop wandering] and stay put at the holy grounds [His Presence]. If you want to hear from God, you need to concentrate, stay put and focus. You move only when God is not there or moves.
2. Lack of the knowledge of the Word: This is shown in the life of Samuel. He lived in the temple with the High Priest. He actually slept in the Holy of holies; the very presence of God (1 Samuel 3:3) , yet he did not know the Voice of God. Why? 1 Samuel 3:1 gives us a sad answer.
There was a huge deficit of the word of God. Hardly had he heard God speak in His temple. When the clergy and laity fails to preach and teach the undiluted and saturated word of God, we will have people always in our temples who know less to nothing of God. Remember, the voice of God is the word of God and the word of God is God (John 1:1-2).
On the other hand, people in the house of God must be opened to search and research the scriptures. This is what I call the "Berean Strategy". The people of Berea won't take anything for granted when presented in the name of the word of God. Not even when it is from Paul. They yearned to know what really "saith the Lord" as oppose old ladies' tales [ananses3m] (Acts 17:10, 11; 1 Timothy 4:7).
No true Christian worth the name should be satisfied without searching to know if what is being preached is from God. Scripture has several warnings for us (1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14).
Men may err for we see in part and prophesy in part. But the secret things belong to God. Search and seek to hear from Him.
3. Preoccupation with less important matters: The headache of Martha as I call it. It is sad to be in some Christian meetings and see or hear what some people think, say or do. In fact, some are so preoccupied with earthly "puddings" and think it is a waste of time for heavenly (spiritual) matters.
For them, spiritual issues can wait. Yet they call on Jesus, the Spirit-Man to speak on their behalf. Martha was concerned about what satisfies the body while Mary was concerned about Him Who satisfies the spirit.
The spiritual equation is so simple it shouldn't be lost on us, Christians: "...seek FIRST the KINGDOM of GOD,... and all these things SHALL be ADDED..." (Matthew 6:33 emphasis mine).
Ironically, Martha was calling on Jesus to speak on her behalf. She had no favorable response. Perhaps, this is why a lot of 'prayers' are being said but Jesus doesn't give the desired response. He is with the Marys who hear and recognise Him when He calls just ONCE (John 20:16).
4. Wrong worldview and dogma: Paul tells his protégé Timothy that, when he persecuted Christians he was only holding on to the teachings of his ancestry with a clear conscience (2 Timothy 1:3). His wrong worldview of the God Who spoke to his forebears so clouded his mind with a crowd of dogma that nothing Stephen said could persuade him otherwise (Acts 6:15-7:59). Read especially Acts 6:15; 7:58).
Today, many Christians hold on to practices and dogmas that are not salvific at the expense of what satisfies. Our message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified nothing else.
He is the Saviour, Baptiser, Healer and soon coming King. Anything else is a crowded cloud in the ears and eyes. It impairs one from hearing the great Voice once. It sends people out of tune with God.
No wonder Jesus had to call him more than once for the scales to fall off his eyes and clear his hearing.
When he finally got in tune with God, Saul, who became Paul had this to say: “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven" (Acts 26:19). He never had to be called more than once again.
Indeed, forthwith, once God called twice he heard it because, the Voice was clear and echoed bliss and assurance of glory divine.
May this generation hear Him in multiple times when He speaks once. For the sheep knows the Shepherd's distinct Voice.
So how was Peter awakened and restored? Let's read John 21:14-17.
Peter, the self-appointed spokesperson of the twelve disciples was one who testified so well of the Christ.
In John 6:67-69, he was quick to answer Jesus that they had nowhere to go because, not only did Jesus have eternal words that they had believed but that He was the Christ ( the long awaited Messiah), the Son of God. In that short reply, Peter made known three deep revelations; the Man with Eternal Words, The Messiah and Son of God. That is another topic for discussion.
It is this same man who had said to Jesus, "You are the Christ" on another occasion when he heard of the blared perception and perspectives of people regarding Jesus (Mark 8:27-29).
He had seen all that the Christ was able to accomplish and had vowed to go the full haul with Him, in life and in death. At least, he demonstrated that when in a swift use of his sword an ear fell.
He had seen Jesus heal the sick, raise the dead and walk upon the sea. Indeed, the man is able. He is the Christ of God! (Luke 9:20).
Then hope was dashed! He saw the Messiah reduced to nothing. Doubts set in; could have John the Baptist been right when he requested to know after a similar testimony if Jesus was the Christ?
So the doubts led to denials. Three denials as the Lord foretold him. Yet some little spark of hope remained. "He could raise from the dead you know?", he might have thought to himself. "He said something to that effect that on the third day He would".
The disaster stroke. His corpse is missing (John 20:2-4) , talking not of resurrection, after all, there must be a corpse for resurrection to occur. Now even the corpse cannot be traced. All hope is dashed.
That was the final straw that broke the Carmel's back. The load of doubt and hopelessness was now just too heavy. So Peter proposes 'abandoning ship'. He suggests subtly that they go back to their old ways (John 21:3). Their old fruitless ways (Luke 5:5).
The mission to become fishers of men is abandoned. Then Jesus appears on the scene and He adequately calls them "children" (John 21:5).
Jesus then calls Simon Peter three times and compels him to respond three times. First, He asks him if he loves Him than the world; the fruitless ways? (John 21:15). That is the first awakening.
If we are to hear the Lord once, we must love Him than 'these things' around us. And learn to feed the 'lambs'. That is to take the basics of our faith serious. Our new converts and early Christian teachings must be right. The foundation must be solid. Awake! If you shake in your Christian faith, if you cannot hear the Lord, check your love, check your feed and check the lambs.
The second question is now devoid of the world. The focus is now of Christ. That is to ask Peter if there is anything apart from the world that competes with the love he has for Christ.
In the church today, people love their positions or roles they play than the Christ they serve. Jesus was asking 'Peter, is your love undivided in My presence?' Then feed My sheep. Go for the deeper truths. Avoid milks, go for the greener nourishing truths. What you have, you feed.
The last awakening and restoration is for acknowledgement. "Do you love Me?," Jesus asked. "Lord, You know I do," Peter answered. Jesus received the answer He needed.
It is important that the Lord knows you love Him, that He is your all in all. You know Him and He knows you, you have intimacy with Him; a constant fellowship.
When this atmosphere exists between you and the Lord Jesus Christ, you will agree with the psalmist:
"God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God" (Psalm 62:11 Amp).
As I conclude, may this generation hear Him in multiple times when He speaks once. For the sheep knows the Shepherd's distinct Voice.
NB: This article was written by:
GEORGE OSEI-ASIEDU (Rev)
THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST
DAMBAI-LAKESIDE DISTRICT
Fon: 024330
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