The High Calling
Chapter One
All of us have different names or titles that we are identified by, each one identifies a unique role played through our lives. For example: to my wife I am Mike the husband, to my three sons I am dad, to my grandchildren I am Grandpa, to many I am Mike the friend, and to others Pastor Mike.
As you read this book you will discover the incredible value of knowing the name Jesus was given when He was raised from the dead and set at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places. In this name is where we discover the hope of His calling on our lives. In this name that was given to Jesus we will uncover the riches of the glory of His inheritance! Oh yes.in this
given name we can live in the greatness of His power working in our lives, in our businesses, in our families and in our churches. In every area of our lives, we can know the greatness of His power.
This name that was given to Jesus after He ascended places us far above all principality, power, and might, far above dominion and every name that is named.not only in this world but also in the world which is to come.far above sin, far above sickness, far above addictions, far above fears, far above poverty, far above loneliness, far above the powers of the devil.
"do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." Ephesians 1:16-21
Jesus was Christ before He ever came down and became Jesus the man. He was known as Jesus (a fairly common name in those times), then He became Jesus Christ, the man anointed. Soon He overcame the flesh, He overcame the world, He overcame sin, He overcame sickness, He overcame fear, He overcame death, He overcame the devil, and His name became Jesus Christ the Lord! And whosoever believed in their heart the Lord Jesus and confesses with their mouth he is Lord shall be saved.
Not only is He risen from the dead, but He has now ascended.
"which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." Ephesians 1:20-21 He is now CHRIST JESUS!
In John 17 we find Jesus praying in the upper room just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane where He was later arrested to be tried and crucified. In John 17 Jesus prays:
"And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." John 17:5 (Italics added)
With Jesus restored back to His original state of Glory, we embrace the reality of the ascended Christ.the Exalted Jesus the revelation that we, the earthly man, can live in the ascended realm. even while here on this planet, in this life!
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made
us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:4-6 (Italics added)
We come to Jesus, who is the mediator of the New Covenant; then discover that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Soon we begin to make Him the Lord over our lives and know Him as Jesus Christ the Lord. But we are called to a higher calling; we are called to be seated with him far above, seated as Kings and Priests unto God! This spiritual dimension has been there for about 2000 years since Jesus Ascended and was given the name that is above every name that is named!
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house." Hebrews 3:1-2 (Italics added)
This is a heavenly calling.He has raised us up to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus!
Calling: 2821 kleroo - invitation a calling (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance)
We are partakers of this heavenly calling, which is a divine invitation to embrace this revelation of Christ Jesus! Jesus is seated, we have a heavenly calling in Christ Jesus to be seated in heavenly places in Him!
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the
goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:13-14 (Italics added)
There is a high calling in God to live in the reality of being seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We believe and therefore we profess Christ Jesus, that we as humans can live spiritually in the ascended realm and at the same time live our natural life. The Apostle Paul discovered that all his degrees, all his accomplishments, all of the things he had done and the things he possessed were nothing but rubbish when compared to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord.
"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3:8 (Italics added)
He said I have lost all things.all my status in the religious circles, all my accomplishments, everything is lost. But I now count those things as nothing anyway that I may win Christ! My prize and joy is to live in the anointing.
There is a high calling in Christ Jesus, to lay down the pursuit of things and pursue this reality: to answer the voice of Christ Jesus that is calling us to press for the prize of the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!
So many take the bait of false dreams and spend their lives pursuing things to satisfy self only to discover that those things lose their luster once obtained. Oh, but the riches of Christ are unsearchable; there is no end to the luster, no end to the value, no end to the abundant life found in Christ Jesus our Lord! He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords and has invited us to sit with Him in His throne!
Many chase after elusive blessings; then just when it seems like they have found what they are looking for it fades away. Some are looking for a miracle, some for a healing or a certain anointing or a
blessing of some kind; but there is no glory or miracle outside of Christ!
We do need to work and function in this life and not become so spiritual that we are no earthly good; but we also need to consider Christ Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, He was found faithful. We need to be faithful on our jobs, faithful in our words, faithful to our spouse, faithful to the body of Christ, faithful in our giving, faithful to our families and friends, consider Christ Jesus. We have a calling! We have a high calling! ...
