All thru the Holy Book we read the record of God calling men and women, from Adam, Where are you? , to Samuel, to Saul on the Damascus Road, and so on.
A Christian is simply a sinner who has been called, from heaven, by Jesus Christ. And by grace alone we have answered that call.
In the OT we read ..all the day long I have extended my arms to a wicked and rebellious people.. What a picture! The Father, with arms reaching out to sinful people, calling them to Himself.
The Church, the Ekklessia, is the called-out band, called out of this world to be with Jesus, together. The very essence of what Christ’s Church is, is a calling.
This puts it out of the bounds of human energy to build it, if it’s simply a band of people who have heard a call and have responded to the One who has called them, into His marvellous Light. The building, then, must be simply in the members of the Body heeding Jesus’ call daily, and doing His will joyfully.
As well, we do well to remember that our life together as His Church must always be the expression of an ongoing response to the daily call of our Lord Jesus – He in our midst – always a vital and living response to Him and what He is saying, and not a fixed, lifeless, dead observance.
ian.
Ian Vincent 
March 25, 2008 at 12:24 am
Jesus calls me today into prayer for others. He calls.
March 25, 2008 at 3:01 am
It’s neat how He calls us, Ian. God calls us differently in the seasons of our lives. In one season He calls us one way and in a new season He calls us another way. Right now he seems to mostly be calling me to encourage and pray.
This is a much more mellow season. That’s God.
March 25, 2008 at 3:27 am
Isn’t it wonderful that He calls us to Himself!
I’m hopeless at doing anything on cue, when you’re ‘supposed’ to do it, but somehow i find responding to the Holy Spirit’s call and unction easy.
March 25, 2008 at 1:16 pm
“I’m hopeless at doing anything on cue, when you’re ’supposed’ to do it, but somehow i find responding to the Holy Spirit’s call and unction easy.”
So glad you said this Ian. I am exactly the same way. The Lord’s yoke is easy and His burden is light. He gives grace to respond to His call.
I totally agree with what Jamie said. There are different seasons of our lives. Sometimes God calls us to be in the forefront and other times He calls us to be in obscurity and He gives us the grace to go through each season. It’s all for His purposes.
March 25, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Amen.
Good to see ya Catrina.
March 25, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Thanks Ian. I guess you could say this is one of my seasons NOT to be on the internet as much as in the past. But I check in when I can.