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Every believer in Jesus Christ has a threefold call on his life!

First, God calls us to know His Son Jesus Christ personally through faith. Responding to this call changes everything – your life, your purpose, your eternal destiny. It is a call to conversion. Some folks think, “I’m saved now – next stop, heaven,” but God’s call doesn’t stop at conversion. Really, it’s just the beginning.

Secondly, God also calls you to follow Him. Jesus extends the same invitation to you and me that He did to the disciples on the shore of Galilee:"Come follow Me!” This call to discipleship makes a place for you to walk and talk with the Lord every day; it’s an invitation to know and be known by the Lover of your soul. It is a call to communion.

Thirdly, the call extends even beyond this to the call to serve Christ. Contrary to many people’s priority lists, working for God is not in the options column. Why? Because God needs you to get His Church built? No, He could do it with His feet up. He calls you and me off the bench and into the game because He wants to bless us. Just ask any faithful, fruitful follower of Christ, and they’ll tell you all about the joy of rolling up your sleeves and pouring yourself into the place He’s got for you to serve. It is a call for commission.

Ephesians 2:8-10 sums up our threefold calling like this – “By grace you have been saved through faith (the call to conversion). And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (the call for commission), which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (the call to communion).”

Where do you stand in relation to God’s call on your life? Are you experiencing the blessing of obedience? If you obey the call to know Christ, you know the gift of eternal life. If you obey the call to follow Christ, you know fellowship with the Lord that brings increasing faith and joy. If you obey the call to serve Christ, you’re experiencing the rush of investing your life in something greater than your life. It takes obedience in all three aspects to experience the abundant life Christ offers!

If you wonder where your joy is these days, ask yourself how you’re doing in these areas. Then step up and go after the things that God calls you to. You’re going to get blessed for sure!

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 8.35. Live for God, on purpose, walking in the calling of God!

Five Growth Attitudes

Growing up, my brother and I spent many summer days at my grandmother’s cottage. It was a rough-made building, and had many exposed studs. As we grew up, my Gramma would have Mike and I stand against the one stud, and she would draw a line at where our head hit, and mark our name and the date. She and my parents would draw great pleasure at looking at the lines, and always talk about us “growing like a bad weed.”

It’s fairly easy to see and record how our children are growing physically. All it takes is a careful measuring, and recording of the height.

But, although physical growth may be easy to measure, it is not the most important growth we should be concerned with. Far more important than the growth in our height is the growth in our walk! Although not as easy to measure, we can, nonetheless, observe the growth of our spiritual life by examining the attitudes we demonstrate each day in our life.

1 Peter 3:8 says we need to “live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” In this passage, we can clearly see five distinct characteristics by which we can measure our spiritual growth. Be sure to join us this Sunday as we take an in-depth look at this passage, and learn to recognize indicators of the growth in our own life

Enthusiasm Makes the Difference

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” – Colossians 3:23

Motivational speaker Jeffrey Gitomer points out, “At the beginning of any task, more than anything else, your attitude will affect its successful outcome.” Whether it’s calling on a customer, scrubbing the bathroom floor, writing an article, remodeling a bedroom, or running for political office, it’s vital to be enthusiastic.

A cheerful demeanor in the office is contagious, and a smile can transform a workplace.

The Bible tells us to serve the Lord with joy and enthusiasm (Deuteronomy 28:47, NLT).

Ephesians 6:7-8 says, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free” (NLT).

For many people, joy and enthusiasm don’t come naturally; they have to work on it. Let’s all work on it today. Whatever task you face, do it enthusiastically, and do it for the Lord!

from Dr. David Jeremiah’s “Today’s Turning Point” daily devotional. www.TurningPointOnline.org

A Good Conscience or Fear

by Dennis J. Prutow

“Let your conscience be your guide.” How often we use that saying. We really believe the conscience is the final authority to which any individual can appeal. But unfortunately, although everyone has a conscience, not everyone’s conscience is totally reliable.

God speaks of people who have told lies and are “seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron” (1 Timothy 4:2). He urges upon us “faith with a clear conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9). He also exhorts us to “keep a good conscience” (1 Peter 3:16).

The point is, you can have a bad conscience. This means your conscience is not clear. You can even be fooled about this. You see, your conscience should be soft and pliable, pliable before God. When a hot branding iron is placed on a piece of leather, and that leather is burned, it becomes hard and brittle. Your conscience can get that way. You think you are right because your conscience doesn’t bother you. But in God’s sight you are totally wrong. For example, a lot of married people get caught in an affair. At first they know it’s wrong. But after a while, their consciences become seared, and they begin to justify their actions. They know God opposes them. But because a blunted conscience is their guide, they continue in sin!

But there is a way out. “The blood of Christ [will] . . . cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews. 9:14). You need to turn to Christ. He will cleanse your conscience. Then you can begin to train your conscience to say “Yes” when God says “Yes” and “No” when God says “No.” Only with such training can you let your conscience be your guide.

Look Who’s Here

by Vance Havner

Don’t you think Moses, after a discouraging day, may have pulled open his tent flap to see the pillar of fire high in the sky and said, “Everything’s fine. LOOK WHO’s HERE.”

And what about Daniel, charter member of the Lion’s Club. He laid his head on the mane of a lion and said, “I’m not afraid. LOOK WHO’s HERE.”

King Nebuchadnezzar had those three fellas thrown in the fire but when he looked down he saw four. Shadrach and Company were just fine. “LOOK WHO’s HERE.”

And what about Elijah? Water was scarce and still he ordered twelve barrels to be poured upon the altar. God or Baal? Choose you this day whom ye will serve! Ol’ Elijah just chuckled to himself and said, “LOOK WHO’s HERE.”

David, the shepherd boy who would become King, looked at Goliath, loaded his slingshot, and said “Your time’s up. LOOK WHO’s HERE.”

Remember when Walter Cronkite signed off every evening with, “And that’s the way it is.” A preacher friend of mine would say “No Walter, that’s not the way it is, that’s just the way it looks. LOOK WHO’s HERE.”

Lazarus had been dead four days when Jesus said “roll the stone away.” But Lazarus walked out of that tomb because Almighty God turned death on its heels and said “LOOK WHO’s HERE.”

One of these days “it may be at morn when the day is awakened, it may be at midday, it may be at twilight, it may be per chance in the blackness of midnight” – in one mighty shout around the world, we will look up and cry “Hallelujah! He’s back! LOOK WHO’s HERE!”

Looking Past the Now

by Kelly McFadden

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” – Matthew 12:18 – 21

Life’s not fair. I’ve heard that phrase since I was a kid. Honestly, I don’t like it anymore now than I did then. Truth be told, the phrase is legitimate. Life, flat-out stinks some times. It’s not fair and it’s not easy.

A painful breakup, a lost loved one, a phone call reporting cancer, losing a job or not getting a promotion at work, difficulty with the kids, financial strain...you name it, we have all struggled. Life isn’t easy for any of us. In college, I watched two friends on the football team struggle with injuries. One of them had chronic problems with his feet, wincing in pain with each step he took. The other blew out both of his knees within a year of each other. The difference between them: one is a Christian and one was not. One had hope, and one did not. One knew that football was temporary and not his only identity, that his identity and hope was in Christ; the other did not.

As Christians, we can look past the now. God sent His Son, Jesus, as the Servant who, by His death and resurrection, makes all of the difference for us. It is He Who will bring justice and mercy. It is He Who is the hope of the world. What a gift we have in Jesus! Through Him, hope motivates us to store up treasure in heaven, not treasures on earth. Through Him, we have the promise that God works for the good of those who believe. (Romans 8:28) Through Him, we have the hope that this life – with all of its struggles – is just our temporary home before moving onto the glorious eternity with our Father in heaven.

I’ve never understood how nonbelievers make it through struggles without the hope God gives to those who love Him. It will always be hard when the bad news and difficult times come, but as a Christian, you can rely on heavenly hope. This is the hope that helps us look past the now and focus on treasures in heaven.

as seen in “Today’s HomeWord,” a daily devotional with Jim Burns. Visit them online at www.homeword.com

Lessons from Rabbits

by Richard Innes

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:9-10

Scientists were studying the impact of a high-cholesterol diet on heart disease. To measure this effect, they fed a group of genetically similar rabbits the same high-cholesterol diet. To their amazement, half the rabbits developed heart troubles, while the others were normal, with no noticeable heart disease.

This outcome was not explainable, so they bought new rabbits and repeated the study. At the end of two weeks, they obtained the same results. Something was wrong with the research design, but they could not determine the unaccountable variable.

Eventually, they discovered that during the evening the assistant who fed and cared for the rabbits took the rabbits out of their cages and cuddled them and petted them while she changed their bedding and food. However, because she was short, she could not reach the rabbits on the top shelf, so they were simply fed and changed without being picked up. Sure enough, after two weeks, the rabbits on the top row all had heart disease, while the rabbits on the bottom row were healthy. The environment and diet were exactly the same. The only variable was expressed love through touching.

I’m not suggesting that we ignore a healthy diet. Not at all! But every one of us also needs a healthy diet of love and affection if we are to be and stay healthy.

May we be so filled with God’s love that we will always be loving and affectionate towards our loved ones and also (with discretion) to all the people He brings into our life.

The Last Impression

A crumbling old church building needed remodeling. After the sermon, the preacher made an impassioned appeal looking directly at the richest man in town. At the end of the appeal, the rich man stood up and announced, “Pastor, I will contribute $1,000.”

Just then, plaster fell from the ceiling and struck the rich man on the shoulder. He promptly stood back up and said, “Pastor, on second thought I will increase my donation to $5,000.”

Before he could sit back down, plaster fell on him again. This time he cried out, “Pastor, I meant to say $10,000.”

He sat down, and a larger chunk of plaster fell on his head. He stood up once more and proclaimed, “Pastor, I will give $20,000!”

This prompted a deacon to shout, “Hit him again, Lord! Hit him again!”

I promise you the ceiling will not fall on you this week when you come to worship here at WFA! But, we pray that the heavens will open wide, and the Lord will pour out a blessing upon each of us! I am looking forward to worshiping together with you this week!