It is my nature not to take anything for granted, including my place in God’s family and His ministry. Because of this I have made it a policy to conduct periodic self-evaluations to make sure that I am being what He has called me to be and am doing what He has called me to do. Recently I was conducting such an evaluation and found myself standing in front of the shelving unit which contains the family library, including my personal ministerial books. While looking at the selection my eyes fell on a small paperback book that I did not remember seeing before. As my patient, long-suffering Lord has done so many times before in a variety of situations, He directed me to take the little book down and look inside its front cover.

The first page I turned to carried the following heading in bold italics: THE SERVANT’S CALLING. A smaller heading beneath it asked the question that I periodically ask myself, then answer the question using God’s Word as my source of Truth. The heading asked: WHAT IS MY PLACE IN GOD’S MISSION TO THE WORLD? Again, I do not know where the book came from or to whom it belonged. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to open it. Having been the recipient of a number of surprises in the spiritual realm in the past, I am not normally surprised when God does something unique on my behalf. However, He does surprise me sometimes by how He answers my questions. This was one of those times. Several months ago I asked the Lord if everything I believe is of Him. Learn how He answered me in the series titled: The Gun, the Miracle and the Message. Key word–Gun.

My question involved whether I was what and who I believe God has called, commissioned and anointed me to be and do which is found in John 14:12 where Jesus said: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father.” I take God’s Words both literally and personally. I believe that HE MEANT EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID, AND THAT HE SPEAKS THOSE WORDS DIRECTLY TO ME.

Several things must be understood about Biblical Scripture, specifically Old Testament Scripture, in order to grasp its Truth and to apply that Truth to your daily life. Perhaps the most important Biblical Truth is that whatever is written in the Old Testament involves DUALITY, meaning that it often has a New Testament application. This is brought out in several New Testament statements. In First Corinthians 10:11 we are told that what was written about God’s dealings with ancient Israel was preserved to be used to teach His people in the end-time church (31 A.D. to the present). Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the New Testament Church was founded on the teachings of both the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles. In Matthew 5:17 we find Jesus stating that He had not come to destroy the Ten Commandment Law or the writings of the Old Testament prophets, but rather to “fulfill” them. meaning to “fill them up”–to live them to the fullest so as to make Him THE example for His church to follow. For this reason He is called “the Capitan of (the One Who leads us to) our salvation” (Heb. 2:10). In Romans 15:8 it is written that Jesus came to confirm the promises God made to the Israelite fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) concerning their descendants which form the majority within God’s true church today. Read Who and Where is Israel Today. Key word-Today for an explanation of the above statement. That series is vitally important in order to know who God’s true saints are and who were our biological and spiritual ancestors. Relative to the duality/ ancestral issue, my last name (Jaques) in Hebrew is Jacob. Recall that the Lord changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” which means “power with God” (Gen. 32:24-28). Please read the Who and Where series as soon as possible in order to fully grasp the duality principle.

Another Truth that must be believed and acted upon is the Biblical Word-Faith-Works relationship. FAITH is taking God at His WORD (Rom. 10:19) which requires WORKS (obedience to God’s Words–James 2:10,14,17,18,20,24, 26) in order for His Words to apply to the believer. When Jesus said in John 14:12 that he who believed in Him would do what He had done, there was more to the believing part (faith) than meets the eye. True faith requires works–doing/obeying what one believes (God’s Word).

Jesus had ultimate faith in God’s Words. However, if He had not obeyed them, His faith would have been for nothing. He was able to do what He did because He believed and obeyed the Father’s Words. The same holds true for true believers. Jesus is our example of perfect Word-Faith-Works (obedience) brings about the manifestation of the promise. The believer can do the works Jesus did and even greater works ONLY IF HE OBEYS GOD’S WORDS AS DID THE MAN JESUS OF NAZARETH.

This brings us to another aspect of God’s Word that must be believed and acted upon in order for those Words to become a reality in the life of the believer. The Lord commands us to search for, find, believe and act upon His “FINE PRINT” (my term). I call His many promises, including salvation, His “HEADLINES.” The true seeker of Godly Truth believes His “headlines,” then he searches for His “fine print” (conditions) which must be believed and obeyed in order for His “headlines” to come to fruition. For example, Jesus calls those who follow Him His “friends.” This is a “headline.” However, you are His friend only “IF YOU DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU” (Jn. 15:13,14). Read about this subject in Matthew 12:46-50. Read the Friends series using the key word–Friends. Then read about being Christ’s brethren (Mat. 12:46-50) using the key word–Brethren. You will notice that in both instances the obedience condition applied.

In the following segment we will study Isaiah 49:1-6 to see how God answered my question about what He has called me to be (Eph. 4:13/ 1 Jn. 2:6) and do (Jn. 14:12/ Mat. 10:8). That passage also applies to anyone whom He has called to serve Him in ministry. L.J.