You Are Called? Yes! But Are You Chosen? Welllll Emm! Emm!! Emm!!!

You Are Called? Yes! But Are You Chosen? Welllll Emm! Emm!! Emm!!!

By: Lugard Ekhator

Text: Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

To be called into the ministry work as a pastor, prophet, etc. is good but, to be a chosen vessel after being called is better.

The called but not chosen are those that are working for the LORD with great signs and wonders, but on the last day, they will still hear the voice of the LORD declaring unto them "depart from me you workers of iniquity, I know you not". Matthew 7:23, Luke 13:25-27.

The chosen ones are those that are faithful and in spite of their unrecognised work for the LORD by men, they will hear the voice of the LORD declaring unto them "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of world" Matthew 25:34, among other beautiful commendation by the LORD.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHOSEN

The responsibility laid on the shoulders of the chosen vessels are enormous.
One of them is to make sure that the fruit they bear (souls they worn and those under their custody) abides (make heaven) and not die (make hell fire). John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

Therefore pastor, if you say you are chosen of the LORD and yet you see your members adorning themselves with materials of Satan and instruments of unrighteousness, and you fail to warn them on the danger inherent on the use of those things then, you are called but never a chosen vessel.

Another one is to feed the sheep. John 21:15 "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

Pastor, what food are you feeding the sheep of the LORD under your custody? Are you feeding them with the sincere milk of the word, or you are feeding them with junks as you keep on telling them that Jesus only cares about their hearts, not their bodies.

The LORD also expect the chosen to be holy. Ephesians 1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."
2 Timothy 2:4 "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."

Holiness is the ticket to heaven Hebrews 12:14. There's no way the Almighty God would be holy and HIS subjects will not 1 Peter 1:15-16. So, stop deceiving yourselves that what you wear and use on your bodies don't matter. They matter very much because no one with spot on their wedding garment will ever make heaven Ephesians 5:27.

The chosen must know the will of God. Acts 22:14 "And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth."

Pastor, are you doing God's will or your own will?

The chosen must show forth the praises of Jesus that called him in everything he/she does. 1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."

Whose praise are you showing you that called yourself chosen of the LORD?

THE LORD KNOWS THE CHOSEN ONES THAT SOME ARE DEVILS

Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel."
John 6:70 "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"
John 13:18 "I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me."

So, who are you today in the calendar of the LORD?

2 Thessalonians 2:13 "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
Are you a sanctified vessel? Does heaven have your records as a chosen vessel? Reflect on these now!!!

Today in the churches of the LORD Jesus Christ, we have all set of people in the ministry work who according to their testimony are called into full time ministry as a pastor, prophet, bishop, deacon, elder, reverend, pope, etc.

Majority of these supposed called ministers are best described as hireling because their operation is truly that of a hireling, because they seeing these sheep under their custody going astray and they are watching without doing anything to rescue them.
John 10:12 "But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."

CALLING INTO MINISTRY

RCCG AS A CASE STUDY – PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

You may be called truly to minister in any office by the LORD Jesus Christ, who is the owner and head of the church but, are you also a chosen vessel of HIS? Colossians 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." The day you will appear before the judgment seat of Christ after your death will tell Hebrews 9:27. To be called is far different of being chosen.

In RCCG, due to their uncontrolled appetites of opening new parishes here and there (maybe they are competing to be known and referred as the biggest church worldwide), which have given birth to mushroom gatherings know as parishes in some places, the installing of a pastor to man the new planted parish is usually done through ‘selection’ from among the brethren of the Area, Zone, Province or Region planting such parish.

In such instances, the idea of a pastor been called into the ministry for service is defeated, which have given room to fraudsters, embezzlers, traitors, bride givers/takers etc. to be installed as parish pastors. This is very alarming.

I refer you to this article titled 'Redeemed Pastors In N600 Million Scam' that took place in 2009' as published on   www.nairaland.com/1472128/redeemed-pastors-n600m-scam involving pastors Peter Imonhiosen, Adeola Oluwafemi Johnson and Cosmas Mbanu, all pastors at RCCG Resurrection Chapel, a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Lugbe, Abuja, Nigeria, where they defrauded their parish members of millions of naira in a housing project that never be.

In most cases, they grab NYSC members, unemployed youths, employed youths etc. as the parish pastor of a new planted branch, irrespective of the fact that these appointees may never be comfortable of becoming a pastor but now, it is forced on them, whether they like it or not. How can you refer to such a pastor that he was called into the ministry let alone chosen of the LORD?

Don’t confuse yourself as this is the same situation with every single RCCG pastor around you today except for few maybe, irrespective of their high position in the ministry, as they came into the pastoral cadre through selection process as a parish pastor. They will then train them by asking them to begin with School of Disciples (SOD), then bible school and finally, they will then be ordained as pastors, deacons etc.

To RCCG, once you fulfill this mandate, you are now a ‘called’ fellow into the ministry work. Isn’t this pathetic? I pray that the LORD will help HIS children to discover themselves in Jesus name. Amen.

WHAT CALLING MEANS ACCORDING TO SOME OTHER MINISTRY AND PASTORS

CHRIST EMBASSY – CHRIS OYAKHILOMEN

This ministry regards calling to mean the preaching of grace only and speaking in tongues as the evidence of your calling. Therefore, whether you are a smoker, a drunkard, a masturbator or an abortionist, it does not matter provided you are under grace and you can speak in tongues. May our LORD Jesus Christ rescue and deliver HIS lost sheep in this church in Jesus name. Amen.

CHRIST MERCYLAND DELIVERANCE MINISTRY, WARRI – PROPHET JEREMIAH

This ministry believes that once you are called, the evidence that will prove your calling is the ability to prophesy. Again, if you don’t have children, just go with ordinary apple to that church and with prophecy, that apple will be turned into your babies for you. This church also believes that as a woman, if you have any confession to make, you shouldn’t allow your husband to know about it, a teaching that break James 5:16 which says “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” May the captives in this church be delivered today in Jesus name. Amen.

COMMONWEALTH OF ZION ASSEMBLY (COZA) – PASTOR ABIODUN FATOYINBO

This church believed in 'another level of grace' that even if a pastor is accused of immoral acts by a church member, they will rather tell you that God told them to be quiet. By the time everything is seemed settled, another pastor of their kind will come over with a gift of a luxurious car to encouraged his kind, even though this visiting pastor is accusing Apostle Paul of his writings against gay people. What a deception all in the name of being called into the ministry. May the captives in this church be deliver today in Jesus name. Amen.

HOUSEHOLD OF GOD CHURCH – CHRIS OKOTIE

This church believed that once you can speak good English to your members, you are called into the ministry, whether you marry and divorce over and over again as a pastor, it does not matter. May the power of the Holy Spirit set the children in captivity in this church free today in Jesus name. Amen.

LORD’S CHOSEN CHARISMATIC REVIVAL MINISTRY – PASTOR LAZARUS MOUKA

To this church, all it takes to be called into the ministry is to belong to a church with the name ‘chosen’. With this sense as a member of this church, all you need to do when you face danger or whatever is to shout ‘I am a chosen’ three times and you are free. If the situation persists, you are further told to say ‘where is the god of my pastors’ power’ or ‘where is the god of chosen’ and you will be delivered.

Brethren with this deceptions, members have been bewitched and therefore, the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth under which every knees bows and every tongues confess is relegated to the backdoor.  Philippians 2:9 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him (Jesus), and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What a pity!

Please, if you are a member of this church, you better repent genuinely because the ‘god of chosen church’ is certainly not the LORD Jesus Christ. You are shouting ignorantly that ‘I am a chosen and cannot be deceived’, may I announce to you by the Spirit of God that you have been deceived already and you feel like not knowing it. Please repent. Father, deliver your children from the deceit happening in the Lord’s chosen church today in Jesus name. Amen.

SYNAGOGUE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS – PROPHET T. B. JOSHUA

This church practices arms giving to the fullest and therefore, to be called into the ministry means ability to help the helpless and to also perform deliverance and prophesy greatly to the amazement of the world. However, as far as you can have access to the anointing water, sticker and other materials of the ministry, and your problem are being solved by using them, the man of God is 'called' already according to the perception of the onlookers.

Have you ever heard T. B. Joshua preaching Christ to the Muslims he usually help and feeds in his church? Have you ever heard T. B. Joshua preached on salvation, holiness, righteousness to his large followers and admirers? Have you ever seen those being delivered in SCOAN who always come and appear like a whore ever told to repent of their attachment to the world? May our LORD Jesus Christ deliver HIS lost sheep in this church today in Jesus name. Amen.

LIVING FAITH CHURCH AKA WINNERS CHAPEL – DAVID OYEDEPO

For this church, all means to be called is when you are living in affluence as a result of financial prosperity here on earth. Therefore, once you are prosperous, you are already approved of God. What darkness that beclouds people who are under such ministration! LORD Jesus, set your children free from eternal damnation awaiting the unsuspecting souls there in Jesus name. Amen.

The list goes on and on and on and on.
These churches that misquote what it means to be called are in the majority today. In fact, some of them are pure witch doctors, while others are simply magicians. May the LORD help us today in Jesus name. Amen.

In conclusion, if you called yourself a chosen vessel and yet iniquity is found within you and among your members, then you are called and never a chosen of the LORD.
2 Timothy 2:19 "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

May the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you all today. Amen.
Shalom!