Q2. The Upward Call of God

[JustJeff]

The first time I LISTENED to the upward call of God, as an adult (I now realize that as a child He called me to Higher Ground several times but I didn't stay), was when I was homeless and at wits end. It was then that I heard Him and paid heed. He directed me to a place that led me to Him, becoming born again filled with His Holy Spirit and giving my life in service to Him. That was 14 years ago.

When we consider the things of the world before God we cannot hear Him. To be open to His still small voice we must commit to Him, in prayer, in praise, in worship, in study, in awe, in reverence in...., everything.

The content is always to Him, His holiness and His Fatherhood.

[csreeves]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

I have been called upwards by God and really received his unconstrained love. Leaving his side has made my hearing to become dim. Go back to the place where we left God. Summons or call is God's love reaching out to use you in a mighty way by giving you the means to carry out that call.

[EuniceC]

To experience Him in a way that no relationship with any human being can give, that is the call of God,

When Christ called Zaccheaus, he could not have refused the call, it was a call deep inside his heart, that is the call of God for us.

Yes, this is an experience that I wouldn

[Commissioned]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God?

It is hearing the Holy Spirit, recognizing the conviction and come to repentence.

Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing?

This call I have experienced. It can become dim in our hearing when the call to repentence is ignore repeatedly.

How can we renew our hearing of his call?

We can renew our hearing of his call by daily meditating on the Word of God and communing with God.

What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

The message is that Jesus Christ has died on the cross as the penalty for our sins. We can now come boldly to the throne of grace and there obtain grace and forgiveness for our sins.

[Jewell]

To be called upwards by God is to listen to what he wants us to do and to follow that path. It gives purpose to our lives and drives us towards the finish line. God's call becomes dim when we quit listening and start following our own path. We can renew our hearing of his call by focusing on the finish line - striving to become as close to him as possible.

[meandean]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

not at first. i really didn't pay attention. though i asked christ into my life in 1994, i never met him until 1996.sure, i knew things about him, but i didn't have time to listen to him except on sundays.and that was out of my good christian duty.but here, let me go back to 1993. it was the day after my dad past away. i was alone in the bathroom washing my hands,really blank in my thoughts, and i heard a voice like noone i ever met before.it said to me "dean, do not be afraid." that was it. now i didn't ask christ in until over a year later. but in 1996,it wasn't the same voice, but i knew someone had told me to read joshua. me and my wife were getting ready to go somewhere and i told her what happened. she said let's go and i said no, i better find out what this was about.well i read almost all of joshua, but i missed what it said, so back to the first chapter i went. their it was bigger than elvis, joshus 1:5-9.as i reflect over the years of my life since this promise was given, wow, did i blow this one. i mean there were definite times i trusted god, but there were many times i shrunk back.now i am realizing he was always there, and here now, i just must not only depend on his promise but his pressence as well.

[Craig]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

To be called upwards by God is to be focused on the priorities and interests of God in my personal/spiritual life as well as what is going on around me. It's aspiring to be Godly, a reflection of God's glory, and the person God created me to be.

An aspiration for the things of Heaven and Heaven itself. Yes, I have experienced this.

The distractions of this world causes God's call to become dim in our hearing. The things and cares of this world can drown out God's call to us. We can renew our hearing of his call by repenting of sin, giving Him our undivided attention, and submitting our will to His will.

Ultimately, the call Heavenward is the call by God to each of us to Heaven. A call to be in His presence. To have a intimate relationship with Him.

[helentank]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

I think that means he calls us to be better than we can be on our own. He wants us to stay focused on him. Yes, I have experienced this many times.

We don't always hear him because we are too determined to do things our own way or because Satan is blocking our view.

We need to pray without ceasing and be still and hear God.

My message from God is his always reminding me that he loves me but wants to see me become more like him (my reason for being here)

[emmaus]

It's a life changing experience to be called upward by God. Everyone who has excepted Jesus as their savior has began their race. Worldly things and disappointments cause us to take our eye off the mark and dim our hearing. We have to stay in the fold, we can't go wondering off like the lost sheep, surround ourselves with fellow Christians, pray and praise God. We are to live our life in a way brings glory to God's name. We are to be the light for the lost. Our prize will be a crown of glory that will never fade away.

[Tangerine]

The upward calling of God may not be 'up' as many think it to be...but it could be 'down' to a level where God can use us to serve others and to bless them with the grace he has given to us. For example, Jesus was lifted up after he humbled himself as a servant, even unto death on a cross. But I think that in the context of this passage, it could very well refer to a 'keep looking up to Jesus' kind of thing, where we stay focused on his heavenly calling on our lives, and not on our own desires or distractions.

My own hearing of God's call is dimmed or watered down when I focus on my own problems...usually which are financial or time oriented. But God also uses those times to help me to realize that he is the only one that can help me when I'm down. Yes, he usually does help me by bringing other people into my life to be a blessing, and yes, I do try to bless others in similar ways, so maybe the upward calling of God includes going through these experiences one after the other so that my life may have some depth to it, and when I tell someone that God cares for them, I can say it with conviction.

A lot of people said we can renew our hearing of God's call by reading his word, but I especially concur with those who also include meeting with other believers to understand God's word in the context of our own community, and to help each other live out this life in Christ...whatever that means for us in our time and culture.

For all of us, the specifics of this call include 'love your neighbor', 'encourage one another towards acts of kindness', 'do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit', etc. For some, the specifics might be for certain acts of kindness or labours of love. And for others, it could be to simply be a good Dad and provider. Whatever the case, we must do what God desires for us, because only he knows what we need, and how he wants to use us in this life.

[McCollum]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

To be called up ward by God, I would say is to experience the present of the Lord in an out of body experience. It is an experience that can, and can not be put in to words for earthly understanding, it is a great responsibility along with special privilege. When I excepted God invitation to come, and every since then, their had been stumbling blocks placed before me by Satan, but I put, and keep all my faith in God, and because of where my faith, hope and responsibility lies, God has kept me from going backward to going upward, to do His will through His Holy Spirit in me. Their is nothing more inportant to me than receiving the prize of spending life in His eternal presence.

The calling or summons is the one that occurs at the end of the race, eternal present with God once I have finished my course in this earthly bodies. In complete and perfect fellowship with God.

[JanMary]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God?

Understanding the question to mean the call from death to eternal life in christ, it was the culmination of years of Him pursuing me, to a simple response to a radio program on the way to the Episcopal Church, in which the Gospel was presented in a simple and clear way, and I responded by praying the prayer of Salvation with the Pastor on the radio.

Have you ever experienced this?

After I received Christ over the radio program, though I felt no change at the time, one week later, moments before a terrible rollover car accident I was in with my two young children, I saw a vision of the accident before it happened, with blood on the back seat, heard the noise of the crash, and knew I was being warned about what was about to happen. The car was filled with bright light, though it was pitch dark outside and pouring rain. The children asked what the bright light was, as the chrome in the car sparkled and glistened with His Presence. I had no idea of such things, and thought I could avoid the accident by pulling over and stopping, but before I could even change lanes to do so, I hit black ice and slid in the opposite direction, across all lanes of the freeway and out into the muddy median area where we spun a number of times, then rolled. The blood I'd seen on the backseat was visible above me, as we were now upside down. My daughters elbow had bled, and strapped in, the 2 children were hanging upside down. I had not worn a seat belt (didn't in those days 36 years ago) and had hit the passenger door then was thrown into the back seat. As we were being pulled quickly from the car by rescuers who saw smoke and feared it would burst into flame, I marveled at the peace and calm I felt, wondering if I'd make it to my art class on time later that evening! (Normally I would have been a nervous wreck)I also wondered how we had miraculously passed across all lanes of the freeway, where moments before, there had been a solid "wall" of rush hour cars, big rigs, and pickup trucks...as though a Mighty invisible hand had moved them out of the way so that no one else was involved in the accident. We were rushed to the hospital and the only damage was a bump on my son's head when it hit the window, a cut on my daughters elbow, which had nearly stopped bleeding and required only a bandaid, and an injured and sore low back/pelvic area where I'd slammed into the car's metal gear shift, then the passenger door arm rest before being thrown around in the car, but which didn't require hospitalization and we were sent home. He has called me into His Presence many times since then, in visions, special moments, worship, etc.

What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing?

In 36 years of walking with Him, I haven't experienced a dimness in His call...we've gone from one trial to another, never a dull moment to grow apathetic about Him or His call, and I thank Him for this! He has kept His hand on my family, and we've experinced miraculous healings, deliverances, as well. My injured back was healed months later through a Word of Knowledge over the 700 club by Demos Shakarian, and I was instantly healed from the injury and chronic pain from the car accident. My son's thumb was partially cut off in a bicycle accident and the graft died and turned black. The plastic surgeon was going to amputate it to prevent gangrene. I asked for a few more days to pray and have him anointed with oil. The dead, blackened skin turned pink and healthy and the Doctor was stunned, saying "We just don't get to see this kind of miracle".We bought him a Bible and Prayed for his salvation. (We did leave the Episcopal church after several years, when my belief in the Bible as the infallible Word of God was ridiculed as archaic, and "fundamental crap", and the Pastor tried to dissuade my belief in the virgin birth of Christ...things he'd been taught at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco) (After the wreck, and after saying my car was totaled and hauling it to the junk yard, the insurance company changed their mind and restored my vintage 1966 Mustang, as good as new, after I prayed to have it restored to me..another assurance of God's unfailing love and mercy.)

How can we renew our hearing of his call?

I would hope that if this ever happens to me, I would repent of unbelief or lazy apathy, and confess the sin which brought it about, and ask to be reignited with the fire of the Holy Spirit to finish the race as a contender for the prize..

What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

It is first to get into the race through Salvation, then to keep running the race with the goal or prize of knowing Him fully, and to be conformed into His image as I press on toward the goal of Heaven and eternity with Him.

[hanks]

Q2. (3:14)

What is it like to be called upwards by God?

Have you ever experienced this?

What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing?

How can we renew our hearing of his call?

What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

It was a fantastic time in my life

[DrD]

To me it is more than an invitation or request, it is a summons to continue striving until a final goal is reached. . . It is a requirement to rid myself of any and all hindrences or impediments and to single-mindedly pursue the intended goal until it is realized. . .

The call of God can become dim to our hearing when we allow the customs, traditions, and cares of this world to get in our way or influence us. . .

Mark 4:18-19 (NLT)

18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God

[Marloes]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

It's when you hear of Christ and get the invitation to follow Him.

I never had a supernatural voice or thought - but I've felt a strange peaceful emotion.

Maybe we don't hear Him beccause we're not listening.

If my mother calls me on the phone, I have to take up the receiver.

If God calls, maybe it's the same.

1 Sam. 4 "Then the LORD called Samuel.Samuel answered, "Here I am."

In this message, it's the call to follow Him.

[Trusting God]

To be called upwards by God feels like a mountaintop experience. Yes, I have experienced the upward call of God. It felt very good to know that God

[Delivered]

Q2. (3:14) what is it like to be called upwards by God?

Christ tells me first the reason "why" I am called upwards by God, Israel's Messiah teaches all believers, the most important calling on us, is upwards to God, we are called to " love the God of Israel, with all our hearts, with our whole being, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice upwards to God"

The Cross not only reconciled us to the Father and God of the Messiah, but the Cross also enables us to experience that calling upwards, it empowers us from above to leave the things of the past and to press forward ---- once we begin to walk in the "power" of the Cross, we begin to see, to experience, "what" it is like to be called upwards to God, we can see and understand as Paul did, that God's laws are not a "yoke" -- that God's calling us upwards is through our obedience to Him, and the reason why, is because of our love for His Son, experiencing the reward to that calling is the joy of being in "fellowship" with God, for isn't that the reason for the Cross, why the Son left His place of Glory, so that we would be reconciled to God?

Have you ever experienced this?

Yes I have, as a very young teen I knew I wanted to know and love God, I chose to give my will to Him.

What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing, and how can we renew our hearing of his call?

If and when we take our hearts off of our calling upwards to God, our eyes can become dim, and our hearing can become muffled, but there is a remedy, it is found in God's Word, our hearts must press forward to the Word, allowing the Word to be a sharp two sided sword, for the Word of God is a known name of the Messiah, He knows our thoughts and intents of our hearts, so the remedy for us is to go back to our calling, giving our hearts upward to God.

[wifee]

2a)My salvation in Christ,God’s call on my life I believe is liberating.I am a work in progress however,and still seekng the ultimate purpose God calling me to completion of my salvation in Christ.

B)God’s call to salvation frees me,then journey of faith as Jesus works in me moulding,shaping me to be more into His image,until see him face to face for eternity in heaven.each day continue to be freed as seek more of Him.

C)When we stop hearing gospel & God’s Word preached, devil uses distractions to weaken our faith &dim our hearing.

D)We can renew hearing by humbly turning again to Christ, open to read bible,allowing the Word to be a 2sided sharp sword,to see how to apply it our lives. E)Message is one way to God,through turning to Christ confession of sins/repentance & faith and growing to know Christ more fully.

[jacquie7]

It is a great reward to be called upwards by God; it is a call to Jesus Himself. Though I have not taken hold of some things and I do not claim perfection, I have experienced a call from God and I do look forward to knowing Him in His fullness. His call can become dim in our hearing if something terrible happens, or if we continue to look back at our past. We can ask Him for forgiveness and He will heal us and get us back on track and renew our hearing His call. The context of this message is not to let anything take our eyes off the goal, which is to know Christ.

[Sank T Monius]

Philippians 3:14
Q). What is it like to be called upwards by God?
A). It is like being honored with a very high privilege.
#
Q). Have you ever experienced this?
A). Yes. When I realized He was speaking directly to me through His Word of salvation. The words "whosoever believeth..." included me and it became a personal calling.
#
Q). What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing?
A). Our self-centered thinking along with carnal desires and worldly distractions causes God's call to become dim in our hearing.
#
Q). How can we renew our hearing of his call?
A). By remembering God's most precious gift of love during times of prayer and meditation.
#
A). What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?
The content or specifics of this message is written in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

[WinstonY]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call? 

 

 

Question 7.2

 

To be called by the uplifting call, the upward call of Christ must be a wonderful experience.  We think of Isaiah and in his visions saw the Lord Yahweh on a throne surrounded by cherubim and seraphim who chanted God’s praise.  An experience never to be forgotten.  Again Jeremiah was called - the word of the Lord came to him and he tried to refuse but the Lord interrupted him “Do not say I am only a youth ... behold I have put my words in your mouth for all to hear I send you, you shall go” (1:6).

To Paul himself on the Damascus road the Lord asks why Paul was persecuting Jesus and said,” I am Jesus”.  The words I am indicate deity as Yahweh said to Moses in Exodus 3 “I am who I am”.  Paul would easily recognize the I am structure of the sentence “I am Jesus” and be struck with the similarity of the burning light of Jesus and the burning bush of Moses and know that Jesus was God.  

We are call upward towards a mission of service with Jesus.  We cannot all expect a call such as Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah.  We cannot expect to be called to such a service but we are called and we must serve as did Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah.  Our reward is the same as theirs.  Our reward is in our service and in our relationship with the Lord both here on earth and our relation with him throughout eternity.  It is a relation where we can serve Christ among the people whom he loved and then we depart for a relationship with Christ which is far better.

 

 

Yes but certainly not to the degree of the saints.  

 

Prayer and service.

 

Work for the night is coming.

 

[Old Jerry]

The meaning of being called upwards by God is to be called toward a project that you know that God is calling you to. I have experienced this calling and I have been going on mission trips since. The thing that causes God’s call to become dim in our hearing is that we have not been following Him. We have tuned Him out and we can’t hear Him anymore. We can renew this calling again be getting into the bible, attending church and fellowshipping with those that are following their calling.

[DebLam3teach]

When I was twelve years old, I felt called by God to follow Him and to know Him in an intimate way.  He became my Closest Friend.   Throughout the years, I have strayed, but spending consistent time with Him and His Word has always brought me back to my close relationship with Him.  Maintaining habits of devotions and church attendance help me when I tend to stray.  Each time I return, He calls me to a more surrendered life. The more I surrender, the more I experience His love and pleaure.

[charisbarak]

It is a challenge--not to be satisfied with where you are--desiring more & more of Jesus.

Yes, our relationship gets deeper and deeper.

His call becomes dim when we move away from the place where we have the deeper walk with Him.

Ask Him. Study His Word daily, pray, join with others, praying & studying, examine yourself.

Live IN Him and be fruitful!

[haar]

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call?

Upward call by God to us is call to accept Christ and to keep on track without going back until we reach the heavenly home. A call for us to remain steadfast in the faith.

Yes.

Sometimes we are distracted by so much around us (such as our job/ business and other worldily cares)that we fail to hear God.

We can do so by prayerfully asking God to give us the grace to be still from time to time at, especially our quiet time and Bible meditations.

The call (after that for salvation) can be that prompting usto keep going without slowing down or some specific assignments to carry message to someone.