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Knowing Your Calling
By Carnell Taylor
In the Book of Jeremiah Chapter 1 verse 5 it reads, “Before you were formed within your mother’s womb, I knew you and sanctified you as my spokesperson to the world.” By the time I reached the age of five I was told by an evangelist, apostle and prophet Sister Lily Levy that I was a “chosen vessel”. Sister Levy held prayer meetings three times a day and depended on God to take care of all her needs. This God-fearing woman had a decorative place setting for Jesus at her dining table and positioned an empty chair that no one was allowed to sit in. While in her presence, she would usually call on me to pray and read scriptures. She often reminded me that “Jesus loves me.” After weekly prayer meetings, I would spend additional time with her. She had such a powerful/positive impact on my life, faith and spiritual growth.
In the Book of Colossians, Paul writes that children need proper instruction early in life, to be set on the proper path with correct teaching. We have to be the light house to a dying world, a world in darkness. So we have to let our light shine, before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.
After moving to New York, I became a member of the Comforting Church of Christ. Under the stewardship of Bishop Bowen, I continued my walk with Christ, becoming a local missionary by visiting people at Kings County Hospital, Oxford Nursing Home and Rikers Island Prison. Bishop Bowen told me that he saw me traveling abroad to do international missionary work.
It’s a high honor to be called by God into the ministry. First, there is an inward call. Through His Spirit, God speaks to us (you will not receive a fax, email or telephone call). The great Reformer Martin Luther described this inward call as “God’s voice heard by faith”. Those whom God has called know this by a sense of leading, purpose and growing commitment. The sense of compulsion should prompt the believer to consider whether God has equipped you with the gifts necessary for the ministry.
After accepting an early retirement package from Bankers Trust where I worked as an Investment manager, I found myself working as a substitute teacher for over 10 years after moving to Georgia. During my stint in teaching, I often asked the question - Lord why do you have me in the classroom with students? After fasting and praying for forty days, asking the Lord to use me to build up His Kingdom. No sooner after hearing His response, I met Dr. Sloan at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral following the close of Sunday morning service in 2005. When we encountered each other that morning I was wearing my Missionary pin for the first time since moving away from New York. Dr. Sloan noticed the pin and her immediate reaction was: are you a Missionary? She later invited me to a preparatory class for international missionary work. During the training, she told me that I could not go to Africa as it was my first preference for a missionary trip. I would have to consider a trip closer to the United States so I signed up for the journey to go Jamaica.
In the following year, Dr. Sloan had a team of seven missionaries preparing for a trip to Kenya in April. When I received word that one of missionaries bound for Africa became ill, she called me and requested that I should go to Africa. My response was “let me pray about it.” This was on a Friday night, less than one week before their flight. Imagine the need to gather all of my travel credentials; which meant that I would need a visa from the Embassy. I mailed my passport through Federal Express that Monday, which was less than 5 days before the Missionaries would be departing for Kenya. All went well, because it was God’s Will for me to be on this Team. What God has for each of us fits like a glove, it feels comfortable and you know that’s where you belong. I felt such an anointing, as we set-up a Vacation Bible School Program at Buru Buru Community Centre Church of God – a place east of downtown Nairobi. Our topic for the time there was “The Birth of the Church”, describing the beginning, worship practices and growth of the early church according to the book of Acts. The church belongs to Jesus and all who receives Him become members of His family and have certain responsibilities to unite in worship and fellowship.
Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He commanded His disciples to tell all people of the World about Him. We were created to be servants, walking in Jesus’ footsteps and bringing His life to everything we touch. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few!.......Come! He will make you Fishers of MEN! 
This year, LifeWalk Mission International will be looking for passionate go-ye-therefore individuals to embark on mission field trips in 2015. We want to challenge your thoughts as we pray that you to evaluate the calling God has given you. In our summer newsletter edition, we’ll speak on “Answering the Call.” Sister Carnell Taylor is an active and dedicated board member of LifeWalk Mission International. Write us if you’d like to comment to her article.
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