A Call of the Soul

It seems like the souls of the lost have a silent cry that is only discerned by those whom God allows to be spiritually awakened. While others just see the crowd in a busy mall you may be struck with a sudden awareness of the emptiness and searching of the souls as you observe their passing. Others may drive through the Tri-Valley and say, “what a beautiful area”; while God allows some to hear the pain of brokenness and the cry for spiritual reality.

That must have been what the apostle Paul experienced when he saw a vision in the night, “A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9-10). Interestingly, Paul’s response was immediate as he made plans to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called him to preach the Gospel to them.

The call of God came as definite as I drove through the Tri-valley in 1997. Alone in my car, commuting to San Jose, I prayed as I passed through Pleasanton that someone would hear God’s call to start a Pentecostal church in this area. The impression of the Spirit was almost immediate, “Why don’t you start one?” The Spirit reasoned with my mental arguments: You have an income to support your family. You have been commuting twice as far to attend seminary. You have no ministerial obligations on the weekend, etc. One by one any objection that might arise was removed. It took awhile for the details to be worked out, but four years later we held our first service of The Pentecostals of Pleasanton!

God always works on both sides of an equation. The Macedonian was crying for help and Paul heard the call. While God was speaking to my heart and preparing me for Pleasanton, he was also calling others to the Tri-Valley. In 2000, Stuart Young came to me to express a God given call for the Tri-Valley and particularly Livermore. As we shared our burdens and calls, he felt led to join with us in the planting of this new church in 2001. After three years in this ministry the Lord renewed the particular call to his heart for Livermore, reminding him that this was the city of his calling.

Next Sunday, we will celebrate seven years of ministry in the Tri-valley, reflecting on the call of God and the miracle of the birth of this church. A part of our anniversary celebration will be the special ministry of a missionary couple, Stuart and Darla Young. For the last three and a half years they have labored in the city of Livermore to establish a church for the name of Jesus.

Whom God calls, He enables to fulfill His glorious purpose. While souls are screaming for answers, the good news is coming. The Church is responding to their cry and answering the call of God to share the Gospel.