Being Major League

During September of 1993, all of the 1994 season, and in the first two months of the 1995 baseball season, I was a left-handed batting practice pitcher for the Iowa Cubs, the Triple A affiliate of  National League Chicago Cubs, in Des Moines, Iowa.  Before each home game, I would "pitch" one of the sessions to team players who would work on their hitting skills before the game that day.

I can tell you, without doubt, that every player on that team felt that he should be in the Major Leagues. It was their calling. It's what they had been working toward all of their lives. It was their purpose in life; their destiny. In their hearts they knew they belonged in the "Show" – the Major Leagues. They just hadn't been chosen, yet.

In reality though, most of them were role-players whose real destiny was to assist the few fortunate players who would make it to the "Show," who would be chosen. Being chosen goes way beyond the realm of being called. The rewards are much greater! Jesus said in Matthew 22:14: "For many are called, but few are chosen."

In our booklet Your Ultimate Destiny written by Roderick C. Meredith, he states: "God says only overcomers will be in His Kingdom. Only overcomers will join Christ in ruling the earth. We are told throughout the New Testament to become like God. Jesus said, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)."

No matter what an individual's personal "calling" or purpose is in life, it takes a continuous mindset that one's ultimate destiny for true success requires extra effort and practice at overcoming our weaknesses so God will find us acceptable in His eyes. It means becoming "Major League" as a Christian whose ultimate destiny is to be chosen by God to rule with Him on the earth as "priests and kings" (Revelation 5:10).

True Christians are to overcome their own human vanities and passions, overcome the world and its temptations, and finally resist Satan himself. Peter concludes in his last letter with "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever" (2 Peter 3:18).

We know that we will not achieve perfection in this life, but we must be making real progress – for we are to grow in the very nature and character of God Himself.

It is our calling as a Christian, just like the players I worked with in professional baseball who spent hours and hours on the field practicing their skills and honing their abilities, hoping to get the call to the Major Leagues. Many fell short of their dream of being a Major League player. For whatever reason, most of them did not get "chosen" to make that one final step of getting to the "Show."

As Christians, we don't have the luxury of falling short of making it into God's Kingdom. We must put every effort we can into fulfilling our ultimate destiny of being part of the first resurrection, as the "first fruits" of God's Kingdom. Revelations 20:6 says, "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." Yes, the true saints are called of God and are being trained through an entire lifetime of overcoming to join Jesus Christ in ruling over the cities and nations on this earth!

It means being "chosen" by God to rule with him! It can be part of your ultimate destiny, if you will only open your minds and hearts to the calling God is offering to those who truly desire to be "Major League" Christians!

For more insight, be sure and order our booklet Your Ultimate Destiny from our Tomorrow's World website.