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Called into the Ministry? - 11/18/2008 12:14:53 PM
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-Justyna-
Posts: 1922
Joined: 11/12/2008
From: Northampton, U.K.
Status: offline
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I wanted to start this thread becasue I want to hear some of your stories and how you knew God was calling you into ministry. Did something specific happen? Did you read a book and the Holy Spirit talk to you? Did you always know you were meant to be in ministry? I would love to hear how it all came about.
The reason I am writing this is because somewhere in the back of my mind, I feel led to go into ministry but am not certain about it. Its not like God has TOLD me YOU NEED TO BE IN MINISTRY. I dont want to lead myself, and I dont want to be in it if I am not called. That would not be good. I know it has to be the Holy Spirit that calls people and anoints them to do the work. Lately I have been getting passionate about it. I used to do it for like 5 years or so. From 16-21. ( I am 27 right now). It was really great and I enjoyed being used by God that way. I really want that again, but am not sure if I qualify. I have not been the best of Christians the past 7 years. I've been through the ringer to put it bluntly. Fallen on my face so many times, but each time He picks me up. I attened a church but no doors really opened for me during this time. I was also not as passionate about it as I am now. Now seems different for some reason. I am currently looking for a church since I just moved.
I guess I just want to be used by God again, but that is not up to me. I dont decide when I am ready for that. Only He does. I know this. I just wonder if I have gone through some of the things I did because I am to help minister to others about them later on. Thats what my old paster told me a long time ago when the multitude of troubles started in my life. He spoke into my life and told me I was called into ministry. Well its been 7 years and nothing yet. I guess what I am saying is that I am open and willing to be used even though I am broken and my life is not perfect. I want to help those who are suffering. I have prayed for an open door if its HIs will. Any advice? Thanks =)
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 11/19/2008 1:40:17 AM
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RJR_fan
Posts: 1168
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: RTP, in sunny NC USA
Status: offline
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quote:
I want to hear some of your stories and how you knew God was calling you into ministry. Did something specific happen?
"Tom, you say you want to be a missionary to XXX. I have been watching your life, though, and I don't see the gifts and graces that go with that vocation. Missionaries need to have a natural charisma that draws people to them -- and you don't."[1] This was a rough paradigm shift, though, after my glory days as a Jesus Freak, who came to Christ in the context of revival, and found it natural to lead (literally) hundreds of young people to Christ through personal evangelism. Then, it quit happening!
Still, those were some of the most blessed words I ever heard, from one of the best pastors I've ever sat under. These words set me free from a fantasy I'd been obsessed with, and set me free to discover my true vocation (professional writer), to have children and raise them, to pursue further education.
This admonition also happened around the time when I embraced a more Biblical eschatology, one that made every honest calling precious in the sight of the Lord. God's Kingdom is forwarded by the 90% of our income we invest in our families and future, as well as by the 10% going into the formal, visible ministry.
Having, and home-schooling, four children has been one of the most important things I've done with my life.[2] They are aware of my shortcomings, and know that sometimes "Honor thy father" means "humor thy father." But my adult children respect their parents, and rejoice to serve our God. The younger two (10 and 12) participate in a family outreach God has recently given us to grad students from XXX.
And, at age 57, I have completed my course work, and am gearing up to do a dissertation that will, God willing, increase my influence for Him over the next 30 years or so.
[1] Learning about the spectrum of autism disorders, including Asperger's Syndrome, has been a liberating relief. I'm not ethically deficient, just wired differently.
[2] Actually, my wife had them. We had to stop at 4, since they all came by C-section. Still, keeping her at home for the critical periods of their lives required a sequence of miracles.
_____________________________
Blogging my way through the Turkish New Testament
Meet my beloved mentor, RJR
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 11/20/2008 1:04:13 PM
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InHisService9901
Posts: 22
Joined: 11/15/2008
Status: offline
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God bless you sister .. I am a female servant of the Lord,61 and counting..
My experience with my calling from the Lord was this
It was a Sunday Nite June 6th 1999
I was sitting in church , the service had just ended and we were about to go into our once a month business meeting .
The Lord spoke my name and said
I want you to go up and have Preacher Treadaway pray for you and anoint u for my service
u want believe what I said
im amazed that the Lord didnt strike me down
I said Lord we are in a business meeting
can u believe someone would say such as this to the Lord?
And He was calling this idiot?
I sat there after I had spoken this and the Lord said NOTHING
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
For one week I sought the Lord in prayer praying in this manner
Lord if you will tell me, let me hear those words again if you still want me I will obey .
like I said I prayed all week and the Lord was SILENT
By saturday nite I was desperate to hear the Lord say those words again and pleaded that He would
well it was getting late around midnite and He still had not spoken
maybe He didnt want me anymore
I cant describe how I felt
I finally fell asleep and at 5 am I woke up
and the Lord begin to speak in that still small voice
told me what to wear, and even suggested that I not wear heels that day because when u take off your shoes , you may be unsteady on your feet..Thats how I knew I ws to remove my shoes that I would be standing on Holy Ground ..Why?
Because when He calls He anoints..He is right there to give u that anointing...amen He is..
That morning I obeyed the Lord, stood up in a Baptist church and told my Pastor what the Lord told me to do
He called for the elders of the church and my Pastor anointed me with oil and him and the elders prayed for me
I cannot tell u how different things have been since that day
before that day I couldnt even half way teach , let alone preach
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be a preacher of the Gospel one day
NEVER
it never entered my mind
about a year and a half later the Lord gave me the Ministry of online Evangelism..
And when He did that He began to teach me
I would see a scripture that would pertain to the work of Evangelism and instantly know it and where it was found..even scriptures in the old testament the Lord began to plant in me
I didnt have to look them up all I need do is see them that first time and instantly know them.
God does not call anyone without preparing them for the task He is calling them to do.
The Lord has been my constant teacher and guide
My sermons are from Him...not me
and I recall that scripture in ex 4 where it says
the Lord said unto His servant Go
and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say
and all i can say to that is AMENNNNNNNNNN AND THANK YOU JESUS
Because He does just that...
If you feel led of God to Preach His Word then obey it acting upon faith that it is His will
brother if u are not in the will of God your heart will indeed condemn you
there are many doors that open up but we sometimes dont see that as a door to do the work of the Lord
Brother may I ask you, what do u feel the Lord is calling u to do
do u feel called to preach? If so do u feel your calling is Apostle, Prophet,Evangelist,Pastor
Whatever u are feeling led to do of the lord then u need to begin to act on it...it may not be in a church to begin with..He may choose to teach u online, or thru various Ministries of sorts, or thru your own neighborhood
I dont know but i sure would like to know your calling..
God bless and dont be discouraged
Evang.dare
< Message edited by InHisService9901 -- 11/20/2008 1:10:53 PM >
_____________________________
In Christ' Service
Evangelist Smith
Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 11/25/2008 11:13:55 AM
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-Justyna-
Posts: 1922
Joined: 11/12/2008
From: Northampton, U.K.
Status: offline
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Thank you both for your responses.
ImHisService...your story was really great and really encouraging. I do feel led into the ministry, I just dont know where and for what purpose. I think healing would come to mind. I remember when an old Pastor of mine prophesied that I was going to have a healing ministry. Well I have gone through some hard things these past few years, so I know God would be able to use that in my work for Him. The reason I feel passionate about serving Him is becasue I can see myself doing it each day and not get bored of it like a regular job. How can we get bored with God when He is so fascinating and so creative? I definitely think that we need to walk in the anointing in order to fullfill our purpose and calling. We can not do it on our own strength but rather must press through to Him. I am really inspired by your response and how He spoke so clearly to your heart. I guess that is what I want Him to do for me if in fact thats what I am to do with my life.
Thank you again for your thoughfullness.
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 6/11/2009 9:41:51 AM
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macmajii
Posts: 1
Joined: 6/11/2009
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One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was:
If you can NOT preach, then don't do it! But if you just have to, or else you feel like you might die if you don't, then by all means do so...'The Call' is obviously on your life.
YOU have to make your calling and election sure. You have to know that you know that you know you know... The call should be so strong on you that you feel like your life can never be happy until you do what you feel called to do.
I would also point out that there are many ways a calling can be lived out. A healing ministry doesn't necessarily have to be carried out like Kathryn Kuhlman, on a stage before thousands. God can work just as effectively through someone with a private psychiatric counseling practise; or as a youth counselor with a private practise. Can also be done as a Social Worker or health care professional. Look at Dr. Ben Carson...
Don't limit God. He made you uniquely YOU, just the way you are with your own proclivities, unique talents and skill sets. Use these as clues for how your ministry should be carried out. Examine yourself. What do you love to do, and would love to be able to do it fulltime if you were able to?
What are you so good at, that others find hard to do, but comes relatively easy for you? Your natural talents and gifts are often clues to how God intends for you to serve.
Its all about serving others in the end. The work of God doesn't always call us to the 5 fold ministry in the church. People like these types of ministry because they look glamorous. Everyone comes up to you after the service wanting to shake your hand and praise you.
Very often, He intends for you to work outside of the church, where the greatest needs are; but there's much less fame and glamor.
I hope you find your place, dear Love. And find it soon. Heaven and Earth are waiting on you to do so.
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 6/11/2009 12:32:47 PM
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David_D
Posts: 55
Joined: 11/11/2005
From: OH AYTCH - EYE OH
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: macmajii
One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was:
If you can NOT preach, then don't do it! But if you just have to, or else you feel like you might die if you don't, then by all means do so...'The Call' is obviously on your life.
That is great advice! One related piece I've discovered personally is that just because you CAN preach doesn't mean that you're meant to be a preacher or a pastor. It's important to take into consideration all of your gifts.
_____________________________
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
O for grace to trust Him more!
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 6/12/2009 1:50:30 AM
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Peloton
Posts: 200
Joined: 4/5/2009
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I remember my mother in law saying as a child God had called her. Others would confirm that in later years. She would set up chairs and preach the Gospel to dolls she sat in them. By the time I met her, she was attending a bible college via distance education.
My life before her daughter, my wife of 32 years, was genuine evil. It is amazing what grace, Jesus' shed blood, and repentance will do. I began visiting my MIL saying I had a message for her. One day, she said to me that those messages weren't for her, but for me. It's been a long road, youth minister, sectional youth director, asst pastor, pastor, school, camp meetings, the whole real deal. Been ordained in two organizations, have taught and ministered around the world and am having fun doing it. God has blessed and anointed me to preach and teach. The hard part is waiting on Him. I remember it all started my senior year in high school. I took one of those tests that let your know what you're supposed to be in life. Mine came up as a Pastor/Minister. I had to deny that test to all my friends, but, by myself I had a strange feeling. It is really cool to look back over my life BJ and can see where Gods hand of protection was on me as He had other plans. Patiently He waits for those He has placed a calling on.
Ya, know...I didn't know what I was called to do at first. I just got involved in the church and eventually found a ministry that fit. From there, place down roots and grow.
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 6/12/2009 6:08:00 PM
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Covaan_Meshuga
Posts: 3173
Joined: 6/8/2005
From: being knit together in my mother's womb
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I have known many people over the years who believed that they were called into the ministry; some were, and many were not.
(1) Literally, some were merely lazy and thought it would be a good way to get others to pay them for a full week while they only worked on Sundays. (How disappointing to them to learn that a congregation's leader never gets a night, a day, or a weekend off, may be the only one to visit the sick and dying, and must continue their education.)
(2) Some needed a platform, because they just wanted to talk to a captive audience. (They should have joined the PTA.)
(3) Some merely wanted some people to follow them. (They should have gotten into politics.)
(4) Some wanted to be great in others' eyes. (They should have worked on their personalities and grown in them, learning humility before taking a pastorate.)
(5) Some wanted people to wait on them. (The meaning of ministry? To serve. Too bad they didn't find that out.)
(6) Some were merely thought they could do better than the leaders they'd had. (They would have been far better off if they had learned in kindergarten to play well with others.)
(7) Some felt a deep need to correct the way others were doing things, and the ministry looked like a good way to do it and get by with it. (Because they had myriad personal problems which they learned to anesthetize themselves about by concentrating on correcting others' "faults.")
(8) Some needed to be able to get by with commanding others. (They should have joined the Army.)
(9) Some needed respect. (They hadn't learned how to earn it yet.)
(10) Some were just dissatisfied with life and needed to gather people who were like themselves, so that they could all be miserable together. This type is usually the kind that think they are the only ones who will enter the Pearly Gates. (Well, you kniw . . . .)
(I'll stop there)
Then there were the ones who were ready to serve, not to be served, the ones who accepted that it would be disappointing at times, the ones who intended to pray hard and work hard to make it work.
And all of these thought they were "called."
_____________________________
While in prayer or praise, I am only as devoted to G-d as I am in my most private moments.
Abiyah, if you had known them as G-d knows them, you would have answered them differently.
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 6/13/2009 3:47:27 PM
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AndyBern
Posts: 50
Joined: 5/17/2009
Status: offline
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"The ministry" can be a misleading term. We're all called to be ministers: servants of God by serving each other, and doing good towards those in the world. Don't think of pastors and teachers as higher up on the totem pole than janitors, visitation workers, or especially prayer warriors. Whatever God calls you to do, that is more important than where you are on the church's organizational chart.
As far as recognizing the call, here's a few thoughts:
- Make yourself truly available to God for Him to use in whatever way He sees fit. Recognize that this may mean doing something that you currently really dislike. (Thoughts of Scott Wesley Brown's song "Please Don't Send Me To Africa!")
- While you are still in the dark as to His specific will for you, make sure you stay in His general will for all believers. Keep spending time in His word, in prayer, in helping those in need, etc. Why should He give you more specific direction when you don't do what He has already told you?
- Make your relationship with Christ a priority. The closer you get to Him, the easier it is to hear His voice (John 10).
- If you start getting hints as to the direction God wants you to go, start to prepare yourself spiritually for it. Hudson Taylor, before he went to China, began preparing himself at home by, among other things, learning to live on less income (he ate a lot of oatmeal) and exercising his faith more.
- When God lets you know, then you'll know. Don't worry about the details. He knows how to get through to each one of us. It's different with each person.
The appendix of the book Daktar, by Viggo Olsen, has some good insight into how to find God's will. I have also covered this topic in a discipleship class at my church (notes available here).
_____________________________
- Andrew
(ex-enemy of God)
http://dtjsoft.com
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 6/13/2009 11:49:48 PM
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AndyBern
Posts: 50
Joined: 5/17/2009
Status: offline
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Glad I could help, Justyna.
I also like macmajii's statement on if "...feel like you might die if you don't [preach], then by all means do so...'The Call' is obviously on your life." This applies to any area that God calls you to. Many times He gives you a passion to serve in the area He is calling you to, and this can serve as His leading. But sometimes the passion doesn't come until after you hear His call and obey. Sometimes it might even take more time than that.
I used to hate to talk and write. I was the shy introverted nerdy type kid who preferred books to people. Once when I was little, I volunteered to quote my favorite verse (John 3:16) in front of the church (of about 30-40 people). But when it came time to do so, I chickened out and wouldn't do it. 
I've always had problems with communicating verbally. It's difficult for me to just converse normally (although not as much as it used to be). Sometimes I think I have a slight case of autism.  I have to write out what I want to say, and go over it and refine it before presenting it.
But over the years God has led me to minister in an area outside of my comfort zone, where I have no natural talent. If He had told me 20 years ago He wanted me to speak to a bunch of people or lead a class, I would have been very uncomfortable and might have waffled on His call. But God started me out by acting as a sub for the main Sunday adult class teacher who needed a break for the summer. When I first started teaching, I wasn't good at it, and I certainly wasn't comfortable with it. But over time He took away my fear and gave me spiritual gifts in the area of my natural weaknesses. Now I see His leading and am thankful for it. I've been leading the class for close to 15 years, and He has been increasing my desire to minister in this way more and more.
_____________________________
- Andrew
(ex-enemy of God)
http://dtjsoft.com
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 6/16/2009 10:04:10 PM
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AndyBern
Posts: 50
Joined: 5/17/2009
Status: offline
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Justyna, whatever form of ministry you go into, remember that it is not about the ministry (i.e. the way you serve), but about the people, seeing their individual needs and meeting them in ways God has enabled you to (Matthew 20:28). Ministry is personal, even preaching. Don't see people as a way to build up your ministry, but see your ministry as a way to build up people in Christ.
_____________________________
- Andrew
(ex-enemy of God)
http://dtjsoft.com
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RE: Called into the Ministry? - 10/28/2009 9:07:21 AM
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yaneenah
Posts: 2
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In February 2009, that is a couple of months ago, God said HE will use me to bring many people to HIM. He said that is why the devil is trying extra hard to pull me down. I can never abandon God. I still did not know what God called me to do. I applied for paralegal studies at Sheridan college but after I confirmed my admission for application,
I started feeling restless. I felt so weak and could not concentrate on anything. I was always in my room and did not want to talk to anybody. My family members were concerned. As days went by, God was making it clear that I should go to Bible school instead. I could not resist or rest and HE kept telling me. I spoke to the youth pastor about it and she said God wants me not to be a paralegal, but a preacher instead. She helped me with a Pentecostal Bible college so I applied. I will start school this January by the Grace of God. I am so exited about being used by God. As a prayer warrior, I can never cease to pray. We are fighting against principalities and powers. If
you don't rebuke the devil and keep reminding him that you do not belong to him, he will keep coming.
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