The "Calling"

[Razorbuck]

Hey Folks!

Been gone a good while, looks like there's been lots of activity! I'm looking forward to reading through the posts as time permits. But onto my question.

I have heard many people in full-time Christian ministry (pastors, missionaries, evangelists, teachers, etc.) refer to a time when God "called" them to their specific ministry.

Has anyone here been called in that sense, and what exactly did that call entail?

Looking forward to your replies. God bless!

Razorbuck

[ZiSunka]

"The ability and the opportunity to do a good work should be considered a call to do it." DL Moody.

I don't know if I agree completely with Moody or not, because I think it's pretty easy to overcommit that way. This summer I took on four projects because I had the ability and the opportunity, but I think I was only really "called" to do one of them.

How do I know? Because the ones I wasn't called to exhausted me and made me smaller and less able spiritually, but the one I was called to do refreshes me and makes me passionate about God.

So, don't wait for an emotional "call," keep doing the things for the Lord that you love and that you can do, and the Lord will let you know what your next "calling" will be when you are ready for it.

[BT]

I have been (am in) in this situation. I would think that it is different for each person though.

[kyzar]

Recently the person who introduced songs etc at our worship meeting left, and I was left with the oppertunity and have the ability to do this along with a friend of mine... I have always thought that I would love to do this, and have often prayed about this matter... I left it in God's more than capable hands and now I feel that God has called me to this, because it seems to evident that this is God's will... I will continue to pray though...

[Razorbuck]

I have been (am in) in this situation. I would think that it is different for each person though.

I agree. That's what I'm asking folks as individuals, if they care to share, how they knew they were called to a particular ministry.

How did you come to believe God Himself was calling you?

Has anyone here ever resisted a calling?


I realize that if there is a need and it is within my power to fill that need without harming my ministry to my family and church then I by all means need to do it. I'm talking about a calling to a specific ministry, such as full-time evangelism or missionary work.

Hope that clears it up.

[ZiSunka]

Put yourself in Gods hands and he will show you which way to go to find your ministry.

If he doesn't give you a ministry, then it means either you or it aren't ready yet. If he gives you the choice of two or more ministries, take the one you like best, you can't go wrong. If he hasn't shown you your way yet, do whatever you can while you are waiting, even if it seems small, because he who is faithful in little things will be faithful in bigger things, and he who gives little of his heart will be given only little responsibilities from the Lord (if you sow sparingly, and all that). Give what you can of yourself to God and little by little he will increase your ministries until he finally gives you what he has always been planning for you to do. Don't expect lightning bolts or angelic announcements, just watch him as HE opens the doors and illuminates your path, ONE STEP AT A TIME. You might not even realize what you are called to do until you are already doing it!

[tbird_energizerbunny]

I'm not posting this to ruffle some feathers or anything, but I'd like to add to this.

I am called to stand up in front of the congregation to preach. Problem: I am a baptist. Problem: I am a girl. So how do I solve this? Converstion. I don't want to convert because I love my church. My church has this great atomosphere that I absolutely cannot live without. I am called, and I've been called to preach for a while now, I'm jsut waiting for opportunities and my permit so that I can visit the area churches. I've been running away from this calling for a while now and was miserable, now that I've said "Yes Lord" My burden is easier to bear. I know what the Bible says, and I knwo the opinions of the baptist church, but I will deny God's calling just for that. I love him and don't want to let him down any more than I have to.

Are u called? If you are, dont turn him away.

[tesnusxenos]

[QUOTE=Razorbuck
How did you come to believe God Himself was calling you?

Has anyone here ever resisted a calling?

[/QUOTE]
Back in March I resisted the Lord's calling to speak before our cCollege group (30 students mixed sexes) because I really did not think he would call me a Woman to speak before a Baptist group. I bargined with Him in prayer and told him that if the speaker pulled out at the last minute I would volunteer and If the pastor accepted I would speak. The speaker called at the last minute I volunteered and the pastor gave me the go ahead !
I spoke with much fear, but now we have another sister in the kingdom! and I have had occasion to speak twice more and can now boldly proclaim what the Lord lays on my heart!

[Carrye]

I'm not engaged in a specific ministry right now as I'm in grad school for theology, but the discernment that got me here will apply to your situation as well, I think. How did I know? I didn't for sure. God rarely gives us flashing arrows. What He does give us is peace. That's how I knew.

I knew this wasn't something I wanted, because I didn't want it. I wanted to stay in my safe community in Wisconsin and not venture out to the Left Coast. I wanted to use the education I'd just received, and teach biology to high schoolers. I wanted to get a job, find a husband, and have lots of Catholic babies. But God said, "not yet". So I applied to grad school, got accepted, and came out to California. I can see now that it could not have been another way - this was truly God's path for me. Now I can only imagine what He'll do with me from here, what the next step will be.

May our prayer always be like that hymn, "Lord let me walk each step with Thee, lead me O Lord, lead me".

[Crazy Liz]

Where are you studying CLS?

TBEB, there are women preaching in the American Baptist churches and I think some other smaller Baptist denominations in the US. Even a higher proportion of women in ministry in Baptist churches in the UK, I understand. You go girl!

[Carrye]

Where are you studying CLS?
It's called the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (http://www.dspt.edu) in Berkeley, CA. It's one of the schools of the Graduate Theological Union (http://www.gtu.edu), which is made up of three Catholic (Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit) and six Protestant (Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopalian) and non-denominational schools.

[Crazy Liz]

GTU is cool! I used to live in the Bay Area (sort of - Santa Cruz) but not near enough to Berkeley to make GTU a viable option. Some friends of mine were adjunct faculty at New College about 20 years ago.

I'm studying at Fuller in Southern Cal now.

[Carrye]

GTU is cool! I used to live in the Bay Area (sort of - Santa Cruz) but not near enough to Berkeley to make GTU a viable option. I'm studying at Fuller in Southern Cal now.
I made a couple of trips down to So Cal last year. I visited LA for the Religious Education Conference and San Diego on my way to Texas for Spring Break. I LOVED SD!

[BT]

I'm not posting this to ruffle some feathers or anything, but I'd like to add to this.

I am called to stand up in front of the congregation to preach. Problem: I am a baptist. Problem: I am a girl. So how do I solve this? Converstion. I don't want to convert because I love my church. My church has this great atomosphere that I absolutely cannot live without. I am called, and I've been called to preach for a while now, I'm jsut waiting for opportunities and my permit so that I can visit the area churches. I've been running away from this calling for a while now and was miserable, now that I've said "Yes Lord" My burden is easier to bear. I know what the Bible says, and I knwo the opinions of the baptist church, but I will deny God's calling just for that. I love him and don't want to let him down any more than I have to.


Solution: What does your pastor counsel you about this?

[tbird_energizerbunny]

Thanks, there's so much that I can't understand as to why Baptists don't approve of women preachers. All my friends and stuff support me, but the church doesn't which really makes me sad. :( But I will keep on pushing. And there are so many opportunities out there. Thanks all!

[tesnusxenos]

Thanks, there's so much that I can't understand as to why Baptists don't approve of women preachers. All my friends and stuff support me, but the church doesn't which really makes me sad. :( But I will keep on pushing. And there are so many opportunities out there. Thanks all!
But there are Baptist teachers that are women (such as Beth Moore).
Do you mind being under the authority of a man ? Can you fulfill your calling without having a congregation of your own? I feel called to spread the word about Jesus and teach others and speak but I do not mind being under the authority of another (as long as they are controlled by Jesus).

[RED that's ME]

We all have a calling when we become Christians. The main calling is found in Matthew 28:19-20. :angel:

[MbiaJc]

Our call to salvation and dicipleship are one and the same and are not seperated no where in scripture.

If you think God is calling you to do something and you haft to change God's word or leave part of it out to justify your calling, then I would say you got serious problems.

[tbird_energizerbunny]

I'm not saying I have to change scripture. But if someone is called by God, they don't get any glory right? All glory is supposed to be given to God by the doing of his will.

He wants me to stand up in front of the congregation, and I will get no glory. so it doesn't matter at all what sex I was, things were different then, and times have changed. U know?

[MbiaJc]

I'm not saying I have to change scripture. But if someone is called by God, they don't get any glory right? All glory is supposed to be given to God by the doing of his will.

He wants me to stand up in front of the congregation, and I will get no glory. so it doesn't matter at all what sex I was, things were different then, and times have changed. U know?
God doesn't call anyone to serve canturary to His Word. I going to geve you the same advice I would give to my own daughters. God doesn't call a 15 year old male to preach, even thoe some think He does. Why do you think Jesus was 30 yrs. old when He started His ministery. If you don't know why do some studying and find out. I will tell you however if you are smart you will find out for yourself. When I was your age I thought God was calling me to preach also. However the more I studied the more I found He wasn't, at least not in the conventional sence. BTW don't go to the seminaries to learn of God. Get your Bible and a good dictionary, and lexicon and do the same as Moses and Paul. Go to your Arabian desert to learn of God. They were the best educated men of their time however it took God 40 yrs. to teach Moses and three or three and a half to teach Paul what He wanted them to know. Makes you wonder why He didn't send them to the School of The Sons of The Prophets doesn't it.

If you study your Bible for the next 15 yrs. when you get 30 you will really know what your ministery is.