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Knowing His call

Discussion in '2000-02 Archive' started by Silver Wolf, Sep 10, 2001.

  1. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf New Member

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    I have been told all my life that I am to be something in the church. Later in life I came to believe that I was to be a Pastor. A lot of people have told me that they believe that I am to be a pastor. I don't know if it is fear or something else but at this point in my life I have lost Gods word and I fear I have lost His Call. I no longer know what he wants me to do. I have prayed many nights and no answer has come. Please help.
     
  2. DocCas

    DocCas New Member

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    I have very strong opinions about the call of God on a man's life, and tend to strongly disagree with many of my pastor friends. All too often "pastors" either get talked into being "called" by well meaning, but misguided, pastors, sunday school teachers, deacons, parents, evangelists, etc. I believe that if the call of God is really on a man's life, he can do nothing else! The call will not leave him in peace if he is not preaching.

    Jer 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
     
  3. livin'intheword

    livin'intheword New Member

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    Hellllo Little Brother and welcome to the board. *hugs for sliver wolf* Sliver Wolf, we've talked about this many times. And I'll state again, Never mind what other people in your life think you should do. If you really are called, on a side note I believe that God has called every Christian into his work. Back the the point, You were put here to do GODS work. Not the work of others. If YOU feel God calling you to pastor a church then it is what he wants you to do. But let's put your future goals aside, what are you doing right now. What are you doing to further Gods cause right now?
     
  4. Rev. Joshua

    Rev. Joshua <img src=/cjv.jpg>

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    When God calls a man or woman to ministry, you can run from it and it will track you down. Nothing will feel right or fulfilling until you answer that call.

    On the other hand, as a friend recently pointed out to me, if you're not called to it, it will make you pretty miserable pretty quickly.

    A good environment for exploring your sense of call is Clinical Pastoral Education, which is generally offered through hospitals or other medical care facilities. If you live in or near a big city, you can almost definitely find a CPE center where you can apply to do a unit (three months, or longer if you do it part time) of CPE. In an initial unit of CPE, you work under the very close supervision of an experienced pastoral caregiver, and you have lots of opportunities for theological and personal reflection.

    Joshua
     
  5. livin'intheword

    livin'intheword New Member

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    Joshua, meet sliver wolf. His name is Joshua also. He's my little brother. :D
     
  6. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf New Member

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    I do see what all you guys are saying. I know that God was or is calling me to something in the Church however I have no idea what it is. Maybe I just have to tarry a little longer with Him. :confused: And hello Paula. It is good to have you in this. I value your insight.
     
  7. Barnabas H.

    Barnabas H. <b>Oldtimer</b>

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    Welcome Silver Wolfe, or should I call you Joshua? In my younger years I pondered the call myself. Everybody in the church expected me to follow the footsteps of my father and older brother and become a Baptist preacher. I was a member of a lively and growing church with a lot of young people. The mantle was about fall on my shoulder when the world we lived in broke apart.

    Now this story will be a little bit long, so my humble apologies in advance to Dr. Cassidy, the Moderator of this forum. Well, it was October 23, 1956. Hungary was under Russian occupation. In our school system we had to have a passing grade in Russian in order to be able to graduate and go to the next level. On that day college kids were trying to question the authority of the Hungarian puppet government on human rights, the freedom of speech, and the right to autonomy of the Hungarian people. It was a peaceful rally. The students were reading poems from the great revolutionary poet, Sándor Petöfi, and others. They enlisted the moral support of some members of the parliament who were more moderate in their communistic ideals. As they walked before the parliament to show their peaceful solidarity, the secret police opened fire upon them. As the workers were going home from the factories and heard the atrocity of the secret police, they took with them hammers, knives, and what ever they could get and tried to overan the barricades erected in front of the parliament. Alas, some of these folks were also gunned down. Later these men overran the nearby poilce stations and took their weapons. They went back and defeated the parliament guards. Thus the purging of the Russian authority began in earnest.

    The Army leaders refused to go against their own children and they disarmed the soldiers. In fact they sent them home to fight against the Russian powers. Within days the enemy was wanquished. Victory was achieved. But it was short lived. The West was reluctant to move and accept the newly formed democratic governement. The French and English war planes were bombing Suez Canal at the time, for Egyypt appropriated it from them. The Middle East was an explosive situation but rich in oil. Little ol’ Hungary was unimportant. President Eisenhower was running for reelection and his hands were tied also. Russia asked for permission to take their wounded and the civilian population living in Hungary back to their homeland. Instead of keeping them in check, the naive Hungarian governement gave permission for a division to cross the border and “escort their wounded.” On October 4, 1956, when they just about reached the outskirt of Budapest the Russian army started to unleash all their arsenal on the city. Immediately they had air support by their fast flying jets. They were set in their way to take over what they have lost.

    The battle was bitter. They had to take the city and the country inch by inch. Unfortunately the Hungarians had no speacialty weapons agaist them. They used bottles filled with gasoline or carosine and threw them against the tanks. They used common kitche dishes upside down on the middle of the roads to confuse the enemy and derail them (it worked). But the end was inevitable. No help came from the west and Hungary bled away. Many fled to the west. Many were captured and taken to Russia, never to be heard of them again. I left the country on December 3, 1956. When we came near the border we crawled on our bellies in pouring rain. It wasn’t our cleverness that brought us over the border but the grace of God. How many times since then I asked the question, why did I leave the country? I had a loving family, a loving and nourishing church family, a bright future, and in spite of the hardshsip we faced every day, I had everything I wanted. Yet I was driven by an inner force, of which I didn’t understand at the time. Only years later.

    I lived in France 5.5 years before coming to the United States. It is a long story how I got trapped there. But finally I was able to come to the United States on February 22, 1962. Did not know a word of English. Was employed by a man who’s wife was Baptist. He was a mean man, often profane, constantly drunk, and a heavy smoker. He hired me only for the sake of his wife. He didn’t want me there at all. But after 4 months he gave up smoking, drinking, never used profane words again, and he asked me to pray at their table during lunchtime (which I did in Hungarian). And one final Wednesday evening he showed up in church and set beside me. The Pastor, who was a WWII US Army veteran and spoke German, asked me what I have done to Mr. Thompson. I reassured him that I did nothing because I can’t even talk to him. My whole English vocabulary consisted of “OK,” and “NO OK.” You might be surprised how much you can accomplish with those two words! ;)

    This man was saved as a result of my humble way of living, consistency, and faithfulness to the Lord. I did not win him over to Christ because of my shining words, or because I was a theological student. It was because I allowed him to read the all important 5th Gospel, the Gospel according to me. When I was called by the Hungarian Baptist Church in New York City to come over and help with the young people, Mr. Thompson did not want to let me go. He cried and through an interpreter he told me that he loved me more than his two sons. I told him that since now he has accepted the Lord, it will be his duty to train up his children in the fear of the Lord. You see Joshua, as your sister Paula said, we are all called. But it does not have to be the mantle of a pastor. You are obligated to share Christ with your fellow men in whatever place the Lord places you. All He requires of you is to be faithful. Do you think that you can do that? I pray that you do!

    Incidentally, years later the Hungarian church was about to close. They lost their pastor, there were only a handful of old folks. I was in the US Army then, where I learned English. My wife and two children were the only young people there. We elected to stay, and the Lord blessed our faithfulness. Now I count it a privilege for being able to co-pastor the church with another Hungarian brother (he did the Hungarian, I the English ministry) for seven years. The Lord caused the church to grow and we were once again compelled to invite a full time pastor. We obtained a Pastor from Europe. He was tri-lingual; spoke Hungarian, Romanian, and English. He is still at the church and it is flourishing in the heart of the Big Apple for the glory of God.

    The reason for my long story is that I could convey something very important to your heart Joshua. The Lord can use you in any capacity, any place, and in any situation if you avail yourself to Him. For your greatest ability for God is your availability! My prayer is that you may avail yourself to Him. God bless! [​IMG]
     
  8. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf New Member

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    Thank you very much B.J. for the advice. I loved reading your story. I think that it is great that we have some on like you, that has been through so much, on our side. Thank you. I will work on making myself more available to God. :D

    [ September 13, 2001: Message edited by: Silver Wolf ]
     
  9. DocCas

    DocCas New Member

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by B. J. Halo:
    Now this story will be a little bit long, so my humble apologies in advance to Dr. Cassidy, the Moderator of this forum.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>No apologies necessary! Wow! What a powerful testimony of the grace of God in your life! Magnificent! [​IMG]
     
  10. Barnabas H.

    Barnabas H. <b>Oldtimer</b>

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Thomas Cassidy: No apologies necessary!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    Wow, thanks Dr. Cassidy. That is a great relief, for I do not want to be banned from the Pastor's Corner forum for being long winded! [​IMG]
     
  11. Rev. Joshua

    Rev. Joshua <img src=/cjv.jpg>

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    B.J.

    To be considered long-winded in a room full of baptist pastor's would be very impressive, but a little frightening.

    Joshua
     
  12. Barnabas H.

    Barnabas H. <b>Oldtimer</b>

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  13. DocCas

    DocCas New Member

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    LOL! Amen! :D :D :D
     
  14. livin'intheword

    livin'intheword New Member

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  15. Footwasher

    Footwasher New Member

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    I am not a pastor, so I really shouldn't be here at all, but I've found this thread very helpful. Understanding God's call has been something I've struggled with a lot in the last two years. I felt He was calling me to something, but when I tried to implement it, it blew up in my face and was the most humiliating experience of my life.

    I am always drawn to discussions about topics like this, and it's so important to me to hear other people's input on it.

    The book Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King is very helpful as well.

    Anyway, thank you all. Are you going to kick me out of this forum now? [​IMG]
     
  16. Barnabas H.

    Barnabas H. <b>Oldtimer</b>

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    Now why would we do that FootWasher? Thanks for the reference on the book: "Experiencing God" by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King. I hope they were Baptists.... ;)
     
  17. Footwasher

    Footwasher New Member

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    OF COURSE they're Baptists! What do you think I'm an idiot? [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  18. Brother Adam

    Brother Adam New Member

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    Wow- I'd also like to say thanks Barnabas for that story. It is especially helpful since I *know* that God wants me somewhere in ministry but I have no *clue* where. I can see two inches in front of my face concerning my future, but i know that God is leading me somewhere good as he lead you.

    Praise to God!

    Until Next Post, Adam
     
  19. Barnabas H.

    Barnabas H. <b>Oldtimer</b>

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Footwasher: OF COURSE they're Baptists! What do you think I'm an *****? [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    Now, I hope you realize Foortwasher that I was only jesting. Hence the smilie face ;) Did you say the above in jest (and hence the 5 smilies) or you stated it in protest, since you used a colorful metaphor (*****)? :confused:

    Adam, I am glad that the story is helping you to sort through your own personal struggle as you are seeking for the perfect will of God. I pray that you may be able to recognize that still small voice within your heart. God bless! [​IMG]
     
  20. Footwasher

    Footwasher New Member

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    Smiley faces mean jest, in my book. [​IMG]
     
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