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How to be possitive

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Clean1, Aug 6, 2006.

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  1. Clean1

    Clean1 New Member

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    This year at a Youth Camp called Silver State Baptist Youth Camp I surrendered to be a missionary. The director was talking about Joel, the camp nurses son, who is a missionary to Napal. While the director was talking about Joel conviction suddenly hit me hard and heavy. I could hardly consentrate through the message which, ofcourse, was about giving your life fully to the Lord and serving Him with all of your heart to what He wants. I confronted my youth pastors wife about because I was terrified about where God may put me as a missionary. I am extremely close to my parents and don't want to leave them. Anyway..... I am pretty positive that this is what God wants me to do, but how do I be 100% sure? I am having some doubts about it like 'Could it just have been the pressure of the week/moment that pushed me to this decision?' We have services 3 times a day for 5 days. But then I think that how could I doubt when the conviction was so strong that it consumed my thoughts. How can I be absolutely, positively, 100% sure that it was God all the way and not just the pressure of the moment? Will God reveal it to me that thats what He wants?
     
    #1 Clean1, Aug 6, 2006
  2. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    Read Matthew 28 and then Acts 1 and understand that God has called you to be a missionary. That issue is settled by the Bible. Where you will start and end up is the matter at hand here. I would advise you as Christ advised the Apostles of the early Church: Wait in your Jerusalem as you wait for the leadership of the Holy Spirit. My bet is that he will lead you to your own Judea, and then to your own Samaria, and then to the ends of the Earth. Spend time in Scripture and always remember that this is the work of God and not man.

    Joseph Botwinick
     
    #2 Joseph_Botwinick, Aug 6, 2006
  3. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    Joseph gave you good advice... Let God open the doors for you ... don't try to force them open. When God opens a door, no man can shut it.
    Also talk to your pastor, and maybe a missionary or two.

    Get as much info as you can, and study! I am thankful you have surrendered to God.... HE WILL USE YOU! Just be patient.

    Oh, and be prepared to go through a "spiritual bootcamp"
    If you are truly surrendered it will strengthen you.

    A good preacher/missionary must be passionate. In order to be passionate, most of the time, you have to experience the pain.

    Satan will also fight you, just remember He is a Loser with a capital "L"!!

    Thanks for sharing.
     
    #3 tinytim, Aug 6, 2006
  4. Clean1

    Clean1 New Member

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    You guys are such an encouragement. It is scary to see your life pathway literally unfold before your 'life' really begins (15 years old).
    I plan to look at that scripture and thanks again!
     
    #4 Clean1, Aug 6, 2006
  5. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    One of the best things you can do is to be involved in every kind of mission service you can. There are tons of things out there to give you tastes of types of ministry. God will show you as you mature what He wants you and what HE has for you. Stay close to Him, and learn to hear Him even better!
    BEst Wishes,
    Tater
     
    #5 TaterTot, Aug 6, 2006
  6. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    You have gotten some good advice here. Heed your elders' wisdom. :laugh: :tongue3:

    Here's something else to consider. Don't be upset about not being positively certain at this point. I'll soon be 45 and I still wonder what I'm going to be when I grow up. :flower:

    When I was 8 years old, it was my diehard belief that I was going to Africa to serve my life as a missionary to the natives. By the time I was 14, it was my diehard belief that I was going to California to serve a great part of my life to be a missionary to all of the "hippies". I believed with all of my heart that being a missionary was what God wanted me to do. I felt it. It was real. I felt God's urging.

    Well, I made it to the mission field at age 16. My church held revival services at night and vacation bible schools during the day at an Indian reservation in Canton, OK. I taught a VBS class to Native American pre-schoolers and I played the piano and sang at the revival at nights.

    It lasted for 10 wonderful days. But that was the extent of my mission work. God DID want me on that brief mission trip, but for another reason. He called me to be a teacher on that trip. When I felt the call of God on my life to the teaching profession, it was like nothing I can describe. I overwhelmed me spiritually and it was solid and I was 100% crystal clear on what God was saying to me.

    So why don't you take this attitude while you are sorting out God's call on your life....

    Say to yourself and to others, "I'm not sure where God will lead me someday as far as my life's purpose, but right now God has given me a burden for missions and my spirit feels led to explore all of the avenues that "missions" means. I definitely feel that God is working in my life and I am grateful that He has a plan for me."

    Learn all you can about missions. Get involved locally in missions. Read about the missionaries of the bible. Get on-line with SBC and see what information they have about mission work. The mission field can be as simple as a two-week stint in another town in the USA or a life's journey in another country.

    Most importantly, listen to God. He will make it CRYSTAL clear when He is ready for you to understand it all. Until then, he will prepare your heart and life in small pieces.
     
    #6 Scarlett O., Aug 6, 2006
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2006
  7. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    Clean1, don't feel you need to decide on this right now. You have felt convicted so just wait on the Lord to confirm it and guide you further. Wherever the Lord is calling you, you will want to go there. It's not a matter of "Oh, no, God is sending me to Country X!"

    The Lord will prepare you first for whatever he is calling you to -- you have time ahead of you. I think the others gave good advice. Take your time and look into missions, maybe do a short term missions thing if your youth group does this and see if the Lord continues to confirm this call to missions.

    Missionaries I know (and I am one, too, though I am in the US) always wait to seek the Lord and see the call confirmed. This is done in many ways - if the Lord has called you, he will be faithful and continue to confirm this as time goes by.
     
    #7 Marcia, Aug 6, 2006
  8. Clean1

    Clean1 New Member

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    God is so good. I guess that I'm pushing myself too hard and expecting so much to happen right away. There are 4 other kids and possibly a 5th that have been called into missions (all younger than me!). Some of them have an idea of where they want to go.
    I should wait and see what doors God opens for me. Thanks alot guys for ALL of your help. God has used each and everyone of you to speak to me. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
    #8 Clean1, Aug 6, 2006
  9. pasdave

    pasdave New Member

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    I say it to you the way it was told to me. Forget about it and pursue something else. If you can truly be happy and content doing something else then do it. If this idea of being a missionary will not allow you peace, then it is probably God's will for life.
    Trust me, do not jump into this. Pray, pray, pray. Wait for the Lord. If it is the Lord's will for you then being a missionary will be awesome. If not, and you go at it because of some feeling or emotional high then it will be a miserable experience.
     
    #9 pasdave, Aug 7, 2006
  10. El_Guero

    El_Guero New Member

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    Let God lead.

    So often we are truly afraid of God leading, because of the flesh or the devil.

    Remember that Jesus Himself asked the Father if He would take away the cup before the Cross. If Jesus can ask the Father, we should remember that we will also ask the Father. Asking is different than doubt, but they can be related.

    At 15, you have plenty of time to let go and let God . . . Just remember to balance experience with the Word of God - or said slightly differently if the feeling leads you to do something contrary to the Scripture - the feeling is definitely wrong.

    God bless you

    Wayne
     
    #10 El_Guero, Aug 7, 2006
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