Called into the ministry

[Ddavid from NC]

Greetings David,

" Would everyone have this experience if they fully submitted to sanctification ".

I'm not understanding what you mean.

Sanctified..to make holy or sacred, to be separate, set apart.

It is my understanding, from what I have been taught and how I understand the scriptures, that the very moment we are saved in CHRIST we are sanctified ( made Holy ), and we are " set apart " for GOD.

1Cor. 1:30, 1 Thess. 4:3, 2 Thess. 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2.

I have not been called to the ministry to preach the Gospel, but the LORD has burdened my heart in the past concerning certain things. I think if the LORD wanted me to preach the Gospel, that He would burden my heart in the same fashion.

From the moment of salvation we are justified, sanctification is the lifelong process of being brought into Christian maturity (the likeness of Christ). What I asking then is if we fully submit to the process of discipleship would everyone find a calling. Is that Christian maturity, knowing your calling?

[irishcowboy]

We are all CALLED.....

it is up to us to follow what God has called us to do..... some of us it is continuing on in the same advocation we started in, and being a wittness to all those around us, not even having to say a word, but through the fruit of our works..... our character (that being what we do even when no one else is watching)

some of us are called to do the ordinary every day tasks of just keeping house, or teaching school, or bagging groceries, or even cleaning up after an elderly man or woman has had an accident....

how we handle a situation is a witness.... even how we accept a task from our supervisor.... and this is an area God has worked with me on..... man oh man oh man have I been a goofus at times with this.... we should accept the tasks with a joyful heart, no matter what the task should be.....

each of us has a ministry all our own that God has placed before us........ unfortunately we tend to over look that which is for us for something that might be more glamorous.....

I know a man, that every service asked for prayer that God would send a job his way...... this went on for some time, the man was unemployed for a long while, his wife earning minimum, supporting the family..... I would even pray for and with this man for months....... and then, one day, an owner of a company asked me if I knew of anyone looking for work..... I said yes, so I told the man that was looking for work about this and told him that all he had to do was meet with this company owner and he would be a shoe in...... the man turned and looked at me and said....... (hard to believe) ....... God doesnt want me doing that kind of work........ he was unemployed for another two years, letting his wife do the work and him sitting home watching TV, i do not know if he ever put any applications in......

mike

[Guest]

Everone is called to ministry

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 CSB)

Sometimes God calls us to a specific place or people, but we have all been called to do ministry

Amen~!

>>>>>()<<<<<

Bias

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

Jesus!

[Guest shiloh357]

But specifically called to ministry EricH... meaning being a pastor/priest or associate pastor/priest

Every vocation should be viewed as a calling.

Yes, that is true in a general sense. But what the OP seems to be getting at and Blien as well, is that there are those who feel that they have been called into "the ministry" as a specific vocation apart from any secular pursuits. They feel they have been sanctifed unto the ministry of a Pastor, missionary, evangelist, etc. That is different simply understanding that folks are to be "ministers" in their secular vocation.

[Hunterpoet]

Greetings David,

" Would everyone have this experience if they fully submitted to sanctification ".

I'm not understanding what you mean.

Sanctified..to make holy or sacred, to be separate, set apart.

It is my understanding, from what I have been taught and how I understand the scriptures, that the very moment we are saved in CHRIST we are sanctified ( made Holy ), and we are " set apart " for GOD.

1Cor. 1:30, 1 Thess. 4:3, 2 Thess. 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2.

I have not been called to the ministry to preach the Gospel, but the LORD has burdened my heart in the past concerning certain things. I think if the LORD wanted me to preach the Gospel, that He would burden my heart in the same fashion.

From the moment of salvation we are justified, sanctification is the lifelong process of being brought into Christian maturity (the likeness of Christ). What I asking then is if we fully submit to the process of discipleship would everyone find a calling. Is that Christian maturity, knowing your calling?

We disagree about sanctification, but I agree with you about Christian maturity and that it is a life long process....I'm reminded of what is said in scripture about children, young men and fathers. We are told repeatedly to stay in the Word to learn CHRIST more and more. Paul talks about milk and meat, and I know you are familiar with these scriptures.

I think we can agree that in order to hear or feel your calling, a person must be in the Word and not the world, although I think we both agree that if the LORD has picked you specifically you will hear Him no matter where you are at.

[EricH]

But specifically called to ministry EricH... meaning being a pastor/priest or associate pastor/priest

Every vocation should be viewed as a calling.

Yes, that is true in a general sense. But what the OP seems to be getting at and Blien as well, is that there are those who feel that they have been called into "the ministry" as a specific vocation apart from any secular pursuits. They feel they have been sanctifed unto the ministry of a Pastor, missionary, evangelist, etc. That is different simply understanding that folks are to be "ministers" in their secular vocation.

The scripture indicates that there are Spiritual Gifts of pastor/teacher and that those who have these gifts should be renumerated for it. There are also higher expectations for people who hold certain positions in the body (teachers, elders etc). If people sense that God has called them to a position, who am I ato argue. But I think we need to be carefule raising "paid ministry" to a level of a "special calling". When we do that we imply that everyone else is just normal. The basic task of pastor / teacher is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry.

[irishcowboy]

almost all the pastors I know are Bi-vocational...... full time ministry and full time other vocation to pay the bills.....

the church fellowship we are currently working with is just that...... the pastor is supporting the ministry by his earnings from another job, not unlike Teresa and me.

even in the "major" denominations, the pastors are having to earn their livings by other means then by straight ministry work...... even a church that just a couple years ago, had over 150 youth in it, now the pastor is working a second job to be able to do his work as a minister..... even the hospital visits are out of pocket as far as gas, and vehicle is concerned.

mike

[Ddavid from NC]

almost all the pastors I know are Bi-vocational...... full time ministry and full time other vocation to pay the bills.....

the church fellowship we are currently working with is just that...... the pastor is supporting the ministry by his earnings from another job, not unlike Teresa and me.

even in the "major" denominations, the pastors are having to earn their livings by other means then by straight ministry work...... even a church that just a couple years ago, had over 150 youth in it, now the pastor is working a second job to be able to do his work as a minister..... even the hospital visits are out of pocket as far as gas, and vehicle is concerned.

mike

It purifies your motives doesn't it?

[irishcowboy]

almost all the pastors I know are Bi-vocational...... full time ministry and full time other vocation to pay the bills.....

the church fellowship we are currently working with is just that...... the pastor is supporting the ministry by his earnings from another job, not unlike Teresa and me.

even in the "major" denominations, the pastors are having to earn their livings by other means then by straight ministry work...... even a church that just a couple years ago, had over 150 youth in it, now the pastor is working a second job to be able to do his work as a minister..... even the hospital visits are out of pocket as far as gas, and vehicle is concerned.

mike

It purifies your motives doesn't it?

where do we put up our treasures?

hopefully, with in the next year, Teresa and me will have worked our monthly budget down to about $500 a month so that more can be used for outreach and such.....

a couple years ago, a lady asked us ( actually a dear friend of ours) WHAT IS YOUR PASSION? what do you spend your money and time on..... at that time we were setting things up for retirement (only have about 15 years to go, that is IF i retire ) and now we are looking past that......

like you said, if our motive is earning money or a living at preaching, well, I am not saying that a person should not, for a workman is worthy of his hire.... but even Paul was bi-vocational for a while.....

sure, it would be great to be able to live off of the income from the ministry, but that is not what it is about.... it is about the souls of the lost, building those that are no longer lost into great warriors so that they can also go and recruit for the Lord...

mike

[Shiloh62]

Many people describe an event in their Christian walk as the "Call into the Ministry." Usually, we think of this as the abandonment of secular career partially of fully in preference to a life of Christian vocation of some description. While I have personal experiences and observations, I would like to hear across the wide diversity of this forum your take on this journey. Is there a "Call to the Ministry" that not everryone experiences? Is it a specific to a certain area of ministry? Would everyone have this experience if they submit fully to sanctification? Is it an encounter or a thought process or both? Are these lifetime assignments? Can you lose the call? Are some people decived about their calling? I think you get my point. I want to discuss this from every angle according to what your bias may be.

I have always believed that a "Call to the Ministry" was when God specifically called someone to it. How can it be a call if He doesn't call you?