forsaken all?

but Hank,
wasnt that verse talking about the fact that Paul had the right to be supported by the churches he had started, even if he had decided to have a wife?

Paul wasnt married at all.

That verse isnt saying that the apostles left their wives. The other apostles all stayed and lived in Jerusalem, even after the persecutions started.

 

Possibly.

We don't know that for sure. Supposedly, among the requirements for the title of "Pharisee" was that one had be over 50, being or having been married preferably with children.

Yes, I know that, I said "did not" At first they stayed in Jerusalem. We have some scriptural evidence and a host of historical "tradition" that all the Apostles went to the gentile nations.

HankD

 

Oh! Hank I totally missed your "NOT". I can't believe I did that.......sorry..


(laughing at myself)

 

bapmom, you just proved again that you are human.

Welcome to the club.

HankD

 

Going just by what you revealed here, I would say that he did right to stay out of the pulpit if his father objected to it. Honor thy father and thy mother. Most folks go into preaching because they "feel a call." It doesn't mean they are called, and if the parents are opposed to it, most likely the fella isn't being told to preach.

 

Aaron,
So if your parents are not born again and they disagree with one of their childeren's calling to go into ministry then the child should listen to the parents even if the parents lack the leading of the Spirit of God in their own lives?
Or did you just not clarify that the parents need to be christians to have imput?
My parents are Godly folk. They were thrilled when I surrendered to the call to preach.
They were not so thrilled when I surrendered to go to the mission field. We have had tension ever since I'm taking the 3 grandaughters away.
How is it not honoring to your father and mother by being in vocational ministry?
We live in a country where we haven't been called upon to "forsake" much in order to worship Christ.
Furthermore evangelicalism today isn't exactly fostering the idea of surrendering or forsaking anything in order to answer God's leading in one's life.
IMHO it is just the opposite. How can christians in our country really grasp the idea of forsaking anything when alot of "Believers" can only muster up the strength to attend one service for one hour a week.

 

Most folks most of the time confuse their own feelings and desires for the "leading of the Holy Spirit." Let's not forget that the Spirit wrote the Scriptures, and the direction for one's life is usually found by simple obedience to them.

I don't believe anyone is "called" to be a pastor or a missionary. When Paul listed the qualifications for an office, he didn't say, "If any man feels a call to the office of a bishop..." He said, if a man "desire" the office of a bishop. We are all called to service, not an office. If one can legitimately serve in a certain office, and has the desire to do so, then he may.

One must check his feelings and desires by the Scriptures. The Spirit has already spoken about honoring one's father and mother. I would advise anyone who desires the office of a bishop to wait if their parents, saved or unsaved, were against it. (Usually, unsaved parents don't really care unless they don't think their sons would succeed in that vocation, and they're usually better judges than the one seeking the office.)

 

So the christian who has sincerely searched out the Scriptures, spent hours in prayer, has to give up his desire,calling to go into ministry which he believes God has put on in his heart by the unction,inspiration of the Holy Spririt of God has to negate that desire because his unregenerate parents don't think he will succeed?
Where is Scripture for that found.
Unsaved parents are "usually better judges than the ones seeking office?" How? The Holy Spirit resides in the person seeking office "hopefully" and the parents are better judges exactly what spiritual insight may they give their son in order for him to make the right decision?
Aaron, your going to find out sometime in your christian life that there is going to come a time in your growth in the Lord that He might ask something of you that nobody is going to like, understand or accept but it could very well be a test of your faith. Sometimes when we stand or serve the Lord we stand alone.
Noah took 120 years to build a boat on dry land when it had never before rained. Think he had some people that thought he was nuts.
Joshua was told to march 7x around Jericho
There are countless examples in the Bible where men and women did some things that sounded absolutely nuts to all those around them yet they did it anyway and God rewarded their faith.
Go to Hebrews 11 you'll find several there.

Or does this notion of yours simply have a personal note to it. Is God calling you to fulltime ministry and your resisting? Not being a smarty just wondering. Many people wrestle with what God has put on their hearts to do therefore they put up their own obstacles whatever they may be.

 

Aaron,

"Honor thy father and thy mother," does not mean "act like they are always right."

That is a serious mistake that many Christians make in interrpreting that verse. Live your life in a manner that honors them. Treat them with respect, but don't mistake treating them with respect for "always doing everything they think is right."

The finest minister I ever knew, and one of the most godly men I ever knew grew up in an alcoholic home. That man's parents wanted him to go into something that would make money - and they didn't like all that "church nonsense" he got involved in. He went on to become a seminiary president and he traveled the world giving the message of Christ.

God ~must~ come first.

You're right in saying that not everyone who thinks they are called really is.

My contention - if you think pleasing your earthly parent matters more than pleasing God, you are NOT meant for the ministry.

 

Remember Matthew 10:38:34-37

Christ speaking:

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, for I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

 

Just a note about honoring one's parents. Biblically, that means to bring respect to their name in the way you live and speak.

 

No. He must deny himself because the Spirit has already told him to honor his mother and his father.

Where is Scripture for that found.

Ex. 20:12
Eph. 6:1-3

Unsaved parents are "usually better judges than the ones seeking office?" How?

One's parents have been around the block a time or two. They know the temperament of their children better than their children do. One needs not to be saved to be a good judge of character.

But it's not really a matter of whether or not your parents are saved. Even if one's saved parents objected, the one "feeling the call" would still find an excuse to get around the commandment. It might go something like this, "I've sincerely searched the Scriptures, spent hours in prayer, and I believe that God is calling me into the ministry."

This is what is really being said, "I know the Spirit has said, 'honor thy parents,' because I've searched the Scriptures, but even though I can't find my name anywhere in them, I FEEL that God is commanding me to disobey my parents and do what I think is right in my own eyes."

I'm sure he's sincere, and really thinks he's doing right. But boil it down and this is what remains.

My point was that The Holy Spirit resides in the person seeking office "hopefully" and the parents are better judges exactly what spiritual insight may they give their son in order for him to make the right decision?

I said parents are usually better judges, but that's irrelevant. The command is to honor your parents.

Aaron, your going to find out sometime in your christian life that there is going to come a time in your growth in the Lord that He might ask something of you that nobody is going to like, understand or accept but it could very well be a test of your faith. Sometimes when we stand or serve the Lord we stand alone.

Perhaps the Lord is checking to see if you really believe what He said to you the first time...

Honor thy father and thy mother.

Is one's going into the ministry really God's will, or his own?

Is God calling you to fulltime ministry and your resisting? Not being a smarty just wondering.

Fear not. I have no desire for the office. But let me give you some fatherly advice. I've been around the block a time or two myself, and what I've found is that God meant what He said the first time.

 

Aw, nevermind. TS and Helen have clarified the whole matter. "Honor" only means to be polite. Do what you want as long as you're nice about it.