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Do you think God can allow man's will to interfere with his?

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by doodlebug, Mar 2, 2005.

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  1. doodlebug

    doodlebug New Member

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    I prayed about a teaching position for over a year. Just when I was on the verge of giving up and believing that God was telling me "no", my pastor told me that he had been praying about the position that just came open, and he felt led by the Lord to ask me to consider the position. He didn't know that I had been praying about it for almost a year. I said I would accept, but then I started getting concerned (our pastor is an IFB, and we are a SB church - we make a lot of decisions via committees :rolleyes: ), so I went to the nominating committee chairman, and shared what happened. They called a meeting, and during the meeting, a woman on the committee said she has been praying for a week, and felt led to be in the position. The pastor, who was in this meeting, didn't speak up for me, or about the situation, and this woman was allowed to temporarily step into the position. This woman has had aught against me and my husband for years, and though we have tried to make things right more than once, still tries to undermine our service to the Lord. My pastor even said that we shouldn't try because this woman and her husband are so bitter. However, this couple has enough of a "clique" that they seem to control the popular vote of the church. So, what do I do?? I can't confront this woman, as she will just deny the truth. I am disappointed with my pastor....he shook my hand that night as I left the service and told me to just keep praying. Do you think that this woman is forcing her will into the situation, or did I misread God's intention for me, and He's telling me to wait a little longer???
     
    #1 doodlebug, Mar 2, 2005
  2. chipsgirl

    chipsgirl New Member

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    But how do you know when you are interfering (sp??) in God's will? The ways things work out was his plan all along. I don't know if God changes his mind on stuff or not. He knows what's right for us!
     
    #2 chipsgirl, Mar 2, 2005
  3. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    Can and does~ We make bad decisions all the time. God calls men to preach who turn away and take worldly jobs. God calls men to be good secular workers and mama calls them to preach. So... they preach, for a while...

    I'd suggest you send your resume to the nominating committee and let them answer to God for their choice. [​IMG] The following scripture is for husbands and wives, fathers and daughters but might give you a thought of your pastors role in this dilema....

    Numbers 30:3-16
    3 "Or if a woman makes a vow to the Lord, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father's house in her youth, 4 and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand. 5 But if her father overrules her on the day that he hears, then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the Lord will release her, because her father overruled her. 6 "If indeed she takes a husband, while bound by her vows or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself, 7 and her husband hears it, and makes no response to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her agreements by which she bound herself shall stand. 8 But if her husband overrules her on the day that he hears it, he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips, by which she bound herself, and the Lord will release her. 9 "Also any vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her. 10 "If she vowed in her husband's house, or bound herself by an agreement with an oath, 11 and her husband heard it, and made no response to her and did not overrule her, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement by which she bound herself shall stand. 12 But if her husband truly made them void on the day he heard them, then whatever proceeded from her lips concerning her vows or concerning the agreement binding her, it shall not stand; her husband has made them void, and the Lord will release her. 13 Every vow and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband may confirm it, or her husband may make it void. 14 Now if her husband makes no response whatever to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all the agreements that bind her; he confirms them, because he made no response to her on the day that he heard them. 15 But if he does make them void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt." 16 These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter in her youth in her father's house.
     
    #3 dianetavegia, Mar 2, 2005
  4. Artimaeus

    Artimaeus Active Member

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    Do you think God can allow man's will to interfere with his?

    Yes, every time we sin.
    Yes, every time someone goes to Hell.
     
    #4 Artimaeus, Mar 2, 2005
  5. doodlebug

    doodlebug New Member

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    Thanks for the replies. I understand that my pastor was put in a difficult situation (believe me, I didn't even tell the entire story), and I don't have an aught against him. I just feel that when it comes to even small decisions, he worries too much about the "popular vote" and not enough about what God wants the church to do. I don't have to submit a resume (small rural church), but I do need to let the committee know if I still want the position. The really hard thing for me is knowing that people in our church are doing things for personal gain or personal reasons, and not because God told them to. I want to scream out and tell them that our entire church will suffer, but I know they won't listen. I realize that I need to let God take care of these situations, but it's really hard. Please pray that God will give me wisdom and strength in this area. Thanks again for the replies. Keep them coming.
     
    #5 doodlebug, Mar 2, 2005
  6. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    God's impassible, nuff said I think....
     
    #6 preachinjesus, Mar 2, 2005
  7. Pastor_Bob

    Pastor_Bob Well-Known Member

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    You may want to consider praying about another church. In any church, if the leadership is not obeying the voice of God, then the church will go a direction that God never intended for it to go. Unless you are content to travel down that same road, I'd be looking for God's will in regard to a new church home.
     
    #7 Pastor_Bob, Mar 2, 2005
  8. Thankful

    Thankful <img src=/BettyE.gif>

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    quote:
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Originally posted by doodlebug:
    The really hard thing for me is knowing that people in our church are doing things for personal gain or personal reasons, and not because God told them to.

    IMHO, in any group of people, you will have some that are doing things for personal gain or personal reasons. Pray for your church. Pray for your pastor. Pray for this woman. Pray that you will do God's Will. You can not be responsible for anyone but yourself.
     
    #8 Thankful, Mar 2, 2005
  9. Scott_Bushey

    Scott_Bushey <img src=/scott.jpg>

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    So, we messed up Gods plan? God decree's that I will be saved, yet I messed up and changed Gods decreed will???
     
    #9 Scott_Bushey, Mar 3, 2005
  10. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    Scott, any Calvinism/ Armininian debate is allowed only on that forum. [​IMG]

    Just a ... heads up.... [​IMG]
     
    #10 dianetavegia, Mar 3, 2005
  11. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    Only from our point of view.

    HankD
     
    #11 HankD, Mar 3, 2005
  12. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    Seems as if your pastor needs to assert his authority a little more. There MUST be a final human authority in your church who is totally subject to GOD'S authority. Generally, that's the pastor. After all, "pastor" means "shepherd".

    Is this woman doing a good job? Does she teach the things of GOD, free of her own slants and bias?
     
    #12 robycop3, Mar 3, 2005
  13. av1611jim

    av1611jim New Member

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    Scriptural example. Jonah!

    He ultimately repented, but it is clear that He thwarted God's will for a time. That's what disobedience IS! How many days/weeks was it from the time of his call to the whale?

    In HIS service;
    Jim
     
    #13 av1611jim, Mar 3, 2005
  14. Plain ol' Ralph

    Plain ol' Ralph New Member

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    If we didn't ever need to repent, we wouldn't have a will to interfere with God's will, that is what repentence is, turning our will over to the will of God.

    And yes, in the particular situation, man's "social/political" will in any church interferes with the will of God, and when the pastor allows that to have precedence, it is time to sit down and talk with that pastor, but IF, one has that discernment to KNOW that pastor will only keep "dodging" the bullet, then it would be time to seek God's will elsewhere. (I speak from experience, and God has bountifully blessed!!)
     
    #14 Plain ol' Ralph, Mar 3, 2005
  15. doodlebug

    doodlebug New Member

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    Again, thank you for the responses. Our IFB pastor is a dynamic speaker, and has a passion for our Lord like very few SB preachers I've had in the past. His worst downfall is administration of the church, and his second downfall is a poor self esteem and/or lack of faith that God will take care of him. He has been severely mistreated at previous churches by other Christians. Our church is a small rural church. The head deacon has been there for 30 yrs. A little over a year ago, we finally ordained a new deacon. So, two deacons, and the pastor -- they do not meet regularly, the head deacon has only been to one business meeting in 8 months, and the pastor made a comment that the head deacon "holds the pulse of the church". The pastor is afraid of the head deacon's power. The head deacon is the brother of the man in this couple I've referred to. When my husband and I went to the head deacon about our problems with the couple, he said, "That's my brother you are talking about". He has said the same to other church members. My husband and I are strongly convicted about fighting for what is biblically right, however, we know that God also says in his word that vengence is His. Growing up, I used to hear, "You disobey, you pay." I really believe God will discipline these people for not following God's will, however, what can my husband and I do to continue to do God's will for our life, if these people interefere and prevent us from serving?? We don't feel God is calling us to serve at another church. We are praying, studying our Bible, and serving whenever we can. My husband even started a visitation program in which we are both participating. We have helped our pastor any time he asked. We just want to serve the Lord. We cannot reconcile with this couple until they are willing (at this point, they don't believe they are doing anything wrong, and they say they don't have a problem with us when we've confronted them, and our pastor confronted them, but it's clear to our pastor, us, and the newer deacon who serves on the nominating committee with both of them that they have declared a personal war against us).
     
    #15 doodlebug, Mar 3, 2005
  16. Artimaeus

    Artimaeus Active Member

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    Pardon me Diane if this goes too far into the black hole of Calvinism/Armininianism as I normally try to avoid that tennis match. I'll just give this one response and you may move it or delete it at your option without even a flicker of emotion on my part.

    Scott, I was merely agreeing with the point the scripture was making when it said that the Lord was not willing that any should perish and yet, some do and others will. Some will repent and others will not, yet, it is His will that all come to repentance. It either IS His will or it is NOT.

    2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance
     
    #16 Artimaeus, Mar 4, 2005
  17. Plain ol' Ralph

    Plain ol' Ralph New Member

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    Doodle, may I suggest you and your husband determine whether this is God's church or man's church? It sounds like man's church, RUN!!! As much as I am against church splits, some are necessary for the will of God to be accomplished.
     
    #17 Plain ol' Ralph, Mar 7, 2005
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