Missionaries and the Will of God

[Born_Again]

So, here is a question.

If its God will that a missionary is to go abroad and spread the gospel and the missionary dies on their way there or shortly before they leave, was it really Gods will they go? If nothing can stop Gods will (He is God after all) and they die before they can serve, was it really Gods Will?


1...2...3... discuss....

 

[FHII]

So, here is a question.

If its God will that a missionary is to go abroad and spread the gospel and the missionary dies on their way there or shortly before they leave, was it really Gods will they go? If nothing can stop Gods will (He is God after all) and they die before they can serve, was it really Gods Will?


1...2...3... discuss....

Yes.

This is a pretty deep, hypothetical question and I dislike such questions. Reason is they can get pretty rediculous. This scenerio, however isn't too bad.

If God truly told them to go and they died on the way, then they obeyed God and despite the outcome, God's plan did not fail.

Paul wanted to eventually go to Spain. God semt him to Rome and Thats where it ended. Paul never reached Spain, but the Gospel did!

Matt 24 says the gospel shall be preached in all the world. The 12 apostles never covered the 7 continents, but they were the spark.

 

[Born_Again]

Yes.

This is a pretty deep, hypothetical question and I dislike such questions. Reason is they can get pretty rediculous. This scenerio, however isn't too bad.

If God truly told them to go and they died on the way, then they obeyed God and despite the outcome, God's plan did not fail.

Paul wanted to eventually go to Spain. God semt him to Rome and Thats where it ended. Paul never reached Spain, but the Gospel did!

Matt 24 says the gospel shall be preached in all the world. The 12 apostles never covered the 7 continents, but they were the spark.

Okay, thats fair. I had heard of such an incident actually happening and it brought that question to mind. I stewed on it a bit and thought I'd ask the general populous.

 

[mjrhealth]

If God didnt send you I wouldnt be going, if the pastor of a church told you to go, Id be suggesting that he go himself. Far to may men running around thnking the yare doing teh works of God all through presumption.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

[Born_Again]

I heard it on a radio program. They told of the family dieing on the way to the mission field. If it was Gods will that they go, would they have died? Or was it Gods will that they died? If it was His will, would they have had safe passage? It generates a lot of theological questions for me...

 

[bbyrd009]

I heard it on a radio program. They told of the family dieing on the way to the mission field. If it was Gods will that they go, would they have died? Or was it Gods will that they died? If it was His will, would they have had safe passage? It generates a lot of theological questions for me...

Why, though? Isn't the question one about death, essentially? A death considered "untimely" by us? But no one dies without it being God's will. We are of course made to be afraid of death, but everyone dies, someday, and it is usually perceived as "tragedy" by someone, those close to the person or whatever, because this is how we are indoctrinated to think about death, imo. We do not grasp that people are taken untimely to save them, iow, as per Scripture.

This cannot answer if they were going in the will of God, of course; Paul was convinced that he was going to Jerusalem to take the Nazarite vow at the urging of the Holy Spirit, too. So, while the manner of their deaths might be some clue, i think we just have to trust that God's will was done, regardless, as in the case of Paul. But i suspect that they were blowing it, myself. Would be interesting to hear more details of the story, where were they going, etc, what feedback were they getting, like that.

 

[7angels]

So, here is a question.

If its God will that a missionary is to go abroad and spread the gospel and the missionary dies on their way there or shortly before they leave, was it really Gods will they go? If nothing can stop Gods will (He is God after all) and they die before they can serve, was it really Gods Will?


1...2...3... discuss....

just knowing this amount of information is tough to make a decision. just because you are called to be a missionary over seas does not tell us if they heard from God as to when they were to leave. i believe the missionary people you are referring to may have been called to be missionaries but they were prepared to head out at that time. there is such a thing as listening to God's voice, waiting for the right time, trusting God, and counting the cost. sorry i could not find the statistics i was looking for concerning missionaries so i will use ministers instead.

here are statistics on ministries:

• [SIZE=12pt]90%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week.[/SIZE]

• [SIZE=12pt]80%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]believe pastoral ministry has negativelyaffected their families. Many pastor's children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]95%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouses.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]33%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]75%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]90%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]80%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged as role of pastors.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]90%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be like before they entered the ministry.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]50%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]feel unable to meet the demands of the job.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]70%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of pastors constantly fight depression.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]70%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]say they have a lower self-image now than when they first started.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]70%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]do not have someone they consider a close friend.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]40%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]report serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]33%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]confess having involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]50%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of pastors feel so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]70%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of pastors feel grossly underpaid.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]50%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]1[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]94%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of clergy families feel the pressures of the pastor's ministry.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]80%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of spouses feel the pastor is overworked.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]80%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]spouses feel left out and underappreciated by church members.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]80%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose a different profession.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]66%[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]of church members expect a minister and family to live at a higher moral standard than themselves.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]Moral values of a Christian is no different than those who consider themselves as non-Christians.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]The average American will tell 23 lies a day.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]The profession of “Pastor” is near the bottom of a survey of the most-respected professions, just above “car salesman”.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]4,000[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]new churches begin each year and 7,000 churches close.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]Over 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month last year.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]Over 1,300 pastors were terminated by the local church each month , many without cause.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]Over 3,500 people a day left the church last year.[/SIZE]
• [SIZE=12pt]Many denominations report an “empty pulpit crisis”. They cannot find ministers willing to fill positions.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]#1 reason pastors leave the ministry[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]— Church people are not willing to go the same direction and goal of the pastor. Pastors believe God wants them to go in one direction but the people are not willing to follow or change.[/SIZE]




now if all these people were called by God then why is the percentage so great? why are people called by God quitting their calling? could be because the people called by God compromised or let worldly views interfere or earthly possessions come between themselves and God? i believe these men of God forgot to keep God first in their lives. just as the biblical example of the sower and the seeds only 25% of the seeds fell on fertile soil the other 75% fell elsewhere. now don't plan on giving a sermon on the sower and the seeds but it is a great example of what happens to those who were called of God.

so by looking at the statistics i don't think it was God that made these men of God fail. it is all up to the individual to say hot after God and to keep Him first in your life. too many men of God go out on their own without waiting for God to lead their lives.

God bless

 

[bbyrd009]

awesome, ty

imo the pressures put on a pastor are unrealistic, too, so both sides maybe enter the relationship with unrealistic expectations

 

[FHII]

just knowing this amount of information is tough to make a decision. just because you are called to be a missionary over seas does not tell us if they heard from God as to when they were to leave. i believe the missionary people you are referring to may have been called to be missionaries but they were prepared to head out at that time. there is such a thing as listening to God's voice, waiting for the right time, trusting God, and counting the cost. sorry i could not find the statistics i was looking for concerning missionaries so i will use ministers instead.

here are statistics on ministries:


so by looking at the statistics i don't think it was God that made these men of God fail. it is all up to the individual to say hot after God and to keep Him first in your life. too many men of God go out on their own without waiting for God to lead their lives.

God bless</p>

Without agreeing or disagreeing... Awesome post 7angels.

I for one appreciate pastors. Even ones that aren't preaching the whole truth I sympathize with. As if. I am qualified to give any words of encoyragement, i would tell any Pastor or emmissionary to stay strong and preach the truth. Please God, not men. So few men and even women in the Bible were well received by the people. But thosr that stayed true to God have a great reward in heaven.


If i may ask a favor... Can you post a reference to those statistics? Either here on this thread or pm it to me? Thanks.

 

[biotheist]

So, here is a question.

If its God will that a missionary is to go abroad and spread the gospel and the missionary dies on their way there or shortly before they leave, was it really Gods will they go? If nothing can stop Gods will (He is God after all) and they die before they can serve, was it really Gods Will?


1...2...3... discuss....

If everything is God's will then none of us have free will. If God let's us have free will, then can we go against God's will.

Think of everything you did today, what if you did one thing different in your daily activities. Does that change anything? How do you decided to make that one small change before the day is out, you've just done what the day's entailed.

 

[7angels]

If i may ask a favor... Can you post a reference to those statistics? Either here on this thread or pm it to me? Thanks.

sorry i don't know the reference at this time but you can find many similar ones by searching statistics on pastors/ministers.

God bless

 

[FHII]

sorry i don't know the reference at this time but you can find many similar ones by searching statistics on pastors/ministers.

God bless

Thx