Seminary?!?

Yes, my younger brother.I have advice being older.Do everything scholastically you can now to get it under your belt and over with and on your resume! Do now what you will not have time or resources for later.Get all the credits you can now that will aid you in your future vocation.And always remember if you become a pastor or doctor! -listening is so important -and repeating back -"Is this what I'm hearing you say?" To let the person know and confirm to yourself you are really understanding what it is they are saying before speaking on it.(In posts -always read them twice before responding. This is one of the wisest things an old person can tell a young person -always temper your reactions.)I digressed as I do talking to a young person humble enough to ask for any advice.That's all.

 

This post is just amazing because I am currently going through the same thing. I have a huge passion for God and I plan on going to seminary school. I already found the school I want to go to and I am getting everything in line for setting myself up to go. One of the huge decisions I am currently praying about is if I should stop going to college in order to go right into seminary school or finish what I am currently doing. I am taking my first semester at a community college for liberal arts and sciences and I am miserable here because I have no interest in any of the classes I am taking. I looked at all the classes that I will take at seminary and none of them are even offered at the college I am currently at. I feel the right thing to do is once this semester is over to just take off of college and save up some money and just go after what I really want to do.

 

Can both of you talk to 3 pastors you respect and ask their advice ---you know, before you drop courses?One should be a pastor with a very high IQ -that sounds stupid maybe - but it isn't.Some are smarter and wiser than others.Your sis watching out for your future in my little way...Miss Hepburn

 

I would but in my particular situation the school I am at doesn't offer anything that will really help me get into seminary school. I already took the English courses they require in order to be accepted so I think I am all set. I still have to double check but I am pretty sure it would be the best decision for me. But you are probably right and I will throw it by some people I know and see what they think but they will probably agree...especially when they see how on fire for God I am

 

Redeemed22 and Jimmy Engle,My first thought is to try to think of anything you would rather do more than being a minister. If you can think of something you would rather do, you shouldn't be a minister. Ministry is not all the "warm fuzzes" some people think it is. A lot of ministry is boring and tedious. If you are thinking about ministry because you want a life of Bible Study, don't go into the ministry or Seminary. If you want Bible study go to a Bible school, not a seminary. A seminary will spend a good amount of time teaching administrative skill, ie, how do you run a church. Remember a church is much more than Sunday school and Sunday morning worship. A church is a business; a pastor is a CEO. More on this later.My second thought is, if you have started college; finish college. You need to finish what you start. Don't jump from one project to another without finishing anything. It is discipline.

 

Just to play the advocate here ... I have talked with many who do attend seminary school most are not very happy as the Bible, Gods Word isnt the focus but men's religions,books by men , if the college you attend is of a certain denomination that is the focus of the teaching ... One doesn't need a college to understand scripture wisdom comes from God not men or there colleges ... We have church after church today filled with those who do not know the meat of Gods Word and no idea how to find it ..because no one today is taught how to study scripture,they are just told what to believe... All these ministers came out of these cookie cutter seminary'sto give us a church that is starving for the true word of God ... Amos 8:11-12 Today's religion is much about feel good doctrine with little substance .... I call it fast food religion .... I suggest you speak with others that are in the seminary and see what they think, what they are learning, can they answer your questions about scripture? Do they teach as God said Precept upon precept line upon line here a little there a little ... Or do they just give you a list of books written by men to read ? Not trying to discourage anyone here .. But if you think going to seminary school is going to teach you about Gods word ... You are most likely setting yourself up to be disappointed .... You may still enjoy it and learn about men's traditions and religious doctrines ...but it wont give you wisdom as God alone gives you that ...

 

Redeemed22 and Jimmy Engle,Let me ask you another question, why do you want to be a minister? What is it about the Christian ministry that excites you? Christina had some good words but unlike Christina, I am trying to talk you out of seminary and ministry.

 

I think you should test the waters first to see if these people base what they say on scripture, if what there teaching doesnt come from gods word then you dont want it. These scriptures should help: Colossians 2:8, Hebrews 3:12, Ephesians 5:6, 1st Timothy 6:20 and Romans 1:18. Be sure to check evrything and evryone out in the word including me, god bless

 

If you are a believer in Christ and repented from your sins you already have the holy spirit working in your life ... If you feel the call then he is working in you .... You wont get fire works ...You will feel it when you just accept he is there working in you .... wanting more some big sign is to doubt he does as he says ... that door of doubt will allow Satan a foothold to confuse and cause doubts in you You keep wanting more but God tells you faith is believe in things not seen .... If you dont have enough faith to believe he is working in you ..How do expect to hear him We are told there will be NO sign except for Christ.. faith is knowing thats enough ...Its not Gods that fails to be there to answer your prayers ..Its you deciding you want your prayers answered in certain way to convince you ..your saved ... Just trust him the faith of a mustard seed can move moutains ...

 

I never said that I didn't think I was saved or that the holy spirit isn't in me or working in my life. It definitely is but from my understanding I can have that to a much greater degree if I was given this precious gift of being filled to overflowing with the holy ghost. But maybe that is the reason why I haven't received the baptism of the holy spirit yet. When I pray for it I expect to experience the sensation of being filled with it's power but maybe by thinking that is the sign of having it is making my faith dwindle so God is holding it back until I change.

 

Having to call to teach preach is great and many of us have it ...However one must learn The Bible to be a good teacher ... This learning the word should be the biggest desire of one. The problem is you will not learn it in school ..It comes from study and learning how God teaches in his word ... For example God teaches on 3 differnt levels the surface text is just the begining of knowledge ..this is one reasin Paul is often misunderstood he teaches in three levels at once ...You can not learn these deeper levels without study ... God uses symbology (often in nature) to teach as you would a child he uses numbers and names... and so forth and so forth ...sitting around hoping some magic power or school will give you this wisdom is fruitless for it comes from God himself .. You must ask for wisdom ... Come as child with no preconceived notions or expectations and put in the work .... If you have a hunger for his Word read it ask questions even the simplist questions is a start ... He wrote you a letter he says he comes in the book not school not in men relgions Hbr 10:7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

 

2Cr 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. In this verse of 2 Cor.There is one qualification to becoming a new creature or creation"if any man be in Christ. So the key here is to "be in Christ"What is this New creature its the Greek Word ktisis meaning :1) the act of founding, establishing, building etca) the act of creating, creationb) creation i.e. thing created1) of individual things, beings, a creature, a creationa) anything createdGod essentually re-creates us in Gen 2:7 We see God creates us and gives us his breath of Life ..In 2 Cor. We see when we are in Christ he re-creates /establishes a new creature.There are two other root words here that explain further what God is saying here ktizō -to form, shape, i.e. to completely change or transformktaomai- to acquire, get, or procure a thing for one's self, to possessa) as to marry a wife God is telling us that he creates a New creature of us completely transforms changes us spiritually that he can acquire, procure us to himself as one would a wife (Bride) Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. This part of the verse relates to the firt part of the verse "if any man be in ChristYou are in Christ when you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten of the Heavenly Father, born of a virgin, and through His death on the cross, the price for your sins were paid for in full. Then in believing this, you repent to the Father God, in His Son "Jesus name", and accept the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross for the full payment of your sins. Upon repentance in Jesus name, Christ makes you a fresh person, clean from all your sins of the past in your inner man, and He forgives and blots out all those sins that have been repented of. Those sins that held a the death sentence on your soul have been taken away, and you are a new individual ready to be aquired by him.*see Gen 2:7 http://biblestudy.madmooseforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=354

 

AMEN TO THIS! One of the reasons why I am so miserable about school is because I have a HUGE urge to read the bible and to just lock myself up in my room so when I come out of my room I might have something to say about God. What you say is true. The bulk of what God teaches me will come through prayer and His word and not from school. I wish I had time for bible studies and just good solid fellowship with brother's and sister's in Christ. I'm not sure if I will continue going to school next semester I feel extremely tempted to stop going. This would give me time to study the bible and grow in faith and also save money and when I am ready just go straight to a school that teaches theology.

 

read my post just above your last post