Divorce

[Bro. Mike]

After i accepted the Lord as my Saviour I was soon called ato preach. I ran from my calling for three years til the Lord cornered me at a service and was put up behind the pulpit to what i called was to testify. The Spirit began filling my mouth and with tears rolling i realized i had announced my calling in ffront of the congregation. Iw was then set aside and proven for a year before becoming an ordained with full rights through the church. After a some years went by My wife a christian also said she hated me and wanted me to leave and wanted a divorce 2 Kids and 9 years of being Faithful to God and my wife. For the last 3 years of marriage i tried to reconcile to no avail. we finally divorced and i was called to the church by the pastor and the deacons they revoked my credentials and kicked me out of thier church my now exwife also however the gave her a choice to rededicate her life to the Lord or be rebaptized back in. the Pastor looked at me and said and i quote (Hell will be awfully hot as it comes up around your heels ole boy). In my Heart i still feel the Lord Calling me to do his work as his Vessel i still feel the Holy Spirit witness with me as i talk to others about the goodness of Christ and all his glory. I still go to church as per his commandment Not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. But I still feel my calling and where i live now im not accepted as a preacher and cant find any place like where i feel a comfortable worshipping Spirit. I pray every day that the Lord will open the door for me to do what he has called me to do. so i ask what am i to do?
PLease Pray for me as i will remember all in prayer

[irishman]

Bro. Mike,
most of us would like to be called to preach, I believe. That being so, it can be very hard to know if we are God called, or "self called.". The apostle peter admonishes us "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" , 2 Peter 1:10; be very sure of your calling.

Again, in 2 Thessalonians we have: "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:" 2 Thess. 1:11. Make yourself worthy of the calling. if you fell that God is calling you after that, wait on Him, He will open the doors. Remember, He wants men to preach too, and the fields are white, ready to harvest....

[1Timothy115]

We're all called to preach or proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are you saying as a pastor, evangelist, or missionary?

A wise pastor once told me a call to preach is a call to prepare. I would council you to be ready for what ever ministry the Lord has in mind for you. I've seen some who go into what they believe God has called them to do only to fail. Our adversary is cunning and knows exactly what the lost may need as an excuse to reject or delay a decision. What we can do while waiting on God's direction is remove any of those things in us which Satan could present to the lost as an excuse to reject our Savior. I don't want to chase you away but, I know you wouldn't want to chase others away either. Satan can use anything from bad grammar to personal defects in character to create a wall between the gospel and a lost person. There are many things we can't improve. God wouldn't want us to get plastic surgery but there are things we can improve while we wait for God's answer. Have you prepared?
I suggest you read these scriptures until you understand what they're telling you...
Habakkuk 2:1-4
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

God bless and you're added to my daily prayers.

[Wilchbla]

After i accepted the Lord as my Saviour I was soon called ato preach. I ran from my calling for three years til the Lord cornered me at a service and was put up behind the pulpit to what i called was to testify. The Spirit began filling my mouth and with tears rolling i realized i had announced my calling in ffront of the congregation. Iw was then set aside and proven for a year before becoming an ordained with full rights through the church. After a some years went by My wife a christian also said she hated me and wanted me to leave and wanted a divorce 2 Kids and 9 years of being Faithful to God and my wife. For the last 3 years of marriage i tried to reconcile to no avail. we finally divorced and i was called to the church by the pastor and the deacons they revoked my credentials and kicked me out of thier church my now exwife also however the gave her a choice to rededicate her life to the Lord or be rebaptized back in. the Pastor looked at me and said and i quote (Hell will be awfully hot as it comes up around your heels ole boy). In my Heart i still feel the Lord Calling me to do his work as his Vessel i still feel the Holy Spirit witness with me as i talk to others about the goodness of Christ and all his glory. I still go to church as per his commandment Not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. But I still feel my calling and where i live now im not accepted as a preacher and cant find any place like where i feel a comfortable worshipping Spirit. I pray every day that the Lord will open the door for me to do what he has called me to do. so i ask what am i to do?
PLease Pray for me as i will remember all in prayer

If you have a "desire to be a bishop" and God opens the door for you to be one then go for it. You'll have many detractors but truth is there are many Christians who would feel much more comfortable in your church and feel the hope of being useful and not of being treated like second class Christians like many divorced Christians are. Personally, I would have no problem with you being my pastor if you are scripturally sound. In your case it sounds like your wife was in rebellion. If God has called you to the ministry he called you and not your wife. I know there is now this Promise Keeper type of mentalilty that says if God hasn't cleared your calling with your wife then he hasn't called you but this is balderdash. You won't see that anywhere in scripture. She was supposed to be submissive to you as you were submissive to God's calling. Now, if it was because you were philandering, unfaithful or physically abusive then that may be a different case and I would say that you pretty much blew your calling yet, remember, the bible says that Gods "gifts and callings are without repentance". You just might want to forget about the pastorate. Don't forget, there are churches that do jail ministries, have street mission ministries bus ministries, street preaching ministries, etc. I've been told that the jail ministry is the most fruitful field for souls there is right now.

Concerning your church, me personally, I would just move on. Edited January 17, 2011 by Wilchbla

[irishman]

After i accepted the Lord as my Saviour I was soon called ato preach. I ran from my calling for three years til the Lord cornered me at a service and was put up behind the pulpit to what i called was to testify. The Spirit began filling my mouth and with tears rolling i realized i had announced my calling in ffront of the congregation. Iw was then set aside and proven for a year before becoming an ordained with full rights through the church. After a some years went by My wife a christian also said she hated me and wanted me to leave and wanted a divorce 2 Kids and 9 years of being Faithful to God and my wife. For the last 3 years of marriage i tried to reconcile to no avail. we finally divorced and i was called to the church by the pastor and the deacons they revoked my credentials and kicked me out of thier church my now exwife also however the gave her a choice to rededicate her life to the Lord or be rebaptized back in. the Pastor looked at me and said and i quote (Hell will be awfully hot as it comes up around your heels ole boy). In my Heart i still feel the Lord Calling me to do his work as his Vessel i still feel the Holy Spirit witness with me as i talk to others about the goodness of Christ and all his glory. I still go to church as per his commandment Not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. But I still feel my calling and where i live now im not accepted as a preacher and cant find any place like where i feel a comfortable worshipping Spirit. I pray every day that the Lord will open the door for me to do what he has called me to do. so i ask what am i to do?
PLease Pray for me as i will remember all in prayer

Bro. Mike,
The highlighted part of your post bothers me, it looks as if there is another side to the story. That is none of my business though, what my first post was saying was for you, not for me! I know that I am not called to pastor a church, although I have had some pulpit experiences also. If you are looking for advice, I would wait, as I said in the first post, and allow the Lord to reveal His will, and open the doors. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being prepared, we all ought to be ready to give an answer of the hope that lies within us. "Let patience have her perfect work...." Edited January 17, 2011 by irishman

[Bro Jim]

Mike check out his website for the book "Bill of Divorcement" by Roy Branson Jr., http://divorcedchristiansunchained.com/. To often "Christians" take th RCC view of divorce. God forgives all sin, and I wonder sometimes how churches can allow, ex-convicts (nothing wrong with this mind you) (murders, thieves, extortioners, etc.) in their pulpits and then when a man of God has the problem you have described (and you know what went on and it is none of my or anyone else's business) happens it is dealt with in the harshest terms.

Yes wait on God (already advised) use this time in prayer and fasting to allow God to prepare you for the future, He can use this time as He gets you through it to prepare you to minister to others in a way that those who have not been in this situation can not.

I will be praying for you and that the Lord Jesus Christ will guide you.

[Covenanter]

Mike, a failed marriage is NOT the unforgivable sin.

From the information you have given, you are not guilty in this matter. You have given no reasons for her desire to leave you. Was another man involved, so your ex-wife is an adulteress? I presume not, or the church would not have invited her back.

Unless the leaders of your church know something you have not told us, I consider they have acted completely out of order in disciplining you the way they have. You have grounds for leaving that church, though it seems you have been expelled & excommunicated anyway.

This Scripture applies to both sexes.

1Cr 7:10 ¶ And unto the married I command, [yet] not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from [her] husband:
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to [her] husband: and let not the husband put away [his] wife.

1Ti 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

I believe suspension of preaching & other leadership duties was correct, while keeping you in membership & communion. That suspension would not be permanent, but probationary.

We have had situations in our church, where people under discipline from their church have come to us. We upheld that church's discipline while we assessed the situation.

I'm not suggesting this applies to you, Mike: A local accredited minister was teaching in a school & preaching & offering pastoral assistance in a lay capacity. He was apparently the innocent party in a divorce, & had remarried. We thought we knew him well, & eventually called him as co-pastor alongside a long-serving pastor who needed assistance. Soon he showed covetousness in seeking an equal share of the church's limited resources, which then rapidly dwindled. (That did now concern him - he had his secular income.) He cultivated a number of members, including the treasurer & accused his colleague of failing to keep a promise to retire early. (How could an underpaid pastor?) The long serving pastor was fired. Within a few years, ALL the assets of the church had been sold. The church hall is now a Sikh college, & the church building houses Pentecostals. We continued in a borrowed Gospel hall until it was sold. We now meet in homes, & with other Gospel churches in nearby towns.

IMO you should not preach for a year, & should never be called as senior Pastor - only serving under others as the Lord leads.

May God bless you & give you wisdom in this matter.

[Bro. Mike]

Thank you all for the advice and responses you gave most of you seemed to feel that there is more to the story and true there is. As i said i Was faithful to Both Christ the Church and my wife. However when she chose to go through with the divorce. Her Brother was the Pastor of the church and most of the church was family ran. she also had been talking online with other men. i have no idea if it had ever went further than that. without proof of adultry i would never bring a false accusation against her as you well know this wouldnt be backed up with the word. (If you see your brother commit a sin not a sin unto death go and talk to him if he heres you go your way and say nothing for you have saved a soul and hid a multitude of sin). I know im not perfect and will never be until i here Jesus say come ye blessed of my father then i will know im perfect. The Lord said in his word. ( there is none perfect amoung you no not one) Christ came to this world and put on flesh and suffered all manafold temptations as we are today and he was made perfect in the flesh. Paul Said ( i die daily for when i will to do good evil is always present and when i will to do evil good is always present therefore the carnal mind is not subject to the laws of God and neither can it be for the carnal mind is enmity or Hatred toward God and to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace) i myself will never attempt to judge anyone here for God and Christ knows yours and my hearts and souls.
With all my Love in the Lord,
Bro. Mike

[Covenanter]

Bro Mike, the information provided in your last post makes it clear that it will be useless to continue in that church. Are there good Gospel churches within range?

May the Lord lead you on - lead your ex-wife & her supporters to repentance.