In the book of Jonah, the prophet is commanded by God to go to Nineveh, but he chooses to flee in the opposite direction. As a result, he faces a storm at sea and is swallowed by a great fish, symbolizing a form of divine intervention or correction. Eventually, he fulfills his mission. Can some of the difficulties or losses that believers experience in life be attributed to them having strayed from the specific purpose or calling God has placed on their lives, similar to Jonah’s situation? - Are there theological or denominational views that support or reject this idea? - How does the New Testament handle this concept, especially in the context of grace and free will? - Are there examples besides Jonah where people faced hardship because of ignoring God’s will?

Has anyone claimed to have been called by God to ministry (e.g. to serve as a missionary, pastor, evangelist, prophet, apostle, etc.) through some dramatic "Road to Damascus" encounter (like the Apostle Paul in Acts 9), and subsequently counted with the trust and ministerial support from a community of fellow Christians who believed in their testimony and backed their ministry? The Apostle Paul is an obvious example, but for the purposes of this question he obviously doesn't count. I'm interested in any examples from the 2nd century onwards, especially in modern times. Are there any modern (self-proclaimed) 'Apostle Pauls'?

If a woman believes that she has been called by God to a leadership position in the Church (e.g. teacher, pastor, evangelist, prophet, apostle, etc.), what would be the process for her to have her divine calling acknowledged, accepted and respected by the members of her congregation? Since the answer to this question undoubtedly depends on the denomination, what would be an **overview** of denominational guidelines for women who believe they have received a call from God to a leadership position in the Church and want the approval of their congregation to operate in their calling in a responsible manner? ___ **Appendix - Relevant NT passages on divine calling** > 11 **And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers**, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV) > 11 All these are empowered by one and **the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills**. (1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV) > 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 **And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues**. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:27-31 ESV) > 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, **the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”** 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3 ESV)​ ___ **Related questions** - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/90598/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/83881/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/91350/50422

- First of all, are there any denominations that believe in modern-day prophets? - If so, what do they understand by 'prophet'? Is it the same as having the gift of prophecy? What exactly is a modern-day prophet capable of doing, according to these denominations? - Lastly, how can a Christian know if they have the gift of prophecy (or are called to be a prophet), according to these denominations? Illustrative examples of people who are believed to be modern-day prophets would be a plus. ____ Related questions: - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/83881/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/87277/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/84590/50422

An evangelist is a specific office that is **different** from pastors & teachers. **Q: According to Protestantism, how does one know if they have been called to be an evangelist?** > “He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the > heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as > apostles, and some as prophets, and **some as** **evangelists**, and some as > pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of > service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” ‭‭Ephesians‬ > ‭4:10-12‬

If person X is called by God to be an apostle, what should person X do next in order to convince others that their calling is genuine? What kind of evidence should person X provide to an audience of fellow Christians with a healthy dose of skepticism so that they may be fully assured that person X's calling to apostleship is from God and authentic? Worded in another way: if someone comes to me and tells me that they were called by God to be an apostle, what kind of evidence should I demand or look for to either verify or reject their claim? Since this is probably a controversial question, I would like to narrow the scope to Christians who are open to this possibility in the first place, that is, Christians who adhere to [Continuationism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessationism_versus_continuationism) .

2 Corinthians 12:11-12 (ESV): > 11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 **The signs of a true apostle** were performed among you with utmost patience, **with signs and wonders and mighty works**. Acts 14:3-4 (ESV): > 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, **granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands**. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with **the apostles**. It is a well-known fact that the LDS Church has a [Quorum of the Twelve Apostles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)) . Do Latter-day Saints expect miracles to authenticate their callings, as 2 Corinthians 12:12 and Acts 14:3-4 seem to suggest? ____ Related: - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/86686/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/84590/50422

Approaching this from a Catholic perspective, what are good signs that God is calling you to the vocation of priesthood, in other words, what must one look for to know whether you are called to the priesthood?

**According to Catholicism, How does one know if God is calling him to be a priest?** If one is contemplating being a diocesan priest, what is the normal way one should do things in order to determine his discernment towards this call? Is there a different approach taken for those who are considered late vocations? For example take my own circumstances: Earlier in my life, I ran after the highest level of education and tried very hard to achieve it. But after 20 years of effort, I obtained a certificate. I ran after every secular thing that there is. Nothing seems to attract me. So I am just wondering how does one knows if God is calling him to be a priest and what steps does one normally take to find out in the Catholic Church? What should one do?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was originally founded by Joseph Smith believed to be a prophet of God. After his death he was followed by Brigham Young and after Brighams death it was followed by John Taylor. This pattern of a prophet dying and then a new one being called appears to be repeated again and again in the LDS church. What is the usual process that is followed for calling a new prophet? How is the decision made and by whom? Were there any prophets called by a different process or unusual circumstances?

Approaching this from a Catholic perspective, I'd like to ask believers how they came to know that they were called to join the religious life (as a brother or nun), as opposed to the other vocations (priesthood, marriage, single life etc). Rephrasing the same question, what should a believer look for when discerning whether they are called to the vocation of religious life?

Not much to add to the title. Are there any denominations that believe that God is still calling people to be apostles today? If so, how does a person know for sure that they have been or are being called by God to be an apostle, according to these denominations? Apostleship is such an important role and gift in the body of Christ that I would imagine the calling by God has to be extremely clear and specific. _____ Closely related questions: - [How do Christians discern if they are being called by God to ministry, and what ministry specifically?](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/83881/50422) - [Are there any denominations that teach their members how to hear God's voice better, as exemplified by the Apostles in Scripture?](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/82827/50422)

The concepts of "being called by God" and "ministry" are biblical. We can find them in passages such as: Ephesians 4:1-14 (ESV): > I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner **worthy of the calling to which you have been called**, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just **as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call**— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 **But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift**. 8 Therefore it says, > > “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, > **and he gave gifts to men**.” > > 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 **And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers**, 12 **to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ**, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Galatians 1:15-17 (ESV): > 15 But when **he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace**, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, **in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles**, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Romans 12:4-8 (ESV) > 4 For as **in one body we have many members**, **and the members do not all have the same function**, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 **Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us**, **let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith**; 7 **if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching**; 8 **the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness**. 1 Cor 12:4-11 (ESV): > 4 **Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit**; 5 **and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord**; 6 **and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone**. 7 **To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good**. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 **All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills**. **Question**: how do Christians discern if they are being called by God to ministry? And what ministry specifically (e.g. pastor, teacher, prophet, evangelist, missionary (and to what country?), etc.)? How do they know which specific gifts have been given to them by the Holy Spirit for their ministry? Do any denominations teach how to discern these things and how to make sure that it is really God who is calling them (as opposed to a mere "gut feeling" which is not necessarily in line with God's will)?

[Matthew 22:14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+22%3A14&version=ESV) : > For many are called, but few are chosen. [ESV] What is the difference between “called” and “chosen” here? Though I believe in predestination, I struggle to see how this verse deals here with irresistible grace.

>But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, > >To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: > >Galatians 1:15 and 16, KJV Paul, in developing his argument to the Galatian churches, expresses his own, personal, calling and experience. He stresses this in order to support his own standing with the churches - first, his calling and second his experience. What do modern Protestant, Trinitarian, evangelical churches expect of their leaders. Do they expect such a ministry ? Are they gathered by such a ministry ? And from whom do they expect to be taught what is the gospel and who is Christ ? Do they expect, and are they gathered, by such called and experienced persons ? And, what are the names, today, now, of such persons who are leaders of Protestant, Trinitarian, evangelical churches ? Who are they ? Paul says he is separated. Paul says he is called. Paul says that God has 'revealed' his own Son 'in' Paul. Who, today, in Protestant, Trinitarian, evangelicalism supports their standing in the churches by such expressions as Paul uses to the Galatian churches in the first century ?

The church loves to use the idiom *called to preach .* It's the idea that (for the purposes of this question) God calls some people to preach or pastor and He doesn't call others. A person might say "...I felt God's call to preach " I'm not talking about the general call to salvation or that God gives certain gifts to some and not others, but about the specific colloquialism of *"...called from God to be/not be a pastor*." Where did this idea come from? 1 Timothy labels it a desire, not a calling. > **1 Timothy 3:1 KJV** This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. Most every other translation says *aspire*, not calling. Are these thing synonymous? When did it start being referred to as a calling and not a desire? --- ***Why I ask***: A "calling" from God is a highly debated thing, whereas a "desire" is something everyone knows the definition of. Some young believers may be becoming dissuaded from their *desire* to lead in their local church because they've been incorrectly convinced that they need some fantastical *"clouds-parting-in-the-sky"* experience from God.

I've tried to phrase this question several ways now, and none of them are really to my liking. I will just ask it clumsily and provide more details as they are asked of me. Does God ever call people to lives devoted to their careers? For example, suppose someone says to himself "God has called me to forego starting a family in favor of devoting my life to being the best dog groomer I can be." I choose a particularly strange career on purpose. The work of a doctor and the work of a dog groomer is equally meaningless if it is not blessed by God. I suppose my question, therefore, is whether there is precedent that God asks for and accepts such a life, or whether this hypothetical dog groomer is deluding himself.

The quote in the title is taken from paragraph 16 of the *JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION* by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. Is such a statement consistent or inconsistent with Reformed doctrine? If judged to be consistent, is it necessary to qualify the statement for it to fully harmonize with relevant doctrines?

Imagine one day a person hears voices like God speaking to him (or as how he would describe as God), with bright lights, angels, burning bushes, and all. It would seem so real for him but only he alone heard or experienced it. And the voice would tell him to sacrifice his son/daughter to God. Is it moral for him sacrifice his child because of this experience? it might be a test and if he didn't then he would have failed for doubting God. What would a Christian do?

I am a Christian, I want to teach and share the word of God as I wish but I do no want the call of God upon my life. This may sound weird but please hear me out first. I want to spread the word of God, its my passionate, something I love to do. But I don't want it to be like tag on me. I don't know if I'm making sense, I can explain further on request. My question is, is this ideology wrong?