- And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” – 1 Timothy 1:12(KJV)
Apostle Paul appreciates and expresses his thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for considering him worthy to be entrusted with the ministry. This same Paul was the chief persecutor of the faith prior to his encounter with Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus to arrest those of the way (Christians). He was a very terrible persecutor of the church. He had an encounter with Jesus Christ the son of God that dramatically affected his entire life. The persecutor became the persecuted. Concerning Paul (who was formally called Saul), hear what Jesus said to Ananias; “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” – Acts 9: 15-16(KJV). The Lord himself called and put Paul in the ministry. It is our Lord himself that enabled Paul in his ministry work because when God calls a man he goes before him, work with him, work through him and enable the Called. This was Paul’s experience because he was genuinely called. When you are truly called by God to the ministry he prepares you for the tough times, he enables you navigate through the hard terrain of ministry.
However, ministry have become such a lucrative business to the extent that people just dream and wake up called. A young Christian who prays for a sick person and he is healed instantly claims he is called. Someone dreams when he was preaching to someone, wakes up and claim he is called. People claim being called so easily and so easily run out when the hardness of the ministry hits them. Some see what God has made out of great men of God and desire to be like them without going through their story. Every minister wants to be like Pastor Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo, Bishop Okonkwo etc. etc. without reading their story. They want the glory not the work. This inordinate ambition of many is the reason for the adulteration of ministration from the pulpit, where some so called men of God have tapped into satanic alliances to perform ‘miracles’ and keep their flock. Deception has become the order of the day as pastors now use charms and talisman to pastor their flock. Hear what the bible said about Peter and John, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus”. They were mentored and taught by Christ. Who have you been with? Who mentored you? Under whose feet have you been taught and learn? Genuine men who hear from God still learn from those that have gone before them.
As members of a church you must carry out a detailed study of the person leading the flock you are part off. Who we are following has very important part to play on our final destination – Heaven or hell. We must test the integrity and genuineness of the minister. Please flee the moment there is doubt about his person and integrity.
Prayer: Direct my path and lead me through the journey of life.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo