A MAN who aspires to become a minister of God must show concrete proof that he is born again; that he is a new creature; that old things have passed away; that everything about him has become new; that his life has been transformed; that he is a child of God; that he is no longer a man of the world; that his name is written in the lamb’s book of life; that he lives for Christ; that he exalts Christ; that he has surrendered to Christ and it is all about Christ. The call to gospel ministry starts from the born-again experience because the experience is very fundamental and foundational.
When I was young, I discovered I loved to read and I think my parental background contributed to it. My father was a deacon in the Church up there in the north before my mother conceived me.
We went to church and I memorised the Bible verses. God gave me the ability to memorise the scripture, that is natural talent and it didn’t have anything to do with the Holy Spirit. They called me up during Sectional Fellowship Meeting that I should read the Bible verses off hand.
Interestingly, I would watch people speak in tongues and refilled in the Holy Ghost but the man reading the scripture was like Samuel in the house of Eli, I did not know the Lord. So, it was an academic exercise to me and I didn’t understand the spiritual impact because it didn’t show anywhere in my life. My mother particularly told me that I am a difficult child and of course, I had to agree.
My father carried me to primary school when I was four years and two months old and the headmaster refused to take me because I was not up to six years old. My father pleaded with him to keep me there since he would pay the school fees. I was growing reading the scripture off hand but I did not know the Lord. It was years later before I came to know the Lord. I now understand that you can be a Sunday School Teacher or Pastor yet you do not know the Lord.
Some of the pastors are just doing mental and academic work but they are not doing spiritual work. Bible college is basically for spiritual work. Never mind that teachers may ask students to do some physical task, that may be part of the work but I tell you Bible college is primarily and essentially a place for spiritual preparation for the ministry. So, as a minister of God, you can’t be like I was, memorise everything and come tops at the end and make the honour roll but you do not know the Lord.
I know what it means to carry the scripture only in your head and it doesn’t do anything in your heart and it doesn’t bring any fruit of repentance. A Bible intellectual who doesn’t have the Spirit of God in him is an empty fellow. You should not allow that because along the line, it will catch up with you. A Bible college is a place you go to and open yourself to the Lord to take over completely in your life. If anybody fails to do that, he has failed. Not only do I understand what intellectualism is all about; I also pity the person who has turned the work of God into mere intellectualism, mere academic work and mere grammar.
Today’s Nugget: The call to ministry is a spiritual work. Prayer: Lord help me to experience genuine repentance. Prayer lines: 08054477940. e-mail: [email protected]
• Rev. Pastor Ejikeme Ejim, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria
