By M. U. Adikwu
Introduction
God does not allow a man into the field of work without equipping him. These equipping could be in different forms-both physically and spiritually. Most of the time many people want to go out into ministry without this equipping. That has been the source of failure for many people. Usually on the way to a heavenly assignment God provides the men, the money and the materials for service. Many people will want to
reach the apex of their call without following the steps God has laid down. On their way they miss one of the vital ingredients, the men, the money or the material. God will expect them to return to the beginning so that they could acquire these vital ingredients. This fast rush to the top is the cause of many failures in ministry. What I mean by ministry here is the call in life that must occupy till Christ return. It could be in
the church or in what is today called secular work. We will take some examples for us to know what I am talking about here.
Moses
Before entering into the Ministry of Leading the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses had some premonition that he was going to do this job. If you read Acts 7: 17-25, this story will become clearer. If you read that story you would want to believe that Moses had some premonition that God would use him to deliver the Israelites from captivity; but how prepared was he for this job? God, Himself, had to send him for training and
preparation for forty years in exile! Moses was already fighting for his people by killing an Egyptian. The question that sent him into exile was very simple. “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” By the time Moses returned after 40 years, nobody could query his authority by asking this type of question. Let’s take a look at the training of Moses.
He was brought up in his father’s house for three months. After this, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away. He grew up in Pharaoh’s palace but remember that God does not use men in palaces. Look at what Jesus said about those who live in palaces (7:24-25):
Now when the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the people concerning John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold
those who are elegantly clothed and live luxuriously live in kings’ palaces.’
This was how Jesus described John. He was not meant to live in a palace. Those who live in palaces, I must say, are like reeds shaken by the wind. Every wind of doctrine, they will follow. They are usually unstable. They bend this way and that way just like the reed in the wind. For a man to be solid, he does not need the comfort of a palace. When Moses was therefore, of age, he had to run away from Egypt. He had to be detached from his people. Men under the influence of their people cannot hear God well. There will be too many voices. In Egypt, he had even gone to school. God knew that he will have to write some instructions in the future. That was why he had to make him to go to school in Egypt. Many of us today think that our school is the entrance
to our ministry. That is the mistake many of us make today. School is useful but not the way to follow into ministry. In fact, schools may even be the hindrance to the ministry God wants to call us into. Education may be the reason why you may not reach your God given potential.
The training of Moses removed the self in him. Before his exile, he supposed in his heart that he would be the one to lead the Israelites (Acts 7:25). By the time he returned, he said of himself, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). The Moses that went on exile was quite
different from the Moses that came back from exile. One was self- seeking. The other saw himself as capable of doing nothing. That is the stage everyman has to come if he wants to be used of God. The real education Moses had was with the cattle. A man that is ready to follow God must be prepared for life-long learning. Remember that God was
very specific in His instructions to Moses.
“When you have brought out the children of Israel, you will worship me on this mountain” (Exodus 3:12).
God will not allow you to grope in the dark once he sends you. He will give specific directions and the way to follow.
Joseph
Another man that was well prepared for ministry was Joseph. Remember that he was the beloved son of Rachael, Jacob’s wife. His father had made for him a coat of many colours but he was to enter into his preparation for ministry without his coat of many colours. Such clothes are for palaces and those who have no place in the kingdom of God. Just like Moses he had to go to a far away country from the comfort of his brethren and his father. His ministry was to save his family from hunger!
He had his dreams early in life that brought the jealousy of his brethren. He was fulfilling a prophecy that God had made to his grandfather Abraham.
“Know for certain that your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs. And they will serve them and they will oppress them four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13).
Joseph did not know that he was the one positioned to fulfil this prophecy. I am sure he did not even know if such a prophecy existed. When his brethren were selling him they did not know that was the person to fulfil this prophecy. In fact, all that happened to him during the exile were in relation to this prophecy. He had to flee from Pharaoh’s wife. I am sure it was not his personal efforts that made him refuse the approaches by this woman. God must ensure His Word will not return to Him void without achieving what it was sent out to do. While in prison, Joseph was only being trained for this role of fulfilling the prophecy. His interpretation of dreams was all that God needed to make him enter into ministry. And eventually he became a Governor in Egypt and his brethren came in search of food. We will just take one more example that will drive home our point
.Elijah
This is one of the persons that God also prepared well for ministry. When Elijah went to Ahab and told him that there would be no rain until he said so, God told him to hide (1Kings 17:1-3). God was simply teaching him obedience. How many men who hear God will agree to that kind of voice? They will simply mistaken this voice with that of the devil and will even rebuke the voice. Elijah simply obeyed God. God’s
instruction was very specific.
“Hide yourself by the Brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan” (1 Kings 17:3).
At every turn God makes provision for whom he sends. Eventually the brook dried up. For many men of God, when God is the One that has sent him to stay around the brook, the brook should not dry up. They will pray day and night to ensure that the brook does not dry up. Elijah did not question God. Remember too that ravens were to feed him.
According to the Levitical law ravens were unclean animals but Elijah obeyed God. It is God who determines what is clean and unclean. He simply obeyed God when he was told to leave the brook and go to the house of a widow (1 Kings 17: 8-12). Remember that this widow has only a small child. She was therefore, a young widow. For some of our today’s men of God, that widow will test positive for pregnancy test in two weeks! When God saw that in all these Elijah did not falter, the very God that told him to hide, now told him to go and show himself to Ahab (1 Kings 18:1). God will not release himself to a man that he has not tried and tested.
Conclusion
I want to conclude this with a warning to all of us. We should remember that Pharaoh’s wives are everywhere. There are also widows of Zarephath here and there. These days are days were women are everywhere to destroy destinies. These days people are not promoted unless there is something given in cash or kind. People in offices are not
promoted until they have sex with their bosses leading to destruction of beautiful destinies God had earlier prepared for them. Today societies are being destroyed by sexual sins. As Christians we need to be careful and wait upon God to prepare us for ministry. God has given unto us all that we need for life and godliness in Christ Jesus (2 Peter 2:1). He is interested in what we need to survive on earth and what we need to live holy lives to enable us to enter into life eternal. These things are not even to be gotten through hardwork and sweating. Where the real battle is, is with the battle for living obedient, holy lives. That is the real battle of Christianity. Look at this quotation from Kings James Version of the Bible (Ephesians 2:10): “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Look at the last word there. We are earth to walk freely about and not to struggle over anything. The main battle of life, I say it again, is to live
righteously. That is where most people fail! Some people think it is by working hard using crooked means and they end up destroying themselves spiritually followed by physically. Battle to live right and everything will fall in line for you!
Adikwu writes from Abuja and can be reached 08034378988; adikwum@yahoo.com
