teaching continued- HOW TO TAKE OFF ON YOUR NEW MINISTRY
What you note as resources
Like I said before, many people do not understand what may be termed resources. Most people consider money as all that they need to make it in ministry hence go all the way to get it. They get surprised like all else who followed that pattern that money does not bring effective ministry. Let me stress that it is rare to find a ministry motivated by the availability of money thrive in the power of the anointing. If you ask me, I will say that that is why God had to send Jesus Christ from a poor background. Most of the earliest disciples also came from a no-body background. That does not mean to say that money is not important in ministry, but to stress that money is the least requirement in ministry. The devil’s game is to make the beginner see it as the foremost tool for effective ministry and treat it as such. And the bible states,
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Tim 6:10 NIV
In my years as a preacher moving from place to place and meeting all kinds of ministers from different countries and backgrounds I came to the above conclusion. I discovered that what one is not able to do with little money; he may never be able to do with much money. I make emphasis again that the one who wishes to take off in ministry should set priorities right. Ask yourself the question, “What do I really need for the task God has given to me?”
Let us take for instance that God has called you to be an international evangelist. I added the word international because that is what everybody wants to be these days; international pastor, international bishop, international preacher and so on. Let’s say that God has spoken to you clearly about this; what should you do? We said earlier that you take a piece of paper among other things write down what you have presently as available resources to get there. Let us assume that you are jobless and with no means of income. So, what do you note now as the available resources? I hear somebody say, “That is exactly what I am saying, what resources can I now note as available resources?”
TIME
One obvious resource you have at this point is time. The one who squanders time is not less guilty than the one who squanders money. If you have not found yourself in a situation where you cannot sit quiet for a minute because of the nature of your job, you will not appreciate time as a major resource for the take off of your mandate. As an unemployed or self employed person you have time on your side. So what can one do with time? Many people squander time day-dreaming and wishing for what cannot be. As a young man time was what I had at my disposal. I didn’t have money, my business was sinking and no one to borrow from, hence I spent my time in prayers. I was a bachelor and lived alone. I was able to have thirty days fast in my house. I only went out in the evenings to the house of a lady whose heart God had moved to feed me. But guess what? Most people who have this kind of privilege will stay back to watch TV after and then discuss politics. This I never did. After my meal I prayed with the family and returned to my meditation. That was the bed rock of the great ministry people see today. From there I paid visits to some families that had need of prayers. My pastor was too busy to visit them, but I had all the time in the world. As I visited and ministered to them God honored me by healing and delivering them from their troubles. The result was that God also opened their hearts to me. They became my fall back in times of financial need. In those days people will rather call my attention than wait for busy mighty men of God. I did it as humble as I could and God was with me confirming his word through my availability. Those that want midnight prayers, I organized one for them alongside other jobless young men like me but attached no commercial coloration to it. Then and even up to this time, I do not attach price tag on prayers and God’s gift.
Time is a resource; learn to make a good use of it. You can go sharing tracts, preach on “morning-calls”, preach in buses and other public places. It was during a tract sharing outing that I met the man who recommended my book, Pastor Lukas’ Church, to Scripture Union Press and Books (SUPB Ltd), the company that gave me the widest publicity.
There will be days in the ministry you cannot afford time to read your bible as you ought to. In this time of “idleness” you can discipline yourself to read your bible back-to-back several times. You can rest very well by day so that you can spend enough time in mid night prayers. If you want to keep vigil of four consecutive hours for three months, you can. This is one of the things that enables you develop spiritual muscles that carry you into your international ministry. No ministry of the level you dream is built on walking from house to house wasting time on frivolities. What most people do is to go farming, watching football matches or reading newspapers. If you have time on your side, thank God for it and then use it. The church or ministry you belong will appreciate if you invested it in her services. Most people, even ministers believe that money is more important than manpower. That is not true. Most great ministries place people on good salaries so that they can spend time in prayers interceding for them. When you see people like Benny Hinn, Uma Ukpai, W. F. Kumuyi, etc, minister with great unction, just know that most times there are prayer warriors under the platform from which they preach. It’s an age-old practice. The bible calls them the golden pipes that supply fresh olive oil into the golden lamp stand ( Zech. 4:11-14, Rev.11:3-4 ). Most people who served in this capacity end up pioneering great ministries. This is one of the things young ministers of today do not know hence cannot experience great anointing in their ministries. They now resort to worldly marketing strategies and use of magic to have what God has freely given to them. You can offer counseling services to persons in need, you can hold a small prayer cell with one or two partners. Don’t wait to be invited by anybody, initiate a fellowship, if there are no place you can join. Even if nobody else comes, still hold your meetings. Be faithful with punctuality; be committed.
How about reading? Anybody that knows Dr. B C Mbata of Totalcare Ministries Owerri, knows him more for his large library and passion for books. In those early days I was able to read through more than seventy percent of his Christian books. How about writing? You can write tracts and books. My recent publication, The Widow’s Wish, was written in 1994. I only updated it before publishing.
I suggest that you pause and consider how much time you have now and what you can do with them. Think of hospitals you can visit, books you can write, missionaries you can back up in prayers, other ministries you can help with your strength. There is nothing wrong with you offering your services to them free of charge. In this age of GSM you can pick calls from prayer line for prayer ministries like ours. Truly your time is a great asset, use it.www.pnurnigeria.org
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