GOD WILL PERSONALLY TRAIN HIS SERVANTS
11 BUT I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT FROM MAN, NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT IT CAME THROUGH THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus."
Galatians 1:11-17 (NKJV)
• God is the only one who understands His plans for your life.
- There is a Time of silence, when it seems God is not saying anything, in the ministry work. At such a time, your patience would be tried—tested.
- At the time of silence, you may be tempted to leave or quit the work; If you did not have the understanding of times and seasons: "OF the sons of Issachar who HAD UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DO, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command" (1 Chronicles 12:32 NKJV).
• God will train you. Although, it does not mean the inputs and contributions of others would not be needed in your life.
- He will check or try your motives in the work. He would want to know what was in your heart.
- The hearts of the people around you would also be proven. Who are your friends? The truth is, a number of those who paraded themselves as your friends, Are not true friends.
- If you made progress, it will provoke envy. Whoever is not happy with your success or progress, is not a true friend. Such a person is not a friend to relate with!
- If you relate with the wrong people, it will hinder or slow down the move of God in your life and Ministry.
- Friendship is by choice not by force. And, in relating with people, do not be sentimental about it! Whoever God would not want you to relate with, should not be allowed in your life.
- Part of the training for a servant of God is that God would personally choose friends and the people to relate with—for him or her:
"ADULTERERS and adulteresses! DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4 NKJV).
"DO not be deceived: “EVIL COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD HABITS."
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NKJV)
- The people you allowed in your life matter. You should not just allow anyone in your life!
- Note: there are those who claimed to be born-again, or even ministers, that you should not relate with.
NOT on the basis of hatred, but the fact is, if you did relate with them, you may not get to where God is taking you. - In the training of whoever God wants to use, He would allow the person to be separated from the crowd, for thorough dealings (2 Corinthians 6:17,18).
- God does not pamper His beloved servants. He would allow sufferings, challenges, and pains, in training whoever He wanted to use (2 Timothy 2:3; 3:10-12; 4:5).
• The way it is now, that the ministry work has glamours; and some have come into the work because of the glamours and the honours in it.
- Even with all the honour, glory, glamour, or whatever, you will still be allowed to pass through something, to get to where God is taking you; If you are truly called of Him (Acts 9:15,16; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
- Pay attention to what God is doing in your life. Money is not everything. What matter most is your fellowship or walk with God. When you missed God, everything will come to a standstill in your life.
- The truth is, If you do not allow God to train you, you would be stagnant in the work assigned you; it is a matter of time.
- A number of those who are stagnant in the ministry work are mostly those who refused to be taught and trained by God. Those who dodged the dealings of God in their lives.
- Allow God to have His way in your life, that you may be what He wanted you to be. Remember, you can only be what He wanted you to be, when you do what He wanted you to do.
- God's training takes various forms.
(i) He trains and tests on character, faithfulness, obedience, and every other area of life.
(ii) And He promotes when His tests are passed by the person being taught and trained.
• God promotes and lifts. God is just, He will not deny you if you did pass His tests that are brought your way (Hebrews 6:10).
- Many wanted to please Men:
"FOR do I now persuade men, or God? OR DO I SEEK TO PLEASE MEN? FOR IF I STILL PLEASED MEN, I WOULD NOT BE A BONDSERVANT OF CHRIST" (Galatians 1:10 NKJV), - But they have forgotten that promotion comes from God, and Him alone:
6-7 FOR PROMOTION and POWER come from nowhere on earth, BUT ONLY FROM GOD. HE PROMOTES ONE AND DEPOSES ANOTHER" (Psalm 75:6,7 the Living Bible). - If a man promoted you but God did not, you will eventually come down, it is a matter of time.
- However, if God did promote you, lifted you up, no one can demote or depose you.
- Wait patiently and follow God through, in whatever He intended to do in your life and Ministry.
- When God approved, no one can disapproved.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Whatever in your body which is not planted by God, such is uprooted now in Jesus' name.
- As from now on, you will live in perfect health in Jesus' name.
Peace!