What it is about Christian people who enter ministry- whether it be full-time or part-time bi-vocational pastors? What makes them think that they can speak for the Lord Most High? What gives them the courage to stand in front of others and say, “This is what God is speaking to us today.”?
There are many such questions that I have had over the years as I looked at myself. Who am I to speak on God’s behalf? What kind of person do I need to be to actually find the courage to be a spokesperson for God? Why would a desperately shy farm kid from the fields of Iowa in the United States think he could be a man who pointed people toward the Creator of Heaven and Earth? “Who am I that God would choose to use me?” echoes through my heart even yet today.
The People Who Speak on God’s Behalf
Let me tell you about some of us. Please understand, I am only speaking for myself and for some others whose stories I have heard and read. But I think that I can safely say that there are some common traits that would move someone to become a pastor.
- The first common characteristic of these people who come alongside others to show them the way of God are people who have heard the Lord say to them as clearly as he said to Ezekiel the prophet in Bible time (see http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+33%3A7&version=ESV), “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel.” Those who are faithful pastors are people who have heard the Lord calling their names ad giving them a task. You are a watchman for me. You are to warn people of what will happen if they continue in their ways of ignoring Me or serving other gods who are not true. You need to show them the way home. I, says the Lord, I give you this task. The first and foremost characteristic is the conviction that God has spoken to their hearts and they must do this even if they do not want to.
- The second common characteristic is those teach at and those who come to Christian Leaders Institute to be trained for the work of revival is that they themselves have been revived in their walk with God. It may seem like a strange thing to say, but each of us here know that God has reached deep inside of our lives and given us a heart that is alive to Jesus. We were dead, but now we are alive. Our spiritual selves had been no more than a withered dry tree, but now it is alive by the power of the Creator and Redeemer so that our lives will produce fruit for God. In the Bible we find a passage that reads, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ( see http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A1-10&version=ESV) God has made us alive in his Son Jesus. That is second to hearing his call.
- The third common characteristic is that we are people who are doing this so that the whole world may come to know God and find new life in Jesus. A man named Philip, from the country of Cameroon, who is one of our students writes this, “My hope is that through this seminary, I will acquire the knowledge that will enable me to preach the uncompromised Good News of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. This training will enable me to fulfill this calling of not just winning souls and church planting but also to build a free traditional Bible school in Africa just like CLI that will help create new leaders to expand the work of God.” The movement among the population of the world that leads people back to God is called Revival. We pray that God will use us to being revival to the millions who are still dead in their sins. That we will be used by God to speak his Word of Love in Jesus to those who need to hear the sound of God’s voice. We are people who know we are not worthy, nor are we all that articulate. But God can use our faltering words, our humble faith, and our trembling voices to miraculously reach those who God is calling from death to life.
So what is it about us who are these preachers of God’s Good News? We’re tools in the hand of a God who can make even the dead live, the sinner a saint, and the rebel into a follower of the King of Kings. That is who we are, not much in ourselves, but in Christ the workmanship of God.
There has seldom been a time in the United States when reaching the next generation for Christ was more difficult and less acceptable. We are at a point where we can no longer choose culture and Christ. We must often make the choice: culture or Christ.
This truth is seen increasingly in all major societal indicators. News writer and commentator Todd Starnes recently published an article that encompasses several recent stories about religious rights in America. These include the removal of Christian symbols from military chapels, regulations against speaking about God in the armed forces, charges against Christian bakers, photographers, and other similar occupations for asking Christians to violate their spiritual convictions and the Internal Revenue Service targeting Christian non-profit organizations involved in pro-life activities. Everywhere you look in the United States, speaking out for Christ is becoming less popular and, in some cases, criminally prosecutable.
Katherine Gloede, a student at Christian Leaders Institute, knows the importance of reaching out to the next generation. She recognizes that even in the educational system there is a constant push to choose culture over Christ. In a reflection paper in the class Sermon Construction and Presentation, she talked about her ministry to the girls in the youth group at her church.
Reaching the Next Generation for God Starts in the Church
It made my heart swell with joy when I saw the faces of these young teen girls just loving God, and wanting to be better for Him, and not just for themselves. A few of the girls that I teach had started to fall into the stereotypical high school drama that a lot of girls deal with. Between peer pressure on things like relationships, immodest dressing, drugs, and just all around discontent, I saw these girls start to fall. I know that God has bigger plans for them, so I made the point to try to cast my net, as well as I could to keep them from falling any farther.
I thought that the story of Esther would be a great topic to share with these girls. The book of Esther never mentions God, no one prays, no miracles happen, and the book is never even mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. It is as if God was on vacation during the time of Esther. The hero of the book is a Jewish young woman who hides her identity. And she’s not just any woman, but an orphaned girl who grew up to be so beautiful that the great King Xerxes chooses her as his bride!
Despite all this, Esther is instrumental in saving the Jews from certain genocide and succeeds in having all of her enemies destroyed in a bloodbath. It’s not exactly the type of story you read your kids at night. No one comes off looking good, and everyone has a hidden agenda. A story full of action, suspense, what’s not to like about the story itself. It’s a Hollywood producer’s dream!
The story of Esther seemed to be in perfect timing with everything going on around these girls. They feel like they don’t have anyone to lean on, that they are totally alone. But, just like these girls, Esther meets God, and she is totally transformed!
I know that I may not change the world just by myself, but I truly believe that I changed a few hearts and minds over those three weeks. It made it so much easier for me to write on subjects after that. So when it came time to write the first sermon in the class, I was excited for it!
Esther was a woman of faith who chose to be identified with God’s people in a time when they were under the most intense persecution. Even knowing the king’s edict that all Jews in the kingdom were to be killed, she came forward and identified herself to the king as one of the Jewish people. She could have trusted in her position as queen to deliver her from death. She likely could have been left alive in the palace while the rest of her people died throughout the kingdom. Yet, at great personal risk to herself, she believed it better to be identified with God’s people than to escape persecution for His name.
Katherine Gloede was empowered in her quest to reach the next generation as she took the class Sermon Construction and Presentation at CLI. In her reflection, she wrote:
Overall, this class really improved my public speaking skills, and made it easier for me to relate to my audience and keep them engaged on what I’m saying. Having a class within the class, on delivering the topic well, and keeping your audience involved really helped out as well. the videos that were used in order to demonstrate different preaching styles gave me pointers, but it didn’t limit me on what to say or how to say it.
If the United States’ current trend is to be reversed and religious freedom to once again exist in our society, we must inspire and motivate our young people to take a stand for Christ. Katherine understands the importance of teaching the youth in her church the importance of living for God, but each of us can have an impact on somebody for Christ. Each of us can take a stand, and teach those we know to do the same. We pray that God will turn our hearts and minds to Him, that we may stand firmly on the cross without wavering. We long for the day that the United States of America may once again be called “one nation, under God.”
Mentorship often seems to be a lost art. We send our youth to school, to church, and to various programs so they can be taught everything they need to know. With the advent of the internet, there is more information available faster today than ever before. Perhaps that’s part of the reason that mentoring young people has fallen by the wayside.
In Philadelphia, Malik Boyd sees this problem every day. He sees youth that are being shaped by the messages the media sends out. People are addicted to sex, violence, drugs, and just having a “good time.” Because the information and the messages are everywhere, even youth in the church are exposed and often swayed by the secular worldviews that prevail in society. He tells his story this way.
My name is Malik. I am currently living in Philadelphia, a city located on the Northeastern section of the United States. Ministry in my county is quite the journey. Some ministries in many other countries may consider the perils in which they face to be quite a challenge. Physical danger, having to hide in order to worship… these things clearly deserve the respect they demand as a danger. I believe however, in a country where church membership is rising, yet discipleship is waning, there lies an equal and present danger. In a nation full of options, media messaging can serve as the worst threat to Christianity. Especially with youth and those who are budding as new converts in Christ. Addressing their needs is my passion… my ministry.
Malik Realizes His Calling in Mentoring Young People
Malik didn’t fully realize his calling until several years after his young adult life. When he did experience God’s calling, he pursued it without hesitation.
I grew up in a small church in Northwest Philadelphia, attending church 4 days a week all of my childhood life. It was my first experience encountering God and corporate worship, however it was my post college years that served as my true introduction to the power of God and His ability to save. It was my “Road to Damascus” of sorts, where I found Him…and found my purpose.I am the founder of Malik Boyd Ministries, a organization that works with Christian ministry leaders and youth groups to develop life-changing mentorship programs for youth, Bible-related products, and other Christian resources for empowering the next generation of leaders. I am honored to serve as the Worship Champion for First African Baptist Church, in Philadelphia under the leadership of Pastor Terrence Griffith. Active beyond the four walls of church, I founded a program entitled MENtors, a mentoring program for at risk male youth. To date, MENtors has been successful at pairing youth with qualified, and passionate mentors, educating youth on opportunities.
Malik founded this ministry as a layman, albeit a layman who has always dreamed of preaching. As his ministry progressed, he saw the need for some more formal training in the knowledge of God’s word. This need led him to Christian Leaders Institute, and he quickly discovered that the training could be very effective.
CLI is strengthening my ability to minister with a layman’s level understanding of the Word. After my first three lessons alone, I found myself in hour long conversations with peers, and non believers, gaining more impact in my conversations about Christ through some of the suggestions and methods that CLI presented. I am convinced that CLI is great tool to help sharpen the iron of ministries across the globe.
Christian Leaders Institute is privileged to take part in mentoring young people in Philadelphia. We are privileged to have students like Malik Boyd who have a vision and calling from God to change their communities for Him. We pray that God will use this mentorship program to change the lives of young people throughout Philadelphia.
But there are many cities in the United States. There are thousands of cities in the world. Every one of those cities has young people in it, and most of those young people don’t have a mentor. In fact, most of them have probably never heard of a mentor! How great would it be if God raised up someone like Malik in every one of these cities! And just as great, every city in the modern world has some access to the internet. Soon, CLI could take part in mentoring young people in every city in the entire world for God.