By Apostle Dr. Joshua Afolabi (JP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2 Timothy 2:15; Habakkuk 2:2; Acts 4:31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n God does not call ministers merely to carry an anointing; He calls them to carry a message. And a message that must transform lives requires more than spiritual passion. It requires knowledge, understanding, preparation and the ability to communicate divine truth effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are ministers who pray well but cannot explain what they believe. There are those who have powerful experiences with God but cannot document what He has taught them. There are others who have knowledge but lack the courage and wisdom to communicate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The minister God desires for this generation must develop both spirit and mind<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must read deeply, write intentionally and speak boldly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The anointing is essential, but the anointing does not excuse ignorance. Spirituality should not be an enemy of intellectual development. Rather, the Holy Spirit should inspire us to become better students of God’s Word, better thinkers, better writers and better communicators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul told Timothy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStudy to shew thyself approved unto God…\u201d \u2014 2 Timothy 2:15<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This is a divine command to every minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A minister who refuses to read eventually becomes limited to what he already knows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading enlarges your understanding. It exposes you to perspectives, experiences, history, theology, leadership principles and the lessons of those who have gone before you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bible must remain the foundation of every minister’s reading life. We must read the Scriptures prayerfully, carefully and consistently. But beyond the Scriptures, there is value in reading sound Christian literature, biographies, history, leadership materials and other books that sharpen our understanding of the world in which we minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus Himself demonstrated intellectual engagement. At twelve years old, He was found among teachers, listening to them and asking questions (Luke 2:46\u201347).<\/p>\n\n\n\n A minister must never become too senior to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moment you stop learning, you start becoming obsolete.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The pulpit is not a place to display ignorance. God’s people deserve ministers who have wrestled with Scripture, studied their subjects and prepared themselves before standing before them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the Bible for revelation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read books for understanding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read history for perspective<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read biographies for inspiration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read widely enough to understand the generation you are called to reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A minister who reads only to preach will eventually have nothing fresh to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read not merely to preach; read to grow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Habakkuk 2:2 says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWrite the vision, and make it plain…\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n There are revelations that God gives you which are not meant to end with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sermon idea that came during prayer\u2014write it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That insight from Scripture\u2014write it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That testimony of God’s faithfulness\u2014write it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That burden God placed on your heart for your generation\u2014write it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That message that transformed your life\u2014write it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Revelation that is not documented can easily be forgotten.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing gives permanence to what God has placed in your heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many ministers have died with books inside them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many have carried sermons that could have transformed generations but never documented them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many have received prophetic insights, theological understanding and practical wisdom but allowed them to disappear because they never took time to write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not allow your experiences with God to die with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your notebook may become somebody else’s manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your sermon notes may become somebody else’s book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your testimony may become somebody else’s encouragement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your article may answer somebody’s question years after you have left this earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Never underestimate the power of the written word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul wrote letters from difficult circumstances, and centuries later, believers are still being transformed by them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The prophets wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The apostles wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because they understood that writing can carry a message beyond the lifetime of the messenger.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If God has given you something, document it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t just experience revelation; preserve it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Acts 4:31 says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…they spake the word of God with boldness.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n A minister must learn to communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is possible to have a genuine message and communicate it poorly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is possible to have revelation and confuse the people who need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is possible to know Scripture and fail to make Scripture understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The preacher is not called merely to impress people with vocabulary. He is called to make truth understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus spoke in a way that ordinary people could understand. He used stories, illustrations, questions, comparisons and everyday experiences to communicate eternal truths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good minister must therefore develop the ability to speak with clarity, wisdom, conviction and courage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is not to sound intelligent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is to make God’s truth understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The early disciples prayed for boldness, and the Bible says that after they prayed, they spoke the Word of God with boldness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boldness does not mean arrogance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boldness means having the courage to say what God has instructed you to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There will be times when the truth is unpopular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There will be times when the message challenges culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There will be times when speaking the truth may cost you relationships, opportunities or applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the minister must remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are called to please God before we please people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading, writing and speaking should not be treated as three unrelated activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They form a powerful ministry cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You read to learn.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You write to preserve.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You speak to impart.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading fills the mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing organizes the mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking releases what is in the mind and spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A minister who reads but never writes may lose valuable insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A minister who writes but never speaks may fail to communicate his message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A minister who speaks without reading may eventually repeat himself or spread shallow understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t skim everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compare Scripture with Scripture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t write merely to fill pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write what matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write what you have learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write what you have experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write what you believe God wants your generation to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t hide the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t apologize for biblical truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t dilute God’s Word simply to gain applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speak with grace, but speak with conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is sometimes a dangerous misconception that spiritual people do not need intellectual development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is not biblical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God gave us a mind, and He expects us to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus said we should love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind<\/strong> (Mark 12:30).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul prayed that believers would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is not to become intellectual without spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither is the goal to become spiritual while remaining intellectually lazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need both fire and understanding.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We need prayer and study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need revelation and research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need the Holy Spirit and disciplined preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need an anointed heart and a trained mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church does not need ministers who are merely loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It needs ministers who are deep.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It needs ministers who can rightly divide the Word, understand the times, answer difficult questions and communicate God’s truth to a changing generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anointing is not a substitute for preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prayer is not a substitute for study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fasting is not a substitute for thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spiritual gifts are not substitutes for character and discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are called to ministry, prepare yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If God has given you a platform, prepare for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If God has given you a message, study it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If God has given you a congregation, respect them enough to prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul told Timothy to give attention to reading, exhortation and doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is the picture of a disciplined minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The minister should not come to the pulpit saying, \u201cThe Holy Spirit will give me something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, the Holy Spirit can give you what to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the same Holy Spirit can also lead you to study for hours before you preach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preparation is not a lack of faith; preparation is stewardship.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One day, every minister will leave the pulpit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What will remain after you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Will people remember only that you preached loudly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or will your teachings continue to instruct generations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will your wisdom disappear when you die?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or will your writings continue speaking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will your sermons be forgotten?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or will you leave behind books, articles, teachings and materials that continue to point people to Christ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A minister should think beyond today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about the people who will never meet you physically but may encounter your teachings through your writings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your voice may reach thousands today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your book may reach millions tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t build only a ministry; build a legacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n God is raising ministers who will combine spiritual depth with intellectual excellence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ministers who will pray deeply, study seriously, write deliberately and speak courageously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world does not merely need more voices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It needs voices carrying truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It does not merely need more preachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It needs prepared messengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It does not merely need people with anointing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It needs people who know what to do with the anointing God has entrusted to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, ministers of the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n BE A READER.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read good books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the lives of those who have gone before you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BE A WRITER.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Document your revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Record your lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write your testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preserve what God is teaching you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BE A SPEAKER.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Declare the Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach with clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speak with wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preach with conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And above all, allow your life to agree with your message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read deeply. The anointed minister must not only carry the fire of the Spirit; he must also carry the knowledge required to steward that fire for the glory of God.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Father, in the name of Jesus, make me a disciplined minister. Give me hunger for Your Word, wisdom to understand it, grace to document what You teach me, and boldness to communicate Your truth. Deliver me from spiritual and intellectual laziness. Help me to develop my mind as I develop my spirit. Let everything You place in me become a blessing to this generation and generations yet unborn. May my voice carry truth, my writings carry wisdom, and my life carry Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Apostle Dr. Joshua Afolabi (JP)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" READ, WRITE, SPEAK: THE MAKING OF MINISTERS By Apostle Dr. Joshua Afolabi (JP) Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 2:15; Habakkuk 2:2; Acts 4:31 Introduction God does not call ministers merely to carry an anointing; He calls them to carry a message. And a message that must transform lives requires more than spiritual passion. It requires knowledge, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-article"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5365"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5367,"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5365\/revisions\/5367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianbenefitsmagazine.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Introduction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
1. BE A READER \u2014 DEVELOP YOUR MIND<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What should you read?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. BE A WRITER \u2014 DOCUMENT YOUR REVELATION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Writing is a ministry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. BE A SPEAKER \u2014 LEARN TO COMMUNICATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Speak with boldness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. THE THREE MUST WORK TOGETHER<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Read deeply.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Write intentionally.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Speak boldly.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. DEVELOP YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR MIND<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. DON’T LET THE ANOINTING BECOME AN EXCUSE FOR LAZINESS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. BUILD A LEGACY THAT OUTLIVES YOU<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Write intentionally.
Speak boldly.
Live faithfully.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPrayer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n