Degree of Ministry

The True Calling on your life

In knowing your calling, and understanding the will of God in your life, one must be strong and
able to be obedient to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. NLCOM & UECA Family is truly
dedicated in developing, sharing, teaching and empowering all those who has heard the calling of
being a minister of God... We strive to teach the very best in spiritual education, and pastor
counseling, so each individual is able to be effective in their calling, as well as be a major source to
those who are in need.

It takes more to be a minister of God, then just receiving a piece of paper, and being appointed as a
minister. It takes the anointing of the Father, the blood  of Jesus, and blessing of the Holy Spirit, to
lead you and grant you the power and wisdom to all you can by the will of God, and not by your
own will to be a strong and passionate leader in Christ. Not everyone who is called to lead will
function properly as a leader if they don't allow the Father, lead them first.

In stating that, that is why we teach our entire minister to go first in pray before they make any
type of major decisions. To call upon the Holy Spirit to understand the next avenue in their life they
must walk, and to trust in the Lord when they need to build upon the rock God has place before
them.

Step #1
“A good minister of Christ Jesus” will teach sound doctrine.

This is the first thing Paul mentions (1 Timothy 1:3), and compare 1 Timothy 4:1 and 4:6. Serious
heresy was endangering the Church at Ephesus, and Paul told Timothy to stay at his place of duty
and warn and instruct the members of the Church in the pure doctrine of the gospel. “A good
minister” will do this, especially when he recognizes that he is living and laboring for the Lord “in
later times”, when many have departed from the faith and when there are “deceiving spirits” on
every hand and many are teaching “things taught by demons”. “A good minister” will nourish his
soul in the truth of God’s Word, so that he is able to instruct others. We must recognize that we are
living in the times of great apostasy of which the Apostle wrote, of which Jesus spoke in Mark
13:22, and to which we have references in 1 John 4:6 and Revelation 13:11. On every hand today
we are faced with liberalism and teaching that is not true to God’s Word. “A good minister” will
study the scriptures; he will become immersed in the great doctrines of the faith, to which he will
hold tenaciously and which he will teach constantly, as Paul did (Acts 20:26-31).
Step #2
“A good minister of Christ Jesus” is engaged in spiritual warfare.

Read 1 Timothy 1:18-19, and compare 1 Timothy 6:12 and 2 Timothy 4:7. Paul speaks to Timothy
as a commanding officer would speak to one of his officers. Timothy must be prepared to fight. A
minister in particular is involved in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-20), and he needs the
qualities of a soldier if he is to be victorious. To get to know all the schemes and tactics of the Devil
one has only to take a position of leadership in a local Church or on a mission board. Why is this?
Satan is a powerful foe and he is doing his utmost to disrupt the work of God. If a minister is to
combat the Enemy successfully, two weapons are needed – see verse 19 of 1 Timothy 1. They are:
(1) faith, which means a firm, deep trust in God and in what He is doing, that He will have the last
word, and that ultimately He will overthrow all the power of the Devil; and (2) a good conscience,
that is, a conscience void of offence (Acts 24:16). A good minister must practice what he preaches.

Step #3
“A good minister of Christ Jesus” will set an example to others.

This is mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:12. Some people might think that Timothy was too young to be a
minister, but Timothy could silence all criticism by his Christ-like conduct. The first duty of a
minister is not to preach, to teach, to visit or to comfort, but it is to display in his own life the truth
he believes and teaches. This is what Paul meant in 1 Timothy 4:12 and he mentions five areas
where a minister is to be an example to others.

Step #4
“A good minister of Christ Jesus” will devote himself to study.

In 1 Timothy 4:13-16 the reference is to the public reading of Scripture and to preaching and
teaching – compare Luke 4:16; Acts 13:15; 2 Corinthians 3:14; and also Nehemiah 8:3-4. A
minister, however, must be faithful in his private reading and devotions before ever he appears in
public. He must be diligent (verse 13); he must not be neglectful (verse 14); he must be
wholehearted (verse 15); and above all he must watch himself (verse 16), which means that he
must take great care of his inner life. How important it is for ministers to be conscientious in their
study and preparation for their work, in the discharge of all their responsibilities, and above all in
the matter of prayer and the cultivation of a close walk with God!

Step #5
“A good minister of Christ Jesus” will be careful about his relationships with the
opposite sex.
This is a delicate matter, but it is brought before us in 1 Timothy 5:11-13. Sadly, for want of care in
this area many of God’s servants have ruined their ministry! In this chapter the Apostle speaks
most graciously of the women-folk – the young, the old and the widows; but he warns Timothy
about some women who are a great danger, not only to a Church as a whole, but to the minister in
particular. However, it is not always the fault of the women when a minister gets involved in
some situation that dishonors the Lord, for some Christian men are careless and even reckless. Let
us remember that in all our relationships we are to act and speak as Christ Himself would act and
speak.

Step #6
“A good minister of Christ Jesus” will take care of his body.

We see this in 1 Timothy 5:23. It is important to notice that the Apostle recommends a “little” wine
and he also says, “use a little”. He is obviously speaking of wine as a medicine, and, as one
commentator says, “Paul gives Timothy a dietetic prescription for a weak digestion.” Every
minister and every Christian should have very settled views and habits with regard to strong
drink, but the point we are stressing here is that Paul was very concerned that Timothy should
take care of his body. It is a solemn duty for Christians to do this (1 Corinthians 6:19). We cannot
do our best work if we are overtired and nervy. We must have regular habits of eating, sleeping
and of taking exercise and recreation, and we must try to take time off, or we shall break one of
God’s commandments. Resist the temptation to burn the candle at both ends.

Step # 7
“A good minister of Christ Jesus” will live and work in the light of the Judgment Seat
of Christ.

We see this in 1 Timothy 6:13-14. As he lives and serves, he will remember that one day he must
give an account to his Lord of the way he has lived, and he will then “receive his reward”, or he
will “suffer loss” – look up 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, and compare 2 Timothy 4:8.