Wait! Don’t move! Whether you are about to enter into ministry, are bothered about what the call of God entails or are wondering just how well you have done so far in your ministry, don’t take another step until you have read Fifteen Ps for Every Minister! It has opened my eyes, lifted my heart and deepened my walk in a way I’d never imagined!
Citing examples from the Old Testament as a shadow of the New, Ehis Agboga first establishes that every believer is a minister, but all are intended to minister in different cadres. Therefore, bearing in mind that ministry is not location, structure or recipient but rather a walk with God, every believer must strive to minister and occupy effectively until Christ returns.
Matthew 10 is the principal text from which the Fifteen Ps for Every Minister are drawn. The first set is made up of the Foundational Ps, first of which is The Pull, where we see Jesus call to Himself “those He wanted” not based on any qualification or fulfilment of a precedent. Here the author makes a point every intending minister will do well to remember; “Ministry is a high call. It is not a thing you enter into by reason of exposure or contact with those already there.” The Pull is followed by The Push, which emphasizes the sending out, noting that the point of receipt of the vision (The Pull) is not the takeoff point (The Push). Wow! Would that we would learn this and avert the dangers brought on by haste!
David and Jesus Christ are examples of ministers who received The Pull but did not venture out until the appointed time when they got The Push. Interestingly Ehis Agboga notes that “the souls you are meant to reach and affect will not die before you reach them.” How comforting to realize this and understand that God is never in a hurry and neither must His ministers. After digesting the preparation process between The Pull and The Push, we are introduced to the Operational Ps – Place, Purpose, Power, Provision, People and Precaution.
At this point I was literally dancing in my seat. The Operational Ps are loaded with simple yet deeply profound revelations; God does not send His ministers everywhere nor does He leave them groping in the dark in an attempt to find their way; If there were no task at hand, He would not pull, prepare and push you to a place. God is not interested in random activity or the unnecessary duplication of efforts; God does not pull us into His service to disgrace us. When God pulls us, He backs us up. He gives us divine enablement to succeed; the quality of your life will not reduce as a result of your entrance into ministry; God gives people as “targets”, as “supporters” and as “ministry people.”
The Storm-Oriented Ps expound on Persecution, Protection, Perseverance and Program as necessary parts of ministry life in a forthright way that does not attempt to sugar-coat stark reality yet constantly reminds every minister of God’s faithful promises.
The Reward-Linked Ps are the last set of Ps in this amazing book and they show us simply that while God does not use people only to dump them later, He also has His standards by which He tries men’s works. Pridelessness, Price and Prize are the key words every minister must keep ever before his eyes. Indeed, as the author reminds us, “All who do not take note of the caveat contained in Rev 22:12 (as regards the basis for the kind of prize each man will receive) may end up in disappointment when they get the prize for their labour in heaven.
Fifteen Ps for Every Minister is so much richer than any review can sufficiently convey, and I absolutely recommend it for every minister who will make full proof of His ministry. Buy it, study it and be astonished by the transforming power of God’s word!
I first published this review 5 years ago, on Facebook.
anafricandiva 