The following is a response that I recently gave to a young man who
expressed a desire to become a preacher of God's Word. He wanted to know how
to get started, and this is what I shared with him. Perhaps it will be a
help to you as well:

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As you can imagine, choosing to be a preacher of God's Word is a very
important decision, and is not something which should be taken lightly.
After all, by doing so, you are choosing to represent God here on Earth, and
you are placing yourself under obligation to the people to whom you preach,
to tell them the truth, even when they may not like it, and may not want to
hear it.

In other words, as a preacher of God's Word, you must willing to share the
full counsel of God's Word, and not just the nice parts, or the
politically-correct parts. Being an evangelist can be a lonely job, as well
as a thankless job, but the Eternal rewards are great, if one remains
faithful to the calling which God has given him.

I am reminded of these words from the Apostle Paul:

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then
shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is
written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things!"
Romans 10:13-15, KJV

First of all, don't let your young age discourage you. After all, God calls
whomever He calls, whenever He calls. You may recall that the Prophet and
Judge, Samuel, was called as a young child, and that Eli told him that when
the Lord called, young Samuel was simply to say "Speak, LORD, for thy
servant heareth". You will find the full story in 1 Samuel 3.

The Prophet Jeremiah was likewise called at a young age. In the Book of
Jeremiah we find these verses:

"Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the
belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified
thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord
GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me,
Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and
whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces:
for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth
his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have
put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations
and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to
throw down, to build, and to plant."
Jeremiah 1:4-10, KJV

How to get started is an interesting question. Depending on who you ask, you
will undoubtedly get a variety of answers. Worldly preachers, priests and
pastors will undoubtedly tell you that you must first attend a Bible
seminary for at least several years, (of their particular denomination, of
course), in order to better equip yourself for the path that you have
chosen, but my personal study of the Scriptures over the years reveals
something entirely different. I suggest that you read my two articles "The
Only Credentials You Need" and "The Wisdom Of God vs The
Philosophy Of Men".
You will find both of them at the following link:

http://www.endtimeprophecy.net/EPN-1/GroupPages/grupknow.html

I cannot overemphasize the importance of faithfully studying the Scriptures.
After all, in order to give people God's answers, you must know what God's
Word says first, and you do want to strive to give people God's answers, and
not just your own, because there is power in the Word of God, as we see by
these verses:

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
2 Timothy 2:15, KJV

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
James 1:5, KJV

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart."
Hebrews 4:12, KJV

You must also decide on your venue of preaching. Do you want to be a pulpit
preacher? A street preacher? A door-to-door preacher? A prison preacher? An
online preacher?

In my case, I was a street preacher and a door-to-door preacher in several
countries for some fifteen years before I settled into my current online
ministry. So this is an important issue which you will have to address.
Exactly what kind of a ministry do you want to have?

Once you have made your choice, then basically, it is just a matter of
putting your pedal to the metal and doing it. Don't just talk about it; do
it! As James wrote:

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own
selves."
James 1:22, KJV

Whatever you choose to do, do it with humility, realizing that you too are a
sinner, no better than those to whom you are preaching. The Apostle Peter
writes:

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be
subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the
proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the
mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"
1 Peter 5:5-6, KJV

You might also want to read my article "Peter: Faith Tried In The Fire".

I hope that the above is a help to you.

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Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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