What two things do Vance Havner, Charles Spurgeon, A. W. Tozer, G. Campbell Morgan, Robert T. Ketchum, and D. L. Moody all have in common? All of them had profound national influence for Christ and a lifetime of successful Christian ministry, and none of would have qualified to be on the pastoral staff most churches because of a lack of formal education. Now there is something to think about.
Peter and John were common men who were uneducated and untrained formally, but they had the advantage of having been with Jesus. They were powerfully used to change the world for Christ.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
The Scriptures say that knowledge “puffs up.” That is a way of say that education can breed pride, which is the death of real ministry. A continual awareness of need, weakness, and pockets of ignorance have a humbling effect which can drive a person to the books, to their knees, and to God for help. A person with an education should be grateful, not proud. A person who lacks education should be a humble, life-long learner, not proud – maligning those with formal training.
If you are discouraged and wonder if you can be used of God, get to know Jesus intimately. He uses people who have been with him. Have you been with Jesus? Are you walking with Jesus? Are you enjoying fellowship with God? Education can be a good thing, but it is no substitute for having been with Jesus.
Thanks for the thoughts. This made me think of my father, soon to be 91 years old. My dad is one of the smartest men I know – and he graduated from high school at 22 years of age after starting at age 18 because he got a job driving the school bus could then get to school. My father once told me that he wanted his children to get an education but “didn’t want us to become educated fools”. I have never asked my dad if I pass his class. Take care and God bless you all.
I Corn 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
God is not the respecter of person (Rom2:11). It’s Not What you know, but Who you know, and how much you know “Him”. The Apos. Paul declared in Phil 3 ” I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” It’s interesting to me how much the church follows the world in this very thing, as though if we spend four years getting a degree in a certain field of study, it also takes 4 years to “qualify” you as being “certified” in knowing the Lord. I wonder what the quailifications of Stephen was in Acts 6&7 that “quailified” him other than being known as one who had an honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom that thrust him into the ministry and spoke as one who ” looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” Acts 7:55. This man was counted worthy to suffer death while God himself beheld the confidence and boldness of one who “knew HIM” . No formal education here to qualify him for his new ministry. Like the Apos. Paul later on in Rom. 4:21 who writes “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform”, Stephen simply trusted God and God used him. How many holy brethren are held up these days as ones “full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost” by the chruch that is looking for their “qualifications” to come from a “formal education”, instead of their display of power that comes through God himself.
NIce post dad!
woops that was me chuk
You must feel that so much more once you walk were Jesus taught!
Good Thought… The LORD will use whom HE chooses….Blessings to you on your trip. Love you dearly Ken and Lois….