(A Story About A Man Who Tried To Follow Heavens Call For His Life)
When I was young in the 90s, when phone calls were very rare and we had to book several days at the communication centre to speak to our relatives in the diaspora, or we listened to tape recordings posted to us several weeks weeks ago, it wasn't fashionable to hear people brag and become eager to go into ministry. I remember how men of God used to look Haggard and slim because of excessive fasting and malnutrition. People didn't give much thought to the ministry and for that matter there were fewer churches.
These days ministry is fashionable, it is quiet easy for graduates to go into ministry immediately and professionals to hang their gloves when they hear heavens call for them. Some even hear nothing but jump into ministry. The reasons are simple, men of God have become very rich and flaunt their riches about for many people to see. They drive the best cars and live in the plush houses, even politicians have become jealous of them and insist they should pay taxes. Meanwhile ministry has become the building of universities and businesses.
It is in the background of this that one fine Wednesday just when I had graduated from school and was going for my national service that I felt God speak to my heart and tell me to go into the ministry. I was overjoyed because ministry is not hard these days - so I thought- and if one does it honestly the crowds and the money will flow.
Informing My Family
My father and mother were annoyed with me that I said I would preach. They said they can't remember anybody in our family lineage who preached.
My father threatened to disown me because he said I had wasted his money. My mum was sympathetic and tried to use tears to make me change my mind. My sweet girlfriend said she was disappointed in me.
"How can you say you are going to become Osofo, ehh Akwesi? After you have schooled and it is time for you to make some good money for us to enjoy like some of my friends friends do! You are terrible, I hate you!" Akua Gladys said to me amidst tears.
Well being a choleric by Nature I have thick skin and so nothing could make me change my my mind. I saw easy wealth in there and what's more I would go to heaven for my obedience. I started dreaming about becoming like the Ps Chris, TB Joshua, Apostle Suleman, Ps Otabil and many other famous Pastors in a few years to come!
Joining The Hottest Group In Town
Through a friend of mine I joined the hottest christian group in town called Apostolic Power World Changers Network (APWCN). It comprised of young ministers who had been in the ministry for sometime. Believe me, when I read the profiles and befriended some of them I envied them, raw envy! These guys were doing very well and I was sure it's only a matter of years that they start appearing on the international scene. Some had churches with about two to three hundred in membership, they had cars too. The less impressive ones had struggling fellowships and you could see it from the way they talked in meetings and prayed during our prayer meetings.
It is said that Africans are people who worship God most. The reason is not far fetched, wherever there is poverty people go to church and pray more. They pray for everything including the common water they drink. But the rich pray less and their prayers are full of thanks giving and are gentle in their prayers. But the poor man is aggressive and shouts so loud and sweats buckets of water from just one hour of prayer!
So I saw the struggling ones and promised myself in my heart never to become like them. I knew that anything closer to failure could lead to the removal of my name from my fathers Will.
There were ladies in our group I called 'the Holy Marrys'. They were for the work of God! Though some lived in other regions of the country they managed to come. The rich ones pretended they had nothing - I don't know why - and they made great contributions during our crusades. Some of them sung very well and led prayer meetings. They paid their dues and settled any rancor that showed their ugly faces in the group. These Holy Mary's were had to get even for marriage and the young pastors had to work hard to get one.
I was afraid of their prophesies because I am human and I missed it sometimes. With these ladies around all was well with the group.
In the later years I began praying for people with good hearts like that because I learned through the hard way that anointing alone cannot give one a successful ministry. Jesus for instance was sabotaged a killed by one of his own at the last moment. Incidents that happened to me which I shall tell in this story will make you know why am saying this.
I wouldn't do justice to this story if I don't talk about the ladies in the Apostolic Network who caused heart aches. These ladies were between the ages of 20 to 35 years. Some came from rich homes but some too barely survived. Surprisingly, the ladies were few in this group but were loud mouths on the network's whatsapp platform. I used to admire them and thought that all of them were there because of their ministries or call. But it wasn't so, the prevalent motivation was marriage. The men suffered 'love ambushes' from some of these pretty ladies. As a nosy person, I got to hear a lot of stories. A friend in the group described how he was ambushed by a lady 'to do something with her' without strings attached. But my friend new that if he succumbed to the temptation he would be blackmailed into a relationship and hence marriage. These are common, when you sleep with a lady and even apologize to God, she will force you with a by force relationship. If you don't give in to their ploy they would pretend to seek sympathy from other Men of God (MoGs) but the main idea is to revenge you by tarnishing your image. Something that you did secretly has now become open and most times the culprits don't know that the members have heard! Flee temptation!!
In a meeting with the network
I was privileged to be chosen as one of the leaders of this network. I was the chief Usher although my job description was that of an organizer.
To be continued......
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Clausotoo@hotmail.com
054 289 1761
thanks for reading Claus.
