There’s a strange notion goin’ about nowdays about the highest callin’ in the world, the call to preach. This callin’ is sacred and it comes from God and not man…..or woman and it ain’t for women either, but that’s another rant. This “profession” as some would call it is unlike anything else in the world. It’s hard to define and no one really understands it except the man who has been called. Plain and simple, God calls men to preach His glorious gospel and man should never forget that it’s God’s gospel and God calls whoever he wants to, not based on talent, pedigree or intellect, but by his sovereign will. He may not always call the qualified, but He qualifies the called by virtue of the calling. God has called many a man to preach that didn’t meet worldly standards, and then God used them in a mighty way. Only God can take a crooked stick and draw a straight line with it.

This call is usually explainified as a burden or a heaviness of heart to get the message of God to people. God puts the burden in the man and when God puts it in, brother it’s got to come out. Jeremiah must have been a Baptist preacher, cause he preached his heart out, nobody listened to him and he got discouraged. He finally said that he would not speak in His name anymore, but the fire God put inside his heart got a hold of him. Jeremiah said, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” Jer. 20:9.

Sometimes good intentioned folks look at a nice young man and tell him he ought to “go into the ministry” like it’s actually his choice. Nobody needs to “go into the ministry.” Men who are called of God need to submit to the calling and will of God to preach the word of God as it is, to men as they are today. The next time you hear someone say that some man ought to go into the ministry, tell them, with charity, to stay out of God’s business. Some preacher’s sons sometimes think they should follow in Papa’s footsteps and they start preaching and Mama approves it, therefore they are Papa called and Mama sent. Any man in the pulpit who is not called of God needs to quit and go make an honest livin’ doing else.

My advice to any man who thinks he is called of God to preach is: don’t, unless you can’t help it. If God puts some preach in a man, it will come out. The fire will burn inside until the man just can’t contain it. If a man can keep from preaching and still be happy, then He wasn’t called. And we don’t need any more uncalled preachers. But woe unto the man God calls if he preach not the gospel.

Joseph Harris, has been a college professor and pastor since 1987 and his writings have appeared in Mississippi Baptist, WND, Sword of the Lord, Intellectual Conservative, Conservative Daily News, Canada Free Press, Land of the Free, News America Daily, and the European Union Times. The writings of Joseph Harris are based on his beliefs and views and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs and views of anyone or any institution with which he is connected.

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