The Mystery of Creation: My Credentials

My Credentials

                And, now, before you go saying that I have no credentials to write a Christian book to teach anyone about Christ, I will now give you what credentials I do have.  Not only have I grown up in church, except those few years I mentioned in the Introduction, I have also been involved in ministry most of my life.  I have been in choir and worship teams, been a worship minister, a children’s minister, taught Sunday schools, been in prayer ministry, Bible studies, graduated from a leadership course at a Non-Denominational church that was once Apostolic, I have a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry and a Level 1 Certificate as a Pastor of the Assemblies of God.

                I know…I don’t have a Doctorate in Theology or anything, but I am a firm believer that God does not need a person to have a Doctorate to use them for something like this.  The Bible was not written only for scholars but also for the simplest human being.  It doesn’t matter how intelligent you are or how many degrees you have, though I am not discrediting the importance of these, the Bible was written in such a way that all can read it and can understand it. 

                However, just because everyone CAN read the Bible and understand it, that doesn’t mean that everyone DOES read the Bible and that they truly understand it.  Many bring their own beliefs into the reading and then use scripture to back up their beliefs instead of reading the scripture and letting it dictate what their beliefs are.  This is why so many denominations and incorrect teachings are out there. 

                So it is good to have individuals who do spend a great deal of time and their passionate energies to understand the scripture and to teach it to others as accurately as they can.  Though all people should read the Bible for themselves to try to know more about God, it is important for all people to have someone they know and trust that they submit themselves to who can help them better understand it.  Since it is very hard to read the Bible without letting your own emotions and opinions get in the way, it is always good to have others help you.  I learned a lot of things on my own, many through fiery trial and error.  If I had actually submitted myself to the authority of another I might have arrived much faster at many of the conclusions I now cling to.

                But then, if I had, this book would not exist.  I would have, like many others, just listened to what others teach and not really thought too hard about it.  Since I forced myself to discover everything on my own, and think through everything with very little influence from others, God opened my eyes to many things that I think most people don’t see.  Experience has taught me more than learning it from books and instructors.

                So if God can take a shepherd and make him king… and if God can take a fisherman and make him the first Pope/Pastor (or leader or whatever you want to call that first primary position in the church) of the Christian faith… He can certainly take me and use me to write this book.  May nothing but God’s own Word be in me and write through me!  Amen!