The Next Step in Your Preparation

By Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

In the last bulletin, I shared about the call to prepare for the ministry and how that a lifestyle of study is a vital part. In this bulletin, I want to address some of the paradigms I hear continually about classroom study verses non-traditional study. To the surprise of many, this discussion will not be about the overall quality of the educational process, per se. Studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Education show that there are no real differences in the educational results of traditionally trained individuals and those that receive their training non-traditionally. The only exception to this rule would be professionals such as medical doctors, etc. Such hands on professions demand residential training.

What I want to discuss are “real world” issues that deal with life in the ministry. I can speak specifically on this issue since our only purpose is to train aspirants of biblical ministry. I have had many tell me that they need “in the classroom” experience, not because they learn more, but because they need that teacher looking over their shoulder and demanding that homework be completed each week. Although all of us have had that low level of personal motivation at one time or another in our lives, it does not work well for those in the ministry. Someone that is truly going to function well in ministry must be:

• Self-Motivated
• Self-Disciplined
• Self-Determined
• Creative
• One with a sense of real dedication.
  

The list could go on and on, but you get the idea. To succeed in ministry, you must stay motivated, disciplined, be creative in your approaches and have the determination to overcome any roadblocks the devil will throw your way. These all can be developed or should I say MUST be developed to complete your education through theological education by extension (TEE) or by whatever other catch phrase they are using in non-traditional education today. You must learn to make study, discipline and creative problem solving a part of your lifestyle, if you are going to succeed in completing your educational journey. The very skills that must be developed to complete your degree will serve you just as well as the knowledge gained in the courses you take throughout your ministry.

Getting Down to the Basics

Step One – You Have Got to Schedule Time to Study.

If you have never used a daily planner, scheduled times or made to-do lists, then you have not been that involved in ministry very long. The more that you have to do, the more necessary proper planning and controlling your time becomes.

“3 Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.” Prov 24:3 TLB

Although I am not a big fan of the Living Bible, I think that they really hit the mark with this verse. If your life is going to prosper in what God has called you to do, then wise planning, common sense and keeping up to date is a divine must! Get a DayTimer, Franklin-Covey Planner, PDA – whatever you feel comfortable with and start using it. Plan at least three 90 minute sessions of uninterrupted study per week. Then begin working on keeping those appointments and making the best use of that time. You will find that the doers and shakers in the Kingdom of God, as well as in the business world, will constantly schedule everything. In my own life, I schedule times for morning prayer, morning exercise, times for study, writing and (since I love my wife and being married) special times with her each week. What you do not plan for and MAKE time for, you will seldom ever accomplish. This is a discipline that will serve you for the rest of your life and ministry.

Step Two – Integrate Study Habits into Your Lifestyle

The busier you get in life and ministry, the more you will need to redeem the time that you have for study. As I shared in the last bulletin, once you enter into ministry, you will really begin to study. All the study that you complete in your ministerial preparation is simply the foundation. If we endeavored to develop programs that would prepare you for everything you would face in ministry, you would be in seminary until the age of 70! The purpose of college and seminary is to give you the proper foundation and tools that you will need to use for the rest of your life. So here are some tips for redeeming the time:

1. Audio taped lectures. I cannot stress the power of these enough. It takes time to get the great truths of God deep within our spirit, mind and heart. I was recently listening to another Christian educator that stated for you to retain the information given in a lecture or sermon that you must listen to it at least 12 times. Now I am not saying that you must listen to every BLCS lecture that many times. For the purpose of our courses, I recommend that you listen to each message twice. The first time, just listen through it. Enjoy the teaching and get an overall sense of what is being said. The second time, slow down and take notes. Listen for the things that the Holy Spirit is emphasizing to you. You will be amazed at the revelation knowledge that can be generated in these lectures.

Get creative in your listening times. The wonderful thing about audio tapes, CD and MP3 files is that you can take them with you wherever you go. You can listen to them driving back and forth to work, exercising, doing housework, etc. This is why we have been working day and night to convert all of our lectures to the MP3 format. Devices like the iPod make this so much easier. On my iPod, I have about 1,000 of my favorite songs, around 37 audio books and at least 70 complete teachings from my favorite bible teachers and preachers. I keep it in my briefcase (which is usually within arm’s reach of me at all times) so I can pick it up and begin using it when I have a few moments. There are things that God is doing in my life and in my spirit that must be nurtured. Anointed teachings have always been one of the ways God has used. Could you have believed that you could have all the lectures from an entire college course sitting in your pocket and ready for your benefit at any time? Don’t you think its time that the people of God use these technologies for our benefit?

2. Keep a textbook and highlighters with you all the time. For a minister, books have always been of utmost importance. While Paul was in prison, he asked for his books to be brought to him. (2 Tim 4:13) An under-read minister is ill prepared for what life brings his way (or the life of his congregation). An under-read minister will have congregations that are hyped up every week, but seldom fed! So if you are called to ministry, books and reading will become a vital part of your life for the rest of your life. Might as well get into the habit now.

You should keep the textbook of the current course you are studying with you along with a set of highlighters. (My favorite highlighters are the Zazzle by Zebra. They work the best of any I have tested and a five color pack is available at Wal-Mart or Staples.) When you get a few spare moments, jump into your next chapter. Again, like with the audio lectures, read through the chapter first. Then go back over it again, highlighting important statements or information. If a statement is used by the Holy Spirit to spur another thought or idea, I will usually write it in the margin of the book. This way I can use it later.

Once you have read through the chapter twice, then go to the workbook and answer the questions asked. You will find many times that the statements you highlighted are the same statements the professor found important enough to write questions around.

Step Three – You Have Got to Have a Prayer Life

It is the power of the Holy Spirit and His anointing that will take these studies and transform your life. You have got to stay plugged into God. Every failure in ministry (or in a godly life) can be attributed to a failure in prayer. While you are scheduling time to study, listen to lectures or even time with your wife, remember to schedule time with God. That time breathes life into us and rejuvenates our spirit and soul.

A Final Thought

We get many questions about on-line studies. Although these work well for completing an MBA for the busy businessman, I am not fully convinced that it is the most conducive medium for training aspirants of ministry. Why? - for the very reasons I have already given. You need the time listening to anointed teachers to produce life transformations and divine impartations. You need time contemplating what is written in the books to stretch your heart and soul so that the Kingdom of God is increased in your life. For the minister, it is more than just the accumulation of knowledge. It is cultivating an environment for spiritual revelation and impartation. Without creating this type of spiritual atmosphere, I am afraid we will produce a generation of ministers that make ministry a business instead of a lifestyle!

A Call to Prepare for Ministrty

by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

"Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth." 2 Tim 2:15 AMP

You have felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to start or continue your education for ministry. That is one of the reasons you contacted Biblical Life College & Seminary. You know you must start working on getting that degree, whether it is an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree. You know that it is a tool that you need to take you to the next level in ministry.

I want to take a few moments to examine these words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul to Young Minister Timothy. I also want to use them to debunk some of the trends in nontraditional theological education that is not only grieving my spirit, but I believe, the Holy Spirit as well.

First, most scholars agree that 2 Timothy was the last epistle the Apostle Paul ever wrote. Some even believe that he finished it the night before he became a martyr for the sake of the Gospel. Paul was not writing this letter at the beginning of Timothy’s training for ministry. Timothy was already a graduate of Paul’s School of Theology and had ministered with Paul for years. These words serve as a reminder to Timothy (and to us) that a call to ministry is a call to a lifetime of study. I love how the Amplified Bible brings out the shades of meanings in the original Greek text. "Timothy, study, be eager to study, do your utmost in filling yourself with the Word . . ." These words were written to a man that had been mentored by the Apostle Paul. Who could have asked for a better mentor, save Jesus Himself! Yet, at the end of that mentorship, the Apostle says "be eager and do your utmost in your studies."

One of the things that we have missed in becoming so Greco-Roman minded in our Western culture is we believe that when we receive a degree we have arrived. Our words to describe those that gain graduate level degrees in ministry or theology are: scholar, master teacher, and theologian. All of these are high sounding words that place the individual above everyone else. In our Hebraic Heritage, a Jewish scholar is called a "Sage." Sage means a "master learner." When he arrives, if you will, he arrives at a place to really start learning. What a difference!
This Greco-Roman mindset has permeated education, especially nontraditional theological education. Many schools boast of not how much you will learn or how much the courses will transform your life. Rather they boast at how fast they can get their degree on your wall. It is an injustice to all true theological education AND an injustice to all the saints that have gone on before us.

The abuse of life experience credits is rampant in our industry. I do not care how long you have been in ministry, the rule of thumb is a maximum of 30 semester credit hours (SCHS) at the undergraduate level. Anything more than that is cheating you and anyone you minister to. Now, if you have written books and taught extended series (10 sessions or more), those things can be examined and additional credit can be give. There is a difference. Concrete accomplishments are measured, evaluated and converted to credits. These credits are not just looking at a resume. Let me share with you a true story to prove my point:

At BLCS, we offer LECs based on documented ministry, credits for works completed such as books and extended teaching series. We also offer an Experiential Exam. This exam is one big bad bear of an exam to take - 160 essay questions. It is designed to find out what the individual knows and doesn’t know. It also helps us fill in the educational gaps he has. About ten years ago, we had a seasoned minister that was a regional director for a small Pentecostal denomination contacted us. He wanted to complete his undergraduate degree. He presented an impressive looking resume documenting 25 years of ministry with his denomination. He had not written any books or audio taped any extended teaching series. He wanted more than just the 30 SCHS that could be given for his documented ministry. We set up a time for him to take our exam locally under the supervision of a proctor. When I scored his exam, I could not believe my eyes. Out of 160 questions, he only got two correct. He even missed "Who wrote the book of Exodus?" Which is one of the easiest questions on the exam (all lengthy exams should have a freebee or two). After reviewing everything, I designed a 110 SCH program for him. I told him that with his low score that he should not even receive the full 30 SCHS based on his resume. It would be an educational blunder on our part and an injustice to him and anyone he ministered to. I really strove to design a course of study that would enable him to have the wealth of knowledge that someone in his position should really have. I did not hear from him for about three months. One day I receive an envelope from him in the mail. Naturally, I thought it was his enrollment form. "Surely he prayed through and God placed it upon his heart to really get the education that he (and all those he was leading) needed" I thought. To my surprise, all is contained was a photocopy of his brand new Bachelor degree from a well known nontraditional seminary in Florida. As I prayed about it, the Lord reminded me of the fig tree that He had cursed. Why did He curse the fig tree? Because it was presenting itself as something it was not. This man was like a fig tree full of leaves (i.e. a degree certificate hanging on the wall), but no fruit (of a real education) in his life.

The second abuse is open book exams. Come on friends! Even in High School, closed book exams are the standard! Open book exams render the education to an Institute level – not college or seminary. I don’t care what they call the school or who they are accredited by. It is institute level training, plain and simple!

The third abuse is not requiring a Thesis at the Masters level or a Dissertation at the Doctoral level. These are standards with hundreds of years of tradition. The thesis or dissertation is the proof that you have gained the knowledge and competence to receive the degree. When someone tells me they have a doctorate degree, it is not the certificate I want to look at, it is the dissertation. I want to see and read through the documentation of what God has spoken into their lives.

Finally let me answer the question on why you do not want to speed through the process. A valid college or seminary degree should do several things:

1. It should stretch you intellectually and spiritually. Easy courses do nothing for you.

2. There should be spiritual dynamics that transform your life as you go through them. [If the education does not transform you, what are you going to use to transform others with?] This is also the reason we have developed courses with audio lectures. You can listen to them again and again to get them into your heart. That’s were the transformation will take place!

3. The education should build within you the tools you will need for a lifestyle of study and research.

The study and research does not end when you graduate. Your graduation marks a place in your life where you are really ready to begin the research of a lifetime. That’s what Paul was reminding Timothy of. That is what I want to stress. You are beginning an educational journey that will take you the rest of your life to do correctly. You need it. Everyone that you will ever minister to needs you to have it. Don’t get caught up in the worldly idea of rushing to get the degree on your wall. Why not strive to get every once of knowledge, spiritual transformation and research skills possible from the school you are going to study with. Make sure you do not just have the leaves on your tree. Instead, be sure you are loaded down with the fruits of your education.

Are You Ready for 2006?

Are You Ready for 2006?

Prov 24:3 - Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts. TLB

One of the things that we “Americans” always seem to do is to wait to the last minute for most everything. Some of us learned in High School that we could postpone studying until right before the final exam and then “cram for the exam.” Most manage to graduate – some even with good grades. (But you can’t remember a year later what you studied.) In life, the grade is not what you end up with on a “paper” final exam. It is how you respond to life. Are you really prepared for what 2006 holds?

That very statement will make you think that I am prophesying disaster in 2006. Actually I am not. I have found that God cannot really bless most people because they have not prepared themselves for that either! We are unprepared for blessing or challenge. The sad part is that leaves us in a spiritual “limbo” that causes continual discontentment. You can’t buy enough things of this world to cover up the discontent you feel in your heart. The only way to stop it is to prepare spiritually. Here are some ways:

1. Systematic Study of God’s Word

If you are called to ministry then deep, systematic study is NOT something you endure while you are trying to get a degree. You need to learn the habits of study just as much as you need to learn what are in the books and lectures! After you graduate, your need for study will actually increase. When you are in ministry, people will need for you to be informed. They will need for you to have a deep knowledge of the Word of God that can only be developed by years of study – far beyond just getting a degree.

I have found that I study more now than I ever did in college or seminary. While working 12 hour days in administrating the school plus teaching a local discipleship class (as well as having time with my family and wonderful grandchildren), I create the time to read several books a month, listen to about a dozen sermons and several audio books. Notice I said “create” the time. I have learned to become creative in redeeming my time. If I am exercising, I listen to sermons or audio books. If I have a few spare minutes waiting for something, I break out the current book I am reading. I am constantly feeding myself spiritually and intellectually because my family, my disciples and my students need me to. In fact, I need me to as well. Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2:15:

“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” AMP

This was written to Timothy, not while he was in Paul’s School of Theology, but after he had been trained and released into ministry. Paul knew for Timothy to be successful in life and ministry that a continued lifestyle of study was required.

In fact, within our Hebraic heritage, the Rabbis believed that the highest form of worship was study. Why? They knew it was not enough to just worship God by lifting their hands to Him and telling Him how much they loved Him. For them, the greatest love was expressed when they studied to find out how He wanted them to live and then to live life that way. I must say, I agree with the Rabbis of old!

2. A Systematic Prayer Life

I use the word “systematic” because I believe that we need to systematically build prayer into our lifestyle. How much do we spend time seeking the face of the Lord? Notice I said “face” in contrast to “hands.” It is through relationship that we draw spiritual strength from Him. Not in the time we are just asking Him for things. Like Brother Lawrence, we need to learn to practice the presence of God. This includes time alone with Him and purposely building a lifestyle of continual conversations with Him. There needs to be a running dialogue that becomes natural through systematic, purposeful development.

Bringing It All Together

1. If you are already a student with BLCS – pick back up your lessons, roll up your sleeves and get back to work. You need those studies deep down in your spirit. Your family needs for you to have them deep down in your spirit. Anyone that you will ever minister to needs for you to have them deep down into your spirit. That is also why we use audio lectures so much. It helps you get those truths deep down into your spirit. (Do you notice a theme here?) You can listen to them over and over again. Every year I get letters from graduates that went back to our tapes and listened to them again in times of challenge. They brought strength, encouragement and revelation for the situation.

I commission you, in Jesus name, to make study and prayer a lifestyle. May the Holy Spirit aid you in making it a high priority. Whether 2006 holds new challenges, blessings or both – you need to be ready to face them or receive them!

2. If you are looking at enrollment with BLCS – don’t believe the Devil’s lie to put it off till tomorrow. He will see to it that you will always be too busy! He wants you to believe that you do not have time to study and pray as you should. I have the anointing of God upon me right now to tell you that you don’t have time NOT to study and pray. God wants to take you to the next level. That transition is not going to just fall on you out the blue! God wants to build it into your life. God wants to work with you to make it happen. But He can’t do it if you just sit there on your hands hoping that one day it will come.

Now, I am going to tell you something that no other Seminary Presidents will ever tell you. Are you ready? If God has called you to complete your education for ministry – get the catalogs, pray through until you hear from God which school you are to study with and then ENROLL. Don’t look for a spiritual Wal-Mart that will give you the best deal or quickest way to a degree. (Schools that make the studies easy or give quick ways to get that degree on your wall are cheating you and everyone you will ever minister to!) Find the school that God wants you to study with and then do every course they will let you do! Get so deep in the Word that the Devil can’t find you any more! It’s the education and discipline that you learn while going through the process that will enable you for ministry and life. The Devil really doesn’t care what degree you have hanging on your wall, if the knowledge and discipline are not in your heart and life. Get out of the Valley of Indecision and get in the Mountain of Dedication and Commitment! It will change you and empower you for an overcoming life and ministry – in Jesus name!

Tape, CD & MP3 Set Special

Tape & CD Special

Now through the end of December, all tape, CD and MP3 CD set orders for course materials will receive 10% off and free shipping. These orders can be called in, faxed in, mailed in or placed through our on-line store.

If you are mailing or faxing in the orders, subtract 10% of the price of the tape or CD set (Books are not discounted in this special) and subtract the shipping charges.

If you are placing the order on-line, we will subtract the discount and take off shipping before we process your order. This saves us from having to reprogram an entire shopping cart.

Any other items included in the order, such as books, will be given free shipping if included with the tape or CD set order.

Orders must be received by December 31, 2005.