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After I
knew that God had called me to preach His Word, my interest in the Word of
God did increase more and more. I began to read much more the Bible, and to pray
to God much more, and every time I had an opportunity I did evangelize the
children of this age and when I was with other brothers I always spoke about
the things of God written in the Word of God. Obviously my zeal and my love
for the Word of God were clearly noticed by all those who knew me, both
believers and unbelievers. Nevertheless, I realised that in order to be able
to teach to others the doctrines written in the Bible, I had to know them
very well and to understand them correctly. My parents advised me to attend a
Bible
School
abroad, in England
or in the United
States of America, and they
were willing to pay all expenses. By talking with other brothers I understood
that their advice was that I should attend a Bible School. I must
admit that at first I thought that in order to be able to preach I had to
attend a Bible
School.
I sent a letter to two different Bible Institutes in the United States of America
and they sent me some brochures in which it was written what I had to do to
enrol at their Bible Schools, their training programmes, etc. However, I must
confess that in reading those brochures they had sent to me, I did not feel
within me the strong desire to enrol at a Bible School. Even
when I thought about enrolling in a Bible School I did not
feel that strong divine impulse I should have felt or that I was waiting for.
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As the
days went by, I was thinking of enrolling at a Bible School less and
less. As I said before, that divine impulse I was waiting for was missing within
me; this was due also to the fact that I thought that once at the Bible
School the teachers would mind more the form of things than the substance,
and to the fact that I thought - and this thought had been confirmed to me by
a brother in the Lord who was attending at the time a Bible School - that at
the Bible School there would be some recommended persons who would receive
undeserved marks, etc.
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In the
meanwhile I was studying the Scriptures, I was praying to God that He might
guide me continually, and as I had opportunity I evangelized. But I did not
know what to do. I remember, however, that besides all the voices in favour
of the Bible School, I heard a voice which was 'outside the chorus', it was
the voice of a brother who told me that many famous men of God used by God in
the preaching ministry did not attend any Bible School, and I must admit that
when I heard those words I felt a great joy in my heart. It was a strange
thing to me, but that was what happened to me. According to that voice, therefore,
I could serve God in ministry without attending seminary. Furthermore, I said
to myself: 'God is the One who called me to preach, isn't He? Therefore, He
is able to give me the wisdom I need to be able to fulfil the ministry. And
then, if God wrought this work in other persons, He can do it in me too'.
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However, I
had my doubts, I had not yet made up my mind. I must say, however, that I was
inclined not to go to the Bible
School
rather than to go for the reasons I told you before.
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The days were
going by, and I could not remain in that condition any longer, I wanted to be
sure that God really did not want me to attend a Bible School; for I
did not want to take a decision which was according to my will and not
according to the will of God. Because it's easy sometimes to mistake our will
for the will of God, and afterward we realize we have taken a wrong decision.
What did I do then? I made the following specific request to God (I made it
near the end of 1985): 'Oh, my God, if by the 31st of January you don't give
me a dream in which you show me that I must not attend a Bible School, I will
enrol in a Bible
School!'
After not a long time, before the end of January, I had a dream in which I
saw a man before me that I knew in the dream was the director of the Bible
School, that man was holding some sheets of paper which were the sheets of my
written examination which I had taken, and he was rebuking me very sharply
because of some spelling mistakes; not because of some doctrinal mistakes
(because from a doctrinal point of view my examination was absolutely
correct), but because of some spelling mistakes which were not even very
serious.
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When I
woke up, I immediately realized that God had spoken to me showing me that He
did not want me to attend a Bible School. And as a
result I did not attend any Bible School. But I
prepared myself alone by studying the Scriptures very intensively and by
praying very much.
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At first
my parents had some doubts about the fact that it was God who did not want me
to attend a Bible
School,
but with the passing of time - considering how God was working in me - they
realized that God had guided me to take that decision.
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To God who
has made me able minister of the New Covenant, be the glory now and forever.
Amen
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Giacinto
Butindaro
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