Bronx, New York – The Gates of Heaven Theological Institute sent out more workers to proclaim the “Good News” with a beautiful commencement ceremony for the Institute’s 2nd graduating class.
In his keynote address, the speaker for the occasion, Bishop Dr. Osei Kofi of Liberty Chapel International in Germany noted that the beauty of the occasion epitomizes the command our Lord asks us to do: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Dr. Osei Kofi told the graduating class that it was a privilege and honor to carry out the command and challenged them to step into their roles with dignity and passion.
“You are doing what I call the “tear to train; equip, activate and release,” he said. “You are training them, equipping them with the tools for ministry, helping them to activate the gifts in them and releasing them into ministry,” he intimated.
Invoking a passage from Mark 3:13-15, which was about the Lord’s chosen of the twelve Apostles, Dr. Osei Kofi told the graduating class that they were entering into various roles of the Lord’s ministry at a critical period in the history of the church, but was hopeful that they would meet the challenges of the work because the Spirit of the Lord was with them.
He pointed out that when Jesus calls disciples, he calls them unto Himself. “There are some people who come to the Bible school because of titles or as the means of enriching themselves, but you are called not unto your selves but unto him,” he stressed. “That means He is your Lord, He is your master, you need to submit and obey him; you need to listen to him if you want to succeed,” he added.
Dr. Osei Kofi told them that people out there would be watching them and using them as the epistles that they can read. “They may never read the bible, but would look at your lives as epistle; the churches that you minister are also going to look at you as their models and so you need to go about your duties without blemish, “he advised. He exhorted them to spend some quality time with the Lord in the word, in fellowship and in prayer so that they can learn how to better understand His word before applying it.
“Speak the oracles of the Lord. You need to be Men and Women of prayer. The Bible is the constitution of the almighty kingdom; you need to study to show yourself approved. If you want to be effective, you must study the word, know your ministry, don’t try to become what you are not,” he cautioned.
As the Minister of God handed the diplomas in various theological pursuits to the excited men and women, he told them that the real work of the Great Commission was beginning as each one of them pursues the calling that God has placed upon his or her life.
The ceremony was held at the plush halls of the Immaculate Pentecostal Church of Christ at Gunhill Road.
