Ok, you say, what are the words? Well, they are “let it rain.” So what is wrong with that you ask? In a nutshell, it is asking God to pour out something he has already done, IMHO.  During my spiritual growing up, we would excitedly sing songs like “Send It On Down” or “Holy Spirit Rain Down,” expecting some “move of God” if you will during our services. This idea seems to be common in christian music.  A basic search of Christian Lyrics.com gives us a list of songs like “Let It Rain, Let Your Mercy Rain, Healing Rain, Rain Down, Rain Song, Rain Down On Me” and many others.

What struck me about these type of songs is that not only are we asking God for something he has already done, I believe the underlying mindset is that we needs something else from God to “fall down” on us to motivate, inspire or complete us. In short, we are STILL WAITING for God to DO something else!

If we are born again, we have the spirit of Christ in us: He is complete and we are complete in Him. He said he needed to go away, that he might return to be in us. It is His spirit that should guide us. Speaking of the Spirit, Jesus said “out of your bellies” would flow this river of living water.   I believe what we should be focusing on is dying to self and allowing His spirit in us to begin to manifest through us, not wait for some external zap to motivate me to action.

So what do you think? Am I off base, making something out of nothing? Or do you agree?

Ok, back to my regularly scheduled writing!

My thoughts today are a further elaboration on the affects of the Spirit. God is always “on mission,” if you will, to reconcile and restore individuals to a kingdom relationship. He is constantly at work in the lives of individuals: some are aware, many are not. As His spirit touches their lives, there are manifested effects. The challenge is: there may not be someone spiritually sensitive around who can recognize what is happening.

This was the case on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. The spirit baptized 120 or so in the upper room and there was a demonstrated affect. Other Jews in the area heard and saw this but they did not understand what was happening. It was by the message of Peter that explained it was “the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. ” vs 33.  My point, it took someone who was aware of what God was doing to explain it in a way that made sense.

In our routine of life, we encounter people who God is passionately reaching for. His spirit is working and affecting them in various ways. It is up to His kingdom representatives to be in tune with him and recognize the spirits effects SO we can explain them and further express His love to them.

Food for thought: How sensitive am I to what others are going through around me? Can I stop and seek if it is the affects of the Spirit in their lives?

Think of a speech that inspired you: what did it do? It stirred you, provoked your emotions and prompted some action or change of opinions. One of histories greatest orators was Winston Churchill: his words literally moved a nation to action. June 18, 1940, upon the eve of impending war with Germany, Churchill, the newly elected prime minister addressed the House of Commons in what has become known as “The Finest Hour” speech. The powerful, provoking closing follows:

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’” Modern History Sourcebook: Winston Churchill: “Their Finest Hour”

In this speech Churchill was able to provoke: stir the emotions and stimulate to action, the government and people of Britain. And we know the “rest of the story.”

Jesus was truly the master orator, teaching with an authority no one else could match. His message of Good News was not palliative, but provoking! On numerous occasions, He provoked the religious system of the day. He stirred the emotions of the Pharisees, stimulating them to action – unfortunately, not to change.

At other times, Jesus’ message provoked individuals to transform their lives. His words were concise statements of challenge to change their thinking and act.

• To those He called – follow me. Implying, leave where you are – now!
• To those who wanted to follow – go, sell, give, leave!

His words were a constant challenge to die to self and live for others.

The goal of the Gospel message is not just about our eternal destination: it is to provoke us to action! The Gospel challenges us to think about our life: initially AND continually. It is to constantly provoke me to think about: the idols of my life, my attitudes, my self-centeredness, my motives, my service, my commitment to Him and others.

The goal of the Gospel is to provoke me to allow it to change me!

Food for thought ~ how does the Gospel provoke you?

PS: if this post provokes you ~ tell us and others. Leave a comment and tell a friend below. Please pass it on. Thanks~

A quick glance at some of the facts about ambassadors will give us some insights regarding how we are to live as representatives of our King. According to Merriam Webster, an ambassador is defined as: “an official envoy; especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign; an authorized representative or messenger.” (Merriam Webster)

From this, we could say, an ambassador is an official representative, sent to a particular nation or culture to speak with authority for the sovereign. As I will reveal, the same applies to you and I as Kingdom representatives.

Ambassadors Are Sent Representatives

While the ambassador’s citizenship is in one country, most live outside of their home nations as sent representatives to another country. This is crucial to their responsibilities; it is by living in the culture they are sent to, that they gain an understanding of the cultural story. This increases their ability to communicate their government’s messages in a context that will be understood.

As Jesus representatives, we are sent to the micro-cultures of our world. In John 17:18, He tells us “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (ESV).  This is our commissioning: just as Jesus was sent to this world, we have been authorized and sent. (For more info about being sent see “What Is Apostolic.”) In this sending, Jesus came to earth, walking among the confused and hurting masses of mankind. He lived and ministered in the midst of those who needed him the most. In fact, He was so involved with the outcast and marginalized that the religious called him a drunkard, glutton and a friend of sinners!

As his representatives or ambassadors, it is our responsibility to GO; we are to get involved in the lives of those we are sent TO. We cannot wait within the confines of our religious boxes for them to come to us. Further, it is this involvement that will allow us to grasp the story of our cultures and present to them our Kings message of good news in a contextually relevant way.

Ambassadors Represent Their Sovereign

In our modern world, it is understood that an ambassador is the representative of the government that sent them. This was not always the case. In the early European model, the ambassador “was historically deemed the personal representative of the Sovereign, and the custom of dispatching ambassadors to the head of state rather than the government.“ (Wikipedia) In short, the ambassador was the personal representative of the king, not a governmental organization.

For the Kingdom representative, or ambassador, this is a crucial point of faith: we are the personal representatives of Jesus Christ! We are not representatives of an organization, denomination or particular flavor of church: we are His representatives! This is important for us to grasp for two reasons.

First, It is His person we are to declare! I am not trying to convert anyone to a particular group or religion: I am trying to get them to become like Jesus ~ Kingdom discipleship!

Second, It is His power we are authorized to use for HIS purpose! There is no denomination or organization that has the power to perform the miraculous: only our King Jesus!

Ambassadors Are Authorized To Speak With Authority

As the sent representative, the ambassador is authorized to speak the mind or will of the sovereign. This empowerment is called  plenipotentiary authority. Wikipedia says  “The word plenipotentiary (from the Latin, plenus + potens, full + power) ….it refers to a person who has “full powers.” In particular, the term commonly refers to a diplomat fully authorized to represent his government.” (Wikipedia) When the ambassador declared the message they were sent to deliver, it is as if their sovereign was present and speaking for themselves.

Being sent and going as the personal representative of our King authorizes us to speak with authority for Him. Just as the man Jesus spoke what was revealed to him; our job is to declare what is revealed to us.  This means that we must have an intimate relationship with our Sovereign. This goes beyond church attendance, program involvement, routine prayer and bible reading to learn about him; but coming to a place we know him. It is spending time with Him in such a way that his thoughts, will and desires become mine! It is from this place we will be authorized to declare His will and the result will be a demonstration of his miraculous power. (Space truly prohibits elaborating on speaking with authority. For more info, visit chapter 5 of our book Apostolic Authority, Every Believer’s Privilege.)

Summary

To summarize, we are the sent representatives (ambassadors) of the Kingdom. We have been sent to individually unique cultures as personal representatives of our King, Jesus. It is our privilege and responsibility to speak, with full authority, declaring His will to this world.  When we do so, we can expect the miraculous demonstration of the power of His Kingdom!

In regards to our spiritual lives and being the body of Christ (church) there are major strongholds that have kept us from demonstrating the power of Jesus and his kingdom. The following is from our upcoming book: Living In Kingdom Authority and it presents what I believe is one of the major strongholds that the North American church has to deal with ~ religious tradition.

The scripture is clear about the authority that has been given to the church and to each believer. The Word has promised that believers would do greater works than those Jesus himself performed. Reviewing the early church, it is clearly seen that the apostles walked in a miracle producing authority. They performed the miraculous, and the Lord confirmed their preaching by signs and wonders. The Lord has further promised believers that we would receive power after His Spirit came upon us, and there would be miraculous signs that follow those that believe. This miraculous demonstration of Kingdom authority in the daily lives of the first believers was so powerful and convincing that cities were stirred to riots because of its affect, and a reverential fear or awe of God was produced with many souls being converted.

However, upon examining 21st century Christianity, it is apparent most churches are weak and anemic. There is little power evident in the daily lives of most of those calling themselves Christians. The “greater works” are not evident today as in the days of the first church. In the Christianity of today, we find that many of man’s ideas have become a hindrance to the operation of the Spirit, limiting the church’s ability to operate in Kingdom authority. Jesus said, “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men,” (Mark 7:7-8). Jesus further spoke of the result of holding the traditions of man in verse 13, “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered:” According to Thayer’s “Making of none effect” is one word and it means “deprive of force and authority.”

The greatest hindrance to Kingdom authority that is faced in this day and age is the tradition of men and the resulting structure of traditional churches. Traditions create a biased paradigm that is used to filter scripture. This tainted view of scripture affects the faith of the individual and their ability to walk in Kingdom authority. Centuries of man’s tradition have created an organization that is far from the original church of sent (apostolic) believers.

Traditions can be a blessing or a curse. Many times traditions are a good reminder of who we are, of our heritage or identity. Paul speaking to the church at Thessalonica instructed them to: “stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). There are traditions that can be passed from one generation to another that can insure a continuation of purpose and being. This is obvious in the history of the Jewish nation. For many years, prior to 1948, they were a homeless people, yet they maintained their identity as a people.

However, there are times when traditions create a filter that colors how we view information or experiences of life. This way of seeing things becomes rigid and inflexible, causing a rejection of anything that does not blend with our traditional views. The traditions we are speaking of here are ONLY those that are of man’s creation that HINDER the divine plan of God. In the New Testament, the Greek word translated as tradition or traditions is used thirteen times; only twice is it used in a positive manner.

Traditions can become strongholds of arguments, rationalizations or pretense that we use to justify a particular pattern of beliefs. Such statements as: “this is the way we’ve always done it,” “if it was good enough for my parents, its good enough for me” or “we must maintain the old landmarks” all exhibit a tendency for maintaining strongholds. The problem with this thought process is that it can hinder the move of the Spirit of God. Jesus came to the religious leaders of Israel declaring by word and ministry who He was – the Messiah. Yet because of their religious traditions, the Pharisees missed Him.

Traditional Churches

The greatest hindrance to living in Kingdom authority and the church becoming truly apostolic (sent) is the battle we face with tradition. The traditional church is not necessarily one that has a specific distinguishable liturgical form or style. It is a church that operates with a particular man-made concept or intent of ministry that has been passed down, unquestioned, from generation to generation. Some traditions of church life have been passed on for centuries.

The full effect of how tradition can bind a church is revealed when the very word tradition is defined, both scripturally and secularly. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database, the Greek word translated tradition is paradosis, (Strong #3862).

• It is defined as: “a giving over, giving up. 1. the act of giving up, the surrender: 2. a giving over which is done by word of mouth or in writing.”

• According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary; tradition’s etymology is Middle English tradicioun, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French tradition, from Latin tradition-, tradition and is the action of handing over. It is from the same root word as treason. (emphasis added)

• Once again, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary; the etymology of treason is Middle English tresoun, from Old French traison, from Latin tradition-, traditio act of handing over, from tradere to hand over, betray. (emphasis added)

It should be a shocking revelation to us that tradition and treason have the same etymology. They mean a handing over of something. So we see the significance of tradition is that it can be considered treason of beliefs or values that were once held by individuals or a group. In respect to the traditional church, we see that there has been a surrendering, a giving up or handing over of the power of God, as demonstrated through Kingdom authority. This treasonous act has been a replacing of the commandments and power of God for the traditions of men. This is truly making the commands of God none affect.

Digging a little deeper, we find that paradosis (tradition) is derived from paradidomi which has significant meanings for our discussion. According to Strong’s it means, “to surrender.” Thayer’s states it is “to give over: properly, to give into the hands (of another) to give over into (one’s) power or use: to deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage.” The basic idea conveyed here is to surrender or to give over to the power of another. It is used 121 times in the New Testament and only 19 are used in a positive context.

Paul warns the church at Colossi of the potential dangers traditions have to spoil or enslave: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition (paradosis) of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). The International Standard Version puts it this way:” See to it that no one enslaves you through philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition.” The danger of man’s religious traditions is they hold us captive or enslave us when they are held above the commandments of God.

The religious traditions of men create illusionary strongholds: affecting how we view ourselves and the body of Christ.  They have created a stronghold that limits the power of God by attempting to place it within the confines of our traditional structures. This, in my opinion, has become one of the greatest challenge to demonstrating Kingdom authority. In an upcoming post, I plan is to speak specifically regarding some of these religious traditions.

Have you ever thought about thinking? Kind of a funny question I guess. But think for a minute about the power of thoughts. They are creative: every new invention started with a thought. They can be challenging, many even revolutionary: the USA started with a thought. On an individual basis, our thoughts create for us our realities – or at least a perceived reality. It is from this reality, our behavior or actions are derived. We cannot consistently act different from our beliefs.

The power of thought is revealed in the creation process. We understand that the Word of God created the world. The deeper meaning is that the Greek for word in the text is logos, and it means more than the spoken word, but the entire thought behind it. In essence, regarding God, every word is already completed in his mind before it is spoken. In God’s case, his thoughts are true reality and his actions are an expression of this reality.

Exploring the idea of thoughts, there is a flip side to the creative power and that is they can also be restrictive. The perceived realities our thoughts create are just as powerful to create for us strongholds that limit our actions. These thoughts create a reality that is based on illusions.

According to dictionary.com an illusion is: “something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.” Wikipedia tells us: “An illusion is a distortion of the senses,” which describes “a misinterpretation of a true sensation.” An illusion takes the facts, but somehow distorts them into a misleading reality that can then cause us to limit our actions.

Paul makes the connection between strongholds and our thinking when he describes their destruction in 2 Cor. 2:5. He states that we are: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chris.“ In this text, “imaginations” is the Greek – logismós and it means: “calculated arguments or thoughts.” It emphasizes reaching a personal opinion.

Imaginations are calculated thoughts that bring us to a PERSONAL opinion, or stronghold of illusion. Notice, personal. They may not be universal or based on proven facts: but to the individual they have reasoned them to be real, so therefore they act as if they are. The power of thoughts create our personal realities that determine our actions.

A classic example is when Israel was ready to enter Canaan, the land God had promised them. It was the report of 10 of the spies that revealed the stronghold of their thinking: “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Num 13:33). Notice, they saw themselves as grasshoppers so they assumed it was how the giants saw them. And we know the rest of the story; they wandered for 40 years because of their unbelief: the fruit of their discouraging, self-limiting stronghold of their thinking.

It is a sad testimony to a stronghold of illusion: instead of believing God’s promises, they came to their own conclusions about what they saw.

Our challenge today: we should examine the thoughts that limit us from demonstrating Kingdom authority.

In future posts I plan to explore what I believe is a major source of these strongholds. Then I want to discuss a few specific ones that limit us from fully expressing Kingdom authority. It is my hope that for some of us, we can begin to cast down these calculated thoughts or arguments that have been lifted above the knowledge of God. Hope you will join me.

Ps 145:4 GOD’S WORD translation

So today, while sitting at Starbucks, I took some time to really listen to the music of Jesus Culture. I have heard of them and even caught snippets of their music, but never really stopped to listen: I am glad I did!

What struck me most about the music and I assume it is representational of the musicians and their movement, was the passionate hunger for Jesus. Songs like “You Won’t Relent,” to me was like a duet of God’s passion for us and a hungry soul longing for intimacy with Him. It was all I could do to keep the tears from flowing (after all, I was in Starbucks!).

As my mind reeled with thoughts, I began to ruminate on the generational differences. The next generation’s expression of faith is not the same as ours and godly leaders need to recognize this and liberate them!

In this thought process, I was taken back to a discussion I had in Albany GA with Vincent Hunt, a progressive thinker of the generation after me. We were discussing that there did not have to be a generational divide, but an empowering and releasing from one to the next. The illustration we discussed was a bow and arrow.

In short, the purpose of the bow is to propel the arrow forward as it is released to hit the mark. Neither is effective without the other. It is from the bow that the arrow receives power and direction. The bow and arrow are different from each other, but their purpose is to work together to accomplish a mutual task.

The problem arises, when you draw the bow and attempt to hold the arrow to long. The tension that builds will result in an increased potential for the arrow to go astray and miss the mark: neither bow nor arrow will fulfill their purpose.

The idea here is each generation is different. It is the responsibility of the “older” generation to provide direction and empowerment as they RELEASE the next generation! The “elders” are to pass on the truth and testimonies of faith to the “younger” generation and trust Jesus to do his part as they walk out their faith, just as we did.

In my communications with individuals of the generations following after me, the main comment I hear is that they want spiritual fathers that will nurture, love them and trust them. I admire one characteristic statements from the Jesus Culture website: “They would be connected with spiritual fathers and mothers and aligned under their covering.” I believe there is a generation ready to step up: IF they can find the generation before them to empower and release them!

For years, I have heard 1 Chronicles 12:32 preached regarding the times we live in. The New Living Translations puts it this way: “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take“  (emphasis added). In my opinion, if there is ever a time for this to be true it is now.

The necessity of this text is not because of the evils of the world, but because of the transition of the ekklesia (church) into kingdom manifestation. We are at a crucial karios moment in God’s plan: not just a generational change, but also a spiritual mindset transformation. We are at a time and place that my generation of ministry (I’m only 51) notches the arrow, pulls the bow back AND releases the arrow!

So, my final challenge:

• To the “older” generation, find the “young” person, invest in them, love them, trust them and release them!
• To the “younger” generation, find that “older” person who is trying to understand, be patient with us. Seek the wisdom of our scars, listen to the story of what God has done, and use it to build your faith!

P.S. – Please forgive the slight disjointedness of this post: it was written on the fly as I was sitting at Starbucks. It is my desire to be one of those “older” generational members that understands the times and what is necessary for the church to do!

One focus of the opening night was to re-create the scenario of the calling of the clans for a meeting, again, a centuries old tradition. As each clan representative stepped to the circle they would give some part of the clans stories, many tracing back their origins. As someone who like history and has been fascinated by Scotland, it was interesting and entertaining. But something more dawned on me as I watched, listened and experienced the calling of the clans.

What I noticed about this event was that while I enjoyed it and knowing a little of history, I could grasp some of their stories: it did not move me or “speak” to me like it did to them. Why? Because it was not MY story! I could not see myself in THEIR story, even though historically true, it was not RELEVANT to my story. After all, I’m German: no McSchmaltz or O’Schmaltz clan was visible! So what is the point of this musing?

The point is: the modern church does the same with its presentation of the Good News. The challenge is, while the Gospel is the ONE answer to everyone’s situation, it’s PRESENTATION many times is not. Too many times we present the Gospel in a modern, western, North American get saved and go to heaven scripting: and our audience cannot relate. It doesn’t fit THEIR story.

The context of this presentation is from an era when Christianity was viewed as the dominant thought process of Europe and America: all things were judged in relationship to organized religions dogma. However, things have changed!

Our culture is a kaleidoscope of beliefs and “truths,” that shape the life context or story of each individual. The belief of today is that there is not one truth, but whatever works for you. Each person forms his or her beliefs and values, based on their life experience, which then manifests in a particular lifestyle story.

When presented with new ideas, including the Good News, each individual judge what they hear, based on how it fits into THEIR story. How many times have you heard someone dismiss Truth with a statement like: “That may be fine for them, but…” That in effect, is them saying, it doesn’t make sense to MY story.

So what is to be done? The Good News must be presented in a context that fits their story: in short, it must be lived out in the context of THEIR story. That means we cannot just tell them about Jesus, we must demonstrate him! It is not witnessing so much by our words but by our lifestyle.

This is tough for the average Christian, because it means I must get involved in their lives. I must live in a transparent way, so they see the grace of God working in my life as I deal with the situations of MY story. It is the demo of the gospel in the daily rub of life that proves its reality and begins to give others hope. If others can see it working for me, they may just begin to believe it might work in THEIR story.

Food For Thought
How are you demonstrating the Gospel so they feel it can be a part of THEIR story?

Our ministry is to come along side the leadership of the local assembly and assist in the discipling of the believers to reveal the power of the Kingdom with in them. We accomplish this by ministering the principles of walking in apostolic or spiritual authority. To schedule us email at maschmaltz@juno.com with your contact information.

As I sit here “watching” the wind, a question is posed: How do I know the wind is blowing? According to Dictionary.com, wind is defined as “air in natural motion.” Really helpful, huh?

Air on average is pretty clear. Look inside a glass and you SEE nothing, yet turn that glass upside down in a bucket of water and submerge it and SEE that no water will go up into the glass. So air is something invisible to the naked eye, but can exert tremendous force or produce effects.

To see or hear wind, it needs something to interact with.

So back to my question, how do I know the wind is blowing? I see the effects it has on the trees and flags. I hear the sound rustling from the motion of the leaves and branches. In short, I cannot see the wind, but I can experience its effects when it interacts with other objects.

Ok, so I have explained how I know the wind is blowing, what’s my point?
The point is, I believe the same applies for the demonstration of God’s spirit. It needs something or more importantly, someone to interact with to result in a demonstration.

We know God is at work in our world, seeking to restore his glory and kingdom: what He is looking for are those who are sensitive to where, when and how He is operating AND choose to allow themselves to be an object his spirit interacts with. This will result in God using people to demonstrate His purpose and presence.

So, food for thought today: Do you see the wind blowing

At a later date, this same person invited me to play racquetball. I gladly accepted, after all I had seen him play softball, NO PROBLEM! While preparing to play, I watched him putting on kneepads and a nylon jacket. I thought to myself: “What next, a helmet?” Well, I found out the equipment was not for protection – but performance.  I was amazed as he would slide on his knees for shots along the wall, flip on his back and be upright before I could return his volley. He “smoked” me (our term of the late 70’s). What was the difference? He was gifted at one sport, the other he obviously was not.

How well this illustration fits many churches of today.  We create programs with positions, and then we seek to assemble ministry teams based on the needs of our programs. Many times individuals are asked to participate in areas that may not allow them to excel in their gifting. Unfortunately, this results in a lack of fruitfulness, which produces frustration and a high turnover of individuals.

There is a series I have adapted and teach on ministry foundations (1). One of the strengths of this series is that it first reveals to us how many traditional churches develop their ministries. The steps are similar to the following:

• First, the leadership determines there is a need requiring some action – reach the homeless lets say.
• Second, they develop a program – this is how we will do it.
• Third, they create a missions statement as to why and what they are doing to motivate people.
• Fourth, they then begin disseminating a vision – this is how this is part of the kingdom, what God wants to do etc.
• Finally, they go to prayer and ask God to bless what they have created.

Now, I am not saying these things are wrong. But I wonder as to the ultimate effectiveness of them. How many times do churches and individuals start something, yet in the long run it is not very productive? It becomes a challenge to motivate people to get involved. It can ultimately become a source of frustration for leadership. Yet God does want us to minister and be fruitful.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul compares the body of Christ (the church) to the human body. He tells us we are many members (parts) each being different, yet we are all one body. Since we are each different, we have different gifting. For our human body to function correctly, each part must perform the purpose it was created for. If we have a part not performing its job, we call it disease or sickness.

When the church structures its ministries according to the giftings God has placed in the body (not a program because we feel in it is necessary) we find that the members will be fruitful in their ministries and if fruitful they will be fulfilled.

Years ago, in the first church I pastored, I sought the Lord to see how we were to impact our city. His response was children’s and youth ministry. We spent a large amount of our resources and people on developing these ministries. When the Lord moved us on, over 50% of the church was under the age of 18. The last time I spoke with my successor, he reported they would have in mid-week bible study almost as many children as was the total Sunday attendance prior to my leaving.  All this in a small town of 10,000 people, with at least 23 other churches.

There were times during my pastorate, in my ignorance, I used to get frustrated about not having other ministries. There was a prison in town – yet we did not have a prison ministry.  We had a small women’s ministry and no real men’s ministry. It was not till many years later I came to realize, that we built a ministry based on the giftings and passion God had placed in the local body.

The discovery process we went through and what is now taught is summarized as follows below, obviously there is much elaboration on each that can be done.

• First, begin with spiritual formation – get a connection with the King and His kingdom.
• Second, from this spiritual formation, let Him give you a Kingdom vision. A big “spiritual” picture.
• Third, from this big picture, let Him give you the mission He has for you or the local church – notice His Idea, not ours.
• Fourthly, now develop the ministry to fulfill the mission He has given you.
• Finally, you should see your actions much more fruitful because the source is the King and His kingdom.

When we develop a ministry and initiate the actions based on this process,  because it is His idea, He will bless and we will be fruitful.

May I suggest, if you are frustrated in your ministry or have a ministry that is not as effective as you believe it should be, take some time to evaluate it. Was it initiated because it was a good idea or something you think every church should have? Or was it Jesus’ idea? If it was yours, go back to Him with a clean agenda and see what he will have you to do. If it was His idea, double check and see if you need to make any adjustments, and then be faithful in the mission and vision He has given you.

till next time
martin
[contact-form]
(1) Developing A Passion Based Ministry ~ The most effective ministry is one based on our spiritual giftings a passion derived from a specific Kingdom vision. This series reveals the process of spiritual formation and empowerment of a passion based ministry.