Good morning my friends, family and loved ones in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a fresh word from the Lord this morning and I pray that you pray for me as I minister yet again another life changing word from the Lord.
Over the last ten months the Lord has been doing a fresh and new thing in my life. I'd heard in my spirit several years ago about God being the God of relationships. Some may say that this isn't so but when is the last time that you totally did anything on your own or by yourself? The last time I checked, most people have a biological mother or father. That means that you didn't get here by yourself. If you didn't get here on planet earth by yourself then that means a relationship happened to bring you here.
Now God in His infinite wisdom could have grown us from seed pods or plopped us down out of the sky to get us here but He didn't do this. There are a multitude of reasons why Father didn't do this. He does this to teach us how to love one another more and how to love like Him. I often go into the spirit
and hear Father. Father always tells me that He didn't force me to come hear from Heaven but rather I chose to come to earth to learn HOW to love Him more and how to love His people more. I know that sounds kind of deep there folks but I'm just being plain honest. I'm an alien to this earth and so are you if you are bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. Although Father owns this earth (Psalm 24:1) we are not here to stay in its present form. We will cover this more a little later.
The term "minister" when used as a noun means servant. When it is used as verb it means to serve. I often hear people deeming themselves or referring to others as "minsiter" this or that but I see no fruit of Christ in their lives.
It's not what you say but how you live your life behind closed doors and in your heart is what Father looks at (I Samuel 16:7).
Too many times we're concerned about this ministry or that ministry. We even foolishly say "my" ministry. Let's look closer at these attitudes and see what the Holy Spirit has to say about all of this. I know as a vessel of God we want to please Father but even in doing this we have to realize it is the Holy
Spirit working through us and not us. Let's delve into our opening scripture for this morning;
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
The last time I checked, might and power had to do with the Lord Jesus Christ;
Ac 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
So you see my beloved family that anything we allow the Lord Jesus to do
through us is done by His Spirit. It totally has nothing to do with us. A lot
of people, myself included, say that we let the Holy Spirit have His way but wedo things or possess mind sets that impede the free flowing of God's pure
Spirit. It is a hinderance of the flesh sometimes but not all the times. We
should develop the mindset daily of allowing God to work in and through us
rather than doing something for the Lord. I know the Old Testament is filled
with things that people did for the Lord and plenty examples but hear me in the
Holy Ghost when I say this - if YOU do something for the Lord isn't there a
tendency to brag and say that I did this or did that for the Lord? There is a
tendency for YOU to take the credit and try to reap the benefits of God's
glory. Let's look at Solomon;
Ec 2:1 ¶ I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth,
therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart
with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for
the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their
life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of
fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth
trees:
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had
great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem
before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and
of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of
the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in
Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my
heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my
portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour
that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit,
and there was no profit under the sun.
12 ¶ And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what
can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already
done.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and
I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even
to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is
vanity.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever;seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how
dieth the wise man? as the fool.
17 ¶ Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is
grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I
should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed
myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Now I know that is plenty of scripture but this is the same Solomon who said that he was dark but lovely. This is the same man who had 700 wives and 3000 concubines. I am getting in my spirit to really research King Solomon. He was really ego tripping. I used those passages just to illustrate on what NOT to do regarding ministry.
Let's get on to define what true ministry is. Anything that is ministry has to do with Jesus Christ. Without Christ the term "ministry" cannot be readily used or applied. I hear, look and experience all kinds of this or that but hardly ever any true ministry these days. Yes, I said that. Let me tell you why. Ministry is synonymous with servanthood. If you are not serving then you are not truly ministering!
Mt 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
See so when you have a ravenous wolf in sheep's clothing experience from someone then you know they came to serve themselves. Be ware of those who come to help themselves to you. Many say they come to serve but are they really doing it. Look at the fruit they bear and if they are exhibiting the following criteria then it is from Christ;
- the birth of Christ
- the life of Christ
- the crucifiction- the death of Christ
- the burial of Christ
- the resurrection of Christ
- the return of Christ
There it is the seven fold of MINISTRY. Now at a later date we will explore each one of these topics as the Holy Spirit leads.
Mt 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
So if you want to be great for the Lord be a servant.
Mr 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Now in all of this the Holy Spirit is revealing to us this morning let us keep in mind God's order. If anything or anyone gets in God's place in your life and becomes and idol then it is no longer ministry. Even a marriage can get out of hand. I've heard people say to one another they they are each other's ministry yet they don't serve one another. They only help themselves to one another and when they can't get what they are getting from one another then they divorce or go their separate ways. Yes my friends I stand here today as a prophet of Godto tell you that there is no way of getting around God. I know you've tried this or that but you've still got to come by Father. No matter if that is through a relationship, job, "ministry" or just life's experiences that you've got to come by God.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Yes, it doesn't matter if you're called or not called either. You've still got to do it's God's way;
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
When something or fails to comply with those seven criteria for true ministry then it isn' a ministry anymore but it has become something else. One of the things the Holy Spirit showed me is that things have a mind. I know we've been taught that only sentient living beings have a mind but things also have a mind. I was driving to work one morning and looking at a new hospice complex and saw the structure of it. I could have said that it exhibited the mindset of the architect but rather the Lord pointed out that the whole center had a mind. Not just the persons in it or who had constructed it but the thing itself. It had ABILITY. Don't be deceived my friends I'm not saying that building was flesh but those of you in the Holy Ghost hear what I am saying loud and clear. Everything has a mind.
Now that we've established that true ministry is serving, let's consider the works of Christ. Jesus Christ had twelve men He constantly fellowshipped with and out of those twelve there were three that were close to Him. Even out of that three there were still places Jesus had to walk alone. Yes my friend if you are going to serve Christ and minister for Him then there are places that only you and God can go. The place is called the Emmaus Road.
Now those twelve disciples had fellowship with Christ. Let's look at;
1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
So you see there that we have fellowship with God through Jesus Christ by FAITH. It is not by works. It is by grace through faith. Let me just share with you as well that
if there is no mercy then there is no grace. His mercies are knew every morning and out of that comes His grace. If you don't get His
mercy you're not going to get His grace. Many will disagree with this but keep living and walking with the Lord and you too shall understand these things.
Don't let intellectualism hinder you my friend. It is the free blowing of the Holy Spirit that allows us access to any of the things of God for the Holy Spirit is His own Spirit.
Let's hear the Apostle Paul speak;
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
So you can see right there that the Apostle Paul knew the depth of walking with Christ and to partake of His sufferings. My friend if you are not willing to suffer for the Lord then you have no business claiming yourself to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ are those seven fold items previously listed.
I share with good friends of mind that I love them! Many of us are in ministy together or allowing the Lord to solidify this and the one thing I always tell them is that I'm not allowing a "ministry" to come between my relationship with them. See, I recognize that when a "ministry" has come between us then it is now longer Christ but rather something else that has reared it's ugly head. It could be demonic or it just could be something natural but I'm determined to
not allow it to consume my relationship and friendship with my beloved. The same holds true in my family. When we allow VVABs and ideologies to come between us loving others then it is no longer love but something else manifesting itself. We have to realize that Christ loves us. Now He knew what He had to do and He knew that He had to walk some places alone but the point being is that Christ loved His friends and the disciples very much. He was concerned about His relationship with them but not to the point where He allowed the relationship itself to become idolatrous. Never did Christ put pleasing His friends above the call, purpose and destiny given to Him by Father (Acts 5:29). There is a time and place for relationships but I caution you that what we're hinting around here are eros/romantic relationships and truly not Godly relationships. We have to separate the two.
Christ knew what He came to earth to do and He kept that in the center of His heart, yet He loved us enough to die for us. Many a thing Christ does for us daily. There is such a sweet lovely spirit in this place as we go into the Word of God this SAT morning. I can feel your pre-prayers already.
There is another neck of the woods we need to visit before wrapping up this morning as well. Even those who have fundamentally have things together to be an effective witness for Christ tend to get burn out. After 13 years of ministry the Lord brought me into Zarephath. Even though Zarephath still
throngs me I can say that I can appreciate what the Lord is doing in me. I had burn out. I didn't want to go and minister any longer because I had burn out.
You've got to have a life balanced with this or that to keep from getting burn out. I heard someone say that moderation is the key to life. It is just one of the keys we need to live an effective life for Christ but without faith not even moderation is possible. The key is faith.
We can get into lone ranger "ministries" following our own mandate and call rather than the voice of God. Just remember that having that life changing walk with the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important thing. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have distinct personalities yet they are
one. I hear them talking daily to me yet they speak unity. They exemplify how we are to live together in unity and harmony. Many members but one body. I am getting such a Holy Spirit revelation from preaching this awesome life changing word this morning.
I will close here this morning saints of God so that I can provide you with more information about the growth of this fellowship and outreach. Please continue to keep us in prayer and we will in turn keep you in prayer as well.
Know that I love you and that in all you do, accept the free blowing wind of the Holy Spirit in your lives daily in Jesus name. God bless you until next
time.
