Me Is Exalted

People called to full-time ministry often face the temptation of making things happen by the arm of the flesh. I’ve heard stories about messes ministers created when trying to expand their ministries ahead of God’s timing. Jesus said in Luke 14:11, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I’m willing to help a brother or sister advance in their calling if the Lord leads me to. Romans 12:10 talks about “giving preference to one another.” Still, I find it annoying when preachers promote their ministries on my web pages without asking first. A few individuals had frequently done this on my Facebook Wall despite my asking them to stop. That prompted me to change my account settings so people could only write comments in response to my articles and praise reports.

Then one pastor started posting announcements (irrelevant to my writings) about various endeavors he was involved in. The first two times I simply removed his posts. After a third time, I asked this pastor to refrain from doing that. He wouldn’t like it if I promoted my ministry on his Facebook pages. The pastor initially responded with defensive emails insisting I repent for “not helping Jesus.” Eventually, he calmed down and apologized.

The Lord expects us to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission and assisting brethren in need. That doesn’t mean we are to be manipulated to join a specific cause. God may not want you teaming up with a particular minister because his motives aren’t right. Acts 20:30 warns, “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”  

Ministers truly lifting up the name of Jesus (and not themselves) shouldn’t get upset if a certain Christian won’t support them. Mike Murdock says, “You are not called to everybody but to somebody.” Ministers should also avoid trying to validate themselves. As Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” God will send the right people to bring encouragement when needed.

Are you called to the five-fold ministry? Great! I exhort you to step out and fulfill what God has put on your heart to do for Him. But don’t try pressuring a church or another preacher to facilitate you. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:20, “And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation.” I’ve had friends who repeatedly but unsuccessfully sought another ministry to intern under. Surely young Christians need to be discipled. But there comes a time when one must walk on the water and look to God alone for open doors to go through. 

Remember when the Lord uses you to advance His kingdom, always give Him the glory and not yourself.

“If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” - 2 Corinthians 10:17 (NLT)

Kicked Out of Church

Church should be a safe place for believers. Unfortunately no fellowship is perfect. Even pastors can sometimes get in the flesh and act in ways inconsistent with Scripture.

A friend told me about one church he went to where the congregation took turns giving a short sermon since the pastor wasn’t there that particular Sunday. My friend didn’t have time to complete his message but the handouts he gave revealed a doctrine the leadership disagreed with. A couple weeks later when my friend returned to this church, the pastor instructed him not to come back there again. Assuming my friend told this story accurately, I thought the pastor acted too hastily. He could have privately discussed the matter with my friend before possibly excommunicating him.

In Matthew 18, Jesus taught us the right way to confront someone in error...

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

There are times when people need to be removed from the house of the Lord if they won’t conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner. 1 Corinthians 5:11 says, “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”

I’m reminded of an incident that happened at a church I attended regularly. Evangelism teams had just returned from the streets and were sharing testimonies in the sanctuary. Suddenly a woman walked in and started swearing at the pastor. She had been banned from the evangelism ministry for causing other problems. Because this woman refused to leave, several men had to remove her from the church.

On the other hand, Christians can receive the “left foot of fellowship” for taking a stand for Biblical truth. Anne Graham Lotz was kicked out of one church for insisting on the inerrancy of Scripture. Even Jesus got booted out of the synagogue when He read from Isaiah to show that He was the Messiah they were waiting for (Luke 4:28-29).

As I stated before, no church is perfect. So if you ever find yourself removed from a particular fellowship, forgive those church leaders. It would also be good to examine yourself and repent if you had sinned. Either way, don’t let offenses stop you from finding a better church. God has a place for you in His body!

“not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” - Hebrews 10:25

Where Is That In The Bible?

Occasionally I receive critical messages from people who don’t agree with things I show in my videos. A remark I often hear is, “Where’s that in the Bible?” Certainly I agree the Word of God is our standard in which everything we do and say must be judged.

But has it occurred to you that some generally accepted Christian traditions aren't specifically mentioned in Scripture? For example, Sunday Schools cannot be found in the Bible yet most churches have them. The same thing could be said about altar calls for salvation. God uses people in different ways because we are all unique.

Jesus Himself did unusual things like spitting and putting mud in people's eyes to bring healing. No doubt things like that done today in our congregations would offend many church folk. John 21 says that Jesus did many other things that were not written down. Those "other things" could have been more radical than what was recorded in the Scriptures. Of course, we must reject all ideas that clearly go against God's word (2 Corinthians 10:5).

I'm not endorsing doing foolish things for the sake of being foolish. What God considers "decently and in order" may be different than what some people's opinions of that is. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." If we are really following the leading the Holy Spirit, then He will occasionally lead us to do things that doesn't make sense in the natural but will result in people getting saved, healed, and delivered. So instead of being critical of people who may do things that go outside our religious boxes, we must examine the fruit.

“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” - Matthew 7:20