MY MINISTRY

Lately I have received a bunch of emails from some pastor friend asking me to keep them and “their ministry” in my prayers. No problem with this request it is an honor to keep my friends before the LORD in prayer. I find if I pray for others I will have less time to pray for myself asking God for all of those self-seeking, selfish things we often ask Him for. About seven or eight years ago I discovered this secret; when I pray for others more than myself God answers my prayers more often. While teaching in a church recently I made the comment this “is not your church you cannot do and say what you want to do and say” and Karen (my lovely wife) being in the congregation over heard someone behind her say, “yes this is my church,” well they are totally wrong and know not the Spiritual authority of God. My friend the church and our ministry is not ours it is God’s. Now we often think it is, but it is not. If we think such things it just highlights our lack of knowledge of the word of God and exposes our selfishness for the darkness it is. In Matthew Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona (wild golden dove): for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:17-18) What part of “I will build my church” do we not understand? How arrogant and selfish to think we are in charge of building Jesus’ church. Jesus laid down His life for the church and what we call “our ministry” for us to think we are responsible for what is going on is nothing more than foolishness and shameful. How can we attach our name to the word “ministry” (something Jesus laid His life down for) like: Benny Hinn Ministries, Joyce Meyers Ministries, T.D. Jakes Ministries, Paula White Ministries, and the list goes on and on how vain and presumptive to think we have something to do with this spiritual body of Believers. And even sadder we begin to personally identify with what God is doing through us (thinking we have something to do with it) and it begins to change our personality and character. Look at the number of ministries today with special little (usually something to do with a dove) logos, pins to wear on your lapel, different colored shirts with special white collars, and worse Bibles with their names on them. Who do we think we are to put our name on the Bible? The Gospel is not for sale, yet every day of the year ministries around the world merchandise the Gospel message for profit, power, authority, all so that they can manipulate their fellow man. Nothing has changed from biblical times, but now we are high-tech and use a more subtle, religious form to manipulate and control. Many pastors, preachers, and teachers really get this wrong and get in trouble with God; oh religious man has no problem with it and even encourages this deception the more, but to God this behavior and ungodly character stinks to high heaven no matter how hard you spin it on TV and in the media. Oh I know I am going to get criticized for this article by those Christians who are still in love with the world and themselves this is the way it always is, those that know God and truth are always criticized by those who do not know God or truth this too has not changed since biblical days. Jesus told the truth and they killed him, is the servant greater than the Master? It is not our ministry it is God’s we are only the vessel in which God has chosen to flow through and of that selection God can change His mind at a nanosecond of time in using us. Our service unto God is not based on our speaking ability, musical or dancing talent, good looks, money, family name, but on God’s intention and purpose and as we walk in His way He will continue to use us. The ministry God has called us to should never define who we are in God it must be our character. God is concerned about our character more than what we can do for Him, because our character speaks of the work we have allowed God to do in our heart. Our heart condition is a reflection of God’s real ability and power in our lives not our abilities and talents. Ministry is not to be our life ministry must revolve around our walk with God and family. Our daily living with our family and friends must take precedence in our relationships with God and man. When people think of me I hope they referred to as a man who loves his wife, family, friends, and man who is obedient to God in doing what He has called him to do and not he is the founder of Beholding His Glory Ministry a great ministry and work for the LORD. Ministry should be last in our lives, ministry is God’s responsibility our responsibility is to follow God and His ways. You know I really like the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, but probably not for the reason you would think. These two wonderful Books of the Bible are full of great advice and encouragement, but during the course of Solomon’s life he never heeded his own advice. The Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes stands as a warning to us not to live our lives as Solomon; saying one thing, but doing another. But in the end before his eyes shut in death (thanks to God’s goodness, mercy, and longsuffering) I believe he did get it right. At the end of Ecclesiastes we read all what I believe God expects of us and please notice ministry and working for God is nowhere to be found. “The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10-14) It is not about our ministry it is about our character. Husband and pastor it is not about your ministry it is about your character and family. Why are we so deceived into thinking God is more concerned about our ministry then He is about our character? The order is God (first), family (second), ministry (last) and if you get that wrong you will be out of balance with what God wants for your life. The order in relationship is “JOY;” Jesus (first), Others (second), and Yourself (last). “Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Many preachers and teachers say as we walk with the LORD and do the things He wants us to do ungodly character traits and to be honest frank sin (we know we are committing) in our lives will just fall away, but this teaching is not consistent with the Bible. There are things and even people in our lives we must forsake if we are going to serve the LORD and walk in His ways. And please do not make the mistake of thinking because God is using us He is over looking some character flaws and frank sin in our lives. We see this in the life of Brother Samson. In spite of Samson: sleeping with harlots in Gaza, partying with the world, marrying a woman (from the Philistines -- the enemy) not of the Jewish faith, and having an affair with Delilah while married God still used him. In Judges we read, “And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.” (Judges 15:14-15) Just because God uses us in ministry does not mean we are some super anointed special Christian, God will use the vessel that is available not the best vessel. Now here is the great danger in all of this as Samson found out, the more God would use him in spite of his waywardness the more he thought he was okay until it was too late and Samson lost the use of his eyes. In verses 20-21 we read, “And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 21But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.’ (Judges 16:20-21) Samson did not know the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Him he was thinking everything is okay I can play around and the LORD will still be with me well take heed my pastor friends there comes a time when God says enough is enough and He will lift His Holy Spirit from you and you will toil for years as Samson did. But much like Solomon the years in the prison house humbled Samson, his hair grew back, and he ended his life in the LORD, “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.” (Judges 16:28-30) Sadly though in the end because of Samson’s arrogant and presumption (thinking God was with Him and He was not) he lost his life. Now it is strange how God allows things to continue in our lives that are not spiritually beneficial for us. God is long suffering, patient, and will even allow things (we all have them) that we know are wrong things (even frank sin) He wants us to stop, but He does not force our hand in these areas. It is not He cannot stop them in our lives all He has to do is stop our heart, but that is not how God wants to operate in our lives. If God has to stop our heart (I have known people God had to do this to) it is because He knows the intention and work He has planned in the people and in this setup is in jeopardy of being lost. When we started Christliche Gemeinde Stuttgart our church in Germany there was group of a handful of Africans that did not want to get involved with what God was doing and instead of leaving in peace they had a pastor friend come from Africa to take over. We were the outsiders, but God brought us into the picture to build this powerful work of God in Stuttgart and establish Beholding His Glory for the future. Well when this African pastor arrived we opened our arms to him in all sincerity, but behind the scenes he was gathering people to himself and plotting to take over the church well God wanted nothing to do with this. One Wednesday night when the pastor and his followers were meetings and while he was speaking he dropped over dead. Now Africans are a very suspicious lot of people and when the African population in Stuttgart heard what happened attendance almost tripled and we never looked back from there. It was like when Peter dealt with Ananias and Sapphira for their disobedience, “Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” (Acts 5:10-11) No one claimed his body so that it could be retuned back to his African country they asked me, but me still being in the U.S. military and a senior Officer I could not get involved. Take heed my friend to the company you keep and to your actions, God is watching and there are consequences for our actions. Sadly his body was cremated in Germany and never buried in African soil a true disgrace and unthinkable end. In these character issues and areas we think God is turning a blind eye to (in which He is not) and it is not God is slack to deal with us, but He wants us to love Him enough to stop doing things we know in our heart and spirit that are plainly wrong. He could make us stop, but He wants us to stop on our own because we learned, we know these things are wrong and He displeases of them. Recently one Sunday when I finished teaching a lady came up to me and said she was a visitor who just stopped by with her daughter in law. She said I really touched her heart I thanked her and then she asked me to pray for her. I agreed, asked what the need was, and she replied as she began to cry saying her husband of 51 years has left her for another woman and she wanted God’s wisdom in how to move correctly. I had no problem praying she was broken and as we prayed the presence of the LORD suddenly came and touched her heart. Later I thought of the encounter and concluded God had no problem touching her heart with the spoken Word and our prayer because there was already a huge hole in her heart that needed filled. Our real ministry in God is just being the vessel God can use to follow through to touch the hurting masses in the world, those lost and undone without His Son Jesus Christ, and those who have a huge hole in their heart that needs filled with God’s wisdom and favor, what I prayed for with this lady. My brother it is not my ministry or your ministry it is God’s ministry. Written by David Stahl