Philippians 2:12-13 "...Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of
his good pleasure."
We have our glory moments but no one is on "Easy Street" in the Spiritual
Kingdom without the Father's dealings in our lives "as sons." He is not
just discipling our flesh, but our spirits!!!
Babies get offended easily oftentimes but as we mature, to see God we must
work out the peace and be peace makers. So much of our problems and
arrogance starts in our hearts. Not only do we need to forgive others but
we also must learn to forgive ourselves.
Leaders may fail us individually and/or corporately. We have to deal with
it. There is no ideal La La Land Church! What we do in response is
between us and God.
Some people have a very hard time not being "perfect." For some, this is
a true torment, as much as having a broken hand not mended.
We have to know that God's will is good for us, but not at the true
expense of another. And when He calls us to sacrifice ourselves, it is
for His higher will, not another's whims of the flesh nature. Conflicts
will arise and we must learn how to work them out. Sometimes going to God
is the only solution!
We must learn how to give. I don't mean we need to "just give" but to
know HOW to give. If we can't give from a pure heart, for GOD's good
purposes, higher than ourselves, we should not give at all, because we
will certainly see no blessing on the gift! Our gifts need to go to His
work, not just because of our personal pleasures or tastes. I think we
can at times be blessed to do both, but we will be tested for a pure heart
and a growing heart is tested often.
Without giving, we will never go anywhere with God. It's not always
finances - it may be time, talents, prayer, abilities. Is the blessing of
God on your life and what you are doing?
Sometimes the brook dries up. That can mean pruning, but it can also mean
transition. In some cases, we are called to hold the land. In other
cases, God is wanting to move us on.
There are seasons in life and not every message that God has for you will
be in one place. But for many, because they seek God and are where He has
planted them, they can stay a while. But if He wants to move you on, are
you going to go kicking and screaming?
Ministries are not for terrorizing people; they are for equipping people.
But if we don't understand God's discipline of the spirit (not the flesh),
it can seem difficult.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:29-30: "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;
for I Am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
Sometimes it's hard to give up the ways of the flesh, but we need to be
sure and discern if our discipline is the flesh or the Spirit. God is
working out in us peaceable and gentle secure spirit in Him. The greater
His purpose for you, the more you will go through.
How can we tell? What is trying to work in us? Is it the fruit of the
Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, meekness, self-control? Is it the heart and spirit of a
giver, provider, helper, enabler, equipper?
God's workings and gifts within us will give us greater and greater power
to be a blessing. As a Master Teacher, He will give us a well rounded
education. Sometimes the class is hard, but we know He put us there. But
the struggle doesn't last forever, if it is just for general education
purposes. But there will be a purpose to our training.
We have talked about leadership and their failings. We aren't to carry
the sins of the whole world like Jesus did - we can't!
We need to know what God is wanting for us. He bore it so we could come
into the way of Life in His Spirit.
So if He bore it, do we need to do it again? It's only when we fail to
understand that He did it and not us, that we have "carry" the thing!
It's not our faults when others fail, but sometimes we make mistakes and
don't know we have done it wrong, or by neglect (or meddling) we can
contribute to a problem. We can't be so timid that we don't find out the
Truth! But we need to also know there are no one man crusades going on in
the Body, except the One Man Jesus who is uniting us.
God wants us to mature to be adequate problem solvers! You may not stay
in one place to learn all you need to know, especially in this world of
transtion!
Joseph and Moses and Paul went through a lot of transitions before they
came to rule God's people. Part of their tests was learning how to deal
with shame - real and false. There is forgiveness in God. They had to
learn how to forgive others - for real and imagined offenses. Not
everything was really the way they saw it, because of the big picture.
They found that mercy was better than sacrifice, and obedience better than
that, for in obedience there is favor. God knows how to keep favor under
control. And in giving mercy, we find mercy, and I think we all need
that, don't you?
Other people are going to affect our lives. Sometimes it will be for
good, sometimes not. We need to find the ways to connect to God's Spirit
so that His power will be at work in our lives. Others can't rescue you
over and over, God won't even allow it, but we can find wonderful ways to
mature in Him. Don't stay in a rut! Move on with God!
Pray sincerely for His perfect will in your life - then allow the changes
- Get to know Him through prayer, preachings, fellowships and the Word.
It takes all of that! Find ways to bless His ministers and His saints.
Then reach out to the needy.
You may be real strong in one area and He is wanting to balance you in
another. We will have dominate gifts but we must learn to RESPECT the
other gifts of the Body and His Construction Work.
God can be quite fun and exciting and exhilarating if you will let Him be!
He will balance that with soberness and common sense, but you can have a
good time and lots of joy in the Lord. He likes that, as long as self
control is in evidence, too.
Psa 34:8-9 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who
takes refuge in Him. Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear
Him lack nothing.
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CHURCH AND MINISTRY TRANSITION
by
Pam Clark
We have seen articles on pruning and leadership and failures in the
Church. All of these are subjects the Body continually deals with and
should, in mercy. We have not yet arrived, but we are working on it. We
must work on it to attain our salvation, for faith without works is dead.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we
paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the
Father of spirits and live?
Sometimes God moves us on. This can be for pruning, for discipline and
even for opportunity. I can't tell you how many times what I thought was
evil was really for my good. You can't always trust people, but you can
trust God and His Word. They will not fail. And He does have faithful
ministers.
Heb 12:10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to
them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but
painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of
righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Heb 12:12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble
knees,
Heb 12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may
not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no
one will see the Lord.
Lev 19:14 "Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before
the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD."
We need to care about our brother's weakness. In many ways, we are one
another's keepers. We all struggle with what is the perfect will of God
for our lives, especially when things aren't going well. The enemy is
going to work on us, but as we yeild to God, so will He for greater
strength and power.
Rom 13:4 For he [the governing authority] is the minister of God to thee
for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not
the sword in vain.
There is no perfect church or ministry. But just as God has set up
governments for his purposes, so He has also set up ministries.