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Deeper

Colossians 1:9-10 (AMP) For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things], so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts]

My husband and I have been pastoring our church for going on twelve years this January. It has been one of joy and sometimes sorrow. Our joy is seeing the spiritual growth in others. We love it when we see people grab onto the Word of God and start growing in the revelation knowledge. We especially love it that they get in and study it for themselves.

Ephesians 1:18 (AMP) And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people)

There are many precepts in the Bible for us a believers to grab a hold of. It is up to each one of us to discover them. My job as a pastor is to equip you to do so. That means I need to point you back to the Word, the Holy Spirit and Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings the revelation knowledge, not me. I have been attending church regularly since I was sixteen years old. I have been under some amazing teaching, and took notes, even early on in my journey. The most knowledge I received has been when I got in the Word for myself. When I desired a real knowledge of who God is and not just what He could do for me. Many times we want to know what He can do for us. Paul’s prayer was that we would grow in the knowledge of God, with a deeper faith into who He is and His fervent love for us. That is the same prayer for my church.

This blog is not very long, but I hope it encourages you to depend on the Holy Spirit more. My hope is that we are not so dependent on just one person to do all of the revealing of the Word in our lives. The Bible has been made so available to us that we can now carry it along with us every where we go. It is just as simple as downloading an application with our favorite translations (I recommend reading it in more than one to get the fullness). Do not put all of the pressure to know God’s precepts on your pastor. That would be the your job with the Holy Spirit in partnership. So why do you go to church? How can you put into practice what the Holy Spirit is revealing? How can we know that we are in unity without the body? How can we be challenged for more growth? Also, it was ordained by Christ (read Ephesians).

Matthew 13:44 (AMP) The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].

Lord, my prayer is that those reading this will have a deeper desire to know You more. Thank You for Your Son, the Word made flesh. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Teacher. Thank You for the revelation knowledge that comes when we open up our Bibles. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Jesus left us a gift

Exodus 33:15 (AMP) And Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go [with me], do not lead us up from here.

If this is not the message that You want us to preach, then remove it from our thoughts. This is the prayer I prayed at the Holy Spirit Conference. My husband and I have been on a series together since September of last year. We just cannot drop it. We reverence God and our prayer that week was if God did not want us to stay on it any longer, then remove the message from our mouths.

Just like God spoke to Moses, we can have a face to face relationship (Exodus 33:11) with the our Father. It takes surrender and obedience (John 15:14). A heart ready for correction. Do not fool around with people’s lives. What we minister from cannot be from us, but from the Holy Spirit. Take time to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit. We did not go to get direction from a prophet (as that is what Dr. Mark Barclay flows in). We came for refreshing. We left with confirmation. Every message he preached directly tied into what we have been speaking these past nine months. Were we disappointed that he did not speak a word of knowledge to us? Not at all. That is not what we should be chasing after, especially if you have developed a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:7-8.11-12 (AMP) Yet grace [God’s undeserved favor] was given to each one of us [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and abundant] gift. Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and He bestowed gifts on men.”  And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

Before Christ ascended He bestowed gifts to mankind. He gave the church, as a gift, the five fold ministry. Some may say they do not have to have a pastor, or that they can have Jesus and themselves. Jesus gave us the five fold ministry. Your pastor is a gift. We are to be building each other up. We are to be ministers of reconciliation. It was not man’s idea for you to have leadership, it was a gift given to you by Christ. Course correction can save our lives. Figure out what is stealing your excellence. God appointed watchmen (Hebrews 13:17). We are to preach the uncompromising Word of God (2 Timothy 4:2). Do not be selective in your submission to the Word as seen in 2 Timothy 4:3. We are all submitting to something whether it is sin, satan or the Word.

Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”

What is the burden? Souls!! The ministry of reconciliation. Christ’s yoke is easier than satan’s. People who are on fire for God are contagious. The adversary is walking around to see who he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Give him a place and he will oblige. Take anything out of biblical order and satan takes it as permission to strike. Honor the authority of the leadership that God has placed in your life. The biggest lie the enemy has told the church is that they can be their own pastor. I need authority in my life. It is the gift that Christ left for me. Do they hear God for me? No. They help me with course correction and discipling me for the ministry of reconciliation. My burden would be for my own selfish needs and desires if I did not have those Christ put around me to keep me yoked.

The reverence for God in His gatherings should be top priority when we get together corporately. I do not want to enter begrudgingly. I get to serve and worship with the body He has connected me with. I want to see those that have been placed in my life as gifts. Gifts are meant to grow me, to mold me and glorify Him. My serving within the body is a worship to Him. Christ did not come to be served but to serve (John 13). Oh that we would really grasp what it means to sin against each other in the body (read the verses 21-32 of Ephesians 4). How much more we would desire to please Him and be more ready to cast down those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5). I have to admit that I have to do it through out the day. I have to do it even when I am serving in my church. I have to do it when I am speaking to the congregation. If not, I will not be led by the Holy Spirit.

How can I judge my thoughts: Is it true? Not what I have imagined up. Is it honorable or worthy of respect? Is it right and confirmed in God’s Word? Does it bring peace? Is it admirable and of good repute (slander never is)? If it goes deep within my heart will it harden it? Can I love unselfishly with that thought? Will it bring envy, covetous, jealousy or anger? Will it provoke me to become overly sensitive? Am I believing for the best for others? These are all questions we can ask ourselves to take captive our thoughts and bring them back to Him. A repentant heart and a change can happen in a moment. Do not allow them to linger.

This is why I love His Word. This is why I love ministers that are not afraid to preach the truth. There may be some ouch messages, but it is for my good. I would rather be led to the Holy than to the stink pit. A half truth is not what we need. Let us be a sweet fragrance to the Lord (Ephesians 5:2).

El Elyon (the God most High) we want to Honor You with everything that is within us. You are so wonderful! There is no one like our God. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You that He came to redeem us and restore us. He paid a price that we are not worthy of. We cannot stop being thankful of that. Thank You that the Holy Spirit now dwells within. We have the power to overcome. We are not longer separated from You. We desire a close relationship with You. We repent for the times we have made it all about us. We repent for profaning Your gifts. We repent for looking at Your gifts as common. Thank You that You have given us the weapons for warfare. We do not take Your Word lightly. You are the Potter and we are the clay. We surrender our hearts and will to You. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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My Calling

Matthew 10:41 (AMP) He who receives and welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous (honorable) man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, most churches celebrated and honored their pastor’s yesterday (ours did it the first Sunday). To be called into the pastoral ministry is a joy. We are tasked with the duty of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, the ministry of reconciliation, as we were called into it first.

My husband and I have been on a series called “Restore” all year. We have taken the past few weeks to tackle a subject regarding “My Calling.” We find that many in the church start to chase after their calling. Leaving, and forsaking the covering of their pastors, and seeking out those who will promote their calling. Did I just say covering? Is that not old fashioned? Do you not think that this is anything new? The letters in the New Testament were not written to the unbeliever, they were written to the church. Hebrews 10:25 talks about not forsaking the meeting together as some have come into the habit of. What would the writer say about the church today, staying at home, watching on You Tube and disconnected from serving one another?

Hebrews 13:7 (AMP) Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.

I understand there have been abuses. Your pastor does not have the right to tell you who you can marry, where you can live, what job you are to take, nor what car to buy. Your pastor does have the right to tell you that the counsel you have chased after to build up your calling, is not where you need to be. The pastoral calling is heavy and will come with more responsibility.

The initial verse of this is Jesus speaking. Jesus went to His hometown. He desired to see people set free where ever He went. The same power to heal and bring back to life flowed through Him every where He went. Why did it not flow freely in His home town? They still saw Him as the boy that grew up there and not the man who walked in freedom that all the other towns were able to receive from. They could not receive from Him because they saw Him as common. How do you approach the gathering on Sundays? Do you go with expectation? Or are you expecting the same thing every week?

Pastors are vision carriers. They have a passion to see you become free and to do the work of the ministry. That is not always vacuuming or cleaning the bathrooms, but sometimes it is. What it really is…the ministry of reconciliation. Who are we doing the serving with? Those who need freedom in their life, just like you. Do not get so caught up in the work that you do not see the person you are working along side and not get to know them.

I do a lot of one on one care. I will invite someone to do an activity and get to know them. I will find out how I can pray for them, direct them in the Word, share my own struggles and how I am overcoming in the Word, find out their interests and just get to know them. That is what it looks like. Then I will help them do the same for someone else. Not everyone will have a relationship like that with me. Some still see me as the teenage girl, that wore short skirts, dating the pastor’s son. Some still see me as the young woman that would roll her eyes. Does that mean I am not the person I am today? I do not remember that young girl, even if others do. That does not mean I will not serve them.

During this Pastor Appreciation Month take stock of how you see your pastor(s). Pastors, take a look at how you lead and serve the people God has called you to. We are connected for a reason and the reason is the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). We are no longer bound, but free. Freedom takes work to figure out, there are root areas that will try to keep us from putting on the newness (Colossians 3:10) we have become, it takes all of us to get there.

Father, thank you for your goodness, mercy and grace. Let me see the people you have called me to with fresh eyes. I no longer want to see them as common. Your Son said that if I would receive people with honor and see them as righteous that I would receive a righteous man’s reward. I want all that you have for me, so I choose today to lay down my rights and stand on Your truth. Forgive me for not receiving from the pastor(s) you have placed in my life. They have only wanted to see me free and I repent for fighting them in my stubbornness. I surrender my heart to You. Let it be tender and responsive to Your Holy Spirit. I choose to surrender today. Thank you for giving me the ministry of reconciliation, so that I can share Christ with others. I do not take it for granted. It is the calling that you trusted me with. I will not run the race in vain. I choose you today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Motives

Colossians 3:17 (AMP) Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

I believe this verse needs to be as memorized as Philippians 4:13. What is our motive? Why do you want to do something? Or even why should I do it? I should do everything in the name of the Lord, no matter what.

Is it to please our leadership? Is it to make ourselves feel good or more pious? You have a choice. Many people want to do something and do not want to be held accountable (especially when they make a verbal commitment). Their motive is wrong. Let’s be honest. We are self seeking. When we do not measure up, we say we make a mistake and should never have committed to that. True! You were not doing it unto the Lord.

Who or what is your dependence on? If it is not in Christ then you will feel like a failure. In Christ we cannot fail. Keep your heart motive on Him no matter what!

Luke 19:31 (AMP)  “If anybody asks you, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ you will say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 

Matthew 14:28 (AMP) Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Jesus was referred to as Teacher, Rabbi, Son of God, Savior, Friend and Lord. Which one of those titles holds the most weight? It is unto the Lord that we serve, worship and dedicate. “Lord” carried the most weight when it came to trust in what they were told to do. Peter, said, “Lord, if it is really you….”

Maybe we get frustrated at our leadership because we want them to be Lord (sometimes, but not all the time, only when it is convenient). That is not their role. When we make a commitment to people, what is the intent? For example, my husband and I are pastors. We have heard “Pastor, I am committed to this church. Nothing can run me off.” Or “Pastor, I am all in.” Both parties are pumped and ready to do ministry together. Can I be honest and transparent? Most of the times it does not end well. Guess who is to blame? The pastor. Not really, but they are left to pick up the pieces and move on. We do have a part to play. We are not perfect. It is in the imperfection that you should pray for us.

We have to make Jesus Lord of our lives. When we try to short cut and submit with the wrong intent, we are setting ourselves up for hurt. Yes, honor your pastor. Your pastor is called to equip and lead you to do the works of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11).

I will not remind you to tithe.Yes, I have had someone ask to hold them accountable to that. Did I do it? NO!! Something else made them mad and they left anyways. That is between you and God. Now, when it comes to giving you a leadership role, should those who do not financially support the church be put in leadership? I will let you answer that question yourself.

I will encourage you to love God, I will encourage you to seek the best for others and to love unselfishly. I will encourage you to pray, to get in your Word and to serve in and outside of your church. I will encourage to make Jesus Lord of your life. You can ask me if you heard Him correct and for the direction of your life? I am going to point you back to your Word and ask if it lines up with His character and nature. Will it cause division among believers? Then you did not hear from Him correctly. Will it cause someone to stumble in their faith? Then you did not hear from Him correctly. Will it bring healing? Will it encourage you and others to grow in their faith? Does it show love? Will it draw people closer to a relationship with Him? Then yes you have heard from Him correctly.

What are our motives?

Lord, I want to glorify you with whatever I put my hands to, no matter who sees it. Lord, I want to serve your people, no matter who acknowledges it. Lord, blind my eyes to what does not need to be seen to keep me from stumbling. Lord, I have faith to step out, all you have to say is ‘come.’ Yes, You have given me free will and everything is permissible for me, but not everything will bring glory to You. I choose to make you Lord over my life. What I choose that may be best for me, may not be what is best to glorify You. My dependence is on You today and every day. I choose today whom I will serve. Amen.