MINISTRY NOTES

Week of October 25, 2009

Hi Everyone,

If I write, "the sun is shining" it is very simple. If I add qualifiers like "the sun is shining, if you go out side" or "the sun is shining, when it is not raining" or "the sun is shining, in the daytime", I am still communicating, "the sun is shining" with details. The other day I heard a statement that I haven't heard in years (decades). The statement was "there are many ways to interpret the Bible". (this is not true) This statement or similar statements have been used to discount the Bible or discredit referring to the Bible. Why? Some do it to promote their Church doctrines and make you think that you need them to understand the Bible or to understand God. Others do it just to discredit any belief in God. If you believe what is written in the Bible the way it is written, it is very simple to understand over 98% of the times and regarding matters that relate to your eternal life, 100% of the time! Example Jesus said in Mark 10:27 "… with God all things are possible" this is very simple, just like saying "the sun is shining". People may try to change it with their doctrines, which tell you how to understand the Bible or how to read the Bible. Translators may manipulate the words. This is why it is good to compare translations, which is usually sufficient to keep most translators honest. Keep it simple and just read it the way it is written.

Marriage Workshop Moment

To refresh what you have learned in our Workshop or entice you to experience our Workshop

"Remember, all marriages can be better, if you use what you learned."

Why work on your marriage?

1. Most people want enjoyable, lasting marriages.

2. Jesus quoted (Matthew 19:5 TEV) God (Genesis 2:24) when He said "…two will become one…". Being one doesn't happen automatically, you have to work at being one and learning how to work together as a team.

3. God said in Malachi 2:16 (NIV) "I hate divorce…" Being obedient to God is important to your eternal life. Take no pleasure in getting divorced and then telling your ex they are going to hell.

Also it is good to know that from a study in 2009 of over 3 million households, 76 % have married only once. Over 19% have been married twice; and only 5% have been married three or more times.(7.25% in Oklahoma). Often to try to encourage people to work on their marriages people manipulate statistics to make people feel like everyone is divorced. Actually the exact opposite is true. Join the majority and stay married.

Understanding the Message:

What I share in the message is what I believe God wants me to share. All the direct quotes from God are highlighted in royal purple. Of course the words of Jesus are in red. Rather than follow some made up doctrine, remember that Jesus said that every thing He said (Jn 12:49) and everything He did (Jn 14:31) comes from God. All teachings and all opinions should be supported by what we learn from God or Jesus.

Message:

On Fire for God

Recently I attended a Minister's Seminar where this man was sharing about his ministry helping Pastors. He claimed that statistics showed that in our country 1,700 ministers leave the ministry each month and that 50% of those in ministry will not last 5 years. His ministry helps financially, with legal support, counseling, emergency needs, vacation get-a-ways or just some one to talk to. With many ministers if they talk to someone in their Church or denomination and mention a personal weakness, it could cost them their job. Some may say that these ministers are just a "…hireling…"1 like Jesus talks about. Certainly that may be true in many cases but some people with a call on their lives need time to grow and develop. Yes, some Christians are not very Christ like in the way they treat their Pastors and this ministry is a big help. Many years ago, before we had a Marriage Workshop, I preformed a wedding for an older couple who were attending a local Bible School. After they graduated, they came to our Church and wanted to be a part of our ministry. I tried to involve them and even went to their home and installed some ministry related software on his computer to help them. They dropped away and many months later the wife called me and told me she had divorced her husband. Also she told me that while they were in our Church they took another couple, who were active leaders in our Church at the time and graduates from the same Bible School, out to dinner. Apparently, according to the ex-wife, they tried to get the other couple to help them "take the Church away" from me (I guess I'm lucky it belongs to God and not me). Even when you work for God rather than a board or a denomination there are potential problems.

People get on fire for God and then get burned out. Some times other people help them get burned out. One of the factors that helps cause this problem is that many Churches treat their Pastor like an employee, since they pay his salary. In response, many Pastors treat their Church people like their bosses and try to please them first. Paul understood that frustration when he wrote, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."2 Cannot please both people and God.

Jesus was constantly being hassled by Church leaders. He was not soft in His responses to them. I smile when I think about the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) emphasis that some Christians promoted a while back. Frequently, it appeared that the people using WWJD were clueless as to what Jesus really did. Imagine if Pastors called their Church leaders "…blind guides…" or "…hypocrites…" or "… whitewashed tombs…" or "…full of hypocrisy and wickedness" as Jesus did3. Some Church leaders do deserve these descriptions and worse and if their Pastor told them that they were hypocrites the Pastor may find himself homeless. Is this so bad? Apparently, Jesus during his ministry was homeless4. How far do we go to win approval of people instead of approval of God?

How did Jesus keep from being burned out? His personal support group was not always supportive. One time Peter tried to cause doubt in Jesus and encouraged Him to think the way people might think. Jesus immediately criticized Peter for talking that way5. Jesus stayed firm in His convictions. Some of you may wonder why I am sharing on this subject, as you are not in ministry and have no plans to be in ministry. The same criteria that can help anyone in ministry can help anyone in their effort to follow God. Are you trying to follow God?

Renewable Energy

When you cook with wood or coal or oil or gas, your energy supply will burn up and have to be replaced. If you cook with a solar oven, tomorrow when the sun comes up you can cook again. Your energy is renewed daily, more than you can use. This is called renewable energy. It comes from a source that will continue to supply energy the rest of your life. If are on fire for God, whether you are a baby Christian hitting others over the head with your new Bible or if you are a fired up Pastor organizing people and developing programs to spread the Gospel and you are using all the charm and personal skills you possess, you have a good chance that you will eventually burn up or burn out. One time Jesus drew over twenty thousand people to listen to Him teach9. Jesus never bragged about His crowds, rather He made it clear that no one would come to Him unless God drew them10. Jesus' ministry was really God's ministry through Jesus11. If your strength and energy comes from God you will never run out. Your energy will be renewed constantly, more frequently than sunlight. Jeremiah said concerning God's love and compassions, "They are new every morning…"6. Jesus said concerning His nourishment and source of strength that … "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me..."7. Frequently we read that Jesus spent enormous time talking to God (praying)8. God's renewable energy is available every second of the day to all of us.

Let's pray

"God help us to be used by YOU. Help us to rely on YOU and depend on YOU for our energy and strength. Thank YOU God, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. John 10:12-13

2. Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

3. Matthew 15:14; 23:26-28 (NIV)

4. Matthew 8:20

5. Mark 8:32-33

6. Lamentations 3:23 (NIV)

7. John 4:34 (NKJV)

8. Matthew 14:32; 26:39-44, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:28, John 17:1-26

9. Matthew 14:21

10. John 6:44

11. John 12:49