Ministering to the Lord

Do we have enough understanding of the word of God for ourselves to identify wrong teaching when we hear it, or do we let our leaders do the interpreting for us? Is our idea of studying the Bible to read everyone else’s latest book and googling all the popular beliefs on any given topic?

Even if we attend seminary and have multiple degrees, we must filter all that knowledge through our intimate relationship with the Lord. Attending Bible college does not qualify us or validate our call to minister. Without a personal relationship with the Father, we will teach doctrines of men and religious traditions filled with leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:6)

1 John 2:27 (NKJV) But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

The Bible also says, “call no man your teacher.”

Matthew 23:8-11 (NKJV) But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. ⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

This is not a contradiction to Ephesians 4, where Jesus gave us teachers and the other five-fold ministry gifts to equip us. We should listen to other teachers and preachers. Still, at the same time, we must filter those teachings through our intimate relationship with the Lord, allowing the living Word to divide and discern the truth rightly. We can easily detect any error if we are sensitive to the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The result of not abiding in God’s word for ourselves is having itchy ears and becoming lukewarm in our relationship with God. If we are comfortable in our relationship with God then we are lukewarm and loving it. God gave us the Comforter for a reason. If we are abiding in Him, completely submitted to His will, there will not be a day we will not need to be comforted.

Revelation 3:16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

We should ask ourselves; How much time and effort are we investing in our relationship with the Lord? What does our relationship with God look like when no one is looking? Are we studying the Bible to know God better or learning to devise a sermon to preach to others?

Our relationship with God is our most important ministry. It is a ministry to the Lord, not to people. Ministry to people should come from the overflow of our ministry to the Lord.

Quoted from the book, The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto

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The Manna Test

          We find one of the most fundamental truths about the Christian life in how God provided manna for Israel during their forty-year journey through the wilderness.

Exodus 16:4-5 (NKJV) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. ⁵ And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

          The purpose of the manna was not just to provide food for God’s people but primarily to test them in their faith and obedience. To see if they would follow God’s commands.

          God fed Israel supernaturally for forty years by raining down a fine bread-like substance from Heaven. It fell to the Earth every night for six days during the week. It fell in the form of tiny white specs and tasted like wafers with honey.

          The Israelites were commanded to collect about half a gallon of manna per person daily. On the sixth day, they were to gather a double portion because no manna fell on the sabbath day. Any leftover manna would stink and breed worms, so they could not live off the manna from yesterday. It must be gathered daily according to God’s instructions and a double portion for the Sabbath.

          What is this strange story telling us about our Christian life today? Every story, every interaction, and every encounter with God we see in the Old Testament is for our instruction in the New. Everything from Genesis to Revelation points to Christ and Christian living.

Romans 15:4 (NKJV) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 

          The word “manna” means; “What is it?” That is what the Israelites said when they first saw it lying on the ground. Manna is a type of the Word of God.

Israel didn’t understand God’s reason for the manna, much like the Church today does not understand the divine purpose and significance of the Word of God. Israel did not just disobey God’s instructions concerning the manna; they continually despised it and complained about it. They did not appreciate that God was demonstrating His daily love, care, and commitment to them through this bread-like substance that fell from Heaven.

Had Israel joyfully obeyed God’s instructions about the manna, they would not have wandered in the wilderness for forty years and died without ever reaching the promised land.

Christians behold God’s written word today and say the same thing in their hearts, “what is it? I don’t understand it. I have heard that before. It’s hard to swallow. Hard to understand. I’m tired of eating the same old manna every day.”

The written word is here to test us in the same way that manna tested the Israelites. To see if we will keep and obey His commands. Most Christians don’t honor God’s Word properly nor understand that this is the very thing that gives spiritual life and health to them.

It is essential to notice that God commanded them to gather manna daily. The manna provided daily fuel and sustenance for their physical bodies. The written word provides the fuel and nourishment for the spiritual part of our being.

Think about the time and effort it would take to gather a half-gallon of tiny white specks off the ground. It would undoubtedly take more than just a few minutes. God could have rained down manna the size of marbles or golf balls, but He didn’t. He chose to make it the size of a coriander seed so His people would have time to consider what they were doing and the significance of why they were doing it.

Think about the amount of time spent bowing down low in a position of humility to receive this precious manna? There is divine purpose and wisdom in how God does everything. The process of daily collecting bread from the ground is a prophetic example of how we are to approach God’s word.

Not properly appreciating the unleavened bread of the written word leads us to seek the leavened bread of entertaining teachers and preachers that make us feel good instead of transforming us into His image. Leavened teaching causes us to have itchy ears and perpetuates a self-deception that disqualifies us from the blessings of the kingdom of God. We must collect our own manna daily if we are to grow strong spiritually.

Quoted from the book, The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto

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Flesh is Your Enemy

Romans 8:6-8 (NKJV) or to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸ So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The word “enmity” in verse 7 means hostile opposition or hatred toward God. The carnal mind, our flesh, is God’s enemy; therefore, it should be our enemy. We must all come to the place where we see our carnal nature as our enemy. When we do, we will be less likely to have pet sins.

Many Christians have sins they keep as pets. Familiar habits or old crisis mechanisms that give relief, comfort, and satisfaction when their flesh screams at the top of its lungs to “FEED ME!” 

A pet sin is the one we run to when we are tired or feeling weak. The sin we defend, protect, and get angry over when confronted about it. A sin that torments us at our most vulnerable point and yet the one we can’t seem to get free from. A sin that we quickly yield to, even though we know we shouldn’t. A pet that we make provision for and feed in secret. We run to it for instant gratification and then feel guilty immediately after we yield to it. It is possibly the most dangerous of deceptions to our souls and one that can hinder our spiritual progress.

God has promised to deliver us from our enemies, not our pets!

Many don’t realize we are feeding our carnal, fleshly desires. We think that what we are doing is no big deal. It is a huge deal! Let me give you some examples:

If you have been delivered from drugs and you know that it has a strong pull on your flesh, anything that would stir up old memories and desires should be avoided. Movies with drug abuse, talking about your old lifestyle, or even driving through the part of town where you used to buy drugs can all be triggers that let “the cat” in the door.

If you struggle with overeating or binging junk food, it is much easier to win the battle if you stay out of the junk-food aisle in the grocery store. If it stimulates any of your five senses, it has the potential to pull on you. If the shortest route to your destination is through an area that stirs up memories of past sins, take another course! The long way is better than the wrong way.

What about being addicted to entertainment? Surfing the internet, social media, and video games? Wasting hours every day on mindless foolishness? Is that harmless? Or is it stealing the life right out of you, keeping you from things more important, and warring against your soul?

If you think it is no big deal, or if you think you are strong enough to handle it. You may wake up one day and realize that the little thing that is “no big deal” has now become your enormous pet and is demanding to be fed! If we provide food for our enemy, he gets stronger and has more power to harm us. If we feed our spirit, it will grow stronger and overcome the flesh.

What we feed grows. What we starve dies.

Quoted from the book, The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto

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The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto:

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Powerful, practical lessons about living a supernatural Christian life, exposing Satan’s deceptions, and equipping believers for victory.

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JC