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Habukkuk 2:2 Write the vision and make it plain
"DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE GOD?" By STAN HENSON It is increasingly clear to me that many Christians, the church body, don't really believe in Jesus; they use the church as a form of life insurance. They have become holy ghost policyholders who fail to walk in or exercise their faith. Many people do not understand that to obtain heavenly miracles, they must have heavenly faith. You can't obtain a miracle from God with the earthly, worldly logic and manner of faith practiced by some of today's churches. We act as if walking on water did not happen; as if the Red Sea was not parted, and the sick were not healed. As we approach the Millennium, God wants us to prepare for the Wedding. The Rapture! Stop asking God for worldly, material things; He is not trying to hear that! He wants us to seek His face and to know His will for our lives. When I go to the hospital to pray for the sick, I don't pray for that worthless flesh; I pray for the soul. The devil does not want your flesh; he wants your soul! What will you take with you in death? Your soul is all you will take with you; not your car, not your clothes, and not your career! Not your man; not your woman! Just your soul! If you want a breakthrough, you will have to have "water walking faith", but first you must get out of the boat! whatever that is -- a relationship; debt; low self-esteem... If it hinders you, it is keeping you in the boat! unable to test your faith. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS! FORSAKE THE WORLD TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT OF YOU. GO FORTH AND TAKE NO THOUGHT!
When Helping You Is Hurting Me
When Helping You Is Hurting Me Have you given all you have to the ministry? God wants to bring exhausted church leaders into His 'secret place.' By: T.D. Jakes Hidden in the secret whispers of broken-hearted leaders is the agonizing cry of weariness and frustration. It's the cry that lodges behind the lips of pastors and their spouses who feel exasperated by the grueling demands of ministry, overwhelmed by the endless expectations of people who require much and recompense little. It's a fact of life in the ministry: Sometimes those of us who have "been there" for everyone else face moments or seasons when no one seems to be there for us. Many ministers today suffer from burnout. Tragically, they cannot even safely admit they are tired of people. A good mother is allowed days when she is tired of the demands of the children she birthed. Her frustration doesn't mean she doesn't want them; it means today she is tired and she needs a break. Pastors are rarely given such grace. For the young minister, the newness of ministry is typically approached with flaming passion. But later, when the day-to-day monotony sinks in and he is assailed by the ingratitude of others, his passion is likely to dissipate--especially if he has no one he can go to and confess, "I am tired and empty, and I feel unloved and unfulfilled." Other ministers ought to understand. But too often, rivalries between pastors working in the same city destroy any sense of "brotherhood" among them. At times, the terrible strain of ministry on a marriage is what seems unbearable. This is particularly true when the marriage existed before the ministry. It is then that many wives feel as if the church has stolen the husband and lover she married. In his place is a religious robot who spends his energy and passion on his mistress, the church. He wrongly assumes that he should love the church and feed his wife. But the fact is, we were never told to love the church; Christ does that for us. We are told to love our wives and feed the church. Too many pastors are having an affair with their careers. That can only lead to frustration and despair. Ministry is a demanding lover with few feelings of loyalty for those who look to her for appreciation or recognition. In addition, many ministries have grown quickly and are now challenged with the struggles of having been blessed. Success can be as painful as failure if you are not equipped for it. The minister who suddenly finds himself going from having a wonderful testimony and a few speaking engagements to leading a megachurch with board meetings, staff problems, tax fears, marital strains, emotional distresses and sexual temptations is a prime candidate for real depression. Even while he wrestles with the fear of failure, he must be prepared to deal with jealousy, cruel rumors, media attacks and church splits--and the list goes on and on. I wish I had a word that would take the pain away. I wish I could say that the ministry gets easier and less demanding. But I am convinced the ministry does not change. It is what it is, and it costs what it costs. It is you who God changes. Realistic expectations. If we are to avoid disappointment as pastors, we must adjust our expectations to the reality rather than the ideal of ministry. Idealistically, we think we have found a place of fulfillment in the pastorate. Idealistically, we believe if we lay down our lives for the sheep, we will be applauded. The truth is, the shepherd is only a steward of the sheep. The relationship is temporal. The sheep are being reared with a purpose--and that purpose is neither camaraderie nor friendship. The flock will not give you a sense of family. If you expect that, then you will end up feeling betrayed. They will not give you intimacy or affection. They will take from your scarred and bleeding hands direction without affection, guidance without commitment. Only those who make the transition from sheep to disciples begin to feel any level of loyalty--and that is the direct result of discipline. If only we could realize that our purpose is to be caretakers. We are responsible for leading our flock to the place where the grass is green, but it is up to them to eat! We cannot be responsible for how much they digest. We cannot make people mature. Yet many ministers are exhausted from playing God. We have worn ourselves out trying to be spiritual policemen. Sometimes we've done it through ignorance; other times, for fear of being ridiculed by our peers for having problems in the sheepfold. It is enough to be responsible for ensuring that our people have the opportunity to graze in the rich grass of God's nutritious Word. Beyond that, we must trust the Word to take its effect. It will work faster in some people than in others. The spiritual body grows and metabolizes food at different rates much like the natural body does. Soaring like eagles. So how do we experience real peace and real joy amid the pain, turmoil and disappointments of ministry? It only comes when we, like the eagle, determine to fly above the storm. Because the winds do not cease and the journey must continue, the only hope of survival we have is to spread our wings, focus our vision and be lifted by the wind to a height above it all. There is a place the psalmist calls "the secret place." He does not tell us much about it--only that, "He that dwells in [it]...shall abide" (Ps. 91:1, NKJV). Woe to the minister who fails to find the secret place! It transcends denominations. It has nothing to do with money or doctrine. I believe it is our attitude that determines our altitude. It is our attitude that allows us to soar above those things that would otherwise overcome us. When the disciples were rocked by the death of Jesus (who they thought would stay and lead them), Peter decided, "I'm going fishing." What a strange time to go fishing! Yet it was a wise decision--the decision of a man who desperately needed to find the secret place. Every pastor (and his spouse) needs time away--a sabbath. It is during that sabbath that we find tranquility and refreshing. I'm not talking about going out of town to attend yet another service. It must not be a conference or a workshop. Just go fishing! You'd be surprised to know how much God can bless you through ordinary relaxation. Please, pastor, save some time for yourself. You are important, also. Many of us harbor hidden low self-esteem. We deem everything and everyone more important than ourselves and think that meeting their needs is more important than meeting our own. But if you run out of gas, everyone riding with you will be left stranded. Your life must have a balance or you will become consumed by what you do. It is dangerous not to have any life beyond your ministry. You are not what you do; there is a vast difference between who you are and what you do. Have you lost yourself in your calling? Many of us would have fainted before now if it were not for God being so faithful to enable us to endure. His grace gives strength to those who have no might of their own. Go ahead, admit it: Sometimes it really hurts to help others. Thank God He has provided a secret place for us to stagger into and be revived. About the Author: T.D. Jakes bases his ministry in Dallas, where he pastors the Potter's House church. His most recent book is Help! I'm Raising My Children Alone (Creation House). E-mail us: Send us your comments, feedback or a letter to the editor. © 1996 Strang Communications http://www.strang.com/offer2.htmhttp://www.strang.com/offer2.htmhttp://www.strang.com/offer3.htmhttp://www.strang.com/offer3.htm Christian Retailing|Charisma|Charisma Now TV|CopyrightChristian Life|Free Issue|CharismaLife|Creation House|Ministries Today|Home|Subscribe|New Man| _
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