Discipleship: Prayer and Judgement

I have devoted this chapter to a discussion around a couple of mindsets that hinder us from consistently walking in the Spirit. If there are any other questions you have or would like to see discussed in one of our forums, please post it on our Facebook page at sons.training.

PRAYING FOR SERVITUDE

Have you ever prayed for God to use you in a certain way or under certain circumstances? For example, you might have your heart set on foreign missions or maybe tele-evangelism; or maybe you just want to be able to work full-time ministry. Regardless of what your aspirations are, I am sure that at some point you have prayed about them.

Example #1: Twenty-five years ago, we lived in Bonaventure, a community west of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. It was a beautiful home with swimming pool and a large patio area. As a single parent, I was so grateful the Lord had allowed us to live in such a nice place. However, the up-keep was more than I had anticipated. Between cooking, cleaning and washing, I had very little time to focus on ministry. At least I didn’t have the time I would like to have had; and still keep a clean house. I woke up early one morning and found myself sitting on the side of the bed. I had not slept well during the night; as my mind was filled with things I knew I needed to get done in the ministry as well as things that needed to be done at home. I was getting tired just thinking about them. For me, this was a big deal. My heart longed to serve the Lord without distraction and as far as I was concerned, domesticity was a distraction. But instead of complaining and whining about it, I rolled off the bed onto my knees and prayed. I remember saying to the Lord, “You know that my heart is to serve you every day and all day. You also know, that is what I will do if possible. If you would just deliver me from this domesticity, then I would devote all my time to serving your people.” Well, two or three days later, one of the members of the church, came to me after service and said the Lord wanted her to take care of my house and my clothes. And now I can truly say that since that day, no matter what city, state, or country, I find myself in, the Lord has prepared someone to take care of my domestic needs.

Example #2: At the conception of the Bible Teachers Ministry, I realized that God had entrusted me with leadership. He had actually ordained me in things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, to be delivered to the people of God. I was so excited and humbled at the same time. I wanted to be the best minister God had ever called. I knew there were some things in my character that would evidently hinder me from this spiritual goal. But I was willing to give up completely to the Lord. I wanted real ministry; and I was willing to pay the price, (regardless as to what that price was). Of course I fasted and prayed as I studied the Word of God. But one day I fell on my face before the Lord and cried out to Him out of the depths of my heart. I said, “Lord, you can keep the money, the fine clothes, the cars, the houses and land. All I want is divine wisdom and knowledge to lead your people.” I was broken and contrite in my spirit. Suddenly I didn’t want anything, other than the spiritual blessings He had promised in the scriptures. I regretted the wantonness that was sprinkled in my heart and sitting like pools of quicksand waiting for my soul. My prayer was real and made its way to the ears of my Lord. Not long after, The Lord visited me with a revelation on faith. Since then, I have received fresh manna continuously from God. The people are able to eat and grow. I am able to counsel the people of God according to the wisdom in the Word. I have also been able to lead the people into doing things in the ministry they themselves never dreamed they would be able to do. This is all because God answered my prayer.

Example #3: About forty-three years ago, I attended a church in Hollywood, Fl., that was receiving a live satellite feed of Charles Caps Ministry. I was fascinated by the fact that the people in that room were actually watching a live teaching session coming out of California or some other distant state. At that moment I knew I wanted a live satellite teaching network. Well, when I proceeded to look into the cost of such a thing, I found it to be way out of my monetary range. It would take at least $3,000,000.00 to obtain this precious tool. But when Bible Teachers Ministries began to spread out into other cities and even other states, I knew I had to have my own teaching network. This time I went to inquire of the Lord. He knew my heart and saw that my purpose was pure. A few years later, the Internet was in our backyard. We jumped on it; and the rest is history. Now I am able to stand in a little town called Leesburg, Florida and stream my teachings live to every nation on the planet. I often tell people God allowed the invention of the Internet so that my prayer would be answered.

Now I have cited three examples of prayers I prayed regarding servitude in ministry, two of which were answered almost immediately; and one that was years before fulfilment. In the distance between the time one prays such a prayer to its manifestation, nothing may seem to happen or change. In such a space the Lord is allowing circumstances, situations, relationships, and the Word, to influence your spiritual disposition. God is a loving Father, who knows His children. He knows what blessings even in ministry we are able to handle. You must consider that everything God does for you, regarding servitude in ministry, affects His overall plan and purpose. Therefore, He will insert things into your life that are timed according to His redemption plan. He heard your prayer, but He also knows when and how to answer. If you are in a right place with God, then whenever you pray about a thing, if He doesn’t say “no” or reveal to you an alternative, then chances are it is coming in His timing. Keep the faith.

“Don’t Trouble Me”

The Lord has always been faithful to give us the proper perspective of scripture. Knowledge is truly power. It is no mystery that the Lord has said, His people perish for a lack of knowledge. However, His perspective of salvation enables us to walk even as Christ walked 2000 years ago. God has given us the life of Christ; and with that being said I want us to look at the following scripture.

Galatians 6:15

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Paul had written an epistle to the church at Galatia. Throughout his letter, he teaches Christ as the true liberty in holiness and also as the end of the law. The church at Galatia was his own fruit in the Lord. He had raised them in the admonition of the Lord and in the mystery of godliness. However, shortly after Paul left them they turned to perverted doctrines; and followed the words of heretics, who obeyed not the truth. It is not by chance that in the first chapter, Paul validates himself as a true apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. His primary calling was to watch for the saints of God, and to establish the boundaries of the faith for the Gentile church. However, there were ministers in his flock who were not in agreement with the doctrine he had established; nor were they in submission to apostolic order. As a result, they ministered their own doctrines and established their own ministerial methodology which eventually brought the saints into a state of division and confusion. This is a dangerous place to be. The scripture speaks of those who are ordained to condemnation. These are evil men who will use the flock for personal gain. They are totally uninterested in the spiritual development of those they lead. Consider Jude’s words in this matter.

Jude 1:3-4

3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to the foresight and foreknowledge of the choices of these persons God foreordained them to the condemnation of being one who is a stumbling block to the flock. These men are preserved in darkness. However, let us consider the traits of these men.

Ungodly men – These men have trampled upon the grace of Jesus Christ by refusing to live a life of holiness. Knowing the truth, they reject it for wantonness, personal gain or comfort. They refuse to be an example to those they lead and do not care whether their lives are proof of the mystery of Christ or not. They are also filled with uncleanness and iniquity, and refuse to keep a pure heart.

Turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness – They abuse the life and influence that God has given them to pursue lusts of the heart. They use the members of Christ to pursue their own agendas, wants, pride and lust. They use his body for uncleanness and lust. They refuse to minister the truth because it offends them and also reveals areas in which they simply refuse to change. They are ok if themselves and those whom they lead, never become the full image and stature of the man Jesus Christ.

Denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ – They deny the methodology set in place by Christ through apostolic order. They refuse to go all the way in their walk in God. They refuse the Lord’s complete control of their flesh. Their obedience depends on their desires and agendas; this is not the way of a leader in the Body. Paul said, “Do not trouble me.” By this, he simply means, “Do not bother me with this. Every son of God must judge whether his own heart is totally given over to Christ. If not, he will be a stumbling block to others in or out of the faith. I will not change or bend the rules.

The standard of holiness is sure. So don’t come to me expecting me to instruct you of some alternative to the Word of God.” If we constantly struggle with truth; refuse to walk in holiness; and seek the sympathy of the Lord concerning those things he has called us to do, his response to us is, “Do not trouble me”. The truth will always remain the same. He will not change it to fit our desires and agendas. If it is not settled in our heart to do all things God’s way, then we will become just as the church at Galatia; a set of people who heard the truth and turned away from it.

STRUGGLING WITH GOD’S JUDGMENTS

Is it true that you don’t always agree with the judgments of God in your life, or in the lives of others? Maybe you wanted something that was not sinful in any way, you knew God could grant it, but He refused to do so. Therefore, you had to forebear and move on. Perhaps you knew someone who died in a car accident, leaving four small children behind. However you could never understand why God would allow such a thing to happen to such a nice person. I know there were times when I didn’t agree, yet wisdom has taught me why. At one point in my ministry, one of the ministers, whom I had raised up, backslid due to wantonness and lusts for the things of this life. Money, control over the people of God, and hobnobbing with the who’s who, became more preferable than ministerial integrity. Of course, righteous counsel was ignored and the individual, (who, for the purpose of this teaching, I will refer to as Taylor; a unisex name that could be male or female), proceeded to do all that was in their heart. However, after a time the Lord allowed me to know that this person was reprobate. This minister and one-time friend of mine, was now rejected by God, thrown back into the world and slated for eternal damnation. The Lord had given Taylor over to his/her own mind, to continue in his/ her pernicious ways. This was a horror story for me. I did not want to believe or rather accept that such was the case. I wept, mourned and tried to pray for this person as I had always done. But something was wrong. My prayers were hindered; and I knew they were hindered.

So the first thing I did was examine my heart for any form of iniquity regarding the sin of the minister. This was necessary because in his/her departure from the ministry, they had laid many offenses and did much evil against me personally. Therefore, I laid my heart before the Lord for full examination. There was nothing evil in my heart; in fact upon examination I discovered that I really truly loved the minister. Now this is where I really need you to follow me. It was my love for that minister that caused me not to accept as a reality, the judgment of God regarding him/her. Though I knew the Lord had spoken this to me, I struggled with accepting its reality; my struggle was in the name of love. I truly loved this person, and the thought of them being eternally cut off from God was horrifying. Though this scenario happened several years ago, this is the first time I am able to speak of it in this manner. In the name of our love and compassion we struggle with the judgments of God. We think they are too harsh or even cruel. But one day, as I randomly thought on this matter, the Lord said, “Is your love deeper than mine? Why do you wrestle with this, seeing as how I have rejected him/her?” Suddenly I understood. You see, when God speaks, your spirit is enlightened. I was not walking in the Spirit, if I was, I would have had His sentiments concerning this matter. I was not one with God. In the name of love, I justified my position and refused to accept what I knew to be the judgment of God. My so-called, love for the individual had created another god, ‘the god of my imagination.’ He would not cut the person off; after all, they have done some good in the Kingdom. This god of my imagination had bonded with my sentiments for the person and thus I was able to hold on to a shaky spiritual position. I say shaky because I was struggling within. Internally, my position was always bumping heads with the truth. My prayers about the matter were hindered because God was letting me know that He was not entertaining them. I thank God for grace; for it was grace that spoke to me that day and enlightened me as to where I really stood. If you find yourself not agreeing with the judgments of God for your life or that of others, then judge yourself to see if you be in the faith.