PURE MINISTRY Part 1

2 Corinthians 11:3 "BUT I FEAR, LEST SOMEHOW, AS THE SERPENT DECEIVED EVE BY HIS CRAFTINESS, SO YOUR MINDS MAY BE CORRUPTED FROM THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST."

I've been teaching at the New Mine Creek Church on finding and maintaining balance between soul, spirit and body (1 Thess 5:23). As I wrote the material that I taught yesterday I was led to the verse from 2 Corinthians that is written as the introduction of this post.

From this one verse the Holy Spirit took me on a journey yesterday that continues to this very minute as I write these words. I was led by the Holy Spirit to examine my ministry and to judge it asking myself if it is pure. And as I judged the ministry which God has given me the Holy Spirit caused me to share with you the same challenge. Is your ministry pure? As I consider the meaning of the word pure I was led to another word that describes pure ministry and that is word is sincere. Sincerity is the ability to be honest and open. A sincere ministry will operate without hidden agendas and ulterior motives.

As I considered pure ministry I looked at the ministries that God has given me. He has called me to be a worshipper and an intercessor. He has given me the ministry of husband and father. he has given me a ministry of pastor, preacher and teacher of His Word. He has given me the ministry of scribe, writing stories, life lessons and teaching material. He has given me a publishing company that published my first novel in 2009 and will be publishing my second book this summer.

As I looked at all of these responsibilities that I operate in according to the gifts and abilities that Abba Father has deposited in me I took a careful look at the purity of the ministry that He has called me to.

I considered a second word that describes purity and that word is faithful. A pure ministry will be faithful to God, and faithful to people. Pure ministry is consistent. It is being devoted to what you have been called to do.

Then I dealt with why is pure ministry so important? The analogy that the Holy Spirit brought to my mind was that of running water washing over and cleansing everything that it touches and flows through. In that same way your ministry is like flowing waters touching and reaching every person who receives it. If the ministry is not pure than what pours out of you affects the person to whom you minister. If what comes out of you and me is contaminated then we contaminate the person that we minister to.

Pure ministry cleanses and purifies the one who receives it. Our ministry is pure because the source of the ministry is Christ and He is pure, without blemishes and spots. As we operate in Him who is pure then what pours out of us will be pure.

David, the second king of Israel had a pure ministry, although he was not perfect. His ministry was pure because he was a God seeker. He was sincere about what he did and he was faithful to the very end. When confronted about his sin he was humble. Not only did David bless his kingdom as he ministered to Israel but he is still blessings today thousands of years after he died.

Seek to be pure in your service to God and man. Be pure in what you do in the service of the Lord. Don't contaminate the gift that God has given you by selfishness and ambition. Let the waters of your gifts flow out of you to bless every person who receives what you give. Be the river that is needed to cleanse the house of God.

The next time I write I am going to show us what defiles pure ministry. God bless you.