PURE MINISTRY Part 2

2 Corinthian 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"

On last week I started a discussion on the topic of pure ministry. I was challenged by the Holy Spirit to examine my own ministry and determine it's purity before God. Of course ministry is the continual act of service to either God or man or both. Ministry is the work that one does because they have knowledge of their spiritual gifts, abilities and assignments that God has given to them to perform.

Pure ministry is ministry done without hidden agendas and ulterior motives. It is being faithful in executing your call with the desire to please God and bless people.

Today as I continue this discussion I want to discuss what defiles pure ministry.

Once a person starts to operate in their gifts which determines the ministry that God has called them to they must always be on guard for Satan. He is our arch enemy and he loves defiling what is pure. 

Paul reveals the strategy of the devil in 2 Corinthian 11:3. Satan uses deception to corrupt pure ministry. Deception is being cheated by believing a false appearance. First Satan works on the vision of the ministry. In the beginning the person is all about God and doing His will. But if a person in ministry is not careful the vision will become more about his will and desires over God's will and desire for that ministry. And that where deception comes in.

If Satan can get you to change the vision of ministry then you will change the voice of ministry. In the beginning it was all about saying what God said. Your motive was representing the Word of God to the world. But now it's more important about what you say and what you think and what you want others to hear.

A deceived ministry is motivated by what Satan has shown it instead of what God has said. Satan deceives through three areas: The lust of the eye (what I see is what I want), the lust of the flesh (what  I want is what I should I get), the pride of life ( I do what I want with what I see and what I can get). Ministry loses purity when it loses God's vision and God's voice. In Revelation 2 the church at Ephesus lost pure ministry when they lost their vision which was to love Jesus first. And Jesus warned them that they were about to lose their voice if they didn't get back their vision. Their voice was their lamp stand which is influence in their community. History records that this church did lose their lamp stand because they lost pure ministry.

Satan loves nothing more than corrupting pure ministry by corrupting the mind of the one who ministers. If Satan can corrupt the mind he can corrupt the the ministry which comes from the mind. It is vitally important to protect your mind because it is the gateway to ministry. Out of the mind comes knowledge, thoughts, creativity, memories and understanding.

Pure ministry comes from the knowledge of God which fills the mind with the thoughts of God. The thoughts of God releases your creativity, which is the fruit of your imagination. The memories of times that you shared with God and which God used you to bless others with your ministry becomes sweet recollections that you can relive over and over again. And you come to understand God's will and purpose for your life.

When the mind is corrupted the knowledge of God is replaced with self knowledge and human knowledge. Thoughts become self centered and egotistical. Your creativity becomes motivated by money and altruistic motives. Your memories become self seeking and distorted and your understanding becomes cloudy.

When Satan gets the mind he gets the ministry. Don't let Satan corrupt your mind. Fill it with the Word of God. Think the thoughts of God which comes out of God's Word. Protect your creativity by recognizing that all your gifts and abilities comes from God to be used for His glory and not your bottom line and reputation. Keep the memories of God's presence in your life and in all things get understanding that comes from knowing God's plan and purpose for your life.

If your ministry is impure repent and ask God to restore you to purity which in Jesus Christ. I believe that the God's people are in a season where God is judging ministry with fire and the only ministries that are pleasing God are those ministry that are pure like gold and silver, and precious stones. Judgment is in the house of God and impure ministries are being exposed and dismantled by the fire of God's judgment (1 Corinthian 3:12-15).  

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.