A few years ago we did a teaching on intellectual idolatry, and recently I've been led to think about how that is one end of the spectrum of error we can get into, where we so idolize cultural markers of intelligence or mistake surface legitimacy for authenticity and truth. But there is another area where we can go into error as well, and that is shutting down thinking or denying people the ability to question and think critically. 

Deliverance ministry is challenging in that way, because we are dealing not just with soul (intellect, feelings, volition) but with spirit. We know that emotions and thinking can be influenced by the spiritual, and yet often what our "gut" tells us and our "mind" thinks has validity, even if that does not fall into spiritual peace. So care and attention needs to be made in ministry that we don't go into the error of thinking everything is spiritual and therefore we start ignoring wholesale large areas of thinking and feeling.

Words and phrases that stop our thoughts and get us to abandon our true feelings about something will not help us spiritually.

Sometimes that "icky" feeling you get about someone, or about something you see, is right on.  Not everything can be explained by the spiritual. And just because it is a feeling of "something's not right here," it does not mean that you are "in divination,"  or "in accusation." Something may actually be "not right," and your thinking and feelings may be trying to get your attention.

God gave you a brain and it is okay to use it. In fact, you are licensed and ordained to think and to feel, and you don't have to discount your thinking just because someone else does not agree. In fact, no matter how many people agree that something wrong is right, it still does not make that thing right.  As you explore and learn ministry, don't let anyone rob you or deceive you in telling you that their thinking is superior to yours.

There is freedom when addressing spiritual issues, but the far side of error is going into denial of reality. God wants us to see things as they are, but also with the hope of what He can do. 

​At the same time, we do live a life which has spiritual substance as well as logical thought and emotion, and it would be unwise to invalidate anything God gave us or to ignore or shut down useful facilities that help us to make wise choices. 

Obedience to God means we do not set our hearts on having a following ourselves. We set our hearts on God and His kingdom. The excellency is in Him. The glory is due Him.

The Pharisees in Jesus' day were threatened by Jesus' God given authority. The Pharisees had some legitimate authority, but authority was postured, and they utilized traditions and manipulation of "the law" to get people to fall in line to achieve ends that would establish the Pharisee power base for the benefit of the Pharisee advantage, to the detriment of the Spirit of God and what God was trying to accomplish.

Along came Jesus, obedient to the Father unto death, and filled with the LOVE of God, and submitted to God. He was seen as a usurper, as an occultist, as a troublemaker and a division maker. Yet it was His obedience that was to make peace between God and man. 

We need to be seeing dynamics of what we think of as modern "church." What spirit is operating in us? Are we trying to build kingdoms for ourselves? Are we inwardly ravening wolves, trying to establish the status quo for our own comfort? Are we men or women who are wanting groupies? Or do we want to get under our brothers and sisters and build them up in their godly calling?

There are people who excel at salesmanship, and can pull the wool over our eyes.  The nature of this is while we are "sold" on the noble ideals, we only see the good fruit or the hopes we have, but not how things are functionally working and what the long term fruit of the behavior is.  Many are building a following, and are marking a territory, and this is actually causing war and division among believers, which is not where the war is supposed to be.  People are not your enemy, but pride is. People are not the problem, but fear and insecurity is. People are not the problem, but unloving is... not giving others a hearing is... not being as open to correction as you are to "being right" is. 

Ultimately we all stand before God, so establishing our own righteousness by human commerce is not going to stand. But when the love of God and the Spirit of God moves us to right action, and we are continually teachable by Him, we will be growing in the right direction. That direction will include being as interested in building others up in their gifts and callings as we are in our own calling.  What does it mean to prefer another before oneself? What does it mean when Jesus took on the nature of being a servant as showing the way to be a leader?

God is building the Church, and we can either get with His plan or go off and try to build our own thing (or put another's thing down in order to feel superior in our insecurity).  In the end, the words we speak, and the salesmanship we do, and the false placebo fruit we manufacture - getting people to respond to us like the king in the "emporer's new clothes" - will not matter. We stand naked before God. He sees our heart.

​Prayer for today:

Oh Father God, Help us to be builders of Your Kingdom, not our own
Help us to be aligned with your program of building up the body of Christ
As we all grow together in the knowledge of Jesus
Remove from us the Pharisee spirit, the fear of man, the desire to please man, the greed of gain,
pride and everything you hate.
Build in us the righteousness that comes by faith,
Only through the gift of Your Son Jesus
Help us to love you and love each other,
And to truly worship You, Father God,  in spirit and in truth

One of the most important thing we can do as ministers -- yes that means you -- is listen to people.  There are people who talk at length most of the time, and so I'm not talking about being a depository for uncontrollable excess verbiage that continues to consume and has no end in sight, but I'm talking about giving ear to really hear another person out. Allowing them to express themselves, and listening with an ear to their heart and an ear to the Spirit of God, is the gift of you building up another person in love and in who they are in God.  As God leads, you can respond to them or validate what they have said or what they are thinking out loud with you. 

There is an ebb and flow in in conversations, friendships and in ministry. Two are coming together in the Name of Jesus Christ. Time is a valuable gift that God has given each of us (or loaned us) to steward with love in mind. Sometimes time is sacrificial, as we know that it will help the heart of the person we are listening to ... for him or her to be able to share what happened or what God said or to fully be heard. Perhaps they are on the journey of trusting that God hears, and they are reaching for someone with "skin" on. I have watched this ebb and flow often in my close friendships.

God put something unique into you that only you are able to give and share, to encourage others... and put something in me to do the same. 

When we come together, it's best when we both recognize that gift and value.

Good friendships will have ups and downs in individual conversations and interactions but there will be much mutual give and receive over time. With one friend who calls, there seems to be a flow that is about even over time. Sometimes she will call and there is a lot going on in her life and so 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the conversation is sharing her day or what went well or what the challenges were or how she needs God in this area.  On another day, though trying to keep it even, I may be bursting with good news or something to share, and she listens. If this mostly one sided kind of flow happened all the time it would not be the blessing God intended. Now that may be different in a formal ministry situation where there is instruction or prayer or sharing stories or lessons.

I have another friend that calls only when needy, but when I begin to talk about something meaningful, he finds some excuse to go. He communicates by his actions that he considers himself more valuable, in that he has no compunction about capitalizing another's time or resources, but he does not have time for you. That's his inner world. His outward world involves the pursuit of fame and famous people. Sad, because if he would listen and hear, we could explore his insecure base is finding value and worth externally. Everyone to him is on some continuum of more or less valuable, and so he is on endless pursuit of those he considers more valuable to validate him. Have we not all been there at some stage?  God does not want us looking to man for our identity, worth or belonging. Our culture dictates this, but those who commerce in this way of relating with each other in the church do a disservice. 

There's another friend I have who makes it a point to wholly focus on only one person at a time. When he is listening or talking with you, anyone who wants to interrupt has to wait until the flow of the conversation opens. Contrast that with the person whose attention is on you and seven other things and people with lots of interruptions. I've been on both sides of his conversations, waiting while he cares for another, but then firmly attended to while we are exchanging conversation.

We can learn a lot from those who have listened to us, and give that gift back to others. God is listening to you, right now, the thoughts and intents of your heart. Sometimes we take it for granted. He is the accessible one to whom we may come boldly for grace and mercy and help. You are never alone, even when no human being is there to hear you out. And yet we are a gift to each other when we are there for each other. 

There is so much potential in each person in the body of Christ, we have no business -- it is a sin -- to make others illegitimate or less legitimate.

Our gift is not who we know in terms of fame or human notoriety but that we are known of God and that we know God, and then start walking in who He created us to be.  Part of our treasuring and valuing others in the body of Christ and those who hopefully will believe and know what Jesus did for them... part of that is giving people time and listening to them.

But I can also find myself at difficult times talking it out with another. In a multitude of counselors is safety ..

There's a difference between using people and seeking counsel. There is a mutual richness and blessing in godly counsel. There is "using" a person but not giving life back. Think of listening as a form of giving life. When someone gives you of their time when you are in pain or crisis, remember how precious that gift is. Of the hours they have in life, they are giving some to you.

Many believers have not been encouraged in their ministry or calling.  They don't (yet) know what to do. You can begin with the ministry of listening. It is a way of building up those who do not feel valued or worthwhile.  Give that gift not to the arrogant, narcissistic or self-aggrandizing, but to those whose spirits (spiritual heart) is enlarged in a good way, by your care, and love and presence... just because you value them with your time and attentive listening.

Remember it next time you pick up the phone or are blessed with someone hearing you and tuning in with your heart. 

You will live a completely different life if your faith is in God, not God AND Something else.

When our faith is in God and something else, our attention is divided and we can't love Him with our whole heart. We are trying to serve two masters, and we become mastered by our divided attentions and affections. In healing and healing ministry, many are serving the "god" of getting well. If push comes to shove, some of the honest ones will admit that given a choice between getting well or having relationship with God, they would abandon the latter for a season for the pursuit of health and healing. But the Kingdom keys are that we seek Him and His Kingdom first, and the healing comes through Him. Peace, provision, all of it are found in Him, but we are offered (tempted) with shortcuts. We are also sold the negative PR that the Kingdom is some kind of drudgery and we are giving up some real benefits to be God's kids. Nothing is further from the truth, Beloved. Love and Life are found in Him.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."
Isaiah 26:3-4 

" No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Matthew 6:24 
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