Pray it; proclaim it; decree it; declare it-- every morning and all dady!
Jesus is Lord, Jesus is my Lord, Jesus is Lord over my family, Jesus is Lord over my finances, Jesus is Lord over my health, Jesus is Lord over my city, Jesus is Lord over my nation, Jesus is Lord over all the earth.
I go into all the world, I preach the gospel to every creature, I make disciples, I cast out devils, I lay hands on the sick and they do recover, I speak with new tongue, and if I drink any deadly thing it does not hurt me, because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I treat others the way I want to be treated.
I go to the sick and minister to them because if I were sick I’d want someone to come to me.
I do go to the lost and witness to them, because when I was lost someone witnessed to me.
I have received an anointing that abides. It doesn’t lift, it doesn’t wane, it abides. It walks in me and talks in me therefore I am anointed at all times. The anointed One lives in me therefore I am always anointed. His anointing is my anointing. His strength is my strength. I am filled with all the fullness of God. I believe on Jesus Christ. He is my Lord, He is my master. I’ve given Him my life and my heart. I purposefully renew my mind to the word of God. I am filled with His knowledge in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. In Him is hid all the wisdom of the ages and in Him I abide and dwell. I dwell in Him and He in me. I am baptized in the Holy Spirit, completely to over flowing, immersed, influenced, controlled and in the name of Jesus the Holy Spirit leads and guides me, into all truth. The light of the world is in me and I am the light of the world. My light will shine and by my light I will glorify God.
My works glorify God. My words glorify God, my thoughts glorify God. I bring every thought into captivity, and I cast down every thought contrary to the word and knowledge of God.
I am healed by His stripes. I walk in divine health and I bring divine healing to others. I preach the gospel; I proclaim liberty to the captives and set them free, I don’t judge, I don’t qualify people. I set them free so that the goodness of God can draw them to repentance. God gives me wisdom to win any person I speak with.
I walk in the power of Jesus Christ; I walk in the power that God has poured through Him. The authority I walk in is Jesus’ authority, it’s not mine, it’s not based on my works, it’s not based on my name. It’s based on the name of Jesus. I walk in power, I walk in authority, and I walk in the very ability of God Himself. I am filled with all the fullness of God because I have the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost abiding in me, dwelling in me, they don’t come and go, they dwell. And I dwell in them.
I love all men. I love God with all my heart, all my soul and all my strength. I love men as I love myself and I treat others the way I want to be treated. Therefore I walk in the way of life. I do not walk in the way of death. My plans are of God because I acknowledge Him in all my ways. I don’t lean to my own understanding; I do not lean to my own strength, but I am strengthened by Christ. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I give freely to any person not judging, deciding, or picking or choosing who deserves it and who does not. Instead I look at all men through the eyes of Christ. I see mankind the way God sees them, through eyes of love, eyes of grace, mercy, and long suffering. I take my time to help people. I go out of my way to help people. I am absolute over all demonic evil forces, beings, principalities, powers, and any Spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
I do what is right, I have the whole armor of God, I am saved. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. His blood makes me free. His blood makes me righteous. His sacrifice made me acceptable, and I am accepted in the beloved. He is my God and I am His child. I’m not carnal, I’m Spiritual. I do not take offense, I refuse to take offense. I refuse to give unnecessary offense. But I will not compromise the Gospel or the truth of the Word of God.
By the Spirit of God I am healed, I am delivered, I am free, my mind is guarded. I take heed to what I hear, to who I listen to. I take heed to separate myself from the wicked. I do not sit in the seat of the scornful. I walk in the company of the wise. My words will be the words of God. My words are Spirit and they are life, they bring life, they provide life. I will speak that which is true and I will speak the truth in love. I’ve purposed myself to become love personified. I lay down my life for others, so in the Name of Jesus, I am forgiven, I have confessed any sin and I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus, made whole. I now am righteous by the blood of Jesus. His mind, His thoughts, His objectives and His plans are mine. I’ve laid down my life and taken up His. I take up my cross every day, every day I take up my cross and I recognize that every day I count myself as dead and I die to the things of the world and I die to the things of the flesh but I am alive to God. I’m dead to sin. Sin is not my friend it is my enemy. Sin is death, it is bondage, and it is not my master and I am not its servant, but I am God’s son, I am man’s servant, and I am the devil’s master. For it is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives through me and the life that I now live I live by the faith in the Son of God, who lived and died and gave Himself for me. I bless those that curse me, I bless those that despitefully use me.
He is the head, I am His body. He gives me the thoughts, He provides all power and I provide the action. I pray and receive. And He is glorified through my receiving, and by my receiving my joy is made full, because I know that He hears me, and I know that if He hears me then I have what I ask in the name of Jesus. Everything that I ask for I receive. I have it in the Spirit and I shall have it in the physical. My prayers are answered because Jesus paid the price. My words come to pass, so right now from this day forth I will not say words, either the words themselves or the manner in which they’re spoken in any way that will hurt, harm, or bring discomfort to anyone unnecessarily. I will speak the truth in love, I will bring peace, my heart is pure, my mind is renewed, my thoughts are pure. I think on things that are above, I think on things that are pure and of good report. Things that bring joy to God and peace to my spirit.
God’s power is available to me, to be used when I deem fit. To be used by me according to the will of God, which is for things to be done on earth as they are in heaven. His will is my will, I choose His will, I choose His way above my way. It is not my will, but His will that I will do. And I will seek to make sure that in every way my will comes into alignment with His will because His spirit, His words, His power fills me, dwells in me, every day, all day. I take the opportunity to choose to turn situations into glory to God that the devil meant for bad. I refuse to be defeated; I refuse to allow the enemy to dictate my actions, my thoughts, my words, my reactions. I speak His words, I study His words, and His word will abide in me richly causing every situation to turn to the glory of God.
I walk by faith and not by sight. I choose to believe the word of God over what my eyes show me. I choose to believe the report of God over the report of man. God’s word is the final authority in my life. If He said it, I believe it. It is settled. I walk by it and I will not allow deception, I will not allow any thoughts contrary to the word of God. I pull down strong holds of wrong doctrine; wrong teaching that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. I will pull them down and bring them to captivity and I let free the words of God. I let them free through my mouth; I let free through my mind. I think the thoughts of God, thoughts of good will toward all men.
I am a new creature in Christ, old things are passed away, all things have become new and the “all things” are of God.
I am free and I set others free. I’m healed and I heal others. I am delivered and I deliver others. The spirit of the living God, His nature, His character, His attributes, are demonstrated through me in every way in every opportunity, I will turn every situation into the glory of God. Nothing can separate me from God and therefore I will not separate myself.
I will not divide what God has joined. We are one, as He is one. I am one with Christ, we are one with God. He’s the head and we are the body, we are the church and it is the church’s responsibility to meet the needs of the world, every need regardless of what it is. And our bank account is heavens bank account. Whatever the world could need God has provided. I will expect and trust God to bring it through me.
I expect to do the same works of Jesus. I expect to do greater works because He went to the Father. The truth of the word of God is alive in me. His life is in me, His life flows through me to others, His life brings freedom through me and I distribute it freely to everyone that has need. Young or old, black or white, male or female, there is no distinction. I bring freedom everywhere I go in the name of Jesus. The enemy cannot stop me, I resist him because I have submitted myself unto God and because I’ve humbled myself God will exalt me. I will look to no man to exalt me, I look to God. I lay my life down and God has taken my life and turned into something good, something He can use to bring freedom to people I bring glory to God, by bringing freedom to man. In the name of Jesus, what I have spoken is true. It is true now and it will remain true. I say it and therefore I stand by it. I have spoken the truth of the word of God, things that are already seen I give God glory for, things that are not yet seen I give God glory for and those things that need to be brought forth into my life I call into being, I call those things which be not as though they were because I speak by faith and faith brings it to pass and as I exert faith I bring glory to God, I take the shield of faith and quench every fiery dart by my faith in Christ Jesus, He said nothing shall by any means shall harm me, I believe Him. I’m bold as a lion, I speak freely, I speak openly, and I display the kingdom of God. In every way in Jesus name. Amen
11.26.2019
10.22.2019
One Another: A Scriptural Theme
Dan Crawford and Al Meredith searched the New Testament and came up with 31 "one anothers" for God's people. They wrote a chapter on each in their volume One Anothering, which is available from your favorite online bookseller.
What are the 31 one-anothers?
Pray for one another (James 5:16).
Be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50).
Wash one another's feet (John 13:14).
Love one another (John 13:34-35; John 15:12, 17; Rom. 13:8; Gal. 5:13; 1 Thess. 3:12, 4:9; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:11-12, 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 5).
Be members of one another (Rom. 12:5).
Be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10).
Honor one another (Rom.12:10).
Let us not judge one another (Rom. 14:13).
Be of the same mind toward one another (Rom. 15:5).
Receive one another (Rom. 15:7).
Admonish one another (Rom. 15:14).
Greet one another (Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 1 Pet. 5:14).
Wait for one another (1 Cor. 11:33).
Care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25).
Serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
Do not bite and devour lest you consume one another (Gal. 5:15).
Do not provoke one another (Gal. 5:26).
Do not envy one another (Gal. 5:26).
Bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2).
Bear with one another (Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:13).
Be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32).
Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21, 1 Pet. 5:5).
Do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9).
Comfort one another (1 Thess. 4:18).
Edify one another (1 Thess. 5:11).
Consider one another (Heb. 10:24).
Do not speak evil of one another (James 4:11).
Do not grumble against one another (James 5:9).
Confess to one another (James 5:16).
Be hospitable to one another (1 Pet. 4:9).
Fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7).
What do you think this means for God's people?
What are the 31 one-anothers?
Pray for one another (James 5:16).
Be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50).
Wash one another's feet (John 13:14).
Love one another (John 13:34-35; John 15:12, 17; Rom. 13:8; Gal. 5:13; 1 Thess. 3:12, 4:9; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:11-12, 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 5).
Be members of one another (Rom. 12:5).
Be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10).
Honor one another (Rom.12:10).
Let us not judge one another (Rom. 14:13).
Be of the same mind toward one another (Rom. 15:5).
Receive one another (Rom. 15:7).
Admonish one another (Rom. 15:14).
Greet one another (Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 1 Pet. 5:14).
Wait for one another (1 Cor. 11:33).
Care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25).
Serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
Do not bite and devour lest you consume one another (Gal. 5:15).
Do not provoke one another (Gal. 5:26).
Do not envy one another (Gal. 5:26).
Bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2).
Bear with one another (Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:13).
Be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32).
Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21, 1 Pet. 5:5).
Do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9).
Comfort one another (1 Thess. 4:18).
Edify one another (1 Thess. 5:11).
Consider one another (Heb. 10:24).
Do not speak evil of one another (James 4:11).
Do not grumble against one another (James 5:9).
Confess to one another (James 5:16).
Be hospitable to one another (1 Pet. 4:9).
Fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7).
What do you think this means for God's people?
9.29.2019
Biblical Standards for Leadership
This article is from chapter 10 of Joseph Mattera's book Poisonous Power.
In an age of an evangelical church culture that is fraught with scandals, we must continually remind and ground ourselves in the biblical criteria for leadership. Otherwise, we will lose our credibility within our churches and before the world. In addition, every church's board of trustees should insist their pastor be accountable to a higher body of leadership or presbytery. This can aid in steering clear of unnecessary challenges related to ministerial integrity.
There is an urgent need in contemporary Christianity to overhaul our assessment and criteria for leadership. This has been made abundantly clear by all the scandals that continue to take place in the church. Those who attempt to bring correction (like I am doing here) are often accused of being legalists or judgmental. I am not advocating that ministers caught in sexual or ethical sin should step down permanently. But there needs to be a body of leaders to which fallen ministers are accountable so they may be restored to their ministries after demonstrating true repentance and inner healing.
The following are some of the ethical and ministerial standards as related to priests, kings and New Testament elders. These are qualifications that we can still apply in principle to today's church.
Old Testament Standards
For the Priests (Lev. 21)
Originally, all the children of Israel were to serve as priests of the Lord (Ex. 19:6). But this privilege was evidently taken away and given to the tribe of Levi after the people turned away from the Lord. Among the many laws related to the standards for the priesthood (which relate to all present saints, according to 1 Pet. 2:8-9) are some ministerial and ethical principles that we can allegorically extrapolate (although the actual ceremonial qualifications are no longer relevant).
Standard: They shall not dwell among dead bodies and make themselves unclean (Lev. 21:11). This has to do with not fellowshipping with folks while they are involved in the works of darkness. (Jesus called unconverted people "dead" in John 5:25, Luke 9:60 and Eph. 2:1-3.)
Principle: I can't tell you how many Christians I know of who think nothing of going out and partying with the world—getting drunk, listening to ungodly music, gambling or other worldly pursuits.
Standard: They shall not marry a prostitute or a divorced woman but only a virgin (Lev. 21:13-15). The basic idea of this passage is this: Marriage is not a free-for-all. Priests are commanded to marry women of God without previous marital issues. This is so the priestly class is protected from unnecessary distractions and so they nurture their children in a godly environment.
Principle: Jesus modified this view in Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:8-9 for the kingdom age of the church when He forbade divorce, except for sexual immorality, and forbade marrying a person divorced for an unbiblical reason. (It is now common in the body of Christ for people to divorce just because they don't get along with their spouse. Jesus strictly forbids this.)
Various laws highlight physical defects (Lev. 21:17- 24). Physical defects or blemishes are related to spiritual deficits that hinder a person from ministering for the Lord. For example, lameness represents those whose walk with God doesn't allow them to minister; blindness represents those who have no discernment and no real revelation of Christ in their lives; those with crushed testicles represent those who are not winning souls or bearing any fruit in their ministries; hunchbacks represent those who are not walking uprightly before the Lord (Prov. 2:21); and dwarfs represent those who have not grown in stature and maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:13).
Standards for Kings (Deut. 17:14-20)
While the principles for priests relate to all believers, the standards for kings relate specifically to those serving in church leadership.
Standard: A foreigner who is not your brother may not serve as king (Deut. 17:15). Those serving in leadership positions in the body of Christ must be "born again" and demonstrate clear fruits of salvation.
Principle: Often, churches place people in leadership positions without any assurance of their salvation! This dilutes the church of its effectiveness and power to witness to the world!
Standard: Kings must not acquire many horses for themselves (Deut. 17:16). In the Bible, horses represent strength and pride. Thus, God is warning His leaders not to acquire possessions that symbolize their elitism and raise themselves higher than the people in their congregations. For example, there are church leaders who drive very expensive cars or wear $5,000 suits (even though their congregation is very poor) to show people that God is blessing them above everyone else.
Principle: This goes against the principles of humility and simplicity that Jesus and His apostles modeled in Scripture. God forbids kings from acquiring too many horses because it would cause people to turn back to Egypt, which is a symbol of returning to previous ungodly lifestyles they had before experiencing salvation in Christ. Leaders who need material excess in order to be satisfied in this life will produce people who will also get caught up in materialism. This will turn their hearts away from the Lord and back to the things the world values.
Standard: Kings shall not acquire many wives. God was teaching against polygamy and telling the leaders to go back to the one-wife standard, as found in the union between Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:19-22). Although church leaders in America today don't practice polygamy (having more than one legal wife at the same time), more and more leaders in the church are violating the spirit of this passage because they get married, divorced and remarried numerous times. This is causing unrest, disgust and alarm among many leaders (including me) in the body of Christ.
Principle: Ever since the 1980s, when certain national ministers began divorcing and remarrying without adultery or infidelity being cited as the reason (and then on television telling the world that they are blessed), the standards of church leadership regarding marriage and divorce have been sliding down into an abyss.
Several years ago, two high-profile church pastors/leaders divorced. The reasons they gave had nothing to do with adultery but everything to do with simply not getting along or having different visions for ministry. If this is so, they have set an awful example for younger leaders and their congregations by putting their ministry aspirations (or career aspirations) ahead of their marriage vows, which are emblematic of Christ and the church and should never be broken (Eph. 5:25).
This is different than some of the cases in which a spouse does not want to serve the Lord anymore or wants their spouse to choose between them and the ministry. This is a difficult situation, especially if a person thinks that by resigning, they are putting the fleshly desires of their spouse before God.
Standard: Kings shall not acquire for themselves excessive silver or gold (Deut. 17:17). There are some contemporary Christian leaders who live lavishly and receive an inordinate amount of compensation from their churches. I have no problem with a pastor receiving a decent salary, commensurate with their hard work and the size of their church, so they can devote their time to ministering to the church and not be distracted by having to work another job. But some go over- board and live like narcissistic celebrities! This has become a stench in the nostrils of the world and is something that must be adjusted, or we will see the judgment of God visit the church as never before!
(I have several income streams related to various aspects of my ministry outside of our local church, so I don't put an excessive burden on the finances of our congregation. Also, I have no issue with someone making a lot of money from book sales, audio sales and royalties. This is different than making millions in salary from a local church.)
Standard: Kings shall both write and read the Word of God all the days of their lives (Deut. 17:18-19). Christian leaders are required by God to be "people of the book." We are to focus on the Scriptures, understand all the important doctrines of the church and the Bible, and be able to apply all of this to our personal lives, families, churches, and the surrounding culture.
Principle: There are many leaders who know the sports pages, current events or the musings of Wall Street more than they know and understand the Scriptures. If we are going to get back to correct standards of holiness, ethics and ministerial protocol, we need to recapture the simplicity of the gospel (the kerygma) and the teachings that apply it (the Didache).
Standard: The hearts of kings shall not be lifted up above their brothers. When I was consecrated as a bishop in 2006, many congratulated me for being "elevated." I would cringe when hearing this because I could not picture the Lord Jesus telling His apostles that they were elevated! He told them they were servants, called to wash the feet of the people (John 13).
Principle: When we view leadership as a position, title, or status above others in our faith communities, we are missing the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and are acting like the world. The world has leaders who lord their authority over their subjects. This is the opposite of what Jesus taught His apostles (Mark 10:42-45).
New Testament Standards
For Church Elders (1 Tim. 3:1-7)
Elders in local churches are those who have the greatest responsibility for leading their congregations. Elder is the highest governmental office in the church—something even the apostle Peter claimed for himself (1 Pet. 5:1). (The fivefold ministry, as found in Eph. 4:11, describes a function, not an office, of the church.)
Because of the great resonsibility, there are some general guidelines that all pastors, fivefold ministers, trustees, deacons and elders must meet before they are installed. The following is a brief summary:
They must be above reproach. This regards not having hidden "skeletons in the closet" or a lifestyle that others could seize on and use as an accusation to discredit them.
They must be the husband of one wife. This has to do with barring a person from serving as an elder who is married to more than one woman at a time. We can also extrapolate from this standard that one should not serve as an elder if they divorced their wife and remarried for anything but the biblical reason of adultery. (However, a case can be made that divorce is acceptable if one's spouse is a violent abuser who threatens their life. But some would say you could divorce but not remarry in a case like this. There is too much to say regarding this subject to fit here.)
They must be sober-minded. This means elders should be serious about the primary things in life related to God, the church, family and eternity. Their values and priorities should be on things above (Col. 3:1-3).
They must be self-controlled. This means a leader needs to live a prudent, discreet life of self-control in which they are not giving in to their fleshly desires or the whims of their physical and sensual passions regarding lust of the flesh, food and sexual appetite.
They must be respectable: a person who is not disorderly, but lives a quiet life as a respectable citizen.
They must be hospitable. Elders should have their marriages, families and finances in order, to the point where they are able to put up people in their homes as the Lord leads. They should also have people over for dinner. I know some leaders who never allow anyone near their homes or personal lives. This makes me wonder what they are trying to hide. Hospitality is an important requirement because it enables the discipleship or mentoring process, so those being discipled can go to the next level beyond what is available in larger congregational meetings.
They must be able to teach. Elders have to be capable of communicating the gospel to the unsaved and applying it practically in a teaching setting for a congregation. Having a Word ministry is an important requirement of all elders.
They cannot be drunkards. It is not a sin to drink alcoholic beverages, but it is a sin if it becomes a habit and causes drunkenness. This can also be applied to any mind-altering substance. Some leaders have become addicted to painkillers, drinking and other activities that dim the brain to avoid dealing with the pain and pressures of life.
They must not be violent. Unfortunately, there are many leaders with a violent temper. A violent temper disqualifies a person in God's eyes for eldership in the body of Christ.
They must not be quarrelsome. There are some leaders who are very argumentative because they have issues in their own hearts that have not been dealt with. While we don't want "yes men" to serve as elders (people who just rubber-stamp everything the senior pastor says without honest dialogue and feedback), we also don't want people serving as elders who must debate everything.
They must not be lovers of money. Leaders whose hearts are fixated on money are not qualified to be elders because they will always view their ministries and associations with people with a "What's in it for me?" mentality. Those with serious financial challenges should not serve as elders or trustees because they will be tempted by a conflicting interest when they have business meetings and discuss how to dispense or spend church finances.
They must manage their households and have their children subject to them. If a person cannot lead their own family, the Bible teaches they cannot manage or lead the household of God. This also means that young children of elders who are still living in their homes should be submissive, attend church and not be a disruption to the family goal of serving the Lord.
They must not be a recent convert. In New Testament times, a person had to be at least 30 years old and a believer for several years before they were appointed as elders. This is to protect new converts who could be puffed up with pride if they are put in a position of influence.
They must have a good reputation with those outside the church. We are not called only to be an example within the church but also outside the church. This is why an elder should not have bad credit, a bad record on their job or a bad reputation among their neighbors.
These are all simple guidelines. Unfortunately, we need to be continually reminded of the first principles and foundational things of leadership so our standards will glorify God and enable us to serve as salt and light in our communities!
In an age of an evangelical church culture that is fraught with scandals, we must continually remind and ground ourselves in the biblical criteria for leadership. Otherwise, we will lose our credibility within our churches and before the world. In addition, every church's board of trustees should insist their pastor be accountable to a higher body of leadership or presbytery. This can aid in steering clear of unnecessary challenges related to ministerial integrity.
There is an urgent need in contemporary Christianity to overhaul our assessment and criteria for leadership. This has been made abundantly clear by all the scandals that continue to take place in the church. Those who attempt to bring correction (like I am doing here) are often accused of being legalists or judgmental. I am not advocating that ministers caught in sexual or ethical sin should step down permanently. But there needs to be a body of leaders to which fallen ministers are accountable so they may be restored to their ministries after demonstrating true repentance and inner healing.
The following are some of the ethical and ministerial standards as related to priests, kings and New Testament elders. These are qualifications that we can still apply in principle to today's church.
Old Testament Standards
For the Priests (Lev. 21)
Originally, all the children of Israel were to serve as priests of the Lord (Ex. 19:6). But this privilege was evidently taken away and given to the tribe of Levi after the people turned away from the Lord. Among the many laws related to the standards for the priesthood (which relate to all present saints, according to 1 Pet. 2:8-9) are some ministerial and ethical principles that we can allegorically extrapolate (although the actual ceremonial qualifications are no longer relevant).
Standard: They shall not dwell among dead bodies and make themselves unclean (Lev. 21:11). This has to do with not fellowshipping with folks while they are involved in the works of darkness. (Jesus called unconverted people "dead" in John 5:25, Luke 9:60 and Eph. 2:1-3.)
Principle: I can't tell you how many Christians I know of who think nothing of going out and partying with the world—getting drunk, listening to ungodly music, gambling or other worldly pursuits.
Standard: They shall not marry a prostitute or a divorced woman but only a virgin (Lev. 21:13-15). The basic idea of this passage is this: Marriage is not a free-for-all. Priests are commanded to marry women of God without previous marital issues. This is so the priestly class is protected from unnecessary distractions and so they nurture their children in a godly environment.
Principle: Jesus modified this view in Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:8-9 for the kingdom age of the church when He forbade divorce, except for sexual immorality, and forbade marrying a person divorced for an unbiblical reason. (It is now common in the body of Christ for people to divorce just because they don't get along with their spouse. Jesus strictly forbids this.)
Various laws highlight physical defects (Lev. 21:17- 24). Physical defects or blemishes are related to spiritual deficits that hinder a person from ministering for the Lord. For example, lameness represents those whose walk with God doesn't allow them to minister; blindness represents those who have no discernment and no real revelation of Christ in their lives; those with crushed testicles represent those who are not winning souls or bearing any fruit in their ministries; hunchbacks represent those who are not walking uprightly before the Lord (Prov. 2:21); and dwarfs represent those who have not grown in stature and maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:13).
Standards for Kings (Deut. 17:14-20)
While the principles for priests relate to all believers, the standards for kings relate specifically to those serving in church leadership.
Standard: A foreigner who is not your brother may not serve as king (Deut. 17:15). Those serving in leadership positions in the body of Christ must be "born again" and demonstrate clear fruits of salvation.
Principle: Often, churches place people in leadership positions without any assurance of their salvation! This dilutes the church of its effectiveness and power to witness to the world!
Standard: Kings must not acquire many horses for themselves (Deut. 17:16). In the Bible, horses represent strength and pride. Thus, God is warning His leaders not to acquire possessions that symbolize their elitism and raise themselves higher than the people in their congregations. For example, there are church leaders who drive very expensive cars or wear $5,000 suits (even though their congregation is very poor) to show people that God is blessing them above everyone else.
Principle: This goes against the principles of humility and simplicity that Jesus and His apostles modeled in Scripture. God forbids kings from acquiring too many horses because it would cause people to turn back to Egypt, which is a symbol of returning to previous ungodly lifestyles they had before experiencing salvation in Christ. Leaders who need material excess in order to be satisfied in this life will produce people who will also get caught up in materialism. This will turn their hearts away from the Lord and back to the things the world values.
Standard: Kings shall not acquire many wives. God was teaching against polygamy and telling the leaders to go back to the one-wife standard, as found in the union between Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:19-22). Although church leaders in America today don't practice polygamy (having more than one legal wife at the same time), more and more leaders in the church are violating the spirit of this passage because they get married, divorced and remarried numerous times. This is causing unrest, disgust and alarm among many leaders (including me) in the body of Christ.
Principle: Ever since the 1980s, when certain national ministers began divorcing and remarrying without adultery or infidelity being cited as the reason (and then on television telling the world that they are blessed), the standards of church leadership regarding marriage and divorce have been sliding down into an abyss.
Several years ago, two high-profile church pastors/leaders divorced. The reasons they gave had nothing to do with adultery but everything to do with simply not getting along or having different visions for ministry. If this is so, they have set an awful example for younger leaders and their congregations by putting their ministry aspirations (or career aspirations) ahead of their marriage vows, which are emblematic of Christ and the church and should never be broken (Eph. 5:25).
This is different than some of the cases in which a spouse does not want to serve the Lord anymore or wants their spouse to choose between them and the ministry. This is a difficult situation, especially if a person thinks that by resigning, they are putting the fleshly desires of their spouse before God.
Standard: Kings shall not acquire for themselves excessive silver or gold (Deut. 17:17). There are some contemporary Christian leaders who live lavishly and receive an inordinate amount of compensation from their churches. I have no problem with a pastor receiving a decent salary, commensurate with their hard work and the size of their church, so they can devote their time to ministering to the church and not be distracted by having to work another job. But some go over- board and live like narcissistic celebrities! This has become a stench in the nostrils of the world and is something that must be adjusted, or we will see the judgment of God visit the church as never before!
(I have several income streams related to various aspects of my ministry outside of our local church, so I don't put an excessive burden on the finances of our congregation. Also, I have no issue with someone making a lot of money from book sales, audio sales and royalties. This is different than making millions in salary from a local church.)
Standard: Kings shall both write and read the Word of God all the days of their lives (Deut. 17:18-19). Christian leaders are required by God to be "people of the book." We are to focus on the Scriptures, understand all the important doctrines of the church and the Bible, and be able to apply all of this to our personal lives, families, churches, and the surrounding culture.
Principle: There are many leaders who know the sports pages, current events or the musings of Wall Street more than they know and understand the Scriptures. If we are going to get back to correct standards of holiness, ethics and ministerial protocol, we need to recapture the simplicity of the gospel (the kerygma) and the teachings that apply it (the Didache).
Standard: The hearts of kings shall not be lifted up above their brothers. When I was consecrated as a bishop in 2006, many congratulated me for being "elevated." I would cringe when hearing this because I could not picture the Lord Jesus telling His apostles that they were elevated! He told them they were servants, called to wash the feet of the people (John 13).
Principle: When we view leadership as a position, title, or status above others in our faith communities, we are missing the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and are acting like the world. The world has leaders who lord their authority over their subjects. This is the opposite of what Jesus taught His apostles (Mark 10:42-45).
New Testament Standards
For Church Elders (1 Tim. 3:1-7)
Elders in local churches are those who have the greatest responsibility for leading their congregations. Elder is the highest governmental office in the church—something even the apostle Peter claimed for himself (1 Pet. 5:1). (The fivefold ministry, as found in Eph. 4:11, describes a function, not an office, of the church.)
Because of the great resonsibility, there are some general guidelines that all pastors, fivefold ministers, trustees, deacons and elders must meet before they are installed. The following is a brief summary:
They must be above reproach. This regards not having hidden "skeletons in the closet" or a lifestyle that others could seize on and use as an accusation to discredit them.
They must be the husband of one wife. This has to do with barring a person from serving as an elder who is married to more than one woman at a time. We can also extrapolate from this standard that one should not serve as an elder if they divorced their wife and remarried for anything but the biblical reason of adultery. (However, a case can be made that divorce is acceptable if one's spouse is a violent abuser who threatens their life. But some would say you could divorce but not remarry in a case like this. There is too much to say regarding this subject to fit here.)
They must be sober-minded. This means elders should be serious about the primary things in life related to God, the church, family and eternity. Their values and priorities should be on things above (Col. 3:1-3).
They must be self-controlled. This means a leader needs to live a prudent, discreet life of self-control in which they are not giving in to their fleshly desires or the whims of their physical and sensual passions regarding lust of the flesh, food and sexual appetite.
They must be respectable: a person who is not disorderly, but lives a quiet life as a respectable citizen.
They must be hospitable. Elders should have their marriages, families and finances in order, to the point where they are able to put up people in their homes as the Lord leads. They should also have people over for dinner. I know some leaders who never allow anyone near their homes or personal lives. This makes me wonder what they are trying to hide. Hospitality is an important requirement because it enables the discipleship or mentoring process, so those being discipled can go to the next level beyond what is available in larger congregational meetings.
They must be able to teach. Elders have to be capable of communicating the gospel to the unsaved and applying it practically in a teaching setting for a congregation. Having a Word ministry is an important requirement of all elders.
They cannot be drunkards. It is not a sin to drink alcoholic beverages, but it is a sin if it becomes a habit and causes drunkenness. This can also be applied to any mind-altering substance. Some leaders have become addicted to painkillers, drinking and other activities that dim the brain to avoid dealing with the pain and pressures of life.
They must not be violent. Unfortunately, there are many leaders with a violent temper. A violent temper disqualifies a person in God's eyes for eldership in the body of Christ.
They must not be quarrelsome. There are some leaders who are very argumentative because they have issues in their own hearts that have not been dealt with. While we don't want "yes men" to serve as elders (people who just rubber-stamp everything the senior pastor says without honest dialogue and feedback), we also don't want people serving as elders who must debate everything.
They must not be lovers of money. Leaders whose hearts are fixated on money are not qualified to be elders because they will always view their ministries and associations with people with a "What's in it for me?" mentality. Those with serious financial challenges should not serve as elders or trustees because they will be tempted by a conflicting interest when they have business meetings and discuss how to dispense or spend church finances.
They must manage their households and have their children subject to them. If a person cannot lead their own family, the Bible teaches they cannot manage or lead the household of God. This also means that young children of elders who are still living in their homes should be submissive, attend church and not be a disruption to the family goal of serving the Lord.
They must not be a recent convert. In New Testament times, a person had to be at least 30 years old and a believer for several years before they were appointed as elders. This is to protect new converts who could be puffed up with pride if they are put in a position of influence.
They must have a good reputation with those outside the church. We are not called only to be an example within the church but also outside the church. This is why an elder should not have bad credit, a bad record on their job or a bad reputation among their neighbors.
These are all simple guidelines. Unfortunately, we need to be continually reminded of the first principles and foundational things of leadership so our standards will glorify God and enable us to serve as salt and light in our communities!
8.29.2019
We Will Win
This post is an adapted from a coach's pep talk to his team:
Who are we?
We are champions.
We need to remember that all throughout this fight.
We will conquer that which has not been conquered.
We will believe when others doubt.
We will always endeavor to please the Father.
We have trained our minds so that our bodies will follow.
We understand that the enemy thinks he can win.
But we will never surrender.
We will never back down.
Weakness will not be considered.
We will look to our fellow soldiers and those that have gone before us.
And we will learn from them and build upon their victories.
We will gladly go into the battle field.
And we will heal the sick and set the captives free.
We will use everything that the Father has given us.
We will stomp on the devil's head and send him running in defeat.
We will sacrifice for the cause; we accept persecution and are honored to be persecuted for Him.
We lay down our lives and take up His life.
No one will tell us that something is impossible, for with God ALL things ARE possible.
Faith will change our world, faith can move mountains and it will carry us through this battle.
Defeat, retreat, impossible, terminal…none of these words are in our vocabulary.
We will make our mark in history and we will be remembered.
No one will tell us what we can and cannot do.
We will never go to bed without giving everything we have to further the kingdom of God.
We love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.
And WE WILL WIN!
Who are we?
We are champions.
We need to remember that all throughout this fight.
We will conquer that which has not been conquered.
We will believe when others doubt.
We will always endeavor to please the Father.
We have trained our minds so that our bodies will follow.
We understand that the enemy thinks he can win.
But we will never surrender.
We will never back down.
Weakness will not be considered.
We will look to our fellow soldiers and those that have gone before us.
And we will learn from them and build upon their victories.
We will gladly go into the battle field.
And we will heal the sick and set the captives free.
We will use everything that the Father has given us.
We will stomp on the devil's head and send him running in defeat.
We will sacrifice for the cause; we accept persecution and are honored to be persecuted for Him.
We lay down our lives and take up His life.
No one will tell us that something is impossible, for with God ALL things ARE possible.
Faith will change our world, faith can move mountains and it will carry us through this battle.
Defeat, retreat, impossible, terminal…none of these words are in our vocabulary.
We will make our mark in history and we will be remembered.
No one will tell us what we can and cannot do.
We will never go to bed without giving everything we have to further the kingdom of God.
We love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.
And WE WILL WIN!
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