The Bible is clear that God orders the steps of a good man. Many people in the Bible did things for God only after He had told them where to go or what to do. Jesus Himself was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness. Phillip was led of God to leave a red hot revival to go to the desert where he was led to the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch. Ananias was led to a street called Strait to deliver God’s Word to Saul of Tarsus. The point is . . . God leads . . . we follow. On this I believe we would all agree.

But I want to add another few points that I believe could help someone today.

First… never go on a relocation or permanent life-changing move on a burden. A burden is not a calling. Sometimes burdens come so you can be led to pray, or to lend assistance, and so forth . . . but not necessarily a calling. If one goes and changes their life because of a burden . . . there will come a day when the burden will leave. A burden will come and go. People will disappoint or hurt you and you may hate where you are on any given day. So if you go only because of a burden . . . during times when the burden lifts you too will want to leave. However . . . when God calls and sends you . . . you will stay and do God’s will whether the burden is strong and present or even if it has left for a season. There is also an empowerment that comes with a calling . . . that does not come with a burden alone. A calling brings confidence and stamina that God will be with you at all times. It produces faith. Consider Nehemiah as an example . . . he heard the need, felt the burden, prayed and repented about it, received an opportunity to speak to the king, got permission for the mission, received letters of endorsement and empowerment, investigated the real situation, and shared the vision. He did not go because of the burden, but he went only after he received permission to be sent from the king.

Second… we often mistake a feeling of familiarity for our past with a calling. For example, many men at some time or another believe or think they may one day return and pastor their home church. Why is this so? Let me give a personal example:

I came from an incredible spiritual church. The moves of God there were so deep and rich. I have never experienced the same since those days in any church. That was my home town, my home church, I have family members there, and I have received much of the mantle of anointing that rests upon my pastor. I have sought God for this mantle and know it will come in its time and stages. But on top of that, for years I thought there was a possibility that I would some day return there and pastor that church. After all . . . I even still have a burden for my home town.

But that has never been and will never be my place of calling. Instead what God has done has called me to carry forth the bones of that place into other places with me. To carry the familiar . . . the things I love . . . the remnants of my heritage into the future. So instead of spinning my wheels waiting or hoping for that church to call me to return it is instead the will of God for me to never forget where I came from and to make that same thing happen wherever He sends me.

If I were to return to that home church today all is different. It is a different building, a different pastor, different people… same city but a different culture. So it would be the devil’s trap for me to “wait” to return there when all along God has me where He wants me to be at this time. It is here that I can work with God to create that spiritual environment and fulfill His will.

I encourage each of you to strengthen the things that remain… remember the things that you were taught… impart them to those you can impart them to… be sensitive to God’s voice and leading… and confirm any calling with multiple witnesses.

This article was written by a friend in the ministry, Dr. Fred Childs, pastor of GracePoint church in Granite City, Illinois. Dr. Childs is an internationally recognized leadership and organizational authority, author, keynote and conference speaker, pastor and evangelist. He has seen thousands of healings, miracles, signs and wonders in his ministry.

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Why? In Numbers 20:1-12, when the children of Israel were complaining about not having water to drink, God told Moses to take his rod, and speak unto the rock before the congregation and it shall bring forth his water. In verses 10-11, “And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly…” Verse 12, “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

He was given a simple and clear command. Yet, he didn’t obey the Lord. I Samuel 15:22 says, “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Obeying is better than sacrifice! But yet, there are so many things in the Bible that people just can’t seem to grasp… God just wants obedience! Do we really have to have a reason for everything that is in His word? Is His word not enough?

Acts 5:29, Peter answers the high priest, saying, “We ought to obey God rather than man.“ One thing I find interesting is that some say that the words of Jesus are the words that they follow. Great. Good. But… aren’t all the words of Jesus written by men inspired by God. Wouldn’t the words written in the Epistles be just as much from God as the red letter words written in the Gospels and Acts 1? They both being written by man, but inspired of God. Why do we have any other words than those of Christ if they aren’t as important?

The problem with us today, is that we have been taught that everything is okay… or that there really isn’t right or wrong… it is only opinion. My Bible tells me different. And the wild thing is.. His commandments are so easy to live by, His leading and directing is so true and RIGHT… but we have our own opinion. We have our own understanding. Surely, the brains God gave us are to make decisions as to what His word says.

So, let’s think about that. Are our children born with the brains to just make decisions? Or, do they need leading and directing… sometimes correction? God uses our lives… things that we live daily… to help us understand the relationship He wants with us. Weren’t we taught to obey our parents? Doesn’t the Bible tell us in Colossians 3:20, “Children obey your parents in all things: for this is wellpleasing to the Lord.” As well, Colossians 3:18-23 in full… tell wives to submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord, husbands love your wives, and be not bitter against them, father’s provoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged, servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh… not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

And it goes even further… verse 25, “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

These are only a few of the scriptures directing us to do or live something. The Bible is full of scriptures directing and leading us on what to do for salvation and how to live a life right before God. I’m not perfect. I daily ask for forgiveness for my sin. But I am striving to be obedient in all I do.

Lord, if You say it, help me to be willing to do it with the right spirit and in obedience to what You ask of me. I know that what You ask isn’t necessarily what I understand. But I have faith in You and know that You have created me and You know what is best for me. Help me to be willing and not continually question. Help me to take Your word for what it is, and not try to change it for my own comfort or agenda. Amen.

This article was written by my wife and ministry partner, Angela Jones, and posted to her blog at Angela’s Thoughts.

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On a side note, Abraham rejected the “goods” of Sodom. See, we can do outreach without having to take to ourselves the “goods” of the world. And so it should be.

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I recently was asked the question, “How long has it been since you won a soul to the Lord.”

At first I was pleased to answer, “Just last week.” After all, last Sunday we had a man baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost. Then I began to relish some other memories of similar weekend services. Unfortunately, I also began to realize that several of the ones that I had “won to the Lord” were not living for God now and so I questioned if I had cold say I had won them. As I pondered that disturbing news, it caused me to begin to rethink some common terms which we preachers seem to easily toss around – “won to the Lord” and “soul winning – and how we define them.

Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand what the well-intentioned question meant and recognized that the one asking was simply trying to encourage more outreach. We do need to evaluate ourselves and so it is a good question. Truly this was our first calling before we ever were invited to preach, teach, pastor or evangelize. I do not believe that we are allowed to abandon our first works simply because we now have a “higher calling” (interpreted “title”).

Bear with me for a moment as I review the following scenarios in my own ministry…

Two weeks ago, I baptized a 62 year old Church of God preacher and watched as God gloriously filled him with the Holy Ghost. He is blown away with his new experience and wants everyone to receive the Holy Ghost and to meet the man [me] who introduced him to this wonderful truth.

At the gas station where I get my gas every week, there is clerk whom I have been talking to for over a year. In the last 2 months, she has started attending almost every Sunday morning with her child. Sometimes she comes up front for prayer, but she hasn’t been baptized or filled with the Holy Ghost yet.

I have a catholic school teacher who after numerous invitations from me has now come to church twice in the last month and a half. She says it’s really different from Mass, but that she likes it. She has asked me for a Bible study, but I haven’t got it started yet.

I talked to a man this week whom I had invited to a “Miracle, Healing, Deliverance Weekend” which we had advertised in the community a few weeks ago. He came, got healed, received the Holy Ghost and got baptized. He shouted in the baptismal tank and declared in his testimony afterwards that this was now his church. He hasn’t been back since.

I have a family that we invited; they came, liked it and saw the need for Jesus name baptism. They were baptized and received the Holy Ghost. Since then, they have persevered through some amazing stuff for the last 3 years. I am still discipling them through some trials and hardships, but they are staying faithful.

I have some members of my church who transferred in after it was revealed that their apostolic pastor had been having an ongoing affair with his secretary for over 10 years. During this time, he preached mightily and operated frequently in the gifts of the Spirit. Healings happened, miracles occurred, deliverances occurred, people filled and baptized regularly – all while he was living in sin. Even though they had been saved for years, they were in the process of abandoning ship when I reached them. They questioned the validity of their own experience and almost everything else the man had taught them. The past five years, I have ministered healing to them, modeled integrity before them and maintained influence with them. Today they still struggle with some issues of authority, trust and the workings of the supernatural, but we are getting there.

Those who have ever eaten with me at Lamberts, a well known local restaurant, have met Maxine. She introduces me as Pastor to everyone she knows. In fifteen years, she has been to my church one time. She cried and loved the service so much that she tells everyone what a great church we have and that they need to visit it.

I have young adults who are faithful today because of a youth pastor that I brought on staff several years ago and paid out of my own pocket so he could help guide our youth through the “perils” of the teenage years.

In the office foyer hangs numerous Partners in Missions certificates and award plaques representing the money we gave and continue to give to support the cause of both home and foreign missions. I have never preached or witnessed in any of the countries or towns where we help support the work of God, but souls are being saved there.

My 15 year old son, who I have raised to love God and tried to impart ministry into, went to El Salvador last spring. During the Holy Ghost crusade on Easter Sunday, he personally prayed with two locals who received the Holy Ghost.

Now I ask you…which of these souls have I won?

In the apostolic movement, there is a tendency to get so caught up in numbers and instant visible results that we forget soul winning is a multi-faceted process. We tend to admire people who put up big numbers – the evangelist who has 40 to 50 people get the Holy Ghost in a three week revival or the pastor who takes a run-down church and experiences explosive “growth” in his first year or two as the church increases from about 10 people in weekend attendance to over 150 members.

Those are great men and I wish I was more like them in many ways. However, in setting them as the prime examples, the problem is that we neglect the fact that soul winning is much more than just getting someone to come to church and receive the Holy Ghost – it is a life long process. He that endures to the end…the same shall be saved.

As a further thought, I have a gifted evangelist friend who goes from church to church and will create 50 – 60 new guests for a church in just a few of weeks. Many of the ones who come are contacts who others have been previously inviting and working to reach. When he leaves the town, there are glowing reports of how many souls were won to the Lord. However, he is gone and what happens to them is up to the local church.

I also have a friend who holds a doctorate and teaches at an Apostolic Seminary. He is training men and women who will leave there to go establish churches and do ministry in many other areas of the nation. In addition, he flies out most weekend and all summer to teach and train pastors around the world. Little of what he does has any direct contact with sinners.

And then there is the 93 year old saint of God who has attended our church for over 50 years. She doesn’t knock doors any more, nor does she bring visitors to church. However, it is nothing for her to spend an hour or two a day in prayer for her pastor, her church and the lost people of this community.

Which of them has won a soul lately?

I do believe that we have a personal responsibility to advance the kingdom. However, I refuse to get caught up in the fallacy of limiting soul winning to getting someone to speak in tongues for the first time. Is their soul truly won before they arrive in heaven?

I am winning souls, but only time will tell which ones I have actually won. One plants, another waters, but God gives the increase.

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This video briefly explores the past, present and future of the Apostolic Message in Michigan, and lays out a solid plan for growth, appealing to the viewer for support. Nine new churches in Michigan in 2009. A reality.

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For some time, I had been trying to think of a way to bring a stronger focus on missions in our church, and one evening a new convert came and asked me if we could do offering on Wednesday, too, because he “loves offering time”. So I decided to begin bringing an offering each Wednesday specifically for Missions.

Taking Acts 1:8, I have broken it down into 4 “areas” of missions. Since there are typically 4 weeks in a month, I can cycle through these areas week by week and highlight a segment of each area as we do it. Jesus said we’d be witnesses in: 1) Jerusalem, 2) Judea, 3) Samaria, and 4) The uttermost part of the earth. I matched those areas up like this…

1. Jerusalem = Local church missions/outreach
2. Judea = Michigan Home Missions
3. Samaria = National Home Missions (Christmas for Christ)
4. Uttermost = Foreign Missions

Each midweek during offering, I highlight that week’s area, and specifically promote a particular segment of that area. For example, week one I might highlight one of our church’s ministries or evangelism efforts. Week two, I highlight one of our Home Missionaries in the state, and talk about their family, city, revival reports, etc. Week three is typically a Metro missionary or HMD ministry, and Week 4 is a foreign missionary.

All of the funds taken on a particular week go directly into that area’s offering. If a month has 5 weeks in it, we just do Jerusalem again.

This has been very successful for our church, and helps to both raise funds for ministries and bring awareness for missions to our members.

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By John Carroll, pastor of Calvary Apostolic Church in Salina, KS.

The following is a plan of Bible reading and study that I have developed for my own personal use.

I hope it is a blessing to you, should you choose to implement it in your own life.

I begin my study each day by reading a chapter of Proverbs. If you start at the beginning of the month and read a chapter each day, you will read through the book every month. On the few months that have 30 days, and in February, you will need to read a little extra to keep on track and read through it each month.

I always read the chapter of Proverbs first, because Proverbs contains the distilled spirit of wisdom, and is written and structured in a way that reflects the way God thinks—cause and effect, black and white.

Reading the book of Proverbs does for your mind what running a comb through tangled hair does; it gets the “rats” out and prepares you to receive illumination from the Word.

I found that the Scripture seemed to speak more clearly to me when I started beginning each day’s study with Proverbs. It seems to focus the mind to receive from the Word.

Next, I read at least one chapter from the Gospels. I am constantly reading through the Gospels. I believe I need to read about the words and deeds of Jesus every day to keep my mind and focus Christ-centered. It is difficult to preach too much from the Gospels, and there is inexhaustible preaching material there.

The third place I read from every day is the book of Acts. The book of Acts contains not only much doctrinal material but a tremendous amount of faith building Scripture. Signs and wonders and healings abound. Apostolic structure and Apostolic authority permeate the chapters of the book. It is critical to keep these things fresh in your mind and prominent in your thinking if you want to have a true Apostolic ministry. Read the book of Acts continually and it will pay dividends in your ministry. Reading the book of Acts lends itself to preaching the book of Acts; preaching the book of Acts lends itself to Apostolic results.

In addition to Proverbs, the Gospels, and Acts, I read from the epistles (I include Revelation in this segment) every day. The epistles contain solid instruction regarding church government, sanctification, doctrine, eschatology, and ministry. We need this.

The epistles also stretch you intellectually, especially the writings of Paul. John’s epistles are a personal favorite of mine because of his love for exalting the deity of Jesus Christ. You need a steady diet of the Epistles.

Thus far, most of the reading plan has consisted of the New Testament, but I don’t neglect the Old.

The Old Testament can be divided into History, Law, Prophecy, and Wisdom Literature.

I try to always be reading through several books in the Old Testament at any given time to encompass a wide scope of these categories.

For example, currently I am reading through Genesis, I Samuel, Isaiah, and the Psalms.

There are advantages and benefits to reading from a broad range of Scriptural settings at a given time. You tend to preach from what you read, and with this type of reading plan, there is a broad range of subject matter in the forefront of your thinking that God can speak through and that you can draw from. This keeps you from becoming stymied and repetitious in your preaching material.

If you don’t have some kind of structured plan for your reading and study, your tendency will be to read over and over again those books and passages that are your “favorites.” If you fall into this pattern, you will have a hard time generating fresh and versatile material for sermons and Bible Studies.

Finally, while I have written this with a view toward preaching material, it is important that Bible reading and study not become something you do just looking for “thoughts” and sermon material.

Always read and study the Bible with the motive of feeding your soul; and out of that will come substance that will feed and bless God’s people.

I certainly don’t believe this is the “only” way to study the Scriptures, or even the best way. It is just something that has been a blessing to me, and will hopefully provide some inspiration and guidance for others who want to profitably study the greatest Book ever written.

2 Tim 2:15

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
KJV

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Note: This is an article about “Preacher’s Kids” written by Tony Suarez, of Iglesia De Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia

where to start…

I’m not sure who to write to: the PK’s or the Fathers…

I knew at a very young age that I was going to be in the ministry…actually I can’t think of anything else I ever wanted to do without being a preacher first

I wanted to be the President of the United States AND a preacher…
I wanted to be an archeaologist AND a preacher…
I wanted to be a lawyer AND a preacher…

always a preacher…

Preached my first real sermon when I was 13….licensed with the UPCI when I was 17

Growing up, I always was helping my Dad, in someway, in the Church he Pastors. Though he never said it or put it to me like this, but I felt obligated to assist my Dad…….and my Dad only.

I felt that to leave and move somewhere else or sit under another man would be like abandoning my Parents or unfaithful to them…

I mean if I’m going to work under someone, why not my Dad??? (the way I thought)

I evangelized for a few years and would sometimes feel guilty for not being home helping my Dad. I eventually stopped evangelizing, came home and “assisted” my Dad

Again, it’s not that he ever said these things or implied these things….it’s just how I felt.

I was Youth Pastor, Asst. Pastor, played the piano, preached, led services….I felt irreplaceable sometimes! (my fault and I did learn different…no one is irreplaceable)

I was so involved in my Dad’s church that I felt like I couldn’t leave. I wanted to go to Bible School…even signed up….but didn’t go because I felt that I couldn’t leave my Dad and “our” ministry.

I did end up moving away four years ago. It was hard…I felt like I was being disloyal but the truth is, I should’ve left sooner than I did.

God gave me another Pastor in my life, to teach me things that I would not have ever learned under my Father’s ministry…………not because my Father doesn’t do things right, in fact my Father pastors a larger Church than my Bishop…but just because he was my Dad

A PK, can grow up feeling he’s “owed” his Father’s church or think he’s “something” because his Dad preachers “here and there”…

IT IS hard for a PK to see his Dad as both Father and Pastor…it is something that is not easily done.
This, of course, falls on the Father to make the difference. IT MIGHT NEVER HAPPEN!

Four years after leaving Chicago, I KNOW, that it was the will of God. I am better for having left and sat under another man.

It has taught me to respect, honor, and submit to someone who’s Church I’m not “supposed to take one day”

This was a “no strings attached” commitment when I moved to Virginia.
I am better off because of it. I learned things about myself and experienced things that I’m not sure I would’ve learned back home.

Everything I’ve said is not because my Father was flawed or didn’t raise me right…..the issue is that it is hard for a Pastor to be his family’s Pastor as well…

Before you’re ever “Pastor”, you’re DAD first!
If at any time that changes for you, your kids will be in trouble!
Your church needs you, but your family needs you first!

If your kids can’t view you as both Dad and Pastor, be open to allowing your kids to find a man of God that they can submit to or talk to when they need…

In my eyes, my Father is a hero. He Pastored 5 different Churches (3 that he founded) in the country of Colombia before moving the US in 1979(that’s when I showed up ). He served in National leadership in Colombia and in Bro. Perdue’s words “was one of the greatest Evangelists to ever come out of Colombia”

He started a Church from scratch 24 years ago in a kitchen with no one but him and my Mom and I…never took a dime from anyone, never were someone elses “project” or ministry..didn’t inherit people from another congregation..they, by the grace of God, built a powerful Church in the Chicagoland area, with 3 other congregations that submit to him as “Bishop” he’s served at District level leadership and National leadership…he’s preached througout all of Central and South America……but he is my Dad.

I needed a Pastor….

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be that for me, because he surely did…..but there were things I didn’t feel like I could talk to him about.

I needed a Pastor…

Eventually I needed to move away and prove myself and calling.

If I’m understanding God’s direction for my life, I do believe that one day I will be back in Chicago….almost sure of it….but I needed to leave first and find “me”.

PK’s:
if you have to leave one day, you’re not being disloyal!
if you need someone else to talk to, you’re not undermining your Dad!

Dads:
allow your children to find a man or woman of God that they can talk to.
Every Father’s dream is for their son to one day follow in their shoes…..if your son leaves for a year or two…or 5…that doesn’t mean the dream is dead….
Truth is for your dream to become a reality, they might need to leave and then come back.

Above “Dad’s dream or desire” is the will of God. He (God) might call your son to another field (possibly like He did with you)

Our kids (because now I’m a Father of two) are anointed of God to serve Him!

We need to guide them to find “Him” first…..then to find “His Will” for their lives….

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For me, success will come when I can do as the unnamed servant of Abraham, who went
to find a bride for his master.

He was unnamed, so his anonymity would bring glory to his master, and not himself.
He was unselfish, as he gave everything to his master’s pursuit.
He sacrificed himself, his plans, aspirations and ambitions to fulfill his master’s request.
He made a journey of faith to a place he’d never been to reach a bride he’d never met,
and brought her back to a place he’d never leave.
He prayed for direction and wisdom, and received it.
He never complained, profaned or shirked his duties.
He cared for and protected the bride on the journey… careful to preserve her for his
master.
After all his sacrifice, passion, toil, and obedience, he simply bowed out of the way and let
the bride dance with her husband.

To me… that’s the success of a pastor.

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Recently, I heard a commercial that touted an amazing claim. “Learn to speak Spanish in only 6 hours!”
“Six hours? There is simply no way to learn an entire language in six hours!” I thought. One thing is for sure, that advertiser was going to get a large response from the vast audience of listeners that day. Why? Because we’re all looking for the shortcut in life.

I don’t care how bad you want to learn Spanish, though, you just can’t do it in six hours. It takes discipline, it takes study, and above all it takes commitment. Likewise, becoming what God wants us to be isn’t a “six hour” job, either.

Often, we grow discouraged at our failures or setbacks, or feel like giving up when our progress isn’t as fast as we’d like. But you can’t learn to live for God in “six hours”. Your healing won’t always come in six hours; your relationship won’t mend in six hours. Your prayer life doesn’t just blossom in six hours. Living for God takes discipline, study, desire and, above all, commitment. There’s that word again, “Commitment.”

Not long ago I counseled with a married couple in distress. “Do you know the difference between a married couple and a divorced couple?” I asked. “The answer is, ‘Commitment.’” See, married couples usually face the same struggles that cause others to divorce. What is the difference between someone who stays in the Church and those who throw in the towel? You guessed it. Commitment.

I want to give you an outright challenge right now… Make a pledge to God that you will give him 100% for 60 days. Read your Bible, pray and talk to someone about Jesus every day. Give faithfully to the church. Attend every service available. I can’t give you results in six hours, but if you will take this challenge, I promise that your “God journey” will be the best it’s ever been. The ball is in your court now. Can you handle commitment?

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