Some Qualifications for Ministry (Part II)

A minister must be alert so that he will not lose his perspective as some do. Blinded by the cares of life, he becomes as Samson, grinding at the mill.  The joy and the glory of the early morning  is gone.  He has somehow lost his first love.  To such Jesus spoke in His message to the church at Ephesus, "I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience...and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake has not fainted.  Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because though hast left thy first love" (Revelation 2:2-4).  A minister must have an unwearying love for people and a devotion to their needs.  When that love dims under the stress and strain of daily work, he becomes devitalized.  God help a preacher always to retain the spiritual glow which can only be achieved by constantly believing and standing.

It is human nature for people to stratify into different social levels.  There are some who are naturally more congenial than others.  You must learn to be concerned about all that would come to Him looking to receive something from Him through your ministry.

What is very important, but many times overlooked by many honest well meaning minsters is wisdom.  As with many important things, it is easier to show what a wise person looks like than describe wisdom.  Wise ministers are recognized by characteristics such as they are their righteous, humble, teachable, self-controlled, forgiving, honest and speak with authority and power.

The minister must thoroughly assess what he is up against.  The world today is strongly pre-conditioned against the church spiritual or not; honest or not.  Critics are attacking the inspiration and authority of the scriptures; sexual behaviors have mad a frontal attack against it.  Modern psychology  seeks to take the place of spiritual biblical practices.  He who would preach the authority of Christ must have the very power of the supernatural of the Holy Spirit.

The man who would minister effectively today must understand the times in which he is living.  He must realize that the very structure of church operations is being shaken.  The church which I pastor and teach is being shaken along with everyone else.  This is honest of God to shake all those who would desire to keep His word as well as the ones who are super-liberal and are not concerned about the truth, holiness, and the integrity of scripture.  There is a gigantic struggle that is laying bare the foundation of Christian morality, and ethics.  The Church in many places is getting stronger and stronger but at the same time there are real sick pastors out there.  I mean very sick.  The true minister must go to the heart of the problem.  How can I answer my conscience if I preach or teach the irrelevancies that a lot of minsters are ministering and copying the babble going forth in media.  We must all speak forth on the issues of life.  The present is one in which super salesmanship is selling the idea that the chief end of living and ministry is obtaining as many of the creature comforts, which no habits or desires are off limits.

What is the message of the hour?  Men still need to know that the wages of sin is death, that the judgments of God are in the Earth, that souls all around are perishing, that the calling of the preachers is to stand between the living and the dead, and that in Christ alone is salvation.

A man must have convictions if he would become a successful minister.  He must have backbone not be a coward in the face of people who are offended at the life giving power when the Gospel is being preached.  Health, healing, signs and wonders.  All sinners will have a shot at Hell.  A minister cannot be wishy washy on these things.  He must not only know where he stands but be able to defend intelligently the truth which he believes, even to his very destruction.  The minister who has no deep convictions will flop around and drift with the tide.  The man who would be a worthy minister must have compassion.  He must not only think clearly, but he must feel deeply.  He cannot always keep his head in the clouds, but he must come down to earth and be able to say, "I stand where I sat. I stay where I have been put."

The minister above all things must develop character.  He must be the soul of integrity.  Truth is his shield and buckler.  There is no place for the man of God, regardless of his talents, who is loose in morals. Moreover, he should live simple and not ostentatiously.  There are those who in order to keep up a front spend lavishly, incur debts beyond their ability to pay and use their credit to the breaking point.  What little good they do is cancelled by their careless living.  They become a reproach to the ministry rather than a blessing.

We place high value on the gifts of the Spirit, and this is right.  Nevertheless, the gifts without the fruits are as the Apostle said, "a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." God becomes real to humanity as He incarnated in holy men and women.  Christianity is not so much a religion as it is the life of Christ indwelling your humanity.  When there is a sharp contradiction between the words one speaks and the life he leads, the net result is zero.  Indeed, it can be less than zero because such can actually do injury to the cause of Christ.

A minister should never cease learning.  A minister should never forget the great redemptive themes that first started their ministry.  Few other things, how a church operates, how one develops good public relations, how to be tactful yet honest with people, and how to counsel with them.  In conclusion, he needs the power of God by which he can deliver people from the oppression and snares of Satan.  He must have a definite part in apostolic ministry.

"Leave all and follow Christ." Amen.

I thank you for your continued viewing and reading.  If this Blog and its contents have been a blessing to you, then I ask, with God's leading, that you consider supporting Artesian Well Church.

Artesian Well Church
6031 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, Ca

Talk to you soon,

Pastor Norman

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