Church Planting And Development
Thys van Rensburg
ISBN 978-0-9946563-1-5 (Online Version)
1 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the following people: Magdel van Rensburg my wonderful wife, who stood by me while in hospital in 2009 and literally ‘prayed my case through to the throne room of Heaven’, Claudia Burger for her inspiration and the chapter form her book: ‘Equipped for Battle’ – Chapter 15: Prayer Cover in this book. Andri Weissbach, Diploma in Ministry: 26 Mei 2011, Master of Theology – 29 June 2012 – Therapon University and Ordained Minister FCCA, 25 May 2013, for proof reading my book, Dr Colin Lowe for making his knowledge about accounting available to me and input on ‘Keeping the ministry / church's finances up to date’. Prof Johan Potgieter for giving me the opportunity to walk with Therapon. During 2009 I spent 8 months in hospital. During that time Magdel, my wife and partner in Christ, carried me in prayer. She was my anchor of hope at times when I could not think straight. I went through a terrible time. My lungs fell flat, my kidneys stopped functioning, I had septicemia, a bi-lateral stroke, went into a coma and woke up a quadriplegic. When things were at its worst, the major part of the executive board decided that I was going to die and that they had to get paperwork in order, and restructure for a take-over. Although Magdel was a founding member with me, they excluded her from all the relevant board meetings. She kept standing firm in faith and would never even acknowledge the possibility that I would die. She lifted me up before Father Day and night and pleaded with Him for my complete healing. Please read the following Scripture with me: Mat 9:2-22 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said: Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” And the woman was made whole from that hour. Magdel was hanging onto the hem of His garment for my dear life with all her might. She understood the vision, calling, anointing and appointment we received from our Almighty Father for the work of the ministry. We had a Word from Father by a very dear brother in Christ, Pieter Badenhorst: You will go through the valley of the shadow of death, but God will raise you up mightily. A part of the leadership saw this as an opportunity for self-enrichment and self-empowering and decided to take it at any cost. But: When leadership fails; Faith prevails! One person believing and praying for and into the vision of the Almighty will save HIS CAUSE! May you be inspired by this testimony to actively seek the Face of God, to pursue His plans for your life, to seek His plans for you and your church, because Jer 29:11 says: (Amp) ‘For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.’ THIS BOOK IS THE MESSAGE FATHER GAVE ME DURING THAT TIME IN HOSPITAL AND IN THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED. Shalom.
3 This book is available in printed format from the author at R80 plus postage.
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4 Table of Contents
Table of Contents...... 5 Introduction ...... 7 The problem with church planting and development are taking place right before our eyes...... 7 Phase 1 – PLANTING A CHURCH...... 15 Chapter 1 ...... 15 Do you have a calling from the Almighty to start a church? ...... 15 Chapter 2 ...... 16 You as minister ...... 16 Chapter 3 ...... 22 Write the vision ...... 22 Chapter 4 ...... 24 Your Behavior as Minister ...... 24 Chapter 5 ...... 27 The Church Leadership...... 27 Elders:...... 27 PHASE 2 – DEVELOPING THE CHURCH ...... 33 Chapter 6 ...... 33 Walk in and teach the people the full armor of God...... 33 Chapter 7 ...... 35 Teach the Word of God...... 35 Chapter 8 ...... 38 Teach people to be baptized in the Holy Spirit ...... 38 Chapter 9 ...... 39 True meaning of Fellowship ...... 39 PHASE 3 – ENSURE ORDER IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES ...... 40 Chapter 10 ...... 40 Keeping the ministry / church's finances up to date...... 40 There must be a Board of Directors ...... 41 The Financial Committee ...... 42 PHASE 4 – GROWING THE CHURCH...... 45 Chapter 11 ...... 45 Training the People to do outreach ...... 45 PHASE 5 – MEMBERSHIP...... 50
5 Chapter 12 ...... 50 PHASE 6 – REGISTERING THE CHURCH ...... 51 Chapter 13 ...... 51 Community Projects...... 51 Mission ...... 51 3. Overseas...... 52 PHASE 7 – STUDIES...... 53 Chapter 14 ...... 53 Recognize the call on other people’s lives...... 54 PHASE 8 - PRAYER COVER ...... 57 Chapter 15 ...... 57 Praying in Tongues ...... 63 HOW THE FELLOWSHIP WAS PLANTED AND DEVELOPED ...... 66 Chapter 16 ...... 66 PART 1: FATHER IS DOING A NEW THING ...... 66 Bring the Church Back to the Truth of the Word ...... 66 Jesus introduced a new relationship with God ...... 66 THE FOLLOWING WERE THINGS WE HAD TO WATCH OUT FOR:...... 71 Selective Use of the Scriptures ...... 71 Breaking the law and teaching others to do the same ...... 73 Translating the Bible is such a way that the power of God is limited...... 75 The following scriptures were omitted from many of the new translations after 1953:...... 76 From some of the scriptures very crucial parts were removed:...... 76 PART 2: GIVE MINISTERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND IN MINISTRY OFFICIALLY... 78 1. Give people opportunities based on His leading ...... 79 2. Training is important up to a point...... 79 3. Man and wife stands together in ministry...... 80 4. Women can be ordained...... 80 IN CONCLUSION ...... 83 Books Recommended to be studied:...... 84 References: ...... 85
6 Introduction The problem with church planting and development are taking place right before our eyes During our 28 years in the church of Jesus Christ we saw the planting and inevitable fall of numerous churches. This problem was of a great concern to me. I began to notice similarities in the churches that fell apart: They all were started with great expectations and excitement Leaders were appointed out of need instead of waiting on direction and appointment by the Spirit Constitutions were drawn up with horrific disagreements Young men and women’s callings were destroyed because older men felt threatened Dreams and visions were destroyed because of selfish gain The Church was controlled and manipulated by rulers that built their own little kingdoms Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Even Paul, the great apostle, left things undone when he planted churches. When Paul planted the churches to which he sent Titus to go and ‘set things in order that are wanting’, Paul was still an evangelist. Only when the apostolic anointing came upon him did he realize the need for elders/pastors to be appointed in every city (church) to care for the church. With the apostolic anointing comes the insight to see what things need to be put in order in your area of anointing. Paul was an evangelist and he therefore was in need in the area of evangelism- things that an evangelist should put in place when ministering. The fact that Paul sent Titus to go and appoint elders later on in his ministry, and not to go and train people to be elders, shows us that he made converts and walked with them to maturity. He walked with the Ephesians for a period of three years. Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. We see that Paul continuously addressed things like divisions and heresies in the church at Corinth:
7 1Cor 1:10-13 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? Again in 1Cor 11:18 he mentions the problem of divisions among them and this time he mentioned also heresies. 1Co 11:18-19 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. These are things that will help people to grow to maturity. I want to encourage you to study Paul’s books, especially Corinthians, and see how he taught them vital principals to allow them to grow. Tit 1:4-5 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee Mat 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Let us then do it according to the Word, which says the following: Mat 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 1Co 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
8 Jesus prayed for the church, and we know that not one of His prayers went unanswered by Father:
Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Joh 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Joh 17:8-9 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one, as we are. Joh 17:14-19 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
9 10 CHURCH PLANTING AND DEVELOPMENT The purpose of this study is to outline the process that should be followed in the establishing, development, and functioning of a church. This guideline can only be followed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must only do what God has called us to do to fulfill our role in the preparation for the Kingdom of God. When looking at ministry we find that some are called to minister at tables, some are called to be ushers, and some are called to be preachers - bringing the Word of God.
Act 6:2-3 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. Serve Tables:
(1.) The apostles urge that they could not undertake such a great a diversion, as this would be, from their great task (Act_6:2): It is not reasonable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. The receiving and paying of money was serving tables too, like the tables of the money-changers in the temple. This was foreign to the business which the apostles were called to. They were to preach the word of God; and though they did not have the privilege to study for what they preached as we have (it being given in that same hour what they should speak), yet they thought that was work enough for one man, to employ all his thoughts, and cares, and time, (though one man of them was more than ten of us, even than ten thousand of us). If one serves tables, one must, in some measure, leave the word of God; one cannot attend to preaching work and serve as closely as one ought to. (Adapted from e-Sword – Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible – Henry relating to Acts 6:2)
In today’s church activities this would be referred to as administrational tasks and finances. Not one calling is inferior or superior to another. There are different anointings, different gifts and then we find anointings that only come into being with greater and more maturity in the walk with Christ and as the Almighty wills and allows.
1Cor 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
11 Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
We as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ must never lose sight of the great commission given by Jesus himself. The Church is the Body of Christ for the Glory of our Almighty Father that is called YaHWeH in the Hebrew tongue. The commission can be described as: “Go into all the world and make disciples.” Making disciples is so much more that making converts. Mirriam-Webster Dictionary describe converts as ‘the same as proselytes’, - to bring over from one belief, view, or party to another - to bring about a religious conversion
Whereas disciples, according to Mirriam-Webster, can be described as: - one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: - as one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts - a convinced adherent of a school or individual Converts are people that saw the grace but are not walking according to requirements or committed to Him that extends the grace to them; He who died and paid the price of their salvation. We must make sure that converts understand the difference. The different phases and steps to be observed were proven in a number of churches that started as small entities and slowly but surely grew to churches that made a huge difference.
Different phases of church planting: 1. PLANTING A CHURCH 2. DEVELOPING A CHURCH 3. ENSURE ORDER IN THE CHURCH ACTIVITIES 4. GROWING A CHURCH 5. MEMBERSHIP 6. REGISTERING A CHURCH 7. STUDIES 8. PRAYER COVER
12 WARNING: 1. One of the most important aspects to prevent strive for is that no-one will build a personal kingdom, empire or a body that has a structure of manipulation and control for personal gain.
2. Financial gain and profit must never be our goal. Personal glorification and importance are things we must run from.
3. What is of utmost importance is that we always follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
13 14 Part 1 Phase 1 – PLANTING A CHURCH
Chapter 1
Do you have a calling from the Almighty to start a church? Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. Jesus said that He chose and ordained us for the purpose of bringing forth fruit and that the fruit should remain. Church planting is a long-term investment and to achieve that we must build the church around the person Jesus Christ. What does this calling entail?
1. Go therefore We must be willing to go wherever and do whatever the Almighty God commands us to do. Whether it is to start a house church in our own home, in the bush or overseas, we must be willing and obedient.
2. Make disciples of all the nations The next step is making disciples; bringing people to the point of repentance and then teaching them to do the things Jesus taught us to do in His Word. Making a disciple means to build a relationship that will last a lifetime. Teach the basic principles of Christian-living to the person and show him by example what being a Christian is about.
3. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Part of making a disciple is leading them to become baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, in obedience to the Word.
4. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. Teaching people all the things we as Christians practice and understand, is something that can take quite a while. We must understand that it includes everything Jesus taught when he was on earth, as well as everything the apostles wrote in the New Testament. In the following chapter we will discuss the basic things you as minister must be absolutely sure of, to do before you plant a ministry or church.
15 Chapter 2
You as minister As a pastor and minister known in the church today, you have to be one hundred percent sure of certain things in your own life. Completing the following questionnaire will give you a better indication to where you are standing at present. Please answer the questions truthfully and carefully – you do not want to fool yourself. Think about each question and answer only to that which is really in your heart:
1. Do you sense a calling from Father on your life?
2. Do other people also recognize the calling on your life?
3. Has a Word been spoken over you?
4. Was it confirmed by someone that has no knowledge of your desire?
5. Are you moving in that calling in the church you attend?
6. Have you been trained/educated/prepared for that calling?
7. Do you have an anointing on your life?
8. Is that anointing being recognized by the church?
9. Are you currently functioning in/under that anointing?
If you answer ‘No’, ‘I think so’ or I’m not sure’ on more than one of these questions you should consider to first function in that ministry under a mentor that can walk with you, before attempting to do it on your own. Too many people start a church on their own because: they are in rebellion and are experiencing rejection, they are unhappy that the views of the church are not in alignment with their views, they think they can do better than the person already responsible for the ministry they’re part of, they are bitter because they believe they have a message, but never get a chance to minister The above questionnaire is of utmost importance for the following reason: it contains some of the most important foundational principles the ministry must be built upon:
16 You must be 100% sure of you own salvation in Christ Jesus. Joh 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. If you are not sure, you will be an easy target to the devil. Your faith will be tested and you might stumble. People that are married must understand that their marriages or their children will be the target of the enemy. 2Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. You cannot start your own ministry or church when you’re in rebellion because things didn't go the way YOU expected. Many have done this with disastrous effects on those that became part of their ministries and lives. Remember - rebellion breeds rebellion. 2Sam14:28-30 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face. 29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come. 30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. 2Sam 15:4-6 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! 5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
You must be 100% sure of God's call on your life and ministry. It must be confirmed by 2 - 3 witnesses. If you do not have full assurance, doubt will destroy you when you are attacked. Gen 17:1-2 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
1Sam 3:4-9 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
17 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 2Pet 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; Joh 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. Mat 15:13-14 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." (Ref. Luke 6:39) If God the Father has planted your ministry / church, it will be established, otherwise it will be uprooted. Deut 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Do not look for recognition in you ministry. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through you to achieve His goals. Mat 20:21-24 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. (KJV) Your purpose in ministry should be to only do that God has called you to do. There is always a price to pay for the anointing you carry.
18 Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 1Kings 19:19-20 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? Mat 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Almighty , Almighty , have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you that work iniquity (Who practice lawlessness!)' Walking the walk and doing the things of God is what the Father expects from us. Obedience in the smallest detail is of the utmost importance. Whatever you ministry is, it will grow or fall because of obedience or disobedience. Joh 2:5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Ex. 39:32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the ALMIGHTY had commanded Moses; so they did. Joh 15:14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 1Sam 15:22 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. Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Your ministry will fail and even your life could be in danger if you are willingly disobedient to the Word of the Father or become rebellious in the work of the ministry. 2Pet 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water
You must have a direct Word from the Almighty to start the work. The Almighty will speak to you about where and when to start the work, and who will walk with you. When God calls you, He will bring everything together and confirm it.
19 It does not mean that you don't have to do anything. No! You must do exactly what He tells you to do; do not add your own ideas or things you ‘feel’ would be nice or ‘look’ nice. Don't be overanxious; wait upon the Almighty for His instruction and let Him set you on the path. Act 13:1-3 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. You will notice that Barnabas and Saul were IN the church when they received their calling and confirmation of the calling. They were surrounded by prophets and teachers that were already functioning in their calling.
The Constitution: Defining the area of operation of the Church and the rules by which it will operate. The constitution is the legal document that will allow you to work in a specific area in which the church will develop and grow, and which will stipulate your responsibilities and authority as the Almighty has revealed to you as the founding members. It is important to understand the Father chose you for specific reasons: a. Because you are totally dependent on Him to lead you b. He has trained you to hear His voice and obey Him without question c. You trust Him fully to add the right people to the church for it to function as He wills Requirements of a Constitution: a. The preamble. This will explain the reason the Church was planted. b. The Lexicon, containing the definitions of the words used to explain the different parts of the functioning of the church c. Name and Address of the church d. The Vision e. The Mission Statement f. The Church Board g. The Executive Powers of the Minister h. The Function of The Church Board i. Members j. Annual General Meeting
20 k. Special General Meetings l. Financial Policy m.Property n. Dissolution of the Church o. Amendment to the Constitution p. Statement of Faith q. The Signatory Page The above are the absolute essential points that should be included in a basic constitution in order to protect and allow a church to function properly. When new members and leaders/elders/deacons are appointed in the church they are appointed subject to the constitution. They do not have authority to stand up and dictate and prescribe what the policies, functioning, vision or mission of the church should be.
21 Chapter 3
Write the vision The vision Father gives with a specific call to start a church must be presented clearly to the leadership and the members in order that they can all align themselves fully with that vision. Hab 2:2-4 Then the ALMIGHTY answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. Be sure that your leadership team is as sold-out to the vision as you are. Make sure they are women and men the Almighty has appointed you to walk with. He who doesn't share the vision with you, will in time tear off and start their own movement in rebellion to your call. Be very sure that they bought into the vision. The chapter on ‘The Church Leadership’ explained in detail who should be in leadership and what their functions should be. This chapter should be studied with great attention to understand the role leaders/elders/deacons should play in the body. Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. In verse 4, we read that their calling was to go and reach the heathen nations. Act 13:4-5 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. Jesus clearly defined the calling He gave to the Church: Mat 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (ESV) Here in Mathew 28 the call was to go and make disciples, not just converts. When we look at the way Paul operated, we see that he was faithful to this call; he spent three years and more with the churches he planted – he made disciples and not just converts. The call was even more clearly defined in Mark 16:
22 Mar 16:15-20 and he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
When we look at the way Jesus Himself operated with the ones He called, we see that He kept them with Him for over three years and turned them into disciples - disciples are more mature than converts and are therefore able to go and make disciples also.
What was His way of doing it? What method did He follow? He was leading them by example and by teaching: He preached the Word, let them witness when he healed the sick or raised the dead, He gave them tasks like preparing the upper room for the last supper, He sent them out two by two to go and apply the things He taught them. The disciples had firsthand witness and hands-on experience in everything they had to go and do. Remember Jesus was trained as a carpenter by His earthly father Joseph. This was not just by coincidence. Jesus was familiar with the concept of to ‘watch and do’, and in this way He taught his disciples. Are we true to the ways of the carpenter’s Son today? Are we following them? Or do we jump into projects, ‘jack of all trades and master of none’, and go on building cathedrals if we do not even know how to lay the foundation to a barn?
23 Chapter 4
Your Behavior as Minister
Today there is a tendency to elevate the pastor above the people and accept his word as law. Without realizing it, the Christian Church are following the same route than the Catholic Church in this respect by paying homage to man rather than God – and in reality disobeying the first commandment: ‘You shall have no other gods before me’. (Ex 20:3) The Scriptures also has the following to say on this matter: Jer 17:5-10 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jesus painted a clear but different picture of the role of ministers: Mat 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; 28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." I believe that Jesus used the word ‘slave’ rather than ‘servant’ in verse 27 that we should understand that He is the One we serve and that we serve Him when we serve the people. Servant ebhedh; δου λος, doúlos): A very common word with a variety of‛ ,עבד) su r´vant meanings, all implying a greater or less degree of inferiority and want of freedom: (1) The most frequent usage is as the equivalent of “slave” (which see), with its various shades in position (Gen_9:25; Gen_24:9; (e-Sword, ISBE – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) Humility is very powerful in Jesus’ eyes. Moses ONLY acted with confidence after he got answers from God. (Book of Exodus). Peter, the apostle has the following to say:
24 1Pet 2:4-5 ‘To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.’ And also Jer 9:23-24 ‘Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.’ And lastly, Isa 57:15 ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ God gave clear instructions of how an overseer (pastor) should behave: Tit 1:7-9 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Why do I quote scripture that is normally linked to eldership to the behavior of a minister? Philip Schaff gave a very interesting explanation how the separation between pastor, overseer and elder came into being.
I quote from HISTORY OF THE CHURCH by PHILIP SCHAFF: “Volume 1, Chapter 10 61. Presbyters or Bishops. The Angels of the Seven Churches. James of Jerusalem We proceed to the officers of local congregations who were charged with carrying forward in particular places the work begun by the apostles and their delegates. These were of two kinds, Presbyters or Bishops, and Deacons or Helpers. The terms Presbyter (or Elder) and Bishop (or Overseer, Superintendent) denote in the New Testament one and the same office, with this difference only, that the first is borrowed from the Synagogue, the second from the Greek communities; and that the one signifies the dignity, the other the duty. 1. The identity of these officers is very evident from the following facts: a. They appear always as a plurality or as a college in one and the same congregation, even in smaller cities as Philippi. b. The same officers of the church of Ephesus are alternately called presbyters and bishops.
25 c. Paul sends greetings to the “bishops” and “deacons” of Philippi, but omits the presbyters because they were included in the first term; as also the plural indicates. d. In the Pastoral Epistles, where Paul intends to give the qualifications for all church officers, he again mentions only two, bishops and deacons, but uses the term presbyter afterwards for bishop. (1Tim 3:1-13; 1Tim 5:17-19; Tit 1:5-7) Peter urges the “presbyters” to “tend the flock of God,” and to “fulfil the office of bishops” with disinterested (fair-minded) devotion and without “lording it over the charge allotted to them” - This is the basis of the function of an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ. “Tending the flock of God” means that they should take care of the spiritual wellbeing and growth of the people in the church where deacons are responsible for the physical care of the church.
26 Chapter 5
The Church Leadership Get your leadership in place
Elders: Allow the Almighty to reveal to you a) Who should be on your leadership, AND b) Take care not to do everything on your own. When people come into ministry' with you, they come in under a constitution that is already in place. They must be built up and developed together with the ministry. Mat 4:17-19 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he began to preach. He then began to gather His disciples to allow them to grow as His ministry grew. He didn't set up a mega church and summoned them to come and take over when His time to go to the cross came. He led by example and allowed eleven men to grow and become strong in ministry. 1. Be sure that the men and women walking with you have built on a sure foundation, for they will be tested in every possible way as they minister. Mat 7:26-27 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." 2. Be sure that you, your ministry team and the ministry are covered in prayer continuously. A ministry team that is not properly covered by prayer is like an unprotected soldier that is being tracked by a sniper. Our Savior Jesus prayed for the disciples and us all. (John 17 - The whole chapter) Visit the following link: http://www.fcca-int.com/24%20hour%20prayer.html There is a tradition in the Church in general that elders should rule the church. 1Tim 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in the word and doctrine. The fact that elders ruled is mentioned only ONCE in New Testament. The Bible says that everything is established out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses. So, no doctrine can
27 be built because of this single scripture. However, in the Old Testament we see a much clearer illustration of this pattern emerging. Deut 17:6 “Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Deut 19:15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. Lev 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD. 1Ti 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; Job 32:4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. Job 32:6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion. Pro 16:31 The hoary (grey) head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. Pro 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. In fact, this is what all Jewish firstborn males craved for, the blessing of their elderly fathers! That blessing held the key to your future! Gen_27:34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. Jesus made it very clear that we as Christian leaders should NOT rule over one another or the members He entrusted to us. Mat 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; 28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Jesus preached what He practiced; He was a Savior-servant. Although He was the Master/Teacher he also demonstrated servant hood. Joh 13:4-9 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
28 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus washed their feet in order to practically and by personal demonstration illustrate to them the virtue of humility. There was no unity between the disciples - a spirit of jealousy and competition entered between them and Jesus had to settle that before His crucifixion. He knew that they, like most mortal men, would remember the last things said and done before a beloved passed away. We as leaders should serve the people that the Almighty has given us to teach and care for in our assemblies. What then should the function of the elders be? Let us ask Solomon, the wisest man of all times. Pro 11:14 where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Scripture indicates from the times of the Old Testament that the role of the elders is the Church should be that of advisors. The word ‘counsellors’ as referred to in Proverbs is more accurately translated as ‘advisors’ rather than ‘therapists’. yâ‛ats יעץ H3289 BDB Definition: 1) to advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to advise, counsel, give counsel, consult 1a2) counsellor (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to consult together, exchange counsel, deliberate, counsel together As we can see in the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions the word Counsellor means: to advise. The most accurate translation of 1Tim 5:17-18 that I could find is: ‘The New Testament in Modern English’ by J.B. Philips. Elders with the gift of leadership should be considered worthy of respect, and of adequate salary, particularly if they work hard at their preaching and teaching. Remember the scriptural principle: ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn’, and ‘the labourer is worthy of his hire’. (1Tim 5:18) KJV Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary puts it like this: rule well — literally, “preside well,” with wisdom, ability, and loving faithfulness, over the flock assigned to them. Acts 20:1 ‘So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Almighty in whom they had believed’.
29 It is worthwhile to note that elders were appointed in every church and not over every church. From Acts 20:1 it is clear that to appoint elders must not be taken lightly; they should not be appointed because they are friends; nor those that can financially support the church; nor family – although they can be friends or family but that must not be the criteria. Acts 20:1 also pointed out that it was done while fasting. What is the criterion against which an elder must be appointed? 1Tim 3:1-9 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober- minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. The role of the elders should include the task to keep watch that the people of God does not take part in heathen practices - not by forcing them into legalistic principles but by sound teaching of the Word of God. Elders should know the Word of God so well that they are able to teach, admonish and encourage the people concerning the things of God. Tit 1:7-16 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. 10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.
30 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. (English Standard Version – e-Sword) So many pastors today preach these scriptures but do not live it. We see so many little kingdoms being built to a pastor’s glory. They become nothing more than little emperors and even the leaders in the structures will force followers down the lines of ‘authority’ to make themselves look important. Deacons Acts 6:2-3 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Stephen, being a deacon, was not a man that had no knowledge of the Word: Act 6:8-15 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. 9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. When we read Acts 7 we see that Stephen gave an answer that would, even today or rather especially today, put many a pastor to shame for they could not give such a complete answer. Stephen ministered among the people with huge success. It is a pity that even today; people from a structured church will oppose a powerful move from God. If someone in the church, that is not a pastor, begins to minister to people and miracles flow forth, many times the pastor feels threatened; and usually this fear is fed and strengthened by an elder or two who are looking for personal recognition from
31 the pastor. “Pastor, is this person really qualified to bring the word in our congregation? Can we be sure this is not a wolf in sheep’s clothing?” and so forth. And they instantly forget the passage in the Bible where the disciples of Jesus came running to Him, with the intent of splitting on somebody else. Luk 9:49-50 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. Can this be a case of jealousy makes you nasty? The very same trap that Jesus told his apostles NOT to fall into, when He washed their feet? What should a deacon be like? 1Tim 3:8-15 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Deacons are men that would serve the people of the assembly. Nowadays we see that young ladies are also appointed as deacons, but always for the same purpose.
32 PHASE 2 – DEVELOPING THE CHURCH
Chapter 6
Walk in and teach the people the full armor of God Two of the most important aspects of caring for your flock is to be sure that the people in your church are: a) Well educated in the Word of God and b) Walking in the Revelation of God. Rom 13:12-14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Eph 6:10-18 finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Pro 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. We must teach the people of Yahweh the principles of the Word that they can remain standing in the battle. The enemy’s attack is so vicious that we all need to know the Word and the armor as well as the tools of war to remain victorious. Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
33 One of the most powerful weapons of our warfare in being filled with the Holy Spirit. Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Act 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Peter operated in the power of the Holy Spirit when he spoke to the rulers of the people and the elders; he never once tried to do something in his own power. (He had enough memories from his life to remind him not to try it again…)
34 Chapter 7
Teach the Word of God Share the Word of God, your calling and vision with people to lead them into the Kingdom of God. A good example is that of the prophet Haggai. He had both long- and short term visions, and he knew how to share it with the people. Look at Haggai Chapter 1. Hag 1:3-14 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. 9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD. 13 Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, We know that the Old Testament is a shadow of the New Testament. God’s Word has NEVER changed, and His commissions neither. Matthew says the following: Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. The Father’s great commission to every Christian in the Church is to teach the Word, to not look to fulfilling his own interests, and not to strife to maintain man’s traditions. The basic principles of the Word is the foundation every believer and disciple needs.
35 Mar 1:21-22 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Luk 4:16-21 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." He took the scroll and taught them from the scriptures. Jesus made it very clear that the people should not be taught the traditions and doctrines of men! Mat 15:1-9 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." 3 He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, 'Honour your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' 5 But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or his mother, "What you would have gained from me is given to God," 6 he need not honour his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “'This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" Why was it so important to Jesus that the people were not taught “the doctrines and commandments of men”? Jer 16:19 O Yahweh, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. Jesus knew the words of Jeremiah! Our fathers have inherited lies! He didn’t say that our fathers have lied to us; no, they were misled as well. We as ministers MUST stop teaching dogma and manmade theories that sounds good and make people feel safe but is not fully based on the Word, or worse, is plain false. It creates a false sense of security to a believer, who is then completely astonished when
36 the carpet is ripped from under him/her, and their whole ‘house of faith’ fall to pieces in a time of crises. Listen again to what Haggai says: Hag 1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
37 Chapter 8
Teach people to be baptized in the Holy Spirit Act 19:2-6 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Almighty Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all. There are many more principles in the Word of God that we as ministers must teach the congregation. Start with these few points and the Holy Spirit will lead you on the road of ministry. Start your ministry from a house-church and allow it to grow as the Almighty wills. It is of utmost importance that you walk closely with the men and women God placed in oversight over you to allow their anointing to rub off on you. What am I really saying? Build relationships with men of God that can guide you and help you grow to maturity. Are you willing to die for them? If not, you haven't built the right relationship with them. Eph 4:11-16 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. To teach people the fullness of Eph 4:11-16 and for them to grow to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, which is just one part of scripture, will take a while. Allow different members of the fivefold ministry to come and minister to the people in your church. It is of vital importance that the church members are exposed to the fivefold ministry for them to be to be allowed to receive the power of God as ministered by servants of God has appointed in the offices mentioned in Eph 4:11.
38 Chapter 9
True meaning of Fellowship 1. Sharing Christ in you with others I will repeat this many times: Share with people what you’ve experienced in Christ, what Jesus has done for you; how He has healed you or someone near you, how He provided for you in a time of need.... 2. Sharing the love of Jesus with others 3. Sharing one another’s burdens as a lifestyle of love 4. Sharing joys and sadness with one another; laugh and cry together 5. Praying for each other without ceasing 6. Pronounce blessings from the Scriptures over one another!! 7. Pray purposefully for one another, let the Holy Spirit guide you when you pray for someone. 8. Speak into being the things our Almighty Father said about those you fellowship with. 9. Share with others the revelation you received from Father to add to the corporate revelation of those you fellowship with - one person doesn't have it all. 10. To give all the Glory, Honor and Praise to God the Father of our Savior Jesus Christ and live for Him alone.
39 PHASE 3 – ENSURE ORDER IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Chapter 10
Keeping the ministry / church's finances up to date
The number one rule in Church Finances is that the control of the income and expenditure must NEVER be vested in one person; secondly the Senior Pastor of the Church must ALWAYS know the state of the finances. I recommend that when a payment is to be made a requisition is handed to The Senior Pastor who approves the request and then hands it to The Bookkeeper who will approve the payment after carefully determining the validity of the request and the availability of the finances, and One of the Board Members who processes the payment on the computer With final authorization by the Senior Pastor on the computer. Certain banks have a system that facilitates this procedure; the same person can thus never initiates and authorize that payment. It is vital to remember that you are working with public money. The Church‘s money is NEVER the personal property of the Pastor, or the members. Proper and complete commercial bookkeeping system records (under the control of a trained bookkeeper) must be kept to protect the pastor, the Board and the Financial Committee. Whenever people are dissatisfied there are ALWAYS accusations of financial maladministration, although, in most cases it is not founded on any truth. Even if you are receiving a relatively small income per month you still have to pay tax The tax threshold for 2014, where no tax is deducted is R67111 for the year (below 65 years of age) and R104611 for the year (aged 65 and over); so be it. Our responsibilities to the tax system (operated by the S A Revenue Services) of our country is of utmost importance; what we sow we will reap. If we are not responsible in even the smallest detail for our finances, the assembly will act in exactly the same way with their finances. In other words, this will lead to the fact that people will be irresponsible with their tithing and taxes. Mat 22:17-21 "Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 "Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"
40 21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Many ministers choose to register Non-profit Companies or Non-profit Organisations as an operating statutory body for the church or ministry, to be able to draw salaries and to get tax exemption on donated income (this being a SARS approved Public Benefit Organisation). This allows you to benefit from donations by people and companies that will receive a tax certificate from you NPC/NPO that will be beneficial to them tax-wise, allowing them to deduct a % off their taxable income. BUT BE CAREFUL: The law is very strict concerning NPO’s and NPC’s! We recommend that you choose to function with a constitution that allows you to hear clearly from the Almighty concerning the definition of the church or ministry. FCCA has constitutions available for both a church and a ministry. There must be a Board of Directors The Board of Directors are those members that are listed as Directors on the registration documents if the church is registered as Non-Profit Company or Organisation. The members of the Board of Directors are normally all part of the Executive Board and thus part of the Executive Board Meetings. The Board of Directors should meet separately yearly do discuss and approve major decisions the influences the functioning of the church. Notices of Meetings, Agendas and Minutes of the meetings are more fully discussed under ‘The Executive Board’. The Executive Board The Executive Board must meet regularly to manage the church, discuss the finances, plan the meetings and oversee the caring of the members. Social responsibility projects are also the responsibility of the Board, who will delegate authority to a sub-board to administer the delegated function. All the Executive Board members should be notified of a meeting by e-mail, SMS of telephonically in time to plan and prepare for the meeting. Every meeting must have an Agenda that is handed to the board members, before the time, to pray about and to hear the heart of the Father on every point on the agenda. As the meeting is held, precise minutes must be taken and kept in a bound Book of Minutes to keep record of all major and minor decisions. The minutes are approved and signed by the Chairperson/president and the elected Secretary. The minutes should include the chairperson’s report, the financial statements, and new elections of directors, member’s statistical figures, and report on existing and completed projects; Approval of new projects and the elected committee for each project. Major items of expenditure, not in the course of ordinary business (i.e. building improvements) must be in the approved minutes. Annual general meetings must held within six months of the approved year end.
41 The Financial Committee A financial committee (of at least 3 financially experienced members) should be appointed to administer the finances and prepared the monthly and fiscal (yearly) statements for the Board Meetings, to be inspected by the accountant/accounting officer (who is also a Board Member) for preparation and final approval by the Statutory Auditor. The Auditor must present the annual financial statements to be presented to the members at an annual General Meeting once a year. Applicable statutory legal implications The accountant/accounting officer must advise the Board on the required registrations for SARS (UIF, PAYE, SDL, VAT), and the Dept. of Labour, if employees are contracted. A legal employee contract must be drawn up for each worker who works constant weekly hours. Annual returns and assessments/levies for COIDA (Commission for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act), CIPC (Commission for Intellectual Property and Companies), must be paid on due dates.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The Bible tells us about doing budgets on income and spending, recording income and spending in books of account, reporting results to the necessary Governmental and other authorities (SARS, bankers, your partners or fellow shareholders).
The word “bookkeeper” is the person who records the financial transactions in a set of books of account (a ledger, with different account headings to group common income and separate common expenses on a daily, date order. They prepare a trial balance showing the summary of these accounts and gives it to the accountant).
The “accountant” (from that trial balance) prepares an income statement, balance sheet, owner’s (pastor’s) report on the year’s activities, attaches certain notes and summaries on major principles used to calculate use of assets, and decisions (so that the persons being “reported” to can use the “financial set of accounts” for their specific purposes).
42 INCOME STATEMENT – MINISTRY / CHURCH (For a period of days, weeks or months – usually 12 months, in SA 1 March to 28 February). Example: (please note that this a very simple example but is sufficient)
INCOME RAND
Tithes and offerings R10000
Building Rental R5000
Gross profit R5000 (R10000 - R5000)
EXPENSES R1500 (R500 + R100 + R200 + R500 + R200)
Travelling R500
Stationery R100
Telephone costs R200
Ministry items (DVDs, CDs) R500
Advertising boards R200
Net Profit R3500 (R5000 - R1500)
Salary owner (pastor) R1750 (50% of R3500)
Net profit before tax R1750 (R3500 - R1750)
Tithe to Covering Body R180 (R1750 X 10%)
Net Income – Ministry / Church R1570 (R1750 - R180)
43 OUT OF THE BALANCE YOU MUST:
Repay a part of the loan; you bought a DVD camera for the church. Keep the balance for buying more stock. This is how we work according to God’s plan in business. There may be differences in what you have to do for your project: Tithe may be based on income (10% of R1000 = R100). This gives net profit of R350 (above), minus
Tithe R1000
Balance R2500
Part-payment loan (– Camera) R1250
Ministry items to buy R1250
The BALANCE SHEET at the end date, would show:
LIABILITY
Loan (R5000 – paid R1250) R3750
CURRENT ASSET
Cash in bank account R3750 (balance after tithe R2500 + stock to buy in next period, R1250).
This is how businesses operate and record their monies used for God’s glory.
You are using God’s money, paying your tithe to your church; giving employment to others (witnessing all your blessings received to those who are not “saved”) and providing in instance one above, a salary well-earned.
44 PHASE 4 – GROWING THE CHURCH
Chapter 11
Training the People to do outreach This means to go out to preach the Gospel. For this we developed a course called: ‘EASY EVANGELISM’, which is an easy way to evangelize the world. This course is for people with such a deep passionate love for Jesus that they want to share the truth about Jesus at all cost. Evangelists are people who are prepared to meet from small groups to worship the Almighty - Yahweh in Hebrew. They are prepared to meet people one-on-one to groups whatever way the Spirit brings on their path. The organized Church says: Hang on brother, there is no easy way to evangelize the world! You have to teach people the bible, then train them to work with people, then to be able to communicate what they were taught, let them write an exam and finally ordain them. Oh yes, in the organized church ordination is really about recognizing the candidate's qualifications. But what does the Word of the Almighty say? Mark 16:15-20 And He said to them, Go into all the world, and proclaim the gospel to all the creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well. 19 Then indeed, after speaking to them, Jesus was taken up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of Yahweh. 20 And going out, they proclaimed everywhere, the Yahweh working with them and confirming the Word by miraculous signs following. Jesus' instruction was: Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. NOT: Go home and start a church and build an impressive building and collect large sums of money. What will happen to those that believe? 1. signs will follow to those believing 2. in My name they will cast out demons 3. they will speak new tongues 4. they will take up serpents 5. if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them
45 6. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well People will believe the Word and must be baptized. Why must they be baptized? Because Jesus said so! John 3:18 is clear on this: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. In other words, there are two kinds of people in the world today: those who believe Jesus is the Messiah and those who believe He is not. Those who believe are not condemned, to the contrary, they have eternal life. Those who do not believe in Jesus are already condemned, and they shall not see life, but the wrath of God is on them. This is clearly what the above passage says. God’s Word never once says ‘just believe and be saved’. No, God’s word always seeks to identify THE OBJECT OF FAITH. (This is of course Jesus Himself). John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In other words, it is not enough to believe. ONE MUST BELIEVE IN JESUS. Paul, the Apostle, puts it clearly when he says: Act 16:30-31 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. The definition of sin is to deliberately disobey God. In other words, a person must do something willingly that God says is wrong. A person is saved by admitting that he/she is a sinner, repenting of (turning away) from their unbelief, and believing the Jesus is God and died on the cross and rose from the dead by His own power three days later, and by openly confessing that belief to others: Rom 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. After a person is mature enough to make this confession, the following happens: Rom 6:1-6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
46 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. With the Covenant Meal / Communion we remember and acknowledge publically what Jesus did for us at the cross. We remember and acknowledge that His blood was spilled for us and His body broken for us, and we declare publically that we accept His atonement work on the crucifixion stake. With the Believers Baptism we acknowledge that Jesus has died for us and was in the grave. He died and rose again. The death of Jesus at the grave is represented by going under the water. The coming out of the water represents His resurrection. Baptism is to confess publically what happened at the grave. There you bury the old man and walk a new life with Jesus. In other words, you PURIFIED yourself in Jesus as Romans 6:1-6 says. Please read the passage again. Where do I begin? 1. If you are a born again child of God you are equipped to share the Gospel. 2. Share with others what you have experienced and show them that it is based on the Word. - You were healed through prayer - Your marriage was restored or relationships were restored What then? 1. They must realize that they are living in sin. 2. Show them from the Word that they must accept Jesus as their Messiah - Savior and King. 3. They must be baptized and filled with the Spirit of the Almighty. 4. They must tell others what they have experienced. How will this happen? In chapter 15 of this book I shared a chapter from a book by a missionary, pastor Claudia Burger, about prayer and the powerful results it brings into people’s lives. The reaction to this kind of testimony is awesome; people’s live change as they begin to realize that they can do the same with the power of Jesus in them. People will follow results more easily than teaching. Mark 16:20 ‘and going out, they proclaimed everywhere, the LORD (Yahweh) working with them and confirming the Word by miraculous signs following.’ Why is the word ‘them’ in italics? In the King James Version of the Bible the words in italics were added to the text to make the sentence more understandable while in fact it added a misleading interpretation to the verse quoted; 'them' is in italics because God works with His Word and He confirms His Word. The truth is that God is only working with the Word that we share.
47 Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. 19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen. The power and basis of evangelism is clearly defined in Mat. 28:18 all authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. We are functioning because of HIS authority, not our own ability, charm or skills. Jesus even told us exactly what to do: 1. go and teach all nations 2. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 3. teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you What more is there to tell anyone when you share the gospel with him/her? EASY EVANGELISM is based on the principle of sharing the good news face-to-face. In Mat. 8:3-4 Jesus ministered to a leper; a personal encounter between the two of them with miraculous results. In Mat. 8:5-13 Jesus met a centurion and another personal encounter took place, again with miraculous results. Mat. 8:14-15 tells us the personal encounter Jesus had with Peter's wife's mother - again with miraculous results. We can go through the whole of the New Testament to list all the instances where someone had a personal encounter with Jesus and someone else was witness to these staggering results, but I believe the point is clear. We see that a powerful new level of authority is given to the new converts. Mark 16:17-18 and miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well. How is this authority received? Act 19:1-6 and it happened in the time Apollos was at Corinth, Paul was passing through the higher parts to Ephesus. And finding certain disciples, 2 he said to them, have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? And they said to him, we did not so much as hear whether the Spirit of the Almighty is. 3 And he said to them, Then to what were you baptized? And they said, To John's baptism. 4 And Paul said, John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe into Him coming after him, that is, Yeshua the Messiah. 5 And hearing, they were baptized in the name of Yeshua the Messiah.
48 6 And as Paul laid his hands on them, the Spirit of the Almighty came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. They were filled by the Spirit of the Almighty! That is how they received the power! What must follow these actions? Mat 28:20 teaching them (the new believers) to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. The final step in evangelism is to ensure that the new believers are taught the principles of living in obedience to the words of our Savior. If you cannot do it yourself, you must bring the new believers to more mature believers that are able teach them. I hope everyone will realize that it isn't necessary to pay lots of money to train people to reach out to the lost.
49 PHASE 5 – MEMBERSHIP
Chapter 12 The Membership of the church Father has entrusted to you is an important aspect of your church. There are a number of qualifying criteria which new members must ‘pass’ or accept before they can become members. I am not talking about people already attending the church but about new members wanting to join the church. Are they born again? Are they filled the Holy Spirit? Are they regular attendees? Are they faithful in their commitments? Are they in agreement with your church’s policies. . . to name but a few. From the Church’s side there need to be certain things in place: 1. A database with every member’s information: a. Full Names, address and date of birth b. Married and family members, names, date of birth and birthdays c. Contact information d. Next of kin and their contact information e. Whether born-again and Spirit filled f. Anointing and ministry involved in g. Qualifications, both secular and Christian 2. Basic training to attend if needed 3. Ministries they’ve run in the previous church as well as current ministry 4. Ministry related training they’ve done Things need to be well organized to allow the body to function in a way that everyone will be and cared for and that they will experience that love in the church.
50 PHASE 6 – REGISTERING THE CHURCH
Chapter 13 Once the church is functioning correctly the time has come to look for community and mission projects. It is important that the church reaches out to the community and facilitates care programs for the sick and needy.
Community Projects The needs in most of our communities are almost indescribable: Food, clothing and the need for medical care are areas where the church can become involved in easily. In every town or city there are businesses looking for an opportunity to finance worthy projects, in the process benefitting through tax exemption. In order to qualify these donations the specific church has to be registered as a Non-Profit Organization. Most registered accountants can assist churches with the registration process as NPO and act as accounting officer for the church. Furthermore will the accountant be able to register the church with the Receiver of Revenue for tax exemption on the money used to aid the community. It is important to know that a churches’ financial books must be audited by a registered auditor on a yearly basis.
Mission Missions are part of the Great Commission . . . (Mat 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.) and must be taken very seriously. It is of utmost importance that we understand that missions are divided in categories but all of them are still missions:
1. Local Local missions are in and around the town or city the church is based in. The missionary can visit them on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. The people involved do not have to resign their jobs or even take leave to function as a missionary. The work can be done in the evening, on days off or over weekends. The financial layout on traveling etc. is much lower than with conventional mission work.
2. Rural When involved in rural mission work the persons involved can take short periods of leave from the companies they work at and still minister effectively. Teams can even take turns to go and minister in the mission field.
51 3. Overseas People who travel overseas to do mission work are mostly full-time missionaries. They normally visit the mission field for a few weeks and the financial commitment is much greater than the previous two categories. People usually put their life in their country of origin on hold, or take leave to go and do their missionary work. Sometimes they go to the mission field permanently. When a church registers as a NPO, a fair amount of their expenses are exempted from tax and so much more can be done in the communities and on the mission field, as long as the mission’s team operates within the borders of the country. There are absolutely numerous activities that people who are called, can become involved in. I found this list in a book by Charles Loram: Basic Concepts Course, Page 65: (12.) Missions 12.1 Outreach to society and the world (serving in order to save) 12.2 By means of service organizations 12.3 Movies/videos/seminars/programs for kids in holidays 12.4 Involvement in perhaps one secular activity in order to win people for Christ (being the salt of the earth and the light of the world). 12.5 Feeding schemes 12.6 Clothing schemes 12.7 Work opportunities 12.8 Industry etc. 12.9 Old people program 12.10 Teenager programs 12.11 Young married couples program. 12.13 Marriage enrichment 12.14 Teaching art, music or other skills etc. 12.15 Meals on wheels There are so many ways in which we can reach out to the lost, the needy, the orphans, the widows, the broken-hearted . . . the list is almost never ending; but the biggest secret is that we must hear from the Holy Spirit what we should do next and do it without question or hesitation. Obedience is the most powerful action we can take in the ministry.
52 PHASE 7 – STUDIES Chapter 14
The purpose of the Church is to win souls for the Kingdom, and to train these disciples to also become ‘fishers of men’ exactly as the Word bids us to do. Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. 19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen. Firstly Jesus assured them that He had the authority to commission them for the task He was about to lay on them. The power and basis of evangelism is clearly defined in Mat 28:18: ‘And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ We are functioning because of HIS authority, not our own ability, charm or skills. Jesus even told us exactly what to do: 1. go and teach all nations 2. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 3. teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you What more is there to tell anyone when you share the gospel with him/her? Jesus repeated the commission when He appeared to them the day He ascended into heaven. Act 1:3-8 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me;5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." . . . and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. First He said ‘all the earth’, then He said ‘to the end of the earth’ and then He also included all nations. That means every man, woman and child on earth!!
53 He said that the disciples should teach them. He did not instruct them to make converts of all people! This is a fact many great and anointed preachers of God completely miss; they make converts and then left the converts unattended, and ‘fly back home’. SOMEONE MUST STAY BEHIND to be a shepherd to them, to lead them and to tend to them!
The Message Translation says it beautifully in Ps 23: God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows; You find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.
You feed me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head, my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. So, what is the commission that we have received from Jesus? We must be witnesses of what we’ve learnt and teach and shepherd those that accept Him as their Savior to observe all things, whatever He commanded us. THEY MUST STRIVE TO BE LIKE US, BEING LIKE HIM AND ULTIMATELY ONLY LIKE HIM!
Recognize the call on other people’s lives. When people that feel that they have a calling and come to us as ministers, we must walk with them to develop that call. Once it has been determined that their call is truly from the Father we should teach them how to minister to other people. Jesus called 12 men and mentored them for at least three years to become disciples that could minister as effectively as He did.
Most called ones will be functioning within the boundaries of the current assembly. Some believers will be called to become ministers of the Gospel and will be called into full-time ministry. We should lead and allow them to develop that call to the point where they are ready to go and study.
Unfortunately there are also ministers that would rather suppress these callings because they are threatened or intimidated by other believers with different callings within their assemblies. This often leads to jealousy and disrupts the unity in a congregation.
54 Our call is to go and make disciples. What does that mean? It means to allow people to grow to the point where they can minister independently to reach more people for the Kingdom of Christ. One evangelist cannot reach all the lost souls in a town or city. There is always a need for others to minister. Students should enroll in a college or university to study the deeper truths of the Word. They should be trained in presenting it to people in such a dynamic way that it will change they lives forever. Some tips on choosing a college of university. Firstly investigate the integrity of the college or university: Are they teaching the pure Word or man’s doctrines? Are the lectors walking in the purity of the Word? Is the standard of the subjects equal or better compared to those of other institutions? Does the university enjoy the respect of the church community? Have a careful look at the subjects presented. Will they equip you for the task at hand? If you wish to become a pastor of an assembly, you should look for a college or university which are in agreement with the following principles: Accepting the Bible as a whole Studying the Old Testament Studying the New Testament Presenting subjects that will prepare you to function as a pastor Presenting subjects that will prepare you to minister to people holistically Presenting subjects that will prepare you to teach people the basic principles of the Christian Faith Presenting to you an in-depth look at Christianity and view of what other men of God taught Teaching you a closer understanding of our Savior and lead you to a closer walk with Him Presenting standards high enough that once you have completed your studies, it will give you credits for later studies The possibility of following-on from there into a different branch of ministry like for example counseling The above are but a few things to look for before you make your final decision.
55 We all know that studies alone cannot produce Spirit filled and Spirit led men and women for the ministry, BUT we need to be trained in the Word and Church systems and procedures to be able to care for people on a holistic basis. The men and women in the Bible, who are witnesses of our faith, spent many years to grow to the level where they could minister effectively. Today we have all their experience and advice available to us, collected in one place, waiting for men and women to enroll and study.
56 PHASE 8 - PRAYER COVER Chapter 15 The purpose of this chapter is not to teach people to pray but to help the reader understand the importance of prayer and prayer covering. Although the prayer covering aspect is only mentioned as a last chapter on the book, it is the most important aspect of ministry in the church and the life of the pastoral couple. Claudia Burger in her book: Equipped for Battle, Chapter Seven said the following: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks be made for all men,” 1 Tim. 2:1. “The day I read the above verse, I was too lazy to connect my laptop to look up the Greek meanings of the key words. Instead I grabbed my Oxford pocket dictionary and this came to light: Supplication = begging for mercy Prayers = petition Intercession = pleading for others Thanks = express gratitude for service rendered The Greek puts it this way: Supplication = requests, an olive branch carried by a suppliant Prayers = worship, wish, ask, desire Intercession = petition, approaching a king, plead with a person either for or against others Thanks = gratitude, to make thankful confession (I believe in faith we start giving thanks for that which God is about to do.) Prayer not only keeps us connected to God but is an indication of our dependence on Him. The prayer of the upright is a delight to Him. The earnest heartfelt prayer of a righteous man avails much: Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Is my prayer wrung from my heart, does my heart FEEL this prayer? Here are two examples of heartfelt prayers: Several decades ago I heard a testimony of a woman in Kwa-Zulu Natal, an area that is mainly inhabited the Zulu nation. A proud, fierce warrior tribe remembered in our history books by some of the murderous deeds of their king, Dingaan, who reigned more than two centuries ago in that area. This woman was a strong born-again Christian who had a drunkard as a husband. One night in a drunken frenzy he set out to extinguish the light of Jesus Christ in his home. As he stood over his wife holding up a panga, (machete) and ready to strike the death blow, she asked if she could pray. The request was granted and she fell on her knees.
57 It should be reasonably obvious to the reader that one would definitely throw out a very heartfelt prayer at a time like that. This woman was no exception and a passionate prayer ascended to the throne room of the Father. What she prayed is not exactly known, but amongst other things she also prayed for her husband. The Holy Spirit came down in such power that the man threw down the machete, fell on his knees and started crying out to Jesus for forgiveness, giving his heart to the Lord. She had prayed a prayer of desperation. After the prophet Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal, which preceded a three year drought as requested in prayer by Elijah, he sends the evil king Ahab home with the instructions to hurry because rain was coming. Why Elijah did not want that man to catch a cold can only be explained by the fact that Elijah was truly a godly man. THEN he fell down with his head between his knees, bowed down on the ground, and earnestly began to intercede for rain. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky when he started praying. Times of intense prayer like this can be illustrated with the picture of a poor beggar, grabbing God at his coat and almost shaking Him, while pleading incessantly, so serious is the matter. Just another thought: worship is always accompanied by expression through the body, by bowing down, kneeling or prostrate before a higher being. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians that he bows on his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Kneel could mean to bless God, an act of adoration, and to give thanks. The second example is a personal testimony which is related by the writer herself: This event recently happened to my daughter Candace. Candace and Dylan, my children, both know of my two little daughters that I lost at the ages of 16 months and 2, 5 years respectively. They often asked me if I would have had them if I didn’t lose Dionne and Susanne. Then a terrible tragedy befell Candy and Sean. Candy had a still born little girl, Payton, at 6 months. Sometime after this Candy became pregnant again and Paxton was born. She is a constant delight to all of us; not only a little Irish beauty with cobalt blue eyes and dark hair with a porcelain white skin, but she also smiles all the time. One Sunday afternoon after church I received a sms from Candy, stating that Paxi was in hospital. She had been running a fever which Candy had been monitoring for a while already. As they came out of church, Paxi started convulsing. Just a few days before I felt led to read Ps 91. Some of the verses stood out to me and I spoke them out loud at that time. Now as I started driving to the hospital, all the emotions of having lost Dionne, then a few years later Susanne, and more recently little Payton, came rushing into my mind. Immediately I started quoting these Scriptures, focusing on Jesus and not on my fears or ‘what if’s’. At the wide open, high-domed reception area of the hospital, a reasonably happy Paxi with subdued parents were waiting to be admitted. A suppository for the fever had already been administered to Paxi. I put my Bible on the low table between us and
58 mentioned that I was planning on reading Psalm 91 out loud but everything seemed to be fine so I would not. After chatting and playing a little hide-and-seek around the chairs with Paxi’s older sister, Indy, I left. I had started a prayer chain throughout South Africa by now. Shortly after I left, Sean took Indy home. Candy and Paxi settled into a private room on the Pediatric floor while a nurse was attending to Paxi. Suddenly another convulsion started. Despite sponging Paxi down, the convulsions continued. By the time Candy started timing it, about three minutes had expired already. Candy was praying quietly. At nine minutes foam was coming out of Paxi’s mouth and her eyes were rolling back. Now an earnest heartfelt prayer kicked in. Candy started crying out real LOUD to Jesus while weeping in anguish and powerlessness. Then she experienced two things: first she saw warring angels rushing in. The next thing was harder for her to describe, but it was as if she was in a crowd, seeing a multitude of silhouettes; she was trying to break through the throng, trying to touch the Lord. At this point there were no words, just anguish from her heart that breathed: “HELP!” At that her hand broke through the crowd to touch the Lord. And instantly the convulsions stopped. This was not only a heartfelt prayer, but also a prayer of helplessness which is one of the most powerful prayers to pray. We continued in prayer for several days as the fever and infection fluctuated. The original diagnosis was viral meningitis but in the end the tests were inconclusive. Someone made the remark that all the prayers cancelled out the sickness. After four days in hospital mother and child went home safely and happily with no side effects to either except yet again heartfelt gratitude towards an Awesome Powerful God. The Role the Word of God plays in Prayer Pray always with the Word in mind: this is almost like praying through a window – the Word of God acting as the window. Is this Scriptural? Does it please the Father? Is this concept led by the Spirit? The Bible has to be interpreted by the Bible. It is like a treasure hunt, one verse leads to another to give a complete picture. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he exhorts Christians to pray everywhere without wrath. The Greek for ‘wrath’ also encompasses violent passion which could very much fall in the same category as the above two examples. But it further expounds the word to mean vengeance and anger. We are allowed to be angry at injustices towards others, but to pray with anger in your heart towards someone else, is going to cause that prayer to fall right on the ground. That does not mean that we cannot come to the Lord with injustices done to us, but never as an act of vengeance.
59 Read the following examples from the writer’s own experience: Decades ago I was deeply hurt by words that a spiritual leader proclaimed over me. I was angry. I came before the Lord, entered the throne room, and laid a charge against this man of God. “Lord, You heard what this man said to me, the words of death he spoke out over me, I expect justice from You.” I was never so conscious of being in the throne room as that day. The words I spoke out were heartfelt. I was deeply conscious of being in the presence of the Trinity. For a split second there was complete silence, and then God spoke: “He thought what he did was right.” That was it; no arguments about it, God had spoken. This is why we have to be so careful before judging or praying angry prayers about what others have done to us: we don’t know what their motives were. Hearing from the Holy Spirit is important though because many of us think that being Christians is about being passive all the time and becoming doormats. But see what is written in Scripture about this matter, what our Master himself has to say about this: Decades ago my family and I were publically humiliated by a leader. I began to pray for vindication. Shortly after the incident I received evidence that the leader’s attack was unwarranted; yet when I raised the issue afterwards with this specific leader, he would not budge and countered my questions with a remark of his own: “Your problem is that you are afraid of what people think of you.” Well he was quite right and I acknowledged that to him. As I walked away from this brief encounter with the issue unresolved but submitting in my spirit, the Lord clearly spoke to me: “I did not tell you to stop praying for vindication.” Wow! I was speechless. Can you believe it that a leader could be wrong, and to have the Lord take MY side? At that stage of my spiritual growth that blew me away! Of course I obeyed and continued to pray but without bitterness or vengeance in my heart. Several months later a visiting speaker, who knew nothing of the above incident, brought such a powerful vindication that it left me with the fear of God of the consequences of abusing the use of a microphone. Please note that God doesn’t always vindicate us here on earth. Sometimes we want to be vindicated but we were in the wrong as well, maybe wrong motives. Don’t expect vindication this side of the grave though. Give up the offence unless God clearly reveals otherwise. Of course our daily prayer life does not consist of such intense emotions as the two examples of the Zulu lady and Candy; or we would be in a continuous state of exhaustion. What is important though is that we connect with Jesus when we pray. My grandchild who is still a little toddler has been taught to pray before every meal, so faithfully three times a day this little rhyme comes out: “Thank You Lord for the food in Jesus’ Name and thank you Mommy for making it.” Of course I don’t know how much
60 she connects with Jesus when she prays that but I have noticed many times with adults when saying grace, how it has just become a ritual like saying humpty dumpty. I remember a time when Dylan and I were praying for a situation, where I prayed for several weeks, sometimes for hours on end. When I got tired, Dylan took over and carried on. It was like a relay race. In the end there was great victory in what could have been great destruction. A victory in the Name of Jesus for the people we were praying for!! As we press on in prayer, truth is revealed. It is as if a veil lifts and we see the solution or know which direction to take. When we pray every day prayers, we don’t always enter into the Lord’s presence at once, and often the prayer remains only a surface prayer. I found that praise and worship music take me into the Lord’s presence immediately. When one of the kings of Judah in the company of the king of Israel, wanted to know the outcome of a pending battle, he called for the prophet Elisha to seek God’s face. Elisha in turn asked for a minstrel. While the musician played and sang, the word of the Lord came to Elisha. 2Ki 3:14,15 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. We often wonder why it is so important to pray. What happens when we pray? God is powerful enough to work without us, then why the need for prayer? He sees the situation and knows our needs anyhow and even sometimes answers the need before we even ask. What follows are some of the experiences the writer have had of prayer, many of them learnt from other prayer warriors, but throughout all the different learning processes and stages, the Holy Spirit taught and guided. Praying through ‘For decades I had this picture of praying through: I see a medieval castle with a drawbridge and a moat around it. When the enemy wants to storm the castle, they chop down a tree. Then pick it up and, with all their might, storm the drawbridge with this powerful weapon of destruction. They stampede against the drawbridge and don’t stop until it falls. Of course meanwhile the soldiers from the ramparts shoot down a fuselage of arrows and hot stones and boiling water, but as the enemy continues relentlessly, eventually a breakthrough will happen. When we pray without ceasing, sooner or later the stronghold will fall. I learnt from Dr David Yongi Chow from Korea to pray like this. He fasts while praying until he gets an answer, during the day, throughout the night and into the next day. I haven’t had to pray that long yet, because of the grace of God. But on occasion I have prayed for several hours until I felt a breakthrough. After the breakthrough, I continue with thanksgiving until the answer manifests.
61 Another way of breaking the enemy’s stronghold I learnt from Ed Silvoso. He states that the enemy does not have a long wind that is why he shoots his large cannon balls with the first two or three salvos. If you resist him for 40 days, the attack is broken. Dr Silvoso suggests praying one sentence as many times a day as possible, for 40 days, e.g. this strangle hold on my finances is broken. Proclaim a certain Scripture verse over your situation, especially if the Lord gives you Scripture. Otherwise choose a relevant Word. Something I have learnt with this kind of prayer is to write the topic on a piece of paper. Write down the date you start and the date you plan to end, because I found that after a week one tends to run out of steam. The note reminds me to persevere. Something else I learnt with this kind of prayer: if the issue you are praying for is orchestrated by the Lord, a 40 day prayer is not going to break it. I have several friends who can witness to this. Despite praying several 40 day prayers no answer came. I understood then that this was not an attack from the enemy but that God was moving in an alternative way that we did not understand at that time. In all cases God came through but in unexpected ways. Faith One of the enemy’s main strategies is to break our faith, if not permanently then at least for the specific period that we face the trial. Within a day after giving up, God came through and I wept thinking ‘if I had just persevered.’ That doesn’t mean that the tests became smaller as I grew in faith, it just meant that I was able to look back and remember how He undertook and didn’t fail me in past situations. The first time I experienced victory in a major faith test was when my family and I worked on a missionary ship. We all lived by faith yet some had lots more money than others. We were the ‘others’, most of the time not being able to give money to our kids to buy snacks from the snack bar. There were several other South Africans on board, some of whom supported abundantly. I stood in our cabin one day, weeping because it was so difficult to trust God and prayed this prayer: Lord, all the evidence is stacked up against You that You are unfair. My faith is NOT smaller than some of the couples who live in abundance. But I stand on Your Word. Even if You kill me I will trust You. I did not see an immediate release of finances but several years later when the two couples that I specifically had in mind when I prayed that prayer, on leaving the ship, went through a major financial crises. I realized then that God has seasons; a season of want and a season of abundance. By then we have also left the ship and the Lord blessed us abundantly with housing, furniture and vehicles even to the extent that one young widow gave us a Mercedes Benz as a gift. I mentioned in the Foreword, that spiritual warfare is not just about standing on a hilltop, raising a clenched fist at the devil and shouting at the top of your lungs. Dylan added some clarity to my comment:
62 . Resisting with the shield of faith. Peter in his epistles, calls it the shield of light. I apply that by praying in tongues as much as possible throughout the day for issues at hand. As I focus on Jesus and the issue at hand while doing the above, crying out for mercy, faith is released to combat the enemy’s attack and the light drives out the darkness. . Advancing with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word. But this is not done randomly with just any Bible verses. Dylan pointed out that Jesus countered the enemy’s temptation with SPECIFIC verses that were applicable to the attack. . She also pointed out that advancing involves our feet: having our feet shod with the Gospel of peace. Part of advancing is speaking, witnessing, proclaiming. Paul writes in Romans 10 that the Word is near us, in our hearts and in our mouths and if we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe He was raised from the dead, we shall be saved. But how will others call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isa 52:7) We are all sent according to Jesus’ last command to His disciples in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.
Praying in Tongues
90% of the time when I pray I pray in tongues. I pray in the spirit, this connects me to God and the Holy Spirit prays through me. Although I don’t know the words, my spirit has an idea what it’s all about. Sometimes it’s an impression without words. I told Dylan once that the Lord and I often communicate without words. “Like a married couple,” she responded. I personally find it hard to really intercede if the Holy Spirit does not initiate the prayer. He gives the burden and the desire to pray. My son John married his Annabelle 18 December 2004. Tina at that time was a director at our largest hotel group in South Africa and through her they got special rates for the reception and two nights in the bridal suite. As a family we also benefited from that arrangement and Dylan and I shared a room in this luxury hotel. After three days John and Bella left for Durban to board a cruise ship, a gift from his dad and mom. We stayed on for an extra few days’ holiday. On the 26th I was down on the pool deck with Dylan after lunch. She was waiting for a friend and I left to go up to our room. When I arrived in the room, a heavy prayer burden descended on me. I started walking up and down in the room praying in tongues. Who am I praying for? It’s not for my children. It’s something to do with the world. As I continued praying under this burden, for some reason I walked up to the TV cabinet, opened it and switched the TV on changing to the CNN news channel. The
63 early reports of the Tsunami where eventually more than 300 000 people perished started coming through. It was only several days later that I made the connection. Were those prayers the ones that saved the baby on the mattress, or the guy stuck in a tree for several days? Only in heaven one day will I know. Let this teaching and experience that Claudia Burger had be a guide to us in ministry. We must understand that prayer cover is of the utmost importance to strengthen and protect us. As we interviewed numerous missionaries and ministers we heard over and over that they have a mature group of people that pray for them and the ministry they stand in. Paul said: 2Thes 3:1-2: Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. 1Thes 5:25 Brethren, pray for us. Heb 13:18-19 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. 19 But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. It is also important to pray for others. 2Co 13:7-9 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection. Philippians 1:9-14 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. 12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; 13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; 14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. We see that Paul also prayed for others. It is interesting to see what he prayed: That you do no evil That you do what is honest Even your perfection That we can do nothing against truth but for truth
64 That your love abound more in knowledge and in all judgment That you approve things that are excellent That you may be sincere and without offences That you be filled with the fruit of the Spirit That you may understand his (and your) calling Paul prayed for growth, maturity and perfection. In his spirit Paul was seeing them as completed beings and that is what he was praying into being. Of course he prayed for himself as well: Philippians 1:13-14: So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; 14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Taken from the book: Equipped for Battle – Claudia Burger; from page 104.
65 HOW THE FELLOWSHIP WAS PLANTED AND DEVELOPED
Chapter 16
PART 1: FATHER IS DOING A NEW THING
Bring the Church Back to the Truth of the Word In 1996 Father said to me that He was going to do a New Thing. He was going to start a Fellowship that would seek His Face and do exactly what He wants done on earth. The scripture that triggered it all was: Mat 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; 28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." This is an instruction that has been ignored by most of the Church – the so called ‘Church of Jesus Christ’. The church leaders have empowered themselves to rule over the people in so- called ‘love’ and by ‘the Grace of God’. This ‘love’ and ‘grace’ includes the following: 1. Selective use of the scriptures 2. Breaking the law and teaching others to do the same 3. Translating the Bible in such a way that the power of God is limited These things will be discussed in this document. Jesus introduced a new relationship with God During His first time on earth Jesus introduced a new and more powerful relationship with YHWH the God of Israel. Jesus said: Mat 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Mat 6:1-4 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
66 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Mat 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Mat 6:8-18 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Mat 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Mat 10:20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Mat 11:25-26 At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. Mat 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Joh 6:65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." Joh 14:6-11 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
67 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Joh 15:26-27 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. The new relationship that Jesus introduced to the church in His days was that YHWH, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob was also the true Father figure in all our lives. YHWH, the Almighty God is referred to as ‘Father’ 314 times in the New Testament. Even that is not enough to convince the church of Jesus to address YHWH only as Father. There are quite are range of ways Jesus and YHWH is addressed or referred to in the New Testament: Father, the Father, our Father and My Father by Jesus Himself. Where do the term ‘LORD’ come from? Jer 23:26-27 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; 27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. Hos 2:15-16 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. 16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. 17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. H1168 (Strong’s Dictionary) ba‛al בּעל bah'-al The same as H1167; Baal, a Phoenician deity: - Baal, [plural] Baalim. Baal (1) ba‛al; Βάαλ, Báal, or Βαάλ, Baál): The Babylonian Belu or Bel, “Lord,” was ,בּעל) bā´al̀ the title of the supreme god among the Canaanites.
68 Over the years ministers taught the people to call the Almighty by the title of ‘Lord’. Due to this believers have lost that very personal and intimate relationship with our Almighty God.
.יהוה - Most Christians are satisfied to use this title instead of the true Name, YaHWeH
Most people do not even understand why I talk about a relationship lost. As far as I could find the title is the fourth on the list of titles in the Britain where the Kings James Version of the Bible was translated and the title is used in the English translation. Why is this title that is so far down the ranking order of titles, so often used? Why not the highest title we know, namely that of ‘King’? Or the most intimate one, which is that of ‘Father’? The truth is as follows: When Jesus came to earth as the Son of God, the religious system created by the priest and rabbi’s was extremely powerful. It gave them so much control over the people and the money in their created system, that they rejected and crucified Jesus to protect what they had. Mat 26:3-5 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. Today we have a similar situation in the Church. The Church structures are so well laid out that leaders can tell church members almost anything and they will believe it. The religious system of today also has almost full control over the people and the money in the system. Many of them are willing to fight for what ‘their’ pastor or minister said without going back to the Bible and read for themselves. There are so many books and programs available on internet and computer, that anyone willing and interested can do research and find a truth for them. I recommend that e-Sword is used that is available at: http://www.e-sword.net/ Many people in the church believe that Father’s Name is Lord because of the wrong word use in the translations. Isa 42:8 I am Yahweh: that is my name: and my honour will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (Word of YHWH or Yahweh in a Messianic translation) In the King James Version it is rendered as: Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isaiah 47:4 Our Redeemer, Yahweh of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. The Name “Yahweh” occurs 6866 times in the Canonical Bible (Literal Translation) Jeremiah 16:21 Therefore, behold, I will make them know; this time I will cause them to know My hand and My might; and they shall know that My name is Yahweh.
69 Eight Redemptive Names of God
YAHWEH-JIREH
“YaHWeH our provider" - This is also the name Abraham gave to the place where YaHWeH provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac. (Gen. 22:14).
YAHWEH-NISSI
"Our banner, a banner of love and protection" - Also the name Moses gave to the altar he built after defeating the Amalekites (Ex. 17:15).
YAHWEH-SHALOM
"Our perfect peace" - Also the name Gideon gave to the altar he built at Ophrah (Judges 6:24)
YAHWEH-TSID-KENU
" YaHWeH is our righteousness" - The name is applied to a future Davidic king who would lead his people to do what is right and thus bring peace (Jeremiah 23:6) and to the restored city of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 33:16). The name is possibly a play on the name of Zedekiah ("Righteous [is] the Lord") who reigned from 597 to 587 B.C.
YAHWEH-SHAMMAH
"The One Who is with us everywhere for He is Omnipresent" - The Jerusalem of Ezekiel's vision (see Ezekiel 48:35 margin) was known by this name. Compare text at Isaiah 60:19-20 and Revelation 21:3.
YAHWEH-SABAOTH
“YaHWeH of Hosts, our Protector." C.H. Spurgeon said this about the phrase " YaHWeH of Hosts:
YaHWeH rules the angels, the stars, the elements, and all the hosts of Heaven; and the Heaven of heavens is under His sway... [YaHWeH] is on our side -- our august Ally; woe unto those who fight against Him, for they shall flee like smoke before the wind when He gives the word to scatter them."
See text at Psalm 46:7.
YAHWEH-RAAH
"Our Shepherd Who tenderly leads us, loves us and will keep us safe." - The famous Psalm 23 tells us that “YaHWeH is our Shepherd and we shall not want...." Being illustrated as a shepherd implies a relationship with His sheep (His believers). The term shepherd appears approximately 80 times in the
70 Scriptures, using alternately the meanings of: feeder, keeper, companion, friend, pastor and herdsman.
YAHWEH RAPHA
"I am the YaHWeH Your Physician or I am the YaHWeH Your Healer - this name especially was a Name God prophetically spoke about Himself, not one that someone gave Him. Exodus 15:26.
Holman Bible Dictionary and the book All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible by Herbert Lockyer used as source for certain material. http://www.holybible.com/resources/names_of_lord.htm
THE FOLLOWING WERE THINGS WE HAD TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Selective Use of the Scriptures Selective use of scriptures mean that scriptures in the Bible is used to preach a gospel that proves the view of an individual or church group and the ‘positive’ result of it working in the lives of people. For instance: The Law is past and is not working anymore: Mat 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Although Jesus said clearly that He didn’t come to destroy the law many of the preachers say that he did come to bring the law to an end – to fulfil it. The Strong’s G4137 also explains it as being fully preached and the word ‘preached’ means expounded – explained, illustrated or developed. So, there is no indication anywhere that Jesus said that the law was brought to an end. He clearly said that we should keep (do) the law and teach people to keep the laws (commandments). Ex. 24:12 And YaHWeH said to Moses, Come up to Me in the mountain, and be there. And I will give you tablets of stone, and the Law, and commandments which I have written, so that you may teach them. (MKJV) 2Ch 6:16 And now, O YaHWeH, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, There shall not fail you a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk in My Law, as you have walked before Me. (MKJV)
71 Much is being said about the book of Galatians: Gal 2:16 But we know that God accepts only those who have faith in Jesus Christ. No one can please God by simply obeying the Law. So we put our faith in Christ Jesus, and God accepted us because of our faith. (CEV) Why do preachers disagree with God to by wrongly interpret what Paul said? Paul is talking about two concepts: a) Salvation through Christ and b) living according to the Words that God spoke. ‘The Law’, which was wrongly translated from the Word ‘Torah’ which is God’s instructions to successful living, was never intended to save anybody to eternal life. The Law and the commandments, the mitsva h – ordinance or precept (Strong’s Concordance – H4687) was given to us as instructions of how to live a successful life. Nowhere in the Bible is there any claim that the Law was given for salvation. On the contrary, even Paul said that we cannot meet the requirements for salvation by keeping the Law, BUT that we have to put our faith in Christ Jesus to make us acceptable to God for salvation; the Law cannot achieve that because it was not what it was intended for. Gal 2:19-21 It was the Law itself that killed me and freed me from its power, so that I could live for God. I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. 20 I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. 21 I don't turn my back on God's undeserved kindness. If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die. Paul said that it was the Law that killed him, his efforts to be acceptable to God, and freed him from its power, so that he could live for God through faith. He said it and lived it! He was freed from the lie the Pharisees and the Sadducees was preaching; that you have to keep every law to have any hope of being saved. We are living in two dimensions at the same time: the spiritual as well as the physical. These dimensions are controlled by two different sets of laws: spiritual and physical. That is why Jesus said: Mat 23:34 I will send prophets and wise people and experts in the Law of Moses to you (Scribes). But you will kill them or nail them to a cross or beat them in your meeting places or chase them from town to town. (CEV) That is exactly what they did with Paul. They didn’t understand or even know about the laws of the spirit. Mat 16:11-12 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (KJV) The doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees is laws that control the physical realm.
72 If we agree with the selective use of the scriptures then we can prove that God doesn’t exist: Ps 14:1 and Ps 53:1 both say: There is no God. But if we read the complete verse the truth comes out: Ps 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Today we see in the Church that preachers are saying that the Old Testament is exactly what the name says it is: Old; But when it comes to money the Old Testament teachings on tithing still applies and the specifics are taught: Mal 3:8-11 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. They teach that we have to bring our tithe to the store house, in other words, the church where you are being fed spiritually. That means to my church where you are being taught half-truths. We are only to keep the part of the Old Testament that benefits us.
Breaking the law and teaching others to do the same Are there preachers that break the law and are teaching others to do that as well? Sure. Ex. 20:10-11 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of YaHWeH thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days YaHWeH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore YaHWeH blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Isn’t it amazing that the church are teaching the people to keep all the laws of God, but one, and then tells them it is legalistic to keep this one of law, and by the way, also a mistake? EX 20:3-17 THE LAW OF GOD Law 1 – Taught and kept 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Law 2 – Taught and kept 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
73 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Law 3 – Taught and kept 7 Thou shalt not take the name of YaHWeH thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Law 4 – DENIED AND NOT KEPT BY THE CHURCH TODAY 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou lab our, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Law 5 – Taught and kept 12 Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Law 6 – Taught and kept 13 Thou shalt not kill. Law 7 – Taught and kept 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Law 8 – Taught and kept 15 Thou shalt not steal. Law 9 – Taught and kept 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Law 10 – Taught and kept 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s. We notice that nine of the ten law or commandments are being taught to the people and are being kept by all true born again Followers of Jesus.
74 One law people is not taught to keep but rather taught not to keep, and that is the fourth Law; the Law about the Sabbath? YaHWeH is clear about it. Mat 5:19 whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. They will not be lost but they will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.
Translating the Bible is such a way that the power of God is limited Over the years we have noticed that all the translations were not the same and we accepted that it was because people interpret the same thing differently. During the translations of the Bible, the names of the Father and the reference to His characteristics were changed. We find in the Preface of the New International Version vii the next statement: “There is a sense in which the work of translation is never wholly finished. This applies to all great literature and uniquely to the Bible. In 1973 the New Testament in the New International Version was published. Since then, suggestions for corrections and revisions have been received from various sources. The Committee on Bible Translation carefully considered the suggestions and adopted a number of them. These are incorporated in the first printing of the entire Bible. As in other ancient documents, the precise meaning of the biblical texts is sometimes uncertain. This is more often the case with Hebrew and Aramaic texts than with Greek text. Although archaeological and linguistic discoveries in this century aid in understanding difficult passages, some uncertainties remain. The more significant of these changes have been called to the reader’s attention in the footnotes. In regard to the divine name YHVH, commonly referred to as the Tetragrammaton, the translators adopted the device used in most English versions of rendering the name as “LORD” in capital letters to distinguish it from Adonai, another Hebrew word rendered “Lord”, for which small letters where used. Whenever the two names stand together in the Old Testament as a compound name of God, they are rendered as “Sovereign LORD”. Because for most readers today the phrases “the LORD of Hosts” and “God of Hosts” have little meaning, this version renders them “the LORD Almighty” and God Almighty”. (NIV Preface p ix.)” So we see the reference to the Hebrew and Aramaic language is fully removed when it comes the Name of YHWH. But, when it comes to scriptures being left out to influence the true meaning of the Bible, we have to stand up and make the church aware of these blatant exclusions.
75 The following scriptures were omitted from many of the new translations after 1953:
Mat 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Mark 7:16 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 11:26 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 15:28 And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. Luke 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Luke 23:17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) Luke 24:40 And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 1Joh 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. Rom 16:24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Acts 15:34 Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still. Acts 24:7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, Acts 28:29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
From some of the scriptures very crucial parts were removed:
(Strike through parts removed) Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
76 Mat 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Mat 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. Mark 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. Mark 11:10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, let (him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains: Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
77 Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Luke 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Luke 20:30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Phil 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
More scriptures have been altered by the removal of selected part, but we will accept the listed scriptures as sufficient proof. 2Thes 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Changed to: 2Thes 2:2 Don't let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumoured letter from me that the day of the Master's arrival has come and gone.
PART 2: GIVE MINISTERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND IN MINISTRY OFFICIALLY The Church, all over the world has a similar requirement that has to be met before they will allow a man to enter the ministry. The requirement is that he or she has to be trained in their denomination’s training system. If a minister moves from one denomination to another he has to undergo additional training before he is allowed to minister to the new denomination’s church. Father made it clear that we must: 1. Give people opportunities based on His leading 2. Training is important up to a point 3. Man and wife stands together in ministry 4. Women can be ordained Right from the start we were met with fierce opposition from the church in general.
78 1. Give people opportunities based on His leading Over the years we have been looking to Father when persons apply for membership and ordination. The first thing we ask of the Spirit is: Does this person have a calling, and secondly, has this person been anointed by Father? These things are crucial before we will allow this person become part and then be ordained. Over the past 17 years we have given more than five hundred and sixty people an opportunity and more than ninety five present of them are still in ministry; of the ninety five, two hundred and seventy one is still walking with FCCA. We make it very clear to people that no man can ordain another man; only the Almighty God can do that. Ordination is just confirming what Father has already done in their lives and that every person is accountable to Father for his ordination and the word that he/she does. Mark 3:14-15 and he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, 15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils
From this scripture we see that Jesus ordained the disciples and with ordination came confirmation of the power to heal sickness and to cast out devils – not to rule over men and women in the assembly where He calls them to function. This clearly points to serving the body the way Jesus did himself.
2. Training is important up to a point 1Tim 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. We cannot to place people in Ministry without proper training or when they are new in ministry. We look at the training people did in the past and make sure that they had sufficient training at an acceptable training facility. The difference is that they don’t have to be trained by our own Bible College. The level of training we require is directly linked to the ministry they are involved in. We recognize a number of Holy Spirit anointed ministries: Pastoral Teaching Prophetic Evangelistic Counselling Praise and worship
79 Church Administration Pulpit ministry is not a prerequisite for ordination.
3. Man and wife stands together in ministry We have seen that in most instances where a married couple stand in an assembly, the wife has to lead the ladies meetings, counselling and things like that. It is not clear why the ladies are not recognized by the church system. The Bible is clear that the women was made to be a help meet for the man, but when it comes to ministry the Word seemingly does not apply.
4. Women can be ordained We were led by the Spirit to give the same opportunity to women as we are giving to men. The Word is very clear on the principles that is laid down for ministry – for men as well as women. The following from Mathew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: “I. Here is a charge, those women who profess the Christian religion should be modest, sober, silent, and submissive, as becomes their place. 1. They must be very modest in their apparel, not affecting gaudiness, gaiety, or costliness (you may read the vanity of a person's mind in the gaiety and gaudiness of his habit), because they have better ornaments with which they should adorn themselves, with good works. Note, Good works are the best ornament; these are, in the sight of God, of great price. Those that profess godliness should, in their dress, as well as other things, act as becomes their profession; instead of laying out their money on fine clothes, they must lay it out in works of piety and charity, which are properly called good works. 2. Women must learn the principles of their religion, learn Christ, learn the scriptures; they must not think that their sex excuses them from that learning which is necessary to salvation. 3. They must be silent, submissive, and subject, and not usurp authority. The reason given is because Adam was first formed, then Eve out of him, to denote her subordination to him and dependence upon him; and that she was made for him, to be a help-meet for him. And as she was last in the creation, which is one reason for her subjection, so she was first in the transgression and that is another reason. Adam was not deceived, that is, not first; the serpent did not immediately set upon him, but the woman was first in the transgression (2Co11:3), and it was part of the sentence, Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee, Gen 3:16. But it is a word of comfort (1Ti 2:15) that those who continue in sobriety shall be saved in child-bearing, or with child-bearing - the Messiah, who was born of a woman, should break the serpent's head (Gen 3:15); or the sentence which they are under for sin shall be no bar to their acceptance with Christ, if they continue in faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety.
80 II. Here observe 1. The extensiveness of the rules of Christianity; they reach not only to men, but to women, not only to their persons, but also to their dress, which must be modest, like their sex; and to their outward deportment and behaviour, it must be in silence, with all subjection. 2. Women are to profess godliness as well as men; for they are baptized, and thereby stand engaged to exercise them to godliness; and, to their honours be it spoken, many of them were eminent professors of Christianity in the days of the apostles, as the book of Acts will inform us. 3. Women being more in danger of exceeding in their apparel, it was more necessary to caution them in this respect. 4. The best ornaments for professors of godliness are good works. 5. According to Paul, women must be learners, and are not allowed to be public teachers in the church; for teaching is an office of authority, and the woman must not usurp authority over the man, but is to be in silence. But, notwithstanding this prohibition, good women may and ought to teach their children at home the principles of religion. Timothy from a child had known the Holy Scriptures; and who should teach him but his mother and grandmother? 2 Ti 3:15. Aquila and his wife Priscilla expounded unto Apollos the way of God more perfectly; but then they did it privately, for they took him unto them, Act 18:26. 6. Here are two very good reasons given for the man's authority over the woman, and her subjection to the man, 1Ti 2:13, 1Ti 2:14. Adam was first formed, then Eve; she was created for the man, and not the man for the woman (1Co11:9); then she was deceived, and brought the man into the transgression. 7. Though the difficulties and dangers of childbearing are many and great, as they are part of the punishment inflicted on the sex for Eve's transgression, yet here is much for her support and encouragement: Notwithstanding she shall be saved, etc. Though in sorrow, yet she shall bring forth, and be a living mother of living children; with this proviso, that they continue in faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety: and women, under the circumstance of child-bearing should by faith lay hold of this promise for their support in the needful time.” Some of the aspect discussed by Mathew Henry is as far as I can perceive his personal view. There are however aspects that does not apply to a woman in ministry but only to a women in marriage. Paragraph 5 is such one of the things where, I think, Paul brought in a Greek concept. In his paragraph 6 he mentions that there are two very good reasons given for the man’s authority over the woman which I believe applies only to her being married. No-one, man or woman, should Lord it over others, men or women. We are all servants of the Almighty and should act and minster that way.
81 In Romans 16 Paul twice mentions women in ministry: Rom 16:1-2 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. We see that in the Greek she is defined as someone in a position over others:
G4368 Thayer Definition: Succourer 1) a woman set over others 2) a female guardian, protectress, patroness, caring for the affairs of others and aiding them with her resources
G4291 Thayer Definition: 1) to set or place before 1a) to set over 1b) to be over, to superintend, preside over 1c) to be a protector or guardian 1c1) to give aid 1d) to care for, give attention to 1d1) profess honest occupations Rom 16:3-5 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ. The same Paul that said in 1Tim 2:12 “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet”, now recognizes woman in positions of ministry. Again it is clear the Paul was addressing two different situations in the Word. On the one hand, 2Cor 11:3, he was talking about husbands and their wives in the synagogue and on the other hand, Rom 16, he was talking about women in ministry. For this reason we began to extend the opportunity to woman as well. There are a number of woman in ministry that are very effective that are changing people’s lives all over South Africa and even in several countries of the world.
82 IN CONCLUSION
The purpose of ministry is to preach the good news that there is hope and opportunity for mankind in Jesus Christ. He wants us to continue the work He started right to His second coming to establish His Kingdom. We as the body of Christ have to do what He called us to do: Go into al the world and preach the gospel that will cause people to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Messiah. Bring them together to teach them the Word and allow them to grow to the point where they can go do what they believe!! And where they in turn, can make disciples of men!! I believe that this study will give those that read and study it, an insight in what is expected of the church and the wonderful relationship the Church and man can experience with our Father in Heaven. If you are ministering, qualified but not ordained, you can contact the author at: [email protected] for an opportunity, or go to: www.fcca-int.com
ISBN 978-0-9946563-1-5 (Online Version)
Please note: This book: ‘Church Planting and Development’ may be distributed online for study purposed but my not be printed and duplicated for reselling.
Printed copies are available from the author.
A donation for the use of the online version would be appreciated: In South Africa:
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83 Books Recommended to be studied: a. The Bible b. God’s Plan for Leadership in the Church – Thys van Rensburg
– http://www.fcca-int.com/Gods%20plan%20for%20Leadership%20in%20the%20Church.pdf c. Basic Concept Course – Chris Loram ( Available from the writer) d. Equipped for Battle – Claudia Burger - ISBN No: 978-0-6206-1944-6 E-mail: Claudia Burger [email protected] Cell: +27 72 789 4744 Please contact Claudia directly for a copy of the book.
84 References: 1. All scriptures are taken from the e-sword Bible software; the King James Version was used (KJV), the English Standard Version (ESV) in all cases where a different translation is used the translation or commentary or dictionary is mentioned.
2. Commentaries and Bibles are taken from e-Sword a. KJV – King James Version b. WEB – World English Bible – a Messianic Translation c. ISBE – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 3. God’s Plan for Leadership in The Church – Thys van Rensburg
4. Basic Concepts Course – Charles Loram 5. Equipped for Battle – Claudia Burger
6. HISTORY OF THE CHURCH by PHILIP SCHAFF in e-Sword 7. Financial information supplied by Dr Colin Lowe (SAIPA Practice 1310, SARS Tax Prac.PR5167FF8, SAIT (Gen. 0038 ret)
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