Sep 14

Ministry Tips and Tools: Cultivating Your Giftings in the Spirit

VIDEO: 

Lev 26:7-8 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. NIV

This year’s Annual Conference theme is Cultivating your giftings in the Spirit.  It is also the challenge for TMCI around the world for this year. God has gifted all of us with special gifts to further God’s Kingdom. Please note that we are not gifted so that we can build our reputation or increase our ministry but to increase the Kingdom of God.

The above scripture challenges me. Our society gives great honor to what they call a self-made man: the person who through much effort on his part singlehandedly reaches his goal.  But if you look at the lives of “self-made men”, you will find that they had people around them who helped them along the way. God’s will is that people not be lone Rangers. Jesus sent his disciples out two by two.

 We need each other as Paul outlines in 1 Cor 12:14-20

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  NIV

We all have various gifts but no one person has all the gifts. Jesus is the only one who operated in all the gifts.

One of the mistakes people make is that instead of looking at the gifts God has given them, they look at the gifts they do not have. I remember complaining to God, (now I know you would never do that) about my becoming interim pastor at my church – replacing a pastor who was a dynamic preacher and operated in the gifts of the Spirit with power. He could paint a picture on the wall with his words. So there I was early Sunday morning praying, but reality I was complaining that I did not have the gifts that former pastor had. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit and asked who preached on the day of Pentecost and 3000 got saved.

 I said Peter, of course, but the Spirit said no, I did through Peter and the same Holy Spirit that preached through Peter is in you, so stop your complaining and do what you are called to do and let me operate through you.

The other mistake we make is try to” work on” the gifts we do not have, and neglect the one we have. We should always try to refine; to perfect the gifts God has put in us by reading the Bible to see how they are used in Scripture. We should join with mature Christians who operate in the Same Gifts becoming an Elisha to that person. Remember, Elisha did not start his ministry; he let Elijah train and speak into his life.

So when you need a gift you do not have, reach out to those who have the gift and join with them so your gifts will bless them and their gifts will bless you.  When Barnabas was sent to Antioch (Acts 11) he saw that they needed more than encouraging, they needed a strong teacher so he went and got Paul and together they ministered to the people.  It is like TMCI’s partnership with Live School in Africa. Live School helps train church people to plant other churches:  they have the people and curriculum so we help them and they help us in training our TMCI-Liberia churches and the kingdom is advanced.

This coming year is a year of Divine appointments. Last year, God called us out as His “no name army”. This year, I believe he wants to unite us together in force that will attack and take back territory from the enemy. I believe that there are areas in this country and throughout the world that God want to use you and other TMCI ministers to take ground and overcome the enemy by helping each other with our giftings.

My pledge to you is that, if you are interested in doing something special in your geographic area of ministry, I will put you in touch with other TMCI ministries in your area and help organize your event with these TMCI ministries. If you want to do something international, let me know what area of the world, and we will put you in touch with the TMCI missionaries in that area.

It is time for us to not only look to our ministry, but also look to see how we can work with others to make a bigger difference for Christ in our geographic area.  We need to help  each other solidify the victory by making disciples of new converts and  making sure the territory gain is solidified before moving on to gain more ground. What do I mean by that? Too many times we think we won the victory only to lose it because we did not follow through and solidify the gains.

Let look at David and Goliath, David threw the stone that felled Goliath, He had knocked Goliath out but had not defeated him completely until he took Goliath’s sword and cut off his head. Then he had complete victory.

Too many Christians throw a knockout punch and walk away thinking they have the victory when they only won a battle and not the victory.  We need to follow through, solidify the gains and only then move on.

How do we do that? By making converts into disciples for Christ and then releasing them for ministry to help us take more ground from the enemy.

So I encourage you today to have a shift in your ministry thinking. To ask yourself, whom can I connect with to make a bigger difference in my ministry area. I do not feel God has called us to be lone rangers, but to unite our ministries with others in our area of ministry to make a bigger impact in the world.

That is my prayer for you. Go forth united and build the Kingdom of God with your other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let us move forward together,

Bishop Bob Coulter

Please remember the Annual conference September 23 -25 in Lancaster, SC; I pray that you will join us either in person or via the web.

This month’s recommended book is The Coming Shift by Larry Randolph

Sep 01

Ministry Tips and Tools – Spiritual Gifts – Part 2

Today we continue our look at Spiritual Gifts found in Romans 12: 4-8. These gifts have variously been called Grace Gifts, Motivational Gifts or Foundation Gifts.

Romans 12: 4-8

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. NKJV

God has given each believer one or more of these gifts.   Many believers exhibit more than one gift, but almost always one is dominant. Each gift affects the way that a person views all ministries. Because we all view ministry through our gifting, we find that some gifted saints can offend differently gifted folks if they do not take time to understand each other’s giftings.

Therefore, I am not going to teach these gifts in the order given, but will compare the gifts that tend to offend each other.

In our last Tips and Tools, we learned about:

Gift of Prophecy compared to the Gift of Mercy:

Gift of Ministry (Serving) compared to the Gift of Leadership (Administration)

Today we will look at the gifts of Teaching compared to Exhortation; and finish with the gift of Giving.

Gift of Teaching: The Teaching gifted derives great joy from studying the Word and doing Biblical research.

Characteristics of the Teaching Motivated:

  1. They want everyone else to be excited by the Scriptures
  2. They enjoy studying the word as much or more than presenting their findings to others.
  3. They prefer to use Biblical examples and rarely use personal experiences.
  4. They are watchful that others who teach the Word do not deviate from the truth.
  5. They present truth systematically.
  6. They use Biblical foundations to test new truths. They know that the Bible is not self-contradictory; it always flows together, and if a new teaching contradicts foundational biblical truth, it is false teaching and should be ignored

Guidelines for teaching motivated people:

  1. Be careful to present material in an interesting fashion.
  2. Make sure the lessons have practical applications.
  3. Teach with humility and compassion: because teachers love to spend time in the Word, they often become very knowledgeable about it. This may lead to a prideful attitude.

Gift of Exhortation very strongly life-related; drawing upon the practical applications of life experiences to produce abundant living in others.

Characteristic of the Exhortation Motivated:

  1. They like to give others “Steps of Activity” to follow to bring them out of their misery, trials and tribulations.
  2. They like for teaching from God’s Word to be applicable to everyday living.
  3. They give practical applications.
  4. They want you to relate to the subject matter and incorporate it into your daily life.
  5. They are very perceptive to others’ reactions.
  6. They like to relate personal examples to Biblical truths.
  7. They love to counsel others and give others new insights into the Word so they can practice it and see changes in their lives.

Guidelines for exhortation motivated people:

  1. Be sensitive to the Lord’s Exhorters may tend to emphasize their action steps more than stressing depending on the Lord who gives the steps.
  2. Have faith in God. If the people to whom exhorters minister do not follow their advice, the exhorters may feel that they have failed God.
  3. Be careful not to take Scripture out of context. Sometimes exhorters want so badly to prove their points that they may twist Scripture to fit the example they are giving.

Teachers are very protective of God’s word. They will be the first ones to point out to a preacher if he misquotes a Scripture or takes a Scripture out of context. So if an exhorter takes a scripture out of context, it can bother and upset a teacher. One of my gifts is exhortation so I will give a personal example of how an exhorter can offend a teacher. Recently I was preparing one of my teachings and was tired and could not get the word for the point I was trying to make, so I got sloppy and just threw in a word. Now Judy Covington (the teacher) reviews all my teachings. When she saw what I wrote she immediately challenged me saying that’s not what the Scripture says and suggested another word. And of course she was right. Teachers will protect the word of God; exhorters must not take the Word of God out of context.

Gift of Giving: Means to share spiritual gifts, finances, oneself and the gospel.

Characteristics of the Giving motivated:

  1. They not only offer their money, but also their time and themselves to the Lord’s work.
  2. They feel they are part of any ministry into which they give. They may not be involved with the day-to day activities of all the ministries to which they give, but they feel they are knit together spiritually with those ministries
  3. They are very burdened that the church or ministry’ financial needs are met.
  4. They do not like to be pressured into giving. They are often offended when they receive an appeal letter from ministers or ministries.
  5. They give high quality gifts, often giving the best and keeping lesser quality items for themselves.

Guideline for giving motivated people:

  1. Remember that God is your source and do not use your gifts for manipulation.
  2. Remember that others may need encouragement to give.
  3. Maintain balance in your giving. Do not go to extremes – do not neglect your family’s needs.
  4. Be careful not to help someone who God is trying to discipline in the area of finances. Pray before you give to individuals or organizations to make sure God want you to do so. Do not give because it makes your flesh feel good; make sure it is where God wants to sow His resources through you.

I pray that these teachings will give you some food for thought as you “cultivate your giftings in the Spirit”. This is the theme for this year’s annual conference. We will be teaching and discussing more about cultivating your giftings at the annual conference. On Friday afternoon, we have scheduled a time for small groups so you can give your wisdom on this important subject.

I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Conference which is September 23-25 in Lancaster, South Carolina. Please go to our website www.tmciworld.com for more information.

Be Blessed,

Bishop Bob Coulter

Recommended book: Know Your Ministry by Marilyn Hickey

 

 

Aug 20

Ministry Tips and Tools – Spiritual Gifts – Part 1

Let’s take a look at the spiritual gifts found in Romans 12: 4-8. These gifts have variously been called Grace Gifts, Motivational Gifts or Foundation Gifts.

Rom 12:4-8

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. NKJV

God has given each believer one or more of these gifts. Many believers exhibit more than one gift, but almost always one is dominant. Each gift affects the way that a person views all ministries. Because we all view ministry through our gifting, we find that some gifted saints can offend differently gifted folks if they do not take time to understand each other giftings.

Therefore, I am not going to teach these gifts in the order given but will compare those gifts that tend to offend specific others. Some of the teaching is from Know Your Ministry by Marilyn Hickey.

Gift of Prophecy: Prophecy means speaking forth the Word of God.

Characteristic of the Prophecy Motivated People:

  1. They are very frank and direct verbally. They are not afraid to point out weakness in others and are very eager to have their own weakness exposed as well.
  2. They have the ability to discern others’ true motives.
  3. They want to see outward evidence of change in those who say they repented. They do not simply accept the word of the “changer” but want to see fruit in action as well.

Guidelines for Prophecy Motivated People:

1.Be certain to speak the truth in love. Watch the tone of your voice.

2.Guard against rigidity. God may have more than one way to accomplish his goals.

  1. Do not become legalistic.

Gift of Mercy: is the outward manifestation of pity

Characteristics of the Mercy Motivated People:

1 They are eager to show mercy.

2 They rebuke others only when it is absolutely necessary.

  1. They have the ability to discern others’ true motives.
  2. They prefer to minister to emotional needs rather than physical needs.

5 They are sensitive to others’ reactions to spiritual events.

Guidelines for Mercy Motivated people:

  1. Allow God to deal with others’ offenses. Do not assume others ‘offenses . 2. Make decisions based on the Word of God, not on emotions.
  2. Exercise caution when ministering to members of the opposite sex. You may become too involved and cause further injury or problems or your deep concern may be misunderstood.
  3. Make an effort to fellowship with a variety of people. Mercy motivated people are inclined only to fellowship with others who are also mercy-motivated.

Those with prophecy and mercy motivated gifts tend to offended each other because to their very different approaches to ministry. Prophecy people tend to be very vocal and blunt in dealing with people, whereas the mercy motivated want to coax people into repentance and tend to be much more mild mannered when ministering to people. A mercy motivated person can be offended by the harsh way the prophecy motivated person speaks to a person: the prophecy motivated can be offended because they think the Mercy motivated person is coddling the person. Both have the ability to discern others’ true motives, but their approach in dealing with the person differs. The kingdom needs both approaches. Sometimes some need a “kick in the pants” and sometimes they just need a hug.

Gift of Ministry (Serving): is the gift which motivates the gifted to meet the practical needs in the church.

Characteristics of the Serving Motivated People:

  1. They are willing to work physically almost to the point of exhaustion.
  2. They will accept any challenge and stick with it to completion even if it means forfeiting hours of their personal time.
  3. They prefer to work on projects that yield immediate results.

Guidelines for Serving Motivated People

  1. Guard against taking on too many projects – you may be taking away someone else’s opportunity for ministry. Make certain God has called you to do the task that you are performing.
  2. Do your work for the Lord and not for man’s approval.
  3. Keep your priorities straight. Sometimes severs become so task-oriented that they neglect their personal relationship with God.
  4. Be careful not to interfere with God’s dealings with others. Sometimes a server will leap in to help someone whom God is trying to teach a lesson.

Gift of Leadership (Administration) is the ability to lead and direct others. Through their God-given leadership ability, the leadership motivates and facilitates tasks for the rest of the body of Christ.

Characteristics of the Leadership Motivated People:

  1. They can visualize long range goals.
  2. They love challenge and know what steps are needed to meet the challenge.
  3. They love to implement steps needed to meet goals.
  4. They gain satisfaction from achieving goals and involving other to help meet them.
  5. They are aware of the available resources to complete a task.
  6. They are not overly sensitive to criticism; they are concerned with achieving goals, not pleasing people.

Guidelines for Leadership Motivated people:

  1. Watch your people skills. Remember people are more important than projects.
  2. Remember to be sensitive to others. Leaders like to complete tasks swiftly and may at times appear to be insensitive to others’ schedules and priorities.
  3. Explain why certain tasks are necessary. Not everyone can see the long term goals
  4. Use your giftings. Leaders will often wait until asked to get involved in projects.
  5. In the beginning supervise your projects closely. Leaders tend to delegate their responsibilities too quickly

Leadership and serving gifts tend to offend each other. The server sometime thinks the leader is lazy because he’s not doing the physical labor. If possible, the leader should get involved in some of the physical work to set an example. Because servers do not visualize the long term goals, they may get discouraged. Therefore it is good for the leader to set short term goals and celebrate each as it is reached to encourage the servers.

My next Tips and Tools will complete the teaching on gifts and will include the gifts of Teaching, Exhortation and Giving.

Be Blessed,

Bishop Bob Coulter

Recommended book: Know Your Ministry by Marilyn Hickey

 

 

 

Aug 12

Ministry Tips and Tools-Thoughts on Spiritual Leadership

Kenneth Gangel writes, “The Christian leader understands that he functions to facilitate the ministry of others. He does what he must do in order that they may do what God has called them to do.”

Eph 4:11-12 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,

The main call on leadership is found in Ephesian 4: 11 and 12. The fivefold ministry is to equip believers to do the work of the ministry. We, as leaders, are called not to make converts only, but more importantly to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Not to make members for our church or ministry but to make disciples for Christ and release them for ministry. The church as a whole has emphasized making converts, but too many of these saved persons are being left on their own and, when tribulation comes, they falter because they have not been discipled. That is why the American church is so weak. We stopped making disciples and moved into entertainment and “feel good” teaching. We need to go back and train people and release them for ministry so that the kingdom of God is advanced: not just our church or ministry but the Kingdom of God!

Leith Anderson writes “The Church is caught in tensions. Our society is changing, economic, business and political realities are in constant flux. As a people, we feel this pressure ceaselessly. Yet as individuals, we resist change, feeling more secure with a stable environment. This constant pressure from society to change and the tendency for individuals to resist change create tension.

Matt 28:19-20 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.

There is no doubt that we live in a time of great chaos. We sometimes wish we could go back to the time when things seemed more stable in our lives. Because of that we sometimes resist change of any kind in our church. We would like to be like a ship moored in the harbor. It is safe, nothing can affect it. But in reality, ships were not made for harbors, but for the open sea where there are strong winds and large waves that bring danger. As Christians, we must do what Jesus told us. “Go”. Not to sit and wait. But to go and preach the gospel to all. We must go outside our church and comfort zone and share boldly the love of God by our actions and words.

 

Kennon Callahan writes “The watershed question for many people in many congregations is….Do we believe that our best years are behind us, or do we believe that our best years are before us. Either way, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

As leaders, we must believe in what God called us to do. We must have a passion for the call on our lives. If we do not believe in what we are doing, no one else will. It is our leadership and enthusiasm that people will follow. Too many times, leaders let past success hold them back as they try to stay in an old anointing. God is on the move and we must move with him. We must act on the revelation God gives us today.

Leith Anderson: “Great leaders excel amid adversity. Do not resent tough times. Do not mark off the days until problems will be over. It is in hardship that we learn endurance. It is in adversity that we have our greatest opportunities to lead.”

I remember when I first read James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. I thought I had misread that! It is in adversity that we grow as we learn to trust God for our solutions. Every successful ministry has had some failures. But we learn from our mistakes and move on with God. Ministry will have highs and lows. At one time God is blessing and things are flowing smoothly, at other times things slow down and problems are everywhere. Where we grow most is during the difficult times as God continue to mold us into the persons He needs for the next upward move in our lives. As leaders, we must remain positive as God moves us to new ministries. Many people ask God to make things easy for them. A better prayer would be to ask God to make you a better person.

I am reminded of 2 Thess 1:3-4 as Paul wrote about the Thessalonians: We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

As the Thessalonians we must have a good report as we go through difficult times in our ministry.

Peter Drucker: “There is no correlation between potential and performance. There are lots of people with potential that do nothing with it. What counts is performance. Great leaders do something.

James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

As leaders, God has called us to be doers, not triers. We are called to be steadfast in our calling. One religious way that I have seen leaders avoid taking action on a problem is this phrase. “Let pray about it” Yes, I say, “Let pray about it” As you know I am in favor of prayer, but most of the time what they are really saying is “let us hope the problem goes away before we meet again”. Yes, pray about it, but act on the problem. Problems do not go away on their own. One must act under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but act we must.

In the next Tips and Tools, I will start a two part teaching on the Spiritual Gifts found in Roman12:4-8. I will be sharing on the positives and negatives of these gifts and how someone with one gift might offend another with a different gift.

Keep your thoughts on Christ and the promises he has for you,

Bishop Bob Coulter

The book I recommend this month is The Richest Man who ever lived by Steven K. Scott

Aug 07

Cultivating Your Giftings in the Spirit ~ 9/23-25/2015 TMCI Annual Conference

2015 Conference Dates – September 23rd, 24th, and 25th

REGISTER HERE: BOGO http://www.tfaforms.com/378856

LOCATION
Christian Assembly Worship Center (Marvin Tennant, Host Pastor)
542 Lancaster Bypass East,
Lancaster, SC 29720 | MAP
HOTEL
CONFERENCE HOTEL: Ask for TMCI Conference Rate
Quality Inn
114 Commerce Blvd  Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 283-1188
TMCI Room Rate $64.99 plus tax per day
Reservations for the hotel are additional and separate from the conference registration and must be made by each individual.
ONLINE: http://www.qualityinn.com/hotel-lancaster-south_carolina-SC462
TMCI MEMBERS, GET YOUR SHOUT OUT IN http://www.tfaforms.com/378874
KNOW and Cultivate your Purpose and Benefits as Believers and Servant Leaders
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Why does He give these special abilities to certain people to excel in certain things?
It is so that God’s people will be equipped to best work for him, building up the Church, the body of Christ, in strength and maturity;  until finally we all believe as He does about our salvation and about our Savior, God’s Son, and all become full-grown in the Lord—yes, filled full with Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-13)
CULTIVATE the Gifts of the Spirit
Word of wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8; Luke 6:9) Word of knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8; Luke 18:22) Faith (1 Cor. 12:9; Acts 3:6) Gifts of healing (1 Cor. 12:9, 28; Acts 28:1-10) Working of miracles (1 Cor. 12:10; Acts 6:8) Prophecy (1 Cor. 12:10; 1 Thess. 5:20-21; Eph. 4:11) Discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10; Luke 8:29) Tongues (1 Cor. 12:10; Acts 19:6) Interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:10; 14:13-33) Helping (1 Cor. 12:28) Administration (1 Cor. 12:28; Acts 6:2-3) Ministry/service (Rom. 12:7; 2 Tim. 1:16-18) Teaching (Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11-14) Encouragement (Rom. 12:8; Heb. 10:24-25) Giving (Rom. 12:8; 1 Cor. 13:3; Acts 4:32-35) Leadership (Rom. 12:8; Acts 13:12) Mercy (Rom. 12:8; Luke 5:12-13) Apostleship (Eph. 4:11) Evangelism (Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5)  Pastoral guidance (Eph. 4:11) Grace (Rom. 12:6; Eph. 3:7; 4:7; 1 Pet. 4:10-11) Willingness to face martyrdom (1 Cor. 13:3) Intercession (Rom. 8:26-27) Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9) Celibacy (1 Cor. 7:8)
HEART-itude
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Aug 01

Ministry Tips and Tools: Thoughts on Spiritual Leadership

Kenneth Gangel writes, “The Christian leader understands that he functions to facilitate the ministry of others. He does what he must do in order that they may do what God has called them to do.”

Eph 4:11-12 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,

The main call on leadership is found in Ephesian 4: 11 and 12. The fivefold ministry is to equip believers to do the work of the ministry. We, as leaders, are called not to make converts only, but more importantly to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Not to make members for our church or ministry but to make disciples for Christ and release them for ministry. The church as a whole has emphasized making converts, but too many of these saved persons are being left on their own and, when tribulation comes, they falter because they have not been discipled. That is why the American church is so weak. We stopped making disciples and moved into entertainment and “feel good” teaching. We need to go back and train people and release them for ministry so that the kingdom of God is advanced: not just our church or ministry but the Kingdom of God!

Leith Anderson writes “The Church is caught in tensions. Our society is changing, economic, business and political realities are in constant flux. As a people, we feel this pressure ceaselessly. Yet as individuals, we resist change, feeling more secure with a stable environment. This constant pressure from society to change and the tendency for individuals to resist change create tension.

Matt 28:19-20 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.

There is no doubt that we live in a time of great chaos. We sometimes wish we could go back to the time when things seemed more stable in our lives. Because of that we sometimes resist change of any kind in our church. We would like to be like a ship moored in the harbor. It is safe, nothing can affect it. But in reality, ships were not made for harbors, but for the open sea where there are strong winds and large waves that bring danger. As Christians, we must do what Jesus told us. “Go”. Not to sit and wait. But to go and preach the gospel to all. We must go outside our church and comfort zone and share boldly the love of God by our actions and words.

Kennon Callahan writes “The watershed question for many people in many congregations is….Do we believe that our best years are behind us, or do we believe that our best years are before us. Either way, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

As leaders, we must believe in what God called us to do. We must have a passion for the call on our lives. If we do not believe in what we are doing, no one else will. It is our leadership and enthusiasm that people will follow. Too many times, leaders let past success hold them back as they try to stay in an old anointing. God is on the move and we must move with him. We must act on the revelation God gives us today.

Leith Anderson: “Great leaders excel amid adversity. Do not resent tough times. Do not mark off the days until problems will be over. It is in hardship that we learn endurance. It is in adversity that we have our greatest opportunities to lead.”

I remember when I first read James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. I thought I had misread that! It is in adversity that we grow as we learn to trust God for our solutions. Every successful ministry has had some failures. But we learn from our mistakes and move on with God. Ministry will have highs and lows. At one time God is blessing and things are flowing smoothly, at other times things slow down and problems are everywhere. Where we grow most is during the difficult times as God continue to mold us into the persons He needs for the next upward move in our lives. As leaders, we must remain positive as God moves us to new ministries. Many people ask God to make things easy for them. A better prayer would be to ask God to make you a better person.

I am reminded of 2 Thess 1:3-4 as Paul wrote about the Thessalonians: We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

As the Thessalonians we must have a good report as we go through difficult times in our ministry.

Peter Drucker: “There is no correlation between potential and performance. There are lots of people with potential that do nothing with it. What counts is performance. Great leaders do something.

James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

As leaders, God has called us to be doers, not triers. We are called to be steadfast in our calling. One religious way that I have seen leaders avoid taking action on a problem is this phrase. “Let pray about it” Yes, I say, “Let pray about it” As you know I am in favor of prayer, but most of the time what they are really saying is “let us hope the problem goes away before we meet again”. Yes, pray about it, but act on the problem. Problems do not go away on their own. One must act under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but act we must.

In the next Tips and Tools, I will start a two part teaching on the Spiritual Gifts found in Roman12:4-8. I will be sharing on the positives and negatives of these gifts and how someone with one gift might offend another with a different gift.

Keep your thoughts on Christ and the promises he has for you,
Bishop Bob Coulter

The book I recommend this month is The Richest Man who ever lived by Steven K. Scott

Jul 17

En Español: Disfruta del viaje # 1 y 2

Disfruta del viaje # 1

(desplácese hacia abajo para la parte 2)

Vídeo en Inglés: https://youtu.be/OVnN9lqfXxo

Hoy quiero compartir una enseñanza sobre cómo disfrutar la jornada. El apóstol Pablo dice en Fil 4:11 “No que hable porque tenga escasez, pues he aprendido a contentarme cualquiera que sea mi situación.” Pablo había llegado a un punto en su vida en que no importaba cual fuera la circunstancia, el estaría contento. ¿Podemos decir lo mismo?
 Jesús dijo en Juan 10:10 dice que: “el ladrón no viene sino para robar, matar y destruir. Yo he venido para que tengan vida y que la tengan en abundancia.” El ladrón, Satanás, intentará robar tu gozo por el ministerio; pero a través de Cristo podemos tener abundancia de vida que te dará paz y alegría.  Una de las mejores ilustraciones de la paz es una imagen de una tormenta feroz sobre una costa de mar con una paloma dormida en su nido en el hueco de una peña. La paz de Cristo es una que a través de las tormentas de la vida, nos deja esa paz interior, una paz que sobrepasa todo entendimiento.
Dios quiere que tengas una vida satisfactoria y una que te llene de paz y de gozo.
 Si no tienes gozo en tu ministerio, revise a ver si se salió de curso con la visión que Dios te dió.  Debes gozar de lo que estás haciendo. Esto no significa que no tendrás problemas. Todo ministerio tiene problemas pero Dios siempre muestra la salida al problema.
 Sin embargo, si nunca tienes gozo o contentamiento en lo que haces, me pregunto si estás haciendo lo que Dios realmente te llamó a hacer. Recuerde, Satanás te dejará hacer muchas cosas buenas que te gastarán y nunca lograrás hacer lo que Dios te pidió.
En otras palabras ¿estás haciendo cosas para complacer a otros, o a tu carne, o Dios realmente te llamó al ministerio que estás haciendo? Si usted está tratando de cumplir los deseos de otra persona o tus propios deseos, nunca tendrás verdadera paz y alegría.
 Lo primero para mantener el gozo en tu ministerio, es mantener una relación fresca con Jesucristo cada día. Debemos tomar tiempo de quietud cada día para poder oír a Dios hablar a nuestro espíritu.
 Muchos años atrás, oí esta enseñanza sobre disfrutando la jornada. Hay unos 16 puntos que cubriré sobre esto en las próximas dos enseñanzas. Hoy es la primera parte y la próxima ocasión terminaré la enseñanza. Espero que esta enseñanza te ayude como me ayudó a mí.
 Tareas:
 Primero debemos cuidarnos de ser orientados hacia tareas. Sí, es importante que alcancemos nuestras metas, pero no a costo de abandonar la relación en el camino. Realmente nosotros los hombres debemos velar por esto. Somos por naturaleza orientados a la tarea.  No se vuelvan tan orientados que nos olvidamos de disfrutar el viaje. Por ejemplo, sé que esto nunca le sucedería a usted, pero me ha sucedido a mí. Nos vamos de vacaciones y estoy determinado a no parar hasta llegar a nuestro destino. Pero mis hijos pronto me recuerdan que esto no funciona porque tendremos que detenernos cada rato para ir al baño.
Recordemos que el ministerio tiene que ver con personas, tenemos que ayudarlos a disfrutar la jornada también.
Una forma de hacerlo es celebrar victorias en el camino. Ec: 3:4 “Hay tiempo de reír y tiempo de bailar” Eso me suena como celebración a mí. Tome tiempo para celebrar metas cumplidas y victorias ganadas. Esto es especialmente importante para la mayoría de la gente que trabaja con usted, sobre todo en una iglesia con motivación de siervo.  Personas que tienen motivación de siervo, son más orientados hacia la tarea, por lo tanto en algún momento no ven la visión general. Así que celebre con ellos cuando  alcance una meta. Esto los motivará para la próxima fase del proyecto.
Decisiones:
 Cuándo tome una decisión, no tenga prisa. Ore y recuerde que Proverbios 11:14b dice “Pero en la multitud de consejeros hay seguridad” siempre busquen consejeros piadosos, no consejeros seculares.  Salmo 1:1 nos dice: Que no anduvo en consejos de malos”. Nunca aporte una solución secular a un problema espiritual.   Recuerde no obstante, que usted como líder es el responsable por la decisión, si la decisión sale mal, tome responsabilidad de ella y corríjala con prontitud.
 Criticos:
  Como líderes, tendemos a huir de la crítica. Todos sabemos que las escrituras dicen que Satanás es el acusador de los hermanos. El problema es que a veces Satanás esta correcto. Así que, escuche la crítica constructiva. Especialmente de los hombres y mujeres que están en tu junta.
Sin embargo, no significa que se acerque a personas que nunca ven nada bien, nunca son positivos siempre son críticos y causan problemas en el ministerio. Esas personas son las que uno debe confrontar y pedír que se arrepientan o  déjelos ir.
 Recuerdo una vez una señora me pidió Consejo; Ella tenía otra mujer que siempre era la primera en aparecer en el ministerio, era una que trabajaba duro y hacia mucho por el Ministerio. Su problema era que esta mujer siempre le contradecía y socavaba su autoridad. Ella me preguntó qué debia hacer. La respuesta, que nunca fácil fue confrontarla y si ella no se arrepentía, quitarla  del ministerio. Ella la enfrontó y luego tuvo que removerla. El resultado fue que el ministerio creció rápidamente siendo que esta mujer era la que estaba jalando a los demás hacia abajo. Cuando ella salió, otros libremente tomaron el relevo he hicieron aún más. Como líder debes confrontar a quienes estén causando conflicto y si no lo haces, otros seguidores que saben lo que está pasando, te verán como un líder débil y se pasarán a otra cosa.
 Conyuges:
 La segunda relación más importante sobre la tierra, despues de Jesucristo, es su cónyuge. Si tienes uno, mantenga la relación fresca diariamente. No descuides a tu esposa(o), pensando que son espiritualmente fuertes y pueden manejar las cosas que vienen contra la familia. Cristo envió a los discípulos 2 x 2. Este es nuestro socio de por vida. Mantenga su relación fuerte.  Satanás tratará de romper esta relación.
Hombres, les recordaré a 1Pedro 3:7 “Ustedes, maridos, igualmente, convivan de manera comprensiva con sus mujeres, como con un vaso más frágil, puesto que es mujer, dándole honor por ser heredera como ustedes de la gracia de la vida, para que sus oraciones no sean estorbadas.”
Algo interesante, no he visto ninguna escritura que diga mujeres, vivan con los hombres con entendimiento. Creo porque las mujeres son mejores en sus relaciones que los hombres. Tal vez entienden a los hombres demasiado bien. Sólo un pensamiento,
La próxima vez terminaré la enseñanza, deseo te ayude a disfrutar tu jornada.
Obispo Bob Coulter
Book I would recommend:

Aligere su Equipaje = Traveling Light

Traveling Light by Max Lucado

Disfruta del viaje #2

Vídeo en Inglés: https://youtu.be/HjnSty_2A-4

En mi último “Consejos y Herramientas,” comencé a enseñar “Disfrutando la Jornada.” En esa enseñanza escribí que lo primero que necesitas para disfrutar la jornada es tener tiempo a solas con Dios diariamente y así ir construyendo tu relación con él. Entonces escribí sobre la trampa de estar tan orientado a las tareas que usted ignore y hiera a la gente alrededor de usted. Ministerio tiene que ver con gente. En tercer lugar, conseguir dirección divina antes de tomar decisiones, mientras recuerdas que, como líder usted es responsable por las decisiones que tomes. Si tomas una decisión equivocada admítalo, corríjalo y siga adelante. En cuarto lugar, escribí sobre las críticas. Todos los líderes reciben críticas y todos deben escuchar la crítica constructiva. Por último, hablé de nuestra relación con nuestros cónyuges. Nuestros cónyuges son nuestros ayudantes y como con nuestra relación con Cristo, debemos seguir intencionalmente construyendo una relación íntima con ellos y no los demos por sentado.
Hijos: Ef. 6:4 Y ustedes, padres, no provoquen a ira a sus hijos, sino críenlos en la disciplina e instrucción del Señor. NBLH.                                                                                                                                           Tomen  tiempo para mostrarle a sus hijos que son importantes. Satanás le gusta atacar al eslabón más débil que a menudo es el tiempo que pasamos con nuestros hijos. Es importante que mantengamos un equilibrio entre nuestra vida, Ministerio, y familia. Una buena guía para el uso de tu tiempo es, primer, tu tiempo personal con Dios, en segundo lugar, las necesidades de tu familia; en lo físico, emocional y espiritual; y por último tu tiempo para el Ministerio. Muchos hijos cuyos padres están en el Ministerio a tiempo completo sienten que sus padres están más preocupados por otros que por ellos ellos. Asegúrese de que si les promete algo cúmplalo. Lo que haces habla más fuerte que lo que dices.
De tí mismo: Marcos 6:30-32   30 Los apóstoles se reunieron con Jesús, y Le informaron sobre todo lo que habían hecho y enseñado. 31 Y El les dijo: “Vengan, apártense de los demás a un lugar solitario y descansen un poco.”Porque había muchos que iban y venían, y ellos no tenían tiempo ni siquiera para comer. 32 Y se fueron en la barca a un lugar solitario, apartado. NBLH                                                                        La escritura nos muestra que Cristo sabía que después de Ministrar los discípulos necesitarían descanso. Si siguen repartiendo y no reciben, se queman y se vuelven inefectivos. Lo tu inviertes es lo que va a salir. Trabajando 24-7 puede parecer espiritual, pero en realidad es un pensar religioso y la manera de Satanás quemarte antes de tiempo. Tome tiempo para refrescarse. Una estadística interesante que leí es: “Una semana de vacaciones aumenta el ministerio por un año.”
Intimidad: especialmente con los que trabajan con y para usted. Líderes, ustedes necesitan conocer las necesidades de su gente, así pueden orar por ellos efectivamente. Como líder, es su responsabilidad orar por su pueblo. Usted no puede orar por ellos efectivamente si no toma tiempo para conocerlos a ellos y a sus familias.
Números: Usted haga lo que Dios lo mandó a hacer y El añadirá los números. Muchos tienen expectativas que no son realísticas.                                                                                                                                                   Muchos piensan que cuando inicien un ministerio, la gente correrá  a su ministerio. Pero la realidad es que llevará tiempo para que usted pueda construir un equipo que podrá ministrar efectivamente a la gente que Dios tiene para usted. Muchos éxitos de la noche a la mañana se tomaron diez o quince años. Pero según eres fiel a Dios en lo poco El te dará mucho. Recuerde que es asunto de hacer discípulos. Dios tiene ovejas que oirán tu voz. Les animo a poner su tiempo, dinero y esfuerzo en hacer discípulos y así desatar su Ministerio. Recuerde, ovejas engendran ovejas. No pastores. Muchas veces pasamos demasiado de nuestro tiempo, dinero y esfuerzo tratando de atraer gente a nuestra iglesia y descuidamos hacer discípulos. La mayor parte de nuestro esfuerzo en traer gente a nuestra iglesia nos traerá en ves cabras, no ovejas. Cabras causan confusión y desunión.
Amigos: Necesitas amigos con quien usted pueda relajarse y no hablar de trabajo. Tome tiempo para cultivar amigos que sean confiables y que te acepten por quien eres.
Ministerio: Como líder, usted es responsable de cumplir con Efesios 4:11-12 11 Y El dio a algunos el ser apóstoles, a otros profetas, a otros evangelistas, a otros pastores y maestros, 12 a fin de equipar a los santos para la obra del ministerio, para la edificación del cuerpo de Cristo. NBLH                      Necesitas liberar a otros para el ministerio si vas a crecer. Sus métodos pueden ser diferentes a los tuyos pero pueden ser igual de efectivo. Sin embargo, hay una trampa que deseo advertirles – lo que yo llamo  complejo de Judas. Estas son personas que se transfieren a tu ministerio que reclaman identificar con tu visión y parecen ser cristianos maduros. Permíteles que caminen contigo por lo menos seis meses a un año antes de ponerlos en una posición de liderazgo. ¿Por qué? Porque no sabes qué bagaje traen con ellos. También necesitas asegurarte que su teología concuerde con el tuyo. Muchos ministerios han sido arruinados porque líderes pusieron las manos demasiado ligero sobre personas que se transfirieron a sus ministerios.
Comunique: Uno de los mejores trucos de Satanás es romper la comunicación entre el líder y los líderes, y romper la comunicación entre líderes y sus seguidores. Es una herramienta de guerra. Una de las primeras cosas que el enemigo trata de hacer es romper la comunicación entre el soldado raso y los generales para que reine la confusión en las filas. Como líderes, debemos permitir que cada líder sea sincero con nosotros y hable la verdad en amor. Como líderes tenemos que mantener la visión ante la gente para que sepan hacia donde los están llevando.
Prioridades: adhiérase a la prioridad de Dios para el día. Establezca su prioridad diariamente en cuanto a cómo usar su tiempo. Si no controlas tu tiempo, otro lo hará y perderás la prioridad de Dios para ese día.
Los de Afuera: Tenga una mentalidad de Reino. Le animo a que diezme en otros ministerios. Tenga un programa de misiones que anime y ayude a ministerios domésticos y foráneos. Dios te regresará en bendición lo que siembres en otros.
Dios: Recuerde que todo comienza y termina con Dios. Si usted no está tomando el tiempo para escuchar a Dios, para escuchar esa tierna voz suave, estarás frustrado y no habrá ninguna alegría.
La próxima vez David Rinehart será nuestro orador. David estará compartiendo sobre un nuevo ministerio que todos ustedes pueden ayudar a equipar a sus compañeros de ministro de TMCI compartiendo qué libros te han ayudado en tu ministerio.
Disfrute la Jornada,                                                                                                                                                          Obispo Bob Coulter
Libro que yo recomiendo: Traveling Light por Max Lucado

 

Jul 10

A Little Kneeology …. Luke 22:19…… “Do this to remember me.” Mike Swearingen

A Little Kneeology ….    Luke 22:19……   “Do this to remember me.”   

These are very familiar words, spoken by Jesus as He share what we have come to know as the Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper and I think words that we may have heard so many times in our lives as Christians that we have actually taken them for granted.

  However, recently my spirit was stirred in a moment of meditation that without a doubt we have reached a point in the history of our nation that we are truly being called to remember just who Jesus is and what He has done for us, and who we are required to be as followers of Jesus Christ.   Not only is time for us to remember but equally important for us to help others remember.  We are in an era of the gospel being altered and watered down and even polluted to the point that some are preaching for folks to do the very best they can and God will understand or even preaching that there is no hell and if there was, God is so full of love that He would not condemn anyone to hell.  First of all there is a hell and God does not condemn us, our sin and disobedience condemns us.  Our ministries must be focused on proclaiming the truth of the gospel and the teachings of Jesus Christ.  We must be focused on reaching out not only to non-believers but to those who have fallen for the untruths that have been preached from pulpits who have sold out to the itching ears instead of proclaiming truth at the cost of popularity.  Ministries must examine purpose and move from existing for the purpose of perpetuating the existence to perpetuating the Kingdom.  It is a time in our history that we must examine everything that we are doing and bring it all in line to proclaiming the truths of God and perpetuating the Kingdom.  It is a time for us to not just mimic the words that speak of an unchanging God but to go back in history and be reminded how God has responded to rebellion and disobedience of not only the nations but mostly the people who claimed to be His.   We are at a time when we must revisit the basics, before denominations and various individual doctrines, such as remembering the Ten Commandments, The Lord’s Prayer, The Beatitudes, remembering the lessons taught to us by Jesus that we might live the life that pleases God and as we remember, teach them to others.  We have to face the fact that nothing will save this nation until we start remembering and then live out the remembrance.  Everything we do must focus on reviving those who have strayed and introducing Christ Jesus to those who have yet come to know Him, first as Lord and then as Savior.  I, for one, am examining everything I do so that my efforts are aimed at bringing folks to the point of remembering  who, what, and why.

NOTW,  Yours In Christ Jesus,   Bro. Mike

Jul 07

Ministry Tips and Tools: Effective Ministry – Enjoying the Journey part 2

In my last Tips and Tools, I began teaching Enjoying the Journey. In that teaching I wrote that the first thing you need to enjoy the Journey is your quiet time with God daily, continuing to build your relationship with Him. Then I wrote about the trap of being so task oriented that you ignore and hurt the people around you. Ministry is about people. Third, get Godly input before making decisions, while remembering that, as a leader, you are responsible for the decision you make. If we make a wrong decision admit it, correct it and move on. Fourth, I wrote about critics. all leaders receive criticism and all of us must listen to constructive criticism. Lastly, we discussed our relationship with our spouses. Spouses are our helpmates, and, as with our relationship with Christ, we must intentionally continue to build an intimate relationship with them and not take them for granted.

Children: Eph: 6:4 says “and you fathers do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord”. Take time to let your children know that they are important. Satan likes to attack our weakest link which often is time with our children. It is important that we keep a balance between our Ministry life and Family. A good guideline for the use of your time is first personal time with God, second, your family needs; the physical, emotional and Spiritual and lastly ministry time. Many children whose parents are in full time ministry feel that their parents are more concerned about others than them. Make sure that if you promise them something you follow through. What you do speaks louder than what you say.

Self: Mark 6: 30-32 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. NKJV

The scripture about shows us that Christ knew that after ministry the disciples needed rest. If you keep giving out and do not receive, you will burn out and become ineffective. What you put in will come out. Working 24-7 may sound spiritual, but in reality it is religious thinking and Satan’s way to burn you out before your time. Take time to refresh yourself. An interesting statistic I read is:

One week’s vacation increases ministry by one year.

Intimacy: Especially with those who are working with and for you. Leaders, you need to know the needs of your people, so that you can pray for them effectively. As a leader, it is your responsibility to pray for all your people. You cannot pray for them effectively if you do not take the time to know them and their families.

Numbers: You do what God calls you to do and he will add the numbers. Many people have unrealistic expectations.

Many people think that when they start ministry, people are going to flock to their ministry. But the reality is that it will take time for you to build a team that will be able to minister effectively to the people God has for you. Most overnight successes take ten to fifteen years. But as you are faithful with little God will continue to give much. Remember it’s about making disciples. God has sheep for you that will hear your voice. I encourage you to put your time, money, and effort into making disciples and releasing them for ministry. Remember sheep begat sheep. Not shepherds. Too often we spend all our time, money, and effort trying to attract people to our church and neglect making disciples. Most of our effort in trying to attract people to our church will bring in goats, not sheep. Goats cause confusion and disunity.

Friends: You need friends with whom you can relax and not talk shop. Take the time to cultivate friends that are trustworthy and accept you for who you are.

Ministry: As a leader, you are responsible to fulfill Eph 4:11-13 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.

You must release others for ministry if you are going to grow. Their methods might be different from yours but just as effective. However, there is one pitfall I would warn you about – what I call the Judas complex. These are people who transfer into your ministry who claim to identify with your vison and seem to be mature Christians. Let them walk with you at least six months to a year before putting them into a leadership position. Why? Because you do not know what baggage they are bringing with them. You also need to make sure their theology agree with yours. Many ministries were ruined because leaders laid hand on people who transfer into their ministry too quickly.

Communicate: One of the greatest tricks of Satan is to break the communication between leader and leaders and to break the communication between the leaders and their followers. It is a tool of war. One of the first things the enemy tries to do is to break the communication between the foot soldier and the generals so that confusion will reign in the ranks. As leaders, we must allow each leader to be candid with us and speak the truth in love. As leaders we must keep the vison before the people so that they know where you are leading them.

Priorities: Stick to God’s priority for the day. Set your priority daily as to how you will spend your time. If you do not control your time, someone else will and you will miss God’s priority for you that day.

Outside: Have a kingdom mentality. I encourage you to tithe into other ministries. Have a missions program that will encourage and help domestic and foreign ministries. God will bless back what you sow into others.

God: Remember, we Begin and End with God. If you are not taking the time to hear from God, to listen to that still small voice, you will be frustrated and there will be no joy.

Next time David Rinehart will be our guest speaker. David will be sharing on a new ministry that you all can help in equipping your fellow TMCI minister by sharing what books that have help you in your ministry.

Enjoying the journey,

Bishop Bob Coulter

Book I would recommend: Traveling Light by Max Lucado

Jul 01

Ministry Tips and Tools: Effective Ministry – Enjoying the Journey part 1

 

Today I want to share a teaching on how to Enjoy the Journey. Apostle Paul says in Phil 4:11 “not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content” Paul had come to a point in his life that no matter what the circumstance he was content. Can we say the same?

 

Jesus said in John 10:10 say that: “the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly” The thief, satan, will try to steal your joy for ministry; but through Christ we can have an abundantly life that will give peace and joy. One of the best illustrations of peace is a picture of a raging storm on a sea coast with a dove fast asleep in its nest in the hollow in the sea cliff. Christ peace is a peace that through life’s storm, he gives us that inner peace, a peace that passes all understanding.

God want you to have a life that is fulfilling; one that will give you peace and joy.

If you do not have joy in your ministry, check and see if you got off course with the vision God gave you. Because you should have joy in what you are doing. It does not mean that you will not have problems. Ever ministry has problems but God always show you the way out to the problem.

If however, you never have joy or contentment in what you doing, I question if you are doing what God really call you to do. Remember Satan will get you doing a lot of good thing and wear you down, and you never get around doing a God thing.

In other words are you doing thing to please others or your flesh or has God really called you for the ministry you are doing? If you are trying to fulfill someone else wishes or your wishes, you will never have true peace and joy.

The first thing in keeping joy in your ministry is keeping your relationship with Jesus Christ fresh daily. We must take quiet time every day to let God speak into our Spirit.

Many years ago, I hear this teaching on Enjoying the journey. There are 16 points that I will cover over the next two teaching. Today is part one and next time I will finish the teaching. I hope this teaching will help you like it helped me.

Tasks:

 

First we must guard against being tasks oriented. Yes, it important that we reach our goals, but not at the expense of forsaking relationship along the way. We men must really watch this. We are by nature task orientated. Do not become so designated oriented that we forget to enjoy the journey. For example, I know that this would never happen to you, but it has happen to me. We are leaving for vacation and I am determined not to stop until we get to our destination. But my children would soon remind me this was not going to work as we had to always stop several time for restroom breaks.

We must remember ministry is about people, we are to help them enjoy the journey also.

One way we do that is to celebrate victories along the way.  ECL: 3:4 there is a time to Laugh and A time to Dance. That sound like celebration to me. Take time to celebrate goals meet, victory won. This is especially important as most people who work with you, especially in a church, have servant motivated. People who are servant motived are more task oriented and therefore sometime to not seen the overall vision. So celebrate with them when a goal is reached. This will encourage them for the next phase of the project.

Decisions:

When making decision never be in a rush to make a decision, pray about and remember Proverb 11:14b says   “But in the counselors there is safety” Always seek Godly counselors, not secular counselors. Ps 1:1 tells us not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Never bring a secular solution to a spiritual problem. Please remember however, you as the leader are responsible for the decision, if the decision goes wrong, take the responsibility for it, and correct promptly.

Critics:

As leaders, we tend to shy away from criticism. We all know that scripture say that satan is the accuser of the brethren. The problem is sometime satan is right. So, listen to constructive criticism. Especially those men and women who are on your board.

However, I do not mean to get close to those people who never see anything right, they are never positive always critical and causes trouble in the ministry. Those people are one you must confront and get them to repent or have them leave.

I remember one time a lady ask me for advice; She had another women who was always the first to show up at the ministry, was a hard worker and did a lot for the ministry. Her problem was this woman would always contradict, and would undermine her authority. She asked me what she should do. The answer, which never easy, was to confront her and if she did not repent remove her from the ministry. She did confront her and then had to remove her. The result was that the ministry grew rapidly as this woman was pulling everyone else down. When she left the others freely took up the slack and did even more. As leader we must confront people who are causing conflict, if you do not the other followers who always know what happening will view you as a weak leader and move on to something else.

Spouse:

The second most important relation you have on earth, next to Jesus Christ is your spouse. If you have one, keep your relationship fresh daily. Do not neglect your spouse, thinking that they are spiritual strong and can handle things that come against the family. Christ sent the disciples out 2×2.This is our partner for life. Keep your relationship strong. Satan will try to break this relationship.

Men, I will remind you of 1Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. NKJV

 

Interesting, I have not seen any scripture that tell women to live with men with understanding. I believe that because women are better at relationship than men. Perhaps they understand we men too well. Just a thought.

 

Next time I will finish the teaching, I pray it will help you enjoy your journey.

Enjoying the journey,

Bishop Bob Coulter

Book I would recommend: Traveling Light by Max Lucado