One Thing

Christopher Roberts

Further Books By The Author

Finding God's Grace

Sacrifices People Make

Lives Less Ordinary

365 Days With God

Copyright ©2013 Christopher Roberts

About This Book

'One Thing' is a book that will encourage you to consider the talents that God has given you, as part of your Christian walk. God gives all of us an array of abilities to use within his kingdom. We might call them gifts, ministries, talents or services, etc. These talents are given to everyone, in one form or another, because God does not call only the 'Chosen Few' to operate such gifts within his kingdom. It says in Matthew chapter 25 that the Master left all his servants with talents before he went on a long journey. Likewise, Jesus has entrusted into the hands of every one of us, gifts and abilities, which can be used by his children until either Christ returns, or until our time on earth is over.

This book considers the variety of talents and abilities that God has placed into our hands, to help us consider the calling God, which has placed upon our lives. Some people are in fact born with talents, which are enhanced when they become Christians. For example, someone may have the ability to play a musical instrument, which God then anoints for use in his kingdom, after they have come to Christ. Other people may discover their talents once they come to Christ, although they may not always know how to operate in them. And yet others are uncertain precisely what gift God has given to them on their journey through life. This book will help people to gain an understanding about which gifts they have, and how such gifts might be used for the extension of God's kingdom today.

Above all this book has been written, both to encourage you, and to make you think about the gifts that God has placed within you. It is the most exciting book I have written so far. This is because it will give people hope that they are both valued and useful to God in these last days of time. So, please enjoy this book, and enjoy the gifts and abilities God has given to you for the glory of his kingdom.

Contents

1. What Is Your Talent?

2. Have You Got The Right Credentials?

3. Thinking Outside The Box

4. Stop Treading On My Toes!

5. Who Stole Your Talent?

6. Your Talent, God's Timing

7. Body Ministry

8. Talents And College

9. Your Talent Needs Faith

10. Prepare Yourself!

About The Author

One

What Is Your Talent?

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; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:6-8 NKJV

You Are Gifted!

When Jesus ascended to his Father's throne in heaven, after the Resurrection, he provided everyone who came to him at salvation with gifts that would serve God's purpose in his kingdom. It says in Ephesians 4:7-8 NIV, 'But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”' In other words, to each and every one of us, Christ has apportioned grace. That grace was given to us so that we might use the gifts, abilities and talents within us to enhance the kingdom of God.

Some people have suggested that we are all born with abilities as part of our uniqueness. These gifts allow us to find fulfillment in the world today. However, at salvation God highlights the talents he has placed within us, so that they might help us on our Christian walk. It is not clear whether or not we are born with talents, but it seems logical to me that God did not create us to inhabit the world as just empty vessels. Yes, God looks for those who are empty of self. But, this does not suggest that we are empty of talents, gifts and abilities. In fact, we sometimes need to come to the end of ourselves, and our own ideas, so that we might discover exactly what it is that God has placed within each and every one of us.

Like you, I have met so many people who lead unfulfilled lives. I have also met people who have discovered their gifts in life, capitalized on them, and have found true satisfaction in their calling. Such people may not have always recognized that they are operating in their calling, simply because they are just getting on with it. Some people have also turned their hobbies into work opportunities, and have found real success in life. This success has included financial rewards, associated with their endeavors. There is nothing more fulfilling than someone who can earn a living, by working on something that relates to their passion. No amount of effort put into their vocation will be too onerous for them. On the opposite side of the equation, there are those who do not find any satisfaction in their jobs. They find that they have to struggle to put the effort into what they are doing, which means that their days are long and drawn out for them.

It can be difficult to encourage such people, that the need to discover what they are meant to be doing in life. This is simply because it takes a lot of effort for them to put down what they are currently doing, to try and work out what they should be doing. When we talk about the gifts, talents and abilities that God has given to us, we need to be very careful that we do not limit theses gifts to the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, outlined in 1 Corinthians chapter 12:7-10. And neither should we limit them to the ministries for works of service, highlighted in Ephesians 4:11-12. I am not discounting the importance of such ministries and gifts. However, I do want to encourage you to consider that some gifts and abilities are for the edifying of the church, and some are given to help individuals achieve God's purpose for their daily lives.

Some gifts are spiritual, and others are more practical in nature. In fact, some talents are practical, but include a spiritual content too. And some of these talents relate to the various vocations, such as teachers, doctors, nurses, the legal profession, care workers and social workers, etc. For example, a doctor may operate on a patient, but it is God who guides his or her hands at the operating table. And, it is God who also causes the patient to recover, during post operative care. A teacher does not just impart knowledge to his or her students. God also uses them as role models, to help young people to develop and mature ready for life after school. Some people are gifted with musical instruments, or they have a voice which would bless the angels. Some talents can be used both in the world and in the church, depending on whether or not the person is a Christian.

God does not just provide talents for Christians; he also provides talents for the whosoever. Some of these talents could very well lead a person to Christ at some point in their life. Others might use their talents both in and outside of church. For example, a writer of books, who gains a living from their talent, might also edifices the body of Christ with their artistic endeavors. Many of the main stream ministries, which you may have seen on the various Christian TV channels, supplement their ministries by selling books on the open market. Such endeavors should be celebrated, recognizing that God distributes talents to people, so that he might get his message through to the world and to his body, the church.

Other talents included artists who originally were able to paint the likeness of people before the camera was invented. There are athletes, who have used their sport to promote the kingdom of God. They have demonstrated that God is the one who has given them the grace to perform and achieve gold and Olympic medals, for the glory of his kingdom. There are those who took part in the Paralympics, to demonstrate to the world that no obstacles would prevent them from reaching out to achieve their gold medals too. They demonstrated to the less able, that all obstacles can be overcome by God's grace. There are administrators, who are useful in industry and church organizations, and who have the ability to multi task and keep the wheels of industry, and churches moving.

There are entrepreneurs, who can bring money labor and all kind of resources together, providing industry and jobs for millions. Some of these entrepreneurs have been used by God to set up Christian organizations, churches and TV channels. In turn, they have reach millions of people across the world with the message of the gospel. There are people who God has used on the social networks, such as Jesus Daily, who communicate encouragement to millions of people across the world on Face book. There are people who have lots of good ideas, and come up with all kinds of inventions to improve our way of life. This also includes people who can design commodities from homes to cars, to anything you could imagine. And, they provide years of enjoyment for each and every one of us. In fact, when we stop to think for a moment, we will discover that all kinds of people are using talents, which we may never have considered important before. This is because it is easy to limit God to what we think those talents should be. And, we can get so fixated on what other people can do, that we neglect to consider what God might want us to do too.

Personally, I thought that training in a law career was my talent. But after I had completed my training, I discovered that law was the last thing I wanted to do. So, I put everything down, and sought God for quite a long time. I took my time, as I turned my attention to writing books. I had always been a person who enjoyed writing, but I had never considered that I could do anything useful with it. At first, I thought that I could use my writing skills to write about law. However, after some time, I considered writing a novel, but nothing seemed to sit well with me. Then I thought of the impossible. What if I started writing books on the subject of 'Christian Living?' At first, such a notion was but a pipe dream. However, after listening to God, doing my research, and considering how to structure my books, I jumped in and had a go. This was a complete leap of faith on my part. But in my mind, I considered that God would either be in my writing, or the idea would just fizzle away into the sunset. Imagine my surprise, when I discovered that I could make it my life's work, after spending most of my life as a lecturer and teacher?

But when we discover the talents that God has put within us, we will find that the wind of God's Holy Spirit will get behind them, and the work will grow. And do not presume that you have to be good at the talent from the word go. When I started writing books, I was average when it came to grammar, and the like. But the more I worked at writing, the more I improved. Yes, I had to do a lot of editing of my books, and there is always room for improvement. But, it was less about perfection, and more about obedience. So, do not presume that you need to be an expert at your talent, you don't! You just need to step out in faith, and God will help you to improve over time.

And to discover what your talent is, you need to listen to what your heart is telling you. More accurately, you need to listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you, rather than listening to everyone else's opinion about what they think you should be doing. Not everyone will believe you, when you try and tell them what it is that you think God has put on your heart to do. The point is, you are not here to convince everyone about the ideas that God might be putting on your heart. Your responsibility is to step out in faith, and try things for yourself. Some of the ideas you come up with might not work, but eventually you will discover what God has called you to do. Some people will know exactly what they are called to do from the word go. Others will need to test the waters with their ideas, just to find out what works and what doesn't. But right now, we need to consider the opinion of Jesus on the subject of talents, as portrayed in the bible.

Talents In The Bible

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus began to discuss the end times, starting with the parable of the ten virgins. The parable of the ten virgins was used to illustrate the need for God's children to be ready for the return of Christ, at some point in the future. Jesus then went on to discuss what Christians should be doing, right up until his Second Coming. With this in mind, Jesus went on to discuss the parable of the talents, found in Matthew 25:14-30. Some commentators have suggested that these talents relate to the times when people are given the opportunity to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. This may very well be the case. But in this chapter of the book, we shall consider the talents from its wider meaning, simply because there is a lot to learn from them.

The parable of the talents starts with an illustration of Jesus, as the master, who encouraged his servants concerning their responsibilities, after he had gone to a far land. In other words, after Christ's death and resurrection he would return to heaven, while his followers would continue his work on earth. It says in Matthew 25:14 (NASB),"For it (God's Kingdom) is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them." In other words, the purpose of Christ's instructions to his followers was that they would be entrusted with his possessions. This means that, whatever talents we have, they come from God. Even though such talents may appear to be the natural talents we discussed in the last section of this chapter, they are still regarded as gifts from God.

It is very easy to mistakenly think that the abilities we possess are born out of our own ingenuity. The problem with such talents and abilities is that the world has claimed them as their own, which to some degree is understandable. However, when we disconnect those talents from the creator, they will never achieve all that God expects of them. Yes, some people who are not Christians, and who possess great abilities and gifts, can become very famous due to their endeavors. However, this only demonstrates that someone has taken those gifts, and used them for their own self glory. And it is fair to say that even Christians, who have discovered their talents, might gain a certain amount of notoriety because of them. However, where they are used for the benefit of the kingdom, then these talents will become more about achieving God's purpose than enhancing our own lives.

So we should never see any gift or talent disconnected from the creator of them, which is God. It is also noticeable from this first verse on talents, in Matthew chapter 25, that the master entrusted his servants with them. In other words, God trusts us to accommodate the gifts and abilities he has given us, and to get on with using them. God's gifts are liberally given to his children, not to squander them, not to hide them, but to do something useful with then, as we shall see from the rest of this parable about talents.

When God gives people talents, the number of those talents is not important. What is important is what we do with them. Therefore, a person with many talents may do nothing at all with them, whereas someone with one talent may change the world (Matthew 25:15). It's both recognizingthat we have talents, and that they are there for us to use that is important. It is important to know that Jesus understands the gifts and abilities each one of us have. In other words, the things we go through in life, often prepare us for the gifts God has given to us. It is implied with these gifts that we should take advantage of education, training, developing skills, and learn things. For example, how to play a musical instrument, or how to volunteer and take on responsibilities, etc. This will then help us to prepare for the greater things that God has for us over our lifetimes.

As Christians we should never think that we get saved, put our feet up, and have an easy laid back life style, where we do not need to develop the skills that are within us. We are in a partnership with Jesus, where he provides the talents; and we, under our own cognizance, develop the skills to best utilize them. If we sit around saying we can't do something because we never learnt to read, or we did not learn math, or sciences, or office administration, etc, then we are not participating fully in the partnership that Jesus wants us to develop with him. God will not simply lift me from off my armchair. He expects me to put at least some effort into cultivating my talents.

If you talk to serious professional musicians, they will tell you that a lot of what they do relates to running a business, as much as it does to performing on stage. Without the right business skills, such artists would not survive in their industry. It's not about them just looking and sounding good on stage. The successful artists are those who have developed business skills to keep their craft alive. If you were to meet David Bowie in New York, where he spends a lot of his time, you will discover a man wearing a suit, and carrying a brief case. And yet, when you see him on stage, all that you will recognize is the glamorous show business side of his life. You won't necessarily see the successful business side of his life, which has kept him going for all these years. Longevity, with any talent, comes when people develop a keen business sense, otherwise they would not last five minutes in their chosen professions.

It continues to say in Matthew 25:15 that Jesus went on his journey. In other words, he did not wait around nurturing the gifts that he had left with these three individuals. He left them to work things out for themselves; a little bit like working out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Yes, there is a vast amount that Christ does for us, but he left these three individuals to see what they would do with that which he had given to them. It is interesting to note what happened next with the three servants, who had received their talents from their master. It says in Matthew 25:16-17 that the one who received the five talents, and the one who received the two talents acted on them immediately.

The word 'immediately' is very significant here. It implies complete and utter obedience to God. It means not making excuses for ourselves. It means that we should not think that we can't do something in our lives, or that something is beyond our ability. It means trusting in that which God has given to us, and that it will work out for the best, and that we will succeed. It is not about failure! We need an attitude of willingness and surrender to that which God has put within us. We need a complete lack of fear and unbelief in God's trust in us to get the job done. We need to develop an overcoming attitude; someone who is a winner and not a loser.

The term 'immediately' implies stepping out in faith, and trusting that what God has given us is not a mistake, despite any doubts that might try and surface within us. It also implies that the person is not double-minded, and that they are prepared to take a risk, and move forward with the talent God has given to them. Matthew chapter 25 also shows us what happens when we step out in faith, and activate God's gifts and abilities in our lives. Both servants gained more talents for their efforts. In other words, God often starts us off with one ability, but then we discover that we have other abilities that we did not recognize before. For example, and as we have discussed above, God may have given you the ability to produce good music, but he has also given you a good business head to bring your talent to its full potential. In other words, the business sense was a hidden gift, which you did not know that you had, and which was not needed by you, until the right set of circumstances came about in your life.

So, as you step out in faith to use the gift that God has given to you, other gifts, talents and abilities will rise to the surface of your life to help you fulfill the primary gift, which God has provided you with. And the reason that you did not know about the additional gifts, was because they needed to be activated by the use of the first gift, which in turn was activated by you stepping out in faith. From my own personal experience I discovered that, as I started writing books, I also discovered that I was able to set up a business around it. This, in turn, allowed me to maintain it, and deploy the necessary promotional skills to get my book out there to the general public. I even learnt to design my own book covers, even though I am not a designer. Generally, I may have the greatest gift in the world to write books. However, if that gift just sits around looking good on my computer, it has achieved little. We need to use other gifts and abilities that we have to get that book, or music, or whatever our talent is, before the general public. And this is precisely why two of the servants doubled their skills to match the talents, which God had given to them.

But what about the person who was given one talent? And remember, the number of talents is not important in this parable, it's only what we do with them that count! It says in  Matthew 25:18, that the person who received one talents hid it. There are two important points worth noting from this passage of scripture. The first is that the servant, who had received one talent, went away and hid the money. The second point is that scripture says it was, 'His master's money.' In other words, everything comes from God and should not be hidden away. Nothing and no one has the right to discourage us from using the talents that God has given to us.

We are accountable only to God for our talents, and to no one else, simply because such talents belong to him alone. If we fear ourselves, or our abilities, or what others think of us, then we have taken our eyes from off of God who gives us those abilities, and placed them on ourselves, as though we can make them succeed. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6 NIV, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." In other words, because all talents, abilities and gifts come from God, they can never fail. The only thing that can fail is our faith, which is what Peter was tried on when he denied Christ three times, before the Resurrection in Luke 22:34.  Also, our inactivity can be the very thing that prevents us from developing God's gifts, and bringing them to their full potential. The gifts and abilities that God gives to us often come in seed form. They may not seem like much to begin with. But, as we step out in faith and trust that God is with us, the Holy Spirit will then put his wind behind those gifts and make them succeed.

The talents and abilities that God has given us work, but too often we add ourselves into the equation. We think that we are not good enough, or we listen too much to other people's opinions about us, and we neglect to remember that all gifts come from God alone. But what about the person who thinks that they can sing, for example, but they can't? This has nothing to do with God's abilities. It has more to do with people who are pretending that they have a specific gift, when in fact they have coveted a gift, which they have witnessed another person using.

Just because a person cannot sing or play a musical instrument does not mean that they have not got a gift of their own. Such people have either covet someone else's gift, or they have attempted to utilize a gift never intended for them. They have looked to the gifts in others, rather than seeking the gift that God intended for them. They have looked to earth, rather than looking to heaven. And that explains the varying talents the master gave to these three servants. They were all different in number, indicating that we all have different talents of our own.

Some talents will, as a matter of course, be the same as the talents that can be found in other people. This is simply because such people have a propensity towards that gifting. If someone has a talent for singing, it is because God has blessed them with a good voice. If someone is good at inventing things, it is because God has given that person a good imagination. If someone is good at fixing things, it is because that person can help others, with the potential to build a trade around their ability.

It is vitally important to seek God to find out what our individual abilities are, rather than looking to others, and trying to imitate them. Be imitators of Christ and not of other people (1 Corinthians 4:16). And when we try to imitate the wrong talent in others, thinking that such a talent belongs to us, all that we are doing is burying our own talent in the ground. And, this is precisely what the unfaithful servant did. And once we understand the concept of developing the talents and abilities, which God has given to us, then we will discover that such gifts are without repentance.

The Master Returns

There will always be a time of reckoning relating to the gifts and abilities, which God has given to us. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that such a reckoning acts as a motivator, so that we will stir up the gifts that God has placed in each and every one of us. The second reason is that Jesus will want us to account for why, or why we have not used the gifts he has given to us. In other words, we will still need to give an account of the gift that is within us, even when we have not bothered to use it. The fact is not whether the gift was there, but whether the gift was actually utilized.

Also, the gifts that God gives to us might determine what we will do in eternity. I have a saying. 'Lazy on earth, lazy in heaven.' In other words, if we do not use what God has already given to us now, do not expect God to necessarily make those talents available to us in heaven. The reality of what we do in heaven always starts on earth. The body of Christ is both on earth now and in heaven now, it is not two separate entities. One day, both those on earth who belong to Christ, and those in heaven will be together. And everything that God gives us, and develops within us is for eternity.

The things of earth will pass away, but not all the character, talents and abilities that God has been developing in our lives. Yes, some things will pass away, such as prophecy. But, some of the things that have been developed within us will be put to good use, once we have departed from this earth. And yet, in many people's minds, they separate out what they think they will be doing in heaven from what they are doing on earth today. Yes, there will be things that we will do in heaven, which we can't do on earth. But, never assume that the abilities we develop on earth will be lost when we get to heaven, because this would make no sense. What God develops within us lasts for eternity.

So one day, either when Jesus returns or when we go to heaven after our life is over, we will need to give an account to God concerning the talents he has given to us. In Matthew 25:19-23, it says that the master returned, so that the servants could give account concerning what they had done with their talents. It is noticeable, from this scripture, that the master and his servants did not meet up again until after a long time. In other words, God expected his servants to be getting on with their calling, during the whole period of his absence.

The Lord gives us gifts to see what we might do with them. And not everyone will handle their gifts and abilities in the same way. In other words, there is no blueprint to determine how one person should use their talents, compared to someone else. Each person is an individual, and there are a variety of ways in which a person can use their gifts. The point being, people need to work out for themselves how to use their gifts. It's about usage, and not necessarily success, that counts with God. God wants to see that we have at least tried to do something with what we have been given, rather than doing nothing at all. It's faithfulness that counts more than success. And when we are faithful with that which God has given to us, then we may find that we also enjoy a certain degree of success too.

Matthew chapter 25 also says that the master came to settle accounts with his servants. As I eluded to earlier in this chapter, accountability for our gifts is between us and God alone, and with no one else. We can't tell Jesus that we were unable to operate our gifts and abilities because someone else told us not too, or that circumstances got in our way. Such excuses won't wash with Jesus, not for a moment. Jesus is looking for people who will be determined to use that which he has given to them, come what may. When I started writing books, I started with absolutely nothing. Every door in my life had closed, and I had little to no money to get myself started. But, I remained faithful to that which I believed God had put only heart, and over time, God began to bless me. And I am not special. I am just someone who is learning to depend upon Jesus for every aspect of my life. And this is something that we can all learn, when we are willing to move forward in our calling, and when we do not let anyone put us off.

From the parable of the talents, we also notice that both the person who was given the five talents, and the person who was given two talents doubled their abilities, as I stated above. It is also noticeable that the master said, "You were faithful in a few things!" In other words, Jesus does not regard the fact that he has given us gifts and abilities as a big thing. We may think that what he has given us is big time, but he doesn't. I remember, when I was younger, attending a church in the South of England. Someone ran onto the platform wearing a big coat. In fact the coat was so big, that the person wearing it could hardly run around on the platform with it on. He began to shout out at the top of his voice, "This coat is too big for me! This coat is too big for me!" He then pointed to people in the congregation and said, "You have told God that the ministry he has given you is too big for you. But, like this coat which seems too big for you now, eventually you will grow into it, and it will fit."

You see, if we are not too careful, we can make a big deal out of the abilities and gifts that God has given to us, to the point that we can become scared of them. We can let fear take hold of us because we have looked to the bigness of the talent, and not to the bigness of God who has given the talent to us. We then end up trusting in our own abilities to put the ministry, gifts and abilities into practice, rather than leaning on God to help us accomplish his purpose for our lives. Quite frankly, we end up trying to do things in the flesh instead of the Spirit. And it does not matter if you think that your talent is spiritual or natural. The fact of the matter is, you still need to lean on God to utilize that which he has placed within you. For one year I was involved in looking after a college, as a vice principal. I soon found that I had to learn to lean on Jesus to get the job done, even though it was something natural that I was involved in. This was because I had always understood that spiritual abilities, such as preaching for example, as different to the abilities we use in everyday life. But the fact of the matter is, they are not.

It is also noticeable that the master said to the servants, "I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master."In other words, the few talents to we use on earth will put us in the position of taking on responsibility for many things in eternity. That is, what we are given now is only small in comparison to the responsibility waiting for us in heaven. God wants to see if we will take the initiative, move out in faith, and show faithfulness with the talents, which he has given to us while here are on earth. Not only so, but we will also enter into the joy of the Lord throughout eternity. In other words, we will have brought pleasure to Jesus, more than to anyone else in his kingdom. We are not justified by our works, we are only justified through what Christ did for us at Calvary. God is already pleased with us because we have already accepted Christ. But, he will also be pleased with the efforts that we put into his kingdom down here, especially when we exercise the gifts that he has placed within us. And this is why it is so important to stir up the gifts that are within us, because in all probability, no one else will.

But what about the person who did not use the talent his master had given to him? It says, in Matthew 25:24-25, that the servant knew that his master was a hard man, so out of a sense of fear he hid his talent. The servant who hid his talent made some interesting comments, which reveals his attitude to life. He stated that his master was a hard man, who reaped where his did not sow, and gathered where he scattered no seed. Obviously, this servant had not recognized that his service ultimately was supposed to be for his master, and not for himself. He had calculated, in his own mind, that he would not achieve very much by using the talent, which after all did not belong to him. And because his master would reap more benefit and pleasure from the talent, the servant did nothing with it. In other words, he was self-centered and self-serving. Likewise, if we take our focus from off of Jesus, concerning that which rightfully belongs to him, then we misappropriate those talents, which he has given to us in the first place. If we try to use that which God has given to us for any other purpose than for the extension of God's kingdom, then we could face difficulties in our futures.

This does not mean that we cannot benefit from the talents God has given to us, we can. But such benefits should never take from God the glory that is due to him alone. We need to recognize that we are custodians of the things that he has given to us, rather than selfishly thinking that they are ours. Everything that we have serves the purpose of God's kingdom, and glorifies Jesus, and not us. Talents belong to God, who has placed them into empty vessels, who should utilize them for the extension of his kingdom in some way. This particular servant did not understand this for one moment.

The servant goes on to say that he was afraid; so he went away and hid his master's talent in the ground. This servant feared his master in the wrong way, and failed to obey him in the same way that the other servants had. He knew that the talent was not his, and that it belonged to the master. Therefore, he thought that he could give the gift back to him unwrapped. There is nothing worse than giving a child, or anyone else for that matter, a gift which they neglect to unwrap. Such a thing would make no sense to anyone; and this servants actions would have made no sense to his master. The master's response to the servant, in Matthew 25:26-27, was that he was both wicked and lazy. We might be able to fool others, but we can't fool God. We can't just sit around warming a pew every Sunday, our walk with God must account for more than that. We cannot just be spectators, or worse, arm chair generals in the kingdom of God. We need to find out what our place is, so that we can step out in faith and serve the Lord.

We all need to contribute in some way to the development of God's kingdom, and this does not include being lazy, and hoping for the best. There is no place for passengers on board God's kingdom train. The master tells the servant that he wanted the talent back, with interest. And one day we will be expected to give back the talent God gave us, with evidence that we did something with it. It wasn't as if the servant did not have a talent, he did. He just failed to use it. And, according to Matthew 25:28-29, because the wicked servant failed to use the talent his master had given to him, he was about to lose everything else he had.

Finally, there is a saying in this big wide world, 'Use it or lose it!' What's the point in having gifts abilities and talents, if we are not going to use them? As the parable of the talents indicates to us, those who have more will be given to them, and they will have abundance. And that might not just mean abundance in eternity, but abundance now while we are on earth. God's power is often attached to the gifts that are within us. So, when we activate those gifts, we activate God's power and blessings upon our lives. This does not mean that there won't be setbacks in our lives, as we activate those gifts and talents. There will often be setbacks, as the enemy may try and put us off from reaching our full potential in God. And that's why we should never let fear prevent us from moving forward in God's kingdom, despite the opposition that might come against us. Once we persist in moving forward with our talents, in God's kingdom, the opposition will eventually be silenced. As the parable of the talents tell us, those who do not use what God has given them, will sadly lose out. They will also lose the additional talents and gifts, which God had prepared for them to use in their futures, had they been faithful with the little they had been given in the first place.

The parable of the talents ends with Matthew 25:30 (NASB), which says, "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." In the final analysis, God places an awful lot of emphasis on using the gifts, talents and abilities, which he has given us. The wicked lazy servant paid a penalty for not utilizing the gifts that God had given to him. We can sit around and debate the meaning of the punishment God metered out to this particular servant all day if we want to. But the fact of the matter is, this scripture is here to emphasize the importance God places on the gifts, which he has given to us.

Rather than wondering what might happen to us if we don't use our talents, it is better to consider what will happen to us when we do use them. And for the rest of this book, we will consider how God used people throughout scripture in their gifts, abilities and talents. Then we might be encouraged to utilize the gifts and abilities, which God has given to us in the days to come.

Two

Have You Got The Right Credentials?

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7 NASB

God Appoints

Having the right qualifications for the right job is part of modern day life. No one wants to visit a doctor who has not received the proper medical training, or a teacher who has never been on a teacher training course. You would not want to be represented in a court of  law by someone who has not qualified as an attorney, and you would not want to be attended by a nurse who did not know the first thing about medical care. However, when it comes to our callings, ministries and talents, we need to consider what God's view is about the type of qualifications we need to function in his kingdom.

What we need to be careful about, is that we do not approach our gifts and callings from a worldly perspective. That is, we do not want to professionalize them to the point that we end up removing God's anointing from off of our ministries. There are many bible college courses in the world right now, along with short training courses in biblical studies, all of which serve a function in the grand scheme of things. However, it is God who places his gifts and abilities within us, and therefore it is to the bible that we should turn to, in order that we might discover how such callings are validated by God.

There was a time in Israel's history when king Saul, by his actions, abdicated his responsibility as king. King Saul had been sent by the prophet Samuel, in 1 Kings chapter 15, to put to death the Amalekites. Unfortunately, Saul spared some of the best of all that belonged to the Amalekites, thereby disobeying God's instructions to him in 1 Samuel 15:9. Therefore, God had to remove the office of king from Saul and give it to someone else, in accordance with 1 Samuel 15:28. To put it crudely, there was now a vacancy for someone who was gifted enough to take on the responsibility of king over Israel. Therefore, we need to consider the qualifications that someone needed to fulfill such a role. And, we also need to understand how God would call them to use their gifts, abilities and talents to accomplish it. We might think that by taking on the high office of a king would require that the candidate would need to have been sent on a course, or given specific training to accomplish such a role. And this may hold true from a worldly point of view.

However, God's way of doing things may not follow a worldly point of view, which is the whole point of this chapter. To put it another way, God is not overly concerned whether or not we gain the approval of others, in order to operate our talents in the kingdom of God. Neither is he concerned whether or not we have been on the right training course, or whether we have the right qualifications or certificates to serve him with. Therefore, if that is the case, there are three questions we need to consider. The first is, what is it that God looks for in a person when he calls them to serve him in his kingdom? The second is, how does God call someone into service for him? And thirdly, can God's methodology be applied to our calling today?

God's decision to remove Saul as king over Israel came as a shock to Samuel, leaving him in deep mourning over the issue. However, there came a time, in 1 Samuel 16:1, when God told Samuel to fill his horn with oil and be on his way! In other words, God's call on the next king of Israel starts with the anointing oil. That is, God already had decided who was going to be the next person to be anointed as king. In other words, God had already appointed someone, but he had not anointed them.

Likewise, God appointed us before the foundation of the earth to enter his kingdom, according to Ephesians 1:4. He also apportioned gifts for us after the resurrection of Christ, according to Ephesians 4:8. Therefore, God has already placed his talents into each and every one of our lives, ready for service in the kingdom of God. And here we have a problem! The problem is that you have been appointed to operate certain talents in your life, but others may not have anointed you for service. That is, they have held you back from your calling, because some leaders take it upon themselves to appoint people into works of service, rather than anoint them.

God will not tell a church leader what your ministry is in the kingdom of God. And for a church leader to assume such a role is presumption. Only God can appoint and only man can anoint, and not the other way around. Notice, from 1 Samuel 16:1, that it was not Samuel the great prophet over all of Israel who had chosen someone to be king, but God alone. Therefore, God has not chosen any church leader in the entire world to decide what your calling is, or whether or not you are qualified to undertake it.

God is your boss, and no one else. In fact, it is clear from scripture that Samuel had no idea about who God was in fact calling to be the next king of Israel. This was simply because only God was privy to such information. Saul was in fact more concerned that Saul was still king over Israel at this time, and he did not want to offend him by anointing someone else in his place. He was probably afraid that Saul would want to kill the person appointed to be king before he was anointed, according to 1 Samuel 16:2-3.

We need to be mindful of those who take on a religious persona within our churches and fellowships. These are the ones who sometimes want to cut off our ministries, rather than anoint us for works of service. So afraid of the current establishment was Samuel, that he had to come up with a plan to disguise the fact that he was going to anoint the next king of Israel. He therefore held a sacrifice unto the Lord with the soon to be anointed king's father. When God is at work, do not presume that all will go smoothly at first. The elders of the town, where Samuel was coming to anoint the next king, could have kicked up a fuss had they really known what he was planning to do. Clearly, they were not totally comfortable when Samuel turned up, according 1 Samuel 16:4.

Sometimes, some of the elders of our churches need a good shaking, to distract their thinking from a worldly way of doing things in God's kingdom. The elders in this situation were concerned that their peace might be shattered, which is sometimes the case when men have their hands wrongly on the things of God. On a personal note, when I was called to be president of my university Christian union, I experienced a strange situation, just before taking on my responsibility. For about three years, God had been developing me to take on the role of president. I had gone through all the correct processes, with the Christian Union unanimously voting for me to hold office. However, just before the committee announced my appointment to the waiting Christian Union meeting, which was about to commence, they suddenly changed their minds.

Someone suddenly had a word, about something that they did not like, concerning the person I was proposing to be my Vice President. And at this stage in the proceedings, it was not totally clear what the problem was, it was a little vague. Conflict and confusion began to develop among the committee. So I put the matter to the entire Christian Union, to find out who they wanted their next president to be. The entire Christian union voted for me to lead them in the coming academic year. At this particular time, I had no idea what God was planning for the year ahead. But, when the next academic year arrived, we had an influx of students joining the Christian Union, along with lots of musicians to lead the meeting, and there was a real buzz in the air.

During that year we experienced a real move of God in the Christian Union, which was also the same year that Billy Graham was planning to hold a crusade in my city. God did great things that year, with many people finding the Lord as their Savior. It is God who appoints and not people. After all, we are only custodians of the grace that God has imported to each one of us, so that we may use the gifts, which he has already placed within us. And when God calls us and appoints us for service in his kingdom, then there will be peace, according to 1 Samuel 16:5.

It is fair to say that, from my own callings and services I have engaged in for the kingdom of God, over my life time, I have often experienced great peace, when others around me have not. Like me, you will have met people who will have said to you, 'I just don't get a peace about this." Just because someone in your church does not get a peace about what you believe God is calling you to do, does not suggest that it means anything. It could just be religious talk from religious people. I have often discovered that other people have not had a peace about me. And when I look back over my life, such a lack of peace in others has had no bearing on what God has led me to do. The elders of the town trembled, but Samuel himself had come in peace.

God's Qualifications

We discover, in 1 Samuel 16:5, that Samuel consecrates Jesse and his family ready for the sacrifice. It was probable that Samuel would have requested them to consecrate themselves in readiness, so that he could anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel was judging that one of Jesse's sons, who were in attendance, would be the next king of Israel, according to 1 Samuel 16:6. He assumed that Jesse's firstborn son would be the next king of Israel, because he was the obvious choice from a natural point of view.

And this is why we need to be careful when looking at those God's has appointed into service for his kingdom, simply because they might not be the obvious choice. Because some people have used natural reasoning, and appointed people from a worldly perspective, we have ended up anointing those who God has not appointed. The kingdom of God has never worked like the kingdom of this world, and yet we still insist on operating it in such a fashion. And then we wonder why there is not a greater anointing on our services and meetings. And because those God has appointed have not been anointed, he has to use many of them outside of the camp in different ways. After all, God will get the work done, and he will use the ones he both appoints and anoints. God is capable of opening up a variety of ways to allow the gifts in his people to operate in his kingdom. And even if the church closes its back on such gifts in others, God will find a way of opening the right door for them.

Notice what God says to Samuel, in 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV, 'But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ' This is the most revealing scripture in the bible about how God considers those he wants to use in his kingdom. Although Samuel was looking to Jesse's firstborn son as the most obvious choice, he was not God's choice. There is an interesting point to be made here. Various studies have shown that tall people often get the job in interviews.

In fact, by way of antidote evidence, I remember attending an interview to choose the next head of the department, where I was working at the time. The tallest candidate got the job. Obviously he was also the best qualified at the time, otherwise we would not have chosen him. However, it is no coincidence that God warned Samuel not to choose the tallest person in Jesse's family to be king. God also told Samuel not to judge by appearance, or by anything that other people would look for in a king. In other words, the person we think is right for the job is not always the right person in God's eyes. And God clearly states that he does not look at the things that people look at. He does not look to see if they have the right qualifications.

Now, this does not mean that God is against training, and gaining qualifications, etc. We can have all the right qualifications in the world to support our ministries, but if God has not called us into a specific role, then we are wasting our efforts. For example, we might have studied until we because a Grade 7 piano player. But, if God has called us to preach, rather than lead worship, then we may find that our musical abilities do not necessarily help us in our calling. This does not mean that gaining a Grade 7 in a musical instrument is a waste of time, it is not.

Having such a musical ability can complement our ministries, as we shall consider later in this chapter. However, such learning may not have a direct bearing on the actual ministry, which God may be calling us to do at any given time. I have come across people, who think that God has called them to lead worship in meetings, which turned out to be a disaster. God does not look at the things we look at. And 1 Samuel 16:7 concludes, people look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. In other words, it's not what is on the outside of the cup that matters, but what's in the heart that counts.

At this point in the choosing of the future king of Israel, God was rejecting everyone that Samuel was trying to pick. In fact, Samuel did not stop with just Jesse's firstborn son, he decided to try another son, according to 1 Samuel 16:8-9. Here we find that Samuel considered the second and third of Jesse's sons, just in case the firstborn was not worthy of the responsibility of being a king. In fact, by this stage in the proceedings, it was quite obvious that Samuel was either trying to guess who the next king would be, or he would discover which son would be king by a process of elimination.

And when churches choose people on the basis that a person was the best of a bad bunch, then we are in danger of becoming worldly in our decision-making. And sadly, when I was desperate to find an employee to undertake a certain role in industry, I sometimes had to take the best of a bad bunch. This was simply because the right caliber of people did not come forward for interview. It is uncertain at what point Samuel was becoming exasperated, by trying to find the right person to be king, only to be rejected by God. And this is why we should never be in a hurry to appoint anyone into service, just because we think that there is an urgent need to be met.

It is sometimes better for churches and fellowships not to appoint someone in a rush, and out of a need of desperation. Utilizing the current talent in church can sometimes be just as effective, as trying to find someone from outside the church. Using those who are currently available in our churches, gives people the opportunity to show the contribution that they can make to the kingdom of God. Sadly, many churches and fellowships look to the outside of their walls to find the ministries and gifts needed to support the work. And this very often only de-motivates those who are ready and willing to contribute to works of service. Therefore, we need to be more open to God's leading in our churches, when seeking to find the right people for the right job.

As for Samuel, the search went on to find the next king of Israel, according to 1 Samuel 16:10-11. Although we do not have a full account of David's relationships with his family, there is some indication that he may not have been well thought of. Obviously, Jesse has not even considered that David, his youngest son, might be worthy enough to pass before Samuel, just in case he was God's appointed. In fact, he was the only person who had not been consecrated before the offering, as had been the case with his older brothers; he was in fact out tending sheep at the time.

Eventually we reach 1 Samuel 16:12, where Samuel instructs Jesse to send for the youngest son. We have no idea what was going through the mind of David's family, as they stood around waiting for David to be brought before Samuel. In fact, it sometimes takes a prophet to highlight the gifts in other people, which may not be so obvious to those around them. The fact that David was good looking and healthy was not the point. The point was that God had chosen him before the foundation of the world, despite his appearance, favorable or not. Therefore God instructed Samuel to rise and anoint this young man as the future king of Israel.

According to 1 Samuel 16:13 when Samuel anointed David as king, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day onwards. Here we find that Samuel's mission was accomplished. It is noticeable that Samuel did not take David away to some quiet corner somewhere, where he might anoint him as the future king of Israel. What he did was to acknowledge, before his family, the importance that God had placed on David's calling. In other words, we should never hide God's calling upon our lives from other people, just because they might be jealous of us, or because they won't acknowledge that God is with us. God is not ashamed of us, and he is not ashamed of the talents that he has given to us either. Therefore, neither should we fear what God is doing, or fear what he wants to do in our lives before others. We need to put our light on the top of a hill so that all can see what God is doing in our lives. And once David's calling was acknowledged openly, and as Samuel anointed God's appointed, then from that day forward the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.

Entering God's Service

Each talent that God gives to people is unique. This does not mean that two or more people cannot operate in the same gift, talent or ministry, they can. Obviously, there can be more than one pastor, or teacher, or musician, or worship leader, etc. However, each ministry is not a copy of someone else's ministry, simply because they do not come per-assembled out of a box. Neither will God allow his anointing to be stolen from someone, or shared with anyone else. In other words, we cannot live out our Christian life under the shadow of someone else's anointing.

Each individual, like the wise virgins, must get their own oil, and not rely on someone else to get it for them. And therefore, according to 1 Samuel 16:14, God's Spirit left Saul and was replaced by an unclean spirit. In other words, and in this instance, two people could not operate under the anointing that was reserved for the office of the king of Israel. We have already seen how the power of the Holy Spirit came on David, after Samuel had anointed him. And now we see that the anointing that had been on Saul's life had been taken away.

Sadly, and because of Saul's disobedience and the removal of God's anointing from his life, he was now allowed to be tormented by an unclean spirit. This signifies, and acts as a warning to us all, that there is a stark difference between the anointing that God gives for service, and that which is counterfeit. In fact, those who operate their ministries in the flesh, and have not been appointed by God, are probably no better than those who deliberately operate under a false anointing. And instead of such people being a blessing to our churches and fellowships, they become a problem.

People who are problematical and do not display the fruits of the Spirit, have been known to occupy gifts and callings from God. Sadly, I have come across too many of these people, who appear to go undetected in our churches and fellowships. All too often churches are either oblivious to such people, or they cannot be bothered to sort them out. This leaves such individuals in a position to cause disruption in our churches today. In 1 Samuel 16:15-16, Saul's attendants both recognized that God's Spirit had left him, and that they needed to restore the presence of God into the situation. This they did by considering the need to bring in someone who could play a musical instrument, and therefore bring the presence of God back into the situation. Clearly this demonstrates how needful it is for our churches and fellowships to release those with worship ministries, so that they can bring the presence of God into our services.

Not only had the Spirit of God left Saul, there was now an opportunity to bring David onto the scene. Sadly in this case, one person's bad circumstances can lead to someone else's opportunity. David had already come to the attention of Saul's servants, and the circumstances were just right for them to introduce him into Saul's household. This is what we call a God opportunity. However, God given opportunities can often come about when we make ourselves available in any given situation. We have discussed, earlier in this chapter, that we can develop ministries which compliment the calling that God has placed upon our lives. David was no exception to this.

Although God had appointed David to be king over Israel, such a calling would not be fulfilled straight away. For now, David had to learn to serve God in the house of Saul, by using his musical instrument to bring God's presence into a difficult situation. But this did not mean that David should take playing his musical instrument lightly, or without the proper training or experience. And this is why Saul wanted someone who was experienced in playing the lyre, according to 1 Samuel 16:17. Putting it bluntly, Saul was not just going to let any old busker from off the street come into his presence to try and pluck out a tune for him. And neither is it means that Saul was looking for someone from Juilliard! He needed someone who was both proficient enough to play the lyre, and also someone who could bring the anointing of the Holy Spirit into the House of Saul. Like you, I have sometimes come across technically gifted musicians who lack God's anointing. But, I have met people who can only play by ear, and yet they are gifted in a way that brings the presence of God into our meetings.

David, was a man who was not only appointed and anointed by God, but he had other abilities to compliment his calling. And because of this, he had become noticed by the house of Saul, according to 1 Samuel 16:18. Clearly, David was gifted in a number of areas, suggesting that he did not just sit around hoping for the best. He was someone who had learnt to play the lyre, he had earned a reputation as a brave warrior, he spoke well suggesting that he was educated, he looked good which suggests that he took care of himself, and the Lord was with him. Obviously, he was no slouch. And yet he was not someone who had promoted himself above his station in life. Therefore, according to 1 Samuel 16:19, Saul sent for him.

It is uncertain whether or not David's own family recognizedhow much God was with him. We know that his elder brother Eliab burned with anger against him, when David enquiries why the uncircumcised Philistine Goliath dared to defy the armies of the living God, in 1 Samuel 17:28. Eliab's discernment of David's heart and motives were completely erroneous. He allowed his uncontrolled flesh life to be the judge of that which belonged to God's Spirit. Only the Spirit can discern the things after the Spirit, and not the flesh. However, in the words of one of Saul's servants in 1 Samuel 16:18 NIV, 'The Lord is with him!'And no matter who might try to put you off from fulfilling the call of God upon your life, always remember that the Lord is with you no matter what.

And because God is with you, it does not really matter what other people think about you, it's what the Lord has placed upon your heart that counts. And God will make a way for you, where there seems to be no way. And this was the case with David. No matter what his family thought of him, and even though they may have thought he was conceited, God knew the truth. And when we know that God is with us, we do not need to justify ourselves before others, and especially when such people are operating from their flesh. According to Isaiah 54:17, God is our vindication, and not other people, or even other ministries.

There does appear to be one person who was supporting David at this time, and that was his father Jesse, according to 1 Samuel 16:20, who sent him on his way with provisions. Clearly, David was not sent to Saul with any thought that he had arrived. He went with humility, bearing gifts as he entered the service of the king. As it says in Proverbs 18:16, a gift will make room for a man! In other words, a gift can smooth the way for someone who wants to see their talents used in God's kingdom.

David knew how to give, and not just to take. As I have said before in this book, a laborer is worthy of his or her hire. But, we also need to consider what we can give away to people as part of our ministry. My boss once told me that if I did not learn to give things to people for free, as well as trying to make a profit, then I would not get very far in business. And this is one of the reasons why I sometimes offer some of my books free for purchase periodically. If our lives only consist of trying to squeeze every last cent out of other Christians, then we are missing the point about what the kingdom of God is all about.

It is always more blessed to give than to receive. But this needs to work top down, as well as bottom up. In other words, leaders from some of the large worldwide ministries need to learn how to give to others, rather than just trying to get something back from their supporters. And many of those who are genuinely called of God do so. If we can learn that it is not what we can get out of the kingdom but what we can put back in, then God will be the one who causes our ministries to grow. We won't just need to depend upon getting good contacts, and networking with the right people. God is the one who will both open and close doors for us, and we need to be mindful of this.

God was the one behind David. God was the one who had appointed him, and God was the one who sent Samuel to anoint him. Now, God was opening the right doors to position David exactly where he wanted him to be. And this did not mean that everything would end up plain sailing for David. On the contrary, Saul would try and kill David on a number of occasions. But, because God had called David, God would keep him. God would protect his comings and goings from that day forward and for evermore. And what God did for David, he will do for you, because God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Despite the fact that Saul would not always act favorable towards David, God had prepared the way for him; therefore he was in the right place at the right time, according to 1 Samuel 16:21. When you are in the right place with God concerning your ministry, talents and your future, people will start to become accepting of you, and the work you are doing. And remember, people do not have to like you even when you are in God's will. As long as you stay true to what God has called you to so, then all will turn out well for you. And when you are in the right place with God, with respect to your service in the kingdom of God, then God will allow you to see promotion in all that you do, without you having to seek others to get it. As it indicates in Psalm 75:6-7, promotion comes from the Lord.

So pleased was Saul with David, that he made full provision for him to remain in his household, according to it Samuel 16:22. Even though Saul had been rejected by God as king over Israel, he still occupied the office of king, and his word was sacrosanct. And because Saul was still in place as king over Israel, he would continue in that office until God decided that it was time for him to go. God's timing with respect to our ministries is of the utmost importance, if we are going to see God's blessings flow through them. Therefore, you may find that God calls you to use your ministry in circumstances, which may not always be to your liking.

You might find yourself in a church or fellowship, where someone else is using a similar ministry, which obstructs your own. They may have been at that fellowship before you, but they have not learnt to let go. Therefore, they have ended up dominating a situation, which obstructs God moving as he ought. In such circumstances, it is easy for people to attempt to consider plans for the removal of such people, who may no longer be as useful in a fellowship as they once were. But what you need to understand is that, like Saul, God may very well have called such people who served him well for a time in the past. And because God is an expert at showing grace, he will appreciate the efforts that such people have made, possibly under very difficult circumstances.

Therefore, if you find yourself coming along side someone who is not advancing the purposes of God in your church or fellowship, give them some space. Pray that God will move on them, or move them sideways, But, do not pray against them, because you could be praying against God who originally called them. Leaving things to God, and doing the best you can in difficult circumstances is the order of the day, as was the case with David. He had to wait many years before God finally promoted him; first to become king of Judah, and then to become king of Israel. And he faced much opposition before he finally arrived on the throne destined for him. And just in case you think that you have a very important calling, talent or ministry, remember that David was one of the most important people in the bible, along with people like Moses and Joshua. And if he had to wait until God had developed his character in readiness for his call, so will you. None of us are called because we have some divine right to the ministries, which God has graciously provided for us. God calls those who walk humbly and quietly before him.

In conclusion, until he became king, David served an important role in the house of Saul. His responsibility was to make certain that the presence of God prevented Saul from the excesses of the demonic influences, which were now guiding his life. As it says in 1 Samuel 16:23 NIV, 'Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.' Our ministries should always carry the presence of God upon them. The presence of God is in fact the hallmark of a genuine calling of God upon our ministries, gifts and talents, along with the fruits of the Spirit. If we do not bring the presence of God with us when we preach, lead worship, teach Sunday school, encourage others, or in whatever way we serve God, then all that we can offer people is an empty clanging sound.

David had been appointed and anointed to do great things for God. And God had incredible things planned for David in his future. However, for now, David started off by playing his lyre and bringing the presence and vitality of God into the house of an old warn out king. He was faithful and humble to the needs of someone, who was after all, destined for disaster. But he served God first, and not Saul. David was in the service of Saul, but he was accountable to the one who called him. And as David remained faithful, he was the one God also used to stay Goliath, and eventually bring down the might of the Philistines. As for you, remain faithful to the calling, which God has placed upon your life. Not only will he use you to bring the presence of God into your fellowship, he could very well be getting you ready to bring down the Goliath's of unbelief in the lives of other people, as God establishes his throne in your church, fellowship and ministry!

Three

Thinking Outside The Box

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip,“Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?

John 6:6 NIV

Problem Solving

When we talk about the talents, gifts and abilities, which God has given to us, we are not just considering the ones that are obvious. We should also bear in mind that using our talents also refers to the contribution we make to the kingdom of God, through our fellowship, encouragement, volunteering, sharing, testifying, and a whole manner of inputs, which we can make to other people's lives. Not only does God bless those who have specifically designated talents, but he blesses those who are contributors to other people's ministries. There will even be those who are called to provide finance to help ministries reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not everyone can provide financial help, but those who can are valuable to the work of God's kingdom.

I once heard a Christian TV channel encouraged people, who were not able get out into the mission field, to provide financial help instead. The argument was, that by providing financial help, individual believers will share in the reward of those who were able to go overseas for the sake of the gospel. To be fair, I think that there is some merit in this belief. However, this may not hold true if giving is used as an excuse not to develop our own ministries. As we support some of the ministries that we are associated with, including our own churches and fellowships, then we can learn from others how to develop our own ministries in the future.

In other words, God uses other ministries as training grounds and encouragements, so that we might eventually take the hint, and move out in our own talents and ministries. Also, some people's gifts and talents might very well relate to other people's ministries, rather than their own individual ministries. That is, they compliment the ministries of others, thereby using the gifts which God has already given to them.

In this chapter of the book, we are going to consider how one person's act of generosity supported the ministry of another. Specifically, we are going to look at an example, from the ministry of Jesus, so that we can learn how our helpfulness might prove useful in the kingdom of God. Just like some of the big Christian ministries that we see across the world today, Jesus had a huge ministry stretching across Galilee. During the early part of his three and half year ministry, he would have been increasingly busy, looking after the vast crowds that followed him everywhere he went. Any additional help would have been greeted by Jesus with the utmost delight, as we will see from John chapter 6.

According to John 6:1-2 people followed Jesus across the Galilee. Not only did Jesus preach the gospel, like many ministries today, he performed great miracles among the people of his day. Even when he went to the far shore of Galilee, there were crowds of people who wanted to both hear and see what he was doing, with regards to the kingdom of God. The problem for Jesus, at this time, was not just that the people needed to hear the gospel and receive a healing, they had needs in the natural realm too.

Our churches and fellowships should never just be a place where people hear the gospel. Yes, the preaching of the gospel must be the primary focus of all that we do; but it should not be the end of the story. The support work is just as important as the preaching of the gospel, if we are going to reach people today. And if this network of support is not provided, then some of the fish we catch from the great sea of humanity will not flourish among us. When we attend our churches and fellowships, we can't all stand up at the front and preach the gospel. We can either sit around hoping that one day our turn will come to stand at the pulpit and preach, or we can resign ourselves to doing nothing. And we know from my chapter on the parable of the talents that there is a danger from doing nothing. On the other hand, we could make ourselves useful, by supporting our pastors, getting along side them, and encouraging the rest of the flock, which God sends in our direction. If we are looking to be the centre of attention in our churches, and we think that the kingdom is all about me, then we will have problems.

However, if we recognize that God does not just need pastors to achieve his purposes, then we might find a role that we can play in the advancement of the kingdom of God. God said that he would build his church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). But, this does not suggest that we should sit around and do nothing, and hope for the best. We all have our part to play in the kingdom of God. And, when we stop thinking that we are only here to preach, then we will gain a satisfaction from serving God in a capacity, which will edify the churches and fellowships that we attend.

If you are waiting for a special call from God to get busy in the King's business, then you've got another think coming. God expects people to volunteer their services in their local churches and fellowships. This can be done by joining the various teams that support our churches. For example, you might be good on the sound desk, or providing coffee for people, or welcoming folks at the door, or taking the offering, or working in the Sunday school, or providing office and administrative support, or setting up a book stall, or a dozen other things that might need your involvement. Obviously, check with your group leaders before just marching in, and trying to stamp your authority where it might not be wanted. Humility and wisdom is the order of the day, and all that God requires you to do is make yourself available for service in your local church.

It may be that you have a idea about how you might contribute to your church. But, other people might think you are suited better in a different capacity. Remember, starting off small is always an advantage, especially when you might not be used to taking on a new responsibility. A small work can grow very quickly, so never be in a rush concerning the things of God. Just take your time, because when God is in something, he will cause it to succeed.

Finding The Bread Shop

Jesus knew how important support work was, especially when it came to his own ministry. We notice from John 6:3-5, that when Jesus went up the mountainside, he looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him. The thing that we need to be aware of here, is that Jesus was not necessarily thinking about preaching to the crowds. He may very well have done so earlier. But, at this point in time, preaching and healing were not on his mind. He was more interested in the health and well being of his followers. And, I appreciate that the preaching of the gospel should be the cornerstone of every church and fellowship in the world. However, it is not always just about preaching, as was the case with Jesus in this situation.

Again, if we think that the kingdom of God should only be about preaching, then we have missed the point. Preaching includes all the surrounding activities that support such a work. And this might be one reason why Jesus said in Matthew 9:37 (NIV), “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." In other words, because too many people only want to preach, rather than to serve in some equally important capacity in God's kingdom, a lot of valuable work will not get done. The kingdom of God is as much about serving one another, rather than lording it over people.

We can also see from John 6:5 NIV above that Jesus asked Philip a question,Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” At this point in time, Jesus knew that if he had tried to preach the gospel to these people, then they may not have been able to concentrate on what he was saying. Their attention would have been somewhere else, namely their stomachs. And this raises a important issue for some of our fellowships. If all we are about is preaching the gospel, without considering the needs of God's people, then we will miss the whole point of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God's is a refuge and strength to those in any kind of need. This is why the dispossessed and needy joined David in the cave of Adullam in 1 Samuel 22:1-2. In other words, David knew that the health and welfare of those who followed him was just as important as eventually establishing his kingdom in Jerusalem and Judea.

And because Jesus understood this, we also need to come to terms with the wider implications of helping others in the kingdom of God. The preaching of the gospel will get people into God's kingdom. But, our sacrifices, kindness and encouragements will keep them there. Jesus would have neglected his duty and responsibility, if he had not provided bread for those who followed him. Which is why Jesus asked Philip where they should by bread from for the people to eat? He only asked this question to test Philip and the rest of the disciples, according to John 6:5. Jesus was trying to get a point across to his disciples, which we will come to in a moment. But for now, Jesus was trying to get his disciples to consider the great need of the people who stood before them. How were they were going to help them?

Jesus would not always be with the disciples, and so he had to get them to start thinking for themselves. In other words, he was giving them a lesson in problem solving, something that some churches neglect to do with their followers. And it's not always about coming up with the right answer straight away that counts; but it’s about learning to consider all the options open to us. Jesus was trying to get Philip, and the rest of the disciples, to think outside of the box. And if we are not too careful, our religiosity can get in the way of our common sense. We should never be afraid to consider alternative ideas, concerning how we might develop others in the kingdom of God. We need to consider how we might serve and provide for their needs, by thinking outside of our religious boxes, by looking at all the options and alternatives open to us.

From the question that Jesus asked Philip and the rest of the disciples, it was clear that  there could have been a number of responses. Philip's thinking, at this period of time, was in the realm of the natural. His response to Jesus' question can be found in John 6:7. And, like most people, Philip's thinking was inside the box, which did not bring God into the equation. God calls us to be obedient, and to serve the needs of those around us, but never at the expense of going it alone, or just depending on what we have on offer. We can only provide part of the solution to other people's needs. And, if theirs is no involvement of God in what we do, then there will be no involvement of his supernatural provision for the lives of those who may have desperate needs.

Although there is nothing wrong with helping people, there are some circumstances where only God can provide. We are not here to replace God's supernatural provision in other people's lives, we are here to facilitate it. Therefore, our helps, and our services should always be used to direct people to depend upon God alone. And this is precisely what Jesus was trying to teach Philip, and the rest of the disciples. He was trying to show them that there would be certain circumstances where human ingenuity alone would not cut it in the kingdom of God. He was showing them that, even in natural circumstances, God needed to be involved, and God needed to supply.

In the same way that God provided healing and deliverance for the followers of Jesus, they also needed their daily provisions, which God was well able to supernaturally supply for them. Therefore, our services and ministries should never just be perceived in the realm of the natural, as Philip was suggesting. They should make room for the supernatural provision of God in people's lives. The same God who provided manna and quail in the desert for the children of Israel in the days of Moses, was able to provide for the children of Israel in the time of Jesus. And the God who provided in the day of Jesus, is still providing for his people today, by meeting their needs through those who are willing to engage their talents, and serve in the kingdom of God.

After Philip had given his response to Jesus' question about how they were going to feed the five thousand, Andrew had a though, in John 6:8-9. He found a boy who had five loaves and two fishes. Do not presume that Andrew was coming up with the right answer here. He was probably being a little facetious; he may have even been testing Jesus; who knows? What Andrew probably lacked, at this point, was the faith to believe that Jesus could use the little that this boy had, and make it go a long way.

There are two ways that we can provide for the physical needs of others, as well as their spiritual needs. We can try and work things out from our own perspective and ingenuity, or we can take the little we have, and trust God to bring the increase. We may think, like the disciples, that the little we have is just not enough to meet the needs of so many people in the kingdom of God. But we would be wrong. God delights in taking the little we have and multiply its effect throughout his kingdom. We may think that our little contributions will not amount to much, but we might be surprised how a little light can shine a long way.

And we will never know how many people we might encourage, by our direct sacrifice and service in the kingdom of God. Not only so, but our good deeds might encourage others to step out in faith to serve God too. We are all too aware about how quickly evil spreads around the world. But what we forget is that good deeds also spread around the world just as fast. So never think that the little bit you do for the kingdom of God does not count, because in God's eyes it does. And as we are about to read, the small amount of loaves and fishes, provided by a little boy, was about to be used by the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Dinner Time

Although it may not seem like much of a deal to us, Jesus started out by making sure that the five thousand followers were comfortable, according to John 6:10. This reminds us of what David penned in Psalm 23:2. Clearly Jesus was, in part, fulfilling this psalm as he took thought of those God had given into his charge. People coming into our fellowships need the whole package of services that we can offer them, as part of their journey with God. I for one will never sit around in an unwelcoming church, which does not consider the physical and social needs of those who are coming through their doors. I have heard pastors say that the church is not a social event, which is a very strange thing to say, when we are all social beings. We are not just sheep who need herding into a pen. We are real live people who need to enjoy the social  and vibrant atmosphere of a good fellowship.

I have heard pastors say that church is only for the preaching of the gospel, which we all understand. But what happens to people after they have come to Christ? We are called to make disciples of our converts. Therefore, if we do not facilitate such a need, then we are not expressing the love of the Father through our actions. Jesus did not limit himself to the preaching of the gospel, or to the healing of the sick. He took time out with these five thousand people, and took care of their needs. And because Jesus took time out to do this, so should our churches and fellowships. And Jesus was not dealing with small numbers. At least five thousand people, if not more, we're taken care of by Jesus and the disciples. And this might explain why the disciples originally started their ministries, in the early church, by waiting on tables in Acts chapter 6.

John 6:11 goes on to say that Jesus gave thanks for the loaves and fishes. Here we see Jesus connecting the small amount of the physical provision of the loaves and the fishers with a spiritual request, by thanking God for them. He did not approach God, like some of us might do by saying,"How are we going to feed all of these people with so little?"

Jesus knew, in the natural, that what the little boy had provided by way of the bread and fish would never meet the needs of five thousand people. At best, they would probably have fed just a few families at most. In other words, Jesus did not just look to the little he had to help people with, but he looked to God to make up the deficit. And this is an important lesson for those who might be contemplating service in the kingdom of God, as we have eluded to earlier in this chapter. If we sit down and take stock of what we have, we may find that we come up short in the resources we have to serve God with. When we know that we are in God's will, then we should continue walking by faith, so that we might get the job done, by trusting in God alone.

When I was in my twenties, I decided to leave work, and go to university to study and eventually become a teacher. The job of employment I had, provided me with a comfortable wage at the time. I enjoyed a comfortable life style, with lots of fellowship. I was really having a good time. However, I strongly felt that God was urging me to go to university and develop my lifelong skills. I had no real education to my name, but I made the necessary enquiries about going to university. After doing my research, and choosing the course I wanted to study, and the university I wanted to attend, I made an official application to join a full-time course. To my surprise, I got rejected.

As I sought God, he began to increase the assurance within me that I was to leave work and go to college. I sent another application to the university, only to be rejected again. The assurance grew stronger within me, so I made a third application, only to be rejected for the third time. Then, one day, there was an announcement on my local radio about courses available at my local university. The university's careers department was inviting mature students, over twenty one years of age, to contact them if they wanted to attend a full-time course. I made contact with them, and they invited me to visit, and discuss my options. I told the college counselor how much I believed that it was right for me to attend the university, even though I had little by way of education.

There was a long pause, while the college counselorconsidered what I had said to him. He then said, "Wait just one minute!" He picked up his phone, and spoke to the faculty, where I wanted to study. I was invited, there and then, to attend an interview with the course leaders. They asked me what reading I had engaged in. I told them that I was fully versed in the bible, and in legal matters. I did not know at the time, that one of the interviewers was a lawyer. They told me that their course was full, but that they would put me on a waiting list, should anyone drop out of the course before the September start.

I left the faculty very excited, knowing that God had started to open a door for me. However, I needed to give two weeks’ notice from my current job, so that I could start the course on time, should a place become available. Two weeks before the start of the course, the course leader phoned me at work with an offer of a place. But, what I had not counted on was the fact that I was now having to move from a job with a good salary, to live on a grant that was nowhere near adequate enough to supply my needs. In fact, it was almost impossible to live on the amount of grant I was given. This caused me some trepidation, as I commenced my course. Not only was I now having to learn how to study, and write essays, I was having to work out how I would survive on such a reduced income. I will never know how God did it, but I never went short of money throughout the long years of university life. God even opened the door for me to become the president of the Christian Union, during my time of study at the university, as I have discussed previously.

After completing my studies at the university, I eventually undertook a postgraduate teaching course, where God continued to supply my need according to his riches in glory. God was able to take the little I had, and make it last throughout all of my university education. And this is one reason why Christians should learn not to worry, even when they don't have sufficient resources to live on. God sometimes allows this to happen, so that we might learn to trust more in God's provision, rather than using our own natural abilities to solve our financial problems. God seeks to find ways where he can get involved in supplying our needs. And when we think that it's about always having the right amount of resources before we step out for God, then we are missing the point.

The reason why the account about Jesus feeding the five thousand was included in the bible, was to teach us to rely more upon God and less upon ourselves. But when we try to solve problems from a human perspective, or we try to balance the books of our finances by our own ingenuity, we miss the point. The point is that we need to learn to let God have an involvement in our lives. God loves making up our shortfalls, to show us that he is still involved in our lives, and that there is nothing too difficult for him. What may seem hard for us, is easy for God. And when we try to sort out everything ourselves, we are excluding God from a very important aspect of our lives. We have to learn to trust what God tells us to do, and let him worry about how our ventures will be financed.

We can never truly offer our services to God, if we do not know how to trust him to finance them. Many Christians are stuck at the starting block, with their talents. They are unable to move forward in life, because they have been trying to work out their needs from a natural perspective. I have always been struck by how much God used king Cyrus to provide for the re-building of the temple, after the Babylonian exile. Isaiah spoke about king Cyrus one hundred years before he came to power. In other words, God had made a financial provision for the rebuilding of the temple, long before Israel had even gone into exile. It says in Isaiah 45:3 (NIV) "I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

Discovering these hidden treasures is half the battle, when it comes to serving God. If our works of service in God's kingdom was just reliant upon what we had ourselves, little would get done. If we think that we are responsible for supplying all the needs for the work, which we do for the Lord, then we will miss the point that God wants to be involved in the work too. After all, it is God's work that we are about and not our own. There will always be a gap between the ideas God puts on our hearts, relating to saving him, and the resources we have available to serve him with. But when we receive the blessed revelation that God has hidden treasures for all of us, then more will get done in the Kingdom of God. Obviously, Jesus knew this principle, after all, he was the Son of God. But he allowed this account of the loaves and fishes to be included in scripture, so that we might get the message. And if Jesus needed to rely on God, to make up the short-fall for the five thousand followers, how much more do we?

Waste Not Want Not

When God provides, there is always plenty for everyone. Therefore, no one needs to be excluded, there will always be plenty left over. Our God is a god of more than enough; he is not a god of just enough. We find in John 6:12, that there were left over’s, even after everyone had eaten. Here we can see that Jesus was including his disciples, in the gathering up of the pieces left over, from the provisions used to feed the five thousand with. When God provides for a work, there will also be a need for others to get on board and help out. There is a spiritual principle, when it comes to the things of God, and when it comes to the distribution of his talents. The principle is that we should not be just gathering the fruits of our ministries to ourselves. But, we should scatter the fruits to others, so that they can get involved too.

Jesus did not keep anything to himself, but distributed freely to all who were in need. There is another a spiritual lesson to be learnt here. The use of our talents, and ministries should never bring us to the point of exhaustion. If they do, then something has gone wrong. If what we do in the kingdom of God leads to us becoming exhausted all the time, then we are probably not relying on God's provision to support us. But rather, we have become reliant upon ourselves. At such times, the only answer for us is to find that resting place in God; so that we might find restoration for their souls. This is why it says in Psalm 23:3 NKJV, 'He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.'

When we operate our talents from God's provision, then we will find refreshing for our souls, as God leads us along the right path. Do not presume that every ministry and talent operating in the kingdom of God is sanctioned by God. It is easy for all of us to think that just because somebody has a big ministry, then they must be operating under God's anointing. This is not always the case. In fact, ministries not sanctioned by God are often beset with difficulties, and even scandal. This is because some folks have launched themselves out to serve God from a position of presumption. Sometimes they have launch themselves out into ministry before they have crucified their own flesh lives.

By not dealing with the inside of the cup first, they have ended up with problems on the outside of the cup. This, in turn, brings confusion and uncertainty into the kingdom of God. Because such people have not buried their old nature, they have left doorways open for the enemy to attack them. And this is why other Christians become confused over some of the ministries in operation out there. They end up in the land of uncertainty, because they have found that some aspects of a person's ministry appears okay, while other aspects are questionable. Because there is a mixture, they give such ministries the benefit of the doubt. Then folks get confused when these ministries sadly fail.

And often such ministries can often prey on people who do not have a deep knowledge of scripture. A good grounding in scripture would help them discern between that which is of God, and that which is of the flesh. And because a ministry is not always blatantly false, people get taken in by it. Deception often includes a bit of that which is genuine. This then acts as bate, to real the unsuspecting Christian into something that contains an element of false teaching. This is why it says in 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV, 'Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.'

This warning applies to those who are taken in by wrong doctrines, which can come across on our TVs, or in our churches or our fellowships, whichever the case may be. And, it also applies to all of us who want to move out in the gifts and talents, which God has given to us. There are three important points, which I learnt to observe before I moved out in my ministry, which may help you. The first is that we need to be soundly saved, to the point that we have no doubts about our salvation. If we cannot sing 'Blessed Assurance', by Frances J Crosby (1873), and really believe it, then we will struggle to operate faith to accomplish the goals set by our respective gifts, talents and abilities.

The second point is that we need to learn to study the bible for ourselves, and from cover to cover. We can even use a study bible to help us understand scripture, if we struggle with any of the concepts found therein. I once met a preacher, who admitted that he had not actually read all of the bible. Now I'm not talking about being religious here, but the bible is the foundation of our Christianity; therefore it should hold a prominent place in our lives. And this is precisely why some people are fooled by some of the false ministries out there. They are deceived simply because they have not read the bible for themselves. And if anything, or anyone does not line up with what is in the bible, ignore them! We will never correctly build our ministries on a firm foundation if they are not built on the word of God. And the best ministries out there are those which are built on nothing but the bible.

The third point is that we need to allowed our flesh life to be crucified with Christ, at the Cross of Calvary. Flesh, which has not been crucified on God's alter of sacrifice, will destroy any ministry. If we move out in our gifts and ministries before the flesh life has been dealt with, then we are leaving a door wide open for Satan to come in and destroy the work from day one. It's not what we do for Christ that is the most important aspect of our lives, it is who we are that counts. God wants us to develop our gifts and talents, but never at the exclusion of dealing with the inside of our cups first. Know ye not that ye are the temples of the Holy Ghost? Yes, God wants us to use our talents, but we are not justified by them. We are only justified before God through our faith in Christ. And if our foundation is not secure on the Word of God, then we will end up trying to justify ourselves by what we do, rather than through the precious blood of Jesus.

A dirty vessel operating a talent, or ministry in the kingdom of God, is still a dirty vessel, come what may! We can never substitute our talents for our salvation, because all that we will end up doing is becoming religious and miserable. Sadly, I have met people who claim that they are full of the Holy Spirit, and yet they have uncontrolled flesh life raging around inside of them. But, once we have followed these three principles, we can rest assured that we will have placed ourselves on a good foundation, so that God can take us up and use us for the extension of his kingdom. There are no formulas for success in the kingdom of God. However, these spiritual principles will help us to evaluate where we stand, with regards our future roles in the kingdom of God. Ignoring them could leave us shipwrecked and a castaway, with regards to our faith.

Finally, it says in John 6:13 ESV, 'So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.' Here we find that there was enough provision left over for each of the twelve disciples to have a basket of bread. Not only had the five thousand been miraculously fed, but there was enough left over for each of the twelve disciples too. Scripture clearly tells us that a laborer is worthy of his hire. And this raises an interesting point about ministry.

Money is not always the most worrying aspect of someone's ministries, but false doctrine is. The bible clearly specifies that a laborer is worthy of his or her hire. God has no truck with anyone making a living wage out of their gifts, talents and ministries. Without such a wage, some folks would not be able to devote their time and energy into that which God has called them to do. Yes, there are people who work part-time in the kingdom of God, and supplement their work with a part-time job. But there is nothing in the bible that prevents anyone from earning a living from their ministry.

And I appreciate that very few ministries go into this subject in any great depth. You should never feel guilty about earning a living from your ministry. When I first considered earning money from my own ministry, I was a little concerned about it. But, I soon realized that I could not write books and undertake a full-time job at the same time. I tried to do just that, but no books got written. This does not mean that writing books is making me rich at the moment, because that was not the reason why I undertook such a ministry. I wanted to produce books for the kingdom of God as cheaply as possible, and not for pure profit. But, there are warning concerning becoming popular in ministry, which we need to briefly consider, as we come to the end of this chapter.

In John chapter 6, the people were so encouraged, by the fact that Jesus had miraculously provided for everyone, that they wanted to make him king, according to John 6:14-15. To conclude this chapter, it is important to make sure that we never rob God of his glory, for the work he has allowed us to do in his kingdom. After all, we are only custodians of the gifts, which he has given to us. Jesus knew how to get out of the way, when the crowds wanted to make him king. In other words, even Jesus knew his place in God's kingdom. He knew what God had called him to do, and he knew when to say no. Your ministry should never be subject to the beck and call of everybody else but God. You, and you alone are responsible for its direction, as God leads and guides you. It is a service to God first. But, there will be times when it is important to get away from it, and take a rest. Even Jesus did not get above himself, and allow the crowds to make him king, even though he was the King of kings.

So, we should never get carried away by what people might tell us about our gifts and callings, good or bad. Remember, good critics can be as problematic as bad ones. Be no one's debtor is good advice when it comes to your ministry. And how you decide to operate your gifts and talents is between you and God alone, Therefore, never let anyone dictate to you how you should operate your talent or ministry. Trust God to lead you, because he knows best. One small boy was able to bring the little he had, so that Jesus could multiply it and bless many people with it. Likewise, just keep bringing the little you have, and God will give the increase!

Four

Stop Treading On My Toes

When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.

1 Chronicles 17:11-12 NIV

Knowing Your Place

There came a day when king David purposed in his heart that he would build a temple, which would house the very presence of God on earth (1 Chronicles 22:1-19). Although God does not need to dwell in houses, the building of the temple was symbolic of the work that takes place in the kingdom of God today. Therefore, to understand how the talents that God has given to us operate today, a look back at how the work of the temple was organized, will encourage us in our service for God.

It is important to recognize that God is not only the giver of good gifts, he is also the orchestrator of them. Therefore, the one lesson that we need to truly understand, is how to listen to God and make certain that we are operating in our calling, rather than operating in someone else's calling. There is nothing worse than someone who is engaged in a task for God, who has never been called to undertake such a service in the first place. Presumption will hamper the work of God's Kingdom no end, if either we ourselves presume that God has called us into something that we are not meant to do, or others do likewise. Such presumption can cause people to tread on other people's toes, and their motives can be questionable. We do not serve in God's kingdom to make a name for ourselves, or for vain glory. And this is why humility is an essential ingredient in the lives of God's true ministers. Not only can people take on responsibility in God's kingdom out of motives which are not pure, but they sometimes operate without first hearing from God on a matter.

David was a person who had the right motive to build a sanctuary for God. However, he neglected to first consult with God concerning who should in fact do the building. This did not mean that David could not have an involvement in the building of the sanctuary, it just meant that the major responsibility would rest on the shoulders of his son Solomon. There is an aspect of the kingdom of God, which can be hard for some Christians to understand. God will not always choose us to undertake a major role in the kingdom of God. The talents he gives us may only be provided to undertake a minor role within his kingdom. Therefore, someone else may be given the responsibility of overseeing a major work. If we can start to grasp this concept within God's kingdom, then we can find a peace which passes all understanding.

It is not always God's purpose for all of us to take on big responsibilities in the building of his kingdom. And there are two important points to understand concerning this concept. The first is that God will not always expect us to take on the full responsibility for a particular work. This may be because he wants to save us from the heavy burden attached to a particular ministry. The second point is that the minor work which God calls us to do, will be just as important as the major work. The laborers who were hired to work in the vineyard, in the final hours of the day, were paid the same as those who had worked from the beginning of the day (Matthew chapter 20). Therefore we need to recognize that, just like David who was not called to do the major work of building God's Temple in Jerusalem, his involvement in the project was no less important.

David was indeed the king of Israel, and yet even he was not permitted to take on the major work of building the temple. Likewise, sometimes there will be reasons why God has not chosen us to take on a minor role within his kingdom too, which we will consider later in this chapter. Where our egos and self importance get in the way of God's work, we could end up slowing the job down, and doing that which he never purposes us to do for him in the first place. And this concept of major and minor roles within God's kingdoms is something many Christians need to understand, especially if they want to find their place in the work of the Lord.

Because ego and self importance get in the way, many people end up outside of God's purpose, and not achieving their best in that which God has called them to do. God's standpoint on the major and minor talents are different to ours. God recognizes all talents in the same way, whatever they may be. However, we categories them, thinking that the role of a pastor is greater than the role of a teacher, for example. We may think that a worship leader has more prominence than someone working in a Sunday school, and so we aim to pursue such a role, with no thought that God might not be in such a plan. And if we are not too careful, ambition starts to become the driving force behind our lives, rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It may even be that God has called us to fulfill a minor role in his kingdom, until we are ready to take on more responsibility. But because we do not understand God's pecking order in the grand scheme of things, we can end up becoming a nuisance, simply because we have climbed aboard the self promotion train, of our own self-importance. People can end up becoming problematical in our churches and fellowships. And leaders sometimes do not recognize that a person is more about self-promotion, that what is important for the kingdom of God. And the reason for this is because such people do not always make it obvious that they are seeking the grand positions in our churches, rather than walking the path of humility.

David was a man who had a good idea, and was sincere in his desire to build God's temple in Jerusalem. And yet he was wrong. This is why David's prophet Nathan came to him, in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, and told him that his son Solomon would build the temple, and not him. It must have been quite a shock for David to discover that the dream he had in his heart for the building of God's temple would not be realized through him.

It would have been quite a reality check, for David, to come to terms with the fact that he would not be used by God for such an important work. Likewise, it can be a bit of a wakeup call for us to discover, that we may not be destined to accomplish some of the great things that we may have envisioned within our own minds. But this does not mean that we will not fulfill an important role within the kingdom of God. As I stated above, we are good at characterizing the importance of the various roles within God's kingdom. But, this is something which God does not do.

David's response to Nathan's word, in 2 Samuel 7:18, demonstrates the humility of his heart. Rather than getting upset, because he would not be permitted to build the temple, he worshiped God for bringing him and his family this far. Rather than David taking his bat home with him, he still got involved with the building of God's temple. He decided to provide assistance with the planning and design of the temple, while Solomon would deal with the major task of constructing the work. In fact, it is quite possible that Solomon would have struggled to build the temple, without the help of David, who basically did all the preparation work on his behalf.

And there is an important point here! Just because we do not recognize the importance of the minor roles, which people may undertake in our churches and fellowships, this does not mean that God will not appreciate their efforts. Like David, without such helps it would be hard for the kingdom of God to progress. The minor supportive roles and ministries can be some of the most powerful roles that there are within our churches. And this is why it is important to have the right people in the right place within our fellowship, so that God's work can run smoothly. If we all want to be chiefs, then the work of God will end up top heavy. We will end up with lots of plans, but little action. David did not get upset because God had effectively put him in his place. Rather, he got on with the preparation needed, so that Solomon could succeed in the work of building a dwelling place for God. He put his own ego and self-importance to one side and considered what was best for God's kingdom. There is no evidence that David sat around and sulked, because he was not going to be the chosen one for this great work. However, there was nothing to stop him from project managing the work, which Solomon would follow through on, after he had died.

God's Project Manager

David therefore took on the responsibility of project managing the work of the Lord, in preparation for the building of God's temple. David had developed the blue print for what needed to be done, according to 1 Chronicles 28:2. However, just because God puts a vision or a plan on our hearts, this does not mean that we are the ones who will accomplish such plans. In fact, the greater the plan, the more probable it is that God will need to bring in various people with various abilities to help bring such plans to pass.

And this is exactly where David came in. It says in 1 Chronicles 22:1-2 NIV, 'Then David said, “The house of the Lord God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.” So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God.' The first thing that David did, was to muster together those who were willing to help in the construction of the building of God's temple. We can have all the plans in the world, but if we are not able to utilize our entrepreneurial skills, then those plans will just sit around in our minds. People are the first most important resource in the kingdom of God. Such people will have many and varied talents at their disposal, which can be utilized, and which will be many and varied.

The kingdom of God should never be a 'one person band.' Our churches and fellowships should be places where everyone's gifts and talents are encouraged. To ignore such abilities would be foolish to say the least. And yet there's so much talent sitting around in our churches being underutilized, to the point that it is a scandal. The kingdom of God needs everyone on board if it is to see greater growth. Even worse, some fellowships look outside of their walls to find the people they need; sometimes at great and unnecessary expense. And there may be times when we need to look beyond the walls of our churches for help. But this should never happen at the expense of overlooking those who have potential among us. We should not be snobbish about using home grown talent!

After David had brought together people who would help in the work of the building of the temple, he then started to gather together the necessary resources, in readiness for the work to begin (1 Chronicles 22:3-4). A major lesson, which I have learnt from industry, is that when negotiating for resources, some people only listen to those authorized in a company to make purchases, or to employ staff, etc. When I was a vice principal of a college, there were times when people would only talk to my boss. No amount of negotiations would change this fact. And we need to be mindful of this in our churches. Leaders cannot delegate every aspect of their work to other church members. This is simply due the fact that when dealing with the world, to obtain certain resources, some people will only listen to those in authority.

David was in a unique position to project manage the building of the temple, from his position as king. We therefore need to make certain that everyone is involved in the right place and with the right people, when they are serving the purposes of God in our fellowships. Understanding this can save a lot of time and effort, especially when something is not working properly. The right people should do the right job, to save confusion and to prevent a slowdown in the work of the Lord. David also recognized that timing was an essential ingredient in the building of the temple. In 1 Chronicles 22:5, David acknowledged that Solomon was too young and inexperienced to start the work on the building of the temple. Some commentators have suggested that Solomon would have been between fourteen and eighteen years of age; but he did not become king of Israel until he was twenty years old.

David also knew that he would need to get out of the way, when construction on the temple began. This was similar to the situation, when Moses could not take Israel into the Promised Land. He had to let Joshua take on such a responsibility instead of himself. God said, in Joshua 1:2, that Moses was dead and it was now Joshua's turn to get the people ready to cross the Jordan. Both David and Moses provides us with good examples of people who prepared the next generation to take over the reins after they had gone. Now this does not mean that the present generation needs to wait until the older generation are ready to die off, before preparing for service in God's kingdom. But what scripture is indicating is that some people, like Solomon, were not ready to take on such great responsibilities straight away.

And this does not mean that young people cannot be involved with God's work from the word go. Solomon was actually twenty years old when he came to power, and started building God's Temple. And Solomon would have still been regarded as too young to undertake such a work, in some quarters. However, God entrusted the major work of building his temple to a twenty year old king. And if God trusted someone as young as Solomon to construct such a work, we should place less restrictions on people of any age, who may want to get involved in the work of the Lord.

There are genuine reasons why God will not permit some people to take on a major work in his kingdom. Like Solomon, they may be called to undertake an important work when they are either old enough, or when they are ready for the task ahead. It may be that God has to prepare the person first, before they are ready to take on any responsibility within his kingdom. And some people may have been involved in a major work, but they now need to concentrate on a minor work. Such people can include those who have fallen from grace on a particular matter. In my book, 'Sacrifices People Make' I have discussed how leaders of some ministries have fallen due to sins such as pornography, drugs, and adulatory, etc. Although God has seen fit to be gracious to such people, and has restored them, he may not permit them to undertake a large work, or the same work, in the future.

And some people may find it hard to consider the possibility of undertaking, what they might perceive, as a lesser role in the kingdom of God. And yet, God may want such people to stay out of the limelight for their own protection. Not only so, but sometimes their followers and co-workers find it hard to move onto another ministry, after such a person has fallen. God restores and revives the person, but not necessarily their current ministry. And I appreciate that for some people, this can be a difficult concept to come to terms with in this day of grace. It is God's primary function to protect ministries and not just to promote them.

David is an excellent example of someone who could not fully engage in the building of the temple, simply because of his past sins. And I repeat the point here. David was not condemned for his past actions. It was just that God had decided that David's past actions, although forgiven, did not qualify him for the building of the Temple. It says in 1 Chronicles 22:6-8, that David could not build the temple because he had shed blood upon the earth. David acknowledged that God had placed it on his heart to build the temple at Jerusalem. However, the full responsibility for the work would rest on Solomon's shoulders and not his. David was big enough to evaluate his life in total honesty, and accept God's purpose in the matter. We, on the other hand, are not so good at stepping back, for fear that we may have failed God in some way. And this is precisely why God is pleased with us from the day that we come to the Lord. Our justification is never borne out of what we do for the Lord. But our justification comes from God, before we even lift a finger, in the way of serving him in his kingdom. David knew that he was a man after God's own heart, but he also walked in humility, and he accepted God's will on the matter of the building of the temple.

This shows both David's humility and strength of character; something which God looks for in each and every one of us today. Our talents are not always about us, or the best positions that we can find for ourselves in God's kingdom. As I have said in this book before, our talents should not be self-serving, but God-serving. For one thing, David's work for the Lord was to subdue the enemies round about Israel, so that Solomon would enjoy peace during his reign, as stated in 1 Chronicles 22:9. God's gifts and talents within us should always operate from a place of rest. But if we are still going through battles and turmoil in our own lives, then we may not always be the best people for the job, on such occasions.

This does not mean that God can't use us in the future. However, sometimes we need to come to a place of peace and rest before serving others more fully. And this is precisely why I wrote my previous book on the subject of dealing with the flesh life. Suffice to say that it is vitally important that we get the inside of our cups right first, before embarking on a work, which may require all of our energies to fulfill. And this raises an important issue, which may be hard for some people to understand. Sometimes, it takes just as much strength of character to turn down a work within our churches and fellowships, as it does to take on a responsibility.

We should never be tempted to take on a role, when we know that God is still doing a work within us. And I appreciate that God will always be working on us, throughout the rest of our lives. However, if we are still dealing with our flesh lives, to the point that there are battles still to be won, then waiting for God to turn us into vessels of honor is not a bad idea. Timing can be a very important factor concerning the call, which God places upon us. Therefore, never take on a role in a church just for the sake of it; despite what pressure others may place on you. If you are not at a place of peace, where most of your major battles have been won, then wait upon the Lord!

Not only could David not build the temple, due to his past sins, but Solomon was also not yet ready to build God's house for him. And the reason why Solomon was not ready, can be found in 1 Chronicles 22:10-11, in that his own kingdom had not yet been established in Israel like his father's had. In other words, Solomon would be permitted to build the temple, once God had established the throne of his own kingdom.

If our lives are built on anything, or anyone other than God, then it will be hard to draw the strength and grace, which we need to serve him. This is why the foundations of our lives need to go down deep, before we make any attempt to serve God, otherwise we might end up serving God in our own strength, or for the wrong reasons. We need to be careful that we do not inadvertently set out building our own kingdom, rather than building God's kingdom. Serving God requires a lot of self sacrifice, and if we are self-serving, confusion will come into our endeavors. God's primary purpose is to bring his children into salvation, and establish their faith to walk the narrow path that he has put them on.

I have indicated at the start of this book, that the use of our talents for the extension of God's kingdom, is vitally important. However, those talents should never come before our own personal development as Christians. God wants vessels of honor, and not dishonor. And establishing Christians is the first port of call for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God will not prevent anyone of us from moving out into our ministries and calling, because he has given us free will to make such determinations. But this does not prevent God from sending people along our path in an attempt to slow us down. Sometimes, it is important that we attend to our own salvation, before attending to the building of God's kingdom. Scripture encourages us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

However, David warned Solomon, by way of encouragement, concerning the qualities he would need to conduct the work of the Lord, according to 1 Chronicles 22:12-13. We can also apply these same qualities to our own lives. First, we should make sure that we seek God for discretion (or wisdom) and understanding in the use of our talents. Such wisdom comes from seeking God, through prayer and the reading of his word. That is why David mentions that Solomon should keep the law of the Lord his God. We are not called to observe the law in the same way as the Old Testament saints did, but we are encouraged to find God in his word. This is because all talents come from God, and the bible provides us with the instructions we need to operate them. And this is why David told Solomon that he would have success, when he followed the decrees of the law of Moses.

The second piece of advice that David gave to Solomon was to be strong and courageous, and not to be afraid or discouraged. And this is the same advice God gave to Jeremiah, in Jeremiah chapter one, when he told him not to be afraid of their faces, or to be concerned because of his youth. Throughout my life time as a Christian, I have discovered that there is always someone who wants to throw obstacles across our path concerning the use of the gifts, which God has given to us. When I was in my twenties, I was told that I was too young to preach. By the time I had reached middle age, I was told that it was time to move over and let the young people have their turn. Both of these pieces of advice are admirable in the right settings. But such advice should never be used to block someone from performing their individual talents, within God's kingdom.

There will always be someone who wants to prevents us from using the gifts that God has given to us, because of one reason or another. It could be because people are jealous, self serving, arrogant, or whatever it is within their flesh lives that does not want us to get on in God's kingdom. There will always be someone who will be out to discourage us, which is precisely why David gave Solomon such advice on the matter.

When it comes to being encouraged in the work of the Lord, we need to discern between those who want to control us, and those who want to help us. Learning to release people into their own ministries is of vital importance to the work of the kingdom of God. And, I am certain that we do not do enough of this. David says in 1 Chronicles 22:14 NIV, “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them."

Here we find David encouraging Solomon concerning how much he had contributed in preparation for the building of the temple of the Lord. In fact, he provides a vast amount of gold, silver and bronze to finance the project, along with the wood and stone needed for its construction. In fact, David was showing how selfless he was to provide just about everything needed to complete the work. The amount of money and provision here was overwhelming. And it is worth pointing out that when God is in a matter, he will provide for it.

On a personal note, I have discovered that God has always provided for every project, which he has encouraged me to get involved in. Nothing that God has put on my heart to do for him has run out of money. And this is precisely why we need to listen to God, concerning where he wants us to invest our energy and services. If we don't hear God correctly, we can't then complain because there is little to no provision to support the work we are currently engaged in. I appreciate that some have suggested that God will not always provide for the projects that he has placed on our hearts to do. However, I do not agree with this. I think that if people were more honest about the things they were trying to do in God's kingdom, then we might discover that some people may not be doing what God intended them to do.

I have been surprised to find that some people have not spent time seeking God, to find out exactly what it is that he wants them to do for him in his kingdom. It is as if they have a blind spot, when it comes to seeking God about such matters. I am of the general opinion that some people do not ask God exactly what it is that he wants them to do, because they are afraid that he might ask them to do something that they don't want to do. This implies a lack of trust on the part of some believers. Trusting that God knows what is best for our lives should go hand in hand with our gifts and talents. Attempting to use our talents outside of God's purpose for our lives is a waste of time, and they will not bring in the harvest we may be seeking for.

David showed Solomon the vast provision that was available to him. However, he did not want to overwhelm Solomon, to the point where he felt that he could not make his own contribution to the work of the Lord. And before we discuss this further, it is worth pointing out that we need more people in the kingdom of God who have a spirit like that of David. Someone who was generous in his provision and encouragement towards his son, who had the primary responsibility of building God's temple. And this is why God puts it on the hearts of different people to provide different forms of help in the kingdom of God. And this is something we all need to be aware of.

Too many people try and cast Christians in the same mould. They think that we can all preach, or that we can all contribute to the kingdom of God financially, or that we can all minister to people in like manner, etc. Yes, it would be great if everyone could make the same contribution as everyone else to the kingdom of God. However, God did not wire us all up in the same way. We are all called to edify the body of Christ in some way, but it may not be necessarily the same way. It is noticeable that David did not attempt to overwhelm Solomon, when he discussed the great provision he made for the building of the temple of God. Instead he said to him, "And you may add to them."

David would have recognized an important factor, in his role as project manager. He would have known that he himself would not have been around to see the building of the temple. He also knew that the project management of the temple would pass from him to Solomon. And therefore, David invited Solomon to add to the provision, which he had already made, so that the work would be accomplished as thus says the Lord. David knew that he would be getting out of the way permanently, and that God would be taking him to his eternal rest.

But there is a lesson for all of us here too. We need to know when to get from under the feet of those who need to be getting on with using their gifts in the kingdom of God. It's one thing to be an encouragement to other people. However, it's another thing when some people try and control, or even manipulate others, or situations for their own ends. Some of our churches and fellowships can be the worse places to find what I call 'control freaks.' These are people who think that God has given them the gift of overseer in the house of the Lord. They operate the ministry of interference, and make life miserable for all concerned.

Our responsibility is to protect the sheep, not to manipulate or control them. The church is full of too many arm chair generals, who do not recognize the pressure that people in our churches are under today. Like I stated above, we need more people in our churches, who have the spirit of David within them. People who know how to encourage those who are just starting to consider stepping out in their gifts and callings, within our churches and fellowships. We also need to recognize that people who are just starting out in their gifts and callings can be overwhelmed by what is ahead of them. Some of them may be in danger of giving up before they have even started, if we do not handle them in the right way.

In 1 Chronicles 22:15-16, David pointed out to Solomon that he was not alone in the building of the temple. David showed Solomon the kind of people who are around to help him in his endeavors. In his day there were stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and those skilled in every kind of work, etc. In other words, Solomon did not need to possess all the skills and talents himself to get the work done. He had a vast army of experts who were there to help him to get on with the work. In other words, David was pointing out that God's gifts, abilities and talents resided in a whole host of people; and wisdom dictated that he did not need to depend upon his own abilities to get the job done.

David was encouraging Solomon not to become a 'one person band.' He wanted him to utilize the gifts in others, to save wearing himself out in the work of the Lord. Have you met the typical church leader, who can preach, pastor the flock, lead the worship, lead the prayers, and the breaking of bread service, the Sunday school meetings; and he can deal with the church administration too? They are the modern day superheroes of our churches, who rely on no else but themselves. Not even Peter and the rest of the apostles did that. At least they had the sense to appoint seven others full of the Holy Spirit and power to help them out, when it came to the serving of tables (see Acts chapter 6).

But what David was doing, and what we need to be mindful of, is that the kingdom of God is not dependent upon the gifts of just one or two individuals. It is a body that works together for the benefit of all. And when we start to recognize the gifts and talents that are available in each and every one of us, then we might stop hogging the limelight with our superhuman endeavors. Plus the fact that those who keep the ministries to themselves, are in danger of being worn out before too long. They end up accomplishing less and less for the kingdom of God, simply because they end up working in their own strength; all because they ignore the gifts in others. You may think that such people are the superheroes of our churches, but they are in fact quite selfish. And if we hang onto things too tightly in the kingdom of God, then we are in danger of losing them if we are not too careful.

Preparing God's People

After David had finished encouraging Solomon, he started to encourage the rest of the leadership of Israel. In other words, if we do not get the backing of the leadership in our churches and fellowships with respect to our service for God, then we are fighting a losing battle. And, if the leadership of our particular church or fellowship comprises of just one individual, then we've got a problem. If church leadership structures are not right before God, then chances are that it will be difficult to get consensus on the things that God is looking for us to accomplish in the kingdom of God.

In accordance with 1 Chronicles 22:17, David knew that the support of the rest of the leaders of Israel, in the work that God was about to accomplish through Solomon, was of primary importance; especially if the temple was to be completed. David knew that he himself had the support of the leaders of Israel for his own service to the nation. However, he also needed to ensure that there was a smooth transition from him to Solomon. And where anyone is moving on from one sphere of influence to another, if they are leaving a successor to their role in a particular fellowship, then they need to be mindful of this.

This principle does not just apply to a minister, who might be moving from one church to another. It applies to anyone who might be moving from one ministry to another, including worship leaders, or Sunday school leaders, or administrators, etc. There are two important factors about such a transition. The first is that whoever it is that takes on the ministry you leave behind, should be the right person for the job. It is important to gain the assurance from God on this matter. And the second point is that your replacement should be acknowledged before the rest of the church leaders that they are the right person to take over from you. You must clarify to all concerned that you have full confidence in them.

David went on to encourage the leaders of Israel in 1 Chronicles 22:18. He encourages the leaders of Israel not to have tunnel vision. No doubt, they had become accustomed to David's leadership. They could have been in danger of looking more towards him, rather than looking towards God's purpose for Israel. And this would have been pointless, because David's time on earth was coming to an end.

And this is precisely where we can have problems in our churches and fellowships. It is easy to focus our attention, and our affections, on someone who has served us well for many years. It is quite possible that the leaders of Israel had in fact come to terms with the reality that David was about to leave them. And I am not suggesting that a person, who has served us well in our fellowships, should die before another ministry takes over. But, the end to one person's ministry in a church, may be akin to a death for the rest of the fellowship. And this is why we should support anyone, who may want to move onto another ministry. They may struggle because no one wants to see them step down from their ministry or responsibility.

In fact, it is probably just as hard to step down from some ministries, as it is to start up another ministry. And just because someone is coming among us with a slightly different ministry, or a different way of doing things, doesn't mean that their ministry is less valid than what has gone before. We need to be mature about other people's ministries, which may be different to what we have become accustomed to. And this is why David asked the elders the question: "Is not the Lord your God with you?" In other words, the test was not whether or not there would be a different person on the throne, the test was whether or not God was with them.

And this is the very questions churches need to ask themselves today. No matter who God calls to serve in our churches, is God with us? Is God still blessing us, and are the people still coming through our doors? How God accomplish his purposes is up to him. And who he uses is also up to him, as long as his blessings are still flowing among us; that's all that matters. David also asks the leaders whether or not God had granted them rest from their enemies. In other words, it did not matter whether God used David or Solomon, what counted was that they had rest from their enemies all around. David was encouraging the elders, that when the work is subject to the Lord and his people, and not just to an individual, then all would turn out well for them. After David had finished encouraging both Solomon and the leaders, he then galvanizes them into activity. It's one thing to get everything ready, including the resources and people, but there comes a time when we need to get on with the work. We also need to get on with using our talents, otherwise all that we end up doing is entering into constant discussions about what might be.

In 1 Chronicles 22:19, David draws everyone back to the most important aspect of the kingdom, and the work of God. He tells them to devote their heart and soul into seeking the Lord their God. In other words, he was telling them to get their eyes from off of people and back onto God, where they belonged. If our primary focus is on our gifts and talents and not on God, who is the source of our talents, then we are missing what the kingdom of God is all about. The kingdom of God is not about us, it is all about God, and the glorifying of his Son, Jesus Christ. It is easy to get so hung up on other people and what they are doing, that we can end up missing the mark. God is first, he is preeminent, and he is the reason for our being.

We can structurally put everything in place for the building of the kingdom of God, and yet become detached from the source of it all, which is God and Jesus Christ. And when that happens, all that we end up doing is walking in our own strength, and our own self importance. David also tells Israel to begin building the sanctuary of the Lord, so that God's presence might reside there. And without the presence of the Lord in all that we do, we have nothing. If the presence of God is not in our meetings, and in our ministries and services for him, them what is the point in doing what we are doing? The kingdom of God without God's presence is no kingdom at all.

David's final word of encouragement, in this chapter, is very revealing. He says that the temple will be built for the Name of the Lord. Jesus said, 'Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Today, the church must continue to be built upon the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. He must be the chief cornerstone of that building if it is going to survive in the world in which we live in today. And when we recognize that it is he who give gifts to us, and that it is God's kingdom, which is being built in the name of Jesus, then everything will work together for the good of those who love the Lord. So, keep looking to God, while you continue to build his kingdom, and all will be well!

Five

Who Stole Your Talent?

May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness-an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.

Genesis 27:28-29 NIV

The Great Pretender

There will be times when some people will operate gifts and abilities and ministries in our churches, which belong to someone else. Such ministries may in fact belong to you. These people will be operating their talents presumptuously, rather than because they have been led to do so by God. And this is no different to some of the folks who attend our churches, giving others the impression that they are Christians, even when they have in fact no relationship with God. People presumptuously operating their talents are very good at fooling others, giving all concerned the impression that they are about God's business. This chapter will consider how Jacob stole the birthright of Esau. We will use this example, from scripture, so that we might consider those who come into our churches, operating ministries that were never intended for their use.

Before we consider the potential theft of your gift or ministries by another, I want to start with a story about a tree. Some years ago, I used to visit a friend in Sheffield, who would take me for a walk around his neighborhood, while we discussed the things of God. Across from my friend's house, there was a mini forest, full of lots of lush trees and shrubs. There was a particularly large tree, that was surrounded by other trees. My friend asked me if I had noticed anything unusual about this large tree. There was nothing that I could particularly discern about the tree at first sight. However, my friend explained to me that the tree in fact had no leaves, even though it appeared to be covered in leaves.

The fact was that the leaves and branches of the trees surrounding the large tree were providing coverage for the dead tree. The dead tree was in fact camouflaged by the trees surrounding it, to the point that it was hard to distinguish it from the living trees. My friend and I would pass that tree every time we went for a walk, until winter gradually set in. As autumn took its turn, and the leaves shed from their branches, it became more obvious that the large tree was in fact dead. This became evident because the tree no longer had the protection of the other trees around it to provide the necessary camouflage.

Sadly, this example from nature represents some of the people who attend our churches, and who camouflage themselves with their ministries, and fool the rest of our fellowships. Such people demonstrate an outward ability to provide help within their churches and fellowships, but they are spiritually powerless, just like the dead tree from our example above. These people stand in the way of the genuine talents and ministries, which God intended to function in our churches today. However, as we shall discover from the theft of Esau's blessing by Jacob, God rather than people was really in control of events. And, in God's timing, all will work out well for those who he genuinely calls into service for him.

It says in Genesis 27:1-4 NIV, 'When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered. Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment-your quiver and bow-and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”'

Here, Isaac represents the church leader, who's spiritual eyes have started to go dim. There is no suggestion here that Isaac represents a spiritual leader who is in the wrong place with God. It just means that, for whatever reason, the leaders of some churches and fellowships have lost sight of the big picture, and their spiritual discernment may not  be as sharp as it should be. And this could be for many reasons. For example, church leaders may be so busy with the affairs of the church, that they do not always notice when someone, who is not genuine, walks through the doors. It may even be that the person who is not genuine makes such a good outward show of their religion, so much so that it is hard to distinguish them from the real thing. Therefore, we should not necessarily blame the leaders of our churches, because after all, the one who is deceiving the church with their ministry might be deceiving everyone else at the same time.

And, it may be that such a person does have genuine talents and ministries. However, it may also be the case that such a person is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Esau represents the person who has developed their skills over the years, and is in a position to serve his or her church faithfully. He is in the right place to receive God's blessings and promotion in the years to come. And from these opening verses in Genesis chapter 27, we will notice that Esau had gone out to hunt game for Isaac. This again represents the genuine Christian who has been called by God, and has some involvement in their church and fellowship, where their particular ministry is being usurped. And just to be clear here. I appreciate that God chose Jacob above Esau. However, the spiritual principle still remains, Jacob stole Esau's blessing.

In Genesis 27:5-7, we find that Rebecca steps into the frame to find out what Isaac was saying to Esau, concerning how to obtaining his blessing. Rebecca’s involvement in this situation is a type of the wrongful involvement that a person can have in church matters. It indicates to us that there is usually more than one person involved when someone is operating a gift or ministry in a church that has not been sanctioned by God. In other words, rather than the usurper of the gift or ministry following the leading of the Holy Spirit, they have an alley who is encouraging them to push themselves forward in their service for God. And at this point in the chapter you might be thinking, 'Whets wrong with that?'

Initially, there may not be anything wrong with a person usurping a ministry, which belongs to someone else, in a particular church or fellowship. However, a time may come when it will become evident that God's blessings are not on that person's ministry, and they will end up serving themselves and not the rest of the church. Rebecca was someone who had her ear to the ground, and she was also close to Isaac. Likewise, those involved with a person, who is falsely using their talents within a fellowship, usually have an agenda. They deliberately come alongside the leadership of a church, just in order to position someone into a ministry which in fact does not belong to them.

Clearly, Rebecca knew that Isaac was the one who could pass on his blessing to someone within the family. Likewise, the pastors and leaders of our churches are the ones who can sanction people to partake in the church's activities. With regards to Rebecca, she knew what a person had to do to gain God's blessings through Isaac. And this is why some people get into the positions they do in our fellowships. They know how to manipulate circumstances, to get their person to the place in a church, where the blessings are flowing; which is through the leadership of the church.

And remember, buttering up the leadership of a church can soon win people favors, and get them into the positions they are seeking after very quickly. It is also worth repeating here that such people are not particularly concerned, whether or not, they are being led by the Holy Spirit. They have no overall comprehension concerning being in the will and purpose for God for their lives. This is usually because they do not have a very deep experience relating to spiritual matters. They are of the flesh, and they see the kingdom of God from and outward religious perspective, which has nothing to do with the things of the Spirit. In fact, they will most likely be hostile to the things of the Spirit, and they can be compared to an ocean liner trying to fit down a small river.

What is surprising about such people, with false ministries in our churches, is how quickly they start the planning process to get themselves established. Without Rebecca’s involvement, in Genesis 27:8-10, Jacob might never have considered stealing his brother's blessings from Isaac. And this raises to an interesting point. Sometimes people will notice the gifts and abilities that you are capable of developing in a church. In other words, they are able to spot your potential, and manipulate you away from your role in that church. They then move quickly to manipulate circumstances, to get the person they think should undertake a particular ministry, which may have been destined for you.

But, you may not be aware that this is happening until after the facts. And remember, God watches what takes place in our churches and fellowships, and he has a way of dealing with such situations, without our involvement. In other words, we do not need to resort to human endeavors in order to sort out such situations. If we did try and sort them out, we would end up being as bad as the people who have wrongfully usurped other people's talents in our fellowships. We do not fight flesh with flesh, but we trust God who is well able to right any wrongs.

Even where someone has usurped the gifts talents and ministries meant for you, God has a way of turning things around for the benefit of his kingdom, with as little upset as possible. In the above scripture, Rebecca encourages Jacob, to take the necessary steps, which will place him in the perfect position to obtain the blessings that were meant for Esau. And those in our churches, who manipulate circumstances towards their own advantage, have no conscience concerning whether or not they are doing right or wrong. Their hearts are so engaged with getting their feet under the table, so to speak, that they have little consideration for those who have genuine gifts and abilities among us.

In fact, although they may not make it obvious, these usurpers could very well be undermining you in front of the church elders and church members, without you realizing it. And this is despite the fact that you are the person destined to be used by God. By demeaning your abilities, or even your character in front of others, they think that they can enhance their own positions before the church leadership. And it may not be that they openly criticizeyou. It just may be that they drop out a little word here and there, which causes people to have some doubts about your ability to perform in that particular church or fellowship. They might say things such as: 'You are not always reliable' or that: 'You never stick at things for very long' or that: 'You are a bit flaky', etc.

These are the kind or remarks that cannot be proved one way or another about you. However, they can give people the wrong impression concerning your character, even though it may not be true. And you may not even be aware that this might be happening around you. And again, don't worry, God has everything under control! As it says in Isaiah 54:17, God will vindicate you in his time, and not your time. All that you need to do is stand still and see the salvation of God.

One of the problems for Jacob was that he lacked confidence in his ability to pull off a scam, which would deprive his brother of his blessing. In Genesis 27:11-12 NIV, Jacob was concerned that his father would be able to identify him by touching him. Jacob's comment, 'What if my father touches me?' in the above scripture relates to discernment. The person who moves out in a gift or ministry, not intended for them, will lack the assurance that is required to operate in such a ministry. Such people may bluff their way around our churches and fellowships. However, there will be a deep down nagging among others in the church that something is not quite right. They may not be able to put their finger on what is wrong, but there will be an unease that they are settling for second best concerning someone else's life and ministry.

Jacob was terrified that he would get found out, and that Isaac would notice that he was in fact not Esau. And this is the problem with false ministries, or ministries which are out of place in our churches today, people end up mimicking the real thing. They have to give adherence to some form of spirituality, which is not genuine. And this is not to suggest that such a person is not helpful in a church. It is just that they are not in God's perfect will with respect to the particular ministry or gifting that they are currently involved in. They have a form of Godliness, but deny the power thereof. And with respect to Jacob, he was not Esau, he was in fact a deceiver.

Copycat Ministries

There is a problem for someone who operates a ministry or talent in an environment meant for someone else. They may have to go to a lot of effort to sustain their deception. There are a number of issues, which we need to be aware of when people start operating gifts and talents in a church, which were not meant for them. With respect to Rebecca, she states that the curse should fall upon her alone for this deception that was being played out before Isaac, according to Genesis 27:13-16. But here, Rebecca makes an error. The blame for operating in presumption falls at the feet of the person involved in the deception, and not just with the person who is supporting the deceiver. We are all responsible for our own ministries and actions, and we will all have to give an account for what we do on earth, at some stage in the future.

Also, in order for Jacob to be able to get away with his scam, he needed to present a good front to his father by way of a tasty meal, cooked in the way that he liked it. This suggests that those who operate gifts and ministries, out of presumption, do so in a way that will please other people. They are not so concerned that they are not doing what God wants them to do. Notice that Rebecca takes the best clothes of Esau, and places them on Jacob. In other words, she makes Jacob look like the real thing. This shows us that those who support such presumptuous ministries in our churches, give effect to the illusion that God is in the matter, when in fact he is not. The wool gets pulled over people's lives in our churches and fellowships, which then perpetuates these presumptuous ministry. This further adds to the problem, and we end up with wolves in sheep's clothing. Rebecca even goes to the absurd length of covering Jacob with goat skins (remember the term wolves in sheep's clothing), to further add to the illusion of a ministry going nowhere.

The problem for those who self-promote their own ministries, is that they end up finding their way into blessings meant for other people. And just because something appears genuinely blessed of God, does not mean that God is necessarily with them. Without real discernment from God, it can sometimes be difficult to spot who is genuine, and who is not. On a personal note, there have been times when I have received a word from God, concerning someone who is not where they should be, with respect to their gifts and abilities in our churches. And this has often left me in shock, simply because I would have never guessed such a thing; from a human point of view that is. It has been spiritually discerned, rather than something which I have tried to figure out in my own mind.

And in some circumstances, I have had to leave the entire matter for God to deal with, knowing that no one would believe what God had shown me, with respect to these presumptuous ministries. And if you are wondering why God would reveal something to us that we cannot do anything about, here's the reason. God reveals such matters to encourage us, that he is in control of every situation, and in time he will resolve certain issues and not us. Such knowledge shows us that God has a plan for our lives, and that he can promote our gifts and ministries, which he wants us to be involved in over time. We just need to sit tight and trust God. Such knowledge also provides information to us so that we might understand, especially when God moves someone out of the way. This helps to prevent confusion, when movement takes place in the kingdom of God; forewarned is forearmed. Further, we should never get in the way, when God is moving somebody out of the way.

When someone is operating their ministries out of presumption, they sometimes have to revert to telling lies in order to maintain their ministries. This may be done by exaggerating their own importance within their churches and fellowships. It is worth remembering that we are called to walk in humility before the Lord and others, according to James 4:10. And when people operate from a place of presumption, rather than from a place of humility, they are faced with exaggerating their own positions in order to advance further in the kingdom of God. However, God is able to put the brakes on such people so that, in effect, they have nowhere to go. Effectively, and gracefully, he puts a stop in them.

Although it is not always our place to examine other people's motives, clearly Jacob's motives were to get a blessing, which in fact belonged to someone else. In Genesis 27:17-19, Jacob's pretence is in fact a lie, when he claims to be someone that he is not. It is so easy for people to get so caught up in the events taking place in our churches and fellowships, that they end up imitating what other people are supposed to be doing for God. In other words, such people are not able to be themselves. They set their minds on pushing themselves forwards, or imitating other people's ministries. But they neglect to work out what it is they are supposed to be doing for God in the first place.

It could very well be that such people have a role to play, either in a different calling, or in a different church. But because such people are not open to hearing from God themselves, then they are unable to respond to what it is that God really wants them to do. And it may be that such people are not wrong in what they want to do, they are just misplaced about their calling.

One of the noticeable facts about people who take on responsibilities, not destined for them, is that they can quickly get ahead in a church, as we have considered briefly above. In Genesis 27:20-23, Isaac noticed the speed in which Jacob was able to bring the prepared meal before him. Jacob claimed that Jacob's God had given him success, rather than claiming that he was working under the leading of God for his own life. And this is all that a presumptuous ministry can do. It can only operate from a position of the flesh, rather than from being led by the Spirit. The kingdom of God is not a club or a society, where people can join and just get on with it. But those in the flesh can only see things after the flesh, rather than through the leading of the Spirit. And this limits the contribution of such ministries, while blocking that which is genuine among us. To defend church leadership, they are sometimes so busy, that they are almost prepared to accept help from anyone. They don't always have time to discern who the deceivers are in their churches. But, over time, the light will dawn upon them that all is not as it should be.

Isaac also noticed that he could hear the voice of Jacob, but he could feel the hands of Esau. In other words, presumptuous ministries are neither one thing or the other. They may look like the real thing, but they just don't sound right. That is, not everything in the life of such a person's life may line up with scripture. This can leave a church confused about what is in fact taking place in such a person's life. Although such people provide a ministry to the church, they may not be able to live up to the expectations of that ministry. It is God who gives grace for each one of us to operate in our gifts and ministries. And, if someone is operating out of God's will, in a particular church or fellowship, then they may not be able to operate that ministry effectively before others. And it may be that for a time they can fool people, but it won't be long before things start to fall apart. It is important that we always make certain that everything lines up in the lives of those who minister in our churches. Like Jacob, if part of them looks genuine, but aspects of their lives look questionable, then be warned!

Not only do such ministries operate from a place of presumption, they may very well need to copy the ministry in others, in order to work out how to operate their own ministry. It is clear from the conversation between Isaac and Jacob, in Genesis 27:24-25, that Isaac is very concerned about who Jacob really was. Jacob was now in a position where he had to keep up the pretence of being somebody he was not. In fact, not even the meal or the wine was Jacob's, because Rebecca had prepared it for him. As this is precisely what can happen to people who are usurping ministries in our fellowships. They have to get their supply from someone else, just like the foolish virgins in Matthew chapter 25. Such people have nothing to draw on from God, because, as we stated above, God has not provided them with the grace, which they need to fulfill their ministries. This puts them in the position of having to rely on the resources of other people, in order to contribute to the kingdom of God.

The overall problem for churches, who do not discern who should and who should not be ministering in their fellowships, is that everyone can get taken in by such events. Therefore, they do not recognize that someone is presumptuously ministering in a church, or taking on a position which can slow the whole work down. When I look back over some of the churches I have been involved with in the past, I have known people who were clearly not in God's will concerning the ministry they were engaged in. I also noticed that whole churches suffered under such ministries, in that growth had been severely curtailed for them. I even went to a church that reduced down from over fifty people or more to about five attendees. And all of this was because no one understood how important it was to have the right people in the right ministries. And neither were they prepared to make the necessary changes, despite being warned.

Because people usurp the ministries of others, they effectively rob those who God has genuinely called into service for that particular fellowship. The church itself is also robbed of good ministries. In Genesis 27:26-28, Isaac is effectively promoting Jacob, who he thinks is Esau, into a place where he can exercise real control and influence over people. Likewise, when churches wrongly promote people into positions of authority, they can end up leading people in the wrong direction. Inadvertently, they promote a more fleshly religious way of achieving God's purpose for their fellowship. Isaac also states that anyone who cursed Jacob will be cursed themselves. In other words, church politics can sometimes end up supporting those who are not called of God into specific roles, by making it hard for people to raise concerns about illegitimate ministries.

And remember, there is a fine line between discernment, and judging situations after the flesh. It's easy to assume that someone is out of God's will, and that they are not genuine,  just on appearance alone. In actual fact, such people may be new in a particular responsibility given to them, and they just lack confidence. Unless you have received a clear revelation about somebody else's ministry, it is unlikely that you can tell, after the flesh, whether or not they are genuine. We cannot always judge situations from a human standpoint, especially if we do not have all the facts at our disposal. And even if we do receive a revelation, that all is not well concerning somebody else's ministry, then as I stated earlier in this chapter, this does not mean that we are obliged to do anything about it.

What we should do is seek God, and ask him to take care of the situation. And here is a warning to all of us, and based on my own personal experiences in such matters. Interfering in someone else's ministry can be very damaging for a church. Unless someone is blatantly in sin, such people must be left to God and the church leaders. Any interference on the part of an ordinary members could be seen as pride, which could divide a church. You always have the option to leave a church yourself, if things get too difficult for you. However, if you believe that you are where God wants you to be, then it behooves you to remain where you are, keep your mouth shut, and trust God to take care of things.

The Real Thing

The problem for anyone who presumptuously operates ministries, which were never meant for them, is that one day the real thing might turn up. In Genesis 27:30-31, Esau turned up with food, which he had prepared himself, whereas Jacob had depended upon Rebecca to get him to where he needed to be. And because Esau was the genuine article, he knew how to find his own supply, and bring it into his father. Likewise, those who are the genuine article among us will know how to find their own supply. They will have an anointing from God, so that they can provide the choicest of meats to feed the body of Christ. Such people will provide, not just milk for their fellowships, but they can bring fresh revelation straight from the throne of God.

In fact, it is only when you meet the genuine article, that you sometimes discover you have been putting up with second best for far too long. And because that which is genuine is not a copy of anyone else, they can bring a fresh sense of God's presence into our fellowships; something which the pretender cannot do. God's presence is always on that which is genuine, and not on that which is only a copy of the real thing. Isaac asks a really important question in Genesis 27:32 NIV, 'His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” “I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”'

In other words, if we are not too careful, by enjoying the fruits of that which is a poor substitute for the real thing, we may not recognize the genuine article when it turns up. No doubt Isaac was confused about receiving, who he thought was Esau, twice in a matter of moments. And this is precisely why we should not try to promote ourselves, in an attempt to circumnavigate God's timing, when dealing with our ministries. We are not in competition with each other in the kingdom of God. Therefore, we should not try to compete with other ministries from a worldly point of view. And, we have to let church leadership come to their own realization that something may not be as it seems in a particular fellowship. After all, if we try to get involved in trying to deal with a situation ourselves, we could muddy our own hands, and put ourselves out of the picture with regards to our own ministries.

When Isaac came to the realization that he had been fooled by Jacob, in Genesis 27:33, he trembled violently. Sadly, Isaac was not in a position to change the fact that he had blessed the wrong person. And when people usurp ministries belonging to someone else in a fellowship, it can be hard to recover the benefits they may have received at the hands of church leaders. However, unlike Isaac, churches and fellowships are in a position to do something about someone who clearly displays signs that they are not where they are supposed to be. And it may not appear obvious at first that someone is in the wrong place; this may only become noticeable over time.

There is a problem for leaders, who promote the wrong people into church positions or ministries. They may not appreciate that they may have caused untold harm to the genuine article in their fellowships. And this is the problem with presumptuous ministries. The fallout from them can have a wide effect on everyone concerned. In the case of Jacob's deceit, not only was there repercussions for him, there were repercussions for Esau and Isaac, and most likely Rebecca who would have lost her trust with Isaac and  Esau.

Fellowships may think that the effect of their wrong decision, to appoint the wrong person into a ministry, may only be localized to a small group of people. This is rarely the case. In our short-sightedness we assume that such matters are trivial, when in fact they could have wider repercussions to a wider audience. And all because leadership was in too much of a hurry to promote people into ministries never intended for them by God. And this is why we see such a reaction in Genesis 27:34-35, when Esau looked for a blessing, which was no longer available to him.

There needs to be straight talking in some of our churches, where people have stolen the blessings that belong to another, through the misuse of ministries. Esau then said, in Genesis 27:36, that this was the second time that Jacob had taken something which did not belong to him. There is a problem, which we all need to be aware of. There are people who frequent different churches, over time, and who continually usurp other people's ministries. They are so subtle at doing this, that they very often don't get spotted. And because of their subtlety, word about them may not have spread from one fellowship to another. Therefore, they end up like a repeat offender, who never learn their lesson. They get so used to their own publicity, that they never stop to seek God to find out exactly what it is that he has called them to do. Everyone who comes to Christ has a talent. Therefore, everyone has something to offer our churches and fellowships; as long as they are at the right place and at the right time. It is just that they end up at the wrong place at the wrong time. This causes a misalignment between what God wants them to do, and what they think they should be doing.

It is vitally important that churches handle ministries the right way, especially if they are to avoid losing out on God's blessings. In Genesis 27:37, Esau was told by Isaac that Jacob was now lord of the family. Churches must never put themselves into a position of paralysis, where they cannot sort out some of the mismatched ministries they encounter. If churches respond like Isaac, puzzled about how to handle presumptuous ministry in their midst, then they may fall into the trap of settling for second best. They might also lose out on receiving the genuine anointing of God, which could result in them having to overcompensate elsewhere to manage the situation. This is why strong leadership needs to act decisively in our churches today, to protect that which is genuine, and deal with that which is bogus.

It is at this stage that Isaac gives Esau an encouraging prophecy. Although this may not appear to be the case, when we first reading it in Genesis 27:38-40. Here, Esau wanted Isaac to fix the situation he found himself in, by giving him the blessing that Jacob had already received. The problem with receiving such a blessing now, was that it was tainted. It was tainted with the deception perpetrated by Jacob. In other word, Esau could not get back that which was lost, and neither should we. We will not always be able to redeem back the territory stolen from us in the way that we might think. Yes, God will restore to us the years that the cankerworm has as stolen. However, we cannot look back at what could have been. We still have to walk in humility before the Lord, and we still have to wait for God's timing; trusting that he knows how best to sort out difficult circumstances within our fellowships.

From the prophecy Isaac was giving Esau, there was both a blessing and a reality check for him. On the one hand, it appeared from the prophecy that Esau would miss out from earth's riches and the dew of heaven. And, for a time, he would be subject to the realization that he no longer held the rights of the elder brother. Times would be difficult for him, as he faced a new reality of serving his brother and living by the sword. However, eventually Esau would throw off the yoke that would hinder him. And likewise, as we remain faithful to God, we will eventually remove all the obstacles, which have stood in our way of fulfilling God's purpose in a particular church or fellowship.

Just because we may feel wronged by some of the situations we find ourselves in, this does not mean that we should react after the flesh, despite the temptation to do otherwise. We must maintain our focus on God, and not on our circumstances. We should not look to those who we feel may have wronged us with respect to our ministries. God has a way of sorting everything out. Therefore, we need to accept that God will be just as concerned about our reactions, as he will be about someone who has been stepping on the toes of our potential ministry.

From Genesis 27:41, it is understandable how angry Esau was at the loss of his father's blessing. We know that Esau's anger was only momentary, because twenty years later, he was delighted when Jacob returned from his self-exile with his uncle Laban in Harran. As it says in Genesis 33:4 NIV, 'But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.' By the time we reach Genesis chapter 33, God had already blessed Esau, and the yoke had obviously been lifted from off of his neck, as Isaac had prophesied. He had clearly forgiven Jacob for stealing the blessing, which had been intended for him.

It can be very distressing, when we have been blocked from using our gifts and talents within a particular fellowship. But such things should not overwhelm us, to the point that we can't get on with our walk with God. God will make a way for us, no matter how difficult our circumstances may appear. And it may be that we have not received the help and support that we needed from our churches and fellowships. But, at the end of the day, we belong to God and to no other. God is fully capable of getting us to where he wants us to be, ministry-wise, no matter how long it takes.

Nothing is ever lost in God's kingdom, while ever we keep our focus on Jesus. There is always a reason why things happen in God's kingdom. As they say, 'There is a reason for the season.' And even though we may not fully understand why certain things happen to us, rest assured that God is working everything out for good concerning our future. And sometimes, we just need to leave other people to God, in the same way that we leave ourselves in his capable hands; it's no different. God is responsible for everything that happens in his kingdom, because promotion comes only from the Lord.

As we come to the end of this chapter, we find that Jacob had to get out of the way, until Esau had calmed down. When Rebecca discovered that Esau was planning to kill Jacob, in Genesis 27:42-45, she made plans for him to go to her brother Laban in Harran. This is wisdom on behalf of Rebecca, in that God was both with Jacob, and he was with Esau; despite the fact that Jacob had wronged his brother by stealing his blessing. And you may feel that someone has stolen your talent, or taken away from you the opportunity to serve God, in a certain capacity in a certain church or fellowship. But, always remember that judgment in every situation belongs to God and not to you!

Do not presume that God will respond unkindly to someone who is in the wrong place, with regards to their ministry and calling, within a certain fellowship. God does not respond from a position of the flesh, or always take retribution against people. When someone is occupying the wrong role, in industry, they are sometimes promoted just to get them out of the way. Although God does not work from a worldly perspective, he will still want to bless someone, who's motives may not have been wholly pure. He will still want the best for them, as much as he wants the best for you. He will not want them to suffer condemnation, when they realize that they are in the wrong place, and operating in a function not meant for them. It is not always the case that a usurper recognizes that he or she has stepped on someone else's toes.

The fruits of the Spirit should still be evident, when dealing with those who are involved in the wrong ministry. And, this applies to the leadership of our churches, who may have also  got things wrong too. Two wrongs do not make a right, and retribution, or giving someone a hard time is not God's way. And finally, we should always remember that, after all, the gifts belong to God, and we are only custodians of them. And just because some of those talents sometimes get into the wrong hands, does not mean that it is the end of the world for anyone. So, keep your eyes upon Jesus! Trust him to work everything out for you! And, as you remain faithful, patient and merciful to all concerned, God will raise you up to serve him with your gifts, talents and ministries in the fullness of time.

Six

Your Talent, God's Time

If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Leviticus 26:3-4 ESV

God Is A Good Time keeper

According to Ecclesiastes 3:1, there is always a time and a season for everything that happens in our lives. In fact, if we look as Ecclesiastes 3:1, scripture reveals that there is a time for every purpose that is done under heaven. Timing can be one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian journey to understand This is simply because, as humans, we live within time, whereas God lives outside of time and lives in eternity. This means that God is not in any rush concerning the things he wants us to do for him. Quite literally, one could argue that God has all the time in the world.

The problem for us is that, once we become Christian, we sometimes get the wrong impression concerning God's will for our lives. We can think that God's will should be fulfilled in our lives very quickly. When we come to Christ, we can get a burden, or a vision, concerning what God wants us to do for him. We can then think that now is the time to see such a vision fulfilled. Therefore, if we feel that God has called us to be a preacher, then we should be preaching right now. If God has called us to set up a church, then today's the day to lay its foundations. If we feel called to work overseas, we may think that it's time to start booking our flight, and heading for the airport, etc. However, what we fail to neglect are two things. The first is that nothing happens in God's kingdom outside of God's timing. The second thing is that God will spend more time getting the vessel ready for the work, rather than preparing the work for the vessel.

Jesus waited thirty years before commencing his ministry. And like any sports team, you may be the one that God wants to sit on the bench and watch, while others play the game, until your turn comes around. It can be difficult to encourage Christians that they need to enjoy the journey and preparation, as much as they do moving out and into their ministries. It can also be difficult for Christians, when they see other people moving out in their ministries very early on in life. And yet, they are still sat around wondering when God is going to use them. It can be the case that some people are ready to serve God before others, for a multitude of reasons this may be hard to understand.

Those of you who have read my book, 'Sacrifices People Make' will know that God often wants us to deal with every aspect of our flesh lives, before he will use us for the extension of his kingdom. And on a personal note, the times that God has used me most are the times when I have kept my flesh life at bay. And this may be another reason why Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that to everything there is a season. And that season may be dependent, to a large part, on our willingness to let go of our flesh lives, so that we might be in a better position to serve God in the future.

Matthew 8:21-22 recounts a story of a disciple who said that he needed to bury his father, before following Jesus. There was a custom is the day of Jesus, where people would make excuses for not doing things. This particular saying was used by people who wanted to put off doing something until tomorrow, rather than doing it today. What such people were saying was that when their father had died, and they had received their inheritance, then they would follow Jesus. This did not mean that the father was already dead. It could very well be twenty or more years before their father died, which was a way of saying that they were not ready to commit themselves to certain things just yet. The problem for us today is that we may think that we are ready to move out in the talent, which God has given to us. However, we may not have taken the time to calculate the commitment needed to operate in our gifts or ministries over time.

Serving God, in whatever capacity we feel called to do so, always involves self-sacrifice. And this can be extremely hard if you are in the middle of raising a family, which requires a lot of your attention. And there are many people who serve God as well as raising their families, which is not a easy task. Stepping out in our gifts and ministries will also require us to take on additional responsibilities. And, after a hard day at work, it can be hard for some Christians to find the energy to serve God in their calling. And if we are in two minds about serving God, we may find it doubly hard to step out in faith, and serve the Lord. It may even be that we lack confidence to step out in faith. Alternatively, it may be that our faith is not yet at the level needed to serve God, at this point in time. And this brings us in a full circle, to the point that there is always a season for everything that we do in the kingdom of God.

In Ecclesiastes 3:2 we are told that there is a time to be born and a time to die. In other words, when it comes to our talents, they are meant to be used across the full period of our lives, from new birth to death. This does not necessarily mean that they are to be used throughout our lives, but at some period between those two points. When I look back over my own life, I can see that most of the time has been spent preparing me to do what I am doing now, which is writing books on the subject of Christian living. There is no way that I could have possibly started to write on the subject, just after coming to Christ. In fact, I needed over twenty years teaching experience to help me learn how to express things on paper.

In other words, God used my experiences in the working world to help me write books in later life. Yes, I could have started writing books earlier, but because my subject area is Christian living, then life experiences were needed to inform my writing. Raising a family might be the training ground you need to pastor a church. Years of music lessons might be needed to prepare you to lead worship. Years spent teaching in junior high might be needed to prepare you for Sunday school teaching, and the list goes on. Our time scales must be calculated over decades, and not just years. And I appreciate how difficult this might be for some folks to grasp. This is simply because we have become accustomed to living in an instant coffee culture, where everything is done now.

Having to wait until God prepares us for service, does not mean that we cannot move out in some of our gifts and abilities now. The point is that sometimes it's not just about us waiting for God, but God may be waiting for us. My years as a teacher and lecturer have taught me an important lesson. Some of my students 'get it'very quickly. However, some students take longer to understand what is being taught them. I remember one bright student who even came back to the department I was working in, and started teaching other students, soon after his graduation. Other students were required to repeat a year, because they had struggled to understand what was being taught to them.

Just like a teacher, God is waiting to see how quickly we can learn his lessons, and how soon we can run with the vision he has given to us. Some Christian are slow to grasp what God is trying to teach them, so they have to travel around the same mountain again and again. Other  Christians get the message very quickly, and can soon move out in faith and serve God as he intended. And this raises another issue. Christianity suits the doer of God's word more than just the listener. Some Christians are good at hearing, but not so good at moving out in faith, and into their calling. They don't always spot the clues and the signs about how to move out in faith, and how to start serving God. They don't always know how to make the necessary preparations that will ready them for service in God's kingdom. This is why the rest of Ecclesiastes 3:2 says that there is a time to plant and a time to harvest.

In other words, if we do not invest, we will not see growth. If we do not prepare, we will not step out in faith. We should never read the bible just to provide us with information. Rather, we should process the word in a way that will develop us. If we only retain knowledge from the bible, then we will lack the necessary skills needed to put God's word into practice. Let me give you an example from systems analysis, a subject which I used to teach to university students. Data refers to information which is unstructured. It is just random data, which anyone can collect. We could fill up a computer with lots of data, but unless it is structured in some way it is meaningless. And, such data would be hard to sift through, and do anything of value with it.

However, if we structure that data in a way that people can access it, and use it for a purpose, then that data turns into useful information. For example, if I have collected census data for the whole of the United States, and I organize it into groups of information about the age range of the population, the skills of the population, and their mobility, etc, then this data, becomes information. Such information is then useful to industry, who may want to employ people with certain skills in a certain geographical location. Unstructured data has suddenly become useful information.

Likewise, Christians need to recognize that the bible is not just full of random data, but it is useful information that can prepare people for service in the kingdom of God. The bible, therefore, becomes more valuable to such people. For example, if I want to be a preacher, then I can use the bible to prepare sermons, studying to show myself approved unto God. If I want to be a Sunday school teacher, then I can learn to turn complicated bible stories into something young people can understand. If I want to lead worship, I can use psalms to write new Christian music, ready for when God opens the right door for me.

But, if I neglect to do the preparation, then God cannot put me in a place to reap what I have not sown. If I am not learning to get fresh revelation from the bible, how can I expect God to use me? If we want God to take us seriously with our gifts and abilities, then we need to start doing some preparatory work. However, if we think that we can sit around until God whisks us off of our feet, then we will be waiting a mighty long time. If we don't plant, we will never be able to reap, because we can't pluck what we have not planted!

It's Not Just About You

God is also a god of good practice. And this is why it says in Ecclesiastes 3:3 that there is a time to kill and there is a time to heal. Sometimes God needs to kill off the bad practices in our lives. Then he can heal us in preparation for that which he has purposed for our futures. And this is why timing is so important. If I move out in service for God, while I am still full of myself, and full of my own importance, then something in me needs killing off first. God cannot heal the imperfections in us, if we won't let him deal with us. If we think that we can come to God, and remain as we are, then we have a problem.

I once went on a short course on the subject of self-awareness. I had never heard of such a thing, until I attended the course. It was one of the most valuable courses I had ever attended. This was because I was able to gain an understanding of who, and where I was, in the grand scheme of things. Basically, if I think that I am an island, and that everything revolves around me and my needs, then I am of limited use to anyone. I limit my own usefulness both in the workplace and in the world at large. However, if I see myself in relationship to others, and recognize that life is not just about me, then I can work better in a team. I can also work better in the world as a whole. And when I understand that I am part of a body, the kingdom of God, and the person next to me is just as important as I am, then there is hope for me.

Ecclesiastes 3:3 continues in this vein by saying that there is a time to break down and there is a time to build. When I first started working at a steel company in Sheffield, in the UK, I turned up on the first day of work full everything that I had learnt at school. The problem was that I had not learnt to adapt my school learning to the requirements of the workplace. There is a huge difference between school education, and on-the-job training. What I had learnt at school was useful, but it was only part of what I needed, if I was to progress in the workplace. There has to be a breaking down of some aspects of what we learn theoretically, when we step out into the work environment and do the real thing.

We cannot build up new practical skills in the workplace, if we have not learnt to let go of some of the theories, which we have learnt from our schooldays; otherwise the companies we work for would soon go bust. We have to literally move from under the control of the school master, and into the freedom of being able to make our own decisions. And if we are too legalistic about what we have learn at school, then it will be difficult for us to adapt to the differing and changing conditions in the work place.

The kingdom of God is no different. I can become too legalistic about the things that I learn in the bible, where I have not learnt to be flexible in applying God's word into different scenarios. In such circumstances, my value within a church will be limited at best. I may think that there is only one way of doing things in God's kingdom. If so, then I will not be leaving much room for the organic type of growth, which is sometimes required in growing churches. I need to learn how to be led by God the Holy Spirit in everything that I do, which we will consider in more detail later. I should not need to constantly consult with my mental map about how the kingdom should run, based on my own preconceived ideas; a practice which could seriously hinder God moving among us.

God gives us time to break down old habits and build new ones; he therefore needs to see that we are not just spiritual robots, who are limited in our abilities to minister to the needs of others. For one thing, real service relates to how much we can minister to the needs of people we are in contact with. We do not approach God's kingdom just to show that we can operate some gift of ministry, which we think that we have developed in some way. If we are unable to touch people right at the centre of their being, then our gifts and ministries are merely mechanical in their application. And this is something that we could do without in the kingdom of God.

It says in Ecclesiastes 3:4, that there is a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. In other words, if we are not in touch with our emotions, then how can we help those who are facing the most difficult of trials? We will never convert such people to move from a position of sadness to one of hope, if we do not know how to encourage such people in their difficulties. The other point is, how do we help someone if we are constantly going through trials of your own? And this is where God is looking for maturity in the lives of his servants. If I cannot hold things together in my own life, I will be of little use to other people, who are going through their own tough times.

There are many reasons why we go through trials ourselves, such as learning to be patient, and so that our faith might not fail. But God also expects us to gain strength through our trials, so that we might learn to stand on the solid foundation of Christ. We can't fall to pieces every five minutes. Let me give you an example from one of my own trials. I went through quite a long period of time, where I hardly had any money after losing my job. I had absolutely no idea how I would pay my bills, and how I would have enough money to eat. I came to the point of almost complete paralysis, as the fear of my circumstances gripped me.

I began to fast and pray about my situation, when God suddenly spoke to me. He was quite tough in actual fact, and he told me not to fear! He told me that I must first learn to remove all fear, by the renewing of my mind, so that faith could operate. Every time that my circumstances took a turn for the worse, my fear increased, and God would admonish me. He would not allow me to entertain any fear in my mind, no matter what I was going through. In effect, God was telling me to grow up. He was showing me that I either trusted him, or I was fearful, but I could not be both.

I cannot tell you how hard this lesson was to learn. I even thought that God was being cruel to me, and that he did not understand what I was going through, but of course he did. He was just trying to teach me, practically, that faith and fear cannot reside in the same vessel. He was showing me that despite how difficult my circumstances were, I must not let fear reign in me, and that I had to let peace rule instead. It took time to learn this lesson, but eventually I began to learn the lesson God was teaching me. This meant that I could learn to function in God's kingdom, without falling apart every five minutes.

The devil will find a myriad of ways of preventing us from serving God. And if we are plagued by fear, then we will never get anywhere in the kingdom of God, especially if we become frozen to the spot because of fear. And learning to make the decision not to fear, was a very mechanical and deliberate act of my will. But this now means that, despite what I am going through, fear won't grip me to the point of inactivity within God's kingdom. It also means that I can listen to other people's difficulty, without comparing theirs with mine. For example, I would be of no use to anyone, if when they told me what they were going through, I turned around and said to them, 'If you only knew what I was going through, then you would not be telling me about your difficulties.'

In other words, if we were affected by other people's problems in the wrong way, then we might not be able to help them find the right answer. Everyone is different, and if we think that by comparing other people's difficulties to our own that we can help them, then we can't. Our difficulties allow us to understand what it is that other people are going through, and how to weep and mourn with those who morn. But if other people's difficulties cause us to start a pity party, then all that we are doing is sympathizing with them. We are not necessarily showing them how to find their answer in God.

We will not help people look to God for their answer, until we have first learnt to look to God ourselves. But, when we start to learn how to become an over comer in our own difficulties, then we have something to offer others. Then we can teach people how to depend upon God, in the same way that we have had to learn to depend upon him ourselves. We can also teach people how to turn their mourning into dancing. As it says in Psalm 30:11 NKJV, 'You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.' And whatever ministry or gifting that God has given us, whether it is leading worship, or preaching, or encouraging, we can use our own difficult circumstances as an example of how we have overcome in Jesus name. And we can show other people how they too can overcome.

Part of the reason why God gives us gifts and ministries, is to show other people how they can also overcome obstacles to their own ministries. Ecclesiastes 3:5 says that there is a time to cast away stones and a time to gather them in. However, before we can help others, we first need to learn how to help ourselves, as we have considered above. Our ministries can often be hampered by the fact that there's too much 'stuff' in the way in our lives, hindering us from moving forward in God's purpose. If we can't move forward in our calling, because of such obstacles, then it will be difficult to help others.

There is an old saying, 'God helps those who help themselves.' There's some merit in this saying. Part of the preparation of our lives for ministry includes God putting his hand on areas of our lives, which need dealing with. We cannot gather the precious stones of other people's lives if we have not removed the rubble in our own. These stones, in Ecclesiastes 3:5, can represent the obstacles, which might stand in the way of us moving forward for God. If we are going to succeed in our ministries, in God's kingdom, then we need to learn how not to let hindrances prevent us from moving forward. If we are the kind of people who are easily put off from serving God, due to some problem facing us, then we may end up never serving God.

As I eluded to earlier, Satan will always find a way of hindering you if he can. And if he can put you off from going to church every week, he can certainly prevent you from serving God's purposes in the kingdom of God. I have experienced a vast array of things coming at me, just before going to a church meeting. And, I'm not just talking about the occasional difficulties. I would regularly get back ache just before a meeting. I would often get bad news, or something would come up demanding my immediate attention, on the day of the meeting. If something goes wrong in my home, it will either be on a Tuesday before bible study, or Sunday before church. If you are going to have a fight with your partner, or the kids, it will most likely be before a meeting; and the list goes on.

It may even be the case that Satan only has to put you off from going to church through small problems, depending on how sensitive a person you are. And if we don't get it, and recognize what the enemy of our souls is up to, then we will be constantly put off from serving God one way or another. When I was a fairly new Christian, I was constantly plagued by minor ailments, some more serious than others. I was often sickly, which was a hindrance to me going to church. One day in church, I recognized God's voice speaking to me. The word said that rather than trying to wait until everything was okay in my life, I was to bring my burdens to church with me. I was to bring my sicknesses, my minor ailments, and my difficulties, and walk the narrow path, which God had set for me.

God showed me that as I continued to walk the narrow path, which he had placed me on, then there would soon be no room for these additional burdens. In other words, they would gradually fall away from me until I was free. And this is precisely what happened to me. I stayed faithful to following God, attending church, preaching, along with all kinds of activities I was engaged in, and God came through for me. And as I leaned to scatter away these small stones of interference from my life, I then found that I was able to gather to me the things that God wanted me to have.

As I cast away the stone of Satan's interference from my life, I was able to gather together and fellowship with God's lively stones. These were God's people from the household of faith. I have seen too many people, who are distracted and have been put off from attending our fellowships. They are unable to enjoy the things of God; and this can go on year after year. And if we do not learn to move on in the things of God, then we will never find the place where God wants to use us. Yes, it is a spiritual battle, and we need to be mindful of this. Therefore, we need to overcome all the little stones and obstructions that come our way, and fight the good fight as a soldier of God.

What we also need to recognize is the fact that we are not the only ones to go through difficult circumstances. If we think that only bad stuff happens to us, then we are missing the point. The whole body of Christ is subject to suffering in one way or another. Therefore, we need to learnt to take our eyes from off of our problems and place them firmly on Christ. Otherwise, we could end up looking to others for our answers, rather than to God's throne of grace. And grace is exactly what we need to help us get through some of the circumstances that come our way. But, if we are constantly stuck in the same circumstances year after year, then it's time to make the effort and move on.

I have met lots of people who have hit that one major difficulty in their life, which we all have to face at some point or other. It's a difficulty which appears harder than anything they have gone through before, and it stops them in their tracks. They might be people who have gone through all kinds of trials and tribulations, throughout their lives, but all of a sudden, they hit that one particular difficulty, which stops them in their tracks. Such people fail to recognizethat God has permitted them to go through earlier difficulties, in preparation for the 'big event' which they now have to face. And this can be the one big major test that has been allowed by God. This is the test to see, whether or not, they will be put off from the call that God has for them just around the corner.

They come to a test, which they think will last a life time, just because it lasts a lot longer than any of the other tests they have gone through so far. But this 'big event' test has been specifically designed by God with you in mind. It has been designed so that you cannot escape it until you totally trust God, and learn how to walk in a level of faith like never before. It's a test where God places you in a position where you cannot help yourself. You have to rely solely on God to get you out of this particular prison of your circumstances. But, as you remain faithful to the one who has called you, and you don't let fear grip you, and you hold your nerve, then you will start to see the stones that have hindered you scattered away. Then you will find that it is time to embrace your destiny like never before. A time where you will not let anything prevent you from pursuing God's purpose for your life.

Let Go Of The Past

Ecclesiastes 3:6, tells us that there is a time to gain and a time to lose, a time to keep as well as a time to throw away. We cannot gain all that God wants us to gain, through the gifts and abilities he has given us, if we won't let go of the things of our past. On a personal note, over the last year God has led me in a slightly different direction, compared to how I have done things in my past. I have a new church, a new career writing books, new friends, and the list goes on. However, during this period I have wanted to embrace some of the activities of my old life. To be totally honest, I think that I was attracted to some of the things of my past, for example, churches and fellowships, the different meetings I attended, and the people I knew, etc, because they provided me with familiarity. They were a comfort zone for me. But God was leading me in a completely different direction, and into areas that I was not totally accustomed to.

I was aware that what God was leading me into, was much better than what had gone before. However, it was hard to let go of the things I had become accustomed to. And some of these comforts included places where I had ministered in the past. Now, I was going to places where I had never been before. And the opportunities to minister in the way I had done in the past, were no longer available to me. I was having to allow some of the good doors of my past to close in my life, as I gave my attention to the new things that God was opening up to me in my future.

In fact, what God was opening up to me was newer and better than what I had before. And, it was hard to grasp that God was wanting to give me something better than I had ever had in the past. Quite frankly, it seemed too good to be true. And as Ecclesiastes 3:6 eludes to, we cannot keep the new if we have not let go of the old. And this is not unlike our circumstances when we come to Christ. The whole purpose of God's intervention into our lives, at salvation, is to take the old from us and give us the new (2 Corinthians 5:17). But sometimes we don't recognize this. Simply put, if we want God to use us in his things, then we need to be prepared to let go of our things.

Strangely enough, I am finding that what God has for me now is much better than what I had in the past. And yet, I could never fully comprehend these opportunities, simply because of the trials that I was going through at the time. But the more we stick with God, the more he will open up doors of opportunity for us, and the more things will get better over time. And, if we want to serve God with all of our hearts, and use the gifts and ministries that he provided for us, then we need to learn to do things God's way and now our own way. We need to learn to lose in orders that we might gain. We can trust God that he is well ale to provide for us; better than anyone else can.

And this is one reason why I was reluctant to become self-employed, writing books on the subject of Christian living. I could not understand how God could provide for me any better than what the world could provide. And neither could I understand that God would provide for me in a better way than when I was employed by a company, where there was less risk to myself. So, God had to remove the comfort of working for others, so that I could discover that God was a better and richer boss than anyone in the world. So, do not be afraid to let go of the little you have, and embrace the big things that God has for you in your future, you won't be sorry.

Along with learning how to let go of our things in order to take on God's things, we find Ecclesiastes 3:7. Here we are encourages to tear and to sew; to keep silent, as well as having a time to speak, which we will consider later. For now, we need to learn to how to tear from us some of the bad things we have learned from the world. This includes removing some of the bad stuff we have learned from the companies, which we have worked for. It even includes removing some of the bad habits we may have picked up from other people, including some bad habits we may have picked up from other Christians and churches from our past.

Although God's kingdom is made up of people, the influences that shape our churches and fellowship should come from God. It may appear difficult to tear away the bad influences of others in our life. It may also appear difficult to learn how to sew some of God's good practices into our lives. The key comes from learning how to be lead by the Holy Spirit. This is preferable to trying to do things religiously, or from our own past behaviors and attitudes. Like most people, I had read in Romans 8:1 about being led by the Holy Spirit, but I have had little experience in actually doing this.

And again, like most people, I knew how to let God lead me into scripture to receive the divine revelation from God's word, which is a good thing. But I didn't really get the full revelation about what it really meant to be led by the Holy Spirit in my daily life. One of the things about being led of the Holy Spirit, from my past experience, was that it was a bit of a mixed bag when it came to hearing God's voice. Not that I am suggesting that we need to hear God's voice to be led by the Spirit, which I will come to in a moment. My problem was that I could not always discern the difference between hearing God's voice, my own imagination, and worse of all, Satan's voice. What was the difference?

The first reason why I could not always hear God's voice, was simply because I had not yet learnt to give up certain aspects of my own flesh life, and habitual sin. Therefore, when I tried to follow God's voice, there would be confusion between what I thought was God's voice, and what I thought was my own imagination. As I sought God about this confusion, he showed me the source of my problem, which was my uncontrolled flesh life. Therefore, the more I dealt with my flesh life, the more God's voice became clearer to me over time. This clarity did not happen straightaway. It took time for me to recognize God's voice more clearly than my own flesh speaking to me. This did not mean that I was suddenly going around trying to listen to God's voice every five minutes.

Hearing God's voice came more naturally to me, as I became more accustomed to being more in the Spirit, rather than in the fresh. However, as I stated above, being led of the Holy Spirit may not necessarily be the same as hearing God's voice. So, what is being led by the Holy Spirit? My experience started as I began to trust God more over the circumstances that were taking place in my life. As I faced these difficulties, I began to hear a gentle whisper in my mind that things were not as bad as they appeared. At first, I only half listened to these whispers. However, as I began to trust what God was saying to me, things started coming to pass, exactly as God was showing me.

And again, I am not suggesting that I heard a loud voice speaking to me. It was more like a heightened sense of intuition. Sometimes, I could hear a word directly spoken into my inner most being. However, sometimes it was more of a gentle leading, which I started to get accustomed to. The more I trusted this gentle leading, or nudging, the more I saw God's intimations coming to pass. Somehow, God's leading was able to bring me out of my trials, simply because this intuition, or leading of the Spirit, was working for me.

Like most Christians, I can turn to the times in my life when I have experienced God guiding me. But, this current leading of the Holy Spirit was different. It was more powerful than anything I had ever experienced before. And it also gave me a hope, which I had never had in my past. This clarity came about because I was prepared to let God deal with my flesh life. Therefore, things came into sharper focus for me. All that I know is that this aspect of being led by the Holy Spirit is adding a new dimension to my life. And, I suspect there will be greater things to come. In effect, I was tearing away the old religious ways of doing things in my life, and sewing the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit in its place. And, if we want to be used more by God, with our gifts, ministries and talents, then we need to make certain that we all tear away from us the things of religion. Then we can replace them with the leading of the Holy Spirit, which is a vital component for serving God with.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 also tells us that there is a time to keep silent as well as a time to speak. This reminds us of a word in Habakkuk 2:2-3 NKJV, 'Then the LORD answered me and said: " Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 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.' Although Habakkuk was talking about the fall of Babylon in his future, the spirit of what he wrote here is still relevant to us today.

There is always an appointed time for everything in the affairs of God's kingdom. And, this is something that we need to grasp; and which has been the theme of this chapter, as found in the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes chapter 3. God has his appointed times and seasons for everything that we do in his kingdom. And, that timing is in his hands alone. It is not in our hands, and it is certainly not in the hands of other people. No one is in control of your destiny, only God. And I appreciate that this is something that we might find hard to understand. I have found it hard to believe that God determines everything about my own life, especially when I have gone through severe trials.

It's probably true that we can all see things better from the mountaintop of God's blessings, rather than from the valley of our own difficulties. It can also be hard for us to understand that God can use the good, as well as the bad, for our advantage. And this is because we can get used to seeing things from a black and white religious world viewpoint, if we are not too careful. We can think that if something good happens in our lives, then God is responsible for it. However, if something bad happens, it must emanate from the Devil. There is nothing wrong with blaming the Devil for the bad things that happen in our lives. Conversely, there is nothing wrong with thanking God for the good things too. Although this is not theologically accurate, it does save us from blaming God when bad things happen to us.

However, returning to the point, although we may see things in black and white, God is able to use anything for our benefit, good or bad. This means that God cannot be beaten by anything. We may see a bad circumstance in our lives, but God sees it as an opportunity to work a miracle for us. We need to recognize that there are times and seasons in all of our lives. Therefore, we cannot reap when it's time to sow We should not speak, until we have first learnt to hear God's voice. We must learn to see our own circumstances beaten, before we can encourage others to overcome their own battles. We need to walk before we run, and trust God for ourselves, before teaching others how to trust God.

In other words, nothing can be done out of a sense of religion in God's kingdom, but only out of our own personal experiences. Jesus did not come to lord it over us, in the sense of the word. He came as the suffering servant; a living example who laid down his life for his friends. And therefore, if you want to operate your gifts effectively in God's kingdom, then you are going to have to learn to do things God's way and not your own way. Although God's ways are easier than ours, the hard bit is learning to let go of the way we have accustomed ourselves to doing things up until now.

It's one thing for God to give you a talent, but it is another thing to be willing to learn how to operate it in the kingdom of God. What you don't want to do is burry your talent, just like the wicked servant did, because that will not accomplish anything. And no one is saying that this stuff is easy, it's not. And this is precisely why God does not want us to rush into things. He wants us to trust him to guide us, so that we might do the right thing at the right time, as we have see in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

The kingdom of God is not about doing things our way, where we might end up making lots of mistakes. It's a kingdom where we learn to do things God's way, so that we don't make too many mistakes, which we might live to regret later down the line. In other words, God wants to place safety mechanisms into the way we all operate our gifts and ministries. This then allows us to enjoy longevity with our ministries, and it also protects us from making unnecessary mistakes. Yes, we will all make mistakes. However, if we can at least avoid making some silly mistakes, it all adds to the quality of work that God wants us to be involved in.

And, if Jesus had to wait thirty years before he could minister, then the small amount of time that we may need to wait, in order to do things God's way, is nothing in comparison. And so I will close this chapter, with words based on Ecclesiastes 3:8, which goes something like this. There will be a time when God will want you to demonstrate the love of God shed abroad in your heart to those he is sending you amongst to serve. There will be a time when he will want you to hate the way you have done things in the past, so that you might never do them again in your future. And even though you may have to go through periods as if you are in a war, sit tight and trust God; because a time of peace is coming your way, sometime in the not too distant future.

Seven

Body Ministry

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV

There's Only One Body

The body of Christ needs to effectively use its gifts, talents, abilities and ministries, in these last days of time. Therefore, it is vitally important that we gain an understanding about the context in which such abilities should operate. In fact, there are many factors which we need to consider, with respect to the operation of such abilities, if we are to find more fulfillment in our callings. Primarily, our gifts and talents cannot operate in isolation to the body of Christ. And here's the point that may be hard for some Christians to understand. The talents, which God gives to us, bear no relationship to church politics, or the various religious doctrines that are prevalent in some of our churches today. Talents are specific gifts and abilities, given by God to individuals within the body of Christ, which are for the benefit of the whole body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12 tells us that the kingdom of God is like a body which has many parts, but all parts form one body. This body is not ours, but the body is Christ, to which we are made joint members with equal rights. As I have stated before, Jesus did not come to lord it over us, but to set for us an example of servant hood. The gifts and ministries, which God provides to the body of Christ, were never meant to create elitism within that body. They were given to act as a means of helping others, rather than to serve our own self interests. The gifts and abilities that God gives to individuals are not just for use in our local church settings. They were designed for use within the whole of the body of Christ. Therefore, the body of Christ, which is the church, should not be territorial when it comes to where those gifts should be used.

On a practical level, it is most likely that the gifts that God gives to us will operate on a local church level, more than they will operate anywhere else. However, this may be due to the structure of the church, as opposed to what God originally intended for those gifts. This does not suggest that Constantine's structure of the church was wrong. Such a structure may have originally been erroneous, but that does not mean it can't serve God's purpose today.

Having said that, no gift or ability given by God should be restricted to an exclusive use within one particular setting. For example, you may be a talented worship leader, and you have proved yourself in your local church, or the fellowship you attend. However, it may be God's intention for you to branch out in your ministry, and become a blessing in other settings, where you might reach a wider audience. And here lies a problem, which we need to be aware of. Although we may categories ministries, talents and gifts in a certain way, God may not do so.

It says in Romans 12:6-8 NKJV, '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; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.'Clearly from this scripture Paul appears to link ministries, such as teaching and gifts such as prophecy, together with other activities, such as encouraging one another and giving. However, some folks today have considered that the five-fold ministries, found in Ephesians 4:11, is hierarchical in the wrong sense. They therefore sometimes devalue other gifts and talents available to us; such as leading worship, or Sunday school teaching, to a low ranking order. They have no problem with a preacher who operates in their calling, but they get upset when other gifts are operated too widely throughout the body.

I have heard some preachers discourage their members from operating such gifts and abilities elsewhere, other than in their local churches. This is the kind of spiritual snobbery and elitism, which should be avoided at all cost. God does not show favoritism to one person using one particular type of ministry, in comparison to another person who may operate their talent in a different way. We are all equal in God's eyes, even though we may not be equal in the eyes of others. And God certainly did not provide gifts to make them exclusive or restricted to geographical locations. And neither did he provides something, which after all is most precious, to be limited by the church politics of a small group of small minded individuals.

We also need to recognize that there is an identification mark attached to all the gifts, talents and ministries, which God gives to every individual within the body of Christ. According to 1 Corinthians 12:13, it does not matter where we come from, or who we are, we all operate our gifts abilities and talents because we all drink from the one and the same Holy Spirit. In other words, even though we may not recognize it all the time, we do what we do in the kingdom of God, simply because the Holy Spirit enables us to do it. And I'm talking about those who operate their gifts and calling under God's direction, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who do not recognize this direction of the Holy Spirit may very well be operating their ability in the flesh.

The problem with using God's talents is that there is always a danger of becoming too dependent upon our own endeavors, rather than trusting God with them. This is why it is vitally important to submit our gifts and callings back to God, so that he can empower us to use them effectively within his body the church. Otherwise, there can be a disconnect between what God has given us, and the motive behind how we use it. And the danger here is that an individual could end up promoting themselves, through an ability which God has given them, which ultimately steals the glory from God; which would be a tragedy.

Therefore, it is important that we recognize the work of the Holy Spirit behind every gift, talent and ministry, which God has given to the body of Christ. Doing this allows for a harmonious symphony in the use of such abilities within Christ's body, for the edification of all involved. As 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, and contrary to what some might believe, we are all baptized by one Spirit, so that we might form one body for the glory of God. And the more that we drink of God's Spirit, the more effective we will be in the operation of the gifts and abilities, which God has provided for the edification of his body.

The misuse of God's gifts, or excluding their usage in any way, can lead to a body that malfunctions; particularly on a spiritual level. 1 Corinthians 12:14 tells us that the body is made up, not just of one part, but of many. However, if we only permit certain ministries and gifts to work within the body, and specifically within a local setting, then we are in danger of imbalance. Therefore, if our local fellowships end up consisting of ministries where there is only preaching, then we have a problem. Likewise, if we have a fellowship which only encourages prophecy, then we are in danger of false doctrine. If we attend a fellowship, which spends all its time worshiping and singing choruses, then we are in danger of missing out on God's word.

A church which limits their ministries to just a single purpose, are also in danger of cutting off God's supply of the Holy Spirit to certain aspects of that fellowship. A church which learns how to cultivate a variety of ministries, will discover an increased flow of the Holy Spirit into the body. Many churches are in need of what I call a 'spiritual injection' to help them encourage their attendees. And some of these people might be looking for more than what they are receiving from a particular fellowship, at this point in time. Remember, the body of Christ is not just one part. And it certainly cannot function if only one type of ministry or gifting is in operation at any one time. And yet, churches who only utilize a limited spectrum of God's gifts and ministries, are akin to children who have half opened presents that have been given to them.

Differing Ministries

Because of the potential for elitism, and the fear that pervades in some of our churches today, many of the ministries and gifts have been left unattended. Just because a particular gift might be different to the kind of ministries we have become accustomed to, this does not make it less valid. As it says in 1 Corinthians 12:15 NKJV, 'If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?' Inferiority should not be allowed to creep into the body of Christ. However, in some places it's already too late.

Many ministries do not get off the ground, because an individual thinks that what God has given them is not as good as the next person's ministry. And this brings us right back to the danger of the person who hid his one talent in the ground, as we discussed in chapter one of this book. If our reason for not using our talent stems from a comparison with other people's talents, then we deny ourselves the possibility of growth and development within the body of Christ. There used to be a TV advert which said, 'Little savers grow big over time.' I often use this expression in my books, because it is full of meaning.

Many people do not save money, because they cannot see the point of putting a small amount away regularly. They cannot see that it's not always about putting a lot of money away, but that the small amount, regularly saved, will increase over time. It's a bit like the 'Law of Reciprocity.'This is where people who give, even if it’s only a small amount, open themselves up to be blessed by God in their futures. And I'm not suggesting that we can get blessed by just giving. I'm trying to elaborate on a principle that something which appears small, can develop into something big over time.

The effective use of a good ministry depends upon a variety of variables, which we need to be aware of. Good ministries depend upon God's grace, the use of our faith, our personal determination and drive to get on with it, and being at the right place at the right time. We can make the mistake of looking at big ministries, thinking that the small gift or talent God has given to us will not amount to much in comparison. What we fail to recognize is that many of the big powerful ministries started off small and faithful to God, before they grew into what they have become today. And this is precisely why we cannot compare one ministry with another, simply because we are only permitted to compare ourselves with Christ. The biggest ingredient to the effective use of gifts and ministries, is putting our faith into action, in order to get them off the ground. And any hint of inferiority on our part will only block the Holy Spirit from moving through us, to accomplish God's will for our lives.

It does not matter what we think that we should be in the body of Christ, what really counts is what God has destined us to be. It may be that we have wanted to have a specific kind of ministry in the body of Christ, only to discover that God has blessed us with something completely different. And, as I have also state before in this book, ministries change and develop, or they can be added to over time. So, you may have started off as a Sunday school teacher, only to discover that you can preach or lead worship, or whatever it is that God has placed upon your heart to do. And this does not mean that what you did in the past was wrong, or that you misheard God's voice. It just means that God's is using the toolbox approach with you, where he is wanting you to operate in a different way today compared to the way that you operated in your past.

On a personal note, I have noticed that God has used me in different ways in different churches, as I have moved and lived in different parts of the country. God is not static, and neither are his gifts. I will always be able to preach, and by God's grace, I will always be able to write books. However, I am open to any way in which God sees fit to use me. And it's worth stating that it has only been of late that I have started to write books on the subject of Christian living. In my thirties, I would never have had the confidence to do such a thing, and neither was I aware that God wanted me to become a self-employed author. I could not have dreamt up such a thing if I tried. God is looking for us to be open and flexible and willing to serve him in whatever task he has designates us to do.

And this is precisely why Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 12:16-17 NIV, '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 stop being part of the body. 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?' The problem is that some of what we call the main 'Five-Fold Ministries' have not always encouraged the use of the variety of talents available to the body of Christ. In fact, some of these ministries have positively discouraged their use, to the detriment of the church.

And where there is little encouragement to develop the whole range of gifts and ministries in any given church, it can be hard for individuals to rise up in faith, and start their ministerial balls rolling. I dare to say that some Christians need to make sure that they do not allow themselves to be hindered, by others, from developing their ministries and talents. This is because of the ramifications there are, from the parable of the talents, for people who don't use their gifts. And if that means going to a different fellowship to find encouragement to operate in that which God has called you to do, so be it!

The scripture above also suggests that we must not be put off from thinking that we haven't got a role to play in the body of Christ, just because we do not operate in the same way as others do. It may be that your gifts, or ministry, has not been permitted to be used in your fellowship. This can make it difficult for people to compare how such a ministry operates within a particular church setting. You may even attend a fellowship where folks have been brain-washed into thinking that your ministry is no longer valid in today's day and age.

I have even heard people tell me that some gifts and abilities died out with the apostles long ago. They have even gone as far as implying that only the ministries of preaching, pastors and evangelists are available today. Therefore the ministries of prophet and apostles are no longer important. This would mean that we would need to dissect part of Ephesians 4:11 to accommodate such thinking, which would be stupidity. But there is rarely any logic to such arguments. And if it were the case that many of these ancient ministries and gifts had been taken from us, then we would need to remove a vast amount of scripture to accommodate the removal of some of these gifts and ministries from the bible.

The problem with having a body, which limits the use of its major ministries, can be found in 1 Corinthians 12:16-17 NIV. And that is, 'If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?' In other words, if all that we received from our churches was preaching, and there was no prophecy, then we would miss out on some of the direction that God might want to give us. Good preaching acts as a guide to test prophecy. However, if there is no prophecy in our churches, then what's the point in knowing how to discern what is of God and what is not of God?

Again, there is never any real logic to those who restrict the movement of God's gifts in the body of Christ. And, for too long congregations have been bullied into submitting to other people's belief systems and agendas; many of which are not God's agenda. And again, some churches are the poorer for surrendering to the fear of operating in all that God has for them. Sadly, there are Christians who go to one fellowship to receive God's word, and a different fellowship to operate in their callings. But until some of our churches get with God's programme, sadly we will continue to see a dumbing down of the gifts, talents, and ministries of God in our churches today.

God Has Arranged The Body

The key to the operation of the gifts and ministries in our churches today is God. 1 Corinthians 12:18 clearly states that it is God who has placed the parts in the body. And, he has placed them just as he wants them to be, and not how we think that they should be arranged.  It is the hight of presumption to tell God which of his gifts should operate within the body of Christ. And I'm not talking about the false gifts, or the gifts which might be operated in the flesh, etc. I'm talking about the genuine Christians, who operate the genuine gifts which God has placed within his body.

If God only saved us to redeem us from sin and the fires of hell, then we would have a problem. God is not one-dimensional. He has other reasons why he has brought us into his kingdom, apart for saving us from sin, death and hell; which indeed is an important reason why he saved us. But salvation is not the end of the process, but the beginning of it. God saves us for a purpose, and he has placed us in his body, along with the ministries and gifts, which he alone supplies. And when church leadership thinks that the gifts only belong to them, and the few individuals who might be using them in a particular fellowship, then they themselves have stepped into grievous error.

The body of Christ belongs to God alone, and Jesus is at the head of it. We are not the head, and therefore to take on the functions of the head, in order that we might determine who can operate which gifts and ministries within it is the hight of arrogance. This is not the spirit of humility and servant hood, which God is looking for in his body. Such presumption can direct congregations to follow the various, and sometimes spurious doctrines of those who have attempted high jacked God's body for their own religious and political agendas.

One of the problems with the lack of the use of gifts and ministries in the body of Christ, relates to people feeling inferior, as we have already considered above. However, when there is a deliberate attempt to neutralize some of the gifts and abilities within the body of Christ, then this is tantamount to shipwrecking the work of the Holy Spirit among us. And the bible warns us not to stifle the work of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:19-20 clearly states that if there was only one part to the body, then there would be no body. And yet, there is indeed one body that contains many parts. However, there is a more serious point to all of this, as eluded to above. It is one thing to not use our gifts because we feel inferior, it's another thing to not use them because we have been bullied into not using them.

As 1 Corinthians 12:21 says, the eye cannot tell the hand that it does not need it. For too long we have put up with the negativity and reproach that some people have laid at the feet of those who God has given a differing array of gifts to. Therefore the body is poorer, in some quarters, for such a lack of sensitivity. Clearly, Paul is stating in Corinthians, that one ministry cannot usurp God's authority and tell another gift, talent or ministry that there is no place for it within the body of Christ. And, as this scripture states, we cannot presume that we do not need every gift and talent, which is available to the body of Christ in this day and age.

Today we are seeing too many churches and fellowships going to the wall because of sin, false doctrine, or whatever the case may be. But, we are also seeing places close down, simply because they have stifled the work of the Holy Spirit in other people's lives. And there is no doubt that such antagonism, which comes against some of the gifts and ministries in our churches, can come from a controlling spirit. It comes from those who refuse to allow Christ to be the head of his body, just in case the whole thing ends up in chaos. And yet, such people have not observed that some of our fellowships are as dead as a graveyard. They have not realizedthat the control of 'Man' has also dethroned the control of Christ over his body, in that particular church or fellowship. Therefore, as Paul states above, one ministry cannot say to another ministry that we don't need you!

What is interesting about Paul's instructions, concerning the work of the gifts in the body of Christ, is that he makes another interesting point, which we should be mindful of. He states that the weaker parts of the body are those which are in fact indispensable. It may very well be that the parts of the body that seem weaker or in fact not so. In other words, they may only be weak because they have not been allowed to develop, and because people have categorized some of the gifts and ministries in a way that does not line up with scripture. We will return to this theme later in this chapter.

The point is, no matter what some people may think are the so called 'Weaker' parts of the body, they are in fact indispensable. Sadly, some of our churches have dispensed with them, or even denied their existence. They seem to think that the body has somehow evolved so that it no longer needs an ear, or a hand, or a foot, etc. But, the body of Christ has been created; it has not evolved in the way that some of our churches think it has. They somehow think that the church is suffering from a disease, with parts falling off here and there. This is simply because they see the body of Christ from a worldly organizational point of view. They forget that the body belongs to God, and it is something that he is in control of.

Paul states that the weaker parts of the body are indispensable, in 1 Corinthians 12:23. He tells us that we should treat the less honorable parts of the body with special honor, and the unrepresentable ones with special modesty. In other words, we need to both promote and protect some of the gifts, talents and ministries that have been given a bad press by some of our churches. Even though it may appear that Paul is promoting a worldly way of dealing with such issues in the church, he is raising a valid point on this occasion. In the world, we try to promote certain aspects of life, which have been underrepresented in society.

For example, we positively encourage ethnic minorities into certain jobs, where they have been under represented. We have also witnessed industry encouraging more women into the board rooms; and in some countries, more women into government posts. Not all of these initiatives have worked as effectively as they could have. And, there may be political arguments concerning the ethics of such policies. It is not the place for this book to consider such policies. However, Paul does elude to the point that under representation of some of the gifts in our church needs consideration, if we are going to experience the full workings of Christ's body in the world today.

Therefore, it is vital that the body of Christ learns to encourage every ministry, gift and talent available to it in these last days of time. We should not be pruning away such ministries! Pruning belongs to the flesh life, and not to the things of the Spirit. Some of our churches have taken their eyes from off of the head of the body, which is Christ. They have therefore seen fit to replace him with their own ideas concerning how the church should operate. In 1 Corinthians 12:24-26, Paul encourages us that, although our presentable parts don't need special treatment, greater honor should go to the ones that lacked it. But to encourage some of our churches to get on board with this may be an uphill struggle. And yet Paul tells us clearly that to help the less presentable parts of the body, will result in equality within the body, which has not always been the case in every fellowship.

Paul goes on to tell us that when one part of the body suffers, so does the rest. And, when one part is honored, so does every other part. When one person is not effectively using their gift and talent in our churches, they are not the only ones to suffer. We all end up suffering loss from a gift, which could have been used to encouraged people in a particular fellowship. When this happens, the body has to overcompensate in another ministry area to make up for the lack, which may not always suffice. This causes the body to suffer, and move out of step with the Holy Spirit. And therefore, the body ends up out of balance. The problem for such a fellowship is that, after a while, it fails to recognize that it is out of balance with what God is wanting to do for them. One suffers and so everyone suffers, even when they are not aware of it.

As Paul eludes to, when all parts of the body functions properly, then there is no division. And here lies another problem for some of our churches. People may think that division will come to our churches and fellowships, if we allow all parts to function properly. They think that if we allow prophecy and healing to take place, as well as the preaching of the word, then there will be division among us. But there is another side to this. If we do not allow the body to function as God intended it to, then we will end up with erosion in our churches. In other words, people will start voting with their feet, and go looking for other fellowships, where they can experience the body of Christ functioning as it should do.

This leads me nicely onto a story that my pastor told me many years ago. It's one of those stories that I have never forgotten. My pastor was invited to go and preach at his friend's church, in the mid-west of the United States. My pastor's friend was a superintendent, responsible for about three to five churches in his county. Not only was he a church superintendent, he also owned a large turkey farming business. My pastor preached, one Friday evening, in one of these churches. On one of the Saturday afternoons, this superintendent friend invited my pastor to come and look around his turkey farm. The superintendent drove him around vast prairie lands, just to see the size and extent of his turkey farm. As far as the eye could see, there were little huts all across the horizon, with turkeys gathered around them eating their food.

The superintendent asked my pastor if he had noticed anything unusual about his turkey farm. My pastor mentioned that, in all the acres of farmland he had visited that afternoon, he had noticed that there was no fences to keep the turkeys from escaping. The superintendent said he had discovered that when he fed his turkeys the right food, they never tried to escape. He said that he had learned a similar lesson, when looking after the five churches he was responsible for. He said that if he fed his churches with the right food, he did not need to use rules and regulations to keep them in attendance at the meetings. They just did not want to go anywhere else, simply because they got what they needed from their churches.

Likewise, when we allow God's people the room to grow within our fellowships, then we will see people voting with their feet. They will elect to remain faithful to the fellowships they attend, which is what the kingdom is all about. It is not as if we are looking to drive people away for our fellowships. However, we should be looking to promote every aspect of spiritual life, which will attract even more people to attend our fellowships. Because I have lived and worked in a good number of towns and cities in my country over the years, obviously I have had to move fellowships and churches. And, without fail, the churches that have promoted people's differing gifts and ministries, have been the churches where there has been growth.

In my personal experience, some churches were so bad at encouraging ministries, that I stopped attending them soon after stepping through the doors. I then looked around for a more appropriate and contemporary style of fellowship. I started to get a feel for the churches which were encouraging, and the churches which were not so encouraging; despite the hype that surrounded some of them. Soon after walking through the doors of a church, I would get an idea whether God is in the place or not. I have also see pastors who have become entrenched in their positions, simply because they have forgotten what it is like to live in the real world. They end up with a bunker mentality, too afraid to move out in the things of God. And it may be that it is not always their fault in such circumstances. It's just that they are too exhausted with what they are already involved in to make changes.

I have come across pastors and leaders of churches who are simply warn out by the administration of their responsibilities. And, the last thing that they want to think about is change. Some pastors started the work on their own, with few volunteers to help them. Therefore, it can be too much of a task to make the necessary changes, to allow the body to function as it should. It may even be that because they have chosen a certain structure for their church, that they don't have the energy to consider any alternatives. The current structure of their church may in fact be the cause of their exhaustion. They simply may not have felt that they have been in a position to trust other people, to help them with their calling and responsibility. So God's grace is required on everyone's part, where changes are required. And as we trust the Holy Spirit to guide us, he will do one of two things. He will either cause the churches we are involved in to change, where a variety of ministries can thrive, or he will move people elsewhere.

God's Hierarchy

In the final part of this chapter, we will consider God's hierarchy of gifts and ministries, and their operation in the church. Although we have a habit of separating out ministries from gifts and talents, God's word does not always do this. Some Christians have different callings upon their lives, with different forms of administration. We don't all work in the same way. And, some people are more suited to having a ministry, and others are better suited to using gifts. In fact, it says in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 CEV, 'There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do.'

As we can see from this scripture, the Holy Spirit works in a variety of ways. He's not limited to one way of accomplishing God's tasks throughout his body. God's Holy Spirit is not under our control, but he is subject to the will of God. And because we are a variety of individuals, God will work through us is a variety of ways. I have met too many people who lack a basic understanding about how the gifts and abilities work in the kingdom of God. In fact, some people only know how to operate in the flesh when serving God. They have absolutely no idea about how to operate in the Spirit; often because they have not attended to the crucifying of the flesh, as we have discussed previously.

We also need to turn our attention to God's hierarchy of gifts and ministry in the body of Christ. And just in case you are wondering, this hierarchy does not suggest that one ministry or gift is more special than another. It is a hierarchical list, which has been put together to aid in the building of each local church. In other words, the hierarchical order is provided, so that the right ministries can contribute to the building of the local body at various milestones in the development of that church.

Church development is very much like the life cycle used in some industries, for developing their products and services. Such industries start with an introduction phase, followed by growth of the product. They then move onto a phase in the life cycle where the product matures, with a final phase where the product goes into decline. They often have an intervention phase, at the decline stage of the life cycle, in order that they might reinvigorate the product. Likewise, churches can go through a similar process, starting with the introduction phase, such as church planting. This is followed by growth and maturity. In order to avoid decline, we need to invigorate such churches through various methods of encouragement. This can include the use of the gifts, talents and ministries provided to the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 27-28 introduce us to the varying gifts, by telling us that we are the body of Christ, and each one of us is a part of it. And in the light of this, Paul introduces us to the requirements for the development of a strong healthy body, which is the church.

The first ministry Paul introduces us to is that of the apostle. Some people think that there is no role for an apostle in some of today's modern thriving churches. However, there is a requirement for apostles, where there is no church. In other words, it's not just a posh title that people should attach to their CVs. It is a specific calling on someone, who is involved with church planting, or church building, wherever it might be. And this can take place at home or abroad. Such people are like the modern day entrepreneur. They know how to bring together all the resources required to start a church. There will be many people operating in this calling without knowing it. In other words, they have not given themselves a fancy title, and they won't be showing it off to others. Those who go around wearing just the title, without having built a church, are probably just showing off. After the apostle comes the prophet. The prophet is the person who can relay God's vision to all those involved with the planting of a church. They are the ones who can inspire and encourage everyone's that God is in the work that they are doing. Such a ministry is invaluable for such endeavors.

After the prophet comes the teacher. There's no room for a teacher, if the apostle has not planted the church for them to work in. Teaching is of vital importance to the body of Christ, because it keeps everyone on the straight and narrow path. And it helps to disciples new and existing converts. The miracle worker comes next, simply because the church of God is not just a natural worldly entity. A church, as well as its people, will need to be encouraged that God is still at work today, just as he was in the days of the apostles. Miracles demonstrate the intervention of a supernatural God into our natural circumstances, making available to us the provisions required to build God's church.

Ask most church leaders, and they will tell you that behind the scenes, God has miraculously provided for their church. Such interventions allow a church to function, even during times when we go through a difficult financial recession. Next comes healing! Although not everyone will admit to it, most Christians have sought God for healing at one time or another. And I appreciate that some folks don't believe that God heals through the laying on of hands. Even so, this does not change the fact that God will send people among us, from time-to-time, to encourage us to seek God's healing, both for physical and for spiritual needs.

Helpings and guidance are also found in this list of ministries. There is always room for volunteers in our churches, even where people may think that they have nothing to offer. There is nothing that God cannot do through an individual, who presents them self to God as a living sacrifice. Even tongues are mentioned in this list. And again, there are some Christians who do not accept the gift of speaking in an unknown tongue. However, I have found relatively few people who do not believe in the speaking of unknown tongues. And yet, speaking in tongues has its place in the body of Christ, even though their usage may not be noticed by everyone.

In conclusion, Paul encourages us, in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30, that not everyone will function in all the various ministries and gifts outlined above. This does not mean that some Christians won't have a gift at all. It just means that such gifts do not come to order. It is also true that some people will operate in more than one ministry and gifting, from time-to-time, depending upon circumstances. God is in control, and he knows what is best for the body of Christ at any one time. Paul concludes with a good piece of advice, which we should never forget. He tells us, in 1 Corinthians 12:31, that it is our responsibility to seek God to give us his best gifts.

This does not necessarily mean that we will always get the opportunity to choose a specific gift. I would not want God to give me a gift that sees people get healed, when really I needed wisdom at the time. In the final analysis, Paul encourages us that in whatever we do in the kingdom of God, we need to follow a more excellent way. And that more excellent way can be found in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, where faith abides, where hope abides, and where love will continue forever. And it does not matter what gift or ministry I think that God has given to me. If I do not develop the heart of a servant, and love the body of Christ, then I have accomplished nothing. If I don't love God's people, and if I seek for God's gifts out of a sense of vain glory, then I have missed the mark and the high calling of God for my life.

Eight

Talents And College

Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

Daniel 1:3-4

Captivity

This is chapter has been written to provide guidelines for those who believe that God is calling them to leave home, and get a college education, in order to develop their educational talents. By considering the early life of Daniel, in the bible, potential students might gain an understanding about how to react to the new surrounding they will face at college. Reacting to such an environment in the right way can help to make things go well for such students. Alternatively, reacting in the wrong way could make things unnecessarily difficult for them.

Many writers, on the subject of cognitive development, suggest that everything should be running smoothly in a person's life, before they go onto developing their gifts and talents, especially when it comes to education. They suggest that such people need to have their lives in order, including a roof over their heads and food on the table, etc, before developing their cognitive skills. However, for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and, Abed-Nego, this was not the case. These were young people, who were dragged away from the land of Judah, in the first wave of captivity, into exile in Babylon. Admittedly, they were well cared for, but the trauma of not knowing what their fate would be must have played heavily on both their minds and on their emotions. However, this did not prevent God from developing the gifts he had given to them, in readiness for the work he had in mind for their futures.

It is important to understand that God's will and geographical location are not always the same thing. This is a concept that has often confuses many Christians. To give you an example of what I am talking about, let us consider something from my own personal experience. A couple of years ago I worked at a college in my local city of Leeds, in the north of the United Kingdom. However, I lived about ten miles away from work in the heart of the country. At the time, I had the choice of moving closer to where I worked in the heart of Leeds City Centre. Alternatively, I could remain where I was, and commute from the country where I was living comfortably. Whether I moved to the centre of Leeds, or remained in the county, had no bearing on whether I was in God's will or not. Change in location did not change God's will for my life. And many Christians are wrongly afraid to move location, because they think that they might make a mistake and end up out of God's will. Location and God's will are not necessarily related to each other.

In the case of Daniel and his friends, in Daniel chapter 1, these young people had no choice concerning their location. This was simply because such matters were out of their immediate control. And neither did such a dramatic change in location have any bearing on the development of the gifts and talents, which God had placed in each one of these young people's lives. According to Daniel 1:3-4 (NKJV) we find that Nebuchadnezzar instructed the head of his eunuchs (Ashpenaz) to bring some of the children from Israel, who were, 'young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans'.

In other words, these young people were known for having a propensity towards learning. Such skills could be utilized, through the education system that Nebuchadnezzar had put in place, to help these people realize their full potential. So despite what appeared to be taking place, by the removal of these young people from the land of their birth, God already had a plan to get the best out of them. He would open a door for them to develop their skills for use in later life, as mentioned above. And it is worth remembering that, although it was God's will to educate Daniel and his friends, God would also use Daniel in the ministry of prophecy later on in his life. In effect, these young people were no different to many college students today, who leave home for three years, to gain their degrees in their chosen field of study. We only have to read Daniel 1:5 to recognize that these young people were placed on a three year training program, to prepare them for service at the king's pleasure. They were also given a daily provision of food, just like in a university halls of residence.

Therefore, those in the kingdom of God who suggest that putting our young people through a college education is not in God's will, have not read Daniel 1:5. And despite the fact that there is a lot of criticism concerning what students are taught in our universities today, this does not necessarily change God's will for today's Christian scholars. It does not change the fact that it may very well be God's will for our young people to leave home and develop their gifts through the education system, however imperfect we may think that system is. As for Daniel and his friends, they had to learn the language and literature of the Chaldeans, which was foreign to both their culture and religious backgrounds. And yet, God was still in this.

It is vitally important that we do not allow too many obstacles to distract us from developing our talents, especially if they relate to some form of training or education. Within Christendom, we have a tendency to characterize gifts to only include the spiritual ones listed in1 Corinthians chapter 12, as we have discussed earlier in this book. We are experts at separating out that which we perceive as natural, and that which we perceive as spiritual. In God's eyes, no such distinction exists. Everything we offer up to God, as part of our reasonable service to him, is spiritual. And there are probably many Christians out there who have missed their opportunity to serve God in a specific way, simply because they were put off from all the negativity, which can surround someone who wants to God to college.

From a personal point of view, I had tremendous opposition from my church, when I first muted the idea of going to college. They told me that it was not God's will for Christians to gain a university education. They told me that I was not hearing from God correctly, and that I was being presumptuous. They told me that I would be stepping out of God's will by leaving the church, etc. But the assurance, which God had placed on the inside of me, was much stronger than the negative external pressures, which were trying to stand in the way of my call to gain an education. And by gaining my college education, I experienced many doors opening for me. This eventually included the honor and pleasure of meeting the Queen of England, when I started my training for the Bar of England and Wales.

From my personal experience I absolutely knew that, although I was heading towards something that was perceived as natural to many, my educational experience had a spiritual dimension to it. My educational experience eventually led me to becoming the president of my college Christian Union. I also had the honor of serving God at a Billy Graham Crusade, which took place in my local city at the time. However, I had no idea what doors would open for me at the time of starting my college education, none of us do, simply because we walk be faith and not by sight. But because God does not distinguish between natural and spiritual talents in the way that we do, he can use such talents for the furtherance of his kingdom. After all, I reasoned that if God can talk through the mouth of a donkey, he can do absolutely anything through me.

As Christians, we need to be determined not to allow anyone to prevent us from following our dream, and developing our talents through a college education. Like Daniel, we need to find ourselves in a position where God can open doors for us. And if the preparation of those educational gifts are the key to God opening other doors for us, then so be it. There is one final point worth making, concerning the development of our talents though a college education, and this relates to some of the other gifts which God may want to develop in us. For me, education helped me to develop other talents such as how to run a Christians union, along with administrative skills, discernment, prophecy, and many other abilities, which God graciously opened up to me.

Education is not necessarily the end result of our journey with God. But it can often be the key to many other experiences God wants us to have in his kingdom, as I eluded to above. Education is not the be all and end all for God's servants. However, it can be a vehicle that God uses to transport people to their potential destinies, as was the case with Daniel and his friends. Yes, for some people it is the ultimate call upon their lives, for example, if they are thinking about going into something like a teaching career. But it may be that some people do not have a propensity for education, and are more practical in nature. But the principle is still the same. Those who are more practical in nature can use a training course to get them to where they want to be. Just like any other college kid, they can experience God's help and grace to get them to their potential futures. Being open to what God wants us to do is more important than listening to the negative advice, which most likely will take us nowhere.

Finding God's Favor

As we have considered above, we should not be put off by some of the negativity surrounding those who may want to further their talents through training or a college education. Daniel was able to cope with the difficult cultural aspects, which would have greeted him externally through his training, by the determination that he had internally. Therefore, in Daniel 1:8, we find that Daniel and his three friends decided, in their hearts, not to defile themselves by eating and drinking the fine food and wine from the king's table. In other words, Daniel was not overwhelmed by the external influences, or the grandeur of his surroundings. He was prepared to be educated by the Babylonians, but he was not prepared to be influenced wrongly by them.

Even though there was probably a lot of cultural and religious pressures coming to bear on Daniel's life, his strength and trust in God was greater. In other words, just because he was in Babylon did not mean that he agreed with everything that happened there. And, neither did it mean that he was prepared to go along with everything that was happening around him. It is no different today for Christian college kids, who might be in danger of succumbing to the external influences of ungodly people, who they might meet in their college environments. The bible clearly states that greater is he that is within us than he that it in the world (1 John 4:4). And just because someone is young, does not necessarily suggest that God cannot sustain them in an environment that they are not accustomed to. If God could sustain Daniel and his friends, he can sustain anyone.

Daniel and his friends were only young when they were taken into captivity. Age has no bearing on whether or not God can look after people. The same God who can look after adults can also look after young people, who may be leaving home for the very first time. This does not mean that every young Christians will not succumb to the external influences they may find in a college environment Not everyone will be as determined as Daniel and his friends were, who stood up for what they felt was right in Babylon. But, from my own personal experiences, God more than supplied the grace I needed to keep me safe through my college years, as a young person.

This did not mean that I was perfect, and that I did not succumbed to the external pressure that faced me, because at times I did. But I learnt to choose my battles carefully, and I stood up for that which I felt was important to me at the time. And God's grace both kept me, and brought me through college life. And I was a lot better person for the experience. As I said, I was not perfect but I came out of my experiences stronger. I discovered that God helped me to stand on my own two feet, in readiness for whatever the world threw at me in later life. And without my college education, I would never have started to write books like I am doing now; to God be the glory great things he has done.

In the case of Daniel, he made it clear to the chief eunuch that he did not want to defile himself by eating from the king's table. In other words, he did not keep his aspirations to himself, but he voiced allowed the type of lifestyle he wanted to lead. Such a request to the chief eunuch was not without risk. Remember, Daniel and his friends had been taken prisoner, and they were not in control of the circumstances they found themselves in. And yet, they did not let such circumstances put them off from making a reasonable stand for righteousness.

The difficulty for some Christians relates to the fact that they sometimes have a tendency to make unreasonable requests, particularly about what they are prepared to do, and what they are prepared not to do in life. This can happen when they are faced with circumstances, which they are not in complete control of. They sometimes neglect to show a certain amount of humility in such circumstances, which does not necessarily help their cause. Over the years, and due to teaching in different colleges and schools, I have found myself in a number of differing circumstances. And one thing that I have learned to do is not to demand my own way, when I am faced with a new surroundings. I have learned to take things slowly, until I have gained an understanding of the lay of the land.

I have learnt not to go in demanding my own way with people, before I have learnt something about. Had I tried to stamp my authority on a new surroundings, with new people, I would soon have developed a bad testimony among them. Christians think that they are compromising when they don't get their own way immediately, when in fact all that they are displaying is arrogance. Daniel approached the eunuch with his request, because he would have recognized that God had granted him favor with him (Daniel 1:9). And this is an important point to note, when learning what our boundaries are, especially when we are faced with new circumstances. We need to discover where we have favor. Daniel did not always have favor with all the inhabitants of Babylon, otherwise he would not have been thrown into the lion's den (Daniel chapter 6).

Likewise, not only do we need to discover if we have favor, but who with; particularly when we face new circumstances, such as attending a new college or starting a training course. And discovering God's favor with people is a large part of finding success in developing our talents. All through my college life and teaching career, God has helped me because people have shown me favor. I have equally come across people who have shown me anything but God's favor, in some of the circumstances I have found myself in. Some people have looked after me and protected me along my journey, whereas, some people have caused me endless problems.

There is often a spiritual battle in God's dealings with us. This is why it says in Ephesians 6:12 NKJV, 'For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.' And in many respects, such battles are no different to the kind of battles we face throughout life, where some people are more of a hindrance to us than they are a help. Wherever we find ourselves, we will find like Daniel, that God's favor will be with us in certain quarters, which we can take advantage of.

It is noticeable that already God had given wisdom to the young man Daniel. Rather than demanding what kind of diet he should eat, he consulted with the chief of the eunuchs, in order that he might find agreement with him. In Daniel 1:10 we find that the chief of the eunuchs was concerned that he might get into trouble with the king, by showing Daniel and his friend favor. The eunuch feared the king and the establishment more than he feared the importance to Daniel's religion. And this is something that we should be mindful of, when we try to make a fuss about what we want and what we don't want in any given situation.

We might jump up and down and shout about our Christian rights at college, only to find that we could be stamping on the college rules and regulations. And it may be that people are afraid to go against college regulations to accommodate our needs, before they have had the time to check what is and what is not permissible. By demanding our own way over a matter, which we have not properly looked into, could put someone's job at risk. We might be asking someone to do something that they are not able to do; they may not have the same faith as we do. Because Daniel exercised wisdom, he was able to come up with a plan to test his theory, that he and his friends would fare better than the rest of the young scholars of his age in Babylon. Therefore, in Daniel 1:11-13, Daniel asked the chief of the eunuchs to test him and his friends, to see how they would fair, by eating vegetables and water for ten days.

In other words, Daniel did not demand that his diet should be changed permanently, at this stage. He just wanted to test, through a simple experiment, what the effect of not eating the king’s choicest foods and wine would have on him and his friends. His test was purely scientific, with a control sample of the rest of the young people, who would be eating from the king's table. In other words, Daniel was being scientific about his demands, testing his theory so that all concerned would be protected by his actions. Daniel could not just think about himself here, as we might want to do, he needed to protect the eunuch who was responsible for him and his friends. Love does not just consider itself, but it considered the needs of others, because love is not self-serving and it is not selfish. After all, Daniel could have been wrong by taking control of his diet, which would have at best left him looking silly, and at worse lost the head of his supervisor.

We can also see from Daniel 1:13, that Daniel kept the experiment between him and his friends and the eunuch. In other words, he did not make a big display about standing up for his rights in his current situation. This was because he was both young, and because he was just starting out in the career that God had chosen for him. Had this experiment gone wrong, I am certain that Daniel and his friends would have gone back to eating from the king's table.

Daniel displayed such wisdom early on in his life, because God's favor was upon him. Having God's favor does not mean that we can do anything we like and get away with it. It means that we have learnt to submit to God, and that we have learnt to follow the gentle leading of his Holy Spirit. Finding God's favor does not mean that we are always right about every single thought that comes into our heads. We still need to discern what is and what is not of God; and we also need to learn what we should stand up for and what is not as important as we might try to make it out to be.

Finding God's favor does not mean that we will win every battle that we fight. It means that we learn to choose our battles wisely, especially if we want to develop both a good name and a good testimony in the eyes of others. Too often Christians can come across as fanatical fundamental automatons, who have not learnt to think things through logically, which will not sit well in a college environment. Such people will only end up being dismissed by both their tutors and their peers as being a bit weird. But if we want longevity in our college lives, and I am talking from personal experience here, then we need to walk humbly and thoughtfully; listen to God; find his favorthrough other people; and learn to choose our battles wisely. This means that we also need to know when to shut up. As it says in Proverbs 17:28 NIV, 'Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.'

It is noticeable, from Daniel 1:14, that he gained consent with his eunuch to be tested for ten days. The word consent is very important here. Consent means 'agreement.' It can also mean to gain consensus when we are dealing with more than one person. In other words, Daniel did not just place a load of demands upon the person responsible for him. We know from Daniel 1:9 that God had already granted Daniel favor with his eunuch. But this did not mean that Daniel could take advantage of him. We all know how annoying it is when children, or anyone else for that matter, try to take advantage of us. Daniel did not act like an irresponsible spoilt brat, who demanded his own way. Quite the contrary. He showed grace in his dealings with those who had charge over him, gaining him a reputation as someone who exercised wisdom in his dealings with other people; a diplomatic quality which would serve him well in later life.

And if we want to do well in life: developing good communication skills; negotiation skills; and diplomatic skills will serve us well too, in whatever gifts we want to develop for the enhancement of God's kingdom. Throughout scripture, Daniel never gives us the impression that he was someone who just shot his mouth off. Quite the contrary. Because Daniel was submissive, thoughtful and wise, God was able to promote him into his higher calling, very soon after he graduated from this three year training program, as we will discover later in this chapter.

Neither God, or anyone else for that matter, will promote a hot head. God promotes those he trains up to serve him in humility. And Daniel provides us with one of the best example of how we should all behave in life. And this is especially the case where we find that God has called us into a college environment, and especially if we want to make the most of the educational abilities he has placed within us. And so we find, because of such admirable qualities found in Daniel, that it was not hard for his eunuch to come into agreement with him. This was despite the fact that there was a risk associated with not eating the king's delicacies, a risk which was minimized by the thoughtful wisdom of Daniel.

Natural Events

It can be difficult for us to recognize that what appears to be a natural event, can very often relate to something spiritual taking place in the believer's life. Again, as I have considered above, we are good at distinguishing between natural and spiritual events, where God is not. Remember, Jesus conveyed deep spiritual principles through parables, which many of his listeners, including the disciples, did not understand. What appears to be a very natural occurrence could be God testing us on spiritual principles. However, if our spiritual eyes are not attuned to this, we could very well miss a lesson that God is trying to teach us.

As I have already spoke about from my own personal experience, the very fact that a door opened for me to go to college was a supernatural intervention by God in the first place. This led to me discovering God's provisions for me, which had spiritual connotations. And this was exactly what was happening with Daniel and his friends. Although, not eating the food and drink from the king's table may appear to be a natural choice, it may very well be that God had placed such a desire on Daniel's heart in the first place. We would call this a prompt by the Holy Spirit. Let me give you a further example, from my own life, about being prompted by the Holy Spirit to move in the natural realm.

Recently, my car had a sudden and catastrophic breakdown. It would have cost a fortune to repair it. There was no alternative other than to send the car to the breaker's yard, and so I was left to transporting myself on my own two feet. About the same time as this, God provided me the money I needed to buy a new car, and in fact a much better car. I started negotiating with my local car dealer to get a good discount on the car, etc, but the negotiations were not really going anywhere. So, for a couple of weeks I left the matter alone, and got on with other things. One morning, I woke up with a determination on my heart to take on my car dealer, and get the best possible deal that I could from him. I felt an assurance within me. So I phoned the dealership, and refused to speak to anyone other than the manager. I started by explaining to him that I had not made progress, when negotiating with one of his sales people. In no time at all, the attitude of the manager moved in my favor, and he offered me an upgraded car with a good discount. At no time was I rude to the car sales manager. I was just determined to push open the door to get a good deal, as prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Although this may appear to be just a natural event, the result of having a good car opened up my world to be able to serve God wherever he sent me. Nothing concerning a Christian is just a natural event. God is in absolutely every aspect of our lives. Therefore, we need to start spotting the clues, especially when God is trying to lead us in a certain direction, or when we might face a closed door that God wants us to push through until it opens. Nothing is impossible with God, and nothing is impossible for those who he calls to walk with him, and to serve him in whatever aspect of life he calls them into.

After Daniel and his friends went without the natural delicacies found at the king's table (Daniel 1:15-16), and after ten days the features of these young men looked healthier than the rest of the students, who were dining at the king's table. Even though they had denied themselves they had come out on top, because God was on their side and he had supported their sacrifice. Not only so, but the stewards who attended Daniel and his friends took away the fine food from them for the rest of their time in training, and let them dine on vegetable. But, as we have been discussing above, this natural event had spiritual repercussions.

It says in Daniel 1:17 (NKJV), 'As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.' Here it is noticeable that it was God who gave them knowledge and skills in literature and wisdom. In the west we have a tendency to think that educational learning is a natural talent. We think that it is an option for people to develop through training and education; especially through the use of colleges. We somehow think that such educational abilities are 'man-made' efforts, unrelated to the kingdom of God. We fail to recognize that by both involving God in such affairs, and seeking him to enhance our educational abilities, he will help us to flourish in an educational setting.

It says in Psalm 24:1 KJV, 'The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.' God owns the earth, and he owns us. Therefore, it is not beyond reason that educational abilities also come from God, and that they are not manmade. Again, we have accustomed ourselves to believing that spiritual gifts come from God, and natural gifts are a product of nature, devoid of God's involvement. And yet, it was God who gave Daniel and his friend’s knowledge and skill in literature and wisdom. Yes, they were smart to begin with, but there were doubly proficient in their learning because God was with them in it. Too many college kids leave the comfort of their Christian homes, and fail to recognize that their educational abilities come directly from God. And they fail to recognize that they are exactly where God wants them to be. They have not left their homes to be devoured by the system of our educational institutions. God wants to use them, to show their tutors and peers that they are energized by the power of heaven, to achieve the best that they can be in today's society.

Like Daniel and his friends, when Christian students learnt to team up with one another in their college environments, then they can start to develop a network of support for each other. This prevents them from thinking that they are isolated in an environment, which they might perceive as foreign to them. And there was no environment more foreign to Daniel and his friends than the very centre of the Babylonian empire, where God was with them. And if God can be with them in such a hostile environment, how much more will God  be with our college students today?

However, when we limit God, or remove him from the college environment, we are not doing ourselves any favors. But when we learn to recognize that God will protect college students in their educational institutions, then we will also find that God will enhance their abilities and bring glory to God's kingdom. Nothing is ever wasted in God's kingdom concerning his people. Nothing is just natural and solely under the domain of the world. God is in everything and everything belongs to him in the final analysis. As for students, like Daniel and his friends, college life can be one of the best places to test the strength of a person's faith.

There is also one other factor that we need to be aware of, from God's gifting of Daniel and his friends with their natural abilities. And this relates to God's further gifts, which can be made available to those who are faithful to him. You will remember, from the first chapter of this book, we considered that a person who was faithful to use their talents were given even more talents. In Daniel 1:17, we find that God also gave Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams. In other words, God enabled Daniel to succeed both in his education, and in his spiritual gifts. One did not preclude the other. I was under the strong belief, when I first started college life, that by concentrating on my education meant putting aside the spiritual dimension of my life for a time. I was of the opinion that God wanted me to concentrate on my college work first, and then after three years I could return to the spiritual dimension of my life. But that was my thinking and not God's thinking. In actual fact, I discovered that God was both developing my educational abilities and my spiritual gifts and ministries all at the same time. And this is precisely why I ended up as the president of my Christian union.

Although I was trying to separate educational things from spiritual things, God was not. And I was not alone or unique in this. I met lots of people, through the Christian union, who were doing exactly the same thing. These Christians provided a support group for each another, to help them get through college life. Some of these students went on to serve God overseas, and through different ministries, because they saw their natural education as a stepping stone into their spiritual ministries ordained by God. As for me, I studied to become an attorney, and yet God led me to write books on Christian living. You may wonder what he connection is between two distinctly different disciplines.

Training for the Bar gave me the discipline to work alone and motivate myself to write. Barristers are often in circumstances where they are working on their own. After all, they are self-employed, and they have to learn to organize themselves if they want to be successful in their chosen careers. This, and many other qualities I developed at law school, were perfect training for serving God in my current capacity as a writer. Again, God does not distinguish between what we perceive as natural training in the world, or spiritual training to become a church worker or church leader, for example. God does not limit himself in the same way that we might do, because he knows that everything always works together for the good for those that love the Lord (Romans 8:24). And this is something that we need to come to terms with, if we are going to serve God as we should. If we think that God can only take us down a particular path to give us the training we need to serve him, then all that we are doing is limiting God, and limiting ourselves from being prepared as vessels fit for the master's use (2 Timothy 2:20).

Returning to Daniel, the training he received in the natural realm, by way of education and learning, opened a door for him to work in service of the king; there should be a spiritual lesson for us here somewhere! Because God had helped Daniel to develop his natural talents, he was at the right place and at the right time to use his spiritual gifts. This meant that he could also interpret other people's dreams and visions, including those of the King of Babylon. Had he not received his three-year education and training in Babylon, do you seriously think that he would have been permitted to get so close to the king? Do you think that he would have been permitted to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, according to Daniel chapter 2? I can tell you, without fear of contradiction, that the guards would have not permitted him to come anywhere near Nebuchadnezzar. He would have probably ended up in the stocks and chains, or probably executed.

However, Daniel's learning opened the right door for him to be at the right place at the right time. This allowed him to exercise his spiritual gifts and interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dreams. Does scripture not says that a man's gift will make room for him before the king? Daniel proved this beyond a shadow of a doubt. So if anyone tells you that God is not in your desire to gain a good education, then know that God is not in such thinking. God is with you, and he is more than capable of developing your education and spiritual abilities all at the same time, even when you might not be aware of it. And on a personal note, I know without a shadow of a doubt, that it was one hundred percent God's will for me to gain my college education. And from this stepping stone, God has always opened doors for me into various ministries, including the development of my spiritual gifts too. Daniel's educational opportunities brought him before a king, my educational opportunities brought me before the Queen of England, as I have stated earlier in this chapter!

As for Daniel, not only did God use him through his education and gifts, later in life he concentrated solely on his prophetic work, as ordained by the Lord (Daniel chapters 7-12). Here he moved on from interpreting other people's dreams to interpreting his own, concerning end-time events. And although God has opened doors for me through the educational system, in my later life my work has moved on to working solely for the Lord. And none of this was planned by me. God had mapped out my life for me before the foundation of the world came into bring. And I am not alone or special in this. God has mapped out plans for the lives of all his children, if only we would stop resisting him, and if only we would stop separating that which we think belongs to the natural real, and that which belongs to the spiritual realm. I liken our journey with God to that of driving a car. Sometimes we just need to let go of the steering wheel, and let God take us in the direction he has planned for us. The longer we resist him, the longer it will take for us to reach our destinations. Sometimes we create our own storms to slow that vehicle down, instead of trusting God to lead us in the right direction.

Let's Meet The King

One of the advantages of education is that it's validity can be tested against known parameters. Such testing can gauge the impact of education on a person's life, and should never be something to fear. When God is with us in a matter, then it will stand the test of time, as was the case with Daniel and his friends. In Daniel 1:18-20, Daniel and his friends were brought before the king, after their three years of training, to be interviewed by him. This is not unlike a viva, which many PhD students have to go through, to test the validity of their research thesis.

Because God was with Daniel and his friends, then there would not have been anything for them to fear, as they stood before the king. And in actual fact, the king was more than delighted with what he found among Daniel and his friends. In all matters of wisdom and understanding, they were ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in Babylon. In other words, they did not just survive in Babylon, but they came through with flying colors. God was able to complete the good work he had started in them (Philippians 1:6), and which brought honor to God.

Likewise, God has not destined you to just survive and get through your education program by the skin of your teeth. God has destined and purposed that your will be more than a conqueror through him who loves you (Romans 8:378). This does not mean that you won't have a bumpy ride at times, are that you won't have set backs, because you will. No doubt, Daniel and his friends will have had some setbacks during their three year training programme, but guess what? God has not recorded whether or not they did in fact have such setbacks. It's not how we start out in life that is important, but how we finish the race that counts, despite any bumps we might hit on the road along the way. But if we keep setting our minds upon the setbacks, we will end up losing sight of the big picture. In the final analysis, God wants you to succeed in whatever you choose to do in life, including getting yourself a good education.

In conclusion to our chapter on talents and college we find, in Daniel 1:21, that Daniel and his friends ended up serving under king Nebuchadnezzar. Eventually, Daniel was also promoted to become ruler over the whole province of Babylon, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and, Abed-Nego (Daniel 2:48-49). In other words, they not only used their natural abilities to serve the king, but they used their spiritual gifts to interpret the king's dreams. And when we let God into every aspect of our lives, we will also find that not only can we serve God from a natural standpoint, but God will also open up doors of opportunity for us, where our spiritual gifts and ministries will be brought into focus.

It was not always plain sailing for Daniel and his friends in Babylon. They went through the fiery furnace and met up with lions. Daniel 1:21 tells us that Daniel outlived Nebuchadnezzar and served right through to the first year of the reign of king Cyrus. In other words, God will make certain that none of our educational training will ever be in vein. Everything God develops within us will last a life time, and even on into eternity. Nothing about our lives will be lost or wasteful. And even though it may not appear what we shall be now, we know that when the Lord appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

And the final word probably belongs to the life of Jesus, who also learnt the trade of a carpenter, or builder, as it states in some translations. And if you are wondering why Jesus needed to become a builder, then read the words of John 14:2, where it says that Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for us. It is no coincidence that Jesus learnt the skills of a builder, because of his involvement in preparing our dwelling places in heaven. So remember, not only will God's gifts in you last a life time, they may very well be an indication of the work, which God has for you in eternity. So never ever let anyone put you off from whatever you think your calling is. When God is in a matter, it cannot fail, and neither can you. So if God is calling you to college, be assured that he is in the matter, and he will look after you.

Nine

Your Talent Needs Faith

But someone will say,“You have faith; I have deeds.”Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

James 2:18 NIV

Being Practical

When we consider the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the question arises,  "Why do some people use their talents, while others do not?" Alternatively, the question may arise, "Why do some people appear to be used by God, while others do not?" This can lead to another question, "Does God favorsome Christians more than others?" The answer to these three questions can be found in Hebrews chapter 11. That is, although God decides which gifts we have, faith on our part is the key to activating them. God can give us as many gifts as there are available. However, if we do not step out in faith and use them, then like the person who buried his talent, such gifts will not be used. The same also goes for people who God has given various ministries to. If faith is not utilized, those ministries, like gifts, will go nowhere.

The responsibility is on God to supply the gifts, but the onus is on us to step out in faith and use them. For example, God may have put a word of encouragement on my heart, but if I do not open my mouth and speak it out, then others will not be encouraged. And this principle of utilizing our faith applies to every gift, ministry and talent, which God has supplied to us. This principle also applies to utilizing our educational abilities, as we have already discussed in the last chapter. And if we do not avail ourselves of the training we need to develop our educational skills, then our talents will be wasted. Let me give you an example of what I mean, relating to a musician. I have met many musicians, who are among the most talented people one could ever meet. And yet, many of them tell me how much they still need to practice their music, in order to stay on top of the game. Just because they are talented does not mean that everything happens automatically for them. They still have to practice playing new songs, until they have mastered them.

Musicians tell me that the key words for doing well are, 'Practice', 'Practice' 'Practice!' We have all seen professional golfers, who are at the top of their game, have an off day where they cannot even sink one shot. We have even seen professional football players who have failed to make a touchdown in a particular game. We should never make the mistake of thinking that, just because someone is talented, everything is handed to them on a plate. Have you met the Christian who tells you, year after year, that they are waiting for God to use them. In other words, they sit around, hoping that God will come down from his throne, and start the ball rolling. Such people never get very far in their walk with God, because they are waiting for God to somehow do the work for them.

Ministries often start very small, and without people recognizing that God is at work in a person's life. On a number of occasions I have become involved with something, which did not appear to amount to much at first, only to discover that a ministry or a gift was coming into existence. When I started attending the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship, in my younger days, I did not realize that I would be the person who would start going to different towns and cities as the main speaker. When I started writing books, I only produced small mini volumes out of a personal interest, and not really for the purpose of selling them. I had not really considered working towards a career as a professional writer of books about Christian Living. I worked behind the scenes for about two years, until I realized that God might be in what I was doing.

I was not presumptuous about writing books, and I did not push God on the matter, in the hope of developing a ministry out of such an activity. I walked quietly before the Lord and left everything in his hands. In actual fact, I was planning a career in law at the time. However, doors kept opening relating to writing books, and eventually my law career was put on hold. All of this did not happen straight away, but over time as my faith grew. I had to test whether or not I could make a career out of writing books. I needed to be patient, and trust God to open the right doors for me over time. Most of all, I had to trust that God would provide financially for me, which he did. But I had no idea that I was embarking on a ministry at first, simply because I was hard at work writing books.

The books would not write themselves. God expected me to step out in faith, one step at a time, and get on with the job. It was all about hard work, and not about the potential glamour associated with being an author of books. Like the people who wisely invested in their talents, in the bible, it was all to do with hard work and just getting on with things. In other words, faith was demonstrated through what I did, and not by me waiting around hoping something 'magical' would happen. Faith is both realistic and very practical. This is why James told us that he would show us his faith by his deeds (James 2:18).

This brings us nicely onto the examples of faith found in Hebrews 11, where people demonstrated their faith by their deeds. In other words, they did not wait around for God to do something for them, they simply got on with things, as God blessed them in their endeavors. There is a fine line between faith and presumption, but there is also a fine line between faith and inactivity. God delights in us, especially when we try different doors, to find out what he has called us to do. It does not matter if we go through a wrong door, because eventually, we will find the right door that suits our calling. Yes, there are times when we may feel the need to wait on God in prayer over a matter. However, if we have been waiting around for the last ten years, then you can bet your bottom dollar that we have been wasting our time. There are those who instantly know what God has called them to do. They are able get on with their calling quite easily. However, there are also lots of Christians who struggle with their calling, and need encouragement to step out in faith to serve the Lord. And on this point, when I did not know what God wanted me to do, I became a volunteer at my church, until I discovered what my next assignment from God would be.

Getting back to Hebrews chapter 11, and the lessons of walking by faith, we will discover that each individual Old Testament saint was unique. They had different skills, abilities, and talents, and a unique way of going about things. None of them were perfect, and in fact, many of them made lots of mistakes. Many of them were not always certain about the direction they were going in. This did not mean that they could not carry on serving God. It just meant that they were human, which did not prevent them from moving forward in their service for the kingdom. By considering how some of the saints of old moved out in faith will encourage us to do likewise. We will also consider, in this chapter, some of the obstacles that we might put in the way of us serving God.

The Saints of Old

Our first example of faith can be found in Hebrews 11:4, where Abel was able to offer a better sacrifice to God than his brother Cain did. But why was Abel's sacrifice better than Cain's? The answer was not because Abel did something mystical. The answer was because he made a sacrifice, to present the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock, to God (Genesis 4:4). In other words, he did not give God just any part of his flock, but he sacrificed the firstborn, which then granted him favor with the Lord. Abel could have chosen to just sacrifice any of his flock. However, the key to the acceptance of his sacrifice was that he put God before his own needs. And this was something that Cain did not do. In other words, Abel's faith was demonstrated by what he did and not by what he thought.

It is quite possible that Abel, in his heart, may not have wanted to give God the best of his flock. However, because he saw God as someone greater than himself, he made the necessary sacrifice. And if we want to enjoy God's continued favor in our lives, then we too will need to give up some of our time, roll up our sleeves, and put our hands to the plough. The plough will not magically move itself, but we have to show God that we are willing to make a move and get on with serving him. It was Abel's choice whether or not to put God first. It was something that he purposed to do in his own heart, with no input from anyone else. It was a choice, whether or not he would sacrifice his firstborn.

When I started writing books, I too had to make a choice. I had to choose to turn my TV off, and spend time writing them. I had a choice whether or not to be lazy, or whether or not to get on with it; the choice was mine. Such a choice required effort on my own part, where I had to motivate myself into action. This does not mean that I can never watch TV. It just means that I control when I watch TV, rather the other way around. It's a continual sacrifice, which I can chose whether or not to make. It means going without the reward now, to receive the potential reward later on down the line. It meant walking by faith and trusting that I would discover God's favor in what I was doing, so that eventually it would reap a reward. And this does not mean that I have to work to gain God's favor, because God's favor is already on my life. However, if I want God's favor on my willing sacrifice too, then I need to motivate myself and get on with it.

It is worth briefly mentioning Enoch, in Hebrews 11:5-6. This is because the question may arise about why God took him to heaven, and what was so special about him? The key to Enoch finding favor with God was in the fact that he believed that God would reward him, if he diligently sought him. Enoch must have sacrificed a great deal of his time, to seek after God in a deep and meaningful way. He probably sacrificed a lot of his own ambitions, just to spend time getting to know God on a very personal level. He diligently sought God until there was no place for him to go, other than into God's physical presence. Enoch was probably unique in his devotion to God. He must have chosen to let go of all that earth afforded him, so that he might enjoy the pleasures of heaven.

We can only speculate about the life of Enoch. However, there is one thing that we do know, and that is, he must have been very special and very close to God during his day. If we want to hear God clearly leading and guiding us into his purpose, then we too will need to sacrifice some of our time and spend it in the presence of God. And if such an idea sounds  like too much of a sacrifice for us, then we can't expect God to speak clearly to us about our calling. Yes, God can speak to us at any time. However, if we don't appear to be getting anywhere with our gifts and talents, then more time in God's presence will be of benefit to us.

One verse, in Hebrews 11:7, is devoted to the exploits of Noah. God had obviously warned Noah that the world was about to be judged, and that he needed to build an ark to save him and his family from the flood to come. Until Noah decided to build an ark, all that he had was an idea in his heart and mind. That idea required him to do something physical with it. Nowhere does it suggest that Noah asked God for a sign to confirm his thoughts. Therefore, he would have to move out in faith, and build the ark in preparation for what was to come. Being prepared is half the battle for any Christian. Rather than waiting and hoping that something might happen, it is always better to work towards something that you believe God wants you to do. But, many people do not move out in faith, for fear of doing something wrong. I would prefer to move out in faith and make a mistake, rather than do nothing at all and miss the boat later down the line. Can you imagine what would have happened to Noah, and his family, if he had not bothered to build the ark?

In Hebrews 11:8-10, we also find that Abraham stepped out in faith, not knowing where he was going. The problem for many Christians is that, not only do they want a road map to lead them to their destination, they want to know exactly the location of that destination. They also want to know whether or not they will reach their destination, and all before they decide whether or not to start the journey at all. Abraham had no assurances about where he would end up, simply because he knew that there was a far better place waiting for him  in eternity. Therefore, anything he did on earth was secondary, simply because he recognized that he was just passing through. It did not matter whether he would reach his destination or not, down here on earth. He knew that he was destined for a city that was located in eternity. Abraham's example of faith demonstrates to us that it is more important to follow God's will, and leave the rewards to him, even if that means going without a reward until we reach heaven.

In Hebrews 11:11-12, we find that Sarah did not care what anyone thought about her bearing a child later in life. She did not worry whether or not the baby would be born healthy. She just trusted that God was in the matter and conceived Isaac, who was part of God's overall future plan for Israel. It did not matter that Sarah was in her old age, when Isaac was born. There was no retirement when it came to God's will for her life. And when God calls us into service for him, there is no retirement for us either. Yes, at retirement there might be a change in direction for us. But this is not the same thing as giving up and doing nothing. And it may be that pastors sometimes need to retire from their current positions within our churches, once they reach a certain age. However, that does not mean it's over for them, unless they choose to retire. Adapting to changing circumstances is always better than just giving up, as was the case with Sarah. Even though she was past child-bearing age, this made no difference to what God had planned for her. So, don't stop serving God, just because you are close to retirement age, because such matters rarely had any effect on the saints of old.

We only need to read Hebrews 11:13-16 to recognize that many saints of old did not see the promises, which God had made to them, fulfilled in their lifetimes. But because they believed God, they trusted that he would bring everything to pass, even though it may not happen straight away. We too may not see the effects of everything we do during our lifetime on earth. For example, a pastor may start a church, which may experience greater growth after the pastor has died, and in years to come. This does not mean that the pastor failed! It just means that they planted, someone else watered, but God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). And many of these saints of old never went back to the country God had called them out of, because they were not sentimental about their past lives.

I no longer live in the same city, which I had worked and lived in, after I left school. I always wanted to move back to my origins, as I was travelling around the country, but not anymore. Now, I have learnt to be content wherever God takes me. In fact, I live in a completely different city to where I have lived in the past, and I am as much at home now compared to anywhere I have lived in the past. I am so content, that I have no desire to move back to my roots. The saints of old did not look back to where they came from (except for Lot's wife), because they knew that they were destined for a heavenly country. Can you image God taking us home to heaven, when our time on earth is over, and we spent our time complaining that we wanted to return to earth again?

Returning to Abraham, in Hebrews 11:17-19, we find that God required him to sacrifice his only begotten son, even after God had promised him to Abraham. At no time in scripture do we find that Abraham complained about the fact that God required such a sacrifice. In fact, Abraham so trusted God, that he believed he could raise Isaac back from the dead, even after he had sacrificed him. Many Christians do not move on because they are unwilling to let go of a ministry, or a friendship or a church, or whatever it might be that God is calling them to move away from. It would have been easy for Abraham to say that he was not prepared to offer God a gift, which had been promised to him earlier. Likewise, many people are afraid to give up the original call God has placed on their hearts, and do something different for him.

Some people think that because God has called them to preach, then that's all they will ever do. By limiting God with our gifts, we can miss out on something special that he wants to do in our lives in our futures. God may call us to preach on occasions, or to serve coffee in our church on other occasions. But, whatever he calls us to do, we should not get sniffy about it, thinking that we are destined for greater things. Jesus was destined to be king, but he first had to suffer the pain and humility of the Cross, as he took on the role of the suffering servant.

God uses those who first learn to submit to him, and who walk in humility, as part of their everyday lives. And those who are looking for glamour, have been fooled by the enemy into thinking that God's kingdom works on the same principles as the world, which it does not. The kingdom of God employs those who are not self-serving, who don't seek after rewards, and who don't want to lord it over the rest of the flock. The kingdom of God employs the lowly in spirit, those who walk humbly before the Lord, and who will make the necessary sacrifices in order to serve God's purposes before their own.

In Hebrews 11:20-22, we find that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future, while Joseph left instructions for his bones to be carried into the Promised Land, after he was long dead. These are acts of faith by people who blessed others, despite their own demise. They knew how to put other people and God's kingdom first, before their own needs. And if this sounds like serving God is not easy, then it's time to wake up and smell the coffee! This is exactly what real service is all about. And when you recognize this, you will view your church leaders in a different light. You will discover that most of them are hard working, sacrificial of their time and needs, and put other people before themselves; all for the kingdom of God. And if you find that this is all too much for you, then chances are that you are not quite ready for service in the Lord's army. And don't worry if you are not feeling encouraged right now. This was exactly how I used to feel, until God gave me the grace to learn how to take on responsibility for other people. When we show God that we are willing to serve him, despite the cost, then he will give us the right amount of grace to serve him and get the job done; not in our strength, but in God's strength alone.

The parents of Moses would have had no idea, concerning what God would do with their son in the future. And yet we find, in Hebrews 11:23, that the parents of Moses saw something in him that they could not define. There was something different about him, something special that would change the whole direction of the children of Israel, even though his parents could not have possibly known this. And yet, by faith, they hid him for a period of three months, because they were not afraid of Pharaoh. And remember, Pharaoh was no slouch! He was the most powerful man in the region at the time, and yet the patents of Moses had no fear of him, because they made a step of faith and protected their son from death.

There is no room for fear in the kingdom of God. Fear is a luxury we cannot afford to embrace, if we want to be about the Father’s business. If we let fear overwhelm us, like some of Gideon's men did, then we will not see our gifts used to bring down the strongholds of Satan's power. If we let fear reign in our mortal bodies, then we will question every leading that God sends our way. If we let fear rule our hearts, then we will not make the extra effort to find out why the bush is burning, just in case we think that God might say something we don't want to hear.

In Hebrews 11:24-29, we find that Moses was a man who made the right choices in life. He chose to associate himself with God's people, rather than with the temptations and pleasures of sin found in Pharaoh's palace. There is nothing wrong with being comfortable, in life. However, if our comforts become our benchmark, so that we only serve God when the circumstances are right for us, then once again we will be put off from serving God as we should. In other words, we cannot serve God from a position of what's best for us. The question must be, "What's best for God?" This is why it says in Ecclesiastes 11:6 NIV, 'Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.'

We cannot always predict what will work for us in the kingdom of God, and what won't work. We need to be flexible and open to the leading of God's Spirit, so that he might direct us towards the most fruitful aspects of our calling. And remember, we may not always know, straight away, what is the most profitable of services we can perform in God's kingdom. Only time will tell what God's purpose is for our lives, as we faithfully and patiently serve him out of a sincere heart, with gratitude. It may be that God calls you to undertake a number of different activities for him, until it becomes clear to you what your calling is. And it may mean that you are faced with the difficult choice of letting go of something you enjoy now, to peruse something which may become even more fruitful later down the line. However, when we remain open to God, and we don't hang onto things too tightly, then we will find that God will bless our endeavors. Then he will lead us in the path that will bring the most glory to him and to his kingdom.

On the subject of Moses, he appeared to pick up one of the good traits from his parents; he was not afraid of Pharaoh. And whoever we associate with, it is vital that we too do not pick up wrongful traits from other people. We need to find people who are an encouragement to us; people who are not negative or judgmental. We need to come alongside people who will encourage us. People who are not afraid to take the leap of faith needed to obey God's calling. Moses moved out in faith so many times, that he should be an example to us all. And when the waters of the Red Sea stood in the way of him and the Children of Israel, he did not let it get in the way. Through the mighty power of God, those waters were parted, so that the Children of Israel could pass safely over on dry ground. And when you learn not to let adverse circumstances stand in your way, then you too will walk on dry ground and onwards towards fulfilling God's call upon your life, by faith. Never let what you can see put you off from what you can't see, concerning the purpose of God for your life. Remain faithful to God and don't stop, no matter what!

In Hebrews 11:30, we find that Moses had been a good mentor to Joshua. And when the time was right, Joshua was able to take the baton from Moses, move the Children of Israel through the obstacle of Jericho, and take the land of Israel. Having a good mentor to help people explore their talents is a must in our churches today. These are people who can encourage others to get the best out their calling, and prepare them for the future, just like Moses did with Joshua. Moses was not just interested in maintaining his own position in Israel, he was thinking about what was best for the nation (people) as a whole.

The role of leadership in our churches, should be to develop the talents and gifts in others. Sadly, I have witnessed leaders who have put more of their efforts into restricting people, rather than releasing them into their calling. And such restrictions can cause churches to go stale so very quickly, if we are not too careful. If Moses had not prepared Joshua in advance of his own departure, then who knows what would have happened to Israel. Churches often fail when they look outside of their own four walls to attract fresh talent. It is important that leadership is encouraged to chose people from our own fellowships to take on leadership roles, if we want to motivate the church of God in the right way. The result of the preparation of Joshua meant that the children of Israel were able to bring down the walls of Jericho, as indicated in Hebrews 11:30. Interestingly, the walls of Jericho represent the obstacles that stand in the way of our spiritual progression, from one part of our spiritual journey towards another. Because Moses chose a leader from among the existing Israelites, they had someone in who they could trust; someone who would help them come against the obstacles that stood in the way of their journey, chiefly the walls of Jericho.

However, there will be times when God will chose the most unlikely people to provide a service for him within the kingdom of God, as we can see from Hebrews 11:31. Here Rahab the harlot exercised her faith in the most practical way. She hid the men who had come in to spy out the land of Jericho, just before the walls of Jericho fell. Rehab's faith was demonstrated through her hospitality, which in itself is a ministry to the body of Christ. Her faith was also demonstrated through her willingness to take a risk and hide strangers in her house. And remember, these spies had entered Rahab's home as a precursor to the destruction of her own city. Not only was Rahab risking her life by hiding these spies, the security of her own home was about to be lost.

Rahab told the spies that she had in fact heard the stories about how God had brought Israel out of Egypt and thorough the Red Sea. She had heard how the Egyptian army had been destroyed, while in pursuit of God's chosen people. What Rahab heard of the exploits of Israel caused her to put her trust in a God, who she did not know. And when we learn to trust God more than our creature comforts, then we place ourselves in a position to see God do great things in our lives. Nothing comes without a cost to the individual who wants to be used by God. Where people put themselves forward to serve God, they must be prepared for change; especially if they want to see their own walls of Jericho brought down. But, like the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22), if the price of following Jesus is too high, then we remove ourselves from the prospect of doing great exploits in the kingdom of God. And this is precisely why serving God is always a choice, because there will always be a price to pay for such endeavors.

Each individual will pay a price, which is personal and unique to them; and not everyone will pay the same price. The cost of serving God is often related to giving up something that we have treasured in our lives; something which will not serve God's purpose for us in the long term. Because we don't always recognize that God has something better for us than that which we need to surrender up to him, it can be hard to make the necessary sacrifices required to serve him. And this is where faith comes into play. Faith is sometimes needed to move things out of the way, things which have been precious to us, so that we can make room for that which God thinks is better for us.

For example, this is no different to a single person who has to learn how to give up their single lifestyle, in order to prepare for marriage. And this is why there can be problems in some marriages. When one of the partners wants to live a single life while yet married, then a strain can be placed upon the relationship between the partners. Likewise, we are in a partnership with Christ, just like a marriage. Therefore, if we choose to live as we please, then we are going to have problems in our service for the Master. There are at least two periods in our lives, when we are required to make a sacrifice for the kingdom of God. The first comes when we reject the world and give our lives to Christ. The second potential sacrifice comes, when God asks us to lay down our lives (wants and desires) so that we might serve him in some capacity.

Both sacrifices require faith, and both sacrifices come with their rewards. Therefore not only is faith required for our gifts and ministers, it is also required where we need to give up anything which stands in the way of our service for God. However, when we are prepared to make a step of faith, putting our trust in the God who provides, then there is a glorious future waiting for those who want to serve God. Then their gifts and talents can be used for the glory of the kingdom of God. We also need to recognize that service in the kingdom of God is not like service in the world. In the world we are expected, for the most part, to build up our CVs so that we might get the best jobs that we can. However, in God's kingdom, it is those who are prepared to deny themselves and walk by faith, who put themselves in a position to serve God in a mighty way.

This does not mean that we can't go to bible college, or training courses to prepare for ministry. However, such preparations should follow a genuine call that God has placed upon our hearts. Hebrews chapter 11 is full of examples of ordinary people, who take on extraordinary tasks and responsibilities, for the kingdom of God. And it is noticeable that they are all usually called before they are prepared for service. That call provides us with the assurance that we need, so that we can do exactly what God has purposed us to do, despite what others may think. This is why such calls are often both personal to the individual, and often misunderstood by the casual observer. This is why there are so many people listed in Hebrews chapter 11; some who are not even named, as we are about to observe in this final section of the chapter. They were all individuals, who God dealt with in an individual way, and who were often misunderstood by their contemporaries.

Roll Call

Hebrews 11:32-40 starts out by suggesting that there is hardly time to include all the people of faith, who have done mighty exploits for God down the ages. And yet they are all examples of ordinary people who have exercised their faith in God. Here we find Gideon, who expressed fear at the prospect of serving God and defeating the Midianites. There is nothing wrong with being fearful when we are faced with the big decisions we need to make in our lives. This is normal and natural, even for the most audacious of people who are called to serve God. It is only when fear gets the better of us that we will have problems. But, if we are prepared to move forward despite our fears, then God will help us to overcome any obstacles pretty quickly, as Gideon did.

I remember when I was young, I had a fear of flying in an airplane. This placed quite a restriction on me, because there were places I needed to go to, such as the States. Such a place would be hard to get to by any other means of transport. One Summer, I got an invite to attend my friend's wedding in Paris, France. My friend was a French exchange student, who I had met at college. When the offer came to go the wedding, I readily accepted. Straight away, I received a word in my heart that I was to travel by air. To cut a long story short, when I got to the airport, I was terrified. I boarded the plane, where I was told to sit on the back seat.

Mistakenly, at the time, I presumed that the plane would crash. I also presumed that God had made arrangements for me to sit in the back of the plane, to give me the best chance of survival. Remember, fear has no reason! I pulled down the blinds to cover the window, to try and calm my nerves. The stewardess saw that I was afraid and asked if this was my first flight, to which I fearfully nodded in the affirmative. The stewardess brought me water and was very kind to me. The plane took off, with me  gripping the seat with fear. The plain leveled off at about thirty thousand feet, and the stewardess suggested that I look out of the window. Gradually I plucked up the courage to slowly open the blinds to see what it looked like down below. And instantly, the fear of flying left me. Since then, I have had no fear of flying whatsoever. I am as comfortable on a plane as I am on any transport. This small experimental trip on a plane, a flight that lasted only forty five minutes, prepared me for a long haul flight to the States. And this is precisely why God will permit us to go through new experiences, before he launches us out into bigger things. He wants us to deal with any residual fear that might try to block our service for the Lord. A short flight to France opened up the way for me to take a longer flight to the States.

As we continue to conclude the history of faith found in Hebrews chapter 11, we find that there are lots of people who are not named here, but their actions are recorded. Such actions encourage us that faith without actions leads us nowhere. Old Testament saints, with such talents, were able to subdue kingdoms, or stop the mouths of lions. They were people who could quench the fire, and even escape the edge of the sword. This was because God did not always call them to die for their faith, but to live for him instead. They were called to demonstrate God's power and grace towards those who stood against the principles of righteousness. Many were made strong through their weakness, because the joy of the Lord became their strength. And just because we might feel that we are weak, or the last people God might use, this does not mean that God will not call us into service for him.

Natural strength does not cut it with God. It's only those who are prepared to rely on God's grace to get the job done, who will be the ones who will triumph in the final analysis. Yes, some were tortured for standing up for what they believed in, but such people will have received God's grace to go through their ordeals. Some saints of God ended up in prison for what they believed in, just like the apostle Paul did. And yet, Paul did not sit back and complain because of the dilemma he found himself in. He made himself useful, and was able to write parts of the New Testament, so that we might benefit from his teachings. Prison bars could not prevent the writing of the gospel, or prevent the furtherance of the kingdom of God, for those saints who were not prepared to take things lying down.

Hebrews 11:39-40 NKJV conclude with the following words, 'And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.' In conclusion, all of these saints obtained a good testimony before God, more than they did before people. Christians often consider that having a good testimony means looking good in front of other people. However, this was not the case for many of the saints of old, such as Noah, who did not have a good testimony, simply because people rejected his repeated warnings that God was about to flood the earth.

Therefore, if we are going to serve God and obey his will for our lives, this will mean that there will be times when we should not consider what others may think of us. They may very well think that we are out of the will of God, because we do not fit their criteria about what a good testimony is. A good testimony is a testimony which pleases God before it pleases others. And if you want to serve God while always looking good before others, then think again. Obviously, it will not always be the case that we will look bad before others. However, in my own personal experience, we cannot please all of the people all of the time. And therefore, not trying of fit in with others, or trying to become a 'person-pleaser' will go a long way for us in our service and dedication to the purpose of God for our lives.

Finally, many of these saints did not receive a reward in this world. In fact many of them were shunned because of their conviction to follow a different path to their contemporaries. They knew that their real reward would come directly from God, when they met him in eternity. They did not concern themselves with receiving the accolades of their peers. So, if you believe that God has called you to step out in faith, and exercise your gifts and talents for the extension of God's kingdom, then it's time to get with the programme. It's time to seek God. It's time to study his word, and it's time to start walking by faith and not by site. It's time to follow the inclinations of your heart, even if no one else is with you, or understands the direction you believe God wants you to take in your life. And once you have decided to follow your heart, and not the ideas of those who might be putting pressure on you to conform, then God's grace will meet you right where you are. And then you will start a journey that will bring you gloriously into God's presence, where you will hear the words from Matthew 25:21 NKJV, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

Ten

Prepare Yourself!

Do not be afraid of their faces,

For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD."

Jeremiah 1:8 NKJV

Being Single-Minded

In the final chapter of this book, we will concentrate on the preparation of those who God calls into service for him. Clearly, the Christian life places many demands on Christians. Some demands are legitimate, and some demands can emanate from peer pressure. However, it is sometimes God's purpose for his children to concentrate on the preparation of their own vessels, ready for their particular ministry, gift, or talent marked out for them. This allows them to spend time developing that ministry in readiness for their future. In my own personal experience, God has led me to concentrate all my efforts into writing books, and nothing else. Yes, I still make sure that I attend church and fellowship with people, etc. But, I do not allow myself to get side tracked into doing so many activities that my head starts to spin; I simply follow my call to write books,

I have been tempted to engage myself in lots of activities, such as going on short bible study courses, or volunteer my services in specific areas of church. However, this can have a negative effect on the efforts I put into the work I am currently engaged in. If we are not careful, we can end up feeling guilty because of the demands that other people place on our shoulders; such demands we need to avoid if we want to get the best from the calling, which God has placed upon us. There may be times when we will need to return to the hustle and bustle of a more active church life. However, until we learn to concentrate our efforts in one particular sphere of influence, then we may not reap as much as God wants us to do in our current circumstances.

Jeremiah was very young when God called him to fulfill his particular and specific ministry for God. God said to Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1:5, that he knew him before he was born, and that he sanctified (separated) him, and ordained him to be a prophet to the nations. In other words, God had chosen Jeremiah for one single task, simply because that task alone was arduous enough to require all his efforts and attention. Jeremiah's ministry would last his entire lifetime, and right up until Judah and Jerusalem were carried away captive into exile in Babylon. We should never think lightly concerning the gifts and talents, which God has given to us. The kingdom of God is not always about how many gifts and talents we have. In actual fact, we could end up with a number of talents, which we may never really develop and use in our lifetime. Sometimes, it's just as powerful to concentrate on one area of ministry, where we are prepared to step out in faith and exercise it. I would rather develop one ministry successfully, than three ministries which I had little time to get involved with.

Like Gideon, Jeremiah came out with excuses about why he should not follow the call God had placed upon his heart. In Jeremiah 1:6, Jeremiah's excuse was that he was too young to obey God's call upon his life. And it is appreciated that Jeremiah was probably a teenager when God called him to such an important role. Like Jeremiah, we can all find a reason why we should not follow the call that God has placed upon our hearts. We might think that we are not experienced enough to fulfill such a call. We might think that we do not have a big enough platform to operate in the ministry, which God has marked out for us. We may think that we are not popular enough to fulfill such a call, and we may fear that people won't listen to us. We may even think that we have not been given the right breaks we need in our church to be used by God in a particular way. However, if we stop listening to the excuses and start following the lead of the Holy Spirit, despite our circumstances, then God will make a way for us where there seems to be no way.

The gifts and callings that God places on our hearts rarely have any connection to the circumstances surrounding us. This is why it is not so important to tell people what God has called us to do; especially where there may be little encouragement for such a calling from among some of our fellow church members. For example, some people might be jealous over our individual callings. Jealousy is a human trait found in both Christians and non-Christians alike; we all get jealous from time-to-time. Therefore, it is wisdom not to always reveal every aspect of what God is leading you into, by way of your gifts and callings, until you feel confident enough to do so. We are all good at setting out our stall and broadcasting our intentions to the world at large. And this we do before we have spent the necessary time developing the skills we need to fulfill such a call. And doubtless, God told Jeremiah about his call when he was young, to give him the necessary time to develop the skills he needed to put that call into action.

It is noticeable, in Jeremiah 1:7, that God did not accept Jeremiah's excuse that he was too young to serve the Lord. In reality, God was telling Jeremiah not to state the obvious. In other words, God knows our weaknesses, but because we have weaknesses this does not mean that God will not, or cannot, use those he calls. The point is, God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows what we are capable of doing for him, even though we might not have a clue concerning our own abilities. And this is where we need to be careful concerning the flesh. There are things that I know I am capable of doing in the kingdom of God. Therefore, God may not call me to do that which appears obvious, or where I do not need to rely on God's help to accomplish certain tasks.

Throughout my life, I have discovered that I am often called to take on a task, which I am unfamiliar with, or I lack confidence in. Particularly, areas where I lack confidence in myself, or my own abilities. If I were to take on a call, where I depended upon my own confidence to serve the Lord, then there would be a danger of accomplishing that call in my own strength. Therefore, God often places us into circumstances and ministries, where we are totally reliant upon the Lord to help us. And this may include being reliant on God to supply the resources we need to obey that call. The more that a call is reliant upon God, rather than self, the more glory goes to God in the final analysis. And this is precisely why God often calls people into something that they are unfamiliar with, and where they need God's help to accomplish the task. This is also why king David said that we should not go down to Egypt to get our horses. Our supply should always come from God, and not from the flesh. Our reliance should always be on God, as we look to him for the grace we need to follow his leading into the calling he has assigned for each and every one of us.

Like Jeremiah, our calling first relates to obedience, rather than to any skills we currently possess. God goes on to say to Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1:7, that he was to go to all the people that God would sent him to, and he was to speak whatever God commanded him to speak. In other words, God starts off by laying down the law to Jeremiah's, stating who his boss was. A successful calling will always depend upon how much we are prepared to obey God's leading in our lives: even to the detriment of other people's feelings about our call and service to God. And if we are always concerned about offending other people's feeling, when it comes to our individual call, then we will find it very hard to obey God's prompting and instructions in our hearts.

Trusting the inner voice of God is half the battle for anyone who is being called into ministry. We should not presume that the inner voice of God will necessarily tell us to do something outlandish, or something that lacks common sense or wisdom. However, the leading of God may tell us to walk in a direction, which other people may not necessarily agree with. They won't always understand God's working in your life, especially if it does not correspond with the leading of God in their own lives. Too many Christians look for carbon copies of themselves, and judge other Christians after their own experiences or callings. But, when we learn to compare ourselves to Jesus, and not to other Christians, then we will place ourselves on a firmer foundation, despite what other Christians think of us. This is also why it is a good idea to ignore the criticisms that can be leveled against us, from time-to-time, and start trusting that God knows best.

Throughout my life, probably ninety nine percent of criticisms have had no effect on the will and purpose of God concerning the direction I have been heading in. As its states in Romans 14:4 NKJV, 'Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.' There is only one person who is entitled to judge us, and that is the one who has saved us, the one who has called us, and the one to whom we all must give an account, and that is Jesus Christ. Serving God is not a popularity contest, it is an obedience contest. We only need to look at king Saul's lack of obedience to gain an understanding about how God deals with those who do not obey God (1 Samuel 15:23).

It is probably worth pointing out that the people who have been the most problematical to me, have been those who usually do not know how to listen to, or even obey God's voice in their own lives. They are usually the ones who have a tendency to lean more to the flesh than to the Spirit, finding any excuse not to follow God in their own life. Such people will rarely agree with the leading of God in other people's lives. Therefore, in the final analysis, obedience to what God is calling us to do is paramount. And when we do decide to follow God's leading, there is nothing to be afraid of. God's leading normally has something to do with our calling, and it will not relate to anything outlandish.

I have never discovered that God has promoted me to do something that is stupid or dangerous. And this is where discernment is important, along with checking things out for ourselves in the bible. I often know when God is speaking to me, because he speaks to me over a period of time concerning an issue. If I ever feel a compulsion, where I am forced to act on a matter immediately, then this is probably something that is coming from the flesh or the Evil One. God always leads me gently, like a lamb, with no pressure to act suddenly or on impulse. Quite the contrary, God is often holding me back, instructing me to take my time over an issue, so that I don't do something from a worldly or fleshly point of view. Often, our flesh lives are in a rush, where we want to do things without weighing up the matter to make certain God is in it. But the Holy Spirit is gentle and peaceful, etc. As it says in James 3:17 NKJV, 'But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.'

Without doubt, fear can be one of the factors that prevents Christians from moving forward in their call for God. Many great servants of God were fearful when God called them into service for him, such as Gideon. Likewise, God spoke specifically to Jeremiah, in Jeremiah  1:8, not to be afraid of other people's faces, because God would deliver him. We should never fear the consequences of our obedience to God, or fear what others may say or think about our actions. We are only accountable to God, with respect to our calling, despite what others in the body of Christ may say to us about accountability. Jesus clearly stated that the Gentiles love to lord it over one another (Matthew 20:25). And when they do this, they can end up putting themselves in the place of God.

On the issue of accountability towards each other, such accountability relates to how we treat one another. We should always make certain that we do not sin against each other, especially when we profess that we are born again Christians. However, in the past the concept of accountability has been used as a control mechanism, within the body of Christ, to prevent people from following their calling. Thankfully today, people are much more free to follow the call, which God may have placed upon them, as they fellowship in their local churches. So, never fear people when it comes to serving God, God always justifies those he calls.

Hearing God's Voce

Our calling will also include an element of bringing God's word to other people, in one form or another. This is why God touched Jeremiah's mouth, and put his words in his mouth. Our calling, talents and ministries should never be about our own personal agendas or opinions. We are called as servants to represent God as his ambassadors (see 2 Corinthians 2:17-19). Jesus did not come to overthrow the Roman Empire, or set up his rule over the nation of Israel, during his thirty three year ministry and service for God. Yes, a day will come when Christ will no longer be seen as the suffering servant, but the soon coming King, but that day is not just yet. Our agenda must always relate to God's agenda, which is always peaceable, and based in humility and service to the body of Christ. Again, our service is not based on lordship, and lording it over others. It is based on a submissive will, in thankfulness to God, who has bestowed his favor and grace upon our lives to serve him.

God's calling on our lives is no mean thing, and should never be taken lightly. As we read in Jeremiah 1:10 NKJV, "See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant." This scripture related to the word that God had placed on Jeremiah's lips, to warn Judah and Jerusalem of God's coming judgment upon the land; prior to their captivity in Babylon. Jeremiah's call was not meant to be taken as a sign to exercise physical or political power, as we can observe from the rest of Jeremiah's life, as recorded in the book of Jeremiah.

Preparation is an important aspect in our calling to serve God. God is always ready to send us out into the vineyard, but are we? God said to Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1:11, "What do you see?" In other words, it was important for Jeremiah to recognize that it was God who was speaking to him, and that it was God who was revealing his word to him. Many Christians get confused concerning which voice they are listening to. There are three voices that we need to be mindful of, when it comes to listening out for God's voice. The first voice could be our own flesh, or other people we are listening to. There is nothing wrong with listening to other people, as long as that's all that we are doing. Wisdom is often found among many counselors, but it is still up to the individual to make their own decisions concerning the call God has placed upon them.

There is nothing wrong with seeking advice from others, when it comes to the things of God. However, that advice must always be seasoned by the circumstances effecting the individual. If someone gives me advice that worked well in the past, but would not work well today, I need the wisdom to know how to adapt that advice to match my changing circumstances. In other words, such advice needs to relate to the contemporary Christianity I now lead today. I cannot necessarily follow advice that worked well in the past, but would look out of place in today's churches. The second voice that I might hear is the voice of the Devil, tempting me to follow a path never destined for me by God.

As I have stated earlier, nothing of God (usually) takes place in haste. Therefore, it is always important to make sure that any advice, potentially coming from the Evil One, is not a temptation, or something that promotes the ego. Christ himself recognized that Satan was attempting to stimulate his ego, when he was tempted in the wilderness. However, Christ's nature of servant hood and humility helped him to recognize that any temptation to find fame in this world was futile, and not part of God's plan for him. Clearly, Jesus knew who he was, and when we know who we are and what God expects of us, then we can prepare ourselves to deny some of the deceitful temptations of the Evil One. For example, if any ministry I get involved in has a hint of being famous about it, this is probably a temptation from the Devil, and something that needs to be avoided at all cost.

The third voice that I could be hearing is God's voice. One day, I felt indignant about someone in a particular church, who was not living for God as he should have been. I had no intention of doing anything about what I knew, I was just sad over the testimony of this particular individual. However, one day I read a scripture, from Romans 14:10 (considered above), about how God could cause an individual to stand or fall. I recognized that I had been listening to my flesh, and judging a situation from my own standpoint. The entrance of God's words brought light into this situation, and I was able to leave the matter in God's hands. The more we understand the bible, the more we can recognize whether or not God is speaking to us. And the less my flesh life is involved in this process, then the more I will be clear about who is speaking to me. And because Jeremiah was clear concerning what God was revealing to him, in Jeremiah 1:12, God was then able to perform his word through his life and ministry. There would have been nothing worse for Jeremiah than preaching a word, which had not come from God in the first place. All that he would have ended up doing was operating from a position of his own flesh; and this is something that we all need to avoid at all cost.

When God calls us, and starts speaking to us, there is always a high level of consistency in such matters. This is why God spoke a second time to Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1:12-14. And in fact, here we find that God is giving Jeremiah the foundation upon which he would share God's message with the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, relating to the disaster, which was coming from the North; where Judah would eventually be taken into captivity. Therefore, Jeremiah's whole message to Judah was that they should not fight God's will and purpose for the nation. Rather, they should be prepared to take God's punishment, because disaster was going to happen, no matter how much they would try and resist such a cause of action. God goes on to reveal the full consequences of Jeremiah's message to the land of Judah in Jeremiah 1:15-16. And although we will never be called to the same ministry that Jeremiah was called to, God's light will shine through our lives. And God will cause us to be a witness to those who are prepared to hear God's message through us in these last days of time.

As I stated above, God may be prepared to use us, but are we prepared to be used by God? This is precisely why God said to Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1:17, "Prepare yourself and arise!" Although God calls us, it is our responsibility to prepare ourselves to serve him. That is, we need to do our homework. We need to study God's word, until we have a good understanding of it. We need to develop a good prayer life with God, so that we keep our lines of communication open to his throne room, and so that we might hear his instructions to us on a regular basis. We should not neglect the gathering of ourselves together, so that we might learn how to bond with fellow Christians. We should also make certain that we deal with our flesh life, so that it does not act as a hindrance to any future plans, which God may have for us.

We should also make up our minds that we are going to learn to say, "As thus says the Lord", rather than relying on our own thoughts and ideas, when serving God's purpose for our lives. Our thoughts and ideas should always be subservient to God's word. If we are the kind of people who always want to get our own way, and we think that our voices should be heard all the time, then most likely we are speaking from a place of the flesh. When we learn to recognize that God can speak through our lives, without us even opening our mouths, then we will have come a long way in our preparations to serve God in a mighty way. Just look at Elizabeth's husband, who the angel Gabriel struck dumb, at the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist! He was able to confirm God's plan for Elizabeth, without even speaking a word to anyone.

God Will Protect You

In conclusion, and despite what Jeremiah went through, God made him a fortified city against the whole land, so that no one had the power to prevent his message from being heard (Jeremiah 1:18). When God wants to do something, or when God wants to speak through us, nothing can get in the way of that purpose. No matter how fragile we think we are, and no matter what we might think of ourselves, God's message through our lives and voices will reach its intended audience. What we don't always recognize, is the impact that both our lives and words can have on other people. Our very presence can speak volumes to others, without us even recognizing it. This is simply because we cannot read people's minds, and because people very often do not admit it when they are coming under God's conviction.

We are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and greater is he that is in us than he that's in the world. One person with God on their side is always majority. Too often we are influenced by what people say to us, and what people think about us, when in actual fact we should not necessarily pay attention to them. We do not need to respond to criticism, especially where it is both destructive and negative. Commentators tell us that Jeremiah did not have many friends. He had Ahikam and Baruch and a couple of others. And although he did not gain the respect of his contemporaries in his day, it was better to have one or two loyal friends, than compromise his calling just to be popular.

And this raises an important point. Many ministries, which have grown large over the years, may not have started out to gain popularity. In fact, the kingdom of God is not a popularity contest, which is why we are not here to win the approval of others. God was well pleased with Jesus, even before his ministry started. Therefore, he was not obliged to seek the approval of his contemporaries, and particularly not the approval of the religious leaders of his day, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees. Likewise, if we need to seek the approval of others before we embark on our callings and ministries, then we may lack God's vital assurance in our lives. And if we don't feel that we have God's assurance, then we may not be able to run the full distance in our callings and ministries.

Not only did Jeremiah receive God's calling at a young age, he was given the assurance that God would protect him in that calling, so that he could continue his service for God uninterrupted. We too need to lay hold of God's promises from the bible, which tells us that he will protect us in our service, no matter what. This does not mean that we won't have trouble while we are in the world, or that we won't go through hard times during our walk with God. But when we know that God will always come through for us, and when we know that he will always supply the grace that we need to serve him, then we will enjoy a more successful ministry in the days ahead.

Finally, God told Jeremiah that the people of Judah would fight against him, but they would not prevail (Jeremiah 1:19). This was because God would always be there to deliver him from trouble. This instruction about God's protection should be an encourage to us too. And just because we are called of God, this does not mean that we won't face difficulties, because we will. God's instruction to Jeremiah also tells us that, even though we might face opposition, God will also deliver us from it too. Therefore, whatever negativity the enemy would try and whisper in our ears, we should not let anything prevent us from pursuing the call, which God has placed upon our hearts. However, if we are afraid to step out in faith, and follow God's calling upon our hearts, then we could potentially miss the most exciting journey of our lives.

Although it is God who calls us, and it is God who gives us grace to serve him, he is still looking for determined people. He is still seeking to use those who have a determination not to let anything get in the way of their calling, so that he might use them in greater ways for the extension of his kingdom. Obeying God's call to use our talents is not easy, as we have discovered throughout this book. But, if we are prepared to become single-minded, and determined to obey God call upon our lives no matter what, then we will lead a very blessed life in the face of the earth today. And what a day it will be when we hear God's words to us, from Matthew 25:21 NKJV, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

About The Author

My name is Christopher Roberts, and I have a background in teaching law and computing. I also have a teaching certificate (PGCE), and a Master of Science Degree in Business Administration & IT. I also hold a Graduate Diploma in Law, along with my Barrister's Degree. I have spent a good number of years teaching in universities, in the North of England, along with writing for legal journals, over the last twenty years. But life was not always so blessed for me. I grew up with little to no education, until I was 25 years of age. Then, with God's grace, I returned to college to train as a lecturer, before entering the teaching profession. Eventually, and in later life, I went on to study law, and was called to the Bar of England & Wales, in July 2010.

I have a Christian background, finding Christ as my own personal Savoir, just before my eighteenth birthday. Many years of experience have prepared me to write down the wisdom and grace that God has given to me, so that others may be blessed by the insights found in my books. I also enjoy sharing my life and testimony, at after dinner gospel meetings.

Years of preaching experience have gained me a good reputation, among my peers, as being someone who will not depart from the truth of God's word. I can remember how someone came to me, not long after my conversion, bearing a scripture in their hands. They hoped it would prove helpful in my developmental years as a Christian. That scripture was found in, 2 Timothy 2:15-16,"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, one rightly dividing the word of truth". That scripture has lived with me for nearly forty years, and it forms the basis of everything I write. This is, so that readers might be blessed, and trust that my writing will not turn them away from God, through error.

I hope that you enjoyed reading my book, 'One Thing', and I hope that it provided you with help along your journey, as you walk deeper and closer with God each day.

Christopher Roberts

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Table of Contents

Other Books By The Author

Copyright

About This Book

One What Is Your Talent?

Two Have You Got The Right Credentials?

Three Thinking Outside The Box

Four Stop Treading On My Toes

Five Who Stole Your Talent?

Six Your Talent, God's Time

Seven Body Ministry

Eight Talents And College

Nine Your Talent Needs Faith

Ten Prepare Yourself!

About The Author