(Walking In Scriptural Balance)
– Bimbo Animashaun
Dear Minister, it is better to know certain things EARLY IN MINISTRY than coming to grips with those facts at a later stage of one’s ministry.
I say this with the utmost and greatest sense of caution; one of the greatest ironies of ministry is that there are certain things that the younger generation do, that some “fathers” wish they had known or done earlier.
No matter how great your assignment in ministry is, never forget that you’re indeed racing against time.
I have seen “fathers” in ministry who expressed a desire to have mastered few things at the disposal of the younger generation, which were not so popular in their own generation.
You see; it doesn’t mean that the “fathers” failed. No No No! It only suggests that the move of God is progressive, and as much as possible, the younger generation should learn to treat every ministry belief or mindset with balance.
I once heard Pastor Poju Oyemade make reference to a statement made by a man of God and it really blessed my heart.
The man of God said Satan cannot gain access into your space and have a field day until he first makes you to believe the wrong thing. Very strong!
The challenges that many ministers go through in ministry today are a function of wrong belief or lack of balance in treating ideas they interface with in their day-to-day life.
I must say that I have seen very anointed ministers (and I mean very anointed ministers) that have a belief system that gave me serious concern.
Whatever you do today in ministry (your conduct) can be traced to a belief system.
Satan does not necessarily need to tell you odd things to do because he knows that you have enough rationality and sensibility not to do them.
But he tells you what appears harmless on the surface like, “Command these stones to be made bread”, but obeying his voice means you’re conceding authority to him.
I must also say that most statements that rock people’s boat in ministry are NOT OUTRIGHTLY WRONG but if you don’t treat them objectively and holistically, you may have yourself to blame later.
There are many of those statements but we want to look at SEVEN OF THEM. The key is BALANCE, BALANCE BALANCE! Now let’s examine a few here:
(1) “Church Growth is not by crowd. You don’t need a crowd in ministry. It’s not by number but by substance”
This very statement has limited the vision of many ministers. As good as this statement may appear on face value, it’s a very delicate statement.
Those who outrightly buy into it subconsciously believe that churches that have large membership must have lowered the standard but that’s not true.
Jesus had crowds during His earthly ministry -Lk. 6:19. The early church experienced numerical increase to the tune of thousands – Acts 2:41,47, 4:4, 6:7, 11:21.
Some years ago, I heard a preacher say that the real concept of Church Growth is explained on the level of the Church universal.
In other words, so far some churches are having numerical increase, it makes no difference if some other churches have stagnant membership.
He argued that those who are addded to other churches are “indirectly” added to the universal Church, and by reason of that, churches with stagnant membership are also experiencing Church Growth because it’s one Body.
He even went as far as faulting the Church Growth concept people teach, taking his reference from the early church model, claiming that then, the Jerusalem Church was “the only Church” and so it’s the universal Church.
But we realize that when Timothy, the first Bishop of the church at Ephesus took over that church, it was around 22000 but under his leadership, the church GREW IN NUMBER to around 42000 members.
Dear minister, don’t always take every statement hook, line and sinker. Numerical increase is Biblical.
So far you don’t gather crowd through cunning and deceptive means, you’re much on track.
Have a vision of multitudes. The Word increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied – Acts 6:7.
(2) “My ministry is a Word ministry; I don’t subscribe to the flows of the Spirit”
There are ministers who believe that theirs is only THE WORD MINISTRY; they don’t flow in the gifts of the Spirit, yet the Word says the manifestation of the Spirit is given to “EVERY MAN” to profit withal – 1Cor.12:7. How many men? It says “EVERY MAN”!!!
The moment you believe that you’re not meant to flow in the dimensions of the Spirit, you have already set a limit on your ministry.
Truth is that it’s the Holy Spirit Who opens up the Word we’re talking about to us, so the Spirit dimension cannot be neglected.
We see Jesus return in the power of the Spirit – Lk. 4:14. We see the early apostles filled with the Spirit and they spoke the Word with boldness – Acts 4:31.
We see Paul talk about THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT as a vital compliment to THE WORD MINISTRY – 1 Cor.2:4-5.
Although some, may, by reason of their ministry offices, operate more in certain dimensions of the Holy Ghost, you as a minister too, at whatever level, are A MINISTER OF THE WORD AND OF THE SPIRIT – 2 Cor.3:6.
(3) “I don’t need a mentor; I don’t want to run mental”
Lol . Some say the word “mentor” is not in the Bible, but the same set of people have forgotten that the word “Rapture” is not also in the Bible.
Some words are not written in the Bible but they are implied in the Bible through their synonyms.
Truth is that you need mentors, fathers and teachers to guide you. Those who have nobody that they’re submitted to in ministry sometimes operate their ministries like a “cult”.
And may I say this beloved; time is too short for you in ministry to be learning from your own mistakes over and over again.
It may affect the posterity of your work. You need those above you to guide you.
Read 1 Cor.4:15, Heb. 6:12, Heb. 13:7, 17.
(4) “We preach Christ only; we don’t preach about marriage, finance, business, etc.”
No qualms! By the time people start grappling with various issues and they bombard you with their burdens such that your private time with the Lord is severely affected, you will teach the full counsel of God.
Many parables of Jesus dealt with business and economy. Jesus taught about marriage. Paul and Peter taught about marriage. Paul taught about industry and work ethics.
You see, preaching the aforementioned does not mean one is not preaching Christ, and Him crucified.
They are practical avenues and outlets to reveal the Christ that we preach to the world. Glory to God!
To say the least, there are many young men in the Body of Christ today that can dissect the ABC of Christology and Apologetics but when it comes to marriage matters, money matters and practical matters, they know next to nothing – everything is in SHAMBLES!
(5) “The way you dress is the way you’re addressed”
Now that’s the fact. That’s very correct! But beloved, when people address somebody well based on the way he’s dressed, but by the time he collects the microphone, he starts talking “rubbish”, people will change the “address” immediately .
If that statement is not balanced, we will see young men and women pursuing suits in ministry instead of getting the real substance into their spirits, and that substance in their spirits will produce those external effects.
The balance is you need to dress well but don’t eat your tomorrow today in the name of “the way you dress is the way you’re addressed”.
(6) “The end justifies the means”
No; that’s a “Satanic” doctrine! God is interested in THE PROCESS. If you gather people by stage- managing miracles, the end definitely does not justify the means.
If you exaggerated a testimony to attract people, the end definitely does not justify the means.
If you pull another person’s ministry down as your own staircase to the top, the end definitely does not justify the means.
We have to be very careful in ministry. As much as I believe in RESULTS, I equally believe that we can get results in ministry through righteous and legimate means.
I definitely don’t need to dress like a prostitute to win the prostitutes to Christ, just like I don’t have to join an armed robbery operation to win armed robbers to Christ.
(7) “We don’t need packaging in ministry; all we need is the real substance”
Well, if packaging means lying, exaggerating and giving a false impression of your ministry to the public, then it is UNGODLY.
But if packaging means providing a conducive, fascinating and attractive atmosphere to project your work, then it’s okay.
Nobody posts “ugly” things online. If packaging means having a good air conditioning system in your auditorium, good aesthetics, good musical gadgets, good sound systems, good photography, good ambience, then it’s fine.
There are ministers who believe that the apostles didn’t use gadgets yet they manifested THE RAW POWER OF GOD. No wahala !!!
Truth is that YOU CAN MANIFEST THE RAW POWER OF GOD AND STILL LOOK “TUSH” at your level. Don’t just swallow anything hook, line and sinker.
Crosscheck and verify. Don’t be affected by somebody else’s PERSONAL PREJUDICE. Check through the Word by yourself!
There are people who don’t believe in beautiful auditoria; they say it’s not about the physical building because we are God’s building. No qualms
!!!
By the time people are beaten by rain and the scorching sun and they want to look for good ambience, those ministers will realize that although we are God’s building – 1Cor.3:9, we also need a conducive meeting place to fellowship.
How do you think for example that 120 people would gather in a “room” if there was no cross ventilation or if it was not conducive – Acts 1:13, Acts 2:1?
Dear minister, treat every statement with balance. It’s not true that if you’re not sick, you can’t have a global healing ministry. Jesus was not sick yet His healing ministry is our Example.
It’s not true that ministers with “SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS” always have marital challenges.
No; Peter was a married man and we never read that his home was in disarray – Lk. 4:38.
Choose what you believe, and let your belief be based on THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD, as revealed in the Word.
Remember, you will always BEHAVE what you BELIEVE, and you will always BECOME what you BEHAVE.
It’s a new dawn for your ministry!
I trust this made little sense?
Aphorism CITY 