1 can put 1,000 to flight and 2 puts 10,000

This week we got a great chance to work together. Imagine that 3 fully grown mature men. Who are all very unique and designed by God with a different individual purpose.

Being an evangelist at heart. My driver is to establish healthy relationships. So with the Lords help, I try to bring things together. People mostly. Even when I am playing video games. I am thinking of ways to complete objectives where the whole team is involved and benefiting. This will happen in every believers life. You may start off ministering by yourself to people about the love of God. But God loves us to much to be left unattended to our limiting views in Him. So he puts us with other believers. All hearing from Him. Yet all from our unique relationship that we have in Christ. 

I always am asking what the Lord is showing someone. It's hard to say whether or not someone is right or wrong.We must look and try and find the Lord in what someone says. Then those who are responsible to lead should now try to plug that into the time of ministry so that the whole body is blessed. If you haven't adjusted to the way the Lord is doing things you will find this difficult.  No longer is God only speaking to one man to do all the work. The Lord is raising a whole Body to do all of the work. We must shift to not allow people to sit and let you do all the work.  It's actually more work for me because I am now responsible for what they told me.  If it is judged as from the Lord now I have to plug it into the ministry. Whether it comes from me or them. As long as it happens so the people receiving the ministry get all that the Lord is showing. It is irresponsible for me, if others are there, to take all the ministry and let others sit.  Even if they don't minister that night I will make sure that what the Lord shows them gets ministered. 

God can always do more when we team up. But He spends 2/3 of the New Testament teaching us the best way to do it. Rom:14. In order to put 10,000 to flight when we come together we have to shift our thinking to whom we are ministering. Instead of looking beside us at our brother or sister making sure they are doing it "right". Lol. How pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. Operating in the unique identity Christ has given, yet submitting the function that has been previously outlined. 

So tonight three of us went into the jail. One hadn't been in a while and could easily run the ministry without me. But he can run the ministry with me there so I usually don't stay home when he comes. Let me explain. Some people will always look to the leader to be the only source of the ministry. but if we love the Lord. If I need not be there for you to function as the Lord intends for you to, then i won't go, so that you can grow. But its rare and wonderfult to have those who will step up and lead with you there. With the guy I previously mentioned, I know He will step out and do what the Lord shows him whether I'm there or not. And the other brother who has been coming in each week I knew he would preach the gospel and continue preaching from the angle of the kingdom. So I had him preach. And the other start us off to set up a gateway for him to preach. Then I later asked him to finish the night off. This was weird because who ever brings the word usually is in the right place to close us out. Because they have been watching and judging the hearts as they preach. They can pray but I did see a lot of demonic oppression going on in the kids hearts. ( I dont throw those words out there to act like we have something big), Which broke my heart. I knew most of them didn't want to be free that night. Usually we will hammer the word to try and win a few before we close. But I told our finisher to ignore that default setting and full commit to the ten who were wanting what the Lord had. Act like they are the only ones there. This is key. Sometimes, for the sake of those who want it we must crucify our flesh (that wants attention at all times) and ignore a potential distraction. In order to love and serve those who need the ministry that day. Read when Paul cast the demon out of the fortune telling girl.  She would go wherever they went saying these guys are from God, these guys are from God. Then Paul finally got tired of it and cast the demon out. lol after many days, are you kidding me. We have separate children's ministry so we don't get distracted, imagine having the grace of God and control of your mind to not be distracted in order for the Body to be blessed. Anyways, our finisher for that night gave an opportunity for those to stand up and exactly 10 out of about 39 stood. This was amazing due to the peer pressure that we noticed in the room. Then our finisher prayed for one individual and our preacher tonight said that the Lord pointed that same guy out to him that he was oppressed. And then we set him free of course. 

So anyways here is a small picture of the ministry that happened tonight. Remind yourself to fan into flame the gift that is in you. 

Ministry is always about the person we minister to.

Journal Entry 2,

For those of you who are reading. I have the opportunity to serve as a leader in Rock Solid Ministries southern division. We get a chance to visit our local juvenile detention center each week.  I have always wanted to "keep track" of my thoughts and experiences as I serve in this capacity.  Thanks to the internet its easy to put this out there for myself mainly to look back on all the Lord has done.  These are my personal thoughts and events that happen while we minister.

This week, like always, is amazing that God would want to visit with us and meet many people even though they never asked Him too.  I didn't feel a direct direction this week.  Last week I was led to tell my friend who goes in with me to preach on a parable that the Lord showed them.  What I originally heard from the Lord was that He wanted us to spend time preaching about the Kingdom of God.  Like Jesus did as He was here.  This week as we met before we went into the building, my friend agreed that we continue preaching the kingdom.  He shared a parable about the boy who had a demon that would throw him into a fire and cause a seizure. and the fact that Jesus asked the father if he believed.  The father said I believe but help my unbelief.  This is an amazing principle that shows up many times in the Word.  Abraham despite unbelief believed God and it was credited as righteousness (Rom 4:18).  We get to minister twice each night so I felt like that may be for one of those.  We started at the girls. I felt led to start. to sum it up I preached on the fact that we look to be numbed from reality or what we are going through.  This is not a bad desire but when we do this without the Lord we always end up empty and the result is not what we desired. But with the Lord we get peace that passes understanding ( no understanding why to have peace but we do), and joy unspeakable and full of Glory.  We also have a Father who loves us and gives us Grace that surpasses everything we go through. Ultimately His plan for us is the best possible life available. 

Then at our church, my pastor has set a goal for us to get at least 365 people saved.  Although this ministry is not part of that church I still have felt led to tell him those who receive the Lord each week. and for that number to be counted.  Now this was most difficult for me.  I never count how many who make a decision for Christ.  Its just not me.  King David once counted how many troops he had to show how powerful he was.  God frowned upon that and he paid a price.  So its not bad to count.  Many times God had His people count.  But only count when the Lord leads.  But we are a body and no matter what ministry we are its all 1 Kingdom.  So I was glad to report that 5 out of the 6 who we preached to received the Lord. I usually bring the people I preach to, to the place in the night where they can make a decision this can be done many ways. As the Holy Spirit leads. some times we do it silently in prayer as I pray I tell those who want to receive the free gift of Salvation to get it... so they know they did it.  this time I provided that but I felt led to have them repeat a prayer of salvation.  I seen in the Lord, that many needed to hear themselves say it.  So despite me being uncomfortable.  I did that for them.  Because in ministry its not about me.  and many times the Lord will have us do things that are uncomfortable for us. but its not about us its all about the people and what they need.  Then I asked them if they wanted individual prayer.  They all wanted it.  I prophesied to all of them.  then we were done.  the guards a the jail said that they didn't have enough guards for us to go into the boys to minister so we went home.  this was difficult because I didn't have my friend minister.  This also goes against much of what I believe.  My heart is to provide opportunities for those who come in with me to minister to so they can grow by exercising their faith.  but many times as a leader in ministry, you minister to "show how it can be done" or to provide a night where those who come in with me understand how the ministry operates. or how to handle situations as they arise. so its important for those who come in to see different ways to minister.  so the next time they minister they believe they can do that too.  or add that type of ministry to the way they do it.  because its effective and they got to see it in real time with real people.  Opposed to being in a conference hearing about how to do it. 

So a unique night.  But good praise to the person who came in with me.  It didn't bother him that he didn't get to minister.  Its all about God all the time and the people.  Thank God I have people coming in with me that are not concerned about themselves and what they can do.  We can all flow and we all play a huge part.  I know that he was praying as we were ministering and that helped the peoples heart to receive all that the Lord had for them tonight.