Article for Ministers: Guard the Gates

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The expression of guarding the gates really has to do with guarding the mind. As noted in the previous message, John Bunyan wrote another classic although much less recognized than Pilgrim’s Progress entitled The Holy War which tells the story of Mansoul being captured and taken over by Diabolus because of the gates being compromised. That same plan is still being effectively carried out in our generation. People of every kind and status within the church have a responsibility to not let this kind of thing take place. This is especially true of those who are actively called into the ministry. If the shepherd can be toppled, the sheep will scatter.

It was explored how that study allows a man who serves a church to guard his mind. While that is a good measure to take up, there is another crucial “guard” that we have to recognize. It is the aspect of prayer. Of all the disciplines involved in a Christian’s life, prayer is the most difficult one to maintain conversely it can be one of the most joyous and powerful tools we can find in our spiritual arsenal. A preacher must maintain regular habits of communion with God in prayer. If a minister is not careful he can come to the place in which he will neglect his place of prayer because of his attention to the Kingdom. He may have all kinds of grand truths rolling through his soul because of the constant exposure to the Word. He can be so busy with various meetings, discipleship of new converts, and counseling of those who are in the throes of some dilemma of life, and obligations to duties of the organizational stripe, that he can entirely neglect his prayer life. In fact a minister is more likely to omit his praying than a new convert who has just come in to the church.

Diabolus loves to get the men involved in ministry to fall to the temptation of substitutes for prayer. Sermons on prayer, reading books on prayer, attending prayer conferences, and hearing sermons on prayer can never take the place of prayer. One can even come under the belief that church attendance, praise, singing, giving, and doing measures of physical labor at church can be a valid substitute for prayer. What soon happens is a tendency to resort to all of these things to move us into a position for revival without true heart-felt prayer.

Pastoral prayer is a great biblical concept and it has great authority. There is an ingredient of spiritual authority that comes to life when a pastor will discipline himself to prayer for his people. From the outset, I have to tell you that this is NOT an easy task to do. Prayer that is truly heart-felt and sincere rarely takes place (for me, perhaps not others) when we just decide to get on our knees and begin to pray. There has to be some stimulus of preparation that is involved in it. There are useful things that you will learn to use to help put your mind into a vein of prayer.

There are times when reading books on prayer will be very helpful to put you into a mindset of prayer. Some of the ones that I have regularly gone back to frequently and year after year are listed below:

E. M. Bounds Complete Works on Prayer—There are eight books in a single volume and are very rich and motivational toward opening my heart for prayer. The Necessity of Prayer, The Essentials of Prayer, The Possibilities of Prayer, The Reality of Prayer, Purpose in Prayer, The Weapon of Prayer, Power Through Prayer, and Prayer and Praying Men.

Leonard Ravenhill on Prayer—Ravenhill’s material is becoming increasingly rarer to find in bookstores these days. He was a staple for many of the preachers who attended the Deeper Life conferences scattered around the nation in the 1970’s. There have been times that I have read just a page or so of Ravenhill’s material and found it incredibly rich in preparing my heart and mind for prayer. Particularly helpful are his two books entitled Revival Praying and Why Revival Tarries. A recent biography about Ravenhill entitled In Light Of Eternity by Mack Tomlinson is a very inspirational book.

Wesley Duewel—This author was one of those that I was encouraged to try sometime in the early ‘90’s when I went to Because of The Times. I have found much value in the books he wrote, Mighty Prevailing Prayer and Touch The World Through Prayer. Not only will these books inspire you to pray, it will inspire you to preach on prayer.

Another means of putting my heart in a bent toward prayer is listening to sermons. There are some sermons that I have heard over the years that are almost worn out because I have listened to them so much. You have to be careful about listening to them too often or they will become so common they lose their ability to touch you. However, David Fuller’s The Master Key of Prayer (1986), Anthony Mangun’s Passion In Your Prayers (1994), and anything that Vesta Mangun has ever done on prayer are sermons that will inspire your prayer life.

Prayer is a place of surrender but once that surrender takes place, the wellsprings of heaven seem to burst forth and the glory of God is declared. But Diabolus wants to scale the gates by causing you to abandon your post in your prayer closet. If he can make you appear to be a man of prayer but not really be given to prayer, he will do everything he can to make this happen. If he can make you impatient with the results of prayer, you will finally give in and quit praying. Can I tell you this? The work of the Kingdom means a lot of weeding, watering, and waiting! What we have to understand is that ministry is going to take you longer than you thought, cost you more than you had planned, but you will be surprised by what happens in the end!

Prayer is not very glamorous and it is very hard work. But to the man who will give himself to a life-long persistence of prayer, he will make the most of his calling. We have to pray because of the condition of our heart. Prayer empties the heart of its cares, anxieties, and pressures that attempt to choke us. We have to pray because we know that the answer is beyond our human ability, talent, and strength. We have to pray because it is the key to divine direction. By actively taking up the prayer mantle, we find our relationship with God being empowered and strengthened. When that happens, we find that old man beginning to be changed into the image of Jesus Christ. Conformity to his image will cause us to have to endure some necessary pressure.

I have no doubt that the pastors who read this blog have done this multiple times in their tenure where they serve. I call it “walking the pews.” What I mean by that is going into the empty sanctuary whether in the day or in the night and walking the length of each pew and praying for the people who sit in those slots every week. Because people are creatures of habit they mostly sit in the same place year in and year out. It can be very useful to pray for these people during this time. As you pray for them there are unexpected crosses that will be thrust onto your own spirit as you contemplate the calamities that people have to navigate through. Troubled financial situations, marriages under pressure, wayward children, health issues that debilitate, and the all out assault of pressure and stress are all scenarios that people drag to church with them. Add to all of these things the need for a heightened measure of spiritual life and you soon discover the real meaning to pastoral prayer. If you as the pastor are not praying for them, then who will do it?

Pastoral prayer will also shape your soul. I am sure that where you serve that everybody is going in the same direction and that everybody fully supports everything that you are doing. However from the seat I currently occupy, I have my share of critics, skeptics, and maligners. Trust me I have prayed imprecatory prayers on every one of them until one day (thankfully) God turned my agitation with them into compassion. I begin to feel sorry for them! I have to say I almost couldn’t believe it when that shift began in my own soul. Furthermore, it would have never occurred had I not been “walking the pews.” Suddenly the Lord turned my aggravation with them into empathy because I saw them for who they really were. So now instead imprecatory prayer has been replaced by intercessory prayer and in some I see a change but sadly in some I can only see a hardening take place. It is situations like this that you realize that prayer is something that does indeed guard the gates.

Pastoral prayer will cause you to pray over your preaching too! In fact, you ought to lay hands on the pulpit and ask God to turn it into an altar that all human performance, talent, education, pride, ambition, and personal vendettas can be gutted and sacrificed on. Don’t waste your pulpit on frivolous and unimportant matters. Ask God for your heart to be emboldened so that you will have clarity of thought and the courage of conviction when you lead the church to worship through the act of preaching.

Sometime ago, I purchased a little book called The Valley of Vision, which is a collection of Puritan prayers, by Arthur Bennett. One of those prayers called “A Minister’s Preaching” I copied and wrote in the front of my Bible. I share it with you and think you will be blessed by it.

My Master God,

I am desired to preach today,

but go weak and needy to my task;

Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth,

that an honest testimony might be borne for thee;

Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,

with heart uplifted for grace and unction.

Present to my view things pertaining to my subject,

with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,

proper expressions, fluency, fervency,

a feeling sense of the things I preach,

and grace to apply them to men’s consciences.

Keep me conscious all the while of my defects,

and let me not gloat in pride over my performance.

Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,

and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting thy mercy.

Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,

and set before them comforting considerations.

Attend with power the truth preached.

and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.

May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted,

and help me to use the strongest arguments

drawn from Christ’s incarnation and sufferings,

that men might be made holy.

I myself need thy support, comfort, strength, holiness,

that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,

and be able to do something for thee;

Give me then refreshment among thy people,

and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way,

or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a redeemer,

or be harsh in treating of Christ’s death, its design and end,

from lack of warmth and fervency.

And keep me in tune with thee as I do this work.

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Home Friendship Groups - Helping close the back door.

“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” Prov 18:19

Bob stopped me a while back to thank me. A trustee and board member in his church, he explained that he and his wife were greatly offended by a situation and people in the church. He told how one Sunday without knowing their situation, I encouraged them. I told them that “they were very important to the work of God there” and a “wonderful example to me”. I didn’t know they had already decided this was their last service in that church. He told me that had it not been for my encouraging them that day, they never would have gone back.

I wonder how many Bob’s leave the church without anybody noticing.

It is often said, “If we could just win back those who have already left, that would be a great revival. My question is, “how did we ever let them get away in the first place”?

In my years of pastoring and ministry, I’ve found that people usually leave the church because they were never truly assimilated into the family of God to begin with. Once a person is established into the church and have formed nurturing relationships, it’s less likely they would become offended and leave.

We think that we have to “get them into the choir right away” or “find them a position or job in the church” to keep new converts. This may help that person feel more attached, but it will never assimilate them into the church.

Why do people exit the church? Many times, a person leaves because they were never provided the proper relationships within the church.

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Home Friendship Groups - Helping close the back door.

“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” Prov 18:19

I wonder how many Bob’s leave the church without anybody noticing.

It is often said, “If we could just win back those who have already left, that would be a great revival. My question is, “how did we ever let them get away in the first place”?

Why do people exit the church? Many times, a person leaves because they were never provided the proper relationships within the church.

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Bible Study Procedures

The main purpose of interpreting a text is not UNIQUENESS but CLARITY! The first task of the preacher is EXEGESIS – careful, systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning; to find out the original intent of the words of the Bible; to hear the Word as the original recipients heard it. But we don’t just do exegesis when there is an obvious difference between THEN and NOW – it is the first step in studying EVERY text

Go back to the original and the best sources for yourself first – don’t just begin by consulting somebody’s book! (i.e. Mark 10:23 – one “expert” said there was a gate in Jerusalem called the “Needle’s Eye” which camels could only go through on their knees, but that gate never existed!)
We must always guard against EISEGESIS – reading our desired interpretation into the text instead of letting the text speak to us!

To provoke your thinking, one of the best things to do is use several Bible translations that you know in advance will differ in their interpretation.
There are three basic theories of translation:

Literal: advantage – as close as possible to the original; disadvantage – doesn’t account for cultural differences in customs and expressions (i.e. King James Version)
Free: advantage – eliminates historical and cultural “barriers” by expressing Scripture in modern terms; disadvantage – since it is more concerned with translating “ideas” it is not always accurate in exact wording (i.e. Phillips, Living Bible, The Message)

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Bible Study Procedures

Go back to the original and the best sources for yourself first – don’t just begin by consulting somebody’s book! (i.e. Mark 10:23 – one “expert” said there was a gate in Jerusalem called the “Needle’s Eye” which camels could only go through on their knees, but that gate never existed!)
We must always guard against EISEGESIS – reading our desired interpretation into the text instead of letting the text speak to us!

To provoke your thinking, one of the best things to do is use several Bible translations that you know in advance will differ in their interpretation.
There are three basic theories of translation:

Literal: advantage – as close as possible to the original; disadvantage – doesn’t account for cultural differences in customs and expressions (i.e. King James Version)
Free: advantage – eliminates historical and cultural “barriers” by expressing Scripture in modern terms; disadvantage – since it is more concerned with translating “ideas” it is not always accurate in exact wording (i.e. Phillips, Living Bible, The Message)

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Money Matters - The Budget's Attitude

One of the top reasons that so many people, including Christians, fail at budgeting is simply attitude. It a person thinks of it as a penny-pinching sacrifice instead of a means for achieving one’s financial goals, then it is unlikely they will stay with it. To increase the chances of a successful budget, it is important to work on the attitude.

If ”budget” sounds too harsh…consider it as a “financial plan” for the home. The plan can help you get ahead; control spending, and save for future spending. Budgeting really does matter in the process to help one reach their goals and without some formal plan of working with the finances, goals and dreams can never be reached.

Money is a tool…and a tool that everyone needs in today’s society. This tool can enable a person to reach their goals in life, however, until a person knows where their money goes and how it is spent, a conscious decision about how to use this tool effectively is impossible.

So it is important to get the right attitude and not give up. Quitting too soon or tiring of the process is simply a means of failure in reaching the potential goals and dreams one has.

The following scriptures give spiritual guidance for the finances of the home. Take the time to read these and study God’s plan for financial survival.

Prosperity: Genesis 39:3; Psalms 1:3; Joshua 1:6-8; Luke 6:38; John 10:10

Provision: Genesis 41; Exodus 15; I Kings 17; John 21:2-6; Matthew 4:11

Giving: Deuteronomy 14:23; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 23:23; Hebrews 7:1,2

Budgeting: Proverbs 22:3; 24:3,4; 27:12; Luke 12:16-21; Luke 14:28-30

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Money Matters - The Budget's Attitude

So it is important to get the right attitude and not give up. Quitting too soon or tiring of the process is simply a means of failure in reaching the potential goals and dreams one has.

The following scriptures give spiritual guidance for the finances of the home. Take the time to read these and study God’s plan for financial survival.

Prosperity: Genesis 39:3; Psalms 1:3; Joshua 1:6-8; Luke 6:38; John 10:10

Provision: Genesis 41; Exodus 15; I Kings 17; John 21:2-6; Matthew 4:11

Giving: Deuteronomy 14:23; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 23:23; Hebrews 7:1,2

Budgeting: Proverbs 22:3; 24:3,4; 27:12; Luke 12:16-21; Luke 14:28-30

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Leadership's Limitations

Act like the person you wish to become.
To start thinking positively, begin by acting positively. Most of us wait until we feel like taking action, but that’s going about it backwards. Instead, by putting our desires into action, we can establish a habit of thinking positively – and this results in a positive attitude.

Cultivate a Consistent Positive Attitude.
To reap a successful harvest, a farmer doesn’t plant seeds and then just expect them to grow on their own. He must continually water, weed, fertilize and nurture the growing plants if he wants them to reach maturity. Likewise, if we want a successful life, we need to spend time everyday nurturing our attitude. Focus on the positive and successful. Don’t feed the weeds.

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Leadership's Limitations

In this unpredictable and changing world, the one thing we can always control is the way we think. While we have little control over circumstances or the actions of others, we can control our reactions to them. And anyone can learn how to think more positively and operate with a better attitude, regardless of circumstances, temperament, or intellect. To begin thinking more positively and leading your people to do the same, follow these guidelines:
Act like the person you wish to become.
To start thinking positively, begin by acting positively. Most of us wait until we feel like taking action, but that’s going about it backwards. Instead, by putting our desires into action, we can establish a habit of thinking positively – and this results in a positive attitude.
Cultivate a Consistent Positive Attitude.
To reap a successful harvest, a farmer doesn’t plant seeds and then just expect them to grow on their own. He must continually water, weed, fertilize and nurture the growing plants if he wants them to reach maturity. Likewise, if we want a successful life, we need to spend time everyday nurturing our attitude. Focus on the positive and successful. Don’t feed the weeds.
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The Principle of Momentum

Why Shouldn’t We Succeed?

· God wants you to succeed in ministry!

· God desires that you experience great revival in your church and ministry!

· God has guaranteed that the church will prevail!

The powerful force of excitement and energy in the Church doesn’t have to stop or slow down. You CAN maintain Ministry Momentum.

David Church and I have set out to build a resource together that would challenge what most people think about church leadership and keeping the momentum going when things start to fade, and people lose interest.

In Momentum in Ministry you’ll learn:

1. Keys to consistent growth.

2. How to become the Church that God Designed.

3. How to attain everything that God has promised.

4. How to create momentum.

5. How to maintain momentum.

6. How to use timing to your advantage.

7. How to build momentum for your altar service.

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The Principle of Momentum

Why Shouldn’t We Succeed?

· God wants you to succeed in ministry!

· God desires that you experience great revival in your church and ministry!

· God has guaranteed that the church will prevail!

The powerful force of excitement and energy in the Church doesn’t have to stop or slow down. You CAN maintain Ministry Momentum.

In Momentum in Ministry you’ll learn:

1. Keys to consistent growth.

2. How to become the Church that God Designed.

3. How to attain everything that God has promised.

4. How to create momentum.

5. How to maintain momentum.

6. How to use timing to your advantage.

7. How to build momentum for your altar service.

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Do You Need A Mentor?

Leadership is a complex issue in the 21^st Century. Christian leaders at every level in business, church, school, and at home are faced with numerous challenges. A common feeling is that of being overwhelmed.

Christian leaders face difficulty and uncertainty every day. The world is changing rapidly. The political, economical, and social pressures are encroaching more and more into everyone’s daily lives. Although leaders face the same challenges as everyone else, they have the added burden of trying to have answers for others as well.

Ask Yourself a Few Simple Questions

As a leader:

· Who do you turn to for guidance, advice, and instruction?

· Who can you trust not only in their advice, but also in confidentiality?

· Who already knows what you need to know and is willing to share their knowledge with you?

· Who equips you to meet challenges when you do not yet know what tomorrow’s challenges even are yet?

· How do you know if you are lacking the skills required to lead and succeed in the 21^st Century?

· Are other leaders outpacing you?

· Are you facing new and more complex challenges that you never faced before?

· Are you struggling with the challenge of developing leaders around you?

If so you need a mentor.

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Do You Need A Mentor?

Ask Yourself a Few Simple Questions

As a leader:

· Who do you turn to for guidance, advice, and instruction?

· Who can you trust not only in their advice, but also in confidentiality?

· Who already knows what you need to know and is willing to share their knowledge with you?

· Who equips you to meet challenges when you do not yet know what tomorrow’s challenges even are yet?

· How do you know if you are lacking the skills required to lead and succeed in the 21^st Century?

· Are other leaders outpacing you?

· Are you facing new and more complex challenges that you never faced before?

· Are you struggling with the challenge of developing leaders around you?

If so you need a mentor.

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Back Row Bullies

They may not sit in the back row. In fact many times they sit closest to the front. Most would say they are “Faithful” as they seldom miss a service. They appear to be the backbone of the church. They pay their tithes. They dress right. They look right, but once you really get to know them, you find that they are the Back Row Bullies of the church.

These people all too often run the church. They decide who is going to do what. They decide how loud the music is and what color the walls of the sanctuary are going to be. Little happens in the church that they don’t know about and don’t in some great way influence the out come of. Theirs is a mission. Theirs is a job that nobody else will do. Without them they know that the church would fall apart. They are the Back Row Bullies.

No one is quite sure how they gained such influence. Maybe it has to do with the amount of money they gave at one time or even still. They may have family within the church whom they have great influence over. Their measure of sacrifice is probably great, but nonetheless, they are Back Row Bullies.

We all know what a bully is. It’s someone who pushes their weight/influence/resources around to cause you to do something you would not ordinarily do. Let me break that down a bit. You ordinarily would not put up with someone creating division in the church behind your back, but since they give so much money… You otherwise would not allow them to have the position in the church that they have, but because their influence over so many in the church is strong…

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Back Row Bullies

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It's Not The Size of The Church, But Its Health That Counts!

I’ve heard many people say over the last year that, as we enter into the 21st century, it will not be the size of the church that matters, but its health that will ensure its survival. So, what about the health of the church? May I suggest a few guidelines for assessing the health of a congregation of any size?

Biblically based. Do your congregation members have a clear understanding of what they believe and substantial information to assist them in defending their faith? Is there a discipleship- training program?
Mutually concerned. Do your people genuinely care for one another? Is there a system in operation that easily allows your congregation to know when people have needs and a prayer chain to respond to those needs?
Socially concerned. If you do not have a small group ministry, do you have a Sunday School program that provides adequate time for your people to break bread together? Church is fellowship as much as it is a formal worship service.
Community saturated. Are you aware of the day-to-day decisions that are made in your community that affect the school system, the social programs, and the overall moral climate of the city you serve?
Financially stable. The church that is fiscally responsible will be able to weather any situation. Every pastor and board should insist on maintaining a certain dollar reserve, and do everything possible to avoid paralyzation of ministry through an unrealistic building or property debt. People must be taught by example to give and to give cheerfully.

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It's Not The Size of The Church, But Its Health That Counts!

Biblically based. Do your congregation members have a clear understanding of what they believe and substantial information to assist them in defending their faith? Is there a discipleship- training program?
Mutually concerned. Do your people genuinely care for one another? Is there a system in operation that easily allows your congregation to know when people have needs and a prayer chain to respond to those needs?
Socially concerned. If you do not have a small group ministry, do you have a Sunday School program that provides adequate time for your people to break bread together? Church is fellowship as much as it is a formal worship service.
Community saturated. Are you aware of the day-to-day decisions that are made in your community that affect the school system, the social programs, and the overall moral climate of the city you serve?
Financially stable. The church that is fiscally responsible will be able to weather any situation. Every pastor and board should insist on maintaining a certain dollar reserve, and do everything possible to avoid paralyzation of ministry through an unrealistic building or property debt. People must be taught by example to give and to give cheerfully.

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Why Do People Leave The Church?

Knowing some answers to this question can not only keep a church from losing some great people, but will also bring a church into revival as the back door is closed to a large degree.

It’s kind of like money. It’s not how much you make, it’s how much you save. Some count their new converts by the hundreds, but few of these converts are still in the church a year later.

People leave the church because of boring sermons. Some people can tell when a preacher is shooting from the hip or preaching to the choir. “Study to show yourself approved.” You are not going to keep some people unless your messages are getting into their heart and mind. They have come to hear a Word from God. Get one from the Lord for yourself and then give it to the congregation.

People leave the church because they feel the ministry does not care about them. Greet them, shake their hands, phone them, write them a letter, smile at them, visit them when they are sick, send them a card when you can’t. Let them know you care. One kind word spoken at the right moment in a person’s life can cause them to be devoted to you for the rest of their life.

People leave the church because they have no relationships there. Develop ways for new converts to develop relationships within the church. Small Groups are a great place for new people to gain those necessary relationships.

[ read more...]

Why Do People Leave The Church?

Knowing some answers to this question can not only keep a church from losing some great people, but will also bring a church into revival as the back door is closed to a large degree.

It’s kind of like money. It’s not how much you make, it’s how much you save. Some count their new converts by the hundreds, but few of these converts are still in the church a year later.

[ read more...]