Pastor Bello
Times and seasons are important concepts the Church must not miss. We are lagging behind in the move of God because we misunderstand times and seasons. Many times, we fast track this timing.
God is giving us the capacity to steward some spectacular moves that the world has never witnessed. We have seen the apostles handle these things.
Jesus said that men will not believe unless they see signs and wonders. This is the reason a lot people flock around false ministry gifts- because of this ‘scarcity’ of gifts.
Jude 1:5
It is almost impossible to discern false ministry gifts in the Church (unless we have a clear picture of the project of God concerning the church) because men will come and act like these things are true. This makes it very important that we understand what the purpose of God is.
Another crucial issue needing urgent attention is the inability of the church to raise New Testament ministers who can communicate the truths of God. The New Testament is not letter, it is Spirit. It takes fellowship with the Spirit of God to understand the contents thereof.
1 John 1:1
When we fail to continue to hear or pay attention to look upon the Word of Life, we cannot handle properly, the truths in Him.
If we understand the concerns and purpose of God for the church, we would be able to discern false ministry gifts.
Hebrews 9
There are ordinances for divine services contained in the Bible and also, the ordinances of the New Testament.
The first ordinance is the tabernacle, sacrifices, gifts. This was the means of their justification. It was a righteous thing to go into the presence of God fulfilling all these. That was the order. The ordinance of the New Testament, however, does not require such sacrifices and gifts. Hebrews 4:16 tells us we can now come ‘boldly’ before God’s Throne of Grace.
A ‘gentile mentality’ tries to use the sacrificial way to get to God, because a sacrifice has been made once and for all on our behalf.
We would not be excused when seduced with false teachings because we now have access to the Father through Christ. Pastors are not our mediators.
The ‘divine services’ in the New Testament are not limited to the ministry gifts. They are for all. The basic work of ministers is to be witnesses of Yahweh.
A ministry gift is a calling. Ordination is not about cerebral knowledge. It has nothing to do with academic qualifications or placement in the society. It is a wrong practice to try to ‘hold people down’ in your ministry by placing them in one office or the other (Deacon or Pastor).
If you are under people who do not have the experience of the Word of Life, your walk with God is at risk.
Knowledge of God is a consequence of intimacy with God and intimacy is a fruit of your love for God.
Jude 1:4
The denial here is their works. It is very easy to run away from people who openly deny Jesus Christ as Lord. They are coming with works that are in variance with the mind of God.
There is no Glory without the Cross.
The major reasons why ministry gifts are being falsified are unemployment and greed.
The Church today can almost hardly be differentiated from corporate bodies. We have begun to pattern and order her operations according to the world’s ideas about administration.