(John 13:4-8)
The first 3 years of my ministry, I spent 51 weeks a year on the road doing evangelistic meetings in over 500 churches of every denomination, racial make-up, ethnic background, and size. I am deeply appreciative for the Lord opening so many doors to give me such a wide range of experiences. I then devoted the next 4 years almost exclusively producing programming for Christian t.v. stations nationwide. Again, God opened the doors for me to become involved with most every national ministry and many of the top Christian music artists. While I still preach in selected situations, and am still involved in producing programming for Christian t.v., the last 10 months my time, energies, and focus has been almost 100% on our Liveprayer.com ministry. You see, the one thing the Holy Spirit greatly impressed upon me over my years of preaching and producing television, as I was being exposed to so many ministries and people in God’s work was this . . . . WE ARE HERE TO SERVE OTHERS. Our job description is very simple . . . SERVANT.
Because of the incredible access the Lord gave me to so many ministries, churches, and people in the Lord’s work, I came to realize two very real truths. One is always keep God first. There are some very large international ministries that reach millions of people, yet whose focus is strictly money. The people are simply an avenue to generate money. Even though the Lord can minister in spite of wrong motivations, He has always judged those who used His work strictly for personal gain. We have seen even in our lifetime large ministries that virtually disappeared overnight when they ceased putting Jesus first. There are many examples in the Bible of God exercising His judgment on kings and kingdoms that quit honoring him. I can tell you in no uncertain terms, that this country we live in has been richly blessed by God, yet if we continue to rebel by killing unborn children, stopping prayer in our schools, and forgetting God in our daily lives . . . we may see God’s judgment on the United States in our lifetime. When we stop putting God first in our life, our church, our ministry, our country . . . He knows how to remove His hand of blessing and allow judgment to come. Go and read again the life of King Saul to see God’s anointed judged for not putting Him first.
The second truth I have learned is that those churches, ministries, and people serving the Lord who followed after the example of Jesus . . . and became a servant . . . were richly blessed by God and saw much fruit from their work. Don’t forget, “richly blessed” doesn’t always mean the biggest church, the most people, the largest bank account. That is the way the world judges things. God judges by totally different standards. I have been in churches of 5,000, brand new buildings, huge offerings. I have also been in churches of 80, small storefronts, sacrificial offerings. If those in the 5,000 member church are simply coming to be entertained, or out of guilt, or as a ritual, yet not growing spiritually or serving people’s needs . . . and those in the 80 member church are growing in their personal faith, out serving God in their lives, making an impact for the Kingdom . . . then even though the world may judge the 5,000 member church a success and the 80 member church a failure . . . God says the 80 member church is the success and the 5,000 member church is the failure. Those who follow Christ are to be servants as He was a servant.
I will be praying for you today to always remember in everything you do to keep God first and to be a servant. I love you and care about you so much. I spent 12 years of my life living in rebellion to God, living to be served by others. By the world’s standards I had everything you could ever want in this lifetime. Yet, I was never happy, never at peace, there was no lasting joy. God mercifully broke me, took everything away so that I had to be totally dependent upon Him. These last 10 years I have tried each day to be a servant to others. To selflessly share Christ’s love with others who were hurting. As I have been fulfilling the purpose God gave my life, to serve and glorify Him with my life, I have found peace, joy, happiness above and beyond anything I had ever imagined. Before I had so much, but actually had nothing. Now I have only a little, but in reality have everything that matters in life . . . God gave us this life not to be served, but to be a servant.
