You can shorten your life when you compromise the plan of God for your life. This is especially true for ministers because to whom much is given much is required. I’ve seen it happen to good friends. I’ve seen them buried before their time. Why? Because they set their will and emotions against the plan of God. They made poor choices. The devil changed their will or “want-to”.
DON’T FOLLOW THE MONEY
One time my wife saw a blotch on a mirror of a reflection of a minister. His ministry had become blemished. He started following the money. This is a common pitfall for many. I fear for ministers’ eternal destiny today. So many who may even have started well got duped by money, and lost the anointing. They maintain a following on their reputation of past years, but they’ve wandered off into letting their ministry be dictated by money. They won’t even go preach anywhere unless they meet their financial requirements.
My wife and I have never ministered like that. I’d rather die than be moved by an offering. We’ve gone to churches of 10-20 people and stayed in the pastor’s home. I just went to northern Manitoba last summer to minister to the Indian nation people, and I came back in the red — meaning basic expenses weren’t even paid after promises were made. We’ve traveled to poor nations for years to minister on our own dime. Thank God for faithful partners in the ministry who help fund missionary projects and travel.
What do you do in a situation like that when churches or ministries slight you? You look to the Lord. If He sent you somewhere He will never leave you in the red. Not long after that Manitoba trip He made it up to us.
CONSECRATION DETERMINES DIRECTION & AVOIDS MANY PITFALLS
It’s really a matter of consecration. Many of our troubles, calamities, and heartaches are connected to our lack of consecration. Many in the body of Christ today are sick due to a lack of consecration. They are living the way they want to and following their own plans for their lives. They make choices according to their feelings and emotions and what they want to do. This is especially true with younger Christians.
Listen young people, if you don’t master your will and emotions when you’re young it will rule you when you’re old. Some of you are engaged to the wrong person. He maybe cute, sexy, and smart, but is he God’s choice for you? Marrying wrong messes with the destiny of other lives that are connected to you. It’s not just about what you want.
Dying early because of your disobedience affects the destinies of lives and families connected to you. What a great responsibility that is! You see, it’s not just about you. Choices we make can affect many others in our circle.
SOBERING EXAMPLE
For example, Dad Hagin got into an area of disobedience in his ministry one time and almost died at 55 years old. At that age he hadn’t even founded his Bible Training Center yet. If he had died then, there would never have been a BTC. Carolyn and I would’ve never met, married, and fulfilled our callings. Our son Daniel would’ve never been born. The eternal impact we’ve made in the nations would’ve never been made. The countless lives we’ve reached and disciples we made would’ve never happened. And the same holds true for 1000s of other graduates of that BTC. The national and international impact of Dad Hagin’s obedience never would’ve been made. Think about that. Don’t be so shortsighted. Your life and ministry is generational and affects many others. It’s about consecration and obedience to God.
GIVE SATAN NO PLACE
“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (John 14:30)
Satan found nothing in Jesus’ will and desire that preferred His own plan over the Father’s plan. Even in the garden of Gethsemane in His most trying hour, Jesus consecrated His will again to the Father’s will. Sometimes we have to do 100s of times in our lives to stay on course. Satan will offer your flesh and emotions many things, and if you start conforming to this world you’ll take his bait.
Presenting your body as a living sacrifice and renewing your mind with the Word of God will keep you thinking in line with God’s will. The Word will divide your soul — your own will, intellect, feelings, and emotions from your spirit, which is made in God’s image and likeness (Hebrews 4:12).
If you’ll saturate yourself with the Word of God, which is His will, and stay filled with the Spirit of God, you will only want what God wants for your life. Your desire will only be to fulfill His plan for your life and not your own. You will avoid many heartaches and bitter sorrows of your own making. Perfect contentment, peace, and joy even in trials will be your portion. And no man or devil will be able to steal your crown.
Bert Farias' books are forerunners to personal holiness, the move of God and the return of the Lord. They also combat the departure from the faith and the turning away from the truth we are seeing in our day. His recent five-book bundle, written under a fresh anointing, is a forerunner of what the Lord is doing in His church today. His most read books are Cleansing The Temple and The Tumultuous 2020s and Beyond.
Thanks Brother B! So good as usual.