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THREE PIT-FALLS OF A MINISTER OR MINISTRY

THREE PIT-FALLS OF A MINISTER OR MINISTRY

[I JOHN 2:15-17]

“15    Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16    For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17    And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

[ROMANS 12:3]

“3    For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

WATCH YOURSELF CONCERNING: MONEY, WOMEN & POPULARITY

ABOUT.JESUS_  MACON.GA  SUNDAY_  55-0612

E-3 ... And we're not here to get people's money. We are here to help you, to do everything we can to let you be in closer contact with the One Who we all love, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's our sole purpose of being in any meeting. And if I would've took the money, not that's been that I asked for, but money that would been given to me, I'd be a multimillionaire.

I had a million five hundred thousand dollars give to me in one bank draft, and I refused to put my hands on it. And I wouldn't have it, 'cause you... There's about three things that you'll watch, that'll really start a minister on the downgrade, and one of them, is money: money. Then popularity, when you think you're something when you know you're nothing; so, popularity. And then go to running around with some womanor something. That, then, one... Them three things, then you're... you... Those things, you keep free from that, and God will take care of the rest of it for you. If you just keep your head thinking right.

And with God's grace I've tried to shun all those things. I've refused money, ranches, and everything else that people had give me. Why, I'd refuse to take it just for that purpose. I don't want to be bothered with it. I just want enough money to run this meeting, and God will supply enough for the next meeting when we come to it. And then if He don't supply it, maybe I was out of His will.

So then, and that's the way I try, and I... And then, for popularity, I've shun that. You know that. And I know that I am nothing, and Like God told David, "I took you when he was in a sheep cote." And that's where I was at too, only worse than that. And He loved me. And I--I have three meals a day, and healthy, and can eat. And I have a little home up there, the parsonage, that belongs to the tabernacle that I used to pastor. They could put me out, but they wouldn't do it. So I've got a place to stay, three lovely little children, and this boy here, and I--I'm--and a lovely little wife. And I love her with all of my heart. The only woman in the world that I--I love. And so that settles that, and I hope that God will always keep me that way.

SAMSON, SAUL AND BALAAM

SHEPHERD.OF.THE.SHEEPFOLD_  CHICAGO.IL  TUESDAY_  56-0403

E-16    A few nights ago I'd come from down in--a few months ago, rather, from the meeting. And I was discouraged in California. My meetings had failed terribly. And I'd promised the Lord if He ever failed me... When I started on the field, I know there's two or three things that a minister has to watch, and one of them is money. So money, popularity, women and so forth... So I'd made a pledge to God. I found out that Samson fellbecause ofDelilah, the woman. And I found out that Saul fellbecause ofpride.And Balaam fell because of money...”

[NUMBERS 22:15-19]

“15   And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16    And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

17    For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

18    And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

19    Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.”

 

Baalam fell for the very things he said he wouldn’t do. And it is recorded against him in [Jude 1:11]

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedilyafter the error of Balaam forreward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”

And all those things are written for our examples, said the book of Hebrews. And we watch those things and keep the Blood cover between us and those things.

JESUS OUR EXAMPLE: OF HUMILITY AND SERVICE

[PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11]

5    Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6    Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7    But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8    And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9    Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10    That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;

11    And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

[JOHN 13:12-17]

12    So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13    Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am.

14    If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

15    For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17    If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

 

THINGS THAT MADE LUCIFER FALL FROM HIS ESTATE: [INIQUITY AND PRIDE]

[ISAIAH 14:11-14]

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, [and] the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

12    How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13    For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14    I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

 

[EZEKIEL 28:15-18]

15    Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

16    By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

17    Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

18    Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

 

THE SAME ANOINTING WHICH MADE LUCIFER TO FALL IS THE SAME ANOINTING THAT MAKES MINISTERS FALL TO DAY:

QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_  JEFF.IN  COD  SUNDAY_  59-0628E

375-68 Now, let's turn to the New Testament to [Luke 10:18], just a minute, and see what Jesus said. In the Book of Luke, you that have your Bibles now, that's trying to get on these questions, Luke 10:18:

And he said unto them,... (Jesus speaking.)... I beheld Satan as lightning falling from heaven.

See, Satan was the original archangel of God. He once dwelt in the heaven. He once was the greatest person in the heavens outside of God. He was God's right-hand man to fellowship, and he got puffed up in his heart.

 

QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_  JEFF.IN  COD  SUNDAY_  59-0628E

376-70 And isn't that just the way that people get today?

Let God just bless a fellow and put a little confidence in him, and he gets to be a know-it-all. He's got to start an organization, or he's got to do something that's different. "Why art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer."

God has a hard time trying to get somebody that He can deal with, that'll stay humble, and meek, and stay in the place until God calls him to do something (you believe that? See?), a man that God can bless and he'll still keep hisself a man, not be an angel or a god. As soon as man gets blessed and has a little something given to him, he wants to become a god; he wants to become a angel. He wants to become some great person. "What I do, what... Me and me and mine..." all that. That's the wrong attitude. God's hunting for somebody who He could bless and pour out the blessings, and more He blessed, the littler the man will become.

And you'll never get more of Goduntil you become nothing. You've got tobelittle yourself. “He that will exalt himself, God will bring abase. He that will humble himself, God will exalt”. You've got to get little before you can get big. And you'll never be big in your own self; you'll only be as big as God will be big in you. See?

QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_  JEFF.IN  COD  SUNDAY_  59-0628E

376-73 So Lucifer is on earth today trying to work in the church to accomplish the same purpose that he started before the foundation of the world. Lucifer was kicked out of heaven. All right.

 

JUST BE YOURSELF.

PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE_  JEFF.IN  ROJC 229-285  WEDNESDAY_  60-1207

305 Well, what is the hidden manna? The manna that isn't given to all of the congregation. The revelation is poured out upon the angel of the church, the revelation of the Word (See?), revelation of the Word is given to the Angel of that age, for it's hid from everywhere, and revealed back (the hidden manna) to... It's addressedto the angel of the church. See? You get it? It's a little bigger revelation of what Christ is, maybe a little higher call.

 

PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE_  JEFF.IN  ROJC 229-285  WEDNESDAY_  60-1207

306 Wonder ifLuther recognized that? Wonder if Wesleydid in his day? Oh. Wonder if SaintMartinrecognized it? Irenaeus? Now, you know, the church didn't even canonize those men; they wasn't saints to them; but they was the one who had the signs following. They took their--their own bishops, and so forth, for canonize.

Why, here not long ago, a woman went to get the Life of Saint Martin in a English book store. And when... She said, "Saint Martin."

And the person took the rack out, said, "He isn't known very much in history; he wasn't canonized." See? Till yet this day; but God has his name; God knows who he is.” END OF QUOTE

So brethren, no Apostle, no Teacher, Evangelist, prophet, or Pastor in the 5-Fold Ministry category was given this HIDDEN MANNA privately for his local Assembly or the universal Bride of Jesus Christ. The Messenger of Malachi 4:5-6, made it abundantly clear that it's hid from everywhere.The only messengers who had it are those in the category of LUTHER, WESLEY. MARTIN, IRENAEUS, COLUMBA, PAUL and WILLIAM BRANHAM himself. He said “it was poured out”, given and addressed to them, and hid from everywhere.”

What will it take for any man to ignore this plain truth, and allocate himself a position to also be a recipient of this HIDDEN MANNA? Paul says in [GALATIANS 6:3]

“For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE_  JEFF.IN  ROJC 229-285  WEDNESDAY_  60-1207

309 See, that's the difference. Somebodywants their name insome big something, but God's peoplewants to shun that kind of stuff. They don't want great big things, and great big something; they want to be humble, that humility. The way--the way up is down. "He that humbles himself shall be exalted; he that exalts himself shall be abased." Humbled himself... Don't try to be a big something; try to be a little something, but be what you are. See? Be little in the sight of God; be little in your own sight; everybody else is above you. "Lets him's the greatest among you be minister to all."

Who could be greater than Jesus Christ Who girded Himself and washed the disciples' feet? A foot washing flunky He become. The God of heaven, the Creator of heavens and earth, washing dirty feet for fishermen (Oh.), with manure and stuff, and dust off the roads, where their garments had swept it up, and washing it off; a foot washing flunky, what He was. And then we think we're somebody? “... END OF QUOTE

PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE_  JEFF.IN  ROJC 229-285  WEDNESDAY_  60-1207

311 I've had the privilege of meeting some great men in my life, and I've had some privilege of meeting men that thought they were great. A real great man tries to make you think you're great and He's nothing. See? Meeting kings, and so forth, and men who are really are great men...?... Meet real staunch Christians, patched clothes, and things like that, and some of them come to the pulpit like a bandbox.

 

The bible says: [Prov. 16:18] Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Beloved, with this good counsel of God, this is completely avoidable. You see, Satan is not a respecter of persons. He will use any of these three weapons to cause somebody to fall from grace and from favour with God, regardless of who he is. But remember “greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world”

PRIDEwas Lucifer’s first attribute which caused him to be cast down. Then he used THE WOMAN in Eden to cause the fall of the entire human race. Two thousand years ago, he used THE LOVE MONEY IN JUDAS to betray JESUS. He still uses them today.  [2Thess.2:3-4] is happening partly because of these three weapons.

“3   Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4    Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_  JEFF.IN  COD  SUNDAY_  59-0628E

380-88 There's Lucifer. He once dwelt in Eden. Now, we're going to come back to that question in a minute, Lucifer in Eden, because we've got the seed of the serpent down here somewhere which is a very ticklish thing. I thought I'd just hold that till about last.

But he was, and the devil was kicked out of heaven. And the very purpose that he tried to purpose in heaven, he came right down here on the earth and's trying his best to fulfill that what he purposed.

He goes to the kings and to the rulers, and when he can get them,

then he comes right down to the church and gets the people--or gets the preacher.

Then from the preacher, he goes right into the congregation and get in the congregation under the same influence, the same devil doing the same things.“ END OF QUOTE

 

Today, there is a clamouring on every continent on earth among ministers in the message trying to be somebody. We do hear of such titles as Chief Apostle; Senior Pastor; Junior Pastor; Top ten etc. Apostle of this and Apostle of that... Here are some nuggets for us to examine our claims by:

(A). HIGHEST CALLING OR OFFICE:APOSTLE[MISSIONARY]

DOOR.INSIDE.DOOR_  SOUTH.BEND.IN  SUNDAY_  58-0209E

“ E-71    The Bible said, "First are apostles." Is that right? The apostles, we call them today, missionary. That's the first. The highest calling is a missionary. What does "apostle" mean? "One sent." What does a "missionary" mean? "One sent." A missionaries, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists. How many knows that's true? Well, we have to have them all. Some's pastors, some's teachers, some's evangelists, some's missionaries and some prophets.

Now, we have those things in the church. They're... What are they for? Does the... Is the apostle is the highest calling. A missionary is the highest calling. Prophet and so forth down... But they're not any different. They're all God's servants set together to temper and bring the body of Christ together.” END OF QUOTE

He is the man who sets the church in order, and establishes them by the Word. [Read my article on: “THE FIVE FOLD MINISTRY”- APOSTLE.

(B). HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE WORLD: [MINISTER].

TRUE.SIGN.THAT'S.OVERLOOKED_  JEFF.IN  V-6 N-2  SUNDAY_  61-1112

22    ... Because all you all understand that it's a... Everywhere, why, we want to be positive sure of these things before we say them. They've got to be right, because we're standing here holding the highest office that's held in the world, a minister, a minister, and the most truthful and right--accurate. We must be that way. We must depend on God to do it.” END OF QUOTE

 

This is because the minister is catering for the salvation of the souls of people. In God’s sight, soul winning is the highest office in the world. Every genuine-God- called minister WHO MUST BE TRUTHFUL. RIGHT, AND ACCURATE, needs to understand this, so that he can conduct himself with respect, reverence, and wisdom: [MATTHEW 10:16]

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

 

(C). HIGHEST OFFICE IN LOCAL ASSEMBLY: ELDER [BISHOP / PASTOR]

INDIA.TRIP.REPORT_  LIMA.OH  SATURDAY_  57-0126B

E-15   ...  And the... and it's the sovereignty of the local church. And--and if God is ever going to get a message to His man, His elder, which is the... According to the Bible, they--the highest office in the local church is the elder. The Pastor is referred to as an Elder, and / or Bishop.

 

This is because he is the overseer in the Local Assembly. This clamouring for greatness is the cause of the rise of such titles in the denominational system: Pope or Holy Father; Arch Bishop; Cardinal; Arch Deacon; District overseer etc. They don’t exist in the Bible.  This same notion is creeping slowly into the Message ranks in some quarters. Remember it is Lucifer again. He is not sleeping.  Now remember this:

SEVENTH.SEAL.THE_  JEFF.IN  SUNDAY_  63-0324E

571-2  {355}    And now, you won't... Remember, let me exhort you again. Don't say, "Thank you," to anybody at all. Don't say... Thinking some minister or something, some mortal man, there's anything good about him, 'cause there's not; I don't care who he is. There's nothing good to any man. That's right. If there's a whole bunch of trumpets laying here and one of them had to sound out a certain music; it's the man; them trumpets are perfectly mute. It's the fellow that can sound the trumpet, that knows what he's going to do, that picks up a trumpet. The trumpet has nothing to do with it. The sound comes from the intelligence behind it (That's right), so all trumpets are the same; all men are the same; all Christians are the same.

SEVENTH.SEAL.THE_  JEFF.IN  SUNDAY_  63-0324E

571-3  {357}    There's no great man among us. We're not great men, not great women--we're all brothers and sisters, all the same in the same bracket. We're no great. One don't make one greater than the other one--not a thing at all to do. No, sir. But we're just all human beings. Don't try to interpret the things. Don't try to do anything more than just live a close life, giving praise and honor to Jesus Christ. Everybody understand that now? Amen. Love Him with all your heart. Do you do it?

 

[I PETER 5:6-9]

6    Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7    Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

8    Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9    Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your             brethren that are in the world.

 

GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SHARE THESE THOUGHT FROM THE MESSAGE AND THE BIBLE.

[Pastor Martin Tombe: Restored Bible Truth Assembly]