The Master’s Service.

Today we have people running around self proclaiming themselves as apostles and prophets that have no business in doing so. They rehash old revelation without understanding, they copy the antics of other so-called ministers who seem to have success (at least the trapping of material success) but have no understanding of Christ in them.

If you stand and pretend to be someone but have no knowledge of who you are in Christ, of the fellowship of the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the ages, but now made known through the saints to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, (Eph 3.9-12 paraphrased) then you are at best a religious fruit cake and have no right to speak into the ears of the saints.

If you have no passion to bring release to others for them to develop their own relationship with God through Christ and are only interested in the credits you and your ministry can get for certain outcomes, then you have no business in the pulpit and no genuine accreditation from the Father.

Of these (the mighty deliverance ministries, the prophets of clouds without rain, the fleecers of the flock that live in luxury compared to the flock, that neither teach the sheep their authority in Christ nor help them understand new testament revelation of Christ in you) Jesus will say, “depart from me, I never knew you”.

Ordination by an institution will not be recognized in heaven, only that which was ordained by the Father is recognised by heaven. The onus then comes on the institution to go beyond scripture knowledge and theological impartation to hear the voice of God, train well, would be gospel ministers, help them learn the lessons of preparation through the difficult times, so that when they emerge, they have been moulded by the Spirit, washed in the word, bought by the blood and chiseled by the circumstances to be a sharp arrow in His quiver, unwavering from the cause, to enable sinners to find salvation and teach saints to know how to rely on God themselves without running daily to the prophet/pastor for prayers. All this without credit, cudos or recognition. This is the Master’s service.

If you have been tarred with this brush of deceit, if you have been entrapped by this self reliance, self promotion, self importance, then its time to repent, acknowledge that it has been about your kingdom and not His Kingdom and seek with tears the forgiveness that only The Father can give and seek his direction in humility, or get out of the ministry and sell soap or something that can actually benefit the people who you conduct business with.

It's time for cleaning up of the church and rising up of the saints.

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Rev Dr Howard Sands is the International Director of Beautiful Feet Task Force, is available as a speaker for churches, outreaches, business & missions.

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Deep Water Faith

(or Drop Everything and Follow Jesus)

Howard Sands

Example

Edith, mother of 8 came home from neighbours house -

things seemed a little too quiet.

As she peered thru door saw children huddled together - drew closer -

to her surprise, in the middle of a circle of children - 4 baby skunks.

Edith screamed 'Quick children run"

Each child grabbed a skunk and ran.

Some days are like that aren't they

Even when we try to solve them, pressures multiply.

Jesus the son of God was not immune from pressures when he was amongst us

regularly in the synagogue teaching,
answering questions,
facing their criticisms,
dodging the Pharisees and Saducees bullets,
casting out demons,
healing the sick,
confronting the forces of evil.

In the midst of all this at one point:-

Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

His emotions spent, his body weary, but he pressed on and taught the people.

He told Simon Peter Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.

Simon replied, Master, "we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net."

No one can criticise Peter for being reluctant, he'd been fishing all night but caught nothing, but he wisely surrendered.

And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When the master of heaven and earth, sea and sky, calls the shots amazing things happen - which explains Peters explosive reaction.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Earlier Peter calls Jesus "Master" after the miracle of the fish he calls Him "Lord".

Gripped with the realisation that he was in the boat with the Most High God.

He sounds like Isaiah who said,

Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Jesus said to Him Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.

There the two of them stood, thigh deep in cold wet clammy slimy fish and Jesus used the opportunity to give them his real message of deep water faith.

Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Amazing isn't it, Once they heard his invitation they literally dropped everything;

their occupation
their familiar surroundings
their own goals
nets boats business future dreams everything

Perhaps its time for us to take a mental boat trip out with Jesus into the deeper waters of faith and when Jesus says, "follow me" - DO IT.

Unlike Edith's children, drop everything and run

Why should we be willing to drop everything and follow Jesus?

and what happens when we do?

1 Jesus chooses not to minister to others alone.

He could have rowed the boat himself but he didn't.

He could have let down the nets himself but he didn't.

He certainly could have pulled up the nets busting full of fish but he had them do it.

He specifically stated "From now on YOU WILL BE CATCHING MEN."

2 Jesus uses the familiar to do the incredible.

He came to their place, their work, used their skills to work a miracle.

He always uses people.

3 Jesus moves us from the safety of the seen to the risk of the unseen.

He led them out into deep water (couldn't touch bottom).

Nothing spectacular happens in the shallows.

4 Jesus proves the potential by breaking our nets and filling boats.

When Gods hand is on a situation

nets break,

eyes bulge,

deck planks groan,

the boat almost sinks,

Its Gods way of putting his potential in you on display.

5 Jesus conceals his surprise until we follow his leading

No halo round the boat,

no tingle at the touch,

no special shimmer on the water that day,

angelic voices didn't thunder from the sky,

Nothing happened until after they dropped the nets. Until they were simply obedient to his word.

6 Jesus reveals his objective to those who release their security.

Only after they have been obedient does he tell them what they will be involved in "Catching men"

they jumped at the chance.

Will you:-

Push out into the deep?

Let down your nets (Obey his word-even though you may have done it 1000 times before)?

Work hard to bring in the catch?

Then leave it all to Follow Him and be a fisher of men?

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