Storm Watch - Overcoming the Storms of Life
by
Jonas Clark
Are you allowing your five-fold gifts prepare you for the storms
of life?
Charlie. Ivan. Frances. Jeanne. One hurricane after another
pummeled the Caribbean nations and the southeastern United
States last year. It was a record-breaking season for storms
that left behind ungodly gifts of destruction.
Could the 2004 hurricanes be a prophetic sign to the Body of
Christ? Could it be a wake up call that the Church needs to
prepare for the perilous times ahead?
Prophetic or not, if you live long enough you will have to pass
through many squalls, natural and spiritual. Hurricanes are inconvenient but
tolerable for many who were prepared for the heavy winds and
rains. For others who ignored the watches and warnings the
hurricanes were grave. During the height of the hurricane
season, Floridians learned a great deal about the nature of
storms and the need to prepare for them.
Storms are quite interesting creatures. They command our full
and undivided attention, disrupt daily routines and steal time
from busy believers. Some storms even prove to be deadly. But
perhaps one of the most striking characteristics of a storm is
its ability to reveal the real you. It seems that what’s in you,
both admirable and dire, openly manifests during tempestuous
times.
If life’s storms bring out the worst in you – and sometimes they
do bring out impurities before they bring out the fruit of the
Spirit – then you need to reexamine your foundation. Jesus has
given us everything we need to go through diverse storms, be
they spiritual cyclones, typhoons or dust devils, and emerge
victorious. Wisdom instructs us that hearing and obeying His
Word will build our house on a sure foundation that is
acclimated to any type of weather, from ominous winds to
spiritual smog to subzero temperatures (Matthew 7).
Preparation for the storms of life, however, may menace some
believers who are yet unwilling to endure the correction that
leads to change that leads to greater spiritual strength, from
faith to faith and glory to glory. Indeed, change seldom takes
place without correction.
Enter the apostolic ascension gifts. One aspect of the apostolic
church is to prepare you for stormy spiritual weather. As such,
apostolic leaders may be your last source of positive
improvement and preparation for the thunderous events of life.
As gifts from Jesus, apostles and apostolic leaders are called
to do more than bless you. They are also called to correct you
in right living.
Oftentimes we forget that Scripture that says, “Young man, do
not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for his
punishment is proof of his love. Just as a father punishes a son
he delights in to make him better, so the Lord corrects you”
(Proverbs 3:11-12 LB). (Keep in mind that when God brings
correction He often uses people to do it.)
Notice the Scripture describes the ministry of a father. The
Apostle Paul told his spiritual son Timothy there were thousands
of instructors in this world, but not many fathers. Paul felt,
as a spiritual father, he had a mandate to direct Timothy in the
way he should go. If the apostolic grace is a fathering grace,
then the Holy Spirit will use apostolic leaders to prepare sons
and daughters for life’s storms – even through correction when
needed.
Correction and preparation for life comes through many channels.
As you grow up, training comes through parents, teachers,
counselors, relatives, and yes, your church leaders. If you have
a pattern of rebellion, however, and resist correction from all
of these, then you may find yourself being corrected by law
enforcement, prison, lawyers, judges, credit card companies,
mortgage companies, banks, your boss, the military, or some
other worldly authority. Correction is a part of the storm
preparedness process. There is no escaping it. We are all being
disciplined by something.
I don’t think I have ever seen a time in Christendom where the
challenge to grow up is so critical. Weekly, I hear stories from
apostolic leaders being abused by those whom they are trying to
help. The National /International Religion Report showed that “a
majority of American pastors are suffering from burnout, many
are buckling under family and financial pressures, and a large
percentage are considering quitting the ministry.”
Could it be that they are quitting because their congregants do
not understand their divine call and, therefore, are abusing,
disrespecting, defaming and ill-treating their spiritual
leaders? One thing is certain: When you don’t understand the
function of a five-fold ministry gift, then you will abuse that
gift – especially if throughout your life you were abusing
others who were trying to help you mature. If our society
continues to freefall into immorality, and if correction from
parents, schools and employers fails to spark repentance, the
last shot for training is from local church leadership.
God’s apostolic leaders are not going to leave you in the
condition that you are in. According to the grace of God on
their lives, they must, and will, place a demand on you to
mature (Ephesians 4). To mature means to move out of
self-centeredness, rebellion, disrespect, incivility and lack of
self-control and into manhood. That means you will be held
accountable to your word, your poor attitude will be challenged,
your lack of responsibility dealt with, and your commitment to
Christian values and ethics will be expected. Notice all of this
is beyond getting blessed on Sunday morning.
Apostolic leaders and churches are different from anything the
Body of Christ has seen in the past. They deal with believers’
foundations – their belief systems (Ephesians 2:20). With your
cooperation, they will prepare you for the storms of life. The
Apostle Paul said, “Watch ye, stand fast in faith, act like men
and be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). A man is more than a male.
A man is responsible, courageous, hard working, committed and
dedicated. Notice that the apostle describes four important
traits: vigilance about your Christian walk, standing fast in
faith without wavering, acting like men (maturity) and being
strong in the Lord.
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practical equipping
to prepare for the storms of life.
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The lack of maturity in the
Body of Christ is bordering on ridiculous. In many churches
there are juvenile believers dictating to their leaders how they
should be treated; holding them hostage with attendance and
financial support that is based on the leader’s babysitting
skills. While Muslim terrorists are beheading people in other
parts of the world, some spoiled rotten Christians are arguing
over the silliest of matters.
One minister told me someone got mad at God and left the church
because their dog got run over. Another believer got angry when
the pastor wouldn’t go to his son’s baseball game. These petty
reactions are a sure sign of an immature believer who is full of
rebellion. For those who refuse to mature Scripture warns,
“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction:
but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored” (Proverbs
13:18).
Jesus is not asking His leaders to babysit seditious,
self-centered, insecure, bless-me-only believers who refuse to
be prepared to handle the storms of life. Apostolic leaders have
a responsibility to challenge childish temper tantrums and
adolescent behavior in the Church. I commend the real leaders of
Jesus’ Church who refuse to be held captive by a bunch of big
babies who refuse to grow up.
Saints, maturity and preparation for the storms of life are
vital to victorious living. The world is a hostile, competitive,
unfair environment that requires both natural and spiritual
training. It is the duty of every born again believer to grow
up. The Word declares, “All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2
Timothy 3:16-17).
Are you allowing your five-fold ascension gifts to prepare you
for the storms of life? Or will you continue to be tossed to and
fro by every subtle wind? No matter whether your storm is called
poverty, sickness or divorce, Jesus wants to prepare you to
overcome the world with your faith. But you have to submit to
authority and grow up to be more than a conqueror.
Check
out my new book Kingdom Living where you will discover many
different ways to activate your spiritual authority and take
dominion. In the book we also discuss various ways to combat the attacks
against the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, "I will build my Church and
the gates of hell shall not prevail.
God bless you.
Your partner
Jonas Clark
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