MINISTRY MADDNESS: In a Mentoring & Discipleship Mangle
MINISTRY MADNESS IN A MENTORING AND DISCIPLESHIP MANGLE
ByDavid Dungji Chinke
August, 2010,
ISSN: 2141 - 9507
" THE MENTORING AND DISCIPLESHIP MANGLE
As one who is always working with electrical appliances and equipment, which includes sound systems, and computer systems etc. sometimes when working with long stretches of chord or cables and wires, one is apt to find that some of the wires seem to mangle a bit. They twist and turn and sometimes form a knot that makes things difficult. In that case, one would have to sort out the pieces of cable one after the other to make sure the mangling process does not continue. Christianity has gone through a lot over the decades and centuries and has come to a threshold. In Nigeria, we have had our own share of experience with the gospel message and Christianity but at this point we are presently experiencing what I would call a discipleship mangle. There are so many people in the discipleship work today, and this should be a good thing, ordinarily, but some factors have made it a bit of a mangle. These are: 1. A concentration of too many believers in one environment without spreading to bear fruit. 2. A gradual alienation of the Holy Spirit from the discipleship process 3. A gradual usurpation of the person of Jesus – the hero mentality These factors are helped and made more potent by factor number one as the predominant factor.
" THE Stagnant Water
The stagnant water is a place where there is little or no flow of new ideas and people. There is a large concentration of people with the same ideas, who are not willing to step out into unknown territory. This situation creates a tussle for power, and influence. Most often as we are currently witnessing, clicks form. Intra organization and inter organization rivalries emanate. Each one trying to make the other one look irrelevant and unattractive. The problem with the stagnant water situation is that it is difficult to recognize it when dealing with a large expanse of territory like Nigeria or the Jos Plateau for instance. It is most easily seen in a small congregation or institution. But this state of affairs is gradually setting in Nigeria. In our opinion; our situation is peculiar, since the present state of affairs is not due to our refusal to do the work but because we have been so zealous doing the work we have forgotten that our methods and motives do matter. Also, we have neglected to spread to other places like the Jerusalem church. Most of the spreads that have taken place during the years have been forceful spreading, because of internal squabbles or crises. This often leads to a system where there is a big fish in a small pond. This fish bullies all the small fish and they all want to be like him someday. The stagnant water soon becomes a battle ground for survival and the stronger one survives. But in the process; the big fish would have killed off those smaller fish who contributed to life in the pond. Soon the pond becomes a lifeless water body because the big fish himself will ultimately die. This creates systems with people practically preying on each other and each other’s ministries – Hence a Ministry Madness.
" Ministry Maddness
Our methods over the years have been mostly ministry based than discipleship based. What do I mean by this? I mean we are structure based and not God based nor people based. Over the past decade or two, there have been so many shining stars that have arisen to build large and functioning ministries that we have raised people who desire to build their own large and functioning ministries too. They desire to be popular like us, materially comfortable like us, and respected like us, without waiting to really think and pray to find out if they are called for such. They do not even desire to endure the rigorous training it involves. This is made worse because some of us only build up those that say yes to us and destroy those that tell us the painful truth. Many factors may be responsible for this among which is the high rate of unemployment in the country today. Christianity is so often seen as a way to employment. Christianity as an institution is not the only sector that suffers from this state of affairs. Almost every facet of our national life is being run to the ground with what might be termed this time, a mentoring mangle. Success is the most important factor in the discipleship and mentoring mangles. Every young believer and professional desires to carve a niche for himself or herself, most often without going through the process himself/herself. There is a large scale copying and mimicking and cramming of principles and ideas which are produced when the need irises to dazzle the unsuspecting prospective mentee or customer. Many of these premature disciples and mentors launch out into an already saturated market and find themselves weak unsuspecting sheep to make a meal of. This gives birth to a new generation that is shallow and ungrounded. The society and hence the church suffers for this state of affairs because it ultimately becomes a struggle for little resources and chaos is the result.
" BREAKING NEW GROUNDS
The stagnant water needs to flow and not just flow, but also have a constant source of fresh water. This can be archived by applying Biblical developmental principles to church work. These are seen thus: 1. Training and professionalization 2. Calling and vocational counseling 3. Poverty alleviation and development to halt rural urban drift. 4. Avoiding Moral decay in our lives and society.
" Training and Proffesionalization
Mediocrity in training has practically destroyed education and professionalization in Nigeria, this has permeated the society and also our churches. The genesis of this state of affairs is not clear, but somehow the Nigerian factor has claimed our educational system and hence professional standards. There was a time in the banking sector as well as the civil service that ONDs and HNDs where the highest achievable education level for the working class. Degree holders where forced outside the country or left to roam the streets without jobs and some join the academia. This was changed when multinationals began employing some of the unemployed graduates in oil companies and federal parastatals, as well as the explosion of the banking sector. Now everyone wants to have a degree and the universities are overcrowded and not well equipped due to the decay of the former years. These problems are as a result of underlying moral problems. This is the constituency of the church, and thus the church must move to correct this in its own institutions. We must upgrade our training in every sector - from the small discipleship cell group to the degree awarding theological institution. This will allow for a free movement of well thought out information from the top of the educational ladder to the bottom. In this case spirituality and institutionalism are treated holistically and integrally to avoid dualism in the approach. Professionalism among the clergy is thus not seen as unspiritual and is integrated into the whole process. The ministry of the laity or the theologically untrained Christian is thus well appropriated along his or her own professional and private spheres of life. But this cannot be done effectively without considering the issues of career counseling as well as what we Christians term calling.
In our world today it is easy to say I can do anything as long as I put my mind and effort into it. This is true to an extent, but unfortunately it has been unduly over emphasized to the detriment of calling and gifting. Also the need to make it in life has increased the need to get into employment no matter ones calling and gifting. This state of affairs is allowable to an extent, but cannot be left totally unattended to as sensitive positions in society cannot be left to those un-talented and untrained. Not all are called into active organized ministry, just as not all have the spiritual gifts as listed by the apostle Paul. (1st Cor. 12:27-30) We believe that every healthy human being has one area or more that he/she is gifted and hence may be called to pursue a lifelong career in that area. Spirit led counseling, as well as trained counseling in vocation and calling is a great need in this time. Poverty alleviation and development to halt rural urban drift Poverty alleviation is an important developmental strategy that will solve many of the problems associated with the search for greener pastures and hence ministry madness which also lends to the discipleship and mentoring mangle. Rural urban drift in search for greener pastures is one of the factors that must the checked, through mechanized farming techniques and provision of roads, water and electricity without turning these rural areas into cities themselves. The church has a much too important role to play in our society today and it must play this role. It is the salt and light of the earth which must not lose its saltiness. If it does, there will most likely be a moral holocaust – destruction of good living by immorality and evil.
To avoid a moral holocaust there are certain factors that we must consider: first of all we have to see morality as a virtue of God. But we are apt to see it as our own virtue. We see morality in terms of what we wear, our general conduct and the so called “stereotype sins”. Sins like stealing, lying , fornication etc. these are indeed part of Gods morality, but God’s morality is more than that, it has to do with a higher life. A state of living that patterns itself according to God’s wisdom and not mans wisdom. But there are certain underlying principles that we must understand in order to tap into God’s morality and the first is power. Power The world is made by a person with power, he created the world for a reason, and one of these reasons was to create beings who will one day share in His power. How? a. They will rule the earth he created that in itself is power b. They will procreate or give birth that in itself is power (a lower form of creation) c. They will posses innate capabilities that if used well will give birth to lower forms of intelligence d. Spiritual power given to man by God These powers from the time of the fall have been used in the way God did not intend, some of the results are: a. Creation of kingdoms that are not the kingdom of God b. These kingdoms are ruled by those who are able to get power from the wrong source and rule over others who are less powerful c. Some good power like knowledge and creativity or physical strength is used in the wrong way to oppress other people and this gave rise to slavery. d. The power of procreation has been used for sexual perversion without any sense of responsibility. The most important issue behind the moral problems we have in society is spiritual power, spiritual power is the way to knowledge, strength and increase. That takes us back to the Garden of Eden. The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil - these two trees were symbols of something greater. The tree of life was the key of eternal life in God, Genesis 3:21 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. The tree of life carried the key to life eternal and the tree of knowledge or good and evil carried with it death along with the knowledge of good and evil. Death is not just natural death but it is a state of darkness from spiritual truth and life (spiritual death) that is why people became unloving, wicked, stupid and calos. The tree of life provides love, kindness, peace, joy, knowledge, wisdom and all that is good. This takes us to a comparism between the new testament and old testament . Romans 5:12 RO 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. RO 5:15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. RO 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Emphasis mine). This is called the doctrine of recapitulation. Jesus came into the world to do away with the death brought about by the Adamic fall and bring life by his own death and resurrection. Thus desecrating the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now we can start afresh. We have been given the opportunity again to take from the tree of life, but once again the devil is up to his old tricks. He says don’t take of the tree of life, all you need is knowledge of good and evil “do this and don’t do that” i.e. law. JAS 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Today we need to focus more on the studying the word of God and Prayer. Singing songs to God and worshiping him. Daily, minute by minute and second by second.
1. No love Pray earnestly that God will give you a heart of love for you friends, family and enemies, without love you will not be able to tap into the resources of God. no matter how much you pray and fast. James 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? JAS 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 2. We want what God does not want for us or what we cannot handle. James 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3. Then because we do not get what we are looking for from God we then get angry with God and we seek it from the devil. This is what is happening in many people in the world and they have turned from God to Satan.
ROMANS 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Read Romans from chapter 9 to chapter 12 these tell us how God chose some people and rejected others, this does not mean that they were completely rejected by God, but for the purpose of what he wanted to do, they could not achieve it, he made all of them and knows what they are capable of. But unfortunately some give themselves to evil and so he decides to use them to show his power, others give themselves to him and he uses them to show his glory. Romans12:1- Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. The refusal of men to do this has led to, humanism in the form of Marxism, secular humanism, Satanism, and some religions etc. therefore we must be careful, these times we are going through will become worse, but if we keep to Christ and follow Christ’s example, we will prevail. Turn the other cheek when someone slaps you, the best you can do is defend the weak people God has put under you by giving yourself for them in the manner of Christ. Show love to your brothers and your enemies. If you are in government protect the people. If it looks like God has rejected you, cry to him and allow him to answer, do not go after the person he seems to be favoring. Even king Ahab was forgiven by God when he cried out This is the word of scripture.
Your mind is a battle field for ideas, whatever you do on the outside is from your mind. That is why it is important to watch your mind. The bible is meant to transform your mind from rebellion against God to a mind that follows God. the way you use power, changes when you are influenced by God. that is where the Holy Spirit comes in. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth, other spirits offer you power but mix truth and lies to get what they want from you. But the Spirit of God offers truth without compromise to events, time or people. 1. God’s truth is painful today but profitable tomorrow 2. It does not necessarily rely on emotions 3. Gods truth does not change when it suits you 4. God’s truth tells you what is beyond what you can see 5. But Gods truth is also very practical How do we hear from the Spirit of God without veering into demonism? 1. Give your life to Christ 2. Study the bible intensely and understand the message 3. Remove bias from your thinking; eg. Tribal, favoritism, what you want, Jealousy, fear, lust for quick success, family ties. 4. Continuously pray to God to purify your thoughts and motives 5. Humble yourself to God first and then to others 6. Reject any method that has to do with animal or human sacrifice (Christ’s sacrifice is enough). 7. Avoid statuesque systems or ways of thinking and be someone that meditates (THINKS) through issues. From then on He will guide you, it doesn’t matter if it’s through dreams, visions, Human beings or your own thoughts and ideas, just know that He is above all those things and He decides how to lead you and not yourself.
<< 
>>