I have just returned from Bukoba , Tanzania with Jake Luffy, Evangelist Scott Smith, and Joseph Mutua. What a powerful time we had as we four led a four day conference on Spiritual Leadership and Scott led a two day crusade in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. Many lives were touched for God (ours included) and the local Church Body was ever the more strengthened. The highlight for me was to meet pastors from Rwanda and the Congo , these men really know about persecution and suffering.

War and genocide are good teachers of suffering. My friend we pale woefully short in this area before them. While in Bukoba I heard an African Christian say, if I can not find a job I can always start a Church. In American they would have said, if I do not want to work I can always start a Church. Well my friend this is wrong thinking out from wrong teaching and gross presumption. The last thing we need in the Body of Christ, Africa included, is another Church that is birthed not out of God's will, but the will of an individual who desires to build a kingdom (not God's) of power, influence, and to make money. We often think out of our little, self-centered heart just because God has gifted us to communicate and have the ability to gather and lead people we have been called into ministry and we must start a Church. I often think we think too much. The requirement for ministry has nothing to do with talents, abilities, or gifts. If that be true then anyone with education, a flare for dramatics, or skills could handle the things of God. True ministry, real ministry that effects and affects Godly change in our lives is not an issue of qualification, but authorization. Brethren has God authorized you? Here are two clear examples in the Bible: Saul was qualified to offer the sacrifice, he was king, but he was not authorized by God. Samuel told him, wait until I come and I will offer the sacrifice. David, also king, was more then qualified to build the temple, but he was not authorized. God told David that his son Solomon would build the temple and restore glory back to Israel . The chief requirement to be authorized a minister of God is brokenness. You know there is a world of difference between a gifted preacher and a broken preacher. We want to draw nigh to God with our thoughts and desires, but David tells us, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18) You know it is one thing to hold on to God, but it is a different thing all together to have God hold on to you. For the broken hearted and contrite spirit God is drawing nigh to them, there is no need for them to move towards God. David also shares, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalms 51:17) Here the word “contrite” means crushed and ground to powder. The sacrifices God will not despise is “a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart.” God is not too interested in our abilities, gifts, and the things we can give Him. I hear many Christians today say they want to throw crowns at Jesus' feet, why? They are His crowns we are only giving Him back something that is already His. Let us desire to give Him our brokenness something that is ours alone and more precious. Thus, it has always been true and still is today, the broken alone are useful to God.

But today in the Church and around the world all we see is gifted preachers. Just turn on Christian TV and we hear swelling words of flattery that tickle our ears, humor (the Gospel is not funny), and words that move our emotions, but we see no signs of a broken and contrite heart or spirit. Outward soft flowing tears and inward scars of weakness are the signs of brokenness. We see preachers who are not willing to inwardly endure God's dealings and judgments to come to a place whereby they are able to truly allow the Holy Spirit to flow through them to the world. It is far easier to function and operate with our emotions and feelings then to flow with the Holy Spirit. To flow with God's Spirit we must be reduced, under the mighty hand of God, of all of our desires and ambition must be pulled down in our lives. This my friend will kill us, but this is God's intention for our lives. Jesus said, if we lose our life for His sake, surely we shall find it. But, not too many preachers want to lose because they think they are winners, well God thinks the opposite. Our winning in God comes by way of our losing. The more we can lose of our self and of this world, the more we can win in God no more no less. It is odd to know God measures our gain in Him not by what we have to give or what we have done for Him, but what we can lose of our selfish, self-seeking nature, and of this world. To flow with God we must not desire the approval of men, but be willing to turn our backs on the world and the religious network of carnal Churches that prop up organized Christianity around the world. Let us never forget Jesus did not come to save the world, but He came to save those in the world that are lost. What was the burden of Paul's prayers? It was for the growth and development of Believer's - the Body. It was not bringing in the kingdom and getting this world set straight, nor was this the object of Jesus' prayers in John 17. His burden was bringing out of the world as many as possible into salvation. “Go ye to the ends of the earth with the gospel message,” not to Christianize the world, but to evangelize the world. And having evangelized the world God can gather them together in what He calls the Body of Christ so we can spend our efforts and time on this group not trying to save the world. Now evangelizing is much more costly then Christianizing the world. It is much easier staying at home and throwing money at the world. Even easier than throwing money is to send a signal with a satellite that reaches the world. But to evangelize one must “Go” and become a part of the people. One must be willing to get exhausted, rejected, misunderstood, even sick. My friend diarrhea and sickness are some of the many prices we pay to be able to evangelize the world whereby we are making disciples. Not too many Christians want diarrhea, but it is a cost we must unflinching be willing to pay. This too is why the Church of today is not making disciples many are unwilling to go and suffer for the Gospel.

Brethren, our measure of brokenness will equal our level of revelation which is the key to our authorization by God. It is revelation, how much we know of God and how He operates, that allows us to function with Him. The more revelation we possess the more we are authorized to function on God's behalf. The Church of today seems to always go after the power of God, to do signs and wonders, but the essence of God's authority and functioning in Him is not His power it is His revelation. Therefore, it is not about how much power we have, but how much revelation we have. And it all begins with us being broken before Him. The reason the one who is qualified but not authorized is due to their lack of brokenness. We can see this precept true in almost all of Saul's life and at times in David's life. One that is broken will always know God's will and would never no never want to do something that is not correct. Within them there is a sense of righteousness that is offended with each act of presumption; thinking they are moving correctly in God, but in reality are getting further off track. Let us allow God to so work in our lives and break us from our self-strength and ambitions. Let us allow God to work in our lives not only to give us the qualifications needed to become what He needs us to become, but also let us allow God to work in our lives authorizing us to do the things He has purposed and planned for our lives.