Authentic Ministry

In our experience in ministering to the church and praying for the reconciliation and restoration of marriages, we have become acutely aware that there are as many people divorcing in the church as in the world. Most of our ministry is focused on church leaders with serious marriage problems. Church leaders are called to be the examples in the church. We recognize the need for the impartation of authentic Christian ministry to change this alarming reality.

Authentic ministry comes from a consecrated life in Christ, not because we have a big church or impressive religious titles in front of our names. Changed lives are the fruit of authentic ministry. God is not impressed with our natural abilities or our personal charisma. Our anointing to minister is given to us by Him. Jesus said, “Except by me you can do nothing.” Paul the Apostle admonishes us to “ be careful how we build”. Unless we “do the will of the father, we shall not enter the Kingdom of God”. God is not building His church out of human effort. He is building His church out of Christ and the life of Christ. All things are summed up in Christ.

“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him, with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.   Eph. 1: 9-10

The Tabernacle of Moses described in the book of Exodus is a picture of our progression into this dimension of consecrated life “in the spirit”. The Tabernacle of Moses consists of the Outer Court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.  The Holy Place was separated from the Outer Court by a veil and there was a veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Jesus said, “ I am the Way (entering through the veil of the Outer Court), I am the Truth (entering through the veil of the Holy Place) and I am the Life (entering through the veil of the Holies of Holies).” We all require spiritual revelation to remove these veils.

There are seven experiences in the Outer Court, representing the steps a believer must follow in order to fulfill the eternal purpose of God. These steps are progressive and are not optional.  Our growth as Christians rests upon the completed experience of each of these progressive steps of truth. They include:  Circumcision of the heart (Repentance), the altar of sacrifice (forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus), the removal of our old worldly garments (removing ourselves from our old life of sin), coming to the laver filled with water (full emersion of water baptism), the putting on of the garments of Christ (the righteousness of Christ), and then the pouring of oil over the bonnet of the Old Testament priest symbolic or the baptism of the Holy Spirit speaking with other tongues. The seventh Outer Court experience is the “consecration offering”:

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

 Rom. 12:1

These seven Outer Court experiences are the foundations that lead us to this “consecration” experience. Consecration simply means to do the whole will of God. The light that illuminates the outer court is all “natural light” (sun, moon and stars). The light that illuminates the Holy Place comes from the golden lampstand and is made from one piece of pure gold and is 100% spirit.  The revelation and truth of this current call to consecration is the next church restoration. In fact, it follows the exact pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses. It also follows the progression of the major Jewish feasts: the feast of Passover; the feast of Pentecost; and then the feast of Tabernacles. This revelation of consecration will move the church out of the realm of “natural” understanding filled with information and facts into a place of  “spiritual” understanding, that is, direct revelation from God. Only then can the church do the whole will of God and begin to move into the realm of authentic ministry that will produce “fruit and fruit that will last.” As God restores this truth to the church, the church will move from natural ability and understanding into the revelation understanding given by the Seven Spirits of God represented by the seven flames of fire on the lampstand that burns day and night in the Holy Place. This is the “Lampstand Church.”  In this new dimension our hands will be filled (ordained) and we will “stand before Him, minister to Him, burn incense to Him and minister to His people.”

Based on this prophetic picture, the church will step out of the Pentecostal and Charismatic experience of the past 100 years and step into the consecration experience of doing the “whole” will of God no matter what the cost or where it takes us! Persecution of the church could very well be the catalyst of this next move of God. The authentic anointing and authority of God can only come from the life of Christ. As men continue to build “man made” churches, Jesus said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matt. 16:18

This next move of God will take the church from a “man centered” agenda to a

“Christ centered” agenda. We must remember Jesus said this,

“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them. ‘I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’. Matthew 7:21-23,

God is speaking to all of us! These prophetic words should be a sobering warning to any one who uses the name of Jesus in their ministries and churches. Those who have been called of God to minister and have an anointing from God but continue to build their own kingdoms will have to deal with the truth of Matthew 7. We know that the gifts of God are given without repentance.

“These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;   wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever”. Jude 1:12-13

 Holy Place ministry on the other hand is all about God’s agenda, not ours. The dimension of Holy Place ministry can only accommodate the will of God. There is no room for any other agenda.  Our egos and personal ambition will not function in the Holy Place. Genuine ministry is generated from a life that comes out of the resurrected life of Christ. Humility and character are two of the corner stones of this Christ centered ministry life. In this realm of ministry the anointing and the gifts of God are used exclusively for the Glory of God, not personal gain.  Ministry life becomes a life consecrated to doing the entire will of God. There are no personal agendas. The ministry received from the Holy Place is not about building our personal kingdoms; it’s only about doing the will of the Father and bringing joy to the heart of God.

“But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and Jesus said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

 Mark 8:33

Rev. Walter and Sandy Fox -LOVESAVERS MINISTRY …ministering the blessings of covenant

waltersandy7@aol.com and www.lovesaversministry.com