Holding Up Their Hands
Praying for Leaders Leading the Church to Victory
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God desires His ministers to be a Flame of Fire. He does not want them to be a smoldering coal or burning ember. He wants His ministers to be a Flame of Fire. When John the apostle, writes his discription of Jesus in the first chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he writes, "and His eyes like a flame of fire." (Rev. 1:14) The eyes of the Lord are like a flame of fire. His ministers are to be a Flame of Fire. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." (Pro. 15:3) In this vision that John has of Jesus it is not hard to see that when John speaks of His eyes being a Flame of Fire that John is speaking about the ministers of God properly aligned with the Spirit of God. The ministers of God are to discern both good and evil. They are to judge righteous judgment. They are to be a Flame of Fire.
The Greek word that is translated as "minister" in the present verse is leitourgos and is defined "a public servant, i.e. a functionary in the Temple or Gospel, or a worshipper of God or benefactor of man." This brings us to the truth that God wants all of His saints to be ministers to Him and also to the unsaved in some way. One does not have to be called to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher in order to be a minister of God. In fact, every church has a music ministry, which is included in the definition of leitourgos.
It is the desire of God that His ministers become Flames of Fire. This does not mean that as they walk down the street they will look like a little ball of fire. Nor does it mean that when they speak that they will have flames shooting from their lips. Obadiah wrote concerning the house of God, "The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house of Esau shall be stubble;" (Ob 18) The house of Jacob, the sons and daughters of Israel, and the house of Joseph, the son of Jacob who received honor from the heathen world, will be like a flame and fire. Esau, the brother who sold His birthright, will be burned to stubble with none remaining. The servants of God must have a hearts desire to be a Flame of Fire, for that is their destiny. Every saint should desire to be a Flame of Fire.
For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (1 Cor. 4:20)
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Cor. 2:4-5)
The first time that Jehovah appeared to Moses was in a Flame of Fire. "And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush." (Ex. 3:2) This unnatural sight caught the attention of Moses. It is God's heart that the ministers of God grab the attention of the unsaved. Jesus was a Flame of Fire as it was prophesied by Isaiah, "So the Light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day." (Is. 10:17) This verse speaks of Jesus, the Holy One of Israel, and then continues to speak of the fire of the Holy Spirit. The second part of this verse speaks of devouring thorns and briers. Compare this to Matthew 3:11-12 where John the Baptist says, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentence, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
The threshing floor is where the chaff and the grain are separated after harvest. On the threshing floor there will be good grain, chaff, briers, and thorns. The wind will blow all but the good grain away. The Holy Spirit is described in the Word of God as both wind and fire (Acts 2:3). The Holy Spirit burns the briers and thorns that Satan has put in a persons life completely in one day. The day of salvation. He than continues to burn in the believer as a sign and a wonder for the lost to see.
In the Word, we see Jesus as a Flame of Fire. we see Paul as a Flame of Fire. We see Peter as a Flame of Fire. We see Stephen as a Flame of Fire. None of these men relied on persuasive words of wisdom, but in the power of God. "And Stephen, full of faith and power did great wonders and signs among the people." (Acts 6:8) Each one of these men did signs and wonders among the people. The fire of God was active in their lives to cause the lame to walk, the blind to see, the captives to be set free from their bondages, the sick to be healed, the oppressed and possessed to be delivered, the dead to be raised, and salvation brought to many.
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About the Book
Many church leaders have left the ministry prematurely because of the loss of God's vision for their lives or because of sin overtaking them. Paul, the apostle, for many different reasons asked the churches to pray for him while he was doing the work he was called by God to do. Our church leaders today should be afforded the same support from those who are under their care. Prayer, from the saints of God, can be vital in sustaining the church leaders today as they fulfill their destiny in Christ while defending them from the stumblingbocks set for them by the enemy. In this book, find how Paul requested prayer from the saints, and how the prayers of the saints work to strengthen the ministries they are undergirding with those prayers. Paul attributed his success in ministry to the prayers of the saints as much as to the calling and anointing that God had placed on his life and church leaders today can find strength and guidance from God the same way.
About the Author
Terrance Kuhn earned his undergraduate degree at Western Michigan University, and his masters degree from Christian International School of Theology. Since receiving Jesus as his savior in 1975, Terry has served the church for several years each as worship leader, Ministry of the Arts Director, co-elder, and as a prison minister for eight years.
Terrance and his wife, Nikki, were united in 1978 and raise Shelties to make up their family.