Naturally Supernatural Part 1

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. - 1 Kings 19:11-12

Men look at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. The move of men focuses on the spectacular, but the move of God focuses on the inner and ordinary. The category of "revivals" in the past all began from the ordinary ------- a still, small voice.

But we men are still men. We tend to fix our eyes on the visible, extraordinary, radical, and the spectacular. We focus on powerful testimonies of healings but we forget about the process of life transformation and the tenacity required to pursue the identity of walking in divine health.

We focus on how a person is powerfully delivered in an inner healing session, but we miss out on how the same person is back in bondage a short while later. Because if you need ministry to set you free, then you'll need ministry to keep you free. But if you let truth set you free, then truth will keep you free. And truth may take time because it is in the ordinary.

The most powerful moments with God are usually not in the spectacular, but in the ordinary. A still, small voice can change everything. There are so many things I could share. But in Feb 2015, a still, small voice completely changed the course of my direction.

He said, "Your highest call is to be a father. For I am your Father." Short and sweet. But it broke deep into my innermost being. I couldn't stop weeping. I wasn't even thinking about anything related to this. He added, "Would you lay down your ministry and father your son in his foundation years?" 

I gave a 6-month's notice and left full-time church ministry. More than four years have passed and this decision has totally transformed my knowledge of who God is as a Father and the whole idea of the kingdom of God and ministry. The still, small voice did not transform me. It was the start of this transformation, which took four years.

We live in the microwave generation. We want everything instantly. That's why we look to the spectacular ------- we want it fast. Well, there is no shortcut. Until we fall in love with the ordinary, we will never truly grow in maturity.

I'm done with the sacred holly molly thingy about the perceived Christian ministry by many believers. I'm done with the usual calling thingy that people have been preaching about. Because I searched deep and realized that it is not in the Scriptures.

(I'm also done with the charismatic action-packed ministry. I'll share more in the next post.)

Don't separate the secular from the sacred. Don't separate the extraordinary from the ordinary. The kingdom of God is holistic and all-inclusive. Besides, there is only one main calling: to be conformed into the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). If we miss this and think that full-time church ministry or whatever kind of sacred ministry is our calling, then we miss the entire point.

We are not called to just present the Word. We are called to represent the Word.

A stay-at-home-mum is as sacred as a full-time church minister because the calling is to be conformed into the image of Christ. Unfortunately, though unspoken, many (including ministers themselves) think that there is a separation between clergy and laity. They may preach that it's the same in terms of sonship. But they practise (secretly or openly) it differently.

Well, the Cross of Christ has put everyone on the same page. We have the same playing field to start with. And we have the same destination. The only thing we need to focus on is becoming like Christ and being good stewards of whatever we are tasked to do.

Stop losing yourself praying and fasting for which job to take. For goodness sake, just get a job and represent Christ. The secret to Christianity lies in the being. Who you are is more vital than what you do. 

Fulfill the Great Commission wherever you are. And don't quit your job to go full-time church ministry thinking that it is the best way to serve God. That is compartmentalizing God. That is no different from a Sunday Christian. You don't serve God with your vocation. You serve God with your LIFE.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. - Col 3:17

Disclaimer: If you are passionate about full-time ministry work, then go for it. However, as a wise pastor once shared, "Where two or three gather, politics take place." This is the same everywhere. Manage your expectations.