by Andreas Keller
1. Focus on the family / Don’t let the family go
People don’t want to join an organisation, they want to be a part of a family. As a city of God we mirror His Body, and as David Demian has expressed: “You can quit an organisation, but you cannot resign from being a part of your family.”
Challenge: After 30+ year being together, dust and ashes have accumulated. Hurts, disappointments have rolled over us. We may also call it the hidden witchcraft in the Body of Christ, which comes in when we are self-focused and ego-centered. We have to be diligent again to “carry the ashes out” daily and gird ourselves with new mantles of humility toward one another.
We also noticed: Hearts who withdraw from each other will seek security in structure. We have to turn it around ― hearts who find each other again, who are aligned with God and with each other, can and will discover the structure that is needed in the present, bringing them forward into the next glory.
Also: In Scripture, we see many seasoned ministers being appointed in the midst of all their “successes” by God to join “a family”. Elijah was appointed to join the household of the widow and her son (1. King 17), Elisha was appointed to join the house of the prominent Shunammite Woman and her husband, even receiving an upper room where her dead son was eventually raised. Jesus joined the house of Lazarus in Bethany, Paul joined the house of Priscilla and Aquila, etc. It is interesting to see that family was the anchor in between the “ministry cycles” of these ministers, resulting in their next level of calling and ministry.
2. Moving from a ministry structure to a movement structure
We move because the Lord is moving, and because there are literal wheels underneath His throne, as described in the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel. We are “pilgrims” on earth and thus we should regard our structures to be agile in the seabed of His Presence until “we see God in Zion” (Psalm 84).
With this comes the knowledge that apostolic communities will never have the “release” of being done with pioneering. The struggle of pioneering is a hallmark of any apostolic community as we are the “sent ones”. Thus, the structure has to serve the anointing, not the anointing serving the structure.
3. Mary / Martha Balance
Many are feeling the sense of being in a “hamster wheel”. The pressure of “needs”, as well as the need for advancement is growing increasingly. Thus, “works for God” is being labeled as “Martha” while fellowship with Jesus is considered as “Mary”.
However, we need both. Both are valuable. Mary and Martha are sisters, living in the same family. Jesus would not have chosen Bethany as his place of rest and recreation without Martha actively providing him a place of excellent hospitality. However, Mary chose the better part.
We are currently correcting our over-emphasizing of the Martha-Ministry by focusing on our identity in Jesus, being His sons and daughters. Out of our being will come the doing, and our doing is empowered through the knowledge of our identity. “You are my beloved son / daughter in whom I am well pleased” (Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan). After victories and true acts of empowerment in ministry, we must learn to quickly find our position once again at the feet of Jesus.