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First, I want to tell you that God has a purpose for your life, no matter what the enemy has brought against you or told you through the circumstances, your parents, teachers, or friends. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jeremiah 29:11). Yes, God has a plan for you to be catapulted into ministry and it is a good plan for an effective ministry! He had a plan for Jeremiah before he was born and He also had a plan for you before you were born. "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5). The question is, "How can you be catapulted into ministry???
Second, there may be a number of factors which may need to be resolved before God catapults one into ministry. Here are a few. If we have emotional wounds that haven't been healed, then we need to receive emotional healing. "Steps To Receive Emotional Healing" If we have offended others, then we need to get a clear conscience. "Get A Clear Conscience" If we have problems submitting to authority, we need to learn that God works through authority. "Spiritual Authority" If we are having trials, we need to understand that God has a purpose in those trials. "Purpose In Trials". There is also a need to yield all our personal rights to God. "Holding On To Rights".
Third, there is a broad principle in Scripture that goes something like this. God births a vision in us, there is a delay of the vision, there are self efforts to fulfill that vision, there is a failure to fulfill that vision, there is a death of the vision, then there is a supernatural rebirth of the vision, and then the supernatural fulfillment of the vision if we follow through. Abraham was given a vision by God that he would become the father of many nations as he followed God. However, as time passed he and Sarah had no children. Abraham thought at first that he would adopt his servant, but God said, "NO." Then Sarah came up with a plan that Abraham would have a child by her servant, Hagar. Bad plan. Then Abraham came to the place where Abraham and Sarah were a long way past the age of having children and the vision in some sense died. God restored the vision and when Abraham was ninety-nine and Sarah was ninety years old and Sarah became pregnant. "Get A Vision".
Fourth, Jesus put this principle in a nutshell. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). There may be three "D's" which can be associated with this verse. The first "D" is destitution. Everything is falling apart in your life can can fall apart. The second "D" detachment from self. You try to fix the problem and nothing works. You come to the end of your rope and there is nothing to hold on to, so you let go. The third "D" is dependence upon God. When we walk through the first two "D" and enter into third "D" we began to see God work supernaturally in our lives. We enter into kingdom living. We move toward a position of being catapulted into ministry.
Fifth, we find a similar principle in the book of Hosea. "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hosea 6:1-3). In the sovereignty of God, He has torn. We may be suffering because we have been disobedient or it simply may be a test of our faith. However, the promise is that He will return and bring healing. It may not happen the first day, but it will happen that He will revive us. Then if we will continue to follow, He will give us the latter rain of the Holy Spirit which anoints us with power for ministry.Sixth, is the principle of repentance. Many times we desire to be involved in ministry, but are not willing to let go sin and the things of the world in our lives and seek repentance. God called the church of the Laodiceans to repent. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19). The church of the Laodiceans represents the church age of today. It was a lukewarm church holding on to things of the world. We can't be catapulted into ministry as long as we hold on "my" things.
Seventh, is the principle that actually catapults us into ministry. It is to start offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to God. This means you start thanking God in and for the circumstances that you are experiencing. This is God’s will for you right now! In the above photo, I actually have two rubber bands which provide the energy to catapult the ping pong ball across the room. Again, for us it is a sacrifice of thanksgiving and that of praise to God.
As of the time I am writing of this article, I have been struggling with some major back issues. When I was in my late teens, I injured my spine in a diving accident. I was at a motel swimming pool and was showing off diving from the high diving board. I was bouncing high and doing deep dives. However, once when I bounced, for some reason, I missed my footing and when up at an angle and went out too far from the edge of the diving board. When I went into the water for a deep dive, I realized that I was diving into water where the swimming pool was angled up into the shallow water. To avoid hitting my head on the bottom, I arched my back very sharply. I came so near killing myself that I skinned my nose on the bottom. However, I still injured my spine. As I have grown older, there has been some spurs developed on my spine around the injured area. Now, the injury has effected my legs and some other areas of my body. I am often in pain, especially at night, which makes it difficult to rest. I like to exercise, but the exercise at times irritates the injury. Even sitting in the wrong position becomes a problem.
I have prayed for healing, I have been anointed with oil and have had others to pray for my healing, but still there is the injury and the various problems associated with it. Then one day, I was listening to some CD's by Otto Koenig on the weapon of praise and God spoke to me about being catapulted into ministry. How could I praise God in the midst of all the problems? I felt that I had been doing what I should be doing and still there was the pain and even having major difficulty of standing erect. For the record, I had already asked God to forgive me for acting in pride when I originally had the accident. However, "How could I thank God for the injury?" At first, it didn't make sense, but then God gave me this picture: Jesus was arrested, stripped to the waist, beaten with reeds, then beaten later with a whip called the cat of nine tails. He had much more back pain than I will ever have. Then he was later forced to carry his cross on his back toward the place that he was to be crucified until he fell under the weight of the cross and could carry it no more. I can't even fully imagine the back and leg pain that he had. He suffered this pain as punishment for me. He took all the punishment for my sins and yours. I made a decision to praise God in the midst of the pain and even thank him for the back injury. I have decided to allow the back pain to be a reminder that Jesus suffered in my place for my sins and yours whether or not I ever receive healing for the injury.
I have also come to thank God for the colon cancer which I had about nine years ago in that He gave me a fantastic soul winning illustration that many other people don't have. After discovering that I had cancer, there was a surgeon who said that he could fix the problem by operating and removing the portion of my colon which was affected by cancer. I often find myself being a fix-it type person, but here was something that I could not fix. However, before the surgeon would operate, I had to sign a consent form. This meant that I would have to put my life in the hands of the surgeon to remove the cancer which had a death penalty attached to it. Now there is a cancer called sin that also has a death penalty attached to it. We can't operate on ourselves to fix the sin problem, no matter how much good we may try to do. There is the Great Physician, Jesus, who can operate upon us to remove the sin and the penalty of sin. However, before he will operate upon us, we also have to sign the consent form by giving our lives to Jesus as our Lord and savior. You see, I would not have this dynamic illustration, but that I had cancer and began to look to see how my experience could be a blessing from God.
HERE ARE SOME BIBLICAL EXAMPLES:Job because of fear lost his servants, his wealth, and his family except for his wife. He had three friends who mocked and condemned him, but gave him no answers to his problem. Only Elihu, the good counselor addresses the issues. Then God spoke to Job and rebuked him. At the end of the book, Job came to praise God. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee" (Job 42:5). God then opened the door for him to minister to his friends by praying for them. God further catapulted him into ministry by restoring to Job twice as much wealth and giving him seven sons and three daughters..
Jehoshaphat, the king was surrounded by three enemies much stronger than he was. He fasted and sought God and sent his choir out to praise God before his army. "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever" (II Chronicles 20:21). God had the enemies to turn upon themselves. It took Jehoshaphat three days to gather all the spoil that the enemies left behind. Because of this, the fear of the Lord was spread through the kingdoms of the countries.
Jonah, a prophet of God, ran the other direction when God told him to go preach to his enemy, Nineveh. He got caught in a storm at sea, was thrown overboard, and then swallowed by a large fish. He was in the stomach of the fish at the bottom of the ocean for three days before he wised up to give thanks to God. "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9). The fish then catapulted him on to dry land. Then God gave him a second chance to be catapulted into ministry.
Nebuchadnezzar rose up in his pride and claimed to receive credit for what God had done to build his kingdom. When he did this, he lost his sanity for seven years. He lived among the wild animals in the open. His hair grew out like eagles' feathers and his fingernails like claws. Then one day he looked up and began to praise the Creator. "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation" (Daniel 4:34). Then God gave him back his mental health, restored his counselors to him, and enlarged his ministry in his kingdom. He too was catapulted into ministry.
Paul and Silas were being obedient to preach the Gospel when they were arrested, thrown into the inner prison, and their hands and feet were put into stocks. It was then at night they began to sing praises unto the Lord. "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them" (Acts 16:25). The Lord sent an earthquake and the prison doors were opened. They were then catapulted into ministry. They first led the jailer to the Lord and then they led his family to the Lord also.
I challenge you to try this today and see what God will do. YOU CAN'T LOSE FOR WINNING!
SCRIPTURES:"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name" (Hebrews 13:15).
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2).
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:18).
"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:19-20).
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him" (James 1:12).
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Corinthians 12:9-10).
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).