The Ballestero Blog

“Ministry Without Heart Brings Harshness”

(Excerpt of a letter written to my children in the ministry.)

While driving down the road two Saturday mornings ago, I felt a need to inquire of the Lord how I was doing and what areas I needed to work on in myself.  In my tears I struggled with these thoughts.  Life is a series of small corrections.

(I humbly share these few lines with my family in hopes that something may give pause for insight into your lives since all of you are involved with ministry at some level.  Your tolerance of my sermonizing style is gratefully appreciated.)

1.  Ministry without Heart

JONAH:  It took God building Jonah a prayer room and giving him an attitude adjustment before he was willing to go to Ninevah.  When Jonah arrived, he preached an eight-word sermon.  Oh yes, he got results but his heart wasn’t in the ministering.  Ministry without heart brings harshness.

As a pastor, I had a problem with saints who tried to live for God, without putting their heart into it.   I’m sure God has a problem with me doing the same as well.

When I have ministry without heart, I have no fire, no zeal, no feeling, and no emotion.  Neither the saints nor the sinners can feel anything when I speak, if I don’t feel anything first. I become hollow, shallow, lack luster, empty, and just go through the motions.  Ability may carry for a while, but it only goes so far.  The fire and zeal of the Holy Ghost is what carries me across the finish line.

Never permit yourself to go-through-the-motions.  Fear lest the work of God be taken lightly, considered mundane, or unimportant.  Put your heart into working for the Lord.  If we are to be judged for our labors, then may God see in that day that we served Him with our whole heart.  The scripture, “Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a perfect heart as did his father David” has always scared me.

2.  Ministry without Heart, brings Harshness

JONAH:  When he preached, it was without regard for his hearers, he was just doing his job.  Then, when his preaching was over, he went and sat on a hill to enjoy the view of God’s wrath.  His gourd vine’s demise was needed to wake him up.  God has ways of giving folks a wake-up call.

SAUL was harsh, he was chosen of God, anointed and his office secure as long as he lived, but he was quick to throw daggers and spears at David.  You can be king and still be harsh. God loved David.  David responded to Saul’s harshness once by cutting off the bottom of Saul’s garment, and then David quickly repented because he saw where it led him and to what it led him.

Our life’s message, however true, is jeopardized by harshness.  Harshness is no accident.  It is not something that creeps out in a comment, or action, or even the pulpit and then dies there.  It is the result of a heart that is not tender.

There is no excuse for harshness. Harshness in the home is unacceptable to God. Harshness in business dealings is unacceptable to God. Harshness in the pulpit is unacceptable to God.

It’s hard to preach the Love of God with a clinched fist. Our message is beautiful.  It is the only saving message.  Never let harshness be part of the program.  It is possible to be holy without being harsh. It is possible to be right without be crude.  It is possible to be strong without being mean. Watch your spirit.

Harshness affects every area of your life, for it becomes a way of life.  Its ways are learned.  They can also be “unlearned” by the help of the Holy Ghost and a want-to. Watch your words, your answers, and your retorts.  The Holy Ghost is grieved by our actions and our words.

Don’t shame the call of God on your life or the gifts that you have been given, by speaking harshly to your wives or husbands. Speak kindly to your children. Practice the Love of God and the Tenderness of the spirit by being “Kindly Affectioned” one toward the other. Each of you can distinctly remember unkind words or cutting remarks made by others or me.  Some things are forever imprinted on your memory.  I will always feel a need to apologize to my children for my past harshness!!  Please break the cycle.  It has to stop somewhere.

Harshness will destroy the tenderness of your marriage. Your spouse’s feelings for you will diminish.  Only tenderness can fan and renew the flames of love.  Everyone sees it, everyone hears it.  The children know it when they hear it; even the dog knows what harshness sounds like.  How come we can’t recognize it in ourselves?  Being “right” gives us no reason to be harsh.

Be tender and loving one to another.  If you are harsh, the saints pick up on that, the ministry does too and soon your influence is damaged.  Ministry that is harsh is also unkind. Unkind words damage for life.  If you value your home, speak peaceably, not harshly.

May your homes and our churches be little havens of joy, peace and comfort in the Holy Ghost and to each other.

From where I stand and shine the flashlight back in your direction, these are some of the things in the road that I see.  Please step carefully.

With all my love in the Service of the Lord,

Dad

(Psa 133:1) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

(An open letter dedicated to promoting better understanding among brethren in the local church. In the following list are some things that your “brother” has often, no doubt, wanted to tell you…. but was afraid!)

Dear Brother:

We really didn’t have any choice. God somehow in His wise providence, has chosen to put us together, for our mutual benefit. I am your brother. Here is a list of things that have been bothering me. I plead for your understanding.

1. I have problems within myself. I know it and I don’t like it either. Be patient please. I am your brother. I am still working on myself. Thanks for your tolerance.

2. In recognizing my own problems, and knowing how much I loathe them, I know they must bother you and others too. Please bear with me while I’m trying to get the victory over myself. Just like I am bearing with you.

3. It frustrates me too that I’m not perfect. I want to be. That’s my prayer.

4. Sometimes it frustrates me that you’re not perfect…. but that’s when I remember, I’m still your brother!

5. There are so many good qualities in you. I gain strength from them all. I just hope that some of my good qualities can also be seen.

6. I hate the fact that Satan tries to capitalize on our shortcomings and magnify them in the eyes of others. My hope is that you’ll be able to see the good in me and not just my faults.

7. Thank you for respecting my feelings even when you didn’t understand them. (Sometimes I don’t understand my own feelings either.) I wish to make every effort to respect yours too. I am your brother.

8. I guess I’ve wanted to put you into my mold and make you exactly like I wanted you to be. That just doesn’t work. Neither can I fit into your mold.

9. As my brother, I allow you the liberty to pick friends of your own choosing, and have good times with them, (even without me), and not be resentful or jealous.

10. Likewise, I may choose some friends and occasionally be with them. From time to time I’d like to have fun and fellowship with them and not worry about slighting you.

11. However, you are welcome wherever I am. Don’t ever feel you are ever intruding. And please don’t “hang back” if you weren’t personally invited by me to join the crowd. You belong also. You’re my brother. Your friendship is highly valued and enjoyed. There will always be room for you in my world.

12. Thank you for the security I feel between us. Even if we haven’t talked for a while, when we do, it is a comfortable conversation and picks right back up where we left off. I like that.

13. Those you love can hurt you the most. Let’s be careful in our treatment of each other, lest we do irreparable damage to ourselves. We must never grieve the Holy Ghost to the point that we’re both damaged, bitter or lost.

14. Let’s not have a “hot and cold” relationship that changes with the weather. We need to be able to count on each other. Brethren are supposed to have the next-to-the-closest relationship in the world. Only Jesus is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. I am going to stick by you. I am your brother.

15. I pledge to defend your name and honor during your absence. I am your brother.

16. Likewise, I know that I can depend on you to do the same for me.

17. As long as there are people, there will be rumors, criticisms, remarks, opinions and second-guessing. When my back is turned, you are my only defense. I need you to watch my back, as I will watch and guard yours. You can trust me. I am your brother.

18. I love you brother! Not just because I must love you, but I really want to love you!! (If I say I love God and don’t love you, I am called a liar) 1 John 4:20-21 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

19. Brother, if you see me and can tell that I have a problem, don’t go tell the world, help me. Don’t be afraid. God put you in my life to help me make it. Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness: considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Thanks!

20. Brother, I “prefer you”. I pray for your success and blessing. I pray that all your efforts receive due honor. (Without my harboring any jealousy or envy.) Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love: In honor preferring one another. Please!! Should I ever be blessed or promoted above my fellows, it would kill me to think my brother was jealous. I want to prefer you. I want to be happy at your successes. So please be happy at mine. I am your brother. We’re on the same team.

21. It is God’s will that the law of kindness guide us in our relationship. He wills that we be kind to each other. 2 Peter 1:5-8 And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to your virtue —brotherly kindness—for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I can’t thank you enough for your kindnesses, nor can I tell you how much I truly appreciate them.

22. Brother, God won’t hear my prayer if I’ve got something in my heart against you! If I ever need to ask forgiveness or apologize, please forgive me. And then don’t crucify me and alienate me because I was conscientious. Realize we’re both just two brothers trying to be saved.

I Love You Man!!

(Now let’s have revival!)

These are bad sounding words. As a young man I some how pictured in my minds eye what a Railer would look like. Surely he would be some one with a red line across his forehead, a flushed face, and screaming in a very loud voice!

Yet when I read instances of Railing or Railers in the Bible, I get a different picture of altogether. It’s like they were just making a Snide remark, a Criticism, or a Passing Comment.

Is it possible to get so used to making cutting remarks that we are not aware of what Railing is in God’s Eyes?

Mark 15:29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Good Godly fellowship is so important that it got put in the same breath as the Docrtine.

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Likewise, fellowship that is harmful to the body is warned against severely!

1Cor. 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, (Strongs #3060) or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

There also is punishment against Railing.

1Cor. 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1Cor. 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, (Strongs #3060) nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

In these passages Railer and Reviler mean the same.

God help us not to be either!

I found this in an old email the other day. Life lessons are everywhere…
“At 4:10 am, on April 29, 1903, seventy to eighty million tonnes of rock slid off the face of Turtle Mountain, killing approximately 75 people and trapping many in the little town of Frank, Alberta. Amongst those trapped by the Frank slide were 17 miners who took 12 hours to dig out of their entombment. The elation of reaching daylight was short lived as their eyes adjusted and the panorama of their devastated town came into focus. These men were the last of the survivors to be found – that is until Charlie was discovered.
About a month after that fateful day, and at the end of efforts to reopen the main entrance to the Frank mine, Charlie the mine horse was found alive. Dwelling in complete darkness, he had endured by drinking seepage water, eating the bark off of mine timbers, and by breathing air from the vertical escape shaft the 17 trapped miners had dug to escape that first day. If horses can experience elation, Charlie must have experienced it then – that is until he died the same day from an overdose of oats and brandy given to him by his rescuers. What testing could not take, celebration robbed from Charlie.”

When darkness ends and deliverance arrives, go easy on the oats and brandy!