CALLED, BUT HAVE YOU BEEN COMMISSIONED? ( Rick Joyner )
In 1980 I left full-time ministry because I felt my personal relationship to the Lord had become shallow. I felt too superficial in my faith and experience to be leading others. I was deeply convicted by Galatians 1:15-16:
But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him.
I was beginning to understand that even though God had called me to the ministry I was attempting, I had confused His calling with His commissioning. Because of this, I began the ministry prematurely. The Lord had been revealed “to me,” but not “in me,” which Paul explained had to happen before he went forth to preach.
Paul was also preaching “Him,” Jesus. My ministry had been mostly devoted to principles and formulas for success— spiritual and Christian success, but still my message was more about us than Him. I felt like the men of Athens, worshiping an “unknown God” (see Acts 17:23). Most of my knowledge of God had come from other people rather than revealed to me by the Spirit, which Paul acknowledged as being crucial for his own ministry.
All of this combined to make me a very shallow and ineffective minister of the gospel, compelling me to resign from the ministry and seek secular employment until I felt the Lord had truly been revealed “in me.”
As a licensed Airline Transport Pilot, I took a flying job. This usually required me to fly a couple of hours a day and then spend many hours sitting in airports and hotel rooms, so I had plenty of time for studying and seeking the Lord. I was often able to spend as much as forty hours a week in study and prayer.
Then, the corporation I was working for moved its plane, and suddenly my job ended. As I began to search for another job, I was surprised when I received a word from the Lord that I needed to return to the ministry full-time. In fact, I was shown that even though I was as superficial and inadequate as I had seen myself, I had overreacted and the Lord had not intended for me to leave the ministry. This word came in 1982.
Still, by no means did I feel ready to go back into “ministry” then, but rather felt it would probably take me many more years to be adequate. When I shared the word with my wife and best friend, they, too, felt this was not the course I should take at that time. I was easily persuaded to reject the call because of my feelings of inadequacy, so when an opportunity came for me to start an air charter business, I took it.
I consider starting that business to have been the biggest mistake of my life, though I did learn a lot through it which has helped me greatly since. The Lord is in the redemption business, and He will use even our mistakes for our good. However, it is always better not to make the mistakes, and I am in no way implying that we should make mistakes so that good can come. As the Apostle Paul said—that kind of thinking is foolishness which brings judgment. Even so, we can be thankful that He will use even our mistakes for our good if we really love Him and are called according to His purpose. So good came of it, but it would have been even better had I obeyed His call instead of taking a seven-year detour.
Flying High, Then Crashing
The air charter business became successful very quickly. Soon the business included a flight school, aircraft sales, maintenance, insurance, and overseeing the busiest airport in the state we were living in at the time. This all left me with little time for study and seeking the Lord. Though I learned a great deal about business and management, these were mostly wasted years spiritually.
The more successful I became, the emptier I felt inside. Even so, I was very close to having a net worth which would enable me to retire completely and devote myself to the ministry again without needing any outside support. This is how I justified being so driven to keep building the business and making more money.
While on a hunting trip in 1986, I was sitting in a field alone. Suddenly, I felt the presence of the Lord, and He began to speak to me, asking me to lay my business “on the altar.” I noted that He said this was my business instead of His, as I had always claimed.
To my surprise, the Lord was also offended by my vision of being able to make enough money to support myself in ministry so I would never have to take up an offering. He was offended because it implied that He was not capable of taking care of those who were in His service. He showed me that this was rooted more in my pride than in a noble devotion. I “gave” the Lord my business and asked Him to do with it whatever pleased Him.
Immediately, the business that I had worked so hard to build began to collapse. Soon I was in bankruptcy court, having lost a small fortune. I was able to sell our assets, including our dream home and property, to pay our debts. When it was all over, I owned a car and had a couple of thousand dollars. I felt I had been a failure in ministry and now a failure in business.
Some who were the closest to me were faithful to remind me that I was a failure, but I hardly needed reminders. It was the low point of my life.
I knew I was called to a ministry and wanted one day to be devoted to it full-time, but I did not want to enter the ministry as a failure, but as a success. I was ashamed that I felt I had nothing to offer the Lord, but this, too, was pride. I had proven in all ways to be both weak and foolish. I know the Scripture that says this is usually the kind of person He calls, but there is a big difference in being a failure in business (financially) and being a failure spiritually, where people could be hurt. I was still reticent to return to the ministry where others might be hurt by another failure.
Then one week in early 1987, two people from different parts of the country, whom I knew did not know each other, came to me and gave me the same word from the Lord—if I did not return to the ministry immediately, He would give my commission to someone else. I did not know what my commission was, but it shook me enough to enable me to lay everything aside and return to the ministry. My apparent weakness and foolishness would just require me to trust the Lord more, which is of course exactly what He wanted.
- Rick Joyner ( The Touch And The Sword )
In 1980 I left full-time ministry because I felt my personal relationship to the Lord had become shallow. I felt too superficial in my faith and experience to be leading others. I was deeply convicted by Galatians 1:15-16:
But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him.
I was beginning to understand that even though God had called me to the ministry I was attempting, I had confused His calling with His commissioning. Because of this, I began the ministry prematurely. The Lord had been revealed “to me,” but not “in me,” which Paul explained had to happen before he went forth to preach.
Paul was also preaching “Him,” Jesus. My ministry had been mostly devoted to principles and formulas for success— spiritual and Christian success, but still my message was more about us than Him. I felt like the men of Athens, worshiping an “unknown God” (see Acts 17:23). Most of my knowledge of God had come from other people rather than revealed to me by the Spirit, which Paul acknowledged as being crucial for his own ministry.
All of this combined to make me a very shallow and ineffective minister of the gospel, compelling me to resign from the ministry and seek secular employment until I felt the Lord had truly been revealed “in me.”
As a licensed Airline Transport Pilot, I took a flying job. This usually required me to fly a couple of hours a day and then spend many hours sitting in airports and hotel rooms, so I had plenty of time for studying and seeking the Lord. I was often able to spend as much as forty hours a week in study and prayer.
Then, the corporation I was working for moved its plane, and suddenly my job ended. As I began to search for another job, I was surprised when I received a word from the Lord that I needed to return to the ministry full-time. In fact, I was shown that even though I was as superficial and inadequate as I had seen myself, I had overreacted and the Lord had not intended for me to leave the ministry. This word came in 1982.
Still, by no means did I feel ready to go back into “ministry” then, but rather felt it would probably take me many more years to be adequate. When I shared the word with my wife and best friend, they, too, felt this was not the course I should take at that time. I was easily persuaded to reject the call because of my feelings of inadequacy, so when an opportunity came for me to start an air charter business, I took it.
I consider starting that business to have been the biggest mistake of my life, though I did learn a lot through it which has helped me greatly since. The Lord is in the redemption business, and He will use even our mistakes for our good. However, it is always better not to make the mistakes, and I am in no way implying that we should make mistakes so that good can come. As the Apostle Paul said—that kind of thinking is foolishness which brings judgment. Even so, we can be thankful that He will use even our mistakes for our good if we really love Him and are called according to His purpose. So good came of it, but it would have been even better had I obeyed His call instead of taking a seven-year detour.
Flying High, Then Crashing
The air charter business became successful very quickly. Soon the business included a flight school, aircraft sales, maintenance, insurance, and overseeing the busiest airport in the state we were living in at the time. This all left me with little time for study and seeking the Lord. Though I learned a great deal about business and management, these were mostly wasted years spiritually.
The more successful I became, the emptier I felt inside. Even so, I was very close to having a net worth which would enable me to retire completely and devote myself to the ministry again without needing any outside support. This is how I justified being so driven to keep building the business and making more money.
While on a hunting trip in 1986, I was sitting in a field alone. Suddenly, I felt the presence of the Lord, and He began to speak to me, asking me to lay my business “on the altar.” I noted that He said this was my business instead of His, as I had always claimed.
To my surprise, the Lord was also offended by my vision of being able to make enough money to support myself in ministry so I would never have to take up an offering. He was offended because it implied that He was not capable of taking care of those who were in His service. He showed me that this was rooted more in my pride than in a noble devotion. I “gave” the Lord my business and asked Him to do with it whatever pleased Him.
Immediately, the business that I had worked so hard to build began to collapse. Soon I was in bankruptcy court, having lost a small fortune. I was able to sell our assets, including our dream home and property, to pay our debts. When it was all over, I owned a car and had a couple of thousand dollars. I felt I had been a failure in ministry and now a failure in business.
Some who were the closest to me were faithful to remind me that I was a failure, but I hardly needed reminders. It was the low point of my life.
I knew I was called to a ministry and wanted one day to be devoted to it full-time, but I did not want to enter the ministry as a failure, but as a success. I was ashamed that I felt I had nothing to offer the Lord, but this, too, was pride. I had proven in all ways to be both weak and foolish. I know the Scripture that says this is usually the kind of person He calls, but there is a big difference in being a failure in business (financially) and being a failure spiritually, where people could be hurt. I was still reticent to return to the ministry where others might be hurt by another failure.
Then one week in early 1987, two people from different parts of the country, whom I knew did not know each other, came to me and gave me the same word from the Lord—if I did not return to the ministry immediately, He would give my commission to someone else. I did not know what my commission was, but it shook me enough to enable me to lay everything aside and return to the ministry. My apparent weakness and foolishness would just require me to trust the Lord more, which is of course exactly what He wanted.
- Rick Joyner ( The Touch And The Sword )
CALLED, BUT HAVE YOU BEEN COMMISSIONED? ( Rick Joyner )
In 1980 I left full-time ministry because I felt my personal relationship to the Lord had become shallow. I felt too superficial in my faith and experience to be leading others. I was deeply convicted by Galatians 1:15-16:
But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him.
I was beginning to understand that even though God had called me to the ministry I was attempting, I had confused His calling with His commissioning. Because of this, I began the ministry prematurely. The Lord had been revealed “to me,” but not “in me,” which Paul explained had to happen before he went forth to preach.
Paul was also preaching “Him,” Jesus. My ministry had been mostly devoted to principles and formulas for success— spiritual and Christian success, but still my message was more about us than Him. I felt like the men of Athens, worshiping an “unknown God” (see Acts 17:23). Most of my knowledge of God had come from other people rather than revealed to me by the Spirit, which Paul acknowledged as being crucial for his own ministry.
All of this combined to make me a very shallow and ineffective minister of the gospel, compelling me to resign from the ministry and seek secular employment until I felt the Lord had truly been revealed “in me.”
As a licensed Airline Transport Pilot, I took a flying job. This usually required me to fly a couple of hours a day and then spend many hours sitting in airports and hotel rooms, so I had plenty of time for studying and seeking the Lord. I was often able to spend as much as forty hours a week in study and prayer.
Then, the corporation I was working for moved its plane, and suddenly my job ended. As I began to search for another job, I was surprised when I received a word from the Lord that I needed to return to the ministry full-time. In fact, I was shown that even though I was as superficial and inadequate as I had seen myself, I had overreacted and the Lord had not intended for me to leave the ministry. This word came in 1982.
Still, by no means did I feel ready to go back into “ministry” then, but rather felt it would probably take me many more years to be adequate. When I shared the word with my wife and best friend, they, too, felt this was not the course I should take at that time. I was easily persuaded to reject the call because of my feelings of inadequacy, so when an opportunity came for me to start an air charter business, I took it.
I consider starting that business to have been the biggest mistake of my life, though I did learn a lot through it which has helped me greatly since. The Lord is in the redemption business, and He will use even our mistakes for our good. However, it is always better not to make the mistakes, and I am in no way implying that we should make mistakes so that good can come. As the Apostle Paul said—that kind of thinking is foolishness which brings judgment. Even so, we can be thankful that He will use even our mistakes for our good if we really love Him and are called according to His purpose. So good came of it, but it would have been even better had I obeyed His call instead of taking a seven-year detour.
Flying High, Then Crashing
The air charter business became successful very quickly. Soon the business included a flight school, aircraft sales, maintenance, insurance, and overseeing the busiest airport in the state we were living in at the time. This all left me with little time for study and seeking the Lord. Though I learned a great deal about business and management, these were mostly wasted years spiritually.
The more successful I became, the emptier I felt inside. Even so, I was very close to having a net worth which would enable me to retire completely and devote myself to the ministry again without needing any outside support. This is how I justified being so driven to keep building the business and making more money.
While on a hunting trip in 1986, I was sitting in a field alone. Suddenly, I felt the presence of the Lord, and He began to speak to me, asking me to lay my business “on the altar.” I noted that He said this was my business instead of His, as I had always claimed.
To my surprise, the Lord was also offended by my vision of being able to make enough money to support myself in ministry so I would never have to take up an offering. He was offended because it implied that He was not capable of taking care of those who were in His service. He showed me that this was rooted more in my pride than in a noble devotion. I “gave” the Lord my business and asked Him to do with it whatever pleased Him.
Immediately, the business that I had worked so hard to build began to collapse. Soon I was in bankruptcy court, having lost a small fortune. I was able to sell our assets, including our dream home and property, to pay our debts. When it was all over, I owned a car and had a couple of thousand dollars. I felt I had been a failure in ministry and now a failure in business.
Some who were the closest to me were faithful to remind me that I was a failure, but I hardly needed reminders. It was the low point of my life.
I knew I was called to a ministry and wanted one day to be devoted to it full-time, but I did not want to enter the ministry as a failure, but as a success. I was ashamed that I felt I had nothing to offer the Lord, but this, too, was pride. I had proven in all ways to be both weak and foolish. I know the Scripture that says this is usually the kind of person He calls, but there is a big difference in being a failure in business (financially) and being a failure spiritually, where people could be hurt. I was still reticent to return to the ministry where others might be hurt by another failure.
Then one week in early 1987, two people from different parts of the country, whom I knew did not know each other, came to me and gave me the same word from the Lord—if I did not return to the ministry immediately, He would give my commission to someone else. I did not know what my commission was, but it shook me enough to enable me to lay everything aside and return to the ministry. My apparent weakness and foolishness would just require me to trust the Lord more, which is of course exactly what He wanted.
- Rick Joyner ( The Touch And The Sword )
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