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It has been ten exciting and diverse years in the ministry so far. As I spend some quiet time this evening and remember a decade of ministry, I am startled by the number of times I have witnessed people using Yahweh as a first-aid kit. What I mean by that analogy is that their relationship is limited to only what He can do for them when they need it. I cannot tell you how many times that I have heard someone say that their lack of money to pay the bills was going to be covered by a God thing. By that they meant that their lack of faithfulness to budget, plan and discipline their money management was going to be miraculously healed by a God bandage. Did you hear the Cha-ching sound when they said it? The supernatural salves of physical healing was needed because they did not regard their body as the temple of Holy Spirit and filled their stomachs with as much food and as often as the wanted. There was no thought that Yahweh gave us these marvelous bodies to declare His glory through. Another God fix was needed! The repeated lack of obedience to tithe and offer Yahweh their first and best was going to be corrected by a quick prayer thrown up to heave--and a dose of easy grace. How many times have you heard of ridiculous religious behavior and said nothing? It was the Pastor's job to correct them, right?

"I heard God tell me to give up my (5) children and life for myself", "I heard God tell me to give 90% and live on the tithe" and "I quit my job but God is going to take care of all my needs" are just a few of the careless comments that I have heard Christians attribute to the voice of God. How will we win the lost when we can not pay our bills, take care of our bodies or make common-sense decisions? Even when people have supposedly submitted their decision to Apostle Ball and he blessed it, I found out that they did not ask his opinion but instead had told him that this was the word of Holy Spirit to them and took his listening ear as his stamp of approval. First-aid kit God to the rescue. This is by no means a cynical perspective of current Christianity but a heart-felt retelling of some of the flighty decisions that have been blamed on Yahweh. I love the ministry and the wonderful house of awesome believers that Yahweh has given me. I greatly desire that we rule and reign in this life and demonstrate excellence in many, many areas. As such, we must press ourselves toward the high calling of our Heavenly Father! For Christ to be able to say to Phillip, in John 14:9, that "he who has seen Me has seen the Father" required much more than a relationship of quick fixes and shallow dedication. Sons get their Father's heart and do not need a first-aid kit God!