GOD'S BULL PENS
ARTICLE
Along with the thrilling burden in my heart for Understanding His Way Ministry (link to Ministry Purpose? from Sarah), I’m thrilled when God assures me that He has like-minded ministers with small churches and small fellowships, scattered around, where the true gospel is still preached. My heart yearns to meet these ministers and believers, and being part of God’s plan for getting them to know one another.
Most of the networks I’ve tried are either basically sound as far as doctrine goes, but lack breath when it comes to real spiritual life, or they cast too wide or too narrow a net. Some are too loose and pliable; some too wooden, rigid and stiff. Some are plagued with unhealthy excess and extremes; others have such restrictions as does grieve the Spirit and leave the fellowship orthodox but lifeless.
After 45 years of ministry, I’ve seen my share of large religious organizations squeeze the life out of living spiritual organisms. I’ve never felt personally called to these. I’ve seen churches that were on an iron lung spiritually and churches that were into such excesses and extremes that it was absolutely ludicrous.
I’ve seen so many movements come and go. As I’ve crossed denominational lines and theological camps, I never cease to be amazed how true and sweet fellowship can be had across theological differences, when believers are genuine, pure in heart and the
theological differences never contradict essential truths of biblical faith—but actually stand for them! How liberating it is not to be unscripturally ecumenical, yet being soundly grounded able to say, in God’s agape love, “If your heart be as mine, give me your hand.”
My heart cries out to see the remnant of godly ministers and small bodies of believers, who are standing for the true Gospel, become
acquainted with one another. These little flocks and individuals will be like Elijah, feeling alone but knowing God has 7,000 hidden away.
In baseball, when a coach is getting ready to send a new pitcher onto the pitcher’s mound, he will warm up in a place called “the Bull Pen.” Today, as I pray, I am confident that God has His remnant of preachers hidden away warming up in His Bull Pens, being readied to pitch the winning, perhaps last, inning. So, how will these preachers and their little remnant flocks be drawn together? God will do it sovereignly! They may be without a crowd, without a reputation, yet they are in God’s Bull Pens.
To pray for these and one day to have opportunity to help get these acquainted with each other is a great joy to my heart. To see them help and complement each another through their ministries, which are now known only to God and a few, is even greater joy. By far, this brings greater fulfillment to my heart than any personal ministry, pastoring, teaching or writing that God has graciously allowed me to have. What joy it is, even now for me in prayer, to trust God to join callings, gifts, and ministries and bring them to full fruition. All personal ministry pales in comparison to the vision of seeing ministers and ministries come out of these little bull pens.
What a sight it will be to see God’s faithful remnant, empowered by His Spirit, set afire with anointed ministries that are brought alive by His life. What a joy it will be to see these now obscure ministers in their God given callings, with God given opportunities to minister the true Gospel with genuine anointing. Anointed ministries fitly placed into His body will be marvelously used for “just such a time as this.” (Ester scrip. ref.?)