There are many different ideas about what is ministry and the different requirements to be in the ministry. Some people say that all believers have a ministry, others look only at the five-fold ministry, and still others, limit their viewpoint to only pastors and evangelists. No matter what viewpoint one has, those in the ministry must constantly strive to perfect their personal character in order to not place a blemish upon the gospel.

Probably the best known biblical list of requirements for the ministry is in Paul's first letter to his spiritual son, Timothy.

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ³ Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; ⁴ One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ⁵ (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ⁶ Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

1 Tim 3:1-7

I would have to say that if we truly applied this list of qualifications to those in ministry, or desiring to be in ministry, we would find very few that perfectly fulfilled the fullness of what Paul wrote here. However, whether or not we are perfect examples of Christian character and leadership, we all need to constantly strive to improve ourselves and become more Christ like.

In the Old Testament, God was also specific about who could serve in the ministry. First of all, the priesthood was limited to Aaron and his descendants. But, even within this one family, we find a list that limits those who can serve God in the priesthood.

Why should this be important to us today? Because Revelations chapter one, verse six tells us that we have been made kings and priests unto God. That verse applies to every New Testament believer that ever lived, lives today, or ever will live. We are all kings, and we are all priests. As priests, we can learn from those things that God commanded the priesthood of the Old Testament.

Therefore, even though we are not under the law (Rom 6:14), the law is still valid in that it gives us instruction in godly living. Jesus Himself said:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Mt 5:17-18

Many take this scripture and in their minds change the meaning of "fulfill" to be "complete, to the point where nobody has to do any part of it ever again." But, Jesus said that the law will not pass away until heaven and earth pass away. Since the earth is still here, that means that the law still applies to our lives.

Look at the Ten Commandments for a minute. Is there anyone in the church today that thinks that we can commit murder? How about coveting our neighbor's wife, can we do that? Or, is it okay to worship false God's because we're under grace instead of the law?

No, all of those commandments still exist. So, if they exist, and Jesus said the whole of the law still exists, it is helpful to look at the law and see what we can learn from it.

Please note, I am not advocating legalism here. Nor do I think we need to start offering animal sacrifices as they did in the temple. There are certain parts of the law that Jesus clearly did away with. We don't give animal sacrifices to God today, because Jesus was the last sacrifice for all of our sins. We don't need to obey the dietary laws in the Old Testament, because Jesus Himself said that we could eat all things.

The purpose of the law was never to save anyone, but to show us God's character, our need for a savior, and how to live a godly life. In that sense, the law has not changed at all. We still need to know God, we still need a savior, and we still need to live a godly life. We still need to apply the law to our lives, not in judgment, but as a standard for godliness.

Looking at the law in this context, we see that God commanded that not all of Aaron's sons could serve in the priesthood. God was specific in the direction that He gave to Moses:

Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. ¹⁸ For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, ¹⁹ Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, ²⁰ Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; ²¹ No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

Lev 21:17-21

On the surface, it looks here like God something against physically handicapped people. However, everything physical we see in the Bible is symbolic of something spiritual. There is no separation in God's eyes between the physical and the spiritual. What happens in one, happens in the other. These twelve physical defects are really twelve spiritual defects.

According to what God said to Moses in verse 17, these twelve spiritual defects disqualify someone from the ministry. So, let's take a look at them individually to see what they are.

Blind

In the natural, to be blind means that one cannot see. More specifically, a blind person is one cannot see where they are going. They are limited to the information they receive from their other senses, and what other people tell them.

When the blind lead the blind both fall into a pit

Luke 6:39

Blind people need to be led about by the hand. They can't see where they are going, so they need help to get there safely. They are unable to walk on their own. They are unable to work on their own. They are unable to minister on their own.

A spiritually blind person is one who doesn't know where they're going. I don't mean that they don't know if they're going to heaven or hell, but that they don't have a vision for the work that God would have them do.

A well-known minister in the United States ran an informal survey in the churches he was ministering in. He asked, "How many of you know the vision that God has for your life?" Across the board, in a large number of churches, about ten percent of the people would raise their hands. Then he would as them, "Of those of you who know God's vision for your life, how many of you are currently walking in it?" Only ten percent of the people who had raised their hands for the first question would raise their hands for this second one. That means that only one percent of the Body of Christ is functioning in their calling today. If only one percent of your body was functioning, we would be planning your funeral, or praying for your resurrection.

There is a misconception in the Body of Christ that some people are called to minister and others are not. There is no such thing as a calling to warm the pews in the church. I know, because I wanted that calling and searched the Bible for it.

Why do you think that the Lord leaves us here on the earth once we're saved? After all, heaven is much better than it is here. So, why can't we receive the Lord and immediately go on to be with Him?

God has left us here so that we can work and minister to accomplish His will here on earth. Each of us is to minister to others in accordance with the calling that God has placed in our lives.

God has a plan and purpose for the life of every believer. Unfortunately, most believers don't know what that plan and purpose is. Oh, they know that Jesus has saved them, and that they'll go to heaven one day. They know that the Bible tells them to pray, and study, and fellowship with other believers. But they don't know the specific work of ministry that God has planned for their life.

Just like that naturally blind person, who falls into a pit, a spiritually blind person will fall into a pit. The pit they fall into is not doing the work that God has called them to do. Since they don't do the work, they won't receive God's reward for completing it.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Prov:29:18

How do spiritually blind people perish? They don't die, but they don't produce any fruit either. Although they are technically alive, they might as well be dead because the Kingdom of God isn't gaining anything from their lives.

Lame

A lame person is one who has a problem in their ability to walk. Spiritually, when we talk about someone's "walk" we are talking about their life as a Christian. So, being spiritually lame means that someone has lost their ability to continue their spiritual walk in the same manner as before.

What causes injury to our walk as Christians? Sin. When a believer falls into any type of sin, it affects all areas of their life, not just what we call the spiritual areas. This is because once we start into sin; it reduces our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Once our sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit is reduced, it becomes easier to sin in other ways. The sin in our lives multiplies until it takes over.

Just falling into sin isn't really the problem, it's that once we fall into sin, as we all do, we have trouble getting back up. Instead of repenting quickly, and returning to a good Christian walk, we wallow in that sin, just like pigs wallowing in the mud.

In addition to that, other believers have a tendency to throw rocks at those who have fallen in sin, instead of helping the one who fell to get back on their feet. The Body of Christ must be the only army in the world who shoots it's own wounded.

To protect ourselves from becoming lame, we need to watch our thoughts. Nobody wakes up one morning and decided, "I think I'll sin today." No, first they listen to the voice of temptation. Then they start to think about doing the sin. After a while, those thoughts and fantasies of doing the sin become more and more real, to the point where doing the thing that is the sin doesn't seem all that bad. Eventually, committing that sin is the most natural thing in the world.

Jesus said, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Mt 5:28). Why did He say this? Because the thought of sin brings on the action. If we can keep our thoughts pure, than our actions will be so also.

Flat Nose

One of the things the nose does for us is to help us discern which things are good to eat, and which ones aren't. How do we discern this? We do so by how it smells. Through experience, we learn which smells are those things that are good to nourish our bodies, and which ones will cause us problems.

A person with a flat nose is one who has no discernment. He doesn't know which things he can use to feed his spirit and which ones are dangerous. He'll sit in a church service, or in front of a television and accept whatever is told to him.

Discernment is literally the ability to tell the difference between what is good and what is not. Sometimes, this is obvious. But, satan is a master deceiver, and tries to make sure that the lies and fallacies he tries to give us look like they are good. That's where true discernment is needed, to identify those lies which are disguised to look like the truth.

There are some people you can tell anything to, and they'll quickly accept it. It doesn't matter who's telling them, what they're telling them, or why they're telling them, they'll accept it. It doesn't matter if it's the truth, or a lie, they'll accept it. It doesn't matter if the person who's telling them is one of good character, or not, they'll accept it. They'll accept just about anything, because they don't have any idea of the truth.

Let's look at an example of discernment in the natural. In banks, one of the things they teach their employees to recognize counterfeit money. They don't do this by teaching about methods of counterfeiting, or about what counterfeit money looks like. What they do is have the employees study good money. That way, when something false comes along, they recognize it as being false. They might not immediately recognize what's false about it, but they'll know there's something wrong.

The same system of instruction works in the spirit. If a person wants discernment, he doesn't need to study the false, but instead study the truth. Studying false religions and false doctrines won't give someone discernment. In fact, studying the false carries the danger of being trapped by those lies. No, to discern what is good, learn the good.

How do you do that? By studying the Word of God. When a believer is truly filled with the understanding of God and His Holy Bible, then when something false comes along, it is obvious. That person may not immediately see what is false about it, but they will know something is wrong with it.

Superfluous Limb

God has designed the human body symmetrically for the purpose of the two sides being able to assist each other in a number of tasks. If this balance is removed, by one limb being too long or too short these tasks become harder. Take, for example, the simple task of walking. With two legs of equal lengths and strengths, which have not been injured, the average person can walk without thinking about it. However, if one leg is longer than the other, the person is out of balance, and has difficulty walking.

This need for balance is true in many areas of our lives, not just the physical. If a person has emotional problems, we call that person "emotionally unbalanced." Or, if a person isn't able to think clearly, due to a chemical problem in their bodies, or a problem in their minds, we call them "mentally unbalanced."

It is just as easy, or maybe even easier to be spiritually unbalanced. What is spiritually unbalanced? It is when our focus on one area of the principles explained in the Bible is so strong, that we fail to see the need for other principles contained in the same Bible.

For a person who is spiritually unbalanced, their area of focus is the answer to whatever problem a person might have. If, for example, the person is over focused on demonic oppression and possession, then that is the answer to whatever problem they, or any other believer might have. No matter what problem you might talk to them about, they say that it is a demon causing that problem. If someone has a financial problem, they think it is a demon attacking that person's finances, when it could be that the person isn't tithing. If the person is overweight, they say it's an oppressive spirit, when it could be the sin of gluttony. Or, if a person has arthritis, they say it is caused by a sprit of infirmity, ignoring the direct connection that exists between arthritis and unforgiveness. Their answer to anything is a demon.

This obsession with demons isn't the only area that we see this lack of balance either. It can be with whatever principle that the Bible teaches. There are many believers today that are totally focused on faith and prosperity, to the point where they ignore everything else. Evangelists tend to be focused on the salvation message, without every going deeper into the Word of God. We could go on listing the types of superfluous teachings in the Body of Christ forever.

Part of the problem is that we have developed ministers who are specialists. They are called by God to focus on ministering in one area of truth. Therefore, that's all they teach. Other believers follow them to the point that they take that minister's teachings as being the full council of God, when it is only one part.

We need to receive all of the fullness of the training that exists in the Word of God. Anyone who concentrates on only one area of the Word, while ignoring the rest is missing some of the blessings that God has for them, and also missing some of the spiritual growth they need to receive.

Each and every believer needs balance in their lives. I don't mean balance in the way that many take it, where they aren't committed to anything, but only muddling along at the absolute minimums. No, what I'm talking about is a balance where we are fully committed to every word and principle that God has laid out for us in His Holy Bible. A commitment that might even seem fanatical, where the fullness of God's plan has taken over each and every area of our lives. That's a true balance.

It is only when we have this kind of balance in our lives that we can receive the fullness of God's blessings. Many times, we miss out on what God has for us, simply by not knowing, and therefore not applying God's Word to the fullest possible extent in our lives.

Broken Hand

A person with a broken hand can't grasp things. Whatever they try to hold falls through their fingers. It is as if their hands are useless, because whatever they pick up doesn't stay with them.

Spiritually, we don't pick up and hold things with our hands, but with our hearts. So, this defect would be someone who can't grasp the truth of God's Word. They might read the Bible, or hear a teaching from the Bible, but they don't receive or understand it. They quickly forget these teachings, and go on as if they were never taught the truth.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Cor 1:18

A person with this blemish is functioning the same as an unbeliever. Unbelievers don't understand the message of the Gospel, and look at it as foolishness. Unfortunately, at times believers do this as well. They might accept part of the Word of God, but ignore other parts, not seeing and understanding how these parts apply to their lives.

Either the Bible is all true, or it is all false, there is no place in between. We need to accept that it is true, and adjust our thinking to accept it.

Learning the Bible is a lifelong process. Each and every one of us need to gain a better understanding of what God is saying to us individually and corporately through His Holy Word. Fortunately, He has sent us His Holy Spirit as our teacher.

When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...

Jn 16:13

Broken Foot

The blemish of a broken foot is different from that of being lame in that it is an injury caused by others. In both cases, the person has a problem with their walk with the Lord. However, instead of being self-inflicted, this is caused by the words and actions of other believers, usually those in ministry and leadership in the church.

Many times, well-meaning saints of God say things without thinking about the possible effect of their words. Or, sometimes even worse, they don't say the things we need to hear. If, for example, someone in our family is sick, and the pastor doesn't come to visit and pray, we can become injured by his lack of words.

We must realize that the only perfect person in the Body of Christ is Jesus Himself. Being a believer doesn't make someone perfect, only puts them in the position where the Holy Spirit can work to perfect them. Neither does being in the ministry doesn't make someone perfect, only gives them the responsibility to bring the anointing and word of the Lord to those who are in need around them.

Most of the hurts we receive from other believers are unintentional. Yet, very often, we act as if the other person did it on purpose, intending to hurt us. We become bound up by the hurt of their actions, instead of focusing on God's love.

Whereas the lame person needs to repent in order to receive healing from their spiritual infirmity, one with a broken foot needs to concentrate on forgiveness. Lack of forgiveness literally binds us as effectively as rope or chains. As long as we don't forgive, we are unable to receive from God.

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matt 6:15

Many people say something like, "I just can't forgive, I'm too badly hurt." Those people don't realize that forgiveness isn't about how you feel, it's not an act of their emotions, it's an act of the will. When we forgive, it is because we make a conscious decision to do so. It doesn't matter how we feel, just that we do it. When we chose to forgive as an act of our will, God will give us the feelings.

Crooked Back

A number of years ago I received an injury to my back. I had tried to pick up something that was too heavy, and lifted it the wrong way. Since it was too much for the muscles of my back to support, I strained the muscles in my back.

Once I had strained those muscles, I had trouble standing straight, moving straight, and carrying anything. It didn't matter how small the burden was, it was too much for my back to handle. Even little things would cause me pain.

Someone with a spiritual crooked back is the same about spiritual things. No matter what comes along, it is too much for them to handle. Every requirement of God's law is too hard for them, every commandment is overwhelming, every teaching or preaching they hear is more than they can bear.

These people also have a problem with serving in the local church. If the pastor asks them to help in some area of ministry no matter how big, or how little, it's too much for them. Of course, many times, these people can't handle the little things that the pastor might ask them to do, but on the other hand, would be ready and willing to preach the Sunday service.

Anyone who thinks that God's commandments, serving Him, or the Christian life are too much of a burden to carry doesn't understand the Gospel. Jesus said:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Mt 11:29

One thing we must always remember is that Jesus hasn't asked us to carry our own burden, or use our own yoke; He's asked us to take His yoke upon us. There's something unique about a yoke, it always has two sides to it. Since this is Jesus' yoke, that means that Jesus is on the other side of it. When we are yoked together with Him, He carries the burden. That's why His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

Dwarf

Symbolically, a dwarf is one who never grows up. They may mature in knowledge, but not in ability. For their entire life, their stature stays as that of a child.

It's sad how many twenty and thirty year old babies we have in the Body of Christ today. They've been around a long time, but they haven't grown up into mature believers. Just like a baby, all they can do is cry. Any time there's a problem in their lives, they cry to the pastor, and expect the pastor to take care of it for them.

• Waaa, pastor, I can't study the Bible for myself… give me a bottle. But, don't make it to hot, and don't make it too strong. I can't handle the meat of the Word, just the milk.

• Waaa, pastor, I hurt myself and can't pray for myself… please pray for me.

• Waaa, pastor, I'm lonely and can't sleep.

• Waaa, pastor, I messed up my life… change my diaper.

In the natural, we expect that a baby can't do anything for itself, and needs its mother to do everything for it. Likewise, for a newborn believer in Christ. As that baby grows and becomes a toddler, it begins learning how to do things for itself. When it is no longer a toddler, but a child, it wants to start doing things to help mommy. By the time that child becomes an adolescent, it can pretty much take care of itself. It would still need guidance and wisdom from someone older, but it doesn't need to be fed, clothed, or carried around. However, the difference between an adolescent and an adult is that the adult not only can take care of itself, but also has the ability to take care of others.

Unfortunately, we find very few spiritually mature adults in the church today. Most believers are content as babies, or as best children. They don't want to take responsibility for their own spiritual life. They don't want to grow. They don't want to mature. They don't want to get out of their comfort zone. They don't want to take responsibility for their actions.

God doesn't want us to stay spiritual midgets. We must get out of our comfort zone, and grow. We must all reach the point where we aren't expecting our pastor to feed us, but we are feeding ourselves. We must all reach the point where we aren't expecting our pastor to pray for every little problem that we have, but are praying for the pastor. We must all reach the point where we aren't asking the pastor to do things for us, but are asking the pastor what we can do to build up the Body of Christ in our local churches.

So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.

Eph 4:15 (amplified)

One characteristic of children is that they don't have their beliefs and ideas fully formed in their minds. They are easily distracted by everything that goes on around them. Their opinions and thoughts change rapidly. They do not have the wisdom and experience to avoid things that are dangerous to them.

So too, with a spiritual child. Whatever latest teaching they hear is the answer to all the world's problems. It doesn't matter if that teaching is the truth or not, they don't know the difference. They are like sponges, soaking up whatever comes their way.

Mature believers, on the other hand, aren't swayed so easily. Their lives are founded upon years of knowing the Word of God, and the God of the Word. Because of this, they much more easily recognize what is true, and what is false. When a new teaching comes along, they can discern whether it is a new revelation from the Holy Spirit, or it is only an idea of man. They are not closed to receiving the new, but first determine if the new is from the Lord, or from man.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

1 Cor 13:11

It's okay to be a child when one is a child. But there comes a time in the life of every believer when, just as in the natural, we need to put away childish things. What do you think when you see an adult playing with children's toys, or otherwise acting like a child? Don't we all see this as strange? If that is so, why do we accept it when a believer who supposedly accepted Christ twenty years earlier still acts like a spiritual baby?

Blemish in Eye

Anyone who wears glasses knows that getting a spot on the glasses makes it difficult to see through them. And of course, the bigger the spot, the more things we can't see. This is kind of like having a blemish in the eye; preventing the person from seeing clearly, or, in other words, having blind spots.

We can have blind spots spiritually as well. Those blind spots prevent us from seeing the sin in our own lives. We can see everyone else's sin, but when we look at our own lives, we don't see anything wrong. Jesus said:

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ⁵ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Mt 7:3-5

Too often, instead of saying that sin is sin, we try and justify it. Some people even go as far as telling themselves that God told them to do it, saying to ourselves, "It's okay, God understands." Yes, God understands that it is sin, not that it is okay. As long as we justify ourselves, and ignore our own sin, we will not grow in Christ, and will not fulfill all that He has called us to do.

If we are unable, or unwilling to confront the sin in our own lives, how can we confront the sin in the lives of others? God has called His people to be holy, because He is holy. We need to be quick to repent of our sins, and turn our lives back to the path that God has commanded.

Scurvy

Back in the days of sailing ships, scurvy was known as the sailor's disease. Those sailors would spend months at a time on a ship, eating a diet of salt pork and hard tack (a type of cracker). Because of the lack of vitamin C that we normally receive from fruit and vegetables their bodies would weaken.

Specifically, the disease of scurvy causes a weakening of bones, and a breakdown of blood vessels. Although scurvy in itself doesn't kill, this weakening of the body makes it so that even minor trauma causes great amounts of bleeding and easily broken bones. It is ultimately the injuries that cannot properly heal which cause a person to die from scurvy.

Spiritually, just as physically, scurvy comes from a lack of good diet. Just as out bodies need healthy food to be strong, so do our spirits. But, most believers today are feeding their spirits "junk food" instead of a healthy diet of the Word of God.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Rom 10:17

Most people feed their flesh, or their minds, or their emotions, instead of their spirits. When we watch television instead of reading the Bible we're not building up our spirits, we're making them sick. A human spirit cannot be healthy without good spiritual food. Faith cannot be built, the fruits of the spirit cannot grow, and the character of the believer cannot be transformed into the image and likeness of Christ.

Do you know how to tell what's inside of your spirit? It's easy. Look at what comes out of your mouth in an emergency. In a crisis situation, the mind has a tendency to shut off. That only leaves what's in the spirit to deal with the problem. If your spirit is full of the Word of God, that's what will come out in that crisis situation. But, if your spirit has been filled with the things of the world, lack of faith, death, and destruction will come out.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

Hosea 4:6a

Without knowledge of the Bible, we are unable to resist attacks. We can liken the Word of God to a medicine cabinet, full of medicine for every conceivable problem, sickness, or situation. However, without knowing anything about that medicine, we cannot use it. You cannot send a young child into a pharmacy with instructions to take whichever medicine looks good for a problem; they'll probably take the wrong thing, and could die from it. Likewise, you can't send an inexperienced, immature believer with a scurvied spirit into a problem and expect them to properly use the medicine of the Word of God. If they can come up with a verse, it will probably be the wrong one, and won't help them.

This spiritual scurvy won't kill a believer. It will only weaken the believer's spirit to the point that they can easily be destroyed by an attack from the enemy. Then, when this scurvied spirit receives a trauma, an attack from the enemy, it is unable to properly resist the attack. It becomes easily wounded, losing what little life it does have.

Scabs

God created the natural ability to form scabs within our bodies as a way of protecting new, sensitive flesh while it is healing. When a person cuts themselves, or hurts themselves in a way that breaks the skin, blood comes out of that cut and dries to form a scab. This scab is a sort of a hard bandage, or armor to hide the extremely sensitive new flesh that is forming underneath.

If that scab is every removed for some reason, the new tender flesh underneath is very sensitive to any sort of contact. It will become rehurt very easily, and can even receive more serious damage such as infections.

We have the ability to form a type of scab on our hearts as well when we have been hurt emotionally. This scab blocks out other people so that we will not be hurt in the same way again. However, the scab also prevents us from feeling any of the joy that comes from a close relationship with another person.

Often times, this emotional scab can be torn away by circumstances, just as a physical scab can be torn away. When this happens, we are oversensitive to the words of others and to the Word of God. In a case like this, instead of receiving healing from God's Word, one can receive pain from it. Instead of receiving correction from Godly Christian leadership, the person is closed and takes those words meant to help as words that hurt.

Emotional hurts and disappointments are a fact of life. The only way to avoid them is to be dead, or to not have any contact with other people.

Whenever anyone receives an emotional hurt it is important that they receive healing as well. There isn't a single doctor in the world that is able to provide this healing, but the Holy Spirit is an expert in this impossible area of healing.

The key to receiving emotional healing is forgiveness. When we forgive, as an act of our will, we open the door for the Holy Spirit to heal our hearts and remove those scabs that are there. Some of those scabs can be years and years old, because we've never taken the time to forgive. Others may be new, just formed by recent events. No matter when we received the scabs, the answer is the same, forgive and receive healing from the Holy Spirit.

Broken Stones

This defect quite simply and obviously means an inability to reproduce. One of the most beautiful things in the life of a believer is being able to introduce another sinner to the Lord. However, many, if not most believers have never has this experience.

The great commission that Jesus gave his disciples was (and is) to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mk 16:15-16). This commandment doesn't apply to just evangelists, but to each and every believer in the Body of Christ.

That doesn't mean that we all need to stand on a street corner with a megaphone and preach to the people that pass by. Nor does it mean that everyone needs to knock on doors and pass out tracts. It also doesn't mean that everyone is called to hold evangelistic campaigns. God has given each of us different gifts and we need to understand how He wants to work through us individually.

The greatest preaching that we do is not the words that come out of our mouths but the lives that we live. It is one thing to witness (going door to door, passing out tracts, etc.). But it is something entirely different to be a witness. Being a witness is living a life that witnesses to others. That's the harder work to do, but it is also the more effective ministry of evangelism.

When I was an engineer, we had a new pastor come into the church we attended. The first thing he did was challenge the congregation to come to the church every morning for prayer. I didn't want to, but he backed me into a corner and I started going to pray every morning. This time of prayer every day changed me so much that the people I worked with noticed it.

The company I worked for at the time was not very well managed, and there was a lot of stress in the factory. Because I was praying every day, the stress didn't affect me. When others asked me about this, I was quick to explain the change in my life. Many, if not most scoffed in some way. But, when the stress became too much for them, they would come to me and ask for help.

This became the most effective time of personal evangelism in my life. Those same people who scoffed at my relationship with the Lord wanted that same relationship to help them. I would take them out to lunch and explain the gospel to them. Since I had already been a witness, they were ready for me to witness to them. In every single one of those cases, where they came to me for help, they received the Lord.

"Preach the gospel in all the world… and if necessary use words."

- Saint Francis of Assisi

There you have it, twelve spiritual blemishes that can disqualify someone from serving God. It isn't that God won't let someone who has one of these problems serve Him, but if you think about it you can see that these twelve areas of problems get in our way of serving Him fully. We may serve to some point, but each one of these is an area that in and of itself will limit our ministry for the Lord.

God is constantly at work changing and purifying us; transforming us into the image of His Son, Jesus. We have an active part in this purification. Just as He is seeking those things in our lives that are preventing us from becoming the fullness of what He wants us to become, we too must search our hearts, and remove those things that prevent us from becoming like Jesus.

These twelve defects aren't the only problems we can run into in the ministry, nor are they the only sins that we can commit. However, they are areas where many pastors and ministers have problems.

Allow the Holy Spirit to show you which of these defects exist in your heart. Then allow Him to begin the spiritual surgery of removing each and every one of these blemishes from your life. Don't allow a blemish to keep you from being the kind of priest that God wants you to be.