God Must Be First (Matthew 22:37)

I met an old acquaintance recently at a friend's birthday dinner in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. He is the Chairman of Family First Malaysia where God has called and placed him, just as the Lord has placed my ministry partner and me in the Arsenal of Fire Ministries (Jeremiah 50:25), like an army general who is positioned at the front-line battle. We should all be at exactly where God puts us.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 says, "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for extraordinary purposes and some for ordinary purposes. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for extraordinary purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."

King David had an affair with Bathsheba. Bathsheba became pregnant and David was trying to have Bathsheba's husband return home to her but Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his own house (2 Samuel 11:9).

When King David asked him why he did not go home, Uriah replied, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” (Verse 11).

Uriah was committed to the Army's command to stay at the battle field. As a result, David had to scheme an evil plot to kill him.

Bruce Allen is correct when he says, "If you want an anointing like Paul had, you will have to go through the enormous trials he had as well. Don't be surprised when the religious zealots come after you."

You can be assured that God will send such people to work like sandpaper to scratch and hurt you. But later, you will be shining and polished and the sandpaper, after scratching you for a time, will lose its effect and end up being useless.

One good example is Haman (Esther 7:10) who plotted to have Mordecai hanged in the gallows, but the end result turned out to be completely different to what he had planned. Mordecai was instead honoured and exalted whilst Haman himself was hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.

Many are called to work with the Lord in the Body of Christ in different ways. Let us respect one another for the calling that God has put in our hearts as we are all accountable to God.

Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 19:12, "For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The calling of Arsenal of Fire Ministries is "God must be first" (Matthew 22:37-38) .. so our ministry vision is "God First."

Ps Paul K P Ang
Arsenal of Fire Ministries,
California, USA
www.AF-Ministries.com