Michael Koh - Koh Ministries and Training
Inasmuch as it is the aim of Koh Ministries to provide resources for knowing God, displaying strength and working the works of God, training is a part of what we are called to do.
The Purpose of Training
Rather than manifesting itself in the accumulation and display of knowledge, the end of training is ultimately shown in how we move, live and have our being. This is centrally the role of the local church in discipling believers from spiritual infancy to maturity. Within and vital to this process is the praxis of service and mission. Again, it is within the nurture and participation of the Body of Christ in mission that formation takes place, so that believers are practitioners of missional ministry, always stretching to understand God’s ways and to move with God. In that sense, the central part of training consists in developing our spiritual instincts, a feel for the moving presence of God. It is not sufficient for us to have a static knowledge of theology if we are to keep pace with the Holy Spirit. This involves proper relations with the Spirit that are dynamic, based on truth, and predicated by the work of God’s grace upon the believer. The order of Daniel 11:32 is essential here:
1. Knowing God
2. Displaying strength
3. Doing exploits
Each component is indispensible and all 3 hang together. The knowledge of God is authenticated by displaying strength and working the works of God. The lack of the other 2 puts into question the knowledge of God. A display of strength that does not arise from union with God (knowing God) is fleshly and does not result in works that rise above the level of human flesh. Exploits that do not arise from knowing God and being "strong in the grace of God" (1Tim2:1) are characterized by thinness and a lack of lasting power.
Discipleship and Training
Our experience has been that training those who are not engaged actively in ministry is not nearly as fruitful as training those who are already wrestling with the issues of God’s work. Also, we have found that those who have not been discipled, or are not disciples, are particularly unable to receive much benefit from training.
Because of this, our training is best suited for those who have been discipled through the church, and have had spiritual formation at work in their lives, as well as those who are already engaged in ministry.
Foundational Ministry
Acknowledging that ministry covers a wide of activities that serve the people of God and the world, our concern is with the Ministry of the Word by the unction of the Spirit in building the Church and reaching the world. In Acts 6, when there arose in the Jerusalem church an issue regarding the needs of the Hellenistic Jews, instead of redoubling their efforts to serve these saints with more physical ministry, the apostles actually devoted themselves more to prayer and the ministry of the Word. This will be our training focus in Koh Ministries. The ministry of the Word of God, not merely as scriptures, but the living word of God that is filled with His Being. This is a Word that is not separated from the Spirit, but that which is a word "from the other side".
Spoken by God and clothed in Being
It is common in Christian circles to see ministers who are either strong in the exposition or study of the word, but not able to move in the power of the Holy Spirit. Or, we see in some circles, ministers who manifest a facility in moving sensitively with the Spirit, but are unable to minister the word of God in such a way that lives are radically transformed.
But if the Word of God contains His being, then the preaching event is filled with content, but also with moment, with His working. The moment is live with presence and His action. As ministers, we want to learn how to move in the River of God’s workings, keeping pace with Him, rather than merely speaking truth as an abstracted proposition.
At the same time, there are those who try to "move in the Spirit", but because the substance of the Word of God is not taught or preached, the results are ultimately insubstantial, momentary, not formative. Worse still, without a hearing from the scriptures, an overweening subjectivism takes over.
Ministry of Word and Spirit involves ministry from the presence of God, and ministry out of our spirits. This essential core development is crucial to the ministry of the Spirit and Word. It is this dynamic that our training integrates into the coursework.
Some of the training that is available may be categorized into 3 major areas:
1.Ministry of the Word
Hearing from God in Devotion: Recognizing the presence and voice of God, developing a framework for hearing. Tacit and Cognitive aspects of receiving a word, including development of spiritual instincts. 5 dimensions of the received word: Sensitivity, weight, activation, conviction, accuracy.
Preaching: Focusing on ministering a word in season, waiting for a fresh word, opening the word, embodying the word, the cross, evangelistic preaching with signs following, moving from preaching to demonstration of the reality of the word (various venues eg, ministry time), spiritual warfare and breaking barriers, travailing, preparation for preaching.
2. Ministry of the Spirit
3. The Making of the Vessel1. Worship leading
2. Intercession
3. Gifts of the Spirit
4. The Anointing
5. Breaking the Yoke
Here the question we deal with is "How do we bring a person from the point of decision for Christ, through spiritual growth, to a place where he/she is a minister of God’s reality to others in the world and in the church?" In other words, what are the spiritual ingredients and processes that that go into raising a people who know their God, display strength and do exploits as the world gets darker? Here we look at different stages and important developmental processes that are in play at each different level.
Please contact us at kohministries@yahoo.com for information on Christian conferences, leadership training, help with your or your church’s hearing from God, knowing Him intimately and keeping in pace with Him.
Meanwhile, we recommend that you listen to Michael Koh’s sermons available here. Our prayers are with you! --Michael Koh and Cindy Koh--
Witnessing Miracles
God still does miracles. It is mysterious, but we have witnessed the love of God in this way
Click the book cover to read the story of woman raised from the dead.
