Changes through Ministry II

ByPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes

Welcome, dear friends!

Mercy and peace of God, Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you!

Yesterday we began to discuss the meaning of ministry and what influence it has on your life. As we clarified, that ministry is a practical way to show God’s love to the people around me. We can serve people with everything the Lord has blessed us with, e.g. finances, time, prayers, experience of life, etc. However, it’s important to remember that all these things must be based on love. Giving is the main quality of such love. The Bible says “God is love”.

 

« He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love ». (1st John 4:8).

 

If God is love it’s vitally important to know and understand how Love behaves.

 

« For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life ». (John 3:16).

 

This verse from Scripture says God gave His one and only Son for the salvation of the whole mankind not as an act of feat but because He loves people.

«For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son …» – God proved His love to us through His giving.

 

« But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ». (Romans 5:8).

 

We were dead in our sins, and desperately needed freedom from the slavery of sin and the power of satan. Regardless of our sinful status God came to help us and serve us. He sent His one and only Son to die for our freedom’s sake. Giving (His life) is the exact prove of love. That’s why God calls us to follow Him as His children. Taking into consideration that God is love in what area should we as His children follow Him first? Surely love is the first thing!

 

« Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance ». (Ephesians 5:1-2).

 

By living in love we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God for the benefit of the other people around us.

 

« By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him? My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth ». (1st John 3:16-18).

 

Love always gives! We share our property or skills to meet the needs of people God sends on our way. It’s also possible to help other people, even sacrifice yourself, meet all people needs but have no love for them. This is what Paul’s letter to Corinthians tells us:

 

« If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing ». (1st Corinthians 13:1-3).

 

If our deeds are driven by different motives instead of love, it’s not a ministry in Biblical sense. The bible says, there is no profit for a man whose deeds are done without love. Such ministries or sacrifices do not please our God. So ministry presumes we use every blessing God has given to us to meet the needs of people around us, by expressing the love the Holy Spirit has poured into our hearts.

 

« and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us ». (Romans 5:5).

 

Thus, true ministry starts with discovery of the gifts and assets I possess. After a person has determined what he has, he or she should look around in order to find the people with whom he can share his gifts and assets with. Living this way our life will be filled with joy and satisfaction because of the privilege we have to serve or help somebody else.

Let God pour His love and mercy on you to serve other people!

See you tomorrow.

Rufus Ajiboye, pastor

Similar Posts

  • Ignorance of spiritual laws – is one of many things that cause suffering in this world nowadays

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    «Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the fulfilment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.» (Romans 10:1-4).Today may people are saying they love God and believe in Him, while staying ignorant to His righteousness and living according to their own righteousness. Therefore, they blame God for being unjust to them when facing problems and distress in their life.

    «Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. For I testify about them...

  • Lust brings sin, and sin brings death II

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    Lust is a strong desire or passion to something forbidden or unlawful. For example, the Bible says coveting your neighbour’s wife or his property is unlawful.«“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.”» (Exodus 20:17).

    Lust is a strong desire or passion to something forbidden or unlawful. For example, the Bible says coveting your...

  • Habit is a compilation of knowledge, skills and willingness

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    Knowledge is an understanding of theory of what we have to do and why. In order to make something as your habit you need to understand the theoretical aspects of such necessity. How is it connected to our praying life? Let me explain that. We acquire knowledge by reading the Bible, Word of God. We know why we have to pray, then we can make a habit of praying, just because we know what we have to do. We should pray without ceasing – I know this and so I do why. Let me elaborate on it. Awareness of what I gain or lose by having a particular habit helps us to develop that habit.

    Knowledge is an understanding of theory of what we have to do and why. In order to make something as your habit...

  • Any change in our life is done by the Holy Spirit, who transforms us and moves us from glory to glory

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    Are you able to accomplish something only the Holy Spirit can do? Surely not! However, by constantly watching the glory of the Lord with open face the Holy Spirit can transform us into the same image, from glory to glory.I noticed there is a problem with persistence in our fellowship with God not with coming before Him. You probably experience the time when inspiration visits you and you are willing to get closer to God and have fellowship with Him. While those moments come rather rarely or very rarely they do not change anything in essence. We all need persistence! During fellowship with God Holy Spirit will work at your heart, at your character, at your relationships, at your way of thinking that, in turn, will transform you.

    Are you able to accomplish something only the Holy Spirit can do? Surely not! However, by constantly watching the...

  • How can we earn promotion? III

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    God has set particular order in His Kingdom; there are some principles that the Kingdom of God is based on: humble people open for themselves the grace of walking in the fear of the Lord and they experience riches, honour and full life from God, – the Word of God says so. Prideful and haughty sooner or later are humbled and their life is filled with falls and destruction.If we desire God’s promotion we need to walk in humility and obedience to God. So many people after they get promoted become unapproachable, unsociable, and haughty.

    God has set particular order in His Kingdom; there are some principles that the Kingdom of God is based on...

  • We must learn to think big!

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    God’s Kingdom is bigger than just a church; the Kingdom cannot be hidden inside the church walls. The Bible tells us that we are salt to the earth and light to the world. It means that our ministry has to go beyond the boarders of a church and leave an impact on the city, the country and the world. We need to think of how to salt the earth and enlighten the world.We should start locally; but we must think globally. «You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth», – said Jesus in Acts (1: 8).

    God’s Kingdom is bigger than just a church; the Kingdom cannot be hidden inside the church walls. The Bible tells...