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

  • One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    We are discussing that success and effectiveness in our life are impossible without preparation. Former prime minister of Great Britain, Benjamin Disraeli said: “One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.” Influential people understand this fact. Therefore, if you are willing to spend your life effectively and have influence on the others, you have to prepare yourself for that. So what do we have to prepare ourselves for?

    We are discussing that success and effectiveness in our life are impossible without preparation. Former prime...

  • What is compassion?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    We must understand that Jesus’ disciples were not perfect; quite the opposite, they are ordinary people with „character issues”. Jesus did not wait until they become perfect, but sent them out to serve people. He did not have anybody else to send; so He worked with what He had. And He is calling us to do the same today; it applies to every one who considers himself to be His disciple. Jesus desires for God’s children to be filled with compassion and to help people allowing God to touch all the people around them with His love. If we see someone perishing physically because of some illness, we do everything to save him. We often do not realize that unsaved people are spiritually ill, that they are perishing and need salvation. We must do everything in our power to save them. So our hearts need to go out to them with love and compassion.

    We must understand that Jesus’ disciples were not perfect; quite the opposite, they are ordinary people with...

  • Our supreme call to manifest God in the flesh

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    Based on 2nd Corinthians 4:1-5 we have already underlined the following principles: 1) We all already have a ministry – to reveal or manifest God to this world. 2) We must understand the ministry we received is by mercy and not by personal merits. It is by the grace of God.

    Based on 2nd Corinthians 4:1-5 we have already underlined the following principles: 1) We all already have a...

  • Jesus transforms those that follow Him!

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    We continue to speculate on God´s desire to change us for our own benefit. As we stated, by letting God to change us according to His will and following Jesus people around will see a reflection of Heaven in our life and in our ministry. Do you remember when the elders of synagogue, scribes and Sadducees met Jesus disciples after He was resurrected, they faced a supernatural courage in them.

    We continue to speculate on God´s desire to change us for our own benefit. As we stated, by letting God to change...

  • Hope of salvation III

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    Hope already helps us to have peace nowadays, when thinking about our future. While hope always points our attention on the future, it already has auspicious impact on our life nowadays. In order to effectively use hope of salvation as a weapon, we have to undeerstand who we are in this world and how we should you this world. Paul wrote: « … and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.» (1 Corinthians 7: 31).

    Hope already helps us to have peace nowadays, when thinking about our future. While hope always points our...

  • How accountability helps us to change and grow spiritually?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    Accountability is a sincere confession or opening of one’s secrets of his Christian walk to the others in the atmosphere of mutual trust. We are ready to give account of what we do with our lives, what we understand or do not understand, in what areas are weak or in need of assistance. When we are accountable we are willing to admit whether we are growing or not. We are able to give account of what we are learning in order to receive support, encouragement or correction.

    Accountability is a sincere confession or opening of one’s secrets of his Christian walk to the others in the...