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

  • 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...

  • God’s purpose for the earth and the role of people in it III

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    «Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! ’» (Matthew, 7:21-23).

    «Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My...

  • What are the consequences of unforgiveness?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    Unforgiveness gives place to the devil in our lives and churches.The Bibles tells us not to give place to the devil. One of the ways to do that is to be quick to forgive: «”Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil» (Ephesians, 4:26-27).

    Unforgiveness gives place to the devil in our lives and churches. The Bibles tells us not to give place to the...

  • 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...

  • Petition

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    Everything that bothers us can be brought to God in prayer.«Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus» (Philippians, 4:6-7).

    Everything that bothers us can be brought to God in prayer. «Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer...

  • Life without prayer is a road to nowhere II

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    1. Set apart some time for prayer and commit to it.2. Plan where you will pray.It does not have to be at home, but you also do not need to turn prayer into some religious ritual. Be creative when you choose the place for prayer. For instance, there was a time in my life when I made walking into prayer time. I called it “a prayer walk”. I went out in the street for the purpose of prayer.

    1. Set apart some time for prayer and commit to it. 2. Plan where you will pray. It does not have to be at home...