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

  • The steps God takes in disciplining us II

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    If we listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is communicated through the people God sends to us to correct us and repent of our sins, then He stops all the judgments. But, if we continue in our stubbornness and resist Him, God allows more trouble in our lives in order to show us that there are spiritual problems in us that we need to resolve. If after that we still resist Him and refuse to humble ourselves before Him, then He increases penalties. God does that because He loves us and does not want any of His children to perish.

  • The lordship of Jesus Christ IV

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    If we are aware of the authority of Jesus, if we identify ourselves with His rule and submit our lives to it, then we can walk in the name of Jesus and crush under our feet all those things that do not fit the will of God and come up against it. And we will see victory!I pray that the Lord would help us all to grasp the true meaning of the lordship of Jesus. When we proclaim “Jesus is LORD!” having the proper understanding, then it brings changes into our lives.

  • I can do everything in Christ Jesus who strengthens me!

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    When we cast all our worries on the Lord, a sincere joy appears fills our hearts and the soul begins to sing a new song. When somebody fully relies on God, he stops chanting the old songs like: “Oh, I am weak! Oh no, I can´t accomplish it! Oh, I am definitely gonna fail! Oh, I am so poor!”When a person casts his worries on the Lord who cares for us, his mouth will sing a new song: “Let the weak say I am strong! I can do everything in Christ Jesus who strengthens me! My God meets all my needs! God is my shepherd, I lack nothing! I destroy my enemies with God! I am healed by the wounds of Jesus.”

  • Jesus transforms those that follow Him III

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    We must keep God’s call to change right before our eyes as one of the most important goals. As soon as we come to God and enter His Kingdom, the desire to change and grow into the likeness of Jesus should be our single desire and our daily bread. And when we start changing, the things around us will change along with the inward changes we experience. Then the most awful situation will change for better and terrible problems will be solved. All of this will happen along with the transformation of our character in the process of the spiritual growth.

  • What is a breakthrough?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    In order to experience a breakthrough, it is necessary to understand what it is and why we need it.These are some explanations what is meant when we talk about breakthrough:Breakthrough – it destroys any barriers (satanic or human) that put limitations in our lives. Breakthrough – it changes your tragedies into testimonies. Breakthrough – it turns your illnesses into wellbeing. Breakthrough – it changes your disappointments into opportunities. Breakthrough – it provides transition from hardships to comfort.

  • Jesus as the example of a true minister

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    We see that Jesus experienced serious difficulties in the days of His earthly life, but He did not focus on them. Jesus was busy serving the Father and those He was sent to serve. While Jesus served people, the Father made sure people ministered to Jesus; God met Jesus’ needs through His ministry.When we serve others, God motivates others to serve us. We always reap what we have sown. We do not serve people because we do not have any problems, – we serve people because it pleases God. And when we serve, despite the fact that we have problems, needs and concerns, God makes sure some people that we do not even know serve us by meeting our needs