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

  • Piety II

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    Calling upon God – means to have habitual prayer life. Prayer helps us to draw near to God and releases His provision, because He is close to all who call upon Him. We also talked about the fact that our provision depends not only on our ability to call upon God, but also on how much we fear God. To fear God means to avoid evil, to do good, to seek peace and to follow it. God’s provision and blessing is the reward of those who fear Him. We also pointed out that God has secrets that are meant for dedicated people who call upon His Name and walk in the fear of the Lord. Besides all of the above, it is important to know that dedication to God is impossible without the love for Him.

    Calling upon God - means to have habitual prayer life. Prayer helps us to draw near to God and releases His...

  • Do You Hear What God Is Saying?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    God speaks constantly! The question is whether you hear what He says.God created everything by His Word, and He holds everything together by the power of His Word.“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3).

    God speaks constantly! The question is whether you hear what He says. God created everything by His Word, and He...

  • God’s Word being the best means of cleansing for a human heart

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    God cleanses me through His Word, so I have to be absorbed in it daily. It might seem to you that you are not getting anything out of it, but it is not so. When we read the Word, we receive deep cleansing, just like people get clean when they bathe. It must be done as often as possible so we would stink spiritually. If you start to notice that you are getting quick-tempered, it means you need to wash it off. If you notice your heart closing up, it means you are not reading the Word and missing the cleansing. If you notice things that do not comply with Christian standards, for example, picking a quarrel, it is a sign of not being in the Word enough.

    God cleanses me through His Word, so I have to be absorbed in it daily. It might seem to you that you are not...

  • The generosity and hospitality that opens doors for God’s intervention

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    “The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way – now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There in the tent,” he said. Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.”

    “The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in...

  • 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.

    If we listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is communicated through the people God sends to us to...

  • Discipline opens the door for success and promotion in our lives!

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    So, we get different ideas about changing our life, but these ideas do not come to pass automatically. An idea must grow into a desire. Then as a desire grows stronger, a person makes a decision, and that’s when it gets more serious! But many people stop at this point. The thing is that you must go from a decision to some actions. A decision must turn into actions if you want to see any real changes in your life.

    So, we get different ideas about changing our life, but these ideas do not come to pass automatically. An idea...