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

  • Do not focus of what you do not have; simply go ahead and use what you have! II

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    God gives to us gifts according to our ability, so He does not call us to do the thigs we are not able to. If God has asked you to do something, it is only because He knows you are able to do it. He won’t give you more than you are able to bear. Simply use what you have. I once read a story about a woman who built a school for the needy. Before she began this, a desire was born in her heart to do it. It became her dream that she was thinking of consistently. At that moment she did not have a thing: no textbooks, no teachers, no building, and no money. But she did have a tremendous desire to fulfil her dream.

    God gives to us gifts according to our ability, so He does not call us to do the thigs we are not able to. If God...

  • The life of Jesus was described to us so that we learn from Him to take His yoke and His burden

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    According to the Bible, God´s highest goal for us is make us in likeness of Christ. He wants us to be like Jesus. Though, it doesn´t happen in at blink of an eye, it´s rather a process that develops as we allow the God´s word and other God´s means on to influence us. Spending your time with Jesus by reading the word of God and praying, fellowship with other christians, decently overcoming difficulties and pain – all these things help you to transform more and more, just as it happened to Jesus disciples.

    According to the Bible, God´s highest goal for us is make us in likeness of Christ. He wants us to be like Jesus...

  • How do we serve God?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    We serve God by serving other people in His Name. To serve God actually means to serve other people in the Name of God or as the representative of God on the earth. It is to do good to others by meeting their spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical or material needs as an act of our love for God. Please understand that your love for God will have a reflection your relationship with others. In the same way, your neglect of God reflects on how you relate to your neighbour.

    We serve God by serving other people in His Name. To serve God actually means to serve other people in the Name...

  • Presence of God IV

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    We have been talking about God’s presence in our lives. As we have discussed, God’s presence makes all the difference in our lives. It makes us strong. It makes us wise. We can experience God’s presence through fervent praying, through cleansing and purifying of our hearts, though brokenness and humility before God, and through holy and godly living. Moses made prayer a priority in order to secure God’s presence in his life and ministry; for this reason he set up a special tent where all the seekers of God were invited to come.

    We have been talking about God’s presence in our lives. As we have discussed, God’s presence makes all the...

  • Daily obedience to God in different areas of your life will bring you to your calling III

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
    If you desire to find out what your calling is and to start walking in it, then, first of all, be obedient to God on a daily basis; secondly, let Jesus to become the Lord in all the areas of your life. It is our honour and privilege to have Jesus Christ as our Lord, since He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The lordship of Jesus does not humiliate and limit a person; quite the opposite is true, – it exalts and adorns human life.

    If you desire to find out what your calling is and to start walking in it, then, first of all, be obedient to God...

  • How does a breakthrough benefit us?

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    A breakthrough moves us from weakness to strength. This crippled man’s feet and ankles were weak, therefore he could not walk. When God gave him a breakthrough, his feet and ankles immediately became strong. «…7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. » (Acts 3:7).

    A breakthrough moves us from weakness to strength. This crippled man’s feet and ankles were weak, therefore he...