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

  • God’s Word is a sword

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    You and I are in the middle of spiritual battle and we need the weapon that would help us fight and overcome the enemy. God’s Word is His weapon, His sword. If the Word is in us, we will always be able to easily overcome temptation, sin and enemy.If God’s Word abides in us, we will be able to say as Jesus said: «It is written! It is written! It is written!» But if you are not ‘in shape’ and do not know what is written in the Word, you won’t have the necessary courage to proclaim God’s Word over your life and situation.

  • Preparation of the way of the Lord

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
    Today I would like to talk to you about the preparation of the way of the Lord. The preparation of the way precedes the coming of the Lord. Our readiness to meet God determines the actual experience with God. If we are not ready, we will be left outside of what God is doing. But if we are adequately prepared, we will be qualified to experience the visitation of the Lord. Let’s look the Scripture.

  • All great things always start small and insignificant

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    Yesterday we began talking about how all great things always start small and insignificant. In order to enter the fullness of your calling and ministry, we need to do what is revealed to us today whatever that would be. Your knowledge, your experience and your mind – these are all gifts from God which we can use in serving people. When you serve people with your gifts, then these gifts make room for you. «A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men» (Proverbs, 18: 16).Studying the church history, we see that all of God’s generals didn’t start big. These people used what they had and did whatever they could. They began using the abilities they had. Eventually, their gifts found their place in the Body of Christ and grew into large ministries.

  • God looks at what we do with what we already know

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    We are talking about the importance of knowing and doing God’s will. Yesterday we talked about the fact that God reveals His plans and intentions to us gradually as we reach particular levels of maturity and grow in our ability to accept what He has prepared for us. We also established that God reveals His will to those who are close to Him, seek His will and are willing to do His will. God looks at what we do with what we already know, and only then He will reveal the next part of His plan for our lives.

  • How important it is to guard your heart because this is where the source of life flows from

    AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
    In order for life to flow from us, we need to first be filled with this life. Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life. Receiving Christ as your Lord and Saviour, we accept His life itself within us. But this life has to be constantly strengthened within us, and it is possible when we are filled with the Word of God. You yourself determine what you fulfil your heart with – the Word of God or this world’s system of values, holiness or sin, faith or fear. The Word of God brings faith, strength, and health into our lives. Walking in holiness allows us to see the manifestation of God’s power in our lives. Faith in God, based on the Word of God, connects us with God and His possibilities.